2A
NEWS
February 21,20, 2014 September 2013 Vol. 89, No. 13 Vol. 89, No. 3 online at thelink.harding.edu
OPINIONS
3&4A
SPORTS
1&2B
FEATURES
3B
CAMPUS LIFE
4B
Searcy, Ark., 72149
EXCLUSIVE Q&A
MAT KEARNEY talks music, faith, new album Quick facts about Mat Where were you born? Eugene, Oregon. Where do you live now? Nashville. Favorite song? “Paper Planes” by M.I.A. Favorite band? Leagues. Favorite city to perform? Boston. Favorite food on tour? Sushi in Japan.
COURTESY OF MAT KEARNEY
Kearney will perform tonight in the Benson at 8 p.m. by Lyndsey Ruble Nuckols editor-in-chief
Explain your musical style.
That is the challenge. It’s definitely a singer-songwriter base, but there is a lot of hip-hop and rhythmic influences. I asked myself, “if Paul Simon and Kanye West made a record together, what would it sound like?”
How did you get started in music?
amden -- Henry I started very late in life. No one in my family was musical. I was a soccer player when I was growing up. That’s what I was known for. Everyone in my hometown was shocked when I started playing music. When I was a sophomore in college, I began stealing my roommate’s guitar and writing songs with the few chords I knew.
God was the source of love and grace in my life. It so impacted me that that was what started me picking up the guitar and playing songs. I think it’s kind of the thread through everything I do.
What are you focusing on now? Is there a new album in the works?
Yeah. This is a different record. I kind of started it locked in a bedroom by myself; I really got away from people and influences and just had fun and really started to push the boundaries on what I can do and what people expected from me. There were 60 songs. I took the winners of that and brought (them) back to some friends, some people and producers to start developing those ideas. I really feel like we have some of the best material because of it.
How does your faith impact your When can we expect the new album? Hopefully by this summer we’ll have a record out, if songwriting? It impacts literally everything I do. When I was in college, I (strived) to understand what it meant that
we can get our act together. It’s always a challenge because I am a perfectionist so I want to give something
a second look forever. But it’s time. I’ve been gone the right amount of time; people are excited after my last record. For this year, for me, a lot of my goals have to do with my own artistic journey. I want people to hear my record; I want it to be successful. You know we try to write big radio songs, but a lot of it is just being proud of every aspect of this record. When you lay your head down at night, is it something you believe in and love? If you’re not the biggest fan of your songs, then there’s usually a problem. And with this record, I am; I am just such a fan of it.
What is something specific we can look forward to with the new album?
Each album there is a song that kind of anticipates the next record; “Ships in the Night” was definitely the model I really wanted to chase down even more. There’s the most swagger on this album than any (of the) other ones before. SEE KEARNEY, PAGE 2A
ARKANSAS HEALTHCARE SERIES, PART TWO
Red cross
Initial private option vote falls short by Bradley Cain beat reporter Jared Dryden copy editor
Arkansas legislators returned to the state Capitol Tuesday to vote on an appropriation bill to continue Arkansas’ private option for a second year. The private option is an expansion that uses Medicaid funds to buy private health care for low-income Arkansas residents. The Arkansas House of Representatives voted 70-27 with one present, five votes shy of the 75-vote supermajority needed to continue the private option. The bill is expected to eventually pass in the House as more votes come in the next few days, according to the Arkansas Times. “We’ll vote tomorrow,” House Speaker Davy Carter said to reporters Tuesday. “The Senate is scheduled to vote tomorrow anyways, but that’s not an issue with me. We’re going to vote tomorrow regardless.” Carter told reporters he is “100 percent confident” the private option
will get the 75 votes necessary to pass. “The reality is that there are 70 people out there, even today, that support this legislation,” Carter said. “It is the law that’s on the books. The majority of members aren’t going to just roll over and watch this appropriation get defeated. All reasonable efforts by both parties have been made to come up with a compromise.” The majority of members aren’t going to just roll over and watch this appropriation get defeated. All reasonable efforts by both parties have been made to come up with a compromise. -Davy Carter, Arkansas House Speaker
A subcommittee of the Joint Budget Committee approved amendments to the private option on Feb. 12. Technically added as special language, the changes would ban state spending on outreach for the Health Insurance Marketplace (including the private option), which means no advertising or direct mail, both
LADY BISONS BASKETBALL
A closer look at the relationships behind a team of champions. SPORTS, 1B
of which were a source of success in the private option’s early days. The changes will also end a mandate on the state to provide non-emergency medical transportation, allow insurance companies to impose cost-sharing for beneficiaries between 50-100 percent of the federal poverty line and establish Health Savings Accounts as an option for beneficiaries. Rep. Nate Bell (R-Mena) sponsored the changes and has been vocal about the need to push the amendment. “We have a clear situation in front of us,” Bell said. “The votes are almost certainly there to not pass the private option. The votes are almost certainly not there to pass a budget bill without the private option.” He admits that without active marketing, enrollment will likely decline. While Gov. Mike Beebe opposes Bell’s amendment, he is willing to accept it to re-appropriate the private option. He commended Bell for not taking “the shutdown approach” saying, “at least he’s engaged and willing to talk about it.”
Blood Drive number of donors Feb. 10 goal: 42 donations: 49 Feb. 11 goal: 60 donations: 68 Feb. 12 goal: 60 donations: 69
Total GOAL: 162 TOTAL DONATIONS 186 Next scheduled drive at Harding: April 4-6 1 p.m.-7 p.m.
EXTRA MILE
FRESHMAN MAGICIAN
Social clubs compete for their health, charities with new app.
Freshman Kelly Spangler continues family tradition of sleight of hand.
NEWS, 2A
FEATURES, 3B
GRAPHIC BY TYLER CARMICAL
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