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In Sports: Baseball strikes out on home games. SEE Page 1b
Vol. 87 No. 15
March 23, 2012
“While some may argue that a free market is more beneficial to the world ... what type of person with a heart has the desire to wear an object that cost a life?” Amy Maré sheds light on diamond controversy SEE Page 3a
OPINIONS
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In Entertainment:
From “The Hunger Games” soundtrack to Rascal Flatts, Emily Chaffin dishes out the info on upcoming albums.
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‘Kony 2012’ goes viral, stirs up controversy
A Night to Remember
by MADDI NELSON student writer
photo by CHANEY MITCHELL | The Bison When service employee Philip Bright took the stage of the Administration Auditorium last Saturday night at the Burksy’s to receive the Favorite Service Employee Award, the audience gave him a standing ovation. Bright’s award was the last of 15 awards handed out that night as a part of the third annual Burksy’s.
Since the 1980s, Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony has been allegedly abducting African children and forcing them into his Lord’s Resistance Army, but many people were unaware of his existence until Invisible Children’s “Kony 2012” video went viral on March 5. In this 30-minute documentary, Invisible Children’s founder Jason Russell introduces his organization’s campaign to make Joseph Kony “famous” so the world can learn about his alleged crimes. In the video, he tells the story of his friendship with a Ugandan boy named Jacob, who spent much of his life fleeing the LRA; Russell said he promised Jacob that he would do whatever he could to help bring Kony to justice. Sophomore Sabrina Ruiz said she thought the video was “very inspiring” and said she was encouraged by the way Russell is trying to keep his promise to Jacob. “Many people would see what he’s doing as very radical [and think], ‘Oh, they’re not going to accomplish anything,’” Ruiz said. “But he’s accomplishing things, and now the message has reached all over the world.” The “Kony 2012” video has garnered more than 80 million
hits on YouTube within the past few weeks. But despite the campaign’s overwhelming popularity, it has become the target of much criticism from within the blogosphere and news organizations such as The Huffington Post and Fox News. Critics have claimed that Invisible Children exaggerates statistics in its documentaries and that it also misuses their funds. Invisible Children has been open about the fact that more of its budget is spent on advocacy and awareness than actual aid. While freshman Hunter Beck said he would like for Invisible Children to realize that Kony is not “the biggest issue” facing Uganda right now, he said he was all for Invisible Children’s move to raise awareness about Kony. “Their main goal is raising awareness,” Beck said. “I don’t understand how people can make an issue about that when their goal is to bring the problem to light.” In addition, there have also been negative reactions from the Ugandan citizens, who claim the video exaggerates Kony’s power and misrepresents what is happening in Uganda. “There was a strong sense from the audience that the video was insensitive to African and Ugandan audiences and that it did not accurately portray the conflict or the
victims,” Victor Ochen of the African Youth Initiative Network said in a statement released by the Associated Press. “In particular, viewers were outraged by the ‘Kony 2012’ campaign’s strategy to make Kony famous and their marketing of items with his image.” According to the Associated Press’ story on Foxnews. com, Ugandan officials claim Kony is no longer a threat to Uganda and has only a few hundred combatants across Central Africa. “[The] misinterpretations of media content may lead some people to believe that the LRA is currently active in Uganda,” said Fred Opolot, a Ugandan government spokesman to the AP. “They are a diminished and weakened group with numbers not exceeding 300.” Sophomore Cole Pearson said he thinks Invisible Children’s focus should be on the children affected by Kony’s armies rather than Kony himself. “There are a lot of efforts going on to help recuperate some of the children [who were victims of Kony],” Pearson said. “I think we should put a lot more effort in that because . . . that’s what’s going to make the difference in the end because he’s going to go down eventually.” To view the video, visit kony2012.com.
Chi Lambda Chi to disband by the end of semester by ALEXIS HOSTIKA features editor After only eight years of existence, the men’s social club Chi Lambda Chi will officially disband itself on May 1. “Chi Lambda Chi is primarily disbanding due to a prolonged issue with finding and securing a sponsor,” said Nick Black, a graduate student who was president of the club last semester and who is still an active member of the club. “To clarify, we are dissolving our club. The administration is not disbanding us.” Chi Lambda Chi is currently working with an interim sponsor. Black said another reason the club is disbanding is to lighten the workload on officers. He said he and other club members were tired of dealing with the formalities that a social club requires. “The amount of time that is now required to function as a social club at Harding also played an important role in our decision to dissolve,” Black said. “Every club has a niche. Chi Lambda Chi’s niche was to be a relaxed club that just wanted to hang out and have a good time. ... For us, it isn’t worth documenting every detail of our club activities and seeking approval from the administration, when we could do it unofficially without all
photo by ASHEL PARSONS | The Bison Chi Lambda Chi performs a cheer on Friday night of last fall’s club week. the administrative work.” Black said the bulk of the work included reporting any activities that the club partakes in together. He defined an activity as anything from a formal to more than five club members getting together to play basketball.
“We have to document any activity, who attends the activity, what will be done at the activity, how far away, and how much the activity will cost,” Black said. “We must keep up with who is eligible to be active and who is not, who is studying abroad and who isn’t.
Everything has to be reported, and for students with full time schedules, it’s hard to do.” Assistant Dean of Students Kara Abston is helping take care of the formalities of dissolving the club, and she said that it was completely the decision of the club to dissolve. She said the club had no problems with the administration, disciplinary action or anything of the sort. “They were trying to figure out their options, and the majority decided to sign a letter and officially dissolve the club beginning May 1,” Abston said. Senior Stephan Raab, also a club member, said Chi Lambda Chi had options to continue being active in social clubs, but would have had to merge their club with another. “We decided we wanted to choose our legacy and end it how it’s always been instead of being absorbed into another club,” Raab said. “Basically, we wanted to keep the legacy of Chi Lambda Chi what it was.” Black said he is glad that he was part of a social club and that he did benefit from his experience in Chi Lambda Chi. “I think the experience I had with social clubs is similar to the experience most everyone else has,” Black said. “I grew closer to the members of my club, I made lifetime friendships and had quite honestly some of the best times of my life.”
Tickets on sale for Condoleezza Rice ASI lectureship by J.M. ADKISON editor-in-chief As the final speaker of the year in Harding University’s American Studies Institute lectureship series, former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice will be speaking to the faculty and student body and Searcy community from the Benson stage Thursday night, April 19, at 7:30. Tickets for the event went on sale March 12. Rice’s lecture is titled “Looking Back and Moving Forward for a Stronger America.” She will be speaking on the major events that have impacted our world in the last decade, such as 9/11, the economic crash of 2008 and the
Arab Spring, and how they are influencing America’s future, said Dr. Bob Reely, associate executive director of ASI. “[Rice] will be answering how all of these events are mixing together, how they are blending together,” Reely said. “[Rice herself] is a person of historical significance. We have big groups [from outside of Searcy] coming in to hear her speak. Many see her as a huge role model with all she has accomplished in her life and how she overcame a great deal to get where she is today.” Reely said students should definitely come to hear her speak, because unlike many speakers who come to Harding, Rice is not yet finished with her political career
and will still help shape America in the years to come. “She isn’t going anywhere,” Reely said. “In a few years from now, when students are watching television with their children and Condoleezza Rice is on a news station commenting on some huge event, they will be able to say they listened to her speak in person.” Senior Bethany Chavez, student president of the ASI, said she admires Rice for her professional conduct in politics. “I really admire Dr. Rice’s class,” Chavez said. “Unlike many people in politics, I have never heard her resort to yelling or name-calling when speaking with someone she disagrees with. The hostility
and meanness that characterizes much of today’s political discourse is ridiculous, and we need more people like Dr. Rice who speak with intelligence and conviction.” Chavez said she will be at the dinner with the ASI prior to the lecture and she said she hopes to meet Rice in person. “I hope to be able to speak with her during the dinner,” Chavez said. “I’m afraid I might be too star-struck to say anything particularly deep, but I hope to let Dr. Rice know how much I admire her.” Senior Elinor Renner said she is excited to hear Rice speak not only because she is a history major and political science minor, but also because she is reading Rice’s book
“Extraordinary Ordinary People: A Memoir of a Family” and because she admires her life story. “This history major in me gets really excited, because I think she’s such a good example of the American Dream,” Renner said. “She grew up in such a hard environment, but then she went on to have a truly amazing career even before she became secretary of state.” Reely said he is expecting the Benson Auditorium to be packed when Rice speaks, so he suggested students arrive early for good seats. Students may get tickets free of charge at hardingtickets. com. The tickets will also be sold in the Benson lobby the night of the lecture.