CYAN
MAGENTA
YELLOW BLACK NEWS
February 24, 2012
In Sports:
Baseball faces first loss of the season with a 7-1 record.
SEE Page 1b
Vol. 87 No. 13
OPINIONS
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SPORTS
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FEATURES
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ENTERTAINMENT
4B
In Entertainment:
The Academy Awards are once again “Some days, I look back and realize I have complained upon us. Learn how you can make a about too much and been positive star-studded memorable experience about too little.” this coming Sunday evening. Payton Hurst makes the case against complaining SEE Page 3a SEE Page 4b
Spreading its wings
Michael Jr. to take Admin stage tonight by PAYTON HURST opinions editor
photo by ASHEL PARSONS | The Bison A kettle of bald eagles has nested in the trees around the Searcy sewage pond behind the White County Fairgrounds. As many as 14 eagles have been spotted in the area, according to katv.com.
Courses to offer American cultural insight Summer classes will study Beatles’ impact, tour U.S. historical sites by LEXI STUTZMAN news editor This May Harding students signing up for Intersession courses will be able to take two three-hour classes that will take them away from the common lecturestyle classroom. One will take students to historical sites across the country while the other will bring European pop culture into the classroom. The history department will be taking students on an American Experience Tour from May 5 to May 20. The tour will visit significant sites from American history including the Cumberland Gap, Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg, Va., and Washington, D.C. Alos, from May 7 to 18, the communication department will be offering the Magical Media Tour. Dr. Dutch Hoggatt, professor of communication, will teach the course, which focuses on The Beatles and the band’s impact on American media, according to Hoggatt. According to Dr. Kevin Klein, chairman of the history department, the American Experience Tour is the first tour of its kind to be offered by the history department mainly for academic credit. Klein said that the tour will concentrate on the influence of faith, the frontier, self-government and
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What we’re looking for is for individuals to develop an appreciation and knowledge of the foundations of the American republic. -Kevin Klein, chairman of history department enterprise in American history. “What we’re looking for is for individuals to develop an appreciation and knowledge of the foundations of the American republic,” Klein said. “The foundations of the American republic is kind of a classic way of understanding American history, where you’re looking for the major cornerstones that undergird the American values, American history and American aesthetic even. It’s kind of like Western Civ. for the United States.” According to Dr. Steven Breezeel, associate professor of history and political science, the course is similar to an overseas program in that students will be immersed in the sites of the events they are studying.
“Students are a lot more interested in what you have to say about Cane Ridge when they are standing in the meeting house, as opposed to just seeing it on a PowerPoint slide,” Breezeel said. The Magical Media Tour will also focus on the shaping of American culture, Hoggatt said, especially in terms of The Beatles’ impact on the media. Over the 10-day period, students will learn about the stories behind The Beatles’ songs, the band’s interaction with the radio, newspaper, TV and film industry, and the influence of the “British Invasion, on American society. Hoggatt said that while the course is offered as a three-credit COMM 340 class, it is really designed as an elective course for students of all majors. “I wanted to offer a course that talks more about the social and historical context of The Beatles,” Hoggatt said. “The Beatles came over right after JFK’s assassination, so we’re going to talk about the turmoil that was going on in the ’60s and how The Beatles kind of wove through all of that.” According to Klein, students interested in attending the American Experience Tour need to apply in the history department’s office in the Ganus building by March 15. Registration for all Intersession courses begins March 20.
Tonight at 7 p.m., the Campus Activities Board will introduce comedian Michael Jr., who will perform in the Administration Auditorium to raise funds for the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch. Michael Jr. is a Christian comedian who has been featured on “The Tonight Show,” Comedy Central, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and CNN. Michael Jr. has also performed at some of the most prestigious comedy clubs in the country, as well as at major universities all over the United States. Aside from performing on major TV networks and universities, Michael Jr. also frequently performs at churches. His diverse style allows him to be clean enough to perform at churches, while being funny enough to perform at comedy clubs. Michael Jr. has also started a nonprofit organization called Michael Jr. 1722, based on Proverbs 17:22, which reads: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” On his website, michaeljr.com, Michael Jr. said this organization was created to “make laughter commonplace in uncommon places.” The proceeds from this organization are given toward helping those in homeless shelters, prisons, child abuse shelters, halfway houses and others. The purpose of Michael Jr.’s show at Harding is to also help raise awareness f o r t h e T i m o t hy H i l l Children’s Ranch, a ranch in New York that provides shelter for young children from abusive households. Andrew Baker, director for the Center of Leadership and Ministry, said he met Michael Jr. at an
event called Shockwave, where the two became friends. Baker not only spoke highly of Michael Jr.’s comedic routine, but of his character off stage as well. “Michael Jr. is a great comedian but an even better man,” Baker said. “His humor is not just a part of a routine; he is always funny and encouraging. In a time in which most comedy is not very clean, Jr. is breath of fresh air. He proves that you can be both clean and funny.” Several students have been to Jr.’s act before at various events. Junior Will Anderson said he saw his act at the Winterfest youth rally in February of last year. “He incorporated a lot of Christian themes and biblical references in his routine, and it was awesome to hear a comedian who can do that and still be funny,”Anderson said. “I’ve never heard anything like it before, and I’m looking forward to hearing his new material.” Senior Michelle Cascio said she watched Michael Jr. perform last semester in Dallas, Texas, with a group of Harding students from her Christian Media Ethics class. “It was really great to sit and watch a Christian man with a strong faith give such a hilarious and entertaining show,” Cascio said. “His jokes were mostly on Christian culture and the funny things that go on in churches every Sunday morning. He even worked a devotional thought into his comedy sketch routine. I am definitely planning on seeing him in action again tonight.” Tickets for Michael Jr.’s show are $15 for students and $25 to the general public. They can be purchased online at hardingcabtickets. universitytickets.com.
Gallery celebrates black history by HAZEL HALLIBURTON asst. copy editor To celebrate Black History Month, the department of art and design is displaying a Black History Photo Show in its gallery until Feb. 29. The show’s purpose is to acknowledge and show the importance of African-Americans and their contributions to American society. Virginia Bradley, Harding graduate of art and campus post office employee, not only designed the show for the art department, but also took most of the 71 photos displayed in the show, which includes pictures of current Harding African-American students and staff members. Bradley said the show was something she really wanted to do and wanted to share with the students and faculty on campus. This is the second year for the art department to host the photo show in honor of African-Americans. Bradley said she felt that the show could be an opportunity to celebrate Black History Month, so she asked the art department if she could do it. She said she has always had an interest in photography and has her own sideline photography business, Morkadian Photography, which helped in taking the pictures for the show. She said she wanted the theme of the show to revolve around the question, “Why is Black History Month important?” “I chose different students and people that I
I thought it was creative and [Virginia Bradley] really captured the essence of black history. -Deshelle Isaac-Boyce, junior knew from different associations, church and students that had visited me here at the post office,” Bradley said concerning the selection of people to be featured in the art show. Deshelle Isaac-Boyce, one of the students featured in the photo show, met Bradley through the student center post office. Boyce said she had talked to Bradley whenever she would send something and was able to make a connection with her, which in turn led to Bradley’s including Boyce in the show. “I like the way she put it together,” Boyce said. “I thought it was creative and she really captured the essence of black history. I’m proud of my people and I’m glad someone took the time out to dedicate something to black history, and it was handcrafted.” Brittany McMahan, junior public administration major, has also been doing her part to celebrate Black History Month in a somewhat similar way. McMahan has posted a different picture daily during the month of February to honor different influential African-Americans,
photo by SAVANNAH LEE | The Bison Photographer Virginia Bradley stands with her photos of Harding AfricanAmerican students in the Stevens art gallery. The gallery will be open in the Stevens building until Feb. 29. such as George Washington Carver, the Little Rock Nine and Harriet Tubman. McMahan said she felt that the history of African-Americans is not really something recognized in many places, but she believes that it is important to understand one’s roots and know where one came from. “I think it is important to learn more about the black history and it is something to remember all the time,” McMahan said. “As a student body, it’s important to learn about each other’s cultures and customs. It’s
nice that Ms. Bradley put together the show.” McMahan said she felt Bradley’s Black History Photo Show is a step in the right direction of recognizing the influence of African-Americans on Harding’s campus. She also said that she appreciated the work Bradley put into the show. “It was nice to have something on campus to honor Black History Month other than the posters in the caf,” McMahan said. “Those are good, but this is something different and more special.”