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BEN THOMAS: MAN BEHIND THE CAMERA FEATURES, P. 4 Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012
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A siren blares across the campus as a team of highly trained individuals grab their rifles and sprint to the Tiger. The line has been breached. They know that the student body is with them in spirit as they form up to fight the insidious threat to our symbol of school spirit down to the last man. Fortunately, this isn’t what guarding the Tiger means. Instead, each class
Volume 121, Issue 9
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Guarding the Tiger By NOAH HUTCHINSON
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just takes watch on their respective nights from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. throughout Battle of the Ravine week in hopes that so many warm bodies loitering around will deter any vandalism. Guarding the tiger is one of the traditions that characterizes Battle of the Ravine Week and was originally started because of past attempts at vandalism. “There is a definite threat of the Tiger being vandalized,” said Justin Young, Student Senate president. “It is the very symbol of our university, and every Ouachitonian takes pride in what it stands for. see TIGER z 2
Photo by Dr. Wesley Kluck.
Battle full of traditions, memories By SIGNAL STAFF The Battle of the Ravine is the oldest NCAA Division II rivalry in America. Since 1895, Battle of the Ravine week has been filled with extreme emotion, harsh pranks, school spirit and timeless traditions. One of these pranks was a friendly kidnapping of the 1952 Ouachita Homecoming queen, Ann Strickland, who was at the time the girlfriend of Bill Vining, the future Ouachita head basketball coach and athletic director. Some of Ann’s friends at Henderson decided to kidnap and hold her hostage 35 miles away in Hot Springs. In response, a group of football players went to rescue the girl. Among them was Vining and Ike Sharp, father of Ouachita Director of Athletics David Sharp. Sharp and Vining went searching for Ann, ready for a confrontation. Acting on an erroneous tip, they even went door-to-door in Arkadelphia’s Caddo Hotel. They didn’t find her, but Ann returned unharmed in a see TRADITIONS z 2
Rally on the Ravine Students, community gather for fun, games, rivalry football By KELSEY LAMB Staff Writer
Lauren Carpenter z Courtesy MEMBERS OF Ouachita’s Arkansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence presented research in Springdale, Ark. recently, where Ouachita faculty and students were recognized.
Science students, faculty recognized at regional INBRE research conference By RYLEIGH SALMON News Bureau
Ouachita Baptist University professor Dr. Lori Hensley as well as three Ouachita students were recognized for outstanding work at the recent 2012 Arkansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Conference in Springdale, Ark. Twelve Ouachita students and seven faculty and staff members participated in the conference, with 10 students presenting research. Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist and United Nations Messenger of Peace, was the featured speaker. “The conference attracted more than 120 undergraduate research presentations in
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biology, chemistry and physics from 26 institutions in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma,” said Dr. Tim Knight, dean of Ouachita’s J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences. “Each year we send a strong cohort of students to the INBRE conference and each year they come back having been recognized by their peers as among the best the state of Arkansas has to offer,” Knight added. “We know this to be true, but it’s gratifying for them to be recognized in this way.” Dr. Lori Hensley, associate professor of biology and holder of the J.D. Patterson Chair of Biology, was one of three faculty members invited to present at the conference.
She said she was “surprised, honored and very nervous” to be chosen to speak about “Antitumor Effects of Ajulemic Acid on Ewing’s Sarcoma.” Hensley’s research focuses on the drug ajulemic acid, also known as AJA, which has shown the ability to kill the Sarcoma cells without any damaging side effects. Ryan James, a senior biology major from Benton, Ark., had the opportunity to work under Hensley this past summer. It “fascinated me to know that somebody was curing cancer at Ouachita, in the science building, where I take classes every day,” he said. James was also recognized at the conference for his biol see INBRE z 3
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TIGERS OPEN HOME N I V E R S I T Y SEASONS SPORTS, P. 7
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By NOAH HUTCHINSON Staff Writer
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Leader in training
shop will be serving a variety of pastries and juices. Officially called the Library Café, the old coffeehouse was referred to as Starbucks by the majority of students because of the brand of coffee they sold.
Haney attends Institute in D.C.,
Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012
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Volume 121, Issue 5
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Staff Writer
There are many questions students face when entering college and even more as they begin the voyage into the “real world.” What am I doing, where am I going and how do I get there? Where do my priorities lie and what will happen if I can’t do it all? Before getting too bogged down, students can rest assured that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Career Services is available as a launching point for every Ouachita student, no matter their classification. Whether you are an upperclassman preparing for your life ahead or a freshman that doesn’t know where to begin, you are not on this journey alone. Career Services is an organization at Ouachita whose main goal is equipping students with the answers, opportunities and connections needed to succeed both on campus and off. It’s never too early to start taking advantage of all that Career Services has to offer. “I really hope that more people will get involved with Career Services as a freshman or a sophomore,” said Aly Smith, a sophomore Mass
Tiger Tunes 2012
Dr. Jack’s legacy inspires sense of school pride The fact that there is a new coffee shop on campus is old news. However, just reading the name or looking at the
JOEY LICKLIDER FEATURES, P. 4
By KATHLEEN SUIT
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Photo courtesy of Dr. Barbara Pemberton.
Volume 121, Issue 2
Career Services offers students variety of tools, resources
News Editor
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On Jul. 30, 2012, Dr. Jay Curlin, professor of English, had a poem featured in The New Yorker. Curlin never submitted the poem, but after a remarkable set of circumstances, The New Yorker’s poetry editor, Paul Muldoon, contacted Curlin and asked him whether he might publish it in the magazine. The poem, entitled “Evidence of Things Not Seen,” was written in the fall of 2010 to feature By Tanner Ward two words that appeared in the Editor-in-Chief Daily Word Game utilized by ight students and two professors got what will professors to enhance students’ probably be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in vocabulary. The words were May. They, along with a community member, were “Higgs-Boson,” the legendary granted an almost unheard of invitation to tour god particle and “hirsute,” a Saudi Arabia, a country typically closed to tourism outword meaning hairy. The poside of religious purposes. em’s title is a reference to the Dr. Barbara Pemberton, associate professor of Christian Bible verse Hebrews 11:1. missions and one of the professors who attended, said “After a couple of years of the trip was the result of years of talks between herself, playing the daily word games, a tour company in Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Arabian [Jay] would put [them] in his Nicole McPhate z The Signal embassy in thethe United Theofcertainty of the trip was in the reading in poems he STUDENTS ENJOY newStates. features Dr. Jack’s Coffeehouse recentlyquizzes renovated Evans Student Center. The first president’s unknown evenhelp to the last minute. wrote that he called lexical iconic mutton chops to reinforce the sense of school heritage among students.
Saudi Arabia, traditionally shy of tourism, invites student group for visit
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New Yorker publishes Curlin poem in July issue By Sam CuShman
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Rally on the Ravine is celebrating its second year and will take place on Saturday, an opportunity to bring the entire community together to participate in one single event at Henderson State University's intramural fields. Before Rally on the Ravine came about, there was a festival in Arkadelphia called the Festival of Two Rivers. But after a number of years the participation in this event dwindled and it was soon put to an end. "Leadership Clark County decided to bring back a festival in Arkadelphia and decided with all the hype around the Battle of the Ravine that this was a great central event to support," said Jon Merryman, Ouachita alumni director. Rally on the Ravine is a great opportunity for both universities to come together and connect with the community. Rally on the Ravine is promoted not only by Ouachita and Henderson, but because this is a community event, there are multiple organizations that contribute to this event. They each work to come up with activities that will please everybody. "A community committee plans the Battle of the Ravine Rally including some from the original planning group from Leadership Clark County,
son, vice president of communications. “He was elected president in 1886 at age 29 and was responsible for recruiting students, hiring faculty and developing the Arkadelphia campus.”
is important to have a reminder of where the school came from and the people who had a hand in making OBU what it is today.” Dr. Jack stands out as a symbol for Ouachita and is more
The complete print edition in a new interactive format. Now compatible with iPhone/iPad.
Nick Burt z Courtesy
PEOPLE AT last year’s Rally on the Ravine participate in a rock climbing wall, one of the many activities at the event.
community and Chamber of Commerce leaders and leaders from Ouachita and Henderson," said Merryman. The festivities will begin early on Saturday morning at 8:30 with a five kilometer run. The run is hosted by the Junior Auxiliary. Following this event, at 9 a.m., there will be a run that is specifically for children called the Andy Allison Super Kids Run. This run is dedicated in memory of the son of Charlotte Allison, who serves as executive secretary for President Rex Horne. "Students should all come join,” said Lindsey Fowler, external vice president of Student Senate and a junior political science major. “It will not only be a super fun morning but it is a great chance to show our school pride and spend time with other Ouachita students, faculty, alumni, as well as get to know members of the Arkadelphia community that we may not come into contact with often.” see RALLY z 2
CONNECT WITH THE SIGNAL
2 n news campus & community Thursday, November 8, 2012
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TOP
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Marvel Heroes
Spiderman. Your friendly
neighborhood Spiderman swings in at No. 1 in this week’s Top 5.
Wolverine. He’s the best there is
at what he does. And what he does isn’t very nice.
Hulk. A beast. He is rage
incarnate and he won’t let something like a puny god tell him what to do.
Nicole McPhate photo.
Iron Man. “Billionaire, genius,
The crew films during Sunday’s Lip Dub.
playboy, philanthropist.” Truly one of Earth’s mightiest heroes.
Silver Surfer. The Sentinel of the
Spaceways and the hero that saved Earth from Galactus’ abominable hunger.
this week zCALENDAR BOTR BONFIRE will be held tonight from 6:30- 7:30 p.m at the Tiger. For more information, contact: David Sharp at sharpd@obu.edu
LIVE MUSIC at Dr. Jack’s will take place tomorrow afternoon at 12:15 p.m. For more information, contact: Tim Harrell at harrellt@obu.edu.
REFUGE will be held tonight at Second Baptist Church from 9- 10 p.m. For more information, contact: James Taylor at taylorja@obu.edu.
RALLY ON THE RAVINE will take place at Henderson’s intramural fields Saturday morning. Come for pregame activites put on by Ouachita organizations and social clubs.
COURSE WITHDRAWAL ends tomorrow. If students wish to withdraw from a course tomorrow is the latest they can do so.
BOTR FOOTBALL GAME will take place Saturday at Henderson. Kickoff will be at 3 p.m. For more information, contact: Todd Knight at knighttf@obu. edu.
Compiled by Molly Turner.
z Continued from Page 1 The unmentionables across the street know how deeply we are connected to the Tiger, and will definitely attempt to vandalize it. There have already been minor attacks, one of which even knocked out a (Tiger) tooth.” Although there may be an attempt to vandalize the Tiger this year, it’s not likely to be successful. With so many people watching it, any element of stealth would be lost if someone were to try and do anything. “The men of Rho Sigma lead the tradition, but Student Senate has been trying to incorporate the individual classes,” said Lindsey Fowler, Student
RALLY
z Continued from Page 1 At 10 a.m. there will be more activities for kids of all ages. These activities will include bounce houses, carnival rides, and a 70 foot tall Ferris wheel. There will also be a number of other activities offered in addition to events sponsored by Henderson. "There will be tailgating, music, a photo booth, rock wall, face painting and an AC130 flyover of the stadium just before kick-off," Merryman said. Ouachita will have a tent set up between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in between Ouachita's A.U. Williams Field and Henderson
Senate external vice president. Fowler said the juniors guarded the Tiger Monday night. There were tents and sleeping bags, and some of the social clubs put on events during this time. “Last year we had some Henderson Students visit us at about 4 a.m., but we heard them coming and it wasn’t a big deal. If anything serious happens, Safety is on call,” Fowler said. Each class has taken a night out of the week to guard the Tiger, and the entire campus will stay out to guard it tomorrow night. “It’s a great time to bond and form friendships within your whole class, rather than just your major or your social club,” Fowler said. To draw students outside
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and encourage a sense of unity, the various social clubs staged activities during the week. Tri Chi will serve hot chocolate and s’mores, Kappa Chi held a car bash and Rho Sigma will have a bonfire (tomorrow). Guarding the Tiger may have the practical purpose of avoiding vandalism to school property, but more than anything, it’s about showing spirit and support for the school and for our traditions. “Last year, the freshman class had the biggest turnout with over 100 people staying out all night to guard the Tiger,” Young said. “From my experience, your night with your class will be awesome. It’s an incredible experience for the whole campus to come together for one common goal.” n
activities at their own individual tailgating sections. "Rally on the Ravine is a chance to come together as one community and enjoy a fun morning together before the big game,” Fowler said. For more information about the events and activities that — Lindsey Fowler will take place at Rally on the Ravine, State University's Carpenter- contact Merryman at merryHaygood Stadium and food manj@obu.edu. will be served here. Other Kick off for the Battle of the events that will be taking place Ravine football game will be at will include all of the social 3 p.m. this Saturday. For more clubs as well as other campus information about the Football organizations. They will sup- game contact Todd Knight at ply food, drinks and other fun knighttf@obu.edu. n
It’s a great chance to show our school pride and spend time with other Ouachita students, faculty, alumni, as well as get to know members of the Arkadelphia community that we may not come into contact with often.”
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TIGER
TRADITIONS z Continued from Page 1
few days. Soon after this, Vining would propose to Strickland. (Bill and Ann would go on to have six children, including nurse Molly Vining Wallace, director of health services at Ouachita.) Large fights between Reddies and Tigers were not uncommon in the 1940s and 1950s, with memorable fisticuffs on the street in front of Cone-Bottoms and around the Tiger. The culmination of these events alarmed those in charge of the Battle of the Ravine and it was put on an 11-year hiatus. The rivalry was renewed in the 1960s and has continued since then with the exception of a few years in the 1990s when Henderson had joined the NCAA and Ouachita was still a member of the NAIA. One of the most well-known traditions during Battle of the Ravine week is the guarding of the Tiger. Rho Sigma has guarded the Tiger for over 70 years. “Ever since… the Tiger was put up, we’ve always been ones for Tiger spirit,” said Jake Hannon, a junior business management major and vice president of Rho Sigma. “This is a great way to get people excited. People walk through campus, see us out here guarding the Tiger and we know they’re going to get excited for that game on Saturday.” During the week, Rho Sigma
has a large tent set up near the Tiger. Their headquarters is surrounded by different activities that students can participate in throughout the week. “We all plan it,” Hannon said. “We all get together and think about what will be fun and what the other people on campus will enjoy.” Hein Hillmer, a junior mass communications major and social chair of Rho Sigma said that the “whole point of having people come out and setting up a tent is to create unity between students and social clubs.” “It’s definitely something that’s going to be one of those memory makers,” he said. “Something that, after you graduate, you’ll be able to share with people out of school and with kids that come to school. It’s important to all of us.” The first six games of Battle of the Ravine were won by the Henderson Reddies. The games would traditionally be played on Thanksgiving Day and both teams made it their Homecoming game. Of all the football games played between Henderson and Ouachita, Henderson has won 40 and Ouachita has won 39. There were six ties in 1914, 1927, 1947, 1964, 1986 and 1988. If Ouachita wins this year, there will be a tie for the overall games. For over a century, Battle of the Ravine has continued to be a highlight event of the fall semester. n - Noah Hutchinson, Kathryn Coffey, Mattie Bogoslovsky and Sam Cushman contributed to this article.
nation & world news n 3
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
NEWS BRIEFS n Thirty second recaps of the biggest stories of the week. NATIONAL ― Tuesday morning, a
gunman opened fire at a meat processing plant in Fresno, Calif. The man, identified as Lawrence Jones, killed one co-worker and shot three others before he critically wounded himself, according to Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer. Jones had worked at the plant 14 months and according to one of his coworkers, he did not appear to be himself when he clocked in at 4:58 a.m Tuesday. Less than four hours later, he allegedly opened fire on the people inside the plant. In statemnent given to the public, Dyer said at least 30 employees witnessed the shooting. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found Jones with a self-inflicted gunshot wound lying on a sidewalk outside the meat processing plant. n
WORLD ― As violence escalated in
the Syrian capital of Damascus, deadly explosions rocked the Hai al-Wuroud district, which housed members of President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect, and gunmen killed the brother of the speaker of parliament. According to the Syrian state media, at least 10 people were killed and 30 wounded by a deadly explosion. A car bomb also exploded at a nearby shopping mall. The neighborhood is situated near a barracks and housing for elite army units, and is home to members of Assad’s Alawite sect, a tangent of Shi’ite Islam. The rebellion in Syria, which has claimed the lives of more than 36,000 people in 19 months, is drawn mainly from the Sunni Muslim majority. n
HEALTH ― Congressional inves-
tigators Tuesday subpoenaed Barry Cadden, co-owner of the Framingham pharmacy blamed for the national meningitis outbreak, to answer questions about the crisis in Washington next week. Cadden, who also was managing pharmacist at the nowclosed New England Compounding Center, was ordered to appear before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. The outbreak has been linked to contaminated steroid injections made by New England Compounding. So far, it has sickened 419 people and killed 30, most of whom were infected with a rare type of fungal meningitis, according to the CDC. n
SCIENCE ― A photo from a European Space Agency satellite taken Oct. 30 has revealed that the extent of superstorm Sandy’s incredible size may be best appreciated from space. The hurricanes arms spiraled out from southern Georgia in the U.S to the far reaches of northern Canada, reaching distances of well over 1,200 miles. Sandy has killed more than a hundred people in the U.S., while wind and water destroyed entire neighborhoods, cut power to some 8.5 million and shuttered transportation systems and businesses. The storm produced over a foot of rainfall in some locations and wind gusts that topped 90 miles per hour. Waves more than 30 feet tall were recorded at sea, while the storm surge at Kings Point, N.Y., reached 12.5 feet tall. n
Compiled by Sam Cushman. Sources: abcnews.com, reuters.com, pbs.org, boston.com, cdc.gov, accuweather.com, news.nationalgeographic.com.
Guatemala earthquake kills 3, toll expected to rise By SAM CUSHMAN News Editor
@SamuelCushman A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off of the Pacific coast of Guatemala yesterday at 4:35 p.m., killing at least three people and injuring others. Citing preliminary reports at a news conference, Guatemalan president Otto Perez Molina said that at least 100 people were reported missing, 15 were reported trapped under rubble and the death toll is expected to rise significantly, according to CNN. “These are preliminary statistics because this only happened three hours ago and
we haven’t been able to confirm them,” he told reporters Wednesday afternoon. The quake was felt throughout Central America and as far to the north as central Mexico. According to the United States Geological Survey, the epicenter was located approximately 15 miles from the coastal city of Champerico and it’s focus was located around a depth of 26 miles. “This is the largest earthquake that we’ve had since the earthquake in 1976,” said Perez Molina. There were also reports of homes and schools being destroyed in the western part of the country. Fortunately, the Guatemalan school year had
already ended so there were not any children present inside the buildings as they collapsed. The Huffington Post reported a tweet by Adam Baker, a 27-year-old Peace Corps volunteer from Indiana. “I’ve been in Guatemala for almost two years and I’m used to earthquakes,” he tweeted. “This was a lot more severe, a lot more shakey. Things fell in my kitchen.” Survivors talked about widespread landslides and people trapped by use of radio and social media. It was difficult for emergency officials to confirm the accounts of deaths and trapped people because roads and communications
were cut off. A reporter in San Marcos, a mountainous rural region 80 miles north of the epicenter, told the local radio station that houses had collapsed onto residents and smashed televisions, and other appliances had been thrown into the streets of the main town. Perez Molina said in a radio interview that Guatemala had been placed on its highest level of disaster alert. He also asked people to immediately evacuate tall buildings as an emergency measure. A local resident who identified herself as Mrs. Baglia, told the radio station in a small town near San Marcos that people were fleeing into the
streets after being told of a tsunami alert. “People are in distress and no one can calm down,” she said. At a Guatemalan sand extraction site, more than 300 people consisting of firemen, police and villagers worked to rescue seven people who were reported to be buried alive, including a six-year-old boy who accompanied his grandfather to work. Fearing powerful aftershocks that could cause more destruction, Perez Molina and emergency officials issued a “red alert” fearing powerful aftershocks of the quake. It stretches across the country’s entire Pacific coast. n
Henderson’s planetarium presents video on black holes By KATHLEEN SUIT Staff Writer
Whether to marvel at the wonders of space or just to listen to Liam Neeson talk in surround sound for 24 minutes, tonight at Henderson State University’s Donald W. Reynolds Planetarium, both needs will be satisfied. Playing both tonight and Thursday, Nov. 15, the planetarium will be showing “Black Holes — The Other Side of Infinity”. In this presentation, the myths of black holes will be uncovered and many misconceptions cleared away. “People say that black holes suck,” said Jim Duke, Henderson’s Planetarium manager. “No. Black holes don’t suck like a vacuum cleaner does;
you just reach a point where you can’t get away from them.” The show provides the analogy of people kayaking in a river. As the river nears the drop off of a waterfall, the current is continuously getting stronger and stronger, pulling them towards the edge. Soon, the kayakers cannot paddle fast enough to escape the pull of the water taking them over the waterfall. They compare this to black holes and explain how this is what it is like when as things try to escape black holes. “It is more of an entertainment based, educational approach. It doesn’t bore you,” Duke explained. The show is 24 minutes in length and is narrated by Hollywood star Liam Neeson. It contains many videos, graph-
ics and real life images of our solar system all as part of the show. “Black Holes — The Other Side of Infinity” is an innovative production that uses highresolution views of the cosmic phenomena and mixes them along with computer simulations to bring the current science of black holes to the planetarium’s dome screen. "My online astronomy class at Henderson gave the opportunity to go to the planetarium for bonus points,” said Meca Morrow, a former astronomy student at Henderson. “I wasn't looking forward to it, because I hate science. It turned out pretty neat actually. Actually the guy who did the presentation pointed out Jupiter, which pointed out that most people mistake Jupiter
U.S. News ranks Ouachita among nation’s top schools graduating low-income students By TRENNIS HENDERSON News Bureau
Achieving a major milestone for the benefit of low-income students and their families, Ouachita Baptist University has been named among the top 10 universities in the nation that graduate low-income students. The findings, posted by USNews.com, also show that Ouachita is the only university, private or public, in the state of Arkansas to earn that recognition. Other universities in that category range from the University of San Francisco to Stonehill College in Massachusetts. “U.S. News’ study confirms that Ouachita is one of the most affordable universities for all students,” said Ouachita President Rex M. Horne, Jr. “With our generous financial aid, personal attention and commitment to student success, Ouachita is exceptional among all universities, public or private. “We are also very pleased to
report that Ouachita's graduates leave with less debt than most university graduates,” Dr. Horne added. Recent studies show that Ouachita students graduate with student loan debts below both the state and national averages. Dr. Brett Powell, OBU’s vice president for administrative services, said the national ranking “is affirmation that the programs we have in place, from financial aid to academic support, are effective in attracting and retaining a diverse mix of students to Ouachita.” Noting that Ouachita offers “a wide range of financial aid options to keep costs affordable for all students who have a desire to earn a Ouachita education,” Dr. Powell said, “These options are based on a number of criteria, including a student’s academic profile, financial need and leadership qualities.” The U.S. News study cites the percentage of Pell Grant recipients who graduate compared to the rest of the student body, according to USNews.
com. Pell Grants provide federal financial aid to undergraduates from low-income families, generally to students with family incomes below $20,000. The graduation rate of Pell Grant recipients, coupled with other graduation rate statistics, indicate whetherschools are effectively serving students from diverse income levels. In addition to being ranked among the top 10 national universities and national liberal arts colleges in that category, Ouachita has been recognized among the nation’s top tier schools by both U.S. News and Forbes magazines. U.S. News also ranks Ouachita among the nation’s “A+ Schools for B Students.” Ouachita Baptist University, a private liberal arts university in Arkadelphia, Ark., has served since 1886 as a Christcentered learning community. With a current enrollment of 1,532 students, Ouachita is educating students from 29 states and more than 30 nations. For more information, visit www. obu.edu. n
for the north-star." The Donald W. Reynolds Planetarium has been a part of the Henderson campus since 1999. Major renovations and new technology were added in 2009, such as their new Gamma model Digitarium Digital All-Dome projector, a smaller projector in size, but with superior abilities. “The Society of Physics students actually run the public shows. They use it as a fundraiser for their club,” Duke mentioned. They have classes in the planetarium and they will also be doing all of the work in hosting the show tonight. A lot goes into creating and producing these kinds of planetarium shows like they show at Henderson’s Planetarium. “The cost of a good show is
between $7,000 and $10,000,” Duke said. Shows begin at 7 p.m. No late entries will be permitted due to the need for complete darkness through the duration of the showing. Each showing only seats 45 people, so it is recommended that viewers arrive a bit early to ensure a seat. The cost is only $1 with a Ouachita or Henderson student ID. Tickets are $3 for the general public. The planetarium is located in the Reynolds Science Building next to Arkansas Hall. For more information about “Black Holes — The Other Side of Infinity” or to view the Planetarium’s season schedule, visit the Henderson State University website, www.hsu. edu or contact Duke at 501230-5006. n
INBRE
plained. “CYP2C9 is a protein found in the human liver that is responsible for metabolizing many drugs. The central question of my research was based on the experimental observation that two drugs that are chiral can be taken up by the body in vastly different ways.” In addition to James, Ouachita students who presented biology posters were: Elizabeth Blankenship, a senior biology major from Casscoe, Ark.; Adam Curlin, a senior biology major from Arkadelphia, Ark.; Skylar Hearron, a senior biology major from Monticello, Ark.; Hollyn McCarty, a senior biology and chemistry double major from Texarkana, Ark.; and Carly Oetker, a senior biology major from Houston, Texas. In addition to Nickel,Ouachita students who presented chemistry posters were Shelby Cobb, a senior chemistry major from Pine Bluff, Ark., and Crista Riggs, a junior chemistry and biology double major from Edmond, Okla. For more information about Ouachita’s Patterson School of Natural Sciences or Ouachita’s Arkansas INBRE, contact Dr. Tim Knight at knightt@obu. edu or call (870) 245-5528. n
z Continued from Page 1 ogy poster presentation. He won third place in the biology division as well as a cash award. “I was very surprised, honestly,” he said. “I went into it with the mindset of just going to present my research and that’s it. I really didn’t know much about having awards for the presentations until I got there, much less that there were cash prizes.” Tim Horton, a junior chemistry and physics double major from Arkadelphia, Ark., was one of six undergraduates selected to give an oral presentation in chemistry. “I was very pleased when I found out I had been selected to speak because I knew that selection tends to be pretty competitive,” he said. His presentation, “Application of Computational Docking to Examine Metabolism of Chiral Drugs by CYP2C9,” was based on his research this past summer at Ouachita with Dr. Marty Perry, OBU’s Nell I. Mondy Professor of Chemistry. “Chiral drugs make up 50 percent of all drugs on the market, so they’re pretty important to understand,” Horton ex-
4 n features Thursday, November 8, 2012
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Thomas has shot and directed the Eta Alpha Omega Muggin’ promotional videos for the last two years.
Nicole McPhate z The Signal
The music video Thomas assisted with over the summer (top) and the Tiger Tunes show he directed (bottom).
BEN THOMAS works in the video production office of the mass communications department.
Man Behind the Camera Ben Thomas views campus, world through lens
By EMILY TERRY Features Editor
@EmilyMTerry In 2011, YouTube had more than 1 trillion views (around 140 views for every person on Earth). In the same year, two-thirds of the U.S./Canada population, roughly 221.2 million people, saw at least one movie at a theater. Videos, whether in the form of a movie or music video or even a commercial, touch the lives of every person with any connection to the world around them. They make us laugh, they inform us and, in the case of a Lifetime movie, they make us sob and reach for the tissues. They also tend to alienate us from their creators, leaving the artist a mystery - until the mystery is solved and the artist is uncovered. One of Ouachita’s most unrecognized artists is senior mass communications major, Ben Thomas. A native of Keller, Texas, Thomas has worked in OBU’s video department since his freshman year, which was a selling point for the school in his book. “It was the stereotypical, ‘I heard about [Ouachita] at church’ story. I came here and they guaranteed I would have a job doing video and that’s what I really wanted to do. So I came.” Thomas said. “I liked the atmosphere and the people and professors a lot more than I had seen elsewhere.” Though he did not have much experience prior to college, Thomas knew he had an eye for video. “People will watch something and won’t like it, but they don’t know why they don’t like it,” Thomas said. “And I know exactly why I don’t like it.” His critical eye for videography is coupled with his love of movies from an early age. “I was never the kid who wanted to be a firefighter or an astronaut. I saw people like Spielberg and saw movies and said, ‘I want to make movies and I want to be good at it and I want people to see my work,’” Thomas said. “I saw it and I was inspired by it and wanted to do that someday.” While movies and the instinctive critique of movies are still much enjoyed by Thomas, his future goals have shifted from the connection-based movie industry to the tense, high-stress live broadcast field. “I would love to direct the Grammy’s or the American Music Awards and be the guy that pushes all the buttons and tells the camera people exactly what shot to get,” Thomas said. “As of now, I just want to direct things.” Currently, he directs the Arkadelphia High School football show that appears on local television. While talking about everything that goes into the show, he sits down at his chair in the room full of screens and buttons and his fingers automatically
fly to the correct buttons and levers, falling into an automatic rhythm without missing a beat. His hands float across the control board and his eyes seem to watch every screen at once. He is in his element. He is in control. “Most people don’t understand what happens in this room,” he said. “But the atmosphere is really intense because everything is live and can’t be edited afterwards. It’s all in the moment.” It is in this atmosphere of stress and buttons and real-time action that Thomas feels completely comfortable. “This studio is my secret lair. I’m in here all the time,” he said. For the past seven semesters, the studio has been his home. Between working on various broadcasts and stories and assisting video students with projects big and small, Thomas has worked on upwards of 20 projects per month since arriving on campus. After three and a half years, that adds up to as many as 480 to date. The experience that has come from those countless hours has been invaluable to his future career aspirations. “The hands-on work I did at Ouachita allowed me to get a strong basic foundation of what I was doing,” he said. “I know the terms, I know the camera calls, I know how to direct and all that stuff. That’s one of the reasons I picked Ouachita.” The skills he learned and has honed over the years proved invaluable last summer when he had an internship that included working with Glenn Beck and Family Force 5. “The craziest thing I’ve worked on was while helping with Glenn Beck’s show. He had a big rally at Babe’s Chicken and we shot his show live on location that day with over a million people watching. We had about 750 people outside that were watching us do the shoot,” he said. “That was the coolest thing ever. It was very overwhelming.” However, the most fun thing Thomas has ever been a part of was the music video shoot for Family Force 5’s song, “Cray Button” in Dallas this past summer. “I was one of the guys that got picked for the crew and I love the song, so I was pumped about it,” Thomas said. On the first day of the shoot, they worked at a huge ATV park in a giant pit of mud. “It was a mad house. We had this $45,000 camera shooting six inches above a giant pool of mud and water,” he said. “It was great, but it was horrifying because of how close the incredibly expensive equipment was to the mud.” Day three of the shoot took place in an abandoned warehouse in Arlington filled to the brim with the band’s fans as extras for the video. “The extras just wanted to be on camera. It was funny and it was great because they were all fans so they were
FIVE THINGS you didn’t know about @BenRayThomas
#5: “I have an unhealthy obsession with vinyl records. I prefer them over CDs.”
#4:
“I’m really good at cooking AND baking. That’s not bragging.”
#3: “I’m really good at metal screaming.” #2: “I have an uncanny ability of remembering lyrics from forever ago.”
exact song
#1: “I took hip-hop dance lessons in 4th grade and quit after two months. All we did was dance. We learned a new routine every week. We didn’t compete or perform or anything.” just having a great time. And they were all starstruck by the band. By this point, the crew and band had started to mesh and became this mini-family for three days. One kid asked me for my autograph when they found out I was kind of friends with the band,” Thomas said. In addition to buddying-up with famous people, Thomas got to see his name at the end of the video in the credits, knowing that he helped produce something greater than himself. “I like impacting people. Whether that’s making them laugh or showing them something or impressing them, I just like doing cool things and knowing people are enjoying them,” Thomas said. “If people don’t see your work, what’s the point?” In all of his work, Thomas’ driving force is not for recognition, made obvious by the fact his name but not face is well-known across campus. His goal is to affect people for the better. “Anytime someone comes up to me and says they watched a video of mine on YouTube, that means more to me than anybody could ever know,” he said. “Because someone took the time out of their day to find something that I’ve done and I have the opportunity to make them laugh or inform them.” Two of his most-viewed videos on YouTube are the Eta Alpha Omega “Muggin’” music videos from the past two years, with 866 and 1,217 views. He has 5,170 total channel views. “When someone says, “Hey, I loved that video!” that means the world,” Thomas said. “Not that I need compliments, but it’s cool to see that something you do, no matter how small it is, affects people. Even if just one person besides myself watches it and loves it, those 50 hours of blood, sweat and tears are all worth it.” Most people don’t realize how much time is put into a single video. For every minute of edited video, there is at least four minutes of editing. “People ask me to make them videos minimum once or twice a week, thinking it takes about 10 minutes. But
it usually isn’t,” he said. “It takes up a lot of time, so I really appreciate it when people understand that and pay me for my work.” He believes people do not really understand how much work goes into the publications put out by the mass communications department. “People think of mass comm and think you just type some stories in the Signal, and they have no idea that the staff stays up until 4 in the morning working on it. People just don’t know that. If anybody else tried to put together the paper, they wouldn’t be able to do it. It’s so much harder than they think,” he said. This challenge is what draws Thomas into the world of video. “Every time, no matter how similar two videos are, there’s always something that always can and will go wrong that you’ve never experienced before,” he said. “That’s what I love so much about doing video is that you have to overcome those problems every time you edit. It’s always challenging and it’s never the same.” Another challenge faced this year by Thomas was directing the Eta Alpha Omega Tiger Tunes show. “It was crazy, but I loved it,” he said. “I started working on the show in April and when it was all over, I was proud of everything we accomplished. Just one person saying they loved the show means so much.” This appreciation is what keeps him going while pursuing his art. “We’re on earth not for ourselves, but for other people and to glorify God. If I can make people see things they like, I’m doing what I’m called to do,” he said. “I was given that ability in order to glorify God and I believe God is glorified in laughter. That’s just me.” n
ONLINE | EXCLUSIVE Only at www.obusignal.com.
VIDEO: Rapid Fire with Ben Thomas
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
Top five ‘Batman’ Student sheds light on suicide, franchise villains offers advice
SAM CUSHMAN News Editor
In all of comic book history, there haven’t been any villains as iconic, as flashy and as unforgettable as those who have been spawned by the creators of DC Comics’ Batman. From Bob Kane’s original graphic illustrations to the film adaptations by Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, any fan of Gotham’s dark detective will be sure to recognize the villains I have selected as Batman’s top five greatest enemies. Flipping in at number five is Harvey Dent, better known as Two-Face - a schizoid criminal mastermind obsessed with duality and chance. Harvey Dent was once Gotham’s heroic and kind hearted district attorney and one of Batman’s most trusted allies. He, Commissioner Gordon and Batman once formed a triumvirate to combat Gotham’s criminal underworld. It wasn’t until Sal “Boss” Maroni threw acid in his face during a court session that Harvey Dent’s suppressed mental illnesses broke free and fractured his psyche. His former good luck charm, a “two-headed” silver dollar, was damaged on one side during the attack that ruined half his face, and Dent has seized on it as a reflection of his halfscarred visage. He flips it to decide the fates of his victims. Because of this, Two-Face isn’t consistently evil. Once the coin is tossed he never questions the result. He has shown different levels of dependency on the coin. He has even used a coin toss to go out of his way to do whatever it mandates, such as a good deed or saving someone’s life. But despite this, Batman’s efforts to reform his former friend have met with failure. Two-Face is consumed by his fixation on chance and duality and his crimes are designed to demonstrate his diametric philosophy. Dent doesn’t have any supernatural abilities, but he has received expert training from Batman in areas such as detective work and martial arts. He was trained to be an expert marksman by Slade Wilson and he’s an amazing dead eye with his dual semi-auto .22 pistols. He’s also proven to be a criminal mastermind
capable of competing with the Penguin. You can forget about Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face. His portrayal of the character didn’t capture the duality of Two-Face’s personality. He came across as more Joker-ish than anything else. The best representation of Two-face in my opinion, comes from Arkham City. When you listen to the in game interview tapes done by Hugo Strange, a person can really see what it’s like in his head. His use of plural pronouns would make Sméagol proud. The number four Batman villain is Scarecrow. Jonathon Crane is an ex-psychiatrist who uses a variety of drugs, phobias and scare tactics against his adversaries. He doesn’t commit his crimes for wealth, but rather as a form of “research.” His scarecrow costume, lanky appearance and surname were all inspired by the protagonist of Washington Irving’s horror novel, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Scarecrow doesn’t have any supernatural abilities. His chief weapon is his “fear gas” which causes people’s worst fears to come to life. He even made a fear gas powerful enough to affect a Kryptonian. The mask he wears serves to enhance the effects of his toxin while also functioning as a gas mask, though he eventually develops an immunity to fear altogether. Though he doesn’t do so often, he is a skilled martial artist. Scarecrow is well trained in Crane style kung-fu and drunken boxing. He uses both of these in a self-styled martial art he calls drunken dancing which takes advantage of his lanky arms and legs. He is also skilled with using farm implements as weapons such as scythes and pitchforks. But even more than these, Scarecrow is a genius when it comes to the psychology of fear. He eventually becomes so skilled at manipulating people’s fears that he doesn’t need to rely on his fear gas. He knows how to use words to affect a person’s actions and he uses his knowledge to find people’s mental weaknesses and he exploits them. In this way, he even drove two men to suicide. It is this reason that I have selected him as number four. n
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Read the complete list of top villains online!
By MATTHEW ABLON Guest Columnist
By the end of the day today, about 3,000 people across the globe will have died at their own hand. Around 60,000 total will have attempted to take their own life. That’s one way to start a letter. But in all sincerity, this needs to be addressed, and in so many Christian universities, discussing the subject of suicide is largely unheard of, almost taboo, if you will. Why do I care? Why should we, as students and faculty at a privately funded Christian university, care? I’ll answer your question as I go along. As I stated earlier, thousands either die or attempt to take their lives each day. These are people who are lost in a deep, unending darkness that we call depression. Depression is a different experience for everyone, but generally, how it feels is fairly universal: a dark void that seems to never end, continually dragging a person into hopelessness and isolation. So, why isn’t it that mainstream Christians are trying to face this? Perhaps it has to do with most mainstream Christians, who reject the idea of suicide and condemn people in depression. This aggressive approach, however, worsens depression and only causes people in depression to be further tempted by what seems to be a last resort. Even still are most other Christians who turn a blind eye to it, believing one cannot be depressed. Truth is, it does happen. People become depressed for a variety of reasons: abuse in all forms, rejection, bullying and a whole plethora of traumatic experiences. It’s happened to me. I myself have faced depression, even was on the brink of committing suicide. The last thing that I needed was more anger, more isolation, more bullying and the blind eye when I faced my dark time. Yet I got through it. I didn’t kill myself. I’m happy now. I would never consider suicide again. I have told my story to the Health and Safety class as a guest speaker. I encourage anyone who wants to know my story to come ask me. But I digress. As Christians, we are to be examples of Christ’s love, not mere shadows of the hatred that humanity can so often produce. I beg you, fellow Ouachitonians, to always be there for someone when they need ears to listen and a shoulder to cry on. If you can help someone overcome their depression, then do everything in your power. If you are depressed, contemplating suicide and feel isolated, then call this number: 1-800-273-8255. That is the National Suicide Hotline. There will always be someone there to talk to you, I promise. There will also almost always be someone you can talk to. Our counselor, Dan Jarboe, takes appointments to listen. You’d be surprised at how many of your friends actually understand or have faced depression themselves. I myself will listen to you on one condition alone: that you speak. n
theSignal ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ proves Ouachita Baptist University Office: Evans Student Center E-Mail: signal@obu.edu Phone: 870.245.5210
another Disney success NOAH HUTCHINSON
Tanner Ward
Staff Writer
z EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sam Cushman z NEWS EDITOR
Emily Terry
z FEATURES/SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
Tarah Elliott
z OPINIONS EDITOR
Chelsea Byers z SPORTS EDITOR
Daniel Aylett z ONLINE EDITOR
Nicole McPhate z PHOTO EDITOR
Abbey Fowler
z ADVERTISING MANAGER
Dr. Jeff Root z ADVISER
Dr. Deborah Root z ADVISER
Ms. Tiffany Eurich z ONLINE ADVISER
The Signal is the student newspaper of Ouachita Baptist University, and is published every Thursday during the fall and spring semesters when school is in session. The newspaper is distributed free of charge; 1,200 copies are placed in more than 20 locations across campus. Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the newspaper staff or university. The Signal is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press and is printed by the Hope Star. Letters to the editor are encouraged and accepted, unless libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters should be typed and include a signature and contact phone number. Letters must be less than 500 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and style. Letters should be sent via campus mail to Box 3761 or via e-mail to signal@ obu.edu.
The Command BROst As you flop down on your mattress in your heated dorm room, snuggling up beneath your covers as you lay your head on your pillow, know that there exists a behemoth, nine feet tall and weighing upwards of six hundred pounds, whose sole purpose is to destroy. Each night he lays his head on a hollowed out tree stump and hides himself from the elements under the rubble of his past conquests. His hammy mitts are as wide as pizza boxes, and if you happen to see him, he may force you to tears ... with his touching and heartfelt story about trying to show the world who he really is. His name is Wreck-It Ralph. “Wreck-It Ralph” is yet another great Disney and Pixar animated movie that aims its mighty fists straight at your feels as it tells the story of its unlikely hero. Ralph is the main villain in a fictional classic arcade game called “Fix It Felix Jr.” After 30 years of getting tossed off the roof of the apartment building that he and Felix fight over in game, Ralph goes Aretha Franklin on his coworkers and crashes the anniversary party for some r-e-s-p-e-c-t. Felix wobbles a bit in his reserve, but the Weeble-esque tenants of the feuded over apartment certainly don’t let their preconceived notions fall down. Outraged
at the other characters’ refusal to believe that he doesn’t have to conform to his role in the game when the work day is over, Ralph storms off to visit other video game worlds in a quest to prove that he’s just as much of a hero as Felix. This movie was everything I expected it to be and more. There were cameos by characters ranging from “Street Fighter’s” Zangief to Pac Man. The concept was like Toy Story for a modern age, and although the story progressed as expected, everything was refreshing. On top of all of this, the dialogue was hilarious, and the humor got pretty punny at times. I’m specifically recalling a scene featuring sentient Oreos guarding a candy castle, which I won’t spoil for those who haven’t seen it. The cast did an amazing job. Calhoun (played by Jane Lynch), the hard boiled protagonist of the “Gears of War” parody “Hero’s Duty,” was my favorite character. She brought a man-portable mini gun to her wedding. She fired off warning shots with a pistol to break up a tender moment. She stole my heart from her first appearance on screen. If I could put the moves on a fictional character, it would be her. Aside from that, John C. Riley was awesome as Ralph. The short temper and natural ability to destroy that went hand in hand with Ralph’s villainous role in the game made for an interesting character, especially considering the mushy, sentimental, family friendly themes of the movie. “Modern Family’s” Ed O’Neil gave a disappointingly forgettable performance as the owner of the arcade, al-
though it could be blamed mostly on the role itself. Sarah Silverman, on the other hand, knocked it out of the park with her portrayal of Venellope Schweetz, a young hobo-girl slumming it in the candy based racing game “Sugar Rush,” which kind of made me want to throw up just from looking at it. As I said earlier, there were a ton of puns, as well as inside jokes referencing other movies and video games. Fans of old school arcade games and 2D brawlers will most likely get a huge kick out of this movie. As with all Disney and Pixar movies, it’s one of those that caters to the older people who will inevitably be in the crowd, not just to the sticky-handed five year olds screaming that they need to go to the bathroom through the whole thing. I can’t say that it was better than any of the recent Disney and Pixar movies, such as “Wall-E” or “Toy Story 3,” but it was definitely funnier. Overall, Wreck-It Ralph was a fun, witty, unique movie even though it still followed the basic Disney and Pixar formula. The characters were great, I was surprised by the number of well known actors involved, the story literally had me choking up at times and without it, I’d have never known the greatness that was Calhoun. There were a lot of things I could’ve learned from this movie, but the main thing that I took away from it is that I need to get busy rounding up Jane Lynch, a 55 gallon drum of anti aging cream, a plastic surgeon and a realistic suit of “Gears of War” armor if I ever expect to be satisfied in my love life. n
6 n sports
Thursday, November 8, 2012
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Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy
Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy TY TOWERS looks on as the Henderson Reddies claim their undeserving title as the winners of last year’s Battle of the Ravine. Ouachita fell to Henderson 41-36 in the bitterly contested rivalry game. Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy CHRIS RYCRAW stretches across the goal line to make a touchdown for the Tigers against the Henderson Reddies in the 2011 Battle of the Ravine. The play was called no good by the officials and the game came to an end with a Reddie win of 41-36.
Emotions, football run deep at Ouachita
After last year’s Battle of the Ravine against the Henderson State Reddies, the OBU Tigers are ready for revenge. This Saturday, the Tigers (6-3,4-3) will take the field one more time and use their skills and intense emotions to fuel them to another victory. FACTS ABOUT BATTLE OF THE RAVINE ~ The rivalry between Henderson and Ouachita dates back to 1895, when the Tigers took an 8-0 victory over Henderson State. ~ The game used to be held on Thanksgiving every year, with both schools using it as their Homecoming game. ~ The game between the two teams has been decided by a touchdown or less 38 times.
Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy OBU CHEERLEADERS lead students in a pep rally before the Harding game.
Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy BENSON JORDAN prepares to launch the ball out of the pocket to a Ouachita receiver during last year’s Battle of the Ravine.
Rivalry match-up against 2012 football season through eyes of No. 8 Henderson State Ouachita quarterback, Benson Jordan By JOSH FINK
Sports Information Director
It’s the last week of the 2012 season for the Ouachita football team and they have a tough test ahead. The team will travel to Henderson State for the 86th Battle of the Ravine rivalry. The Tigers (6-3,4-3) enter the game with nothing to lose, but a lot to prove, as they look to spoil Henderson’s 9-0 record. The rivalry is the longest standing in all of NCAA Division II. The road trip for both teams is the shortest in all levels of college football. Ouachita enters the game after securing a fifth straight winning season and sealing off their claim to the best record of any program in the state during that time frame. PASSING DUEL Ouachita’s Benson Jordan has reclaimed his hold on the starting position, and with that, the Tigers have
shown a much more passheavy offense the past couple of weeks. He comes into the game averaging 173.9 yards per game, including a completion percentage of 63.9 percent. Against Southern Arkansas he posted a sensational performance, with 372 yards and a touchdown through the air. Don’t discount Ty Towers either. He is sure to see a number of snaps at quarterback, providing a wildcat style option for the offensive unit. Henderson’s Kevin Rodgers comes into the game boasting 3,381 yards while averaging 375 yards per game. He has limited turnovers this season as well, only throwing seven interceptions this season, which is sure to provide a test for the Tiger defense. The Tigers and Reddies will kick off at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at HSU’s Carpenter-Haygood Stadium. n
Chelsea: So how do you view this season? Benson: The season through my eyes has been a memorable one definitely, but we have been faced with some adversity along the way. Our record may not show it, but we have overcome a lot of injuries. Chelsea: What did it take to get to the top 10? Benson: It took a lot of hard work, great leadership, and commitment to get to what was #10 in the country and now #20. We feel as a team we have earned respect around the country being in the top 25 the majority of this season. Chelsea: What are your fears for this season? Benson: I have no fears and I know our team has no fears because we are a pretty young football team with a lot of talent. We have achieved great things this season and we plan to keep the momentum going the next few years. Chelsea: With this last game, what are you hoping for? Benson: Our hope is too know at the end of the day we laid it all out on the line and left it all on the field. We know if we do that then everything else will take care of itself. Chelsea: So what has been your favorite thing about being on the team? Benson: The opportunity I have been given to step in and play quarterback this season has been fun and truly an honor to play with great teammates and for a great coaching staff. Without the offensive line and playmakers around me on offense we would not be where we are this season. Chelsea: Tell me about some of the team strengths. Benson: We have a great defense and special teams as well! I would argue our punter and kicker are two of the best in the entire country of D2 football. Chelsea: What is it like being a part of such a high-caliber team? Benson: It feels great being able to get Ouachita on the map and getting great recognition. I think it is a great start of even greater things to come. n
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
Manti Te’o: Worthy Heisman candidate? Notre Dame linebacker deserves a Fighting Irish defensive player less shot at the 2012 Heisman Trophy likely to receive Heisman Trophy CHELSEA BYERS
HUNTER SOPER
Sports Editor
Staff Writer
Every year in college football the overall best player is rewarded with the Heisman Memorial trophy. This year however, a slightly different candidate has gained national recognition for his outstanding defensive play (that’s right I did say defensive). Manti Te’o, the middle linebacker for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish has played well enough not only to rank close to the top in the Heisman polls, but also to keep his team unbeaten with a current 9-0 record and ranked 3rd overall. If you have any idea how the Heisman works and what players it has gone to in the past, then you will understand how interesting it is to have a defensive player be considered for the trophy. Since the trophy was introduced in 1935, only one defensive player (Charles Woodson) has actually won it, but he returned punts as well, giving Heisman voters extra statistics to look at. Te’o’s overall statistics thus far are incredible. He has racked up 85 tackles over only 9 games, 5.5 of which are for loss and on top of that, Te’o has five and a half sacks, which isn’t too bad for a guy who doesn’t put his hand on the ground. But the statistic of his that stands out the most has to be his 5 interceptions. He is tied for first in the entire NCAA Division 1 with two other players, both of which who play cornerback; the position most think of when interceptions are involved. The Heisman race is far from over and there is still a lot needed to be done for Te’o if he looks to move up from his current fifth spot in the polls, but there is good news. The Fighting Irish play Boston College November 10th at night in front of a major ABC viewing audience, something that can help drastically increase his Heisman exposure. To make things better Boston College puts the ball in the air 38.7 times a game and Chase Retting, the Eagles quarterback, has thrown 8 interceptions this year, three of which came against their game last week against Wake Forest. If Te’o can show out this game and come away with 10 or more tackles as well as an interception or two, there is no doubt that he can impress Heisman voters and continue to rise up in the rankings to number one. n
Notre Dame has managed to produce a fighting Irish athlete who cranks out defensive plays like a machine. This season, Manti Te’o, a senior linebacker for Notre Dame University, has reached the top five in the race for the Heisman Trophy. Rarely do we see a defensive player on the list for the Heisman, let alone an athlete not listed as a quarterback or a running back. “Normally a defensive player wouldn’t be able to match up with a larger field of quality offensive players,” said Chris Huston, Heisman analyst for CBSSports.com. “When you play for a Notre Dame team that is undefeated and taking up a lot of attention, the propensity is for people to look for the person most responsible for that.” Is Manti Te’o going to receive the coveted Heisman Trophy? Does he even have a chance? I don’t think so. There has never been a linebacker to win the award in the history of the Heisman’s existence, even though there has been 11 defenders to finish in the top five since 1970. Te’o, as with any other non-quarterback in the runnings, faces obstacles that he must overcome to claim the 78th Heisman. First, he has to single-handedly carry his team. He gets a check for this, seeing that Notre Dame is 9-0 this season. Their passing yardage is 90th and rushing is 30th in the nation, proving that Golson, Notre Dame’s quarterback hasn’t been doing much in the air, or in the running game. That’s where the defense has to step in, forcing big plays. Secondly, Te’o has to prove to the voters that a defensive player’s accomplishments can compete with those on the offense. Voters go for numbers, and when a quarterback is putting up thousands of yards and a defensive player is racking up five interceptions, they are more apt to be drawn to the 3,132 yards of the offensive player. Lastly, the Notre Dame linebacker will have to overcome three positions ahead of him to come away with the Heisman. He dropped a couple weeks ago from two to four, after the defeat of Pitt in triple overtime, his least impactful performance of the season. I believe Te’o will go high in the draft, be picked up by an NFL team who is in desperate need of a good linebacker (Buccaneers anyone?), and be a successful athlete in his future career. But as for the Heisman race, he will not win. Deserving? Yes. Winning? No. n
Jason Pullano z The Signal CONNOR BURKE sends the ball down the field to assist in another Ouachita point. The Tigers played against Lindenwood University.
Not the average soccer goal By TORI ABELLERA Staff Writer
A goal has been in sight for the players of the OBU Men’s Soccer Team that for most of them dates back to when they were very young. The goal is not 12 feet wide and 8 feet tall encased by white netting. The goal that most of these men have shared is to play for “the love of the game.” “It’s a sport that everyone enjoys and it helps you grow and develop character and self discipline. Soccer is, ‘The Beautiful Game.’” said senior, Sergiu Postolache, whose soccer journey began in Romania. “Me and my friends would place rocks and our shoes as goal posts and play soccer everywhere. On Sundays we would all get together and play from morning to night.” For many, soccer has been a lifestyle rather than a hobby. Their dedication was shown this season through their talent and persistence. The Tigers began their season in August of 2012 and lasted until October 2012. The team traveled as far as Missouri to represent OBU against leading collegiate teams. The team claimed 7 victories of the 17 games in their season lead by an outstanding se-
nior class of 10 players. For the team’s last game on October 28 against Lindenwood, Senior Day, friends and family watched as the senior Tigers played with passion and aspiration to represent the team that they so clearly treasure. “Even though we lost it will be a game I never forget. From the ceremony to stepping on the field one last time with a group of guys who had become brothers to me over the last 4 years. It was a time that I’ll cherish for ever,” said senior Ben Pettigrew when asked about his last home game. The OBU men’s soccer team is unique because of the bond that they have created in working together. “The best strength of the team is our love for each other. We have one of the best team bonds in all of college soccer and that helps inspire us to work harder for each other on the field.” said senior Josh Galante. Although the team is saying good-bye to their beloved seniors, they are ready to continue the legacy of skilled players who work hard on and off of the field purely for the love of the game and those who have supported them throughout all their years. n
Top Five Heisman Candidates for 2012 Name 1. Collin Klein
Position School Year QB Kansas State Sr.
1st 13
2nd 1
3rd 1
4th 0
5th 0
2. Kenjon Barner RB Oregon Sr. 1 10 2 2 0
3. AJ McCarron QB Alabama Jr. 1 1 3 6 1 4. Manti Te’o LB Notre Dame Sr. 0 1 6 9 2 5. Braxton Miller
6. Johnny Manziel*
QB QB
Ohio State
Texas A&M
So. Fr.
0 0
1 1
3 0
2 1
4 2
*I just had to include Manziel, even though he is not in the top 5, because he is a Freshman in the runnings for the Heisman. FRESHMAN.
Jason Pullano z The Signal RIZVAN CEKA manuevers around opponents to send the ball down the field for another Ouachita point.
Last soccer game of season for some, last game in college for others By TORI ABELLERA Staff Writer
Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy ABBY EMANUEL sends a header down the field to assist in a Lady Tigers goal.
The OBU Women’s Soccer Team ended their season by traveling to Weatherford, Oklahoma to play two games in the GAC tournament. Ten minutes left in the second half of the game, the lady tigers scored, putting the first point on the scoreboard. Spirits were high as the Lady Tigers were preparing to win their second game in the GAC tournament. Unexpectedly, the other team scored with just a few minutes left on the clock. Tensions raised, the
Lady Tigers fought their hardest, ending up with a very close loss. “We all played so hard and we tasted victory even if it was short lived. I’ll never forget the teammates and sisters I played next to during those final moments. Those memories will last forever,” said senior Lauren Hatch. Southwestern Oklahoma’s players must have seen the passion in the eyes of the Lady Tigers who were nearing their last moments to play for their team because the battle to victory was intense. “All odds were against us since we were facing an undefeated team whose
last loss had been to us exactly a year ago in the 2011 conference semi finals. It was hard to face this team, but by keeping motivated we were able to play well and end our season with knowing we played to the best of our abilities,” said senior Sarah McKimmey. The season consisted of 7 homes games and 12 away games. Of those, the Lady Tigers won 10, tied 1, and lost 8. Friends and family traveled with them to show their support for the team, especially for the six seniors who have played for the team for four years. “It has been 4 of the most wonderful years
playing along side all of these girls. These years have brought many great joys and growth... One strength about our team is that we enjoy being together whether we are on the field or off the field. That creates a great bond for us. Everyone on the team leaves everything on the field and will give it all they have,” said senior Mary Whisenhunt. For the first time in years, the Lady Tigers earned the right to be part of a conference. Many are not ready to hang up their cleats, but it is evident that they have earned the right to walk off of the field with pride. n
8 n backpage Thursday, November 8, 2012
www.obusignal.com
BLUE VS. RED Electoral Vote Totals by State
By TANNER WARD Editor-in-Chief
@TannerWard
O
n Tuesday, Barack Obama was re-elected to the presidency, defeating challenger Mitt Romney after more than a year of campaigning. Here is a look at some of the other issues put POPULAR: before voters in ELECTORAL: local elections.
*As of press time, Florida remains undecided.
Presidential Totals
Barack Obama 60,662,174
Mitt Romney 57,820,742
Barack Obama 303
Mitt Romney 206
United States Senate Elections Democrats retained control of the U.S. Senate, now holding 53 seats. Republicans hold 45 seats, and Independents hold the other two.
United States House Elections Republicans retained control of the U.S. House of Representatives, holding 233 seats. Democrats now hold 193 seats, and Independents hold the other ten. Arkansas Legislature Elections For the first time since 1874, Republicans won control of both the state House and the state Senate. Republicans held a majority in the House with 50-48-1 and one race undecided, and a majority in the Senate with 21-13 and one race undecided.
Carrie Roberson Richard Rudolph Julian Jaeger Terry Sims
For 591,656 58% Against 424,100 42% Issue 2: Local Development Bonds For 423,686 43% Against 552,325 57% Issue 5: Legalization of Medical Marijuana For 502,419 49% Against 532,328 51% U.S. House — District 1 Rick Crawford (GOP) 137,659 56% Scott Ellington (Dem) 95,243 39% Jessica Paxton (Lib) 6,371 3% Jacob Holloway (Grn) 4,975 2% U.S. House — District 2 Tim Griffin (GOP) 157,978 55% Herb Rule (Dem) 112,934 39% Barbara Ward (Grn) 8,543 3% Chris Hayes (Lib) 6,688 2%
Local City Officials Elections Arkadelphia Board of Directors (Ward 2) Board of Directors (Ward 5) Caddo Valley Alderman (Ward 1, Pos. 2) Alderman (Ward 3, Pos. 2) Recorder/Treasurer
Issue 1: Sales Tax Increase for Highways
48.29% 51.71% 55.39% 44.61%
Brock Crawley 54.26% Estelene Thomason 45.74% Dona Burton 54.22% Troy Mooney 45.78% Susan Priest 36.73% Deborah Roberson 63.27%
U.S. House — District 3 Steve Womack (GOP) 181,661 76% Rebekah Kennedy (Grn) 38,534 16% David Pangrac (Lib) 19,287 8% U.S. House — District 4 Tom Cotton (GOP) 153,073 59% Gene Jeffress (Dem) 94,500 39% Josh Drake (Grn) 4,975 2% Jacob Holloway (Lib) 4,943 2%
All results accurate as of press time at 2 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8. Information compiled from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.