To err is human. To fix it is TNE Policy. Corrections can be found on Page 4. To report a correction call 918.444.2890. TNE Web site: www.nsunews.com Volume 104, Issue 12 | Wednesday, October 9, 2012 | Tahlequah, Okla. 74464 SASC relocating SASC relocating to first floor of the John Vaughan Library. See page 12 RiverHawks prepare With advancement into MIAA division, NSU athletics prepare to win. See page 19 GSA provides haunted tours of Seminary Hall Taron Pounds finally home after summer accident HALEY STOCKS TNE WRITER A summer tragedy leaves NSU student Taron Pounds on the path to recovery, but not without a little help from his friends and family. CALEB DOBBS TNE WRITER Every Saturday night in Octo- ber, the Languages and Literature Graduate Student Association presents haunted tours of Semi- nary Hall. The tour takes place in total darkness, divulging the secret his- tory of the building. Including its supernatural occurrences, which have been happening since its 1889 opening. “We tell accounts of the per- sonal experiences, or those of close friends, we have had with the spirits who reside in Seminary Hall,” said Kristal Soderstrom, coordinator of learning assis- tance programs. Soderstrom said the best rea- son to go on the tour is to learn the details about Seminary hall and the lives of the people in it. “You never know when some- thing could happen,” said Soder- strom. Erin Bailey, Hulbert graduate student, said the tour was a way for the public to experience inter- esting supernatural occurrences within the building. “You might even see the most famous ghost, Florence Wilson,” said Bailey. “We will be creating a haunting atmosphere with our ability to tell the stories and sprin- kle it with historical facts.” By going on one of the tours, a person could gain bits of history concerning the iconic halls of the NSU community. “The facts are quite intrigu- ing and the ghost stories are en- tertaining,” said Bailey. “I think that, overall, the experience will be eye-opening and exciting for all ages.” Bailey said she was intrigued by the paranormal activity in Semi- nary Hall. “As a Cherokee citizen, the re- lationship between Seminary and my heritage, my people, is worth exploring and understanding,” said Bailey. Elaina Ross, Tahlequah gradu- ate student, is involved with the planning of the tour event and making sure everything runs smoothly. “People should go on the tour for several reasons,” said Ross. “It will get them in the Halloween mood with true stories of spooky occurrences in and around Semi- nary Hall. Not only that, but it is an inexpensive way to spend an evening learning a bit of history.” Olaf Standley, coordinator of Academic continued on page 2 The Taron Pounds Recovery Dinner will be at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15 at the Cherokee County Com- munity Center. “This is a benefit dinner and auction to raise funds for Taron’s medical expenses and recovery,” said Tammy Cauthron, Pounds’ mother. “We appreciate so much the support our family has already received from our friends and to- tal strangers in the community.” Shannon Andrews, wife of Pounds’ “Big” Blake Andrews in the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity said the dinner is something she could do directly to help the fam- ily out and show her support. “Taron is like a little brother to me,” said Andrews. “I can’t imag- ine anything happening to him. This is my way of hoping that the NSU community will reach out to him.” Andrews is coordinating the benefit dinner. She said she does not really care about how much the dinner raises. For Andrews, the most im- portant part is showing Pounds’ family support. An article ran in the July 24 continued on page 2 Elizabeth White/TNE Language and Literature Graduate Students Association provides tours of NSU’s historic Seminary Hall. The tours are available every Saturday night in October.
Transcript
To err is human. To fix it is TNE Policy. Corrections can be found on Page 4. To report a correction call 918.444.2890. TNE Web site: www.nsunews.com
SASC relocatingSASC relocating to first floor of the John Vaughan Library.
See page 12
RiverHawks prepareWith advancement into MIAA division, NSU athletics prepare to win.
See page 19
GSA provides haunted tours of Seminary Hall
Taron Pounds finally home after summer accidentHaley StockStNe Writer
A summer tragedy leaves NSU student Taron Pounds on the path to recovery, but not without a little help from his friends and family.
caleb DobbStNe Writer
Every Saturday night in Octo-ber, the Languages and Literature Graduate Student Association presents haunted tours of Semi-nary Hall.
The tour takes place in total darkness, divulging the secret his-tory of the building. Including its supernatural occurrences, which have been happening since its 1889 opening.
“We tell accounts of the per-sonal experiences, or those of close friends, we have had with the spirits who reside in Seminary Hall,” said Kristal Soderstrom, coordinator of learning assis-tance programs.
Soderstrom said the best rea-son to go on the tour is to learn the details about Seminary hall
and the lives of the people in it.“You never know when some-
thing could happen,” said Soder-strom.
Erin Bailey, Hulbert graduate student, said the tour was a way for the public to experience inter-esting supernatural occurrences within the building.
“You might even see the most famous ghost, Florence Wilson,” said Bailey. “We will be creating a haunting atmosphere with our ability to tell the stories and sprin-kle it with historical facts.”
By going on one of the tours, a person could gain bits of history concerning the iconic halls of the NSU community.
“The facts are quite intrigu-ing and the ghost stories are en-tertaining,” said Bailey. “I think that, overall, the experience will be eye-opening and exciting for
all ages.”Bailey said she was intrigued by
the paranormal activity in Semi-nary Hall.
“As a Cherokee citizen, the re-lationship between Seminary and my heritage, my people, is worth exploring and understanding,” said Bailey.
Elaina Ross, Tahlequah gradu-ate student, is involved with the planning of the tour event and making sure everything runs smoothly.
“People should go on the tour for several reasons,” said Ross. “It will get them in the Halloween mood with true stories of spooky occurrences in and around Semi-nary Hall. Not only that, but it is an inexpensive way to spend an evening learning a bit of history.”
Olaf Standley, coordinator of Academic continued on page 2
The Taron Pounds Recovery Dinner will be at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15 at the Cherokee County Com-munity Center.
“This is a benefit dinner and auction to raise funds for Taron’s medical expenses and recovery,” said Tammy Cauthron, Pounds’
mother. “We appreciate so much the support our family has already received from our friends and to-tal strangers in the community.”
Shannon Andrews, wife of Pounds’ “Big” Blake Andrews in the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity said the dinner is something she
could do directly to help the fam-ily out and show her support.
“Taron is like a little brother to me,” said Andrews. “I can’t imag-ine anything happening to him. This is my way of hoping that the NSU community will reach out to him.”
Andrews is coordinating the benefit dinner. She said she does not really care about how much the dinner raises.
For Andrews, the most im-portant part is showing Pounds’ family support. An article ran in the July 24 continued on page 2
Elizabeth White/TNELanguage and Literature Graduate Students Association
provides tours of NSU’s historic Seminary Hall. The tours are available every Saturday night in October.
The Northeastern
Page 2
October 9, 2012NE W S
Tours highlight building’s haunted history
Benefit dinner to raise funds for Taron Pounds
Consulta-tion Services, said that the attend-ee may hear and see things he or she cannot explain.
“There is no one to jump out, there are no tricks,” said Standley. “It is Seminary Hall in the dark. It is indeed haunted. I love the tour.”
Haunted Seminary Hall tours are lantern-lit.
“NSU’s original structure
continued from page 1 housed the Cherokee Female Seminary before it became the university that we know today,” said Jaquetta Shade, vice presi-dent for the graduate student as-sociation. “There have been some mysterious experiences reported in the building and surrounding grounds, which our tour explores. This tour has been gaining popu-larity every year. We have many repeat guests.”
Shade said the tour is excit-ing for the people who learn and work in Seminary Hall, as well as community members who are fa-miliar with the building.
“It is also great for parents because the tour is not a spook house-style experience, but rath-er a fun and mysterious histori-cal tour with lots of unexpected surprises,” said Shade. “Before I became a graduate student, I at-
tended the tour as a guest several times. The Languages and Lit-erature Graduate Student Asso-ciation put this tour together sev-eral years ago and did extensive research with help from the Uni-versity Archivist Vicki Scheffler to ensure that the tour is historically accurate.”
The cost of attendance is $5 per person. Children under 10 are charged $2.50.
“The price is very economical and you can have a lot of fun,” said Bailey. “Haunted Seminary Hall is a fundraiser of the Lan-guages and Literature Depart-ment. Specifically, the graduate students and the Cherokee Prom-ise Scholars will use the funds raised here to pursue academic achievements.”
issue of the Northeastern covering the initial story of the accident.
“On July 7, we were celebrat-ing my nephew’s wedding with family & friends,” said Cauthron. “Taron was taking part in setting off the fireworks. We’re not sure what happened, but when he lit a two-inch mortar it hit him di-rectly in the face.”
Pounds underwent a 22-hour surgery on Sept. 21 where doc-
continued from page 1 tors removed the entire fibula from his left leg and used part of it to replace bones in the left side of his face.
In about two months, doctors will do more work on his face, with several more surgeries to be expected.
Pounds was released from the hospital last week and is happy to be home drinking Mountain Dew and play Xbox.
Daniel Tittle, Muskogee soph-
omore, said he and the brothers of Phi Sigma Kappa have sup-ported Taron from the moment they heard what had happened.
“We were with him that night in Tulsa,” said Tittle. “When he was moved to the OU Medical Center in OKC, we were there. When they took him home, we were there.”
Tittle said his fraternity held a car wash for Pounds with the help of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and raised several hundred dol-lars.
Phi Sigma Kappa also put a donation link on their alumni website to raise money for him
that brought in a couple thousand dollars.
A fraternity representative from the national level visited Pounds to present him with a special member pin of gold and pearls, which Tittle said Pounds loved.
“Describing Taron is easy,” said Tittle. “He is a jokester guy who would put his neck out for any brother. He has a ridiculous-ly-gifted mind when it comes to graphic design. He loves to laugh and make others laugh. When I saw him for his birthday a couple weeks ago, he looked totally dif-ferent and sounded different, but he was still the same goofy Taron, telling jokes.”
Cauthron said they will be back in approximately two months for the next surgery, which will prob-ably include rebuilding Pounds’ left eyelid, reattaching the left side
of his nose, and adding more tis-sue and muscle to his face. Cau-thron has not given up hope for Pounds to have vision in his left eye.
“We have been told to expect about a year’s worth of surgeries for the reconstruction,” said Cau-thron. “The cosmetic surgeries to fix the scars on his face left from the reconstruction surgeries will begin after that.”
Brad McKisick, Catoosa se-nior, said it means so much to the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity to see NSU people and the en-tire community rallying behind a good cause for a brother.
The cost of the benefit dinner is $6. The auction is free. Dona-tions are accepted, and 100 per-cent of all proceeds will go direct-ly to Pounds’ family.
Pack the House Pink presented by Student FoundationHillary NickelStNe coNtributiNg Writer
A semiannual event creates a scholarship opportunity for stu-dents affected by cancer.
Pack the House Pink, presented by the NSU Student Foundation, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Doc Wadley Stadium. The football game will begin at 2 p.m. There will be a silent auction featuring items from several local businesses.
Attendees will also have the op-portunity to win a new car by par-ticipating in the Punt, Pass, Kick competition.
All proceeds go toward Survi-vors 2 Scholars.
“The event benefits the newly established Survivors 2 Scholar scholarship, which is for survivors
of cancer or those affected di-rectly by this disease,” said Peggy Glenn, executive director of NSU Foundation. “We’d love to see the stadium full of pink attire to show support for the RiverHawks and families impacted by cancer.”
Although there are several rea-sons for students to attend Pack the House Pink, some have per-sonal ties to the event.
“This event is meaningful to me because my mother is a breast cancer survivor,” said Addie Do-natelli, Keys junior. “I really ap-preciate everyone who is willing to help out people who are af-fected by cancer.”
From setting the date to mak-ing posters, designing T-shirts, getting sponsorship and making sure every last detail is in place, the NSU Student Foundation
works hard to make Pack the House Pink possible twice a year.
“It is an exhausting event to coordinate and prepare for, but we do it twice a year because of its philanthropic purpose,” said Micah Schweinberg, Tulsa junior. “The amount of time we spend planning is completely irrelevant when the scholarship recipient is announced.”
Pack the House Pink T-shirts will be available for purchase at the Barnes &Noble bookstore in the UC. Sizes small to extra large cost $10, double extra large costs $12, and triple extra large costs $14. All proceeds from the T-shirts will go to Survivors 2 Schol-ars.
“Pack the House Pink is such a great opportunity to give back not only to the community, but
also to many people who have been affected by all sorts of can-cer in general,” said Jake Barber, Owasso senior.
All students are invited to par-ticipate in Pack the House Pink to help create a scholarship oppor-tunity for someone in need.
Co Editors-in-Chief: Ashley Rogers Elizabeth White ext. 2890 Layout & Design Editor: Amber Covington ext. 2890 Ad Manager: Kyle Eubanks ext. 2890 Senior Ad Rep: Chelsea Moser TNE Staff: James Cosby Caleb Dobbs Tori Gilmartin Blake Harris Bailey Martindale Michelle Miron Haley Stocks Ad Staff: Kana Hatano Mai Kobayashi Kristen Roberson Michael York POSTMASTER: Send PS from 3579 to NSU, Tahlequah, Okla., 74464-2399. The Northeastern (USPS # 395-580) is published weekly throughout the year except college holidays by Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, Okla., 74464-2399. Periodicals postage paid at Tahlequah. Postmaster: send address changes to Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, Okla., 74464-2399. For more information about advertising, classified or display, call 444-2890, seven days in advance of desired publication date. Editorial statements in The Northeastern and readers’ letters reflect those of the individual writers and not necessarily those of The Northeastern, its editors, staff, adviser or the administration of NSU. The opinions and comments therein do not necessarily reflect the policies or beliefs of the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges or the regional universities and that the student newspaper is not an official medium or expression of the Board or the regional universities. The Northeastern is a public forum. All submissions become property of The Northeastern. This publication was printed by The Muskogee Phoenix and issued by NSU as authorized by House Bill 1714. Four thousand copies were printed at a total cost of $695 for 32 pages. The Northeastern is a member of the Associated College Press Association, Oklahoma Interscholastic Press Association, Society of Collegiate Journalists and College Media Advisers. e-mail address: [email protected].
On-campus tutoring offers students competitive edgeMany students suffer from bad
grades, some because of their schedule and others because they cannot grasp the details of the as-signments. No matter the class, there are options available to help students improve their grades. NSU offers many forms of tutor-ing, on campus and online.
There are many benefits from tutoring. The tutoring center will help with a student’s homework to ensure they are doing it cor-rectly. Many students make the same mistake over and over again and without someone pointing out the problem it can be hard to fix. Having someone to identify the problem may also help a stu-dent get consistently better grades earlier in the year, resulting in a higher GPA.
The center can also help a student clear up something they
do not know. The main reason someone usually goes to tutoring is because they do not understand something. When someone gets help with a problem it can make it easier to remember. The more a student gets told what they are doing wrong, the less likely they are to make that mistake again.
Students may only need the center for as long as it takes them to remember how to do the prob-lems. After enough repetition a student will have the knowledge of that subject more solidly em-bedded in their mind.
Another reason a student may seek tutoring is to learn new study techniques. If someone is having problems studying for a quiz or exam, the center may be able to provide a method that works best for the student’s needs. These methods can be useful not only
in your classes, but in your profes-sion as well.
Tutoring can also be beneficial for students who like to study in groups. When a student studies in a group without the help of a tutor, they may not have the cor-rect answer. Students in the group may have different answers and without someone who knows the correct answer, it may be hard to decide who is correct. This can drastically cut the time it takes to understand or figure out a prob-lem.
Another great benefit of tutor-ing in college is not having to pay. It seems pointless to spend money on tutoring with quality options available on campus. A lot of the time staff at the center are more knowledgeable because they spe-cialize in particular departments and majors. You are paying a
certain amount for tuition for a reason. With the tuition payments and service charges, the college maintains certain services and fa-cilities designed to help students.
Many students think tutoring centers cannot help because their problems are too specific. NSU offers many centers and labs that can accommodate different kinds of problems.
The communication lab locat-ed on the second floor of the jour-nalism building can help students with all the stages of building and preparing a speech. The math-tu-toring lab, located in the Science building, can help with any math problems and they work on a
walk-in basis. The Reading Cen-ter, located in Seminary Hall, can provide students with the tools, strategies and techniques needed for academic writings.
Perhaps a student cannot make it to one of these locations, NSU also offers Smarthinking tutoring. This online program can be real time, by appointment or through submission for a variety of differ-ent subjects. This program is here for when face-to-face is impos-sible. With many different options to stay ahead of your studies, it only makes sense for students to utilize these opportunities.
James Cosby/TNERyan Cannonie helps a student prepare for an upcoming
speech in the communication lab. The communication lab is located on the second floor of the fine arts building.
Page 5
October 9, 2012 F E AT URE
The Northeastern
RiverHawk Ambassadors help NSU growNatalie SullivaNtNe coNtributiNg Writer
The Northeastern State Uni-versity RiverHawk Ambassador Program provides students with an opportunity to give something back to the university by offering a small portion of their time to help the student body grow.
“The RiverHawk Ambassa-dors is a group of students se-lected to represent NSU before the public,” said Matthew Eaton, university representative. “Each member will display loyalty to and enthusiasm for the goals of the university. In their activity, members should reflect the char-acter and integrity representative of NSU.”
The three main responsibilities every ambassador has are: Hospi-tality – serving as tour guides and assisting with special activities of the university when groups, stu-dents or individuals are on cam-pus.
Recruiting – assisting the re-cruiting staff by attending school visits to promote NSU, college fairs or other off-campus social events.
Citizenship – by promoting NSU wherever they go, encour-aging students to take care of the university and to help the univer-sity grow by being enthusiastic.
“Our ambassadors are the face of NSU to these high school stu-dents,” said Kyle Murray, staff
sponsor and adviser for the am-bassador program.
The goal of the RiverHawk Ambassadors is to show high school students the benefits of at-tending the university and to get more students committed to mak-ing NSU their college home, said Murray.
“Being an ambassador means having a direct impact on stu-dents’ lives,” said Eaton.
Research done by the univer-sity staff has shown 70 percent of students said the campus tour was a main factor in choosing which college to attend.
“My favorite part of the pro-gram is getting to meet prospec-tive students, and then later see-ing them on campus,” said Julie Ball, ambassador group leader. “It is a really neat feeling to know that there are students on campus because you influenced their deci-sion to come to school here.”
Ambassadors strive to get to know the students and make them feel at home.
“It’s fun for me to learn about where they are coming from, what they are interested in and why they want to choose NSU,” said Brock Crawford, ambassa-dor tour coordinator.
On campus tours give pro-spective students information on NSU’s history as a women’s semi-nary.
The tours are filled with facts such as, on the west side of Semi-
nary Hall, a slab of concrete bares the inscription “Cherokee Ice Box 1887.” Underneath the cement was once a cold water spring and the people of Semi-nary would lower their tin cans full of butter, milk and cheese into cold spring, which kept it fresh.
The ambassadors must also know the changes the university has undergone in recent years. One recent change was the in-stallment of the Sequoyah statue, which honors the university’s 100th anniversary.
In addition to the program benefitting the university, it also provides benefits for the students involved in the program. It of-fers students with a way to get in-volved on campus. The students learn interesting facts about the school and share their interest in the university with others.
“This program has helped me be involved on campus and meet so many new people. It is some-thing that I can use for my re-sume, and it has helped me pay
for my school,” said Ball.The ambassador program pro-
vides a way for students to earn scholarship money. The schol-arships are awarded based on a point system. Each tour is worth a certain amount of points that an ambassador is required to ob-tain to stay in the program and receive the minimal scholarship. For special tours or off-campus events, the ambassadors receive extra points that help them earn a larger scholarship.
The list of reasons to join the RiverHawk Ambassador Pro-
gram is extensive. It’s fun said Murray, and it gives the oppor-tunity to introduce potential stu-dents to NSU life. The ambas-sadors get to use their knowledge of and experience at NSU to get prospective students interested in the university.
Full-time students who are in-terested can get involved by fill-ing out an application or by call-ing the High School and College Relations office at 918-444-4675. Applications will be available Oct. 15 for the 2012-13 school year.
Page 6
October 9, 2012F E AT URE
The Northeastern
NAB plans trip to Paris, Amsterdam for studentstricia PricetNe coNtributiNg Writer
Imagine going to see the sights of Paris and Amsterdam with a group of friends at a discounted price.
The Northeastern Activities Board is making that possible for any NSU student, as well as any-
one else interested in the trip. “This isn’t just a great opportu-
nity for the students, we are open-ing this prospect to anyone who is interested,” said NAB Adviser, Sarah Johnson. “We aren’t pro-viding funds for the trip, but the company we are traveling with has really made it very afford-able.”
The trip is planned for seven days. Yet, if applicable, there are extensions provided.
There is a London extension as well as a Versailles extension. Either of these detours, will cost more as well as last a few days longer, depending on the one that is most interesting to the partici-pant.
“This is the first international trip NAB has ever conducted,” said Sadie Spurlock, NAB ad-ministration chair. “It’s a great leap for the organization. We are trying to open doors for students who may not have the opportu-nity to do this on their own. We are very excited to see where this will lead us as far as the organiza-tion goes.”
NAB has traveled to multiple places throughout the United
States, but never out of the coun-try. NSU’s only opportunities to go out of the country have been with the study abroad programs. NAB is trying something new and it seems to be paying off for them. They have 13 people signed up so far. Included in the price is the hotel room, dinner and break-fast every day, as well as guided tours and entrance into multiple museums and tourist attractions. There are also designated times for the participants to have free time to do as they please.
“I think it is a great opportunity for our students to become first-rate global citizens,” said Thomas Teague, student body president.” How can we ask people to be-come great global inhabitants if they don’t have any worldly expe-riences? I feel that NAB is headed
in the right direction, not only for the university, but for the state and country as well.”
The Paris and Amsterdam trip is scheduled for May 13-20, 2013. At this time there is no specific deadline for signing up. Because of financial constraints, NAB en-courages signing up as quickly as possible.
“I am so excited to have this opportunity,” said Sarah Fletch-er, Muskogee senior. “I’ve never been out of the U.S., so I am very excited for the chance to experi-ence other cultures. I would be crazy to pass up this opportunity.”
For information on the Paris and Amsterdam trip call Student Activities at 918-444-2526. There are information pamphlets in the office, which is located in the basement of the UC, as well.
Page 7
October 9, 2012 F E AT URE
The Northeastern
Graduate assistants provides experience for future coachestNe WriterMike york
NSU’s graduate assistants are more than just coaches. They are also working to obtain their mas-ter’s degrees. For five NSU gradu-ate students, it is part of their nor-mal day.
“Our graduate assistant coach-es are more than just entry level positions here at NSU,” said RiverHawks head football coach Kenny Evans. “They don’t just help out, they actually are po-sition coaches and have many other responsibilities includ-ing, study hall monitoring, tutor-ing, equipment care and manage-ment, recruiting duties, official and unofficial visits of prospec-tive student-athlete preparation, driving the bus at times, and even cleaning and maintenance work when needed.”
Few schools used video or film like they do now.
“We also did not have the video technology available then so most of the work was done by hand with 16 mm film and actually cut-ting and splicing it together to get our breakdown film,” said Evans. “We also did in person scouting instead of just getting all game
film sent instantly on the Internet as it is today.”
With such a unique graduate program, Evans receives many applicants every year.
“In order to obtain a GA po-sition it is an application process, just as getting a full time posi-tion,” said Evans. “I probably have 40 to 50 people every year apply for our GA positions.”
One of the biggest challenges graduate assistants face is keeping up with their class load.
“On top of the work load de-scribed, GA’s must also maintain a full time academic load work-ing on their Masters degree and teaching classes, said Evans. “You have to really want to be a coach.”
Former players and students who want to be a head coach in college must have a Masters de-gree.
“The GA program at NSU is basically for people who are wanting to get into college coach-ing,” said Beau Beathard, Hous-ton, Texas, graduate student.
Beathard is working on his degree while teaching a class and balancing football activities. “I’m getting my masters degree in school administration,” said Beathard. “We are usually placed
at a specific position under a full-time staff coach here at NSU.”
Graduate assistant programs are a great tool for students to learn about coaching.
“A lot of times it’s young coach-es that do this that are wanting to get into coaching,” said Beathard. “It’s a great way to get your foot in the door.”
Beathard is working on fol-lowing his father’s footsteps into coaching.
“My Dad’s always coached so I always tagged along with him to his games and watching him coach,” said Beathard. “I’ve al-ways loved the game and it’s something I wanted to do since I was a young age.”
The five GA’s are learning a lot this season.
“Coming to NSU and being in-
volved with the program here as a player first I liked the program, the coaches, and just liked being around college football so I kind of decided to pursue a career in college coaching,” said Beathard. “I work with the linebackers so I’m coaching under Coach Mike Knoll. He’s a really intelligent guy that I can learn a whole lot from and I’m lucky to be under a guy like him.”
The majority of most gradu-ate assistants are typically former players looking to make their way up the coaching ranks.
“A lot of GA’s are former col-lege athletes,” said Beathard. “If you want to be a graduate assis-tant you need to put yourself out there and send your resume’ to a bunch of different places and sometimes you might want to
knock on a door and talk go talk to a coach and ask him if he has any positions available. The key is not being afraid to be turned down.”
Most graduate assistants see this as simply a steppingstone to further their coaching career.
“It’s really a good program to help us as GA’s get our feet wet in the coaching field for our first chance to really coach,” said Darrin Reeves, St. Joe, Texas, graduate student. “My decision to be a GA really came when I got finished playing football be-cause I want to see what it’s like to coach at the college level and to gain experience that I knew I wouldn’t get just going straight to high school.”
SCEC Halloween Dance presented at Elks Lodgeblake HarriStNe Writer
The Student Council for Ex-ceptional Children has planned their Halloween dance. The dance will be at the Elks Lodge in Tahlequah. SCEC plans these dances to allow special needs chil-dren a fun opportunity to social-
ize with each other. “These dances are the reason
I wanted to become an officer in SCEC,” said Bradley Adams, senate representative for SCEC. “Once you see the looks on the children’s faces and see how much fun they are having it can seriously change your life.”
The Elks Lodge helps SCEC
with many of their events. SCEC has six dances a year and the Elks Lodge provides the venue for these events. They also have a spaghetti dinner and the Elks Lodge provides food and drinks for that event as well.
Many people, not just mem-bers of the SCEC, help with these events. The children who attend these events have various disabilities.
“We have a lot of people with disabilities that attend the dance,” said Jessica Breske, vice president of SCEC. “We have kids with Down syndrome, autistic kids and emotional behavior disturbance children, just to name a few, but that does not stop us from having a good time.”
This organization functions off of volunteer work. Students that
are majoring in education and special education make up the majority of SCEC.
Sarah Young, former president of SCEC, used this organization as a steppingstone to her current job.
“I am the teacher of the visu-ally impaired at Lawton Public Schools and I am attending Cam-eron University in Lawton for my master’s of school administra-tion,” said Young. “I owe so much to this organization because it helped direct me to my passion. I learned that I had several skills that otherwise I would have never realized I had. SCEC still plays a vital role in my life and it always will.”
All SCEC dances have a theme. They have had a formal dance as well as an 80s dance.
“Costume is not required for this dance but the children like it and they really get into it,” said Adams. “It makes for a lot of fun if you dress up.”
Students interested in SCEC
usually have a passion for helping students with disabilities.
“Involvement in SCEC is very personally rewarding,” said Kay-la Ingle, Treasurer. “We cater to the most appreciative group of people I have ever met.”
The dance is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 27 at the Elks Lodge. They are also planning a dance for Dec. 1. Any student interested in helping set up the event may come around noon.
Students planning on helping with the dance are encouraged to bring door prizes such as pencils, notebooks, glow in the dark items or any other small item.
The upcoming meetings are at 5 p.m. on Oct. 16 and 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 in the education build-ing room 210.
For more information about joining SCEC, email Jessica Breske at [email protected] or visit their Facebook page, at face-book.com/NSUSCEC.
Autism and Related Disabilities Support Group to meet in UCblake HarriStNe Writer
Autism is a developmental dis-order that can affect the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills.
This disorder, like many others, has varying degrees of severity. Asperger’s syndrome, for exam-ple, is a mild form of autism in which communication skills are not as affected.
Two years ago, Chris and Carla Howard formed a support group.
David Shalis, of Pryor, is one member of the group. He, along with several others, has spear-headed the group and helps it continue to grow.
“This family-oriented group is designed to talk with these fami-lies and to give them moral sup-
port,” said Shalis. “We let the par-ents know they are not alone and that we are here to help them.”
Although this group is mainly for support, it can be educational. The group tries to stay up-to-date with new developments in the disorder. Shalis studies aspects of autism to keep family members informed.
Another leader of the group is Linda Payton of Tahlequah. She attends the meetings regularly with her son who has been diag-nosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
“When I discovered my son had autism I thought I was the only one in this community that had to deal with this, until I found this group,” said Linda Payton. “We try to educate ourselves as well as how to help our children.”
Her son Mark Payton, Hulbert
junior, also attends these meet-ings. He was diagnosed with As-perger’s syndrome at the age of 10.
“When I attend these meetings some of these parents see me as an inspiration,” said Mark Pay-ton. “It lets them see that their children may have the opportuni-ties that I have had and may be-come successful.”
The support group has many different speakers come in to give them encouragement.
They have asked doctors and professional councilors to speak about new developments in the world of autism.
Lisa Grimes, of Tahlequah, can relate to support groups like this one. She works for People Inc., a boy’s home which helps and supports children with spe-
cial needs. “I think a group like this is a
great thing,” said Grimes. “Some of the children at the home I work at have autism-related dis-eases and a support group for the children and their families is an amazing idea.”
The group meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the second Thursday
of each month in UC rooms 225 and 226.
The next meeting will be Oct. 11.
For more information on this support group and how to get in-volved, call David Shalis at 918-824-4770.
Business and Technology building home to natural springtori gilMartiNtNe Writer
Thirty thousand gallons of
natural spring water is produced under the Business and Technol-ogy building at the Northeastern State University Tahlequah cam-
pus everyday. The university has no current
plans to utilize the water, but they have discussed several different
proposals regarding the water. “It would be a good idea to
use the water in some way, but all the ideas tend to be costly,” said Joe Spence, director of physical plant.
To keep the water from flood-ing the basement of the Business and Technology building, the university installed a sump and pump during the remodel of the building several years ago.
“I feel that NSU could some how utilize the water for drinking, or find some purpose,” said Alex Thompson, Tulsa senior. “I had no idea until the other day that there was even water under the Business and Technology build-ing.”
Dr. Michael Turner, associate professor of technology, whose office currently houses the pump.
“Every spring before they re-modeled the Business and Tech-nology building the basement would flood after a big rain, so after the remodel they installed the pump and it has not flooded
since,” said Turner. “When we first moved back
to Business and Technology the pump valve would be closing too quickly and so I would hear the pipes vibrate and it would be loud.”
Tuner said if it had been up to him, he would have used the water to fill the fountain in the Second Century Plaza instead of using the city’s water.
“The addition of the pump and the French drain were in-stalled for the protection of the Business and Technology build-ing, not necessarily to capture it,” said Turner.
Most students and faculty have no idea that there was water un-der the Business and Technology building.
“I had no idea that there was water underneath one of the buildings that I am in everyday,” said Sarah Fletcher, Muskogee senior.
High school students come from all over the country to at-tend leadership conferences in various locations. These confer-ences can not only be beneficial to the future of the student but can also be expensive.
Leadership Oklahoma pres-ents “Live Leadership Live TEAM Leaders” conference at 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the Administrative Services Building at NSUBA. There is no cost to any high school student interested.
Students attending can expect a day of social networking, team building and leadership explora-tion.
“The students who attend this conference will have leadership and team building activities, open forum for dialogue and breakout sessions with facilitators,” said Dr. Allyson Watson, assistant dean of the college of education. “The
common theme is leadership, and our hope is that the students will grow and leave the conference as Teens Engaged Aware and Motivated to carry on leadership within their communities and the world.”
Many of the students attending have already been regarded as leaders in various areas.
“See yourself as a leader in the place you are as a student,” said Dr. Watson. “There is al-ways someone who will see you as an example. Being a leader is also being a good citizen and car-ing about the future of the lives around you, your community, your country and your world.”
The fact that this conference is free makes it available to more students.
“I have been to a few confer-ences in my time and I paid an arm and a leg for each one,” said Lanina Nolan, Tahlequah sopho-more. “I have little brothers that go to school in Tulsa and just thinking about them being able to
attend for free makes me happy.”There are many things to learn
at these conferences. “The one I attended my senior
year really helped prepare me for existing in a college environ-ment,” said Nolan. “I learned things like how to be a leader and how to make others feel comfort-able in both a class setting and in the work place.”
Many students from the Tulsa area will attend but this confer-ence is open to anyone in the Northeastern Oklahoma area.
“I look forward to going and learning even though it will be a drive,” said Nick Releford, Still-well sophomore. “I am very excit-ed about this opportunity, in my area we are limited on opportuni-ties such as this.”
Holding the event at the BA
campus allows more students within the state to attend.
“Most conferences I have been asked to attend have either been in Oklahoma City or somewhere out of state,” said Releford. “Not only do I plan on attending, but I would love to see more students from this area be there as well.”
This conference can give high school students the competitive edge before coming to college.
“I have been to one conference before, but I wish I could have more before coming to a higher education establishment,” said Ashley Shotwell, NSU senior. “I have many family members in the area I have already told about this event.”
This could be a great chance for students to network.
“I met a few great friends I am
still in contact with at the confer-ence I attended,” said Shotwell. “I would insist that any student that can, should attend at least one conference before coming to college.”
SASC takes residence in John Vaughan LibraryMicHelle MiroNtNe Writer
The Student Academic Success Center is a valid resource that stu-dents can utilize on a daily basis.
Lauren Barela, coordinator of career counseling services, said the mission for the SASC at NSU is to create an environment where each individual student is posi-tively embraced and develops the connections necessary to thrive in the college community and in life following graduation.
The SASC team works dili-
gently on ways the center can benefit students each day.
“Students that engage with the center have the benefit of know-ing that they will receive some type of help one way or another,” said LaWanna Summers, coor-dinator of outreach, referral and follow-up. “If we cannot aid in that help ourselves we will im-mediately connect the student to the appropriate resource by not just giving them the information, but walking them to that office if necessary. We will even follow-up with the students to make sure
that service did not stop at the moment we dropped them at the door.”
Megan Edmonds, Inola senior, said the SASC provides a hub for a lot of student needs.
“We also connect students to any other student service or re-source on campus,” said Barela. “We are here to help students no matter the situation, no matter if its college related or personal, we are here to listen and get students to the right place.”
Although SASC does face struggles, the team sees it as an
opportunity for improvement. “Some of the struggles that
the center has faced have dealt have been tied to misconceptions of the services we provide,” said Summers. “I believe as people become aware of the center these issues will get better. We see those as learning moments and look at ways to better market ourselves or the services that we provide so that not only the students, but the faculty and staff may have the resources they need to work with us.”
The SASC is in the process of
relocating the John Vaughan Li-brary on the first floor.
“They constructed 7 offices and one conference room,” said Barela. “There is also a wrap-around front desk and lobby area. We are starting the moving pro-cess from our temporary location on Oct. 3. The SASC staff will be in the center and fully moved in by Oct. 5 and students can come by and meet the coordinators starting Oct. 8.”
Summers said the relocation of the office would definitely benefit the success of the students in that the center will be more visible.
“I did not know where the SASC office was until I noticed the construction in the library,” said Lauren Davey, Verdigris se-nior. “This relocation is beneficial because of all the student traffic the library has on a daily basis. If I need any advisement help I now know where to go and the recon-struction to the library adds an in-novative touch.”
The SASC team is anxiously waiting the opening of the center for many reasons.
The SASC team is ready for the new change and their new center has the name across the outer curved wall to inform all of the passing students who is lo-cated there.
Edmonds said whenever she previously worked for the SASC many students commented on how convenient it was and how all their needs were met in one location.
“We make daily posts on Face-book and Twitter,” said Sum-mers. “Any event that takes place for students, we try to be there and have either a table with a representative or speak in front of audiences. Whenever or wher-ever there is an opportunity to be visible, we try our best to do so.
Blue Star Mothers dedicated to helping deployed soldiersMereDitH barkertNe coNtributiNg Writer
United States soldiers are cur-rently deployed to war zones to protect the freedom of their homeland. Americans reap ben-efits and freedoms as a result of this sacrifice. One important and practical demonstration of grati-tude is through the care packages coordinated and sent by Blue Star Mothers.
“The sacrifice the soldiers make is indescribable,” said Deb-bie Lipscomb, of Blue Star Moth-ers. “They are protecting us. They are keeping us from having to be on the battlefield or having it in our backyard. The saying ‘Home of the free, because of the brave’ rings so true. They are sacrific-ing being with their families and missing so many holidays and im-portant events.”
Every Christmas, Thanksgiv-ing and birthday, there is a soldier deployed without the luxury of having family nearby.
“The packages really do help them,” said Lipscomb. “It helps for them to know that they aren’t forgotten, that someone back home thinks of them. I know my son says it really helps him to know that someone cares. Our future daughter in law, who is also deployed at a separate base than our son, said that her care packages make her day and make some of those she serves with en-vious. I plan on sending enough for her to share with others for the holidays.”
Family members, such as Lip-scomb, send packages to their loved ones, but not all soldiers have family or friends capable of sending packages.
“Anyone can donate,” said Lip-scomb. ”It helps so much when others contribute. We are a small chapter, and we don’t have an abundance of funds to buy the
items. So the donations help ease that load and are greatly appreci-ated.”
Lipscomb provided a partial list of items that can be sent. These items include, but are not limited to deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, foot powder, non-aerosol shaving cream, Q-tips, breakfast bars, energy bars, hard-coated gum, hard candy, trail mix, jerky, nuts, soup, sun-flower seeds, trail mix, playing cards, puzzles, crossword puzzles, DVDs, flash drives, games, Sudo-ku puzzles, magazines, batteries, nail clippers, pencils, pens, note-books, lip balm, insect repellant, Tylenol, and miniature trees and decorations for Christmas.
“Of course, the items he misses most are his family and friends back home, but you can’t mail those in a care package,” said Melissa Curtis, wife to Sgt. 1st
Class Wade Curtis, of the U.S. Army. “He probably misses some of the food items the most. He said the food he is being served in the chow hall is not very good, so he appreciates snacks he can keep in his room to supplement his meals.”
Tangible items are no replace-ment for loved ones, but they can be a small reminder of home.
“I’m sure anything to remind them of home is something they long for,” said Cpl. Kolbey Lamb, of the U.S. Marines. “It’s a morale boost to receive anything from home, even if it’s just a letter from a family member. One would be thrilled to know someone was kind enough to think of them and put a package together.”
America has gone through ups and downs when it comes to ap-proval of Armed Forces. Howev-er, despite varying opinions about the war, standing behind the men and women who fight seems to be something about which most Americans can agree.
“I think recognition of the mili-tary has come a long way,” said Lamb. “The overall outreach and support is phenomenal.”
As long as soldiers continue to put the lives of their families on hold, while they risk their lives in war zones, Americans have a re-sponsibility to convey encourage-ment.
The encouragement, however demonstrated, could be the only boost of morale a soldier may feel for a long period of time.
“My youngest brother is cur-rently active duty in the U.S. Navy, and has been in for nine years so far,” said Gail Saun-ders, Muskogee resident. “He was very homesick after joining the military, especially after he was shipped half way across the world. Depending on where he
was stationed and whether they were docked or at sea, depended on how often we could talk to him, which wasn’t a lot. I definitely feel like his care packages helped get him through rough times.”
Blue Star Mothers has provid-ed an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to make a con-tribution without much, if any, inconvenience.
“I think that these care pack-ages would help boost the morale of any soldier currently serving overseas,” said Saunders. “Just a little piece of home and encour-agement to see them through.”
Donations may be made at two locations on the NSU Tahle-quah campus. Blue Star Moth-ers has provided a drop box at the University Center, near the Market Café. The second box is
at the BCM. If students are in-terested, they may also help put boxes together to be shipped. Blue Star Mothers meet on the third Thursday of every month, at 5:30 p.m. The meetings are at Wisdom Keepers, 1286 W. 4th St., in Tahlequah. All are wel-come to attend.
“Our soldiers sacrifice so much during a deployment,” said Cur-tis. “They deserve so much more than we can do for them. The least we can all do is take a few minutes to send a note and a few back home items to let them know how much we care and how thankful we are that they are will-ing to give so much of themselves to defend our freedoms. It’s im-portant to them, and they are so grateful to know how much we support them.”
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October 9, 2012F E AT URE
The Northeastern
Movie night focuses on violence preventionHaley StockStNe Writer
The National Indian Women’s Health Resource Center and NSU Student Health Services’ “Violence Prevention Movie Night in the Square” will be at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 in the Second Century Square.
Whitney Sexton Jones, NSU health and wellness coordinator, said the goal of the movie night is simple.
They hope to help students stop violence before it starts.
“Violence has emerged as one of the central public health prob-lems of our time,” said Jones. “We need to be proactive and take
a stand against violence before we become directly affected by it. The goal is to provide aware-ness to students of the reality of violence in intimate relation-ships, friendships, acquaintances or family relationships, as well as among strangers.”
A part of NSU’s Student Health Services is having student ambassadors.
Courtney Carrino, Locust Grove senior, is one of those am-bassadors.
“The movie night is important because not only will it be vital for students to know the names and faces of all NSU Student Health Ambassadors, but also will learn the signs and steps to take against domestic violence,” said Car-rino. “This is crucial because as a resident assistant I know that this
issue prevails amongst many stu-dents lives, either past or present. As a health ambassador, we want to educate them for prevention for future instances.”
Phillip Curry, Wagoner junior, is also a student health ambassa-dor.
He said he is excited for the event and for the impact he hopes it will have on campus.
“I will be helping set up for the event,” said Curry. “It is a good thing to do on our campus.”
Jyme Lowe, Help-In-Crisis pro-gram coordinator, will be speak-ing at the movie night. Lowe will bring awareness to the power of prevention.
Shortly following Lowe, the suspense-thriller “Straw Dogs” will play.
It is rated R for strong violent
themes and is not recommended for children.
There will be free snacks and refreshments for all who attend. There will also be a drawing for $200 for student organizations that attends.
For every 10 organization members that attend, they will receive an entry into the $200 drawing.
Jones said to bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the movie from the lawn of Second Century Square.
“This is a great opportunity to come out and get some great information on violence preven-tion and enjoy a psychological, suspenseful thriller with your friends,” said Jones.
Non-traditional students juggle home, school lifeaNgela WalkertNe coNtributiNg Writer
A typical day for Laura Med-lock, Long Beach, Calif, sopho-more, includes waking early, pre-paring breakfast, taking her two sons to school and then going to work.
It also includes several hours a day sitting in classes at NSU. Categorized as a non-traditional student, Medlock, as well as other students like her, began college life at a different time than most.
A typical non-traditional stu-dent is over the age of 24 or has a family.
Non-traditional students have many reasons why they enter or even re-enter higher education. For some, it could be to keep their current job or even to advance their career.
For others, it could be a transi-tional time in their life.
“I attended NSU right after I graduated high school in 1995. After two semesters I decided to
join the work force and get mar-ried,” said Medlock. “After 16 years of marriage and raising kids, I wanted to return to college and get a degree.”
Every student has challenges throughout their college careers. Non-traditional students some-times have additional hindrances to overcome on top of attending classes and studying.
“As an adult student, I have a family to take care of in addi-tion to my schoolwork. It’s hard to find time to dedicate to both,” said Kathy Drake, Allen, Texas junior. “Childcare is the biggest challenge I face compared to a traditional student. I relocated my family so I could go to school full time. In doing so, only my husband works so we are down to one income and paying for child-care is not an option.”
NSU recognizes the encum-brances of non-traditional students and has programs to contribute in their academic suc-cesses.
“We have programs like First Year Experience and even the Student Academic Success Cen-ter, which is a new great pro-gram,” said Interim Assistant Executive Director of Enroll-ment Management, Jason Jesse. “Those folks understand some of the challenges that do face our adults students and understand the risk that they have. They have additional risk factors that could challenge their success.”
For some non-traditional stu-dents, the challenges of returning to college are insurmountable.
“It has really been hard on me this semester because I have a 10-year-old grandson I am rais-ing and my husband had men-ingitis during the summer. He now has brain damage and needs constant care,” said Violet Swift,
Tahlequah freshman. “I have had to withdraw from classes. It has just been too much stress.”
While Swift had to withdraw due to the current challenges in her life.
She always has the opportunity to come back as a non-traditional student and finish her degree at any point in the future.
For anyone desiring to return to NSU, or just starting their journey into higher education, there are several options to begin to achieve the goal of graduation.
For more information on the Student Academic Success Cen-ter visit nsuok.edu/sasc.
Gala features theatrical favoritescaleb DobbStNe Writer
At 7 p.m. on Oct. 11 in the Center for Performing Arts, the NSU Department of Performing Arts presents “Magic and Fairy-tales,” an opera and musical the-atre gala concert.
The gala concert will fea-ture scenes from “Magic Flute,” “Wicked,” “Into the Woods” and “Beauty and the Beast” among many other popular show titles featured.
“I will be singing an aria from the opera that the department will be performing next semes-ter,” said Mary Keck, Muskogee NSU graduate. “This aria, along with other works from the opera, will hopefully provide an enticing sneak peak, so to speak, to spark
interest for the upcoming perfor-mance.”
Keck said that though the op-era program is relatively new, it has been successful with its pro-duction last spring.
Dr. Norman Wika, director of bands, said he loved Mozart op-era and thought Mozart to be one of the most creative and artistic composers of the genre.
“Although the gala perfor-mance will feature pieces from several different shows, we are preparing for a full production of Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflote’ in the spring,” said Wika. “This was one of the last pieces that Mo-zart composed. It was finished in 1791, the same year that he died.”
Wika said the opera has been performed at opera houses all over the world.
“It has been a long time since a full operatic production was done in Tahlequah and we hope that we can bring this great music to as many people in the community as possible,” said Wika.
Unger said that vocal faculty colleague Dr. Robert Daniel, as-sociate professor of voice, whom performed with them last year, will reprise the role of Modern Major General in the upcoming gala performance.
“The workshop includes par-ticipants from both within NSU and the greater community,” said Unger. “Some of our students come to us from other disciplines such as political studies, theater and education. We also receive financial support from donor members of the community and we are most grateful for their
commitment to our program.”Unger is the stage and musical
director of the gala workshop, and has a faculty recital at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15.
“The quintet from the ‘Magic Flute’ is hilarity wrapped in a beautiful package,” said Becca Yates, Bartlesville senior.
Yates said the song about Gas-ton is in constant motion, driven purely by the women’s’ desire for a man, and quite fun.
“One of the great things about opera and theater in general is that everyone is equally impor-tant in the process of making the event a success,” said Yates. “While I might be responsible for knowing all my notes, words and blocking, without the rest of the chorus, the director, the conduc-tor or the accompanist, I have nothing.”
Yates said the gala is truly a joint effort.
“When I decided to audition
for the opera workshop, I was extremely nervous,” said Rachel Bingham. “I play the role of a flirtatious girl.”
“She really gets to know the person, what their personality is like and then casts the roles ac-cordingly.”
Bingham said good casting makes playing a role less difficult.
“Dr. Unger and the participants in opera workshop, both NSU students and Tahlequah commu-nity members, have been working very hard to make this an inter-esting and fun performance,” said Dr. Mark Bighley, chair of the de-partment of performing arts. “I am very much looking forward to the performance.”
The cost is $7 for general ad-mission and $5 for students. All the proceeds will benefit student scholarship and help with pro-duction costs.
The month of October offers Halloween thrills in about every city.
The Castle of Muskogee has its Halloween Festival from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 12.
“The Halloween Festival has ten exciting events, ranging from the not-so-scary to really scary,” said Hillary LeDoux, administra-tive assistant to Karen Cunning-ham. “The Halloween Festival of-fers events for the whole family.”
Katie Hatzenbuehler, Adair ju-nior, said the general atmosphere of the Halloween Festival is a very family friendly environment of-fered to all ages.
“They really do all out for all their events,” said Sarah Fletch-er, Muskogee senior. “From the workers dressed in costumes to the dark dimmed rooms and creepy music, they’ve thought of it all.”
The Halloween Festival of-
fers many activities that are child friendly.
“The events for kids are Hal-loween Land, an indoor carnival for kids eight and younger with games, prizes, face painting, sto-rytelling and much more,” said LeDoux. “We also have Pump-kin Kingdom for the kids. It has a petting zoo, pumpkins, pump-kin painting, bounce houses and pony rides.”
LeDoux said the Halloween Festival accommodates the fami-lies with two hundred Halloween inflatables and a pirate stage with acts of magic, juggling and dar-ing escapes.
Scary attractions are available as well. The Halloween Festival knows how to scare the socks right off of someone with the tor-ture chamber that shows various techniques of medieval torture and the haunted hayride that has several terrifying scenes.
“My favorite part about the fes-tival specifically was the spooky trails,” said Hatzenbuehler. “Not
all the activities and events are scary though so it is appropriate and fun for people who don’t en-joy spooky thrills as well.”
For those who are not chicken, Halloween Festival employees and volunteers dare anybody to engage in the scariest events such as Ultimate Maze, Casa Morte, Domus Horrificus and The Trail of Blood.
“The Ultimate Maze is a dar-ing walk through a haunted maze with unexpected twists and turns,” said LeDoux. “Casa Morte is a journey through the labyrinth of the medieval castle and into the cemetery, with chills around every corner. In Domus Horrificus one is bound to run into characters they thought were just in their favorite scary movies. Then last, The Trail of Blood is a stroll through the haunted wood at night, through a cemetery, which is not recommended for the faint of heart.”
Fletcher said her favorite part of the Halloween Festival is the
food. She said The Castle offers an assortment of fall treats that will meet all expectations.
The Halloween Festival has faced some struggles in the past.
LeDoux said one major con-cern is Mother Nature. Rain can put a damper on things, but sometimes it can add to all the at-tractions.
Brady Wood, Broken Arrow graduate student, said The Castle puts different scare scales for each attraction so parents know which attractions will be too scary for
their children or themselves. “I think the Festival would be
fun for anyone who enjoys the fall season and Halloween,” said Hatzenbuehler.
Fletcher said The Castle is an awesome place to go.
“Everyone should try to make a trip to Muskogee and see for themselves how fun it is,” said Fletcher.
Tickets are priced from $2 up to $25 for combo prices.
Galaxy of Stars Series presents ‘Time for Three’roxaNN JaMeStNe coNtributiNg Writer
Educating and entertaining since the early 1980s, the Gal-axy of Stars Series, presented by the Sequoyah Institute at North-eastern State University, has an-nounced the lineup for its upcom-ing season.
The series has evolved over the years, bringing a vast genre of shows, and enriching the lives of the community.
“They are a further enhance-ment of cultural enrichment for the Tahlequah area,” said Da-vid Rowley, news coordinator of communication and season ticket holder of Galaxy of Stars. “NSU is an immense asset to the com-munity not just as an institution of higher learning, but as a venue and facilitator of exhibitions of art, music, science and literature – whether by students and faculty or acts from beyond Tahlequah.”
The Sequoyah Institute, part of the College of Liberal Arts, is a non-profit organization that brings talented, yet affordable acts to the Tahlequah community with the help of grant funding.
“It’s a solid line up,” said Dr. Phillip Bridgmon, dean of Col-lege of Liberal Arts. “I’m pleased we are going to be able to bring these acts to Tahlequah and the Center for Performing Arts.”
Time for Three opens the Gal-axy of Stars Series bringing a va-riety of musical elements. A trio made of two violins and a double bass create elements of classical, country western, gypsy and jazz idioms forming a blend all its own.
The performance is at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 24, at the NSU Center for Performing Arts.
“With every season of the Gal-axy of Stars Series we try to bring an eclectic mix of performing arts,” said Amber Cowan, direc-tor of Galaxy of Stars. “Things the community otherwise
wouldn’t have the opportunity to see.”
The second performance The Water Coolers is one for the Gal-axy Series books.
The performance is a sketch musical comedy with an authen-tic take on work, life, children, husbands and everything in be-tween.
The performance is at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 16, at the NSU Center for Performing Arts.
“It’s made life more pleasant, it’s given me a good way to have entertainment without having to drive very far,” said Lela Stowers, season ticket holder of Galaxy of Stars.
The closer for the season is Step Afrika bringing culture to the table, with no musical accom-paniment besides the stomping
of their feet, gives the community a taste of African and modern dance traditions. The perfor-mance is at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 28, 2013 at NSU Center for Performing Arts.
“I actually enjoy the series most when an act is booked that I might not expect,” said Rowley. “Even if watching a performance not completely to my tastes, I enjoy seeing the Galaxy series take risks. I believe I get the most from the series when I see something I’ve never seen before – something that perhaps sparks my interest in some facet of some culture with which I was unfamiliar before.”
For more information pertain-ing to the Galaxy of Stars visit www.nsuok.edu/si or contact the Sequoyah Institute Box Office at 918-458-2075.
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October 9, 2012S P OR T S
The Northeastern
RiverHawks maintain optimism in new divisioncarrie MooretNe coNtributiNg Writer
Northeastern State Univer-sity joined the MIAA conference within Division II this year. This meant some changes for the ath-letics department. More challeng-es, different competitors and a lot of preparation were just a few of those changes.
“In my opinion, moving to the MIAA meant a new challenge,” said Jonathan Havens, assistant coach of men’s basketball. “The MIAA is traditionally one of the best academic and athletic con-ferences in the country for Divi-sion II and anytime you can put yourself in that company it brings great challenges and the possibili-ties of great reward. In anything that you do as a person, athlete or student, I feel that you want to compete and test yourself against the best and this move gives us the opportunity to do so.”
The MIAA is a 15-member conference with institutions in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. MIAA athletes have won 15 NCAA champion-ships and more than 160 indi-vidual titles. The MIAA includes eight sports for men and nine for women.
“Joining the MIAA was a great move for Northeastern State University,” said Cedrique Flem-ming, assistant athletic director, media relations for NSU. “The
MIAA is one of the premier Divi-sion II conferences in the NCAA, and being in a conference like this allows NSU to compete at a high level in every sport we offer.”
Being part of this conference means playing against some of the best teams in Division II. The athletes and coaches had to pre-pare themselves for new experi-ences and a more competitive conference. The teams also had to prepare for a different sched-ule and sometimes a longer travel time.
“In preparation for the new conference, we took pride into our workouts,” said Shane Devers, Sand Springs junior on NSU’s football team. “We had a lot of teammates stay in Tahlequah this summer just so that they can take classes and better themselves for the season.”
Student athletes mentally and physically prepared themselves for their games preseason.
“We had a pretty tough pre-season this year, which is the most
important part as far as prepar-ing for actual season,” said Hisa Turner, Baton Rogue, La., senior, on NSU’s soccer team. “Still most of the girls were able to pass the fitness test. Fitness is a vital part of the game because game play-ers are running constantly for up to 90 minutes.”
The MIAA conference is a tougher conference with a higher level of teams. The athletes and coaches seem prepared and ex-cited for the challenge.
“There are currently four foot-ball teams from the MIAA ranked in the Top 10 in the nation,” said Flemming. “The transition for the football program is probably the most difficult because every week they have to face one of the elite teams in the country. Even the teams who don’t have great records are used to competing against the better programs, so they also compete at a high level. The football team needs to learn how to compete on that level week in and week out in order to
begin winning consistently.” NSU athletic teams are train-
ing hard to represent NSU in the MIAA conference, and they are
