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THE
Sept. 5, 2025 Vol. 101, No. 02
In this issue First Friday Festival, 2A
Online at TheLink.Harding.edu
Searcy, Ark., 72149
HU16 takes over chapel news Chapel announcements now delivered by HU16 students
Performative Males, 3A
Tacker’s Burritos, 3B Photo by EDGAR CARDIEL
Junior Ava Hagedorn reads chapel announcements from HU16 news room Sept. 2. The airing was the first installment of the newly introduced HU16 announcements to be played in chapel twice per week. NATALIA LAGO beat reporter
Milk Bash, 4B
This fall, Harding has made a significant change to chapel. HU16 has taken on the responsibility of delivering chapel announcements every Tuesday and Friday for the semester, intending to increase engagement in chapel announcements that are typically delivered by a single person twice a week and can oftentimes be overlooked. The change will encourage students to engage more with chapel announcements and with HU16. Dean of Spiritual Life and chapel programs Logan Light spearheaded the change and described how the plan came about. “This came from a student,” Light said. “A student had an idea, said something about HU16 back last spring, and I thought, ‘That’s kind of interesting.’”
We are providing some more longform content that is presented in a clean and polished way, which I feel can grab attention in a way that simply someone reading announcements may not. – Paul Ryan, sophomore HU16 co-anchor
Junior Hailey Stevens, HU16 co-anchor, explained her brainstorming process. “The SGA talked about illumination,” Stevens said. “It was like, ‘this is your way you can illuminate HU16 and also benefit students by not taking forever when doing announcements.’” HU16 will continue to broadcast their daily 5 p.m. show. They will also film a separate review edition that is focused towards students in chapel, which will be broadcast every Tuesday and Friday in the Benson Auditorium. Sophomore HU16 co-anchor Paul Ryan expressed his excitement about the change and shared how it will differ from normal day-to-day announcements. “I also feel that it is smart to air only two days out of the week. Anything that is done every day has the potential to become boring,” Ryan said. HU16 hopes to attract a wider range of viewers through their chapel announcements. The innovation began the week of Sept. 1 and will continue throughout the semester.
Harding reacts to nationwide university swatting KENZIE JAMES news editor
Several universities across the nation received false reports of active shooters over the past two weeks. Over 20 college campuses have been targeted by these calls, known as “swatting.” The Department of Homeland Security defines swatting, a felony, as “a malicious act that can involve placing false emergency calls to emergency responders, often reporting a (false) severe, ongoing crisis at a specific location.” The University of Arkansas (UofA) in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was one of several schools swatted on Monday, Aug. 25. UofA associate professor of broadcast and multimedia news, storytelling and promotion – and former Harding professor – Dr. Ginger Blackstone described her experience during the swatting. “It was kind of like a drill times 10 with the best possible outcome; nobody was really hurt,” Blackstone said. Blackstone, who was teaching class when the campus locked down, said her initial reaction was that the incident was fake. “It’s a little early in the semester, if this is a student pulling a prank,” Blackstone said. “When I heard about the other schools, I was like, ‘Okay, what is happening today?’” Many of the calls share similarities: most target the university’s library, some include gunshot sounds and some have similar descriptions of the reported shooter or firearm. News organizations reported that the FBI is working with local law enforcement to investigate the swattings, but officials have not confirmed whether the incidents are connected. Director of Public Safety Craig Russell said Harding’s campus police are communicating with campus, local and federal law enforcement officials in Arkansas about how to respond to swatting. “We want to be prepared to respond whether it is a hoax or it’s the real thing,” Russell said. “Sometimes you can’t tell. Sometimes it’s just
Photo provided by GINGER BLACKSTONE
Law enforcement officials park on Duncan Avenue outside the Kimberly Hall building on the University of Arkansas campus. Officers responded to a swatting call of an active shooter in Mullins Library Aug. 25. you’re going to have to respond like it’s the said. “I was relieved to find that they were all students to access the center’s resources and real thing, you know, search the buildings, do safe. … It’s scary that that can happen there counselors. When junior Lauren McDuffie heard about whatever you need to do and do our best to in my hometown and somebody could do keep our campus safe.” that. It’s also scary that’s a possibility here.” one of the swatting instances, she said she was Public Safety runs three annual drills to Counseling center director Lew Moore concerned because shootings and threats of test their notification system and prepare for said his primary concern with the university shootings have become common in America. “My first thought was concern for them, but various incidents. Russell said the University’s swattings is the added stress it causes for then I instantly thought, ‘Okay, that’s not that active shooter simulation in April 2025 was students. almost identical to how campus and local “You cannot not be stressed by something far from us,’” McDuffie said. “I think Public law enforcement would respond if Harding that disrupts life so much as that does,” Safety would be on top of it. … I think we’d was swatted. Moore said. “How much more weight is this be good, but you know, it’s not impossible.” Editor’s note: The Bison is collaborating Junior Abby Rana is from Fayetteville and putting on our students to be aware that this with the student media from some of the learned about the UofA swatting because her is [happening] on other campuses?” brother is a student there. If Harding was swatted or experienced a affected universities to report on the swatting “I was worried and scared for my brother, threatening event, Moore said the counseling as incidents continue across the U.S. a freshman, and my friends on campus,” Rana center would increase their availability for