“Happiness is eating breakfast quesadillas with your roomie to celebrate Saturday.”
-Aerial Whiting, senior SEE Aerial’s take on happiness on Page 4a
Read about Chipotle’s Mexican Grill and learn more to find out if it is worthy of a trip to Little Rock.
SEE Page 4b
After nearly ten years of work, the 9/11 Memorial opened on Sept. 11, 2011. Jack Shock, chairman of the Department of Communication, was one of the first to enter with a group of volunteers, victims’ families and responders.
“Watching other people experience [the memorial] brought a lot of emotion,” Shock said. “It was just very intense to watch people experience it, and I am emotionally connected to some of the families. It was no walk in the park.”
In the memorial, one of the items that touched Shock the most was the survivor tree, a tree that survived at the site 10 years ago, he said.
“They brought it back, and it’s just a compelling item in the memorial because it’s natural and alive and a part of God’s creation that survived,” Shock said. “You can see where it was burnt and where the new growth is coming in, and it’s just a very powerful symbol of resolve to survive and thrive. Everything in nature has a will to live, and it’s a remarkable metaphor.”
Other aspects of the memorial that Shock said he thought were well thoughtout were the waterfalls,
which stood where the twin towers used to stand.
“The memorial is in between two waterfalls, and the waterfalls are so powerful that they drown out the noise of the city,” Shock said.
According to the 9/11 memorial’s website, the two reflecting pools that the waterfalls feed into are the largest manmade fountains in North America and were designed by Michael Arad and Peter Walker.
Shock was part of a select group of visitors who got to visit the memorial because of what he did 10 years earlier as a volunteer coordinator of media for the Red Cross. He began volunteering for the Red Cross two weeks after 9/11 at the request of a former student.
“What I did this past weekend was basically a reunion of Red Cross staffers who worked together at that time,” Shock said. “We had a reunion dinner the first night and just caught
up with each other.”
Shock spent much of his time reconnecting with the other volunteers during his four-day stay, but he also had the opportunity to see New York City civilians coming out to support the events.
“One thing I remember was the number of impromptu memorials around the city,” Shock said. “A choir came in a market and sang because they wanted to use their music to help. String quartets were playing around the city, and people had prayer circles getting together. There were candles, flowers, wreaths, teddy bears, just set up in their own little memorials.”
The official museum for the memorial will open next year, and Shock and his group are planning a return trip to visit the museum, he said.
“Part of what made this trip so meaningful was sharing it with some of my best friends,” Shock said. “It was just a group effort with a lot of support, and it was really nice to share with friends.”
The university’s chapel committee has asked students for input on the topics and speakers for this year’s chapel theme, “Facing the Issues.”
The theme was selected this summer by President David Burks and the chapel program committee, which consists of several professors and administrators such as Bruce McLarty, vice president of spiritual life, and Michael Claxton, associate professor of English, who coordinate certain days of chapel.
“It is a little different approach,” Burks said. “Instead of picking the theme and selecting topics and speakers at the beginning of the semester, this year is open-ended as we ask the student body to suggest the topics and use a student committee to rate the topics and the speakers.”
Burks said the chapel committee has always included student input, typically the
Student Association president and spiritual life chairmen, but this fall chapel has had more student input than ever.
The student committee, which consists of 10 students including senior Ryan Rummage, junior Brooke Ramsey and freshman Sara Sims, helps organize the “Facing the Issues” chapel programs.
“This past summer I was working in Dr. Burks’ office, and he came to me and told me he wanted this year’s chapel theme [to be] student-led,” Rummage, who leads the student committee, said. “So we began organizing a committee from a diverse group of students from each year to try and meet a good balance of representatives.”
Rummage and the student committee created the Pipeline survey to allow the student body to choose topics for “Facing the Issues.” Rummage said about 250 students responded to the Pipeline survey. From the results, the student committee was able to determine the seven most popular topics.
Both Burks and Rummage said one of
Mark Slagle, a Harding graduate and Pepperdine alumnus Alex Cox visited Harding’s campus last Wednesday, Sept. 7, in a 1971 spray-painted orange and white Winnebago, turned “MANAbago,” which they parked outside of Midnight Oil and on the front lawn. It was their first stop in their three-month cross-country crusade to raise awareness about child malnutrition.
Slagle and Cox pitched a relief simulation tent outside of the Winnebago, where students watched videos about nutrition.
MANA is a nonprofit organization that manufactures a peanut butter-based product loaded with protein and micronutrients for malnourished children in Africa.
“We are going around the country to speak to different audiences, whether that’s a chapel of 3,000 people at a Christian university or a frat house at Texas A&M or a church in Southern California,” Slagle said.
Cox and Slagle began driving Sept. 4 and will stop the tour on Dec. 15, or
when they raise $600,000, which would be enough money to provide 10,000 children with MANA.
“I really think that our generation is really seeking something more than a great retirement plan,” Slagle said. “We’re seeking more than the American Dream, and I think that if all of the college kids at Harding could be paid in purpose, they would try to make as much purpose as they could. And so honestly, I felt this call to find a purpose.”
Fully renovated, the refurbished van has an orange and beige shag carpet, with orange and green décor and an 8 track player, playing ’70s-era musical icon Melanie Safka.
The van is fully functional, meaning that it has an oven and stove, which run off of propane, a mini-fridge and a bathroom. Two beds, one in the back and one that folds out from above the driver’s seat, make the sleeping accommodations. The pair plans to eat, sleep and live in the MANAbago for the duration of the tour.
“As long as we have a parking lot, we are good to go,” Cox said. “The van draws
the most requested topics focused on the problem of hypocrisy. The student committee selected Harding alumnus Harrison Dell to speak on the issue last Wednesday, Sept. 6.
Rummage said that many topics to come will possibly feature two speakers, one to speak on each side of an issue.
Burks said he hopes the students will seriously consider and talk about the topics after they leave chapel.
“You can’t possibly deal with some of the topics in 15 minutes,” Burks said. “You can certainly state an opinion in 15 minutes, but I think what we would like to happen is more of a beginning of or a continuation of the discussion. This wouldn’t be an issue unless it was something people were thinking about. For example, we will be talking about suffering, and suffering is a very broad issue. You can’t completely answer that in one presentation in 15 minutes. I would hope it would generate some discussion on the part of the people. But I hope that would be true of any presentation that is made in chapel.”
Rummage said the goal of “Facing the Issues” is to bring clarity or closure to several issues that may be keeping students from knowing God. He said that the student committee is working to benefit students outside of the usual 45 minute length of chapel with other resources.
“We want to provide students with resources for these issues we discuss in chapel,” Rummage said. “Whether it is an evening board discussion, information on the Counseling Center or simply something they could read in the library, we want students to know there is more help out there for them.”
Burks said students should always feel free to make suggestions about chapel and should contact members of the chapel committees. He also said that student input is not limited to the “Facing the Issues” theme and that suggestions will be taken into consideration for any aspect of chapel.
To find out more about the chapel committees, check out the full list of staff and student members on The Link.
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kinks
Watching other people experience [the memorial] brought a lot of emotion. It was just very intense ... It was no walk in the park.
-Jack Shock, Chairman of the Department of Communication
A goliath tigerfish weighing 154 pounds.A freshwater sawfish measuring 20 feet in length. A short-tailed river stingray referred to as the “wish you were dead” fish. The piscine images flashed across the projector screen and students hurriedly scribbled notes as junior Corey Stumne delivered his lectureship presentation, “River Monsters,” on Tuesday in the Heritage Auditorium. Stumne took his title from “River Monsters,” an Animal Planet show about extraordinary and often dangerous river life.
In the Bible, the Christianpersecuting Saul of Tarsus was like a river monster, Stumne said, and yet Jesus sent his disciple Ananias to minister to him. Saying that “followers [of Christ] fish,” Stumne encouraged his audience, which consisted mainly of Harding students, to share the gospel with non-Christians.
Stumne’s was one of eight lessons given by students at the 2011 Annual Bible Lectureship, which was themed “Children of God: Studies in 1 John.” The lecture series kicked off Sunday evening and concluded Wednesday night, drawing guests and speakers from around the world.
The student lectures consisted of lessons given by Stumne, Chloe Birdwell, Sheralee Kerr, Ryan Rummage, Clair Bracken, Taylor Payne, Amy Littleton and Matt Fahey, covering such topics as “Living a Life Worthy of the Gospel” and “Realizing the Power of Our Heavenly Father.” Harding invites several students each year to participate in the lectureship as a way to help them grow as spiritual leaders, said Bruce McLarty, lectureship director.
“We want to provide an opportunity for students to present at such a large and important venue, and we want our lectureship guests to be encouraged by seeing that the college generation today is passionate about the Christian faith and that they have something important to share,” McLarty said.
McLarty said the Student Association recommends students to speak at the lectureship, and the list of students goes through a vetting process with teachers and the Office of Student Services before the students are asked to participate. This year’s selected speakers were contacted early in the spring semester about being involved in the fall lectureship.
Stumne said he felt “very, very excited” he was invited to give a lecture because he aspires to be a youth minister, and Rummage said the opportunity was a “high honor.” The two spent months developing their topics, which culminated in the presentations they gave Sept. 27; Stumne said prayer was important as he planned his lesson.
“One thing I’ve realized is you can put hard work and preparation into something that you want to do good for God’s kingdom, but it won’t matter until you consult God first,” Stumne said. “Prayer is the place where you have to start when you want to speak the word of God in a public audience.”
While Stumne focused in his lecture on spreading Christianity, Rummage spoke about “The Joy of Life: Finding Purpose in the Joy of the Lord.” He said he chose to teach about joy because he said he wanted his listeners to learn to find their joy and purpose in God.
“I spoke to a college audience — I know there are older people in here — but I think [joy is] something we forget about; especially in college you begin to find your joy, find your purpose in other things,” Rummage said.
For most art students, traveling abroad for a semester puts them a semester behind in school. Many of the classes they need for their degree simply are not offered on overseas campuses, which can deter them from participating. However, this summer, art and design majors have the opportunity to travel abroad while still working toward their degree.
The HUF Summer 2012 Art Program will include a course offering with classes like Multimedia Drawing, Marketing and Special Studies in Art, so art students can travel overseas and still take classes that they need for their degree.
The program will be held at HUF, and students will stay at the Villa and the Bible School facilities.
“The courses offered will be as integrated as possible,” said Stacy Schoen, associate professor of art. “For example,
students taking the drawing course will experiment with different media such as ink, watercolor and pastel and will draw on-site the historical architecture they just learned about in their architectural history course. Students in photography may choose themes they are studying in their marketing course. We also want to take full advantage of our surroundings, the history, art, architecture, food and Italian culture.”
Previously there have been trips for art students, but this summer’s program is geared specifically for art and design majors.
“We will all be ‘design geeks’ together,” said Amy Cox, assistant professor of art. “Which means that we can share in our passion for architecture and design rather than being in a typical travel group where only a few want to stop and photograph, sketch or admire good design.”
Cox will accompany the students overseas; this is her
In the past few years, several companies have revolutionized the area of home entertainment.
The neighborhood Blockbuster has been replaced by Redbox, and it would be hard to find a teenager who knows what a VCR looks like.
Netflix has also become a household name, and its online streaming service has changed the way people watch television and movies. However, with these new technologies, controversy has arisen.
Netflix began as a DVDby-mail service, and in recent years it has added an instant online streaming service as a part of its monthly subscription fee. On Sept. 18, CEO Reed Hastings announced that Netflix would be dividing into two separate companies.
Netflix would now solely be for online streaming, while a new company called Qwikster would be for DVD-by-mail service. Instead of a package that includes DVD-by-mail services and instant online streaming, Netflix users now will have two separate payment statements on their accounts. Inconvenience and the changes are not the main sources of discontentment from Netflix users though.
The main subject of controversy throughout this ordeal has been the change
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in price, which has risen from an all-inclusive package at $9.99 a month to $23.98 for the same deal. Facebook, Twitter and blogs were abuzz with critical remarks directed toward Netflix and its CEO. Users can still stream unlimited content for only $7.99 a month, even though movie selection is limited.
“I understand why they are changing things up from a business stand-point, but it seems like Netflix doesn’t care about customer service anymore,” senior Will Reno
said. “It’s obvious that online streaming is the way of the future, but splitting into two companies seems like a pointless hassle to me.”
Although some students said they were unaffected by this change in policy, public opinion still remains hostile toward Netflix.
“The movies don’t load fast enough,” senior Devin Monaghan said.
CEO Hastings said on “The Netflix Blog.” Regarding the new online streaming service, Hastings said: “ The additional streaming content we have coming in the next few months is substantial, and we are always working to improve our service further.”
first time serving as faculty for an overseas program.
Sophomore Anna Vinzant said that she was excited to experience the art, architecture and culture of Italy with like-minded students.
“Ms. Schoen and Mrs. Cox have shared stories with us about how they always want to spend vastly more time just examining the details of the architecture and taking in the art of places than the other people they’ve traveled with,” Vinzant said. “People that aren’t as artistically inclined tend to want to see more sights and just touch the surface, whereas more artistically inclined people often want to see just as many sights but spend gigantic amounts of time at all of them.”
The program has a halfsummer option as well as a full-summer option. With either option students not only experience Italy but also have the opportunity to take a week-long trip to Paris and London.
To prepare for the trip,
We also want to take full advantage of our surroundings, the history, art, architecture, food and Italian culture.
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StacySchoen, associate professor of art
students will work on reports on points of interest beforehand and present their work on-site for credit.
Cox said they hope to continue the program regularly and are considering doing it every two years, with rotating faculty.
For more information on the program, contact Cox at acox@harding.edu or Schoen at sschoen@harding.edu.
Prayer is the place where you have to start when you want to speak the word of God in a public audience.
-Corey Stumne, junior
It’s obvious that online streaming is the way of the future, but splitting into two companies seems like a pointless hassle to me.
Will Reno, senior
J.M. Adkison editor-in-chief
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Aerial Whiting copy editor
Lauren Bucher news editor
Marshall Hughes sports editor
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Steven Chandler
Michael Claxton
Zach Daggett
Payton Hurst
Kaelyn Tavernit
Erik Ragsdale
At the Bison, it is our goal to serve the Harding University student body with integrity, truth and open ears. However, we believe that meeting that goal is a two-way street between our staff and the public it serves.
We pledge to keep our eyes and ears open to what our community has to say and hope that, in return, that community will be an interactive audience, sharing its stories with us. We also pledge to do the basics: report accurate and relevant information, check our facts, and share them in a professional, integrable manner.
If you have any story ideas, questions, comments or concerns for the Bison staff, please e-mail John Mark Adkison, the editor-in-chief, at jadkiso1@harding.edu
“The Bison (USPS 577-660) is published weekly (except vacations, exams and summer sessions), 18 issues per year, by Harding University. Periodicals postage paid at Searcy, Arkansas 72143.
After the guide finished pouring his knowledge about the Parthenon on the students, they were given their chance to roam around and inspect the magnificent structure for themselves. As I sat on the bench where the group would soon reconvene, a student came up to me and asked me how many times I had been on top of the Acropolis.
I am a little embarrassed to say, but I had to count. This semester’s trip would make it my eighth visit to the Parthenon, which also means that within a matter of minutes I would soon take part in my eighth visit to Mars Hill. We walked down a little bit from the very top of the Acropolis to arrive at the stairs taking you up to the top of Mars Hill. Somewhere between my third and sixth time on Mars Hill I noticed something. As soon as you emerge on top of the rock you will immediately see some graffiti on your left. Now I’m certainly not a fan of graffiti, especially on something as old and historical as Mars Hill, but what the graffiti says will forever stay
in my mind. It simply reads, “The sword is powerful like his master.”
As a HUG tradition, all of the students sit on Mars Hill and have Paul’s sermon read to them there. As I sit there each time and listen, or even read the words of Paul, I think about a lot of things. I think about how revolutionary the idea of a loving God sending his Son to die for the sins of humanity and having him be raised back to life must have been to the followers of Zeus, Athena and the other Olympian deities. Then I also think about what the graffiti says, how God’s word, his gospel and message, is powerful, just like he is. This was the very point Paul was trying to make here 2,000 years ago, that the good news of the gospel is powerful, as is the One who came up with the plan of salvation.
That’s why I love HUG. Here, students are given the chance not only to see places they have read about for their entire lives, but also to experience them. With trips all over Greece and then even to Turkey, Egypt and Israel, HUG gives us all the chance to understand the Bible just a little bit better, to have a greater contextual understanding. I love seeing the students pull out their Bibles to mark dates in them from when they visited this site or that one, or to mark what verse
they read as we all sat around the traditional site of the Mount of Beatitudes.
There is no doubt in my mind that students who come to HUG will forever read the biblical story differently because they listened to Paul’s sermon to the Areopagus while in Athens, they walked where Jesus walked in Jerusalem, they reenacted David’s fight with Goliath in the Valley of Elah, they traversed the isle of Patmos where John received his revelation and viewed the same pyramids in Egypt that both Abraham and Moses would have seen.
All of these experiences teach us something, and they teach each person a different lesson. However, I think we all learn at least one common lesson during the semester. Whether it’s your first time or eighth time at these sites, I am convinced that we all at some point are reminded that “the sword is powerful like his master.”
To follow this semester’s HUG events follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUGreece and on Twitter at @HUGreece.
STEVEN CHANDLER is a guest contributor for the Bison. He may be contacted at schandle@ harding.edu.
If you have ever traveled you understand trying to describe and explain the experiences from your trip. I think the best way to share an experience is through pictures. Pictures allow people who were not there to better understand what you experienced. Pictures are also an effective way of preserving your trip and memories of the people who were with you.
I was able to be part of the Harding University in Australia 2010 trip. While on this trip, I took 12,000 pictures. I wanted to document everything. I wanted to be able to come home and share the beauty, culture and people of Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore. With all the pictures I took, I am able to look back and imagine that I am there again. I can remember the smells, the tastes and the things that happened each day. I can tell you where I was and what happened right before, during and after each picture was taken.
Pictures of people and events hold great meaning to those present for that moment. In looking back on the picture they can almost relive that moment. That memory can become a special bond between the people it involves. This usually is some sort of inside joke among those who were present. The same picture will have various things that different people relate to it. Each person will have his or her own memory or set of memories that a picture will bring to mind.
A group picture of 39 students in front of an ancient temple induces thoughts of “wow,” “cool” or “that’s awesome” from those who were not there. But for me and the other 38 students standing in front of Angkor Wat, a temple in Cambodia, we all remember the heat of the day, the fatigue of the all-day excursion and the splendor of the massive temple. Individually, we remember different things as well. I remember this was the first day I felt better after about five days of being sick. Others will remember still being sick.
I took a lot of nature pictures while overseas. The beauty that God has created is breathtaking. Through the pictures I took, others are able to catch a glimpse of the beauty that he has blessed people to observe.
God has given us a beautiful place to live in. I enjoy trying to
Some may say I’m narcoleptic — I beg to differ. I mean, I’ll give it to them, this summer while at HUF I developed a nasty habit of falling asleep in public places. In the classroom, on the swings, in the museums, on the streets, in churches, on the bus, on the tram and sometimes even while eating.
Yes, I realize it sounds like I have a problem, but, I promise — no problem here. If I’m stuck on the tram for 40 minutes, what do I have to lose with sleeping? Absolutely nothing. I’m just making good use out of useless time.
capture that beauty in an image. Though a picture will never do true justice to a magnificent sunrise over the beach, the moon reflecting on a mountain lake or even the front lawn with vibrant green grass, it can capture part of that beauty and preserve it for ages. It will allow people to see and enjoy the beauty of places they may never get to visit.
Now that I’m back in the States and in classes, I’ve realized that although I do not have a clinically diagnosed sleeping disorder, I do have a small issue. If I’m being honest with myself, I have to admit it’s been going on for far too long. I basically slept through my 10thgrade year of high school and was referred to as “sleepy girl” in honors chemistry class. That term was coined because of my impeccable ability to sleep through every class period, yet continue to make the best grades in the class. Herein lies the issue. If I am able to make A’s in all my classes AND sleep, my body knows that’s the logical solution to my overworked and under-rested problem.
Here’s the thing, though. Yes, I may sleep in a class or two (or three … or 10), but I don’t do it on purpose. I’m not the marathon sleeper. You know whom I’m talking about. It’s the roommate who turns the lights out in your room at dinnertime and then doesn’t wake up for hours. Your room is pitch black and you can’t walk anywhere or make any noise. Next thing you know, it’s 10:50 p.m. and she wakes up to study until 3:30 a.m. Healthy schedule, I’d say.
To me photography is a way to share a memory or keep a moment. It is an attempt to share the way I see the world God created. It is a challenge to see and share the beauty in things that would not normally be defined as beautiful. It is a way to share my life and my blessings with others.
SAVANNAH LEE is a guest contributor for the Bison. She may be contacted at slee1@harding.edu.
Over the course of this semester, you will attend chapel approximately 60 times. With sleep still in your eyes, you will walk from your room and find your seat in the Benson. At this point, you have a very important decision to make:
What kind of attitude will you have toward today’s program?
We are constantly told how important chapel is, and we can choose to either accept or reject that statement. I confess that I have a history of doing the latter — rejecting the notion that chapel is important — and choosing to have a bad attitude about it. I have overheard and taken part in my fair share of conversations about the importance of chapel.
However, I’ve come to realize through these discussions that the real issue with chapel is me. What does it say about my heart if I can do nothing but criticize the people of God and their worship for him?
What good does it do if I throw myself into my chapel seat five days a week with a poor attitude and then complain afterward about the service?
We seem to think of chapel as just a program or a class we go to, but in reality, it is the worship of our great and incredible God. After three years here at Harding, I’ve finally learned
that the programs that may not have seemed very incredible were often that way because I didn’t have a good attitude and put my heart into them. You have a choice as to how you are going to feel about chapel. You — and only you — can control whether or not you actually “show up” for chapel.
I would much rather spend 60 of my mornings in a good mood prais-
ing my God than 60 of my mornings tuned out in my own world. As a result, I’ve actively made a choice to have a good attitude about chapel this semester. It has allowed me to enjoy a number of chapel programs I would have previously not paid attention to.
Now that I am putting forth more of an effort to really appreciate what chapel has to offer and learn from it, I find myself no longer pretending, whether during the worship or the prayer or in paying attention. The speakers deserve more of my focus and attention because I know God speaks through them to the student body.
The same choice presents itself to you now. You can decide to have a good attitude about chapel or be indifferent for 60 mornings that you will never get back. Please know I write all this not to condemn anyone; I understand how hard it is to stay focused every morning. I write this merely as a challenge to anyone who has a poor attitude about chapel. I challenge you to truly worship your God.
So what will your attitude be?
ZACH DAGGETT is
contributor
the Bison. He
at zdaggett@harding.edu.
Nor am I the intense class sleeper. This isn’t the person who dozes off here and there (because I am definitely that person). This is the kid who comes to class with the intent to sleep it away. From bell to bell he’s completely gone. My most awkward encounter with a class sleeper happened this year, actually. It was the first week of school, and this guy walks in 15 minutes late to class, then sleeps the remaining 60 minutes. Everyone is looking at him, but we brush it off. Then the bell rings and he doesn’t move. The professor tries to wake him up gently, and he doesn’t wake up. After what feels like 10 minutes of checking to make sure he has a pulse, he pops up from his seat and walks out. The time I tipped halfway out of my chair in the computer lab while asleep doesn’t even compare to this guy. Props to you, intense class sleeper. I promise you — as I do my parents every other week — that I do not mean to sleep in class. I literally just cannot stay awake for the life of me. I’ve tried everything: drawing pictures, holding my feet an inch above the ground, solving math equations and, embarrassingly enough, slapping myself a time or two. I’ve even gotten to a point where I continue taking notes in my peaceful slumber. Of course they’re not legible in the least bit and usually the ink dot bleeds through half my notebook, but I’d give myself an A+ for effort. I say all that to say this — sleep is a struggle in college, but let’s be honest with each other. Unless you are the crazy girl who heads to bed at 8 p.m., you will be sleep deprived. But you can make it through, I promise. With short naps and a lot of coffee you’ll feel … well … not as bad as you did before. Oh, and one more thing. If you’re next to me in class when I doze off, please wake me up before I open my eyes to see the whole class staring at both me and the poster directly behind my head. And no, that didn’t just happen last week.
God has given us a beautiful place to live in. I enjoy trying to capture that beauty in an image.
What does it say about my heart if I can do nothing but criticize the people of God and their worship for him?
If I ruled the world, I would most definitely make it law throughout the planet that no one would be treated differently because of his or her taste in music.
For far too long, a dark, menacing cloud fraught with crackling judgment and downpouring prejudice has hovered over our musically diverse world. It is a bigotry born from those who view their musical tastes as naturally superior to other forms of music, simply because of their rhythm, rhyme scheme or performer.
But as leader of the United Nations of Planet Earth, I would bring an end to “musical taste-ism.”
I grew up in the 1990s, when Britney Spears, N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys ruled the airwaves and when Christian metal bands were all the rage at youth rallies. I remember my first favorite song was “Shine” by the Newsboys, my second was “Mamma Mia” by the A-Teens (even though it was a hopeless ABBA spin-off) and my third was definitely “Blue Da Ba Dee” by Eiffel 65. On the car ride to school my parents would play any of the following: Jars of Clay, Celtic Hymns or the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack. As we grew older, my father started slipping in Styx and Queen when my mother was out of hearing distance. So, I’ve listened to my fair share diverse genres.
I remember when I first felt the blunt force of “musical tasteism” as a high school freshman, when I told a few classmates I did not like the Beatles.
That is right. I did not like the Beatles, nor do I like the Beatles now. I do not care for them. I think their music is boring. And I thought “Across the Universe” was stupid.
The class gasped in synchronized horror as I made my proclamation, and they never treated me the same since then, at least where music was concerned. “Yeah, but your taste in music is terrible,” has been a phrase I have heard many a time. This is something I usually do not go ranting about; do you know how many Beatles fans are out there? Do you know how many Beatles fans will get genuinely angry when you tell them I do not like the Beatles? It can be scary sometimes.
My tastes are more for the techno variety, with quick tempos and electronic beats. My latest craze is the underappreciated genre of techno opera. Not only do you have the energy and beat of techno, but you also have the classical might of opera to create a symphonic rush through your senses like no other.
I have also been judged for my strong disinterest in John Mayer, Mumford & Sons, Train and Iron & Wine. My response to criticism has always been: Why do you care what music I listen to?
While this column is a little exaggerated, there is some truth to it. As silly and juvenile as it seems, there are those who judge others based on their artistic preferences. Just because a guy follows Lady Gaga on Twitter and reads Japanese comic books does not mean he is in any way less worthy of your time. Just because a girl only listens to music with back-up dancers and pop lyrics does not mean she is any less intelligent. We all have our preferences, and we should be able to prefer them without being judged. We should all have the unabashed freedom to dislike the Beatles.
J.M. ADKISON is the editorin-chief for the Bison. He may be contacted at jadkiso1@harding.edu.
“Happiness is worshipping God with your friends.”
“Happiness is enjoying the glorious weather.”
“Happiness is eating breakfast quesadillas with your roomie to celebrate Saturday.”
If you’re a friend of mine on Facebook, you’ve probably seen these and other “Happiness is …” statements in my status posts from the last couple of weeks. I plan to continue this theme for the duration of September as a reminder of the blessings that are showered on me every day. And they truly are poured out on me on a daily basis. I get to go to the most awesome school on the planet, I already have my dream job (as copy editor), I have a supermom who is always in my corner, and I have absolutely phenomenal
friends. That’s the short list — I could fill every page of this Bison issue with the blessings I enjoy, and I still would not have enough room to name them all. I’ll stick to my quotidian Facebook comments for now, though.
This is actually my second time to undertake this project; the first time was in March. I had allowed
month-long misery fest I realized that I had decided to be cheerless when there was so much good in life that I was overlooking. I determined to be more positive during the next month, and “Happiness is …” became a major component of my new regimen. This might sound corny, but I was amazed at how finding and sharing one good thing about any given day made the entire day better. Often, I had trouble choosing which blessing to post, and I’m sure I cheated a time or two by posting multiple happinesses in one status. The good things each day, I discovered, far outnumbered and outweighed the bad.
Why am I sharing this with you? Because as God’s people, we are called to have joy. Philippians
4:4 does not say, “Rejoice in the Lord — except when you have too much homework, except when you aren’t getting along with your suitemate, or except when all of the good washers and dryers are taken.”
some events that had taken place at the beginning of the spring semester to weigh me down during February, and by the end of my
No, it says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Although we as humans will doubtlessly experience the full range of emotions, joy should be constantly evident in our lives as God’s elect.
Whatever circumstances you
If you hang around long enough with people who were alive in the 70s, eventually someone will quote Pogo’s most famous line: “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” The title opossum from Walt Kelly’s syndicated cartoon strip had been spouting his swamp wisdom since the late 40s, and his folksy catch-phrase has since become a mantra for anyone who feels that human beings can often be our own worst nightmare. Naturally, the botched pronoun adds to the expression’s charm.
It is not often in these columns that I pull rank on all of you. But once in a while I have to polish my “Guardian of the Language” badge, patrol the hallways with my red pen and round up a handful of grammatical scofflaws for questioning. Those of you who know your tenses and punctuation and whatnot have nothing to fear. The rest of you should be quaking in your misconjugated boots.
I could issue citations around here for quite a few writing misdemeanors. Some of you have an aversion to commas that borders on paranoia, as if you fear that men with commas on their armbands will come in the middle of the night and steal your kittens. Others wouldn’t hyphenate a compound adjective even if it were the only thing standing between you and a pair of free Alison Krauss tickets. Still others make infinitives split like a hot knife on a day-old banana. Shame is hardly the word for how you should feel.
But I’m not going to bust you for those crimes today. Like the police on Highway 64 who have but one mission — to give speeding tickets to all 7,155 students enrolled at this university (and to at least one faculty member and his lead-footed mustache) — I have but one grammatical ax to grind this day. I have met the enemy, and it is “they.”
It should be so simple.
BILLY: “I saw Fred and Susan in the hallway.”
MARIA: “Are they coming to biology class?”
Since Fred and Susan are more than one person, it is only polite to refer to them with the correct plural pronoun. “They” is a lovely word that reminds us how great it is to have multiple friends. Which makes its abuse all the more tragic.
Witness and weep:
BILLY: “I heard that a new student just moved here.”
MARIA: “If you have their phone number, I’ll call them and see if they want to come to the party.”
Bless her heart. Maria means well. You cannot fault her sense of camaraderie. Wanting to include new people is such a noble quality that one feels like a boorish
find yourself in, I promise you have been immeasurably blessed. My hope and prayer for you is that you will let that blessing be what shapes your attitude toward today. Furthermore, I hope you will find a way to bless someone else. It’s wonderful how one kind act can lift a person’s spirits. A couple of weeks ago a guy I didn’t know was waiting to get on an elevator, and he gave up his spot so that I could get on; it cheered me up then because my backpack would have toppled me over if I had attempted the stairs, and even now, I still appreciate what he did. Similarly, your good deed or words of affirmation might be exactly the encouragement someone needs to get through his or her day. So invite that guy who sits alone to eat with you in the caf. Tell that girl you love her shoes. Do the dishes for your roommate. And tell people what has brought you joy today. Because happiness is recognizing your own blessings and being a blessing to others.
AERIAL WHITING is the copy editor for the Bison. She may be contacted at awhiting@harding.edu.
fusspot for pointing out the breakdown in Maria’s grammar. But, alas, a breakdown it is. You see, in all her hospitable enthusiasm, Maria has forgotten how to count.
If I can pause a moment from channeling Lynne Truss, that British queen of grammetiquette, let me point out that I am perfectly willing to throw in the towel on this when it comes to personal conversation. Since everyone and his mother seem determined to use “they” to refer to any generic person — no matter how singular he or she may be — I have stopped getting irritated in public. But to quote my high school English teacher, when it comes to your writing, “I will reign supreme.”
So let’s get this straight. No single person can ever be “they.” No matter how large his ego is. No matter how many multiple personalities she may have. No matter if that person reminds you of both your uncle Joey AND your cousin Fergus. When you use the pronoun “they,” there simply must be a plural noun within walking distance in the sentence. Hence the problem with, “Each person is allowed to eat all they can fit on their plate.” I realize that many writers can’t stand that clunky substitute “he or she” when the person’s gender is unclear — like cousin Fergus — and I agree that “all he or she can fit on his or her plate” is tantamount to assault and battery on the poor reader. But there is an easy solution: “Diners are allowed to eat all they can fit on their plates.” Simple, elegant and awfully generous of the manager at that buffet. Since you have all been officially deputized, if you see someone misusing any form of “they,” please report them. But don’t worry. It’ll just be between you and I.
MICHAEL CLAXTON is a guest contributor for the Bison. He may be contacted at mclaxto1@harding.edu.
Those of you who know your tenses and punctuation and whatnot have nothing to fear. The rest of you should be quaking in your misconjugated boots.aerial whiting
Tell that girl you love her shoes. Do the dishes for your roommate. And tell people what has brought you joy today. Because happiness is recognizing your own blessings and being a blessing to others.
Sept. 11 was not just any given Sunday. While thousands of fans were on their way to watch their team’s debut, thousands of names were being called out in remembrance memorials in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
Yes, it was opening day for the NFL but this day was nothing like the usual. It seems that the NFL, got it right. The powers that be realized where the highlight of this special day needed to be.
When the clock struck noon, thousands of united fans who had filled the stadiums beyond capacity stood in silence as the jumbotrons in each venue were in sync with the memorial that was taking place in Shanksville, Pa. The fans and somber players listened to the lone serviceman playing taps on his bugle.
At that moment each and every human being spread across the country understood that there was so much more to the meaning of this day than a game.
Players across the country united as they unrolled fieldsized flags across the stadiums to the singing of our country’s national anthem. Yes, they were there to do a job and play to the best of their abilities, but today the players, coaches and fans put football into perspective as they chanted “USA, USA…”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell marked the day in Landover and East Rutherford, N.J.
“We remember our great country and the people that died in this tragic incident, the first responders and their families and all the people that kept our country safe,” he told Fox from the sidelines of the Giants-Redskins game.
“This is a chance for everyone to come together and feel great about our country, the sacrifices so many people have had and what we all have in front of us, Goodell said. We’ve got a lot to be proud of.”
It was also a night to recognize what wasn’t taken, what still stands. It was time to enjoy America’s most beloved game and the guarantee of a fresh season. It was time, for a few hours anyway, to get lost in something else.
While consoling the mourners in Pennsylvania, President George W. Bush spoke of the importance of getting on with life and the healing process of our nation.
“What is a hero?” Bush asked. “In the midst of great danger ... nobody asks to be a hero. We started to heal with the help of our national pastimes, with the flip of the coin and the roar of the crowd.”
As meaningless as sports can be, it remains the place where Americans flock for entertainment.
Sure, every team wanted to end this special day with a win. But the overwhelming focus of football on Sept. 11 was to unite this great country with respect and honor. And to remember that time is precious.
MARSHALL HUGHES is the sports editor for the 2011-2012 Bison. He may be contacted at jhughes3@harding.
The Bisons were looking for redemption from last season’s loss, but it was not to be as the Reddies defeated the Bisons 35–21 in a game riddled with turnovers.
Luck was clearly not on the Bisons’ sideline last Saturday when Harding (1-1, 1-1) played the Henderson State Reddies (1-1, 1-0) in a Great American Conference game at First Security Stadium.
Harding took a 7-0 lead early with a 54-yard scoring drive led by quarterback, Chaz Rogers.
The second quarter of the game is one that the Bisons would like to rewind and replay. The
first Bison fumble at the Harding 41 was recovered by Henderson State’s Benny Anderson and returned for a touchdown to tie the game 7–7. Rogers came back with confidence and threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Holt to take a 14–7 lead with 7:21 remaining in the first half.
The second Harding fumble was coughed up on the Bison 31-yard line and recovered by the Reddies. Turell Williams scored five plays later and the extra point kick was missed resulting in a Bison lead of 14–13 with 5:40 left to play in the first half.
The turnover bug continued with a fumbled punt fielded by Harding. Hender-
son State’s Keaton Stigger picked up the fumbled ball and returned it 16 yards for a Reddie touchdown as the clocked ticked down to 0 in the first half. The Reddies went to the locker room at halftime with a stunning 20–14 lead.
Harding senior running back Kale Gelles, who had another outstanding effort with 159 yards on the ground, scored the first touchdown of the third quarter and the Bisons took a 21–20 lead. But with 6:37 left in the
third quarter Harding lost its fourth fumble at their own 26-yard line. Henderson State took advantage yet again and scored on a 21yard pass play from Nathan Nall to Nick Johnson. The Reddies took a 28–21 lead after a successful two-point conversion.
Henderson State put the nail in the coffin with a scoring drive going 85 yards and scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Harding answered with a 73-yard drive but was un -
able to sustain the drive into a score.
Statistically, the Bisons were the winners of this match with 357 total yards compared to Henderson State’s 189 total yards. Both the offense and the defense played very well, but the four turnovers were too much to overcome.
When asked about the loss, Gelles said, “Yes, it was a tough loss, but we have really focused on the little things this week. We are just focused on each week
at a time and we really have to move on.”
Harding hosted Shepherd Technical College last night at First Security Stadium. Earlier this week, Gelles said, “with this being the first time meeting between the two schools we don’t know much about Shepherd Tech, but all we can do is go about it like a normal week and that’s what we have been doing. We are ready to get back on the field after that tough loss last week.”
The cross-country team ran in Memphis, Tenn. at the Memphis Twilight Classic on Sept. 3. The teams competed in a four-mile race against many other colleges and universities. The men ranked top five among 22 teams. According to senior Ryan Johnson, the team ran well but still has a lot of work to do. Replacing high caliber athletes like Daniel Kirwa and Wojciech Kopec won’t be easy though.
“We competed well for the full four miles,” Johnson
said. “Our times weren’t exactly spectacular but considering we were only able to practice as a team for two weeks before this race, we are right where we need to be at this point in the season.”
In spite of the absence of graduated cross-country teammates, the new season has brought about a new runner all the way from Romania. Freshman Lajos Farkas is already making a contribution to the team, Johnson said.
“As Lajos continues to develop and our sophomore and junior runners mature and rise to the challenge of running in the top seven, I fully expect our team to
continue the tradition of excellence that this school has come to expect from our cross-country teams,” Johnson said.
Along with the men, the women attempted to show out in the four mile competition also. Senior Mary Samoei led the women to a ninth place finish amongst 25 teams in the Twilight Classic finishing 26th in the 5K.
Although the women improved their initial team ranking to ninth place from 20th, they continue to push themselves in hopes of advancing to even better ranks.
“I think overall we wanted to run a lot better, junior Allison Dixon said.
We realize this was our first meet, and it helped us see what we need to work on individually and as a team. So it was a good learning experience, I guess you could say,” Dixon said.
The women hope to win more meets, conquer conference and make their way to the national competition. They realize, however, that hard work and determination is the formula to the success that they seek.
“We have such a great group of girls that make workouts more enjoyable, Dixon said. “We all love and support and encourage each other, which makes everything easier and more fun. And we have a blast on
road trips.”
Cross-Country/Track
Head Coach Steve Guymon has high hopes for his team. He believes that with hard work, greatness can be accomplished.
“We lost some great runners but I have been blessed with a great team this year, Guymon said. We have a couple of injured athletes this semester but we remain focused on winning conference and getting to nationals as we have in the past,” Guymon prepares to travel with the team tomorrow to Joplin, Mo. for the Missouri Southern Stampede where the cross-country team will have another shot at achieving its goals towards nationals.
The face of Harding soccer has changed this year. The men’s team is led by a new coach and the women’s team is playing in a new conference.
Starting off the season with a 2-2-1 record, the Bison men’s team is looking ahead to conference play, beginning in October. They remain in the Gulf South Conference along with Ouachita Baptist, as the newly formed Great American Conference does not yet participate in men’s soccer.
The Bisons are now led by Head Men’s Soccer Coach Jeremy Bishop, a 1997 Harding graduate who previously coached at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
Bishop said he is excited about the strong leadership displayed by key players. He said sophomore midfielder,Ryan Wilhelm is a hard worker who leads by example and senior center back Austin Brown, a team captain, is a “motor for the team”. Bishop is complimentary of the strong freshmen players. Gehrig Haberstock, Jacob Stevens and Ian Park, who play defense, midfield and forward respectively are already seeing a lot of playing time.
The men’s team has a roster of 30 players, 10 of whom are freshman. Bishop said the team has developed a strong
chemistry. “It feels like we’ve got a really good group as far as their togetherness, Bishop said. They want to do well and they want to have success. They understand that bonding is a big part of it.”
The Bison men aim to be eligible for play in the GSC tournament with a record above .500, Bishop said.
The women’s Bison soccer team, led by coach Greg Harris, has already started GAC play, falling to Ouachita Baptist 3–0 on Sept. 9. The 24-player roster is a young team consisting of 10 freshmen and 6 sophomores. Harris said that they bring great attitudes, talent and energy to the team. Forward Chelsea Brandon, the team’s only senior, brings the experience and versatility to play multiple positions.
Even with so many new players, the team is working well together.
“This is the best team chemistry I think we’ve ever had. I’m very proud of them. They are fun to be around and they’re thirsting for knowledge, Harris said.”
The Lady Bisons hope to win conference in the regular season and host the GAC tournament at Harding, Harris said. While other Bison teams have hosted conference tournaments in the past, this would be a first for the women’s soccer team.
“Qualifying to host the tournament would be a huge deal, Harris said.”
Sept. 13: VOLLEYBALL
The Harding volleyball team opened Great American Conference action with a 3-0 win Tuesday night against Henderson State. Sophomore outside hitter Mollie Arnold captured her seventh doubledouble of the season with 14 kills and 13 digs.
Sophomore defensive specialist Weslynn Williams was the other Harding player in double-figure digs with 12. Harding will continue GAC action on Thursday as they host Ouachita Baptist at 4 p.m., at the Rhodes Field House.
Sept. 13: GOLF
The Harding men’s golf team finished 12th of 14 teams at the Charles Coody West Texas Intercollegiate, the season-opening event for the Bisons. Harding’s fall season continues Monday and Tuesday as the Bisons host the Bison Fall Golf Classic at Stonelinks Golf Course in North Little Rock, Ark. And on the women’s tees, Harding junior So-Yun Kim shot a second round 78 to lead the Lady Bisons to a seventh-place finish among 18 teams at the Drury Fall Classic, played Monday and Tuesday at Silo Ridge Country Club.
For some, Sunday afternoons are spent in a recliner flipping channels from one game to another to just simply checking out the action and the scores. But for others, the NFL games have much more meaning. If involved in the fantasy football craze, you are frantically checking the scores and stats of your chosen players on the team you own.
Fantasy football is huge. If you don’t buy it, check out Sports Center on ESPN, which devotes a lot of air time every Sunday filling in the millions of participants on the viral interactive league news. The announcers dish out information on players such as injuries, which makes the fantasy of owning a team seem very real.
Once a league is formed with up to 16 teams, each participant (owner) takes turns selecting players until every roster position is filled. The owner chooses his starting lineup, signs replacement players and negotiates trades. Game winners are determined by points accumulated by players based on their actual performance in the game for that day.
At the end of the regular NFL season, a playoff tournament takes place.
Once the playoffs are over, the final two teams duke it out for the fantasy football league championship.
Participating in fantasy football has caused me to keep up with all of the NFL news. Before my involvement, my knowledge of the league as a whole was not up to par. As an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan, it was the only team that I kept up with and knew anything about. But as an owner in the fantasy league with players from many different teams on my roster, I had to learn about these players in order to make strategic moves that would produce a winning team. Fantasy football allows you to become a fan of players that you normally
Participating in fantasy football has caused me to keep up with all of the NFL news.
would never have cheered for.
I was never a Michael Vick fan in the past, but he scored lots of points for my ESPN league team, and now I consider him to be the most electrifying player in the NFL.
After week one, my team is undefeated. I also own a Yahoo league team that didn’t fare so well in the opening week. Ben Roethlisberger didn’t get the job done and Jamaal Charles needs to step it up as well as the entire Chiefs team. And congrats to all the fantasy owners whose quarterback is Tom Brady. Not many people ever get the chance to own a real NFL football team. Participating in fantasy football allows the average person to experience the thrills and disappointments of owning a team.
One word to describe your Bieber fever.
_______ should play me in a movie.
Favorite breakup song.
_______ just cracks me up.
Don't really watch it but Pauly D
Our Athletes’ View on Pop Culture
Favorite “Jersey Shore” cast member.
Sarcasm. It is a clever way of using irony in order to make fun of something. It is also how sophomore stand-up comedian John Michael Cronin describes his style.
“I take things that we don’t think about and think how ridiculous those things
Cronin has performed at the University of Florida’s open mic events and at bars and comedy clubs around Jacksonville, Fla.
He said he does not get paid for his performances, but he once won $50 for best act of the night.
In order to come up with his acts, Cronin takes notes when he notices something that has the potential to be funny.
“I write things down throughout the day, just put notes on my phone,” Cronin said. “Then after I have the ideas., the jokes come easy to me.”
Many of Cronin’s most entertaining experiences from performances are because of the audience members, he said.
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are and just bring out the ridiculousness of it,” Cronin said.
Cronin began doing stand-up during summer 2010.
“I was always a big fan of comedy, and I saw things in everyday life in a joking way and I thought that I could do [comedy] too,” Cronin said.
“Occasionally you get people [in the audience] who want to be part of your act and just give their two cents,” Cronin said. “You get to battle it out with them. They yell out stupid things and think they are being funny and helping out your act.”
Opposed to many popular stand-up comedy acts, Cronin believes the best humor is clean humor.
“Clean humor is the best,because if you can [make people laugh] without swearing and making dirty jokes, it’s funnier anyway,” Cronin said.
Cronin has not performed at Harding yet, but he said he would like to get a group of people together to perform stand-up in a venue such as Midnight Oil.
“It’s just a matter of if I can find other stand-up comedians who are interested here,” Cronin said.
Cronin is also interested in performing in different venues in places such as Little Rock.
Ashli Roussel, a junior nursing major, has used her own experiences and struggles to write a devotional book for teenage girls.
Roussel’s story began on the track team in high school. Track became an essential part of her life to the point of obsession. She ran so much that it caused her to develop an eating disorder. In order to help her, Roussel’s doctor told her to stop running and focus on her diet instead.
“It really shook my world,” Roussel said. “It was like pulling a rug out from under my feet, because [running] is what I did, where I found my worth.”
Roussel said she felt like the eating disorder had wrecked her life but that God used it to transform her relationship with him.
“When I got an eating disorder and my life seemed to be falling apart, that’s when God really took hold of me and taught me to surrender to him and to have a personal relationship with him,” Roussel said. She called it her “Surrender Adventure.” Roussel said that though it was one of the hardest things she has ever gone through, she would not change a thing because her relationship with God grew so much.
This experience was also the inspiration for her devotional book.
The fall semester of her senior year of high school, Roussel had just been released from an eating disorder clinic. She was doing well on her road to recovery
and was reflecting on the past year and the struggle she had been through, and she wondered what she was supposed to do. She said she felt God was calling her to write about her experience. She spent a year and a half writing and self-editing the book. During this time she was also researching publishing options. She sent a few proposals but heard nothing back.
In May 2010 she heard about the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in North Carolina. It was there that she first heard of the publishing company Sonfire Media. She picked up a business card and sent in a submission.
Sonfire contacted Roussel about her manuscript, and within a few months they agreed to publish her book. She signed the contract on Nov. 30, 2010.
Roussel’s book is currently finishing the first round of editing. Normally editing involves three rounds, but there can be more. The tentative title is, “Boundless, Discovering God in Your Eating Disorder.”
“An eating disorder can be very binding, making you feel like a captive,” Roussel said. “So in Christ we can have healing from eating disorders and be boundless.” Through this process Roussel said she has learned a lot about waiting on God, and his ability to help her do things she did not think she could do.
“I don’t consider myself worthy of having a book published,” Roussel said. “But God has shown me he is bigger than my weaknesses and he can use and does use my weaknesses.”
Clean humor is the best because if you [can make people laugh] without swearing and making dirty jokes, it’s funnier anyway.
John Michael Cronin, sophomore
After a full month of cafeteria food, overcrowded Sonic hangouts and late-night Burger King runs, it may be a good idea to travel to a world outside of Searcy and experience some new flavors. If you are willing to make the drive and shell out a little extra cash, Little Rock has plenty of great restaurants to choose from.
As a Little Rock native, I think one of the most exciting additions to the local dining scene is the Southwesterninspired Chipotle Mexican Grill, located in downtown Little Rock at 11525 Cantrell Road. In order to get the full Chipotle experience, I couldn’t resist taking the 45 minute trip there myself to see what all the hype was about.
The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the modern atmosphere. Unlike other burrito joints such as Moe’s or Blue Coast Burrito, Chipotle has adapted a much more futuristic approach in its décor.
High-set tables and chairs and myriad chrome furnishings create a simple and interesting environment. Large tables and wide spacing make Chipotle a great place to bring a large group of friends without much hassle. My only issue about the layout of Chipotle is the lines get long at normal lunch and dinner times, and the wait can be a little cramped.
Although the interior can
give the sense that Chipotle is going to break the bank, it is actually moderately priced.
The staple menu item at Chipotle is the burrito, which comes in five different varieties and is priced at about $6. I strongly recommend getting the chips and guacamole as well, which are another $3. It is probably best to make your trip to Chipotle in a large group and split a few orders of chips between two or three people. Overall, a trip to Chipotle is going to run between $6 and $10 per person.
The best part about Chipotle, obviously, is the food. I tried a burrito with barbacoa, which is a moderately spicy shredded beef. I also had the friendly staff pile on some cilantro, salsa, shredded lettuce, guacamole and rice. I must say that it was definitely one of the best burritos I’ve had the privilege of enjoying. Other burrito varieties are chicken, steak, carnitas (shredded pork) and vegetarian. You can also try a burrito bowl, which is simply a burrito without the tortilla. The chips and guacamole combo is also a customer favorite, and the perfect companion to any burrito.
If you have any questions or concerns about the food at Chipotle, I suggest you visit their website at chipotle. com. Other than being a little pricy and a long wait, my trip to Chipotle was a rather pleasant experience, and it has become one of my new favorite restaurants.
With the start of the fall season, television is gearing up for a new line up of shows and new developments of returning programs. Perhaps the most anticipated event of this upcoming season is what will happen on Patrick Dempsey’s last season of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Having spent all seven seasons of the popular hospital drama as Dr. Derek Shepherd, Dempsey is saying goodbye after his
eighth season. ABC may be saying goodbye to a television heartthrob, but they are broadening their horizons to something different. From the writers and creators of “Lost” comes a fairy-tale dramatic series in which our favorite fairy-tale characters are trapped in a modern-day suburban town called Storybrooke. “Once Upon a Time” will premiere Oct. 23 and stars Ginnifer Goodwin (“Walk the Line,” “Something Borrowed”) as Snow White and Jennifer Morrison (“House M.D.,” “Star Trek”) as Snow White’s
daughter.
Other shows to look out for this season on ABC include a 1960s-era drama series called “Pan Am,” which depicts the lives of flight attendants and stars Christina Ricci (“Casper,” “Sleepy Hollow”), and a reboot of the 1970s classic “Charlie’s Angels,” which will premiere Sept. 22.
Classes are back in session for McKinley High School in this upcoming third season of “Glee.” In this season, the characters of Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) are graduating at the
end of this season because the writers want to stay true to the high school years.
NBC’s latest crime drama, “Prime Suspect” focuses on a New York City homicide detective Jane Timoney, played by Maria Bello (“A History of Violence,” “World Trade Center”), as she navigates the NYPD’s male-dominated politics, solving murder cases and asserting herself as a capable and brilliant detective. The series is based off of an acclaimed British television show that has been reformatted for American audiences and will premiere Sept. 22.