September 12, 2014Vol. 93 Issue 1 EASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE COLLEGE EST. 1908Eastern StatesmanEastern Statesman

Entertainment, Pg. 6

“The Constitution only gives peo-ple the right to pursue happiness.

You have to catch it yourself.”~Benjamin Franklin

“To live under the American Constitution is the greatest

political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race.”

~Calvin Coolidge

“The Founders didn’t mention political parties when they

wrote the Constitution, and George Washington in essence warned us against them in his

Farewell Address.”~Marianne Williamson

In this Issue

News, Pgs. 3

Sports, Pg. 8

Flooding dampens new semester for McAlester campusSHARELL COLLINSStaff Writer

Less than a year after Eastern Okla-homa State College’s McAlester campus hosted students and teachers from Park-er Elementary due to flooding of their school, the campus got some flooding of its own.

Sometime during the weekend of July 19, a water pipe behind one of the water fountains on the McAlester campus busted. When the custodian came in to work, she saw what looked like a water-fall coming out of the wall behind the water fountain.

When McAlester Director Anne Brooks arrived, water was everywhere. The water was in the hallway, in the front office, the library area behind the front office, East Central University’s office, Southeastern Oklahoma State Universi-ty’s office, the advisor’s office, and Mimi Kelley’s office. According to Brooks, the only office not standing in water was her own.

The local FloodServ, a fire and water damage restoration service, was called in to do clean up. FloodServ brought in several fans and dehumidifiers as well as hoses to suck up the water. FloodServ

had to remove the baseboards in the halls and drill holes in the wall to dry out the sheetrock and keep it from molding.

The cleanup took about a week to complete and during that time the library had to be shut down. All of the staff in the office was moved to Brooks’ office where they had to take turns using the computer to enroll students and conduct daily business.

“It felt like we were having a sleepover without the sleep,” said Kelly Bogard, Executive Assistant to the Direc-tor. “We were crammed into one small of-fice, and it gave us a chance to really get to know one another.”

Student Success Center — new name, same great servicesKALEY REDINGStaff Writer

Free tutoring. Cultural Trips. Col-lege Tours. Transfer Tours. Workshops on stress management and financial literacy. And Grant Aid. These are just a few of the things that the Student Success Center at Eastern offers.

“The Student Success Center is a TRIO program funded by the federal government through the Department of Education” said Sue Lovett, director of the Student Success Center.

Located on the first floor of John-ston Hall, the Student Success Center is also known as Student Support Services. Lovett said it was decided to change the name to be more easily recognized apart from Student Services. It is also hoped that the name will better translate to the students that the program is there to give services that help students to succeed in college.

According to Lovett, there are three

ways to be admitted into the program. First, a student must be a first-generation college student. This means that neither of the student’s parents has a least a bachelor’s degree. Second, they have a low income. And third, if the student has a disability.

If admitted the Student Success Cen-ter gives workshops on study skills, note taking, stress management, time manage-ment, and test anxiety. They also offer career counseling, transfer counseling, financial literacy, financial aid assistance, transfer assistance, and academic advis-ing.

“Another benefit we have in our pro-gram is that we have what is call Grant Aid,” added Lovett. Grant Aid is not de-termined based on a student’s GPA, al-though you must have at least a 2.0 GPA. It’s based on if there is still an unmet need through financial aid.

SEE FLOODING PAGE 2

SEE SUCCESS PAGE 2

Lights reflect off of the water that floods a McAlester campus office in July. The campus had two separate flooding incidents before fall classes began. Submitted photo

Eastern’s Student Success Center offers free tutoring, cultural trips, college and transfer tours, workshops and grant aid. The center is located on the first floor of Johnston Hall. Statesman staff photo by Taylor Cox

We were crammed into one small office, and it gave us a chance to really get to know one another.

“”

The MixPage 2 September 12, 2014

NEWS BRIEFS

I f y o u a r e p l a n n i n g o n g r a d u a t i n g i n D e c e m b e r, p l e a s e m a k e s u r e t o g e t y o u r g r a d u a t i o n a p p l i c a -t i o n i n b y S e p t e m b e r 1 9 .

C o n t a c t t h e R e g i s t r a r ’ s O f f i c e a t ( 9 1 8 ) 4 6 5 - 1 8 1 3 f o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n .

Graduation Applications Due

Sept. 19

Join the StatesmanTHIS year!

The Eastern Statesman is looking for writers, graphic designers and anyone in-terested in maintaining our website. Contact Kristen Turner at 918.465.1720 or

kturner@eosc.edu.

Baptist Collegiate Ministries offers free lunch and

much moreThe overall damage was not that

extensive, and FloodServ was able to save the walls. No damage was done to any computers or other equipment. The books in the library also appear to be fine. According to Brooks, the dam-ages right now are at about $5,000, but the carpets and the hallway baseboards still have to be replaced.

Adding insult to injury, about two weeks after the first leak was cleaned up, there was a second one. Lowe’s came in to install a new refrigerator in the workroom. The icemaker is the sus-pected culprit in the second leak.

This time the water got to the work-room, to all of the offices connected to the workroom and to the hallway.

FloodServ was called in a second time for the cleanup. This time clean-up did not take as long as it did the first time around. Lowe’s is running an investigation into the second leak to see if it was their installer who was at fault.

Other than a few baseboards miss-ing and the dark stains on the carpet in the front office, one would not be able to tell that the McAlester campus had such an eventful end to the summer. The damage was managed and there were no delays in starting off the new semester.

For more information on applying for the TRiO Stu-dent Success Center/SSS pro-gram, please call Cindy, at 918.465.1825 or better yet, drop in and see us. We are located on the first floor of Johnston Hall, west end. Kinya Meineke, our Career/Transfer advisor, is also available at the McAlester campus on Mondays and Wednesdays.

FloodingCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

SuccessCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Student Success Center workshops are now on BlackboardSubmitted Reports

The Student Success Center (SSC), formerly known as the Student Support Services Program, has moved its workshops required for the Grant Aid Scholarship onto Blackboard.

By making the move to Blackboard, the required workshops are now more accessible to program participants. During each session, participants have the flexibility to do their workshops whenever they have the time, wherever they have an internet connection. Students will no longer have to deal with the hassle of saving the workshops and then emailing or faxing them in order to complete them for credit.

The two workshops that are being

offered this semester are Study Skills and Loans. Both are composed of three modules each, and both workshops must be completed by participants before signing up to apply for Grant Aid Scholarship during the last week of October.

To participate in the workshops, participants must contact, Kathy Howe, in person in Johnston 118, by phone at (918) 465-1860, or by Email at khowe@eosc.edu to get enrollment instructions.

It is recommended that participants contact Howe during the week before the workshop begins or by the Thursday of scheduled workshop dates at the latest.

All participants are expected to complete these workshops. They may

complete one or both workshops during any of the scheduled dates. Only completed workshops at the end of each scheduled session will count. Incomplete workshops are discarded.

These workshops will only be made available four times during the fall semester. The remaining scheduled dates are as follows:

Sept. 14-21Oct. 5-12Oct. 26-November 2The above mentioned Grant Aid

Scholarship and workshops are only available to participants in the SSS Student Success Center (SSC). For more information on becoming a SSC participant, please stop by the offices on the first floor of Johnston Hall.

Lights reflect off of the water that floods a McAlester campus hallway in July. The campus had two separate flooding incidents before fall classes began. Submitted photo

T Y THOMPSONStaff Writer

The BCM is a place for college stu-dents to hang out, study, or even fall asleep during the school week.

On Wednesdays, the BCM offers free lunch for students and faculty. The free lunch is put on by various church-es in the surrounding area.

On Tuesday nights at 8:30 p.m., the BCM has their weekly worship service with music, games, and food.

The BCM Student Center has been under renovation and is getting closer to the finished product in the next few weeks. The Student Center has 80-inch screen with a projector and will soon have an Xbox one for anyone to come and play during the day.

Anyone can come to the BCM student center and have a quiet, but sometimes loud, place to get away and just hang out. The Student Center also has pool table,a soon to be ping pong table, and a sweet miniature basketball goal that will be playable once the tiny basketball is found.

The Student Center is open from 9-12 on weekdays. The BCM also takes various trips throughout the year whether they are trips for fun or mis-sion trips to travel and help people.

T h e E O S C L i b r a r y w i l l b e h o s t i n g t h e f i r s t f a l l s e m e s t e r B o o k C l u b m e e t -i n g o n S e p t . 2 5 f r o m 4 : 3 0 p m t o 6 p . m . T h e L i b r a r y w i l l b e o f f e r i n g s n a c k s a n d D O O R P R I Z E S t h r o u g h o u t t h e d u r a t i o n o f t h e d i s c u s -s i o n .

Library hosts first book club meeting

NewsSeptember 12, 2014 Page 3

Published twice monthly from August through May by students of Eastern Okla-homa State College, Wilbur-ton, OK. Opinions expressed in the “Statesman” are not necessarily those of the East-ern student body, faculty or administration. Opinions ex-pressed in articles, columns or letters are those of the individual writers.

Members of the Oklahoma Collegiate Press Association, Community College Jour-nalism Association, Student Press Law Center and Okla-homa Interscholastic Press Association.

Letters to the editor are not only welcomed, but en-couraged. All letters must be able to be verified with the author’s phone number, ad-dress, and e-mail address. The editor reserves the right to edit to fit space limitations and to comply with libel laws and good taste.

The publication is issued by EOSC and is printed at a cost of about $50 per page. Telephone is (918) 465-1714. E-mail: statesman@eosc.edu.

Eastern Statesman Staff

Guy Folger, Senior Staff WriterSharell Collins, Staff WriterKaley Reding, Staff Writer

Robert Bedford, Staff WriterBuck Kirk, Staff Writer

Chelsie Peckio, Staff WriterGarrett Rogers, Staff WriterTy Thompson, Staff Writer

Taylor Cox, Staff Photographer

Kristen Turner, Adviser

Does your club or organization have news or an upcoming event?

We can't report it, if we don't know about it. Contact us at

statesman@eosc.edu

Washington reappointed to Eastern Board of Regents

Latimer County Health Department offers valuable services to students

EOSC NEWS RELEASE

Loise Washington of McAlester was recently reappointed by Gov. Mary Fal-lin to serve another seven-year term as a member of the Eastern Oklahoma State College Board of Regents. Regent Wash-ington was sworn in by Wilburton Mayor Stephen Brinlee at the Board’s regular meeting on Aug. 15.

“On behalf of Eastern Oklahoma State College, we are excited that Gov. Fallin supported the reappointment of Loise Washington to the Board of Regents. We also appreciate that Sena-tor Larry Boggs was willing to carry for-ward Governor Fallin’s nomination to the Senate Education Committee,” said East-ern President Dr. Stephen E. Smith. “Re-gent Washington has been a tremendous asset to the Board and we value her sup-port of our administration, faculty, staff and students.”

Washington, who is now retired, worked with former U.S. House of Rep-resentatives Speaker Carl Albert as an ap-pointment and scheduling secretary from 1971 until 1977 in Washington, D.C. She

Loise Washington (second from right) is congratulated by (from left to right) Eastern President Dr. Stephen E. Smith, Wilburton Mayor Stephen Brinlee and Regent Teresa Jackson upon her reappointment to the Eastern Oklahoma State College Board of Regents. Submitted Photo

continued working as an administrative assistant for the Speaker in McAlester from 1977 to 1998. She also served as Executive Coordinator for Local Work-force Development Council in McAlester from 2001-2003. Washington has been involved in numerous community and state organizations including Leadership Oklahoma, McAlester Rotary Club, Beta Iota of E.S.A., McAlester Economic Devel-opment Board, McAlester Public Library Board and Tri-County Leadership Advi-sory Board.

Also at the meeting, board members elected officers for the upcoming year. Regent Teresa Jackson of Hartshorne was elected chair of the board, Brian Lott of McAlester was named Vice Chair, and Burl Williams of Stigler was elected to serve as secretary. Other members include Monte McAlester of Wilburton, Denton McNutt of Stuart and Carl D. Wooldridge of Wil-burton.

“On behalf of the Eastern Board of Re-gents, we are pleased that Regent Jackson is willing to serve as Chair,” Smith said. “She is an alumnus of Eastern and exhib-its great pride in our institution.”

GARRETT C. ROGERSStaff Writer

As a student who may be away from home for the first time, there may come a point where you will have a health-related question. If that time comes, the Latimer Co. Health Department has trained staff available that will be able to give you the most educated an-swers.

“The Latimer Co. Health Depart-ment in Wilburton is a place where we try to provide the best services avail-able to students,” says Kellie Stanford, RN/PHN. “Students can come in and feel comfortable here about anything, we strongly believe in confidential-ity.”

Many services are offered at the Health Department including STD test-ing, male and female birth control, family planning, and immunizations (including the Influenza, Tuberculosis, and Meningitis shots). The Health De-partment can be a valuable resource to students.

Students can go to the Health De-partment at any time during normal operation hours which are Monday

• Head Lice Checks • Pregnancy Tests• STD/HIV Testing• TB Skin Tests (PPD)• WIC• Immunizations for Children and Adults• ChildrenFirsthomevisitationprogramforfirsttimemothers• Consumer Protections (Restaurant Complaints, dog bites,

food inspections- home/school)• Family Planning (Birth Control, PAP Testing, emergency

contraceptives)• SoonerStart• Child Guidance• Tuberculosis treatment• Lead Screening• SoonerCare/ SoonerPlan application assistance • Shot Records

Health Department Services Include

through Friday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. (They are closed on federal holi-days.)

Walk-ins are welcome so if you are having any type of health issue or have a question, Stanford encourages stu-dents to stop by.

The Health Department is located at 201 W. Main Street here in Wilbur-ton, and you can reach them at (918) 465-5673.

The Latimer Co. Health Department in Wilburton is a place where we try to pro-vide the best services avail-able to students. Students can come in and feel com-fortable here about any-thing, we strongly believe in confidentiality.

“

”

BUCK KIRKStaff Writer

Chance Reeves is new to Eastern, filled with ambitions and bubbling with fresh ideas. He is a freight train bound for success, and nothing could stand in his way.

Reeves comes from humble beginnings. His mother is a teacher, and his father is a rancher. Reeves says that they worked hard for the life they sustained and that they paved the path for Reeves to make his debut as a freshman this year.

With a knack for science, he plans to graduate May 2016 with a degree in physical science. Growing up in Wilburton, Reeves says it was here that he developed an appreciation for small town people. This small-town appreciation ultimately led him to start his college career among the people he knows and loves. “I want to make things easier for the hardworking men and women that don’t have the same opportunity in life that I do to better myself,” Reeves replied when asked how he would change the world.

FeaturesPage 4 September 12, 2014

STUDENT PROFILE

Wilburton freshman enjoys small-town life

Eastern accepts #IceBucketChallengeGARRETT C. ROGERSStaff Writer

It’s the challenge that is taking The World (and Internet) by storm. According to the ALS Association, there have been more than 1.7 million donors and almost $100 million dollars raised; the ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge is certainly becoming quite the sensation.

“ALS” also known as Lou Gehrig’s dis-ease, is a progressive neuro-degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. When motor neu-rons die, they do not have the ability to function. This often causes one suffering from ALS to become paralyzed.

The Ice Bucket Challenge was de-signed by ALS Association to raise aware-ness of this disease that so far, is in-cur-able. Many people from all walks of life have completed the challenge. From Rap Queen, Iggy Azalea, to former President George W. Bush, to Eastern’s own Presi-dent, Dr. Stephen Smith.

Many groups participated in the chal-lenge in the month of August. Some of those groups include the Lady Mountain-eer softball team, women’s basketball, Johnston Hall, Eastern cheer, custodial

and maintenance staffs, and representa-tives from the Eastern Student Govern-ment Association including the Dean of Students.

“It’s a great thing getting the kids involved in a challenge like this,” said Brandon Taylor, Johnston Hall Residence Coordinator. “I personally know families who suffer or have suffered from ALS,

#IceBucketChallenge

Eastern's President and Vice Presidents took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. From left, LaDonna Howell, Dr. Stephen Smith, Dr. Stephen Glazier and Dr. Karen Harrison accepted the challenge made by the Eastern Lady Mountaineer basketball team and coaches. Donations were collected at the event for the ALS Association. EOSC Photos

and being able to raise awareness about this is great.”

If you have already completed or you are about to complete your very own version of The ALS Ice Bucket Chal-lenge, be sure to visit alsa.org to donate today. You may also view several of East-ern’s Ice Bucket Challenges at youtube.com/easternmountaineers.

Dean Greg Warren and the Eastern Student Government Association ac-cepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge from President Stephen Smith and the college's three Vice Presidents.

Eastern Theatre graduate set to make New Orleans show debutEOSC News Release

Former Eastern Oklahoma State College graduate Zach Olinger is set to make his debut in the University of New Orleans’ production of “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.”

Olinger, of Checotah, received one of the five male roles available in the play. He will be acting as the character Uday Hussein, the eldest son of former Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein. Olinger played several roles during his time at Eastern, including Ken from “Rumors,” Constantine from “Big Love,” and Judge Brack in “Hedda Gabler.”

“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” is about a tiger that walks the streets of present day Baghdad seeking the answers to life. As the tiger witnesses the atrocities and violence of war, it encounters Americans and Iraqis seeking friendship and more peaceful situations.

“We’re super excited about Zach getting cast,” said Sarah Klocke, a theater instructor at Eastern. “We couldn’t be prouder.”

The play will be UNO’s entry to the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival this semester. The KCACTF involves more than 18,000 students nationwide. “Bengal Tiger” is set to have its first showing Oct. 2-12 at UNO.

Zach Olinger

Chance Reeves

FeaturesSeptember 12, 2014 Page 5

www.facebook.com/easternstatesman

COUNSELOR'S CORNERWelcome new and returning

students! We hope you have a great experience at Eastern Oklahoma State College.

The Advising Office will be preparing a monthly article to notify you of important dates and other “need-to-know” services.

We would like to share with you a program called Oklahoma Career Information System (OKCIS). This program can be very helpful to you when researching careers. The OKCIS program is an internet based career information delivery system customized for Oklahoma. It combines a wealth

of career, education and labor market information into one comprehensive, easy-to-use career exploration and job search tool. The OKCIS website is www.okcis.org.

You are welcome to visit our offices, and we will be glad to help you navigate through this program.

Important dates to remember:Complete fall 2014 graduation

application on WebAdvisor: week of Sept. 15 thru Sept. 19

FYI:*Business office, Library Bldg Office

119 – to obtain a student ID or to pay any bills.

*Registrar’s office, Library Bldg Office 107 – to obtain transcripts or submit official documents.

*Financial Aid office, Library Bldg Office 161 – if you need assistance with grants, loans, etc.

*Testing office, Library Bldg office 154 — COMPASS testing & information on ACT or CLEP testing.

Come and see us, we are here to help!

Tina Ray and Sandra RobertsonAdvising OfficeLocated in Library Building,

Enrollment Center, Offices 156 and 157

Financial literacy:Learning to budget wisely is vital for any college student

CHELSIE PECKIOStaff Writer

With college comes new freedoms, including financial ones. It can be dif-ficult for someone just starting out to figure out how to budget their money wisely, especially with all the financial services that are available with college students.

According to statistics from pro-jectonstudentdebt.org, nearly 53 per-cent of students in Oklahoma alone had debt that averaged $23,636. These numbers are shocking for many people, who do not see student loans as an is-sue. Student loan debt has even tripled across the nation, causing widespread concern.

If student loans can’t be avoided, it is important to know how to budget the money that you have available to you. Making a budget can be intimidat-ing but with the right tools it can be-come very simple.

1. Write out your expenses for the month Even if you’re not sure how much you’ll need for each specific cat-egory, you can go back and adjust it once you see how much you use.

2. Start an envelope system: Take out the exact amount of cash you’ll need for each specific category. Things

like food, gas, and an activity budget are great to use cash for. Label each enve-lope with its specific category and put the amount of cash you listed previously in your expenses. Make sure that you’re putting a small amount of cash into cat-egories like savings and even a new car budget if that’s something you may want to purchase in the future.

3. Plan for emergencies: Putting a small amount into an account to build an emergency fund is crucial. If you are prepared for something bad to happen, you’ll be a lot less stressed if it actually does. Five-hundred dollars is a good total emergency fund to aim for if you are a student with a part time job.

4. Make Sure Your Budget is Bal-anced: At the end of the month you need to make sure that you are either have some money leftover, or that you spend all of it without going over. If you are spending more in one category than another, make sure that you adjust your budget accordingly.

5. Don’t Give Up: Your budget is not going to work perfectly the first time, and your budget will constantly be changing. If you simply start dealing in cash and keep track of your expens-es, you will be amazed at how much money you can save.

SHARELL COLLINSStaff Writer

We are starting off the semester with another “25 Things You Didn’t Know,” featuring a more recent graduate from Eastern Oklahoma State College.

Danel Walker was born in McAlester, but was raised in Panola. Danel graduated from Panola High School in 2007, from there he attended Eastern gaining an associate's degree in general education and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's in University Studies with focuses in marketing, studio art and art history.

After graduating Oklahoma State University, Danel was able to land a job here at Eastern as a Graphic Designer in the Marketing and Communications Department.

Here are “25 Things You Didn’t Know” about Danel Walker:

1. My first name “Danel” was actually my maternal grandmother’s maiden name.

2.My middle name is the letter “J,” it stands for nothing at all. It was my paternal great-grandfather’s middle name, and on his birth certificate it only says “J.”

3. If I would’ve been born a girl, my

25 things you didn't know about Eastern staff and facultyDanel J. Walker

parents were going to name me Martha Suzanne, and call me Marty Sue.

4. I was born on my sister’s 10th birthday.

5. I spent the first 18 years of my life on a 100 acre farm.

6. I was the last of four children, and they are Troy (12 years older), Becky (10 years older) and Jake (8 years older).

7. I was the third generation of my family to attend Panola.

8. My grandmother, my sister and I were all Salutatorians of our Panola graduating classes.

9. I was the Homecoming King.10. I was also Prom King.11. I played baseball (first base)

and basketball (post) in high school.12. I was the second generation of

my family to graduate from both Eastern Oklahoma State College and Oklahoma State University.

13. My bachelor's degree focuses on marketing, studio art and art history.

14. I am currently the fourth person in my family to work at Eastern Oklahoma State College (grandfather - worked on the Statesman, father- Dean of Agriculture, mother - Student Support Services and Registrar and brother - managed the College Farm).

15. I hold the National FFA proficiency award in Specialty Animal

Production that I was awarded in 2006.16. I hold both my State and

American FFA Degrees.17. I have touched the Liberty Bell. 18. I have also touched the world’s

largest tree “The General Sherman Tree.” The largest in total volume, but not height.

19. I stand at 6 feet and 5 inches tall.

20. My eyes are a greyish blue color.

21. My favorite color is green. 22. I prefer cats to dogs simply

because they are quieter.23. I have only been out of the

country one time, and I went to Costa Rica.

24. I would like to learn to play the piano, and the bagpipe (random I know).

25. My favorite book is the “House of the Scorpion,” by Nancy Farmer.

Members of the women's basketball team pour ice water on their coaches. Many teams, groups, and organizations have participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Statesman staff photo by Taylor Cox

#IceBucketChallenge

EntertainmentPage 6 September 12, 2014

Video game preview: Bungie releases Destiny this monthROBERT BEDFORDStaff Writer

“Destiny” is an upcoming science fiction first-person video game developed by Bungie Software. It will be released on Sept. 9, 2014 for the PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.

The game is going to be part of a planned series. Bungie plans for the “Destiny” series to last 10 or more years and consist of more than just a game or two.

According to production director Jonty Barnes “...It’s way bigger than anything Bungie has ever created before.” The game is eventually going to

encompass all of our solar system. The game will already have areas on Earth, Mars, Venus, and The Moon when it launches in September, with more areas coming over time through downloadable content packages.

The game will involve a group of several alien species taking over the solar system, save for a single city on the Earth. This city is watched over by a giant orb called The Traveler.

Humanity fights back against these different aliens with a group of people called Guardians, which is the group players will be a part of when they play the game. Guardians will travel all over

the solar system to fight back against these aliens and eventually take back the system from their control.

Those who have a good memory might recall that Bungie is the company that created the famous “Halo” series of games. Some of the lessons they learned in making that series are being put to use in “Destiny.” Multiplayer has always been a big focus for the company and will also be a big part of the “Destiny” experience.

Coming this month, everyone will be able to see for themselves the world Bungie will be crafting for the next 10 years.

Arkansas Christian band recording new EP

T Y THOMPSONStaff Writer

Hailing from southwest Arkansas music scene comes a band named Har-vester.

Harvester is a Christian Hardcore band that began in November of 2013. Since then they have recorded an EP and toured the midwest and south with bands Ardent, and The Dwelling.

The band is currently writing new material and plan on recording a new EP entitled “No Bastards.”

The bands first EP was called “The

sweet tea EP” which was self-released June of 2013. After being asked to de-scribe what Harvester was as a band, the lead singer Jimmy Reeve replied, “We dig rock and roll, loving Jesus through our music and off stage lives, and loving people no matter what they believe.”

Harvester is slowly working their way up as a band by sticking to their guns and screaming what they believe. You can find Harvester on Facebook at Facbook.com/harvesterofficial, and their music can be found on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.

The Harvester

MUSIC SCENE

The Aggie Club held a cookout and elected its 2014-2015 officers on Thurs-day, August 28 at Robbers Cave State Park. The menu consisted of hot dogs with all the fixins’. After the meal club members cast their ballots for this year’s slate of officers. Serving as of-ficers for 2014-2015 will be President – Rebekah McIntosh, Kellyville sopho-more; Vice-President – Jackson Fer-guson, Soper sophomore; Secretary – Tuff Parsons, Battiest sophomore; Treasurer – Brandon Keeler, Atoka freshman; Reporter – Bethany Farm-er, Beebee, AR freshman; and ESGA Representatives – Kelsey Chambers, Tushka sophomore and Kelsey Brown, Buffalo Valley freshman. Submitted photos

NewsSeptmeber 12, 2014 Page 7

Eastern welcomes three new faculty membersEOSC News Release

Three new faculty members have joined the staff at Eastern Oklahoma State College this fall.

Kellye Semeski, an Eastern alumnus, is teaching computer information systems (CIS). Semeski has been an adjunct professor for Eastern for nine years, teaching computer applications at the McAlester campus. She earned a master’s degree in technology education from

East Central University and previously taught technology e n g i n e e r i n g for McAlester Public Schools. Semeski began her career teaching web mastering and computer application courses at Centennial High School in Frisco, Tex. Semeski’s husband,

Jason, is also an EOSC alumnus, and they

have a six-year-old daughter, Kynlee.Crystal Ahrens

is an instructor for the Agriculture Department where she will teach animal science. In addition to teaching, Ahrens also serves as a Livestock Judging Coach. After obtaining her bachelor of science

degree in agriculture, food and life

science from the University of Arkansas, Ahrens went to graduate school at Tarleton State University. At Tarleton, she received her master’s degree in agriculture and did research on the effects of mechanical tenderization on meat. Ahrens was a teaching assistant at Tarleton and was later an instructor at Garden City Community College. At Garden City, she was an animal and food science

instructor and organized weekly training

Semeski Ahrens Edwards

courses with business and community leaders.

Dr. Jennifer Edwards is teaching English in the Language, Humanities and Education Department. Dr. Edwards is a recent graduate of Oklahoma State University where she earned a Ph.D. in English. She also served as the associate editor of the literary journal “The Cimarron Review.” Previously, she earned her master’s degree in English and bachelor’s in English and French from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio from where she hails originally.

Three new members join Eastern FoundationEOSC News Release

The Eastern Oklahoma State College Development Foundation recently welcomed three new members to its board of trustees. Jeff Wimberly, Sara Jane Smallwood and Thomas M. Poteet, III now serve as trustees for the Foundation Board.

Wimberly, a Pittsburg county native and EOSC alumni, has worked for the Public Service Company of Oklahoma in the McAlester and Tulsa districts since 1982. He also currently serves on the McAlester Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the McAlester Country Club board of directors and is actively involved with the McAlester Defense Support Association (MDSA). He and his wife, Anita, have two children.

Born and raised in Clayton, Smallwood currently resides in Durant and is a public policy analyst for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Smallwood recently was named the Promise Zone coordinator for the Choctaw Nation. She attended classes at Eastern, participated in the theater program as a child and has many relatives that graduated from Eastern. Smallwood earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture communications from Oklahoma State University and obtained a master’s degree in public policy from Indiana University.

Poteet is the manager of power systems for Devon Energy in Oklahoma City. Before beginning his career at

Thomas Poteet III, Vice-Chairman Dr. Janet Wansick, Jeff Wimberly, Foundation Program Administrator Jayna Santine, Chairman Jason Winborn, Secretary-Dr. Marsha Gore, Dr. Steve Smith. EOSC Photo

Devon in August of last year, Poteet had various electric utility positions in Missouri and Oklahoma for 18 years. He also would in the telecommunications department at Tinker Air Force Base for 12 years. Poteet attended classes at Eastern from fall of 1978 to the spring of 1980 and then transferred to Oklahoma State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical

engineering. Poteet and his wife, Robin, have two children.

The mission of the EOSC Foundation is to provide philanthropic support of Eastern Oklahoma State College’s efforts to enhance students’ educational opportunities. This year the Foundation provided a total of $212,000 in scholarship awards to 156 Eastern students.

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Campus Life

Rebekah McIntosh lines up a shot on the pool table in Johnston Hall. As classes begin in the fall, residential students look for ways to have fun both on and off of campus. Statesman staff photo by Taylor Cox

SportsPage 8 September 12, 2014

Squad makes return to competitive cheerKALEY REDINGStaff Writer

The cheerleading squad has a new coach and a new, old direction. Lindy Morgan took over the coaching position of the Eastern Mountaineer Cheerleading Squad. This is also the first year back to competitive cheerleading for the squad. Which Morgan was a part of when she at-tended Eastern.

This year’s squad consists of 15 girls, one being the mascot. Next year they are hoping to have coed cheerleading squad with about 25 people on the team. This year’s squad will be having half time performances at basketball games. They will also be putting on a few mini Moun-taineer cheer clinics for local kids. They would learn a few cheers and chants, as well as a short dance and will perform at one soccer and one basketball game.

Morgan said competitive cheerlead-

ing competitions consists of a 2 ½ to 3 minute long routine that includes stunts, jumps, cheers, and tumbling all together with music. “It gets all of cheerleading to-gether, not just the short parts.”

This year the squad will be compet-ing in the Community College Cheer As-sociation, but Morgan’s goal is to make it back to Daytona Beach, Florida to the NCA national championship within the coming years.

It gets all cheerlead-ing together, not just short parts.“ ”

2014-15 Eastern Cheer Squad

Eastern set to begin conference play in McAlester SundayEOSC NEWS RELEASE

Eastern Oklahoma State College’s soccer teams have faced tough competition at the beginning of their inaugural seasons. With regional games beginning Sunday, the Mountaineer teams look to have more successful finishes.

“It’s not how you start, but how you finish and we plan to finish strong,” said Coach Irving Peralta.

The women’s team is currently 0-4. The men had their first win versus Ranger College, which brings their record to 1-4. Peralta said that the coaching staff and the teams are “building game by game.”

The new soccer program began this year, and the teams had only been together for a short amount of time prior to their first match. With a few games of experience under their belt, Peralta believes his teams can find success in regional play.

The combined record of the men’s opponents is 21-7-1. The women’s opponents have a record of 12-4-1. The men have faced two undefeated teams, and the women have faced only teams that have no more than one loss.

“If you want to be the best, you have to play with the best and beat the best,” Peralta said.

Eastern’s first conference game is against Northern Oklahoma College on Sunday. The women’s game is at 1 p.m., followed by the men at 4 p.m. The games will be at McAlester High School’s First National Field.

Dixon makes league history as coachEOSC NEWS RELEASE

Curt Dixon, assistant baseball coach at Eastern Oklahoma State College, just recently made history with back to back title wins in the Texas Collegiate League championship. Earlier this month, Dixon and the Brazos Valley Bombers defeated the Victoria Generals 2-1 which gave the Bombers their second title in two years. This made them the first team in the TCL to accomplish such a feat.

When asked how it felt to have consecutive championship years and make history in the TCL, Coach Dixon said it felt “gratifying” and that the consistency of the team was very important. “It felt good to go back to back,” Dixon said.

The TCL is a summer wooden bat league that allows college baseball players to compete in a minor league setting while still being able to maintain their eligibility for school athletics. Dixon said that the greatest difference in coaching in the NJCAA and TCL is that you can coach more physically matured players.

“In the summers we play six days out of the week. These guys play at a higher level for a bit longer,” said Dixon. With more “polished” players

and a league that includes over 300 teams, the TCL is highly competitive. Winning a championship is spectacular, but winning two in a row was unheard of until this year.

Six players from the Bombers were later drafted, but Dixon said it was a team effort that brought them to the top for a consecutive year.

“It was about the team and not about any individual. The pieces were in place for a championship,” said Dixon, who has won TCL Coach of the Year three times (2012, 2013, and 2014).

With many accomplishments with his Bombers team and as an individual coach, Dixon said that his favorite award is the 2013 championship.

“It is difficult for me to pick out just one, but that year everything played out like it was supposed to,” Dixon said. “We were crowned the best team of the summer from over 300 teams.”

Eastern fans will be excited to know that Dixon plans on bringing Eastern another Regional Championship this year as well as making it to the NJCAA World Series.

“We need to get back to where we were,” Dixon said

The last time Eastern won a Regional Championship was in 2012.

Top, Sergio Martinez (#12) goes up for a header against NSU in Tahlequah. Above, Sydney Walker (#10) works her way past a Northeast Texas Commu-nity College defender. Photo provided by Joel Jimenez