2A
NEWS
September 6, 2013 Vol. 89, No. 2 online at thelink.harding.edu
OPINIONS
3&4A
SPORTS
1&2B
FEATURES
3B
CAMPUS LIFE
4B
Searcy, Ark., 72149
“I don’t want anybody but the best watching out for Harding students.” -Jeffrey Hopper
BRUCE TULLY IS WATCHING OUT FOR HARDING
Marine, Secret Service agent, Department of Diplomatic Security agent, head of D.C. security and now: direct consultant for HU
by Alexis Hosticka news editor
or walking across campus in the dark. You need to be aware of who’s around you With seven international and what the environment campuses and nearly 50 is like.” Harding also works with percent of students studying abroad at some point in their Bruce Tully as a direct conHarding career, international sultant to keep up to date safety and security are vital with the safety of every to the success of these international program in their exact location on a programs. Dean of International daily basis. “Bruce Tully has been Programs Jeffrey Hopper said he focuses about half of a state trooper, he’s been a his time working to main- Marine, he’s been a Secret tain the safety and security Service agent protecting the of international programs. president, he’s been in the “I would say we work department of diplomatic toward achieving with all security protecting secretaries students the very thing that of state, he was the agent in applies no matter where charge of security for Washyou are, no matter when ington, D.C., for 12 years it is, and that’s to be aware and now he’s watching out of your surroundings,” for Harding,” Hopper said. After working with Hopper said. “It’s one of the most important things countless professionals and you can do whether you’re being a part of the safety in the military serving in a and security industry for war zone or walking across more than 40 years, Tully campus in broad daylight said Harding’s international
GRAPHIC BY JEWELYA WILLIAMS | THE BISON
“I believe with Dr. Hopper’s outreach to myself and my services and experience, which is worldwide and very vast ... that the programs that (Harding) has developed rank among the very top tier of universities.” -Bruce Tully, direct consultant
programs are some of the safest run by any school in the U.S.
Tully said that a surprising amount of colleges and universities have no sort of
Situation in Syria leads to confusion among nations
security or safety program for the students and “let them get on an airplane and go study somewhere.” Harding, however, is very different. “I believe with Dr. Hopper’s outreach to myself and my services and experience, which is worldwide and very vast, I believe that the programs that (Harding) has developed rank among the very top tier of universities,” Tully said. Tully’s work for Harding has included professional U.S. embassy-style evaluations of the facilities where Harding students live while in Florence and Greece, and this fall he will be at the England campus to complete the same type of evaluation. These evaluations make sure that the facilities are up to standards for safety, security and environmental situations. Tully looked at
all possible aspects of safety including threats, crime, burglar proofing, fire safety and even outdoor lighting. In 2012,at the Villa where students stay in Florence, for example,Tully completed this inspection and found that the third floor bedrooms all had iron bars which did not open over the windows. “(Tully) demanded that we … fix those so that they will open outward and you can unlock them from the inside and open outward for escape,” Hopper said. “That demand that he placed on me was especially significant because we had a fire at the Villa two years ago.The Villa was not occupied at the time, but if it had been, we well could have lost some students because we had not yet fixed the windows.”
SEE TULLY, PAGE 2A
Practicing ‘Pirates’
by Michael Birchmore beat reporter
to U.K newspaper The Independent, British Parliament voted on military action and decided not to intervene, American intelligence recently despite British prime minister David reported the use of chemical weapons Cameron’s support of military action. in Syria by President Bashar al-AsSince, Obama has declared that he sad. On Aug. 26, Secretary of State will in fact seek congressional approval John Kerry called it “inexcusable” before striking in Syria. and “undeniable.” Shortly thereafter, A state-owned Syrian newspaper, President Barack Obama prompted a alleged that citizens in Syria are annational conversation regarding pos- gry the U.S. has decided not to act sible American military intervention. immediately. Lawmakers on both sides of the Presently, the legislative branch aisle insisted that the president should on Capitol Hill is engaging in debate seek congressional approval before over proper courses of action. On taking military action. Rep. Kurt Wednesday, the Senate Foreign RelaSchrader, D-Ore., said on Aug. 28: tions Committee passed a resolution “Any commitment made by President in favor of military action, including Obama to use U.S. military force U.S. boots on Syrian soil that will against the Syrian government first allow for a vote from the full senate requires congressional authorization.” on Monday, the Daily Beast reported. Supporters of Obama’s unilateral At Harding, some students are military philosophy defended his frustrated with the way the situation ability to constitutionally involve the is being handled. U.S. military with Syrian affairs by “I believe it was irresponsible for citing the War Powers Act. The War Obama to give an ultimatum in regard Powers Act allows the president, the to chemical weapons because now he commander-in-chief, to take limited must follow through for credibility’s military action without congressional sake,” said Chloe Maxwell, a junior approval if there is a threat to Amer- political science major. ican security or a national interest in Others are skeptical of any good doing so. resulting from a U.S. attack. Patrick A recent NBC poll shows that Meredith, a senior, said: “Unless we 80 percent of Americans want are going to go in there and get rid congressional approval on military of Assad then we need to stay out.” action in Syria. In the near future, Congress will As reported by The Times of Is- continue to examine the situation and rael, Iranian Chief of Staff General debate over the best course of action. Hassan Firouzabadi warned that any U.S. intervention would trigger an All information in this arimmediate attack on the state of Israel. ticle was current at time In addition, the United Kingdom, of print. For updated inonce supportive of intervention, has formation, check thelink. since withdrawn support. According harding.edu.
GRANT SCHOL | THE BISON Acting as pirates, freshman Dallas Herrmann and sophomore Caleb Gilmore pantomime peeping through a telescope during a “Pirates!?! A Pillaging of Gilbert and Sullivan” practice on Sunday, Sept. 1. The show premieres as a part of Homecoming week.
McLarty Q&A, continued by Lyndsey Ruble Nuckols editor-in-chief
QUICK Q’s Q : W h a t i s yo u r m o s t embarassing moment? A: Mispronouncing Dr. Burks’ father’s name Basil at Dr. Burks’ mother’s funeral. Q: What is your proudest moment? A: Family blessing dinners for each of our daughters.
Check out the full Q&A online:
thelink.harding.edu
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
A look inside the life of the new president. thelink.harding.edu
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job? A: I like people and getting to be with people, especially with students in this time in their life and all is just fun. … To an old geezer sitting on this side of things, it’s thrilling. I can’t believe the possibilities that are out there. I do remember well enough that that is terrifying, but it is thrilling too. … It’s all out in front of y’all and I get to be a part of that. People actually care what I have to say about some of those things as they are working their way through those challenges. Q: What’s your main goal for this year as well as your main goal for the presidency? A: To be thoroughly Christian as a school, to be academically excellent and to be affordable to everybody. … When I look down the road, there is not a program in the horizon that is going to define me. It is much more a continued mission that will define me. Now, are there new and exciting ways to engage that mission? Yes, there are, but at the core of my presidency is what I call the core mission, which is that we are, at our core, a Christian university.
LESSONS FROM CHARLIE BROWN
We could all benefit from being a little more like Old Chuck. Learn how. OPINIONS, 3A
HARDING’S FIRST LADY
A look at Ann McLarty: the woman behind the man. FEATURES, 3B