The Northeastern - February 28, 2012

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To err is human. To x it is TNE Policy. Corrections can be found on Page 4.To report a correction call 918.444.2890. TNE Web site: www.nsunews.com

Volume 103, Issue 24 | Tuesday, February 28, 2012 | Tahlequah, Okla. 74464

a professor in the criminal justice

and legal studies program. Each

team must prepare a prosecution

and a defense case.

Students began preparing for

the mock trial last fall. The mock

trial started as a class in the fallsemester, however after the rst

semester, the class did not have

enough students to continue so

the students met as a team and

practiced on their own time.

We would usually practice on

Saturday mornings, said Ariel

Parry, Ponca City senior. When

most college students were still

in bed we were practicing. Mock

trial has taught me so much.

Through practice and competi-

tion I have

Students produce

Anderson directsbroadcast productionstudents.

See page 8

RiverHawks prepare

Baseball team surpasseslast seasons record,looks to improve.

See page 19

MISTY GRADYTNE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

NSU students returned trium-

phantly from St. Louis, MO to

Tahlequah on Feb. 18.The students were a mix of

participants in a Model United

Nations class and in an organiza-

tion called Government and In-

ternational Studies Society.

They attended the regional

NSUs Model United Nations returns triumphant

JORDYN JORGENSONTNE WRITER

Every year, the American

Mock Trial Association spon-

sors intercollegiate competition

between teams from universitiesthroughout the United States. For

the last two years, NSU has sent a

mock trial team to compete.

The teams receive a case from

the AMTA in the fall of each

year, which includes facts by way

of witness afdavits and reports.

There are rules of evidence and

substantive and procedural law

in the way of the court opinions

that are the law of the case.

Student teams must consist

of at least six student members.

Three of these students act as at-

torneys and the other three act as

witnesses.

The attorneys must study the

law and afdavits and develop a

theme of the case, opening and

closing statements, and directcross-examinations of the wit-

nesses. Student witnesses must

prepare their role based on the

afdavits and be prepared to re-

spond to the questions of the stu-

dent attorneys.

This years case was a driv-

ing under the inuence criminal

prosecution involving a death

and a murder charge as a result

of an accident involving an im-

paired college student, said Da-

vid Madden, team sponsor and

Mock Trial offers experience

continued on page 2

Midwest Model United Nations

conference from Feb. 15-18.

Students learn about the

country they adopt and learn

how to negotiate policy with del-

egates representing other coun-tries, while they arent in a real

international environment, they

do get a taste of what its like to

interface with others in a fairly

charged political environment,

said Dr. Cheryl Van Den Handel,

assistant professor of political sci-

ence and sponsor of the organi-

zation.

Students spend time preparing

for conference up to one year in

advance. They are expected tolearn Parliamentary Procedure

called Roberts Rules of Order,

which is used in many business

meetings and legislative bodies

worldwide.

Students meet students from

other schools in other states, mak-

ing connections that can be life-

long, said Van Den Handel.

They often share meals together

and attend the delegate dance on

Friday night, and if time permits,and it often doesnt, they may take

in the sights in the nearby city.

The group took seven students,

two of which won awards in their

committees.

The students represented France

and the United Kingdom.

Courtney Edward, Rogers se-

nior, took home the delegates

choice award and an honorable

mention from the Committee

of Sustainable TechnologicalDevelopment. Johnny Aman,

Salina senior, won an honorable

mention as the United King-

dom in the Security Council.

Students from just about any

discipline continued on page 2

RiverHawks cheer

Lenzi Davidson/Contributing PhotographerRiverHawks fans show support to womens basketball

team during home games. The RiverHawks womens teamis 23-4 on the season.


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The Northeastern

Page 2

February 28, 2012NEWS

l e a r n e d

important trial skills, improved

my public speaking skills, and

increased my knowledge of the

rules of evidence.

The case alternates each year

between a civil case and a crimi-

nal case.

In August, the team received

nearly 200 pages of case material

and began preparing for the com-

petition.

The team competed in the re-gional competition in Topeka,

Kansas from Feb. 10 through the

12.

There were 14 teams to com-

pete across the Midwest including

the universities of South Dakota,

Kansas, Nebraska, Kansas State,

Colorado, the Air Force Acad-

emy, and Cameron University.

Each team tried four cases and

was awarded a point for winning

a side, either prosecution or de-

fendant.

The NSU team, led by Melis-

sa Weems, won two of their four

cases, said Madden. On the

last day of the tournament, NSU

competed against top ranked

Loyola University and unfortu-

nately missed moving on to the

next level by half of a point.

The mock trial team also com-peted in an invitational competi-

tion in November 2011.

The team traveled to St. Louis

to participate in an invitational

competition. They did practice

competitions with teams from the

university of Missouri, Kansas,

Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Wash-

burn University and other schools

in the Midwest.

I had the chance to attend an

invitational round, and a regional

competition, said Stephanie

Girdner, Tahlequah senior. We

were also very close to earning a

bid to the championship round.

With the program growing and

improving so quickly, I am sure

that next years team will take

NSU to the next level.

The students who participated

in this years mock trial gainedconstructive experience for their

future and walked away with an

award.

Ariel Moss received an out-

standing witness award for her

role as the investigating police of-

cer, while two of the team mem-

bers, Bryson Williams and Brooke

Folsom, have already been ac-

cepted to law school for the fall of

2012, said Madden.

Law schools back many of the

schools that attend the mock trial

competition.

Students can obtain informa-

tion and make connections from

these law school teams about at-

tending law school. A majority

of the judges of the trials are at-

torneys or currently attending law

school.

I practiced law for over thirty years and while managing a law

ofce trained young lawyers,

said Madden. The task set be-

fore these students was huge.

They devoted not only personal

time learning the law and their

parts, but met every Saturday

morning before competition to

practice their roles. The experi-

enced, much better funded, and

much larger schools and the team

members did it successfully and

with grit and panache. Every one

of these students will be a success

wherever lifes roads lead them.

My life was enriched by the expe-

rience of working with them.

The mock trial team strongly

encourages anyone interested in

mock trial to join the team.

I encourage any student, from

any major, to join the team, saidMadden. This is an experience

that requires the development

and use of critical thinking skills,

communication skills, thinking on

your feet, and an opportunity to

see up close what trial attorneys

do.

For more information, email

[email protected].

continued from page 1

can benet

from participating in MUN, said

Van Den Handel. MUN will in-

terest students who are interested

in international affairs of a secu-

rity nature, international health,

climate change, sustainable devel-

opment, and science and technol-

ogy development, human rights

among many other current top-

ics.

Countries for next year are

China, South Sudan and a single

seat for Azerbaijan on the Secu-

rity Council.

Van den Handel is the spon-

sor of the organization while Dr.

Ron Becker, assistant professor of

political science, is teaching the

MUN program.

There are also several fake in-

ternational press positions and a

daily conference newsletter.

I have learned a great deal

about negotiation and delegation,

MUN has widened my scope of

culture and international rela-

tions and I feel that I am bringingan outside look and an open mind

that will enable me to seek rela-

tions outside of my town, school

and nation, said Christopher

Copeland, Tahlequah senior and

rst time delegate to MUN. It is

a great experience to meet new

people from all over the country

and to create networking skills

that will not just political science

majors.

Conference is held in the spring

every year and the class takes

place in fall with an extension that

makes the class end after confer-

ence.

The class can be taken up to

three times, but students can con-

tinue attending MUN through

the organization, GISS, which

helps raise funds for session. The

class is pass or fail.

It is not any more difcult

than any other class you would

take, said Copeland. There is

studying, writing and speaking

that is required, but I had a fan-tastic time there, met new friends

and had an almost realistic ex-

perience of being in politics that

made me feel that I was making a

difference in the world.


[email protected].

Model U.N. gains successcontinued from page 1

Team member strive to achieve goals


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Page 3

February 28, 2012F E A T U R E

The Northeastern

Career Services helps students see beyond graduationAMY HOWETNE WRITER

The Ofce of Career Services is offering

a chance for students to learn more about

what lies beyond graduation.

The career and graduate school fair,

sponsored by Career Services, is a network-

ing event for students. It is an opportunity

for students to interact with prospective

employers and representatives of various

graduate schools.

Employers and organizations comeseeking NSU students and alumni for

full-time, part-time and/or internship op-

portunities within their organization, said

Kandra Medlin, administrative assistant

for the ofce of career services. Graduate

programs are there to provide information

on the application process, along with or-

ganizations seeking volunteers or providing

summer employment opportunities.

These kinds of fairs aimed at students

are often an important part of the transi-

tion from university life to the real world.

Dr. Kathleen Reese, interim associate dean

and professor of business and technology,

is a supporter of these fairs.

Job-seeking behaviors are considered

an important part of career development,

said Reese. Research has indicated that

effective job search behavior relates to

the number of job offers, job satisfaction

with the position obtained, and a better job

t.

Employers attending the fair range fromlarger businesses, like the Bank of Okla-

homa and Aac, to more local enterprises,

like the Cherokee Nation. The array of op-

portunities provided to students can prove

to be benecial.

The fair is important for students be-

cause it is a fantastic opportunity ultimately

geared for them, said Aimee Hodges, sec-

retary for the ofce career services. It is

an opportunity to speak with hiring profes-

sionals, make a great rst impression, sub-

mit their resumes and hopefully land a job

that will become a career.

Since the fair is open to all students, it

can be helpful in shaping a students aca-

demic path.

The event provides those students seek-

ing a major the opportunity to ask recruit-

ers questions about the majors required

for their employment opportunities, said

Medlin. The career fair is a wonderful

way to explore possible majors.

These informal fairs are pivotal in jobplacements through the university.

Networking or the use other informal

job information sources such as college

placement is the most common method to

nd a new position, said Reese. Infor-

mal sources allow individuals to locate jobs

that might not be formally advertised and

perhaps to talk directly to decision makers

instead of individuals in personnel depart-

ments.

For many students, these career and

graduate school fairs held at the university

will be their only chance to attend any kind

of job fair. Therefore, students are strongly

encouraged to take the opportunity to at-

tend not only this upcoming fair, but future

fairs as well.

Once a student graduates, these op-

portunities become fewer and fewer, said

Reese. Students should denitely take

advantage of every opportunity offered by

NSUs placement services.

The career and graduate school will beheld in the Herb Rozell ballroom at the

University Center Wednesday, March 7

from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Students are

encouraged to dress professionally and

bring plenty of resumes. More information

regarding the fair can be found in the Of-

ce of Career Services located in Haskell

Hall.

For more information, email howe01@

nsuok.edu.


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The Northeastern

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February 28, 2012OPINION

Adviser: Cassie Freise ext. 2874

Editor in Chief: Jonathan Dallis ext. 2890Layout Editor: Amber Covington ext. 2890Senior Staff Writer: Kimberly Doyle

Misty GradyDaniel Talbot

Staff Writers: Kira Coker Stacie GuthrieAmy Howe Jordyn JorgensonMike York

Ad Manager: Stephanie Girdner ext. 2890

Senior Ad Rep: Kyle Eubanks

Ad Staff: Erica Jones Chihiro Abiru

Webmaster:

Circulation Managers: Daniel Talbot Kyle Eubanks TNEOfcialMascot: GreysonFreise

POSTMASTER: Send PS from 3579 to NSU, Tahlequah, Okla., 74464-2399. The Northeastern (USPS # 395-580) is published weekly

throughout the year except college holidays by Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, Okla., 74464-2399. Periodicals

postage paid at Tahlequah. Postmaster: send address changes to Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, Okla., 74464-2399. For more information about advertising, classified or display, call 444-2890, seven days in advance of desired publication

date. Editorial statements in The Northeastern and readers letters reflect those of the individual writers and not necessarily

those of The Northeastern, its editors, staff, adviser or the administration of NSU. The opinions and comments therein do not

necessarily reflect the policies or beliefs of the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges or the regional universities and that

the student newspaper is not an official medium or expression of the Board or the regional universities. The Northeastern is a

public forum. All submissions become property of The Northeastern. This publication was printed by The Muskogee Phoenix

and issued by NSU as authorized by House Bill 1714. Four thousand copies were printed at a total cost of $695 for 32 pages.

The Northeastern is a member of the Associated College Press Association, Oklahoma Interscholastic Press Association,

Society of Collegiate Journalists and College Media Advisers. e-mail address: [email protected].

The Northeastern accepts and encourages letters to the edi-

tor. Submissions should be relatively short a nd to the point,

and must include your name, and contact information in

case we need to contact you about your submission. We also

encourage submission of any story ideas or pictures. Email

letters, stories or pictures to [email protected].

Letters to the Editor

Tuition rates go up yearly, gas

prices increase daily, and the gen-

eral cost of living skyrockets and

yet the quality of life slowly di-

minishes the less the income you

have.

These are just some of the

typical reasons why many NSU

students are forced to take a job

throughout their entire college

career.

Good jobs are few and far be-

tween in these times, and the stu-dents are feeling the full force of

the battered economy.

Jobs held by students are most-

ly, but not always, generic intro or

temporary positions, allowing a

student to earn enough to simply

get by.

Students attending a university

have clearly decided they want

more out of life, which should be

why they have decided to earn a

degree, so they may have a career

instead of a string of random

jobs.

Tahlequah offers a fair amount

of employment, but most stu-

dents will tell you that this town

just isnt big enough, but students

must not forget Tulsa, Muskogeeand surrounding cities also offer

employment.

However, there are several re-

sources for college students to

nd a job and stay on or around

campus.

Student Financial Services of-

fers a variety of opportunities

to avoid the dreaded Spring

Broke syndrome.

Work-study and institutional

jobs are essential to affording all

the things a college student needs.

But we must not forget about

the non-traditional students.

Those with children to feed

want an education to better pro-

vide for their family, but a prob-

lem arises. A parent must work ajob to earn their career.

In our ofce we have both the

single adults and the working par-

ents and we can tell you rst hand

how difcult life can be.

Most of us have been em-

ployed since we were 16, working

in elds during the summers and

as bag boys and waitresses during

the fall. We have had the experi-ence of earning and surviving on

a weekly paycheck.

Freshmen should get a job and

learn how to manage responsibil-

ity, paying bills while in school

eases the transition to life after

college.

A hard lesson waits for students

who do not know how to operate

in societys way; even working at

a grocery store offers the basic life

experience that everyone needs.

Many employers in the college

town will work around a students

school schedule, and it is assured

that any on-campus employers

will do the same.

Having a job while attending

college builds character and al-

lows a student to be self sufcient,

no longer are they begging for

money from their parents on theweekends so they may do their

laundry or catch a movie. They

can earn a wage and contribute

to society.

Having a job and working hard

for an employer offers you not

only valued life skills, but also al-

lows you to earn the respect of

the community and allows you to

gain references, which could help

you further in life, when seeking

your career.

Life will not get easier, despite

the perceived difculty of college

study. Applying for and getting

a job is the only way to prepare

for the challenges you face after

graduation.

Courtesy PhotoHaving a job while in college builds character, teaches re-

sponsibility and prepares students for life after college. Em-ployment can be found both on and o campus.

Working during college builds character


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February 28, 2012N E W S

The Northeastern

University recognizes illness with Alzheimers eventSTACIE GUTHRIETNE WRITER

Alzheimers disease is the sixth-

leading killer with an estimated

5.4 million Americans, which

have Alzheimers or other types

of dementias.

An effect of the disease causes

the patient to have memory loss.

This disease could eventually be

serious enough to interfere with

their daily life. Alzheimers disease continues

to grow and is predicted to con-

sume 13 to 16 million Americans

by 2050. Alzheimers disease is

usually linked to age.

According to usatoday.com,

the estimate of a half-million

people with early Alzheimers un-

derstates the problem. A report

in June 2006 by the Alzheimers

Association says an additional590,000 people age 55 to 64 have

mild cognitive impairment in-

volving noticeable lapses in mem-

ory or language use, which can be

a precursor to Alzheimers.

The tragic disease can be seen

on movies such as Rise of the

Planet of the Apes.

The struggle with Alzheimers

is portrayed while the steps are

shown, which the caregiver and

scientist take while caring for the

scientists father. It gives the view-

er a feel of what the disease is like

while showing them this mans

case. It shows a sense of the pain

which some families actually have

to face.

What I found most amazing

was the realism about Alzheim-

ers and Alzheimers research

that was in the movie, accord-

ing to alzheimersreadingroom.

com. The dad with Alzheimers

was depicted painfully accurately.

The resistance on the part of the

imagined pharmaceutical com-

pany to producing something that

would only help Alzheimers pa-

tients and could expose them to alawsuit, felt all too real.

Many people might know

someone with Alzheimers. They

see the pain of the individual not

remembering or getting frustrat-

ed because they cannot do some-

thing they once could with ease.

This disease is pain staking and

takes a toll on many people. The

best thing a family can do is help

their loved ones try to rememberwhat they have forgotten.

Throughout my entire life I

have had many different expe-

riences with Alzheimers, said

Randee Howard, Miss NSU.

When I was ten, my grand-

mother passed away from com-

plications of Alzheimers, and

then when I was 16 my father was

diagnosed with Alzheimers dis-

ease at the age of 45. My mother,

little sister and I were my fathers

care takers during the rst few

years of his illness and then dur-

ing his nal months we placed

him in a nursing home. My fa-

ther passed away from complica-

tions of Alzheimers disease at the

young age of 48. Now, my fathers

brother has been diagnosed with

Alzheimers disease as well. The

type of Alzheimers my fatherhad was genetic so my little sister

and I each have a 50/50 chance

of having the gene and being di-

agnosed with early onset familial

Alzheimers.

For those who have not en-

countered someone with the dis-

ease or just happen to not know

a lot about it might not be aware

of everything involved. At NSU,

on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 3 p.m.

there is an event for Alzheimers

Awareness. It is called A Walk to

Remember with Howard. The

walk starts in the front of the UC

and will consist of appreciating

the memories of the loved ones

which were lost to the disease or

who currently have it. The color

to wear to this event is purple, in

honor of Alzheimer Awareness.

There will be memory balloonsafter the walk and all donations

will go to the non-prot organiza-

tion, Friends of 22.

I think that the walk on the

29th is the rst step in making

student and faculty aware of Al-

zheimers disease, said Howard.

Many people think of Alzheim-

ers as a disease that people get

when they are older. But, in real-

ity it is estimated that more than

200,000 people have early onset

Alzheimers in the United States.

Early Onset Alzheimers affects

people younger than age 65.

Many people are also unaware

of the fact that Alzheimers is the

sixth leading cause of death in the

United State. I hope by making

people aware of these facts and

gures will push people to want

to educate others on this disease.There for, bringing more aware-

ness to NSU and Oklahoma as a

whole.

There is currently no cure for

Alzheimers disease, but there

are medicines that can help the

symptoms.

The search still continues for a

cure to the disease with more peo-

ple getting involved to nd differ-

ent and better ways to treat the

disease, help delay its onset, and

even prevent it from developing.

Many researchers hope to nd a

cure in the years to come.


[email protected].

Courtesy PhotoAlzheimers disease is a serious illness, aecting an estimated 5.4 million Americans each

year. The Alzheimers Association is an organization dedicated to raising awareness about theillness.


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The Northeastern

Page 6

February 28, 2012NEWS

KELI HOFFMANCONTRIBUTING WRITER

It is an exciting time for the

music education faculty and stu-

dents at Northeastern State Uni-

versity. NSU is looking to ll the

position of assistant professor of

music education/assistant direc-

tor of bands, which is a sign that

the music department on campus

is growing.

The program has expandedsuch that we need more help on

the professional staff sidethis

should be seen as a good step

forward for the band. Its going

to allow us to do better things,

said Dr. Norman Wika, assistant

professor of music and director

of bands.

The new assistant professor of

music education will not only be

teaching music education cours-es, but will be the person primar-

ily in charge of the NSU march-

ing band, said Roger Hoverson,

Tahlequah sophomore.

Whoever is chosen will be an-

other person to help with the cre-ative side of things, and will allow

the band to make better use of

their time during practice.

There are currently two candi-

dates for the position. Eric Bonds

is a percussionist working on hisdoctoral degree at the Univer-

sity of Mississippi. Bonds also

has a background in teaching

high school band and elementary

school music.

The second candidate, JamesLindroth, is nishing up his doc-

toral degree at the University

of South Florida, where he also

teaches and is the assistant band

director. Lindroth has taught mu-

sic for the past 18 years, three ofwhich were spent teaching at the

college level. Lindroth hopes his

experience will add to the pro-

gram if he is chosen for the posi-

tion.

I hope to use my experiences

and knowledge from teaching for

the past 18 years to help not only

the marching band program con-

tinue to be strengthened, but also

to really help prepare the under-

graduate music educator students

to enter the classroom, said Lin-

droth.

The hiring committee will be

meeting sometime within the

week to make a recommendation

to administration to either choose

one of the candidates or to keep

searching. Whoever is chosen will

ofcially start working for NSU

this coming August.

Both candidates seemed likehardworking individuals who

could lead in a very effective and

professional manner. No matter

who is chosen for the position,

it will be a win-win situation for

this program, said Joseph Tiger,

Muskogee senior.

NSU hiring assistant band director

Pete Henshaw/University PhotographerThe NSU band performs many times throughout the year. NSU is in the process of hiring an assistant professor of music edu-

cation/assistant director of bands. The new hire will begin work at NSU in the fall semester, August 2012.


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Page 7


The Northeastern

Celebration of Teaching honors Oklahoma educators

KIRA COKER

TNE WRITER

The Oklahoma Teachers of

the Year are recognized and cel-

ebrated every year at NSUs Cel-

ebration of Teaching.

When I was announced as

Oklahoma Teacher of the Year

I was overwhelmed with emo-

tions, said Kristin Shelby, Okla-

homa Teacher of the Year 2012.

I was proud for my family, my

students and my profession.This will be NSUs 13th year

to host the NSU Celebration of

Teaching.

The luncheon is for over 320

middle school and high school

students, their teachers and dis-

trict teachers of the year, saidDebbie Landry, interim dean of

college of education.

Teachers feel the enjoyment of

being Teacher of the Year, but

the students also take pride in

their teacher and themselves.

I returned to my 4th grade

classroom, said Shelby. As I

walked in the door, my students

said, Mrs. Shelby, Wow! We did

it. We are the best students in

Oklahoma. While working on her speech

for the Celebration of Teaching,

Shelby was asked to y to Wash-

ington, D.C. to participant in an

education announcement from

President Obama.

That next morning I checkedin at the White House to hear

President Obamas educa-

tional message. As I watched

and listened to the President

of the United States, I became

overwhelmed, said Shelby. I

thought about how I got to this

point. I thought about my chil-

dren and my students and how

important an education is.

This event can be an inspira-tion for everyone attending the

Celebration of Teaching.

It is very motivating to hear

the State and National Teacher

of the Year speak to these young

students, said Bonnie Giese, as-

sistant professor, college of edu-

cation.

Workshops will be taking place

during the NSU Celebration of

Teaching on March 2 between

9:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.Interactive, engaging work-

shops that include music, dance,

social studies, forensics, Native

American culture and computer

animation, said Landry.

The National Teacher of the

Year, Michelle Shearer, will at-

tend the event along with other

teachers from all across the coun-

try.

The national Teacher ofthe Year is selected from the 50

state Teachers of the Year, said

Landry.

At local levels the Teacher of

the Year is coordinated through

the districts superintendent and

then it goes from there to deter-

mine the Oklahoma Teacher of

the Year.

From the district teachers of

the year, in Oklahoma, nalists

are selected and then one teach-er is selected as the Oklahoma

Teacher of the year, said Landry.

Being Teacher of the Year not

just recognizes the teacher, but

the school and students as well.

Although I am the one being

celebrated, I come from a school

of great teachers, said Shelby.

We work together to change

childrens lives.

Becoming Teacher of the Yearcan give teachers a new outlook

on teaching. It can also show

them how education is evolving

over the years.

I thought about the teachers

coming after me and how educa-

tion is changing and how exciting

it is for our future, said Shelby.


[email protected].

Courtesy PhotoThe 2012 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year , Kristin Shelby,

gracefully accepts her honor at the ceremony. Shelby will behonored at the 13th annual NSU Celebration of Teaching.


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Page 8


The Northeastern

STACIE GUTHRIETNE WRITER

A group of NSU broadcast stu-

dents have the idea to script, lm

and produce a LipDub. A Lip-

Dub is a type of music video in

which individuals are lip-synch-

ing to an audio track. It is a great

way to make a fun and interest-

ing video, which allows many on

campus to become involved in.We as a group decided to do

the LipDub at the start of the

semester, said Jonathan Dallis,

Fort Gibson senior. Along with

the LipDub at NSU we are also

working on solo projects, contrib-

uting to the Northeastern News

Network and working on a series

of educational videos featuring

Rowdy the RiverHawk.

The group recently recordeda teaser clip to Hot Chelle Raes

song I Like It Like That, which

included fellow broadcast stu-

dents. The group wants to get as

much of the university involved

Students seek university cooperationas they can for the recording ofthe April LipDub. They want

their nal project to make a last-

ing impression for future, current

and past students. As a group they

thought making a LipDub would

be a fun and new interesting way

to promote the university and to

show the world what they have to

offer.

The group plans on doing the

full LipDub on Saturday, April28. This time they want everyone

in the NSU community involved.

The group has starting to reach

out and is trying to get more

people involved though media

outlets such as Facebook. They

want to have a huge population

behind them, helping them with

this video.

Dallis, Kinman and Dobbs en-

courage everyone to get involvedand join the event by searching

NSU LipDub 2012 in the Face-

book search browser.

Right now, we are trying to

take one thing at a time, said

Hannah Kinman, Harrah senior.Since we have our promo video

nished we can start reaching out

to students and organizations for

participation. Its easier to show

someone what a LipDub is rather

than explain it.

Kinman said the group wants

to nail down the participation

before they get too deep into the

ner details.

We plan to keep putting outpromos leading up to the nal

shoot, said Kinman. The rst

promo actually turned out better

than we all expected.

Kinman said at rst she was

nervous on the day of the pro-

motional shoot, but her team

was phenomenal and her volun-

teers were upbeat and excited to

help out, making everything run

smoothly.I couldnt ask for a better

group, instructor or class, said

Kinman.

As a way to become more fa-

miliar with the equipment and

ow of a LipDub, the group vol-

unteered their time to Holland

Hall in Tulsa this past Saturday asthey did a LipDub of their own.

During the Holland Hall Lip-

Dub, everything ran smooth,

said Dallis. We arrived on cam-

pus at 9 a.m and by noon we had

almost every shot we needed. The

excitement and school spirit these

kids had was unbelievable. Dur-

ing our LipDub in April we hope

to have hundreds of willing par-

ticipants to help us out, be part

of a viral video and show otheruniversities what exactly we have

to offer.

Aaron Anderson, video pro-

ducer communications and

marketing broadcast instructor

has high hopes for the LipDub

project. Anderson is a great help

to the students and wants to seethem succeed in life.

Production wise the LipDub

project is a great experience to

go outside of the news produc-

tion side, said Anderson. We

hope through the LipDub, poten-

tial students and alumni will see

what NSU has to offer. We have

reached out to other campuses

and we virtually want everyone to

be involved. Overall, it should be

a fun experience.The LipDub production is a

new and exciting way to get more

individuals involved with NSU.


[email protected].

Brock Crawford/Contributing PhotographerJon Dallis, Fort Gibson senior, coordinates his shots for the

2012 LipDub. The NSU LipDub on April 28, 2012 will incorpo-rate a combination of faculty, sta and students.


9/20

Page 9


The Northeastern

Alumni Association helps studentsAMY HOWE

TNE WRITER

Upon graduation from NSU,

many students wish to remain

connected to the university. The

alumni association is the answer

to this wish.

Any student, graduate or

friend of the university may be-

come a member, said Rebecca

Gore, president of the alumni as-

sociation. The only requirementfor active membership is that the

person pays dues.

The amount for dues varies

between individual memberships

and joint memberships. There

are also lifetime membership op-

tions. Regardless, the benets of

being a member of the alumni as-

sociation are quite extensive.

We strive to offer member

benets that have real value,said Daniel Johnson, director of

alumni services. In fact, we have

enhanced the portfolio of benets

to include career services, an on-

line alumni directory and the new

Future RiverHawks legacy pro-

gram.

The association hosts a variety

of events for alumni throughout

the year, from sporting events to

formal get-togethers. There is

also a large reunion held duringhomecoming week.

I have been fortunate to take

part in several activities that have

been sponsored by the alumni

association that range from the

Emerald Ball, which is such a fun

night to dress up and honor the

best of NSU Alumni, to more ca-

sual events like a Drillers baseball

game, the Thunder basketballgame and other sporting events,

said Barbara Abercrombie, an

alumni association board mem-

ber-at-large. Homecoming is a

great event and so much fun to

see alumni that you may only see

once a year.

According to nsualumni.com,

while the alumni association offers

many benets for members, they

hope members are joining out of

a passion for the university.The most important benet is

staying linked to your NSU fam-

ily, said Gore. Membership

keeps you abreast on the latest

news, special events, reunions and

other activities that assist you in

maintaining your relationship

with NSU so that you can be an

engaged alumnus.

Many members, like Aber-

crombie, strive to stay active inthe NSU community by partici-

pating in events and donating to

scholarship programs.

I am very proud to be an NSU

alumnus and wanted to support

the association with my time and

my money, said Abercrombie.

Joining was a natural way of do-

ing that.

The association, according

to the website, acts as bridgebetween the universitys recent

graduates and their futures. They

also offer special incentives for

new alumni.

We understand that starting

out can be difcult, so we offer a

new graduate annual rate of $25

for those having graduated three

years ago or less, said Gore. We

offer a come-and-go cook out for

Courtesy PhotoThe alumni association strives to get NSU alumni involved.

They have many events throughout the year for alumni includ-ing sporting events and some more formal events.

graduating seniors to explain the

benets of membership and to in-troduce them to other alumni. We

also provide networking and men-

toring to new graduate by putting

them in contact with alumni from

their eld or career.

Whether an alumnus gradu-

ated one year ago or 30 years

ago, the alumni association acts to

keep the universitys past, present

and future connected.

The alumni association ex-ists as a means of connecting our

alumni community with the NSU

community, said Johnson.

Any students interested in be-

coming a member of the alumni

association are welcome to visit

the Alumni Center, located at 812

N. Ceder Ave.


[email protected].


10/20

Page 10


The Northeastern

Strut Your Mutt benefts local humane societyNICHOLE KAMIESTNE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Speaking up for those who can-

not speak for themselves is the

goal for the men and women who

volunteer their time at the Chero-

kee Humane Society resale shop.

Beth Rogers, a primary volun-

teer at the resale acknowledges

that to run an operation efcient-

ly it takes more than her. With all

the volunteers who put their timein at the resale shop they know

that it takes a lot of people work-

ing together to keep the operation

aoat.

Figuring out how you want to

accomplish your goals in an or-

derly manner is good, but it also

teaches people to work together

and that is great, said Rogers.

The resale shop is the primary

fundraising source for food for

the animals that live at the shel-

ter. With more than 100 dogs and

close to 25 cats it takes a lot of

maintenance and supplies.

A good deal of our founda-

tions money

comes from thesales the resale

shop to feed

the animals the

only thing that

comes from the

money we col-

lect is what we

pay in sales tax

the rest goes

directly to the

shelter, saidRogers.

The shop

takes various

types of do-

nations from

decorative bed-

spreads to gen-

tly used dish

sets. The shop

also tries to

stay away from

clothing. There

is not enough space at the shop to

display clothing in a buyer friend-

ly environment.

We try not to take clothing,

said Rogers. We do however

take a lot of dishes, pots and

pans, bedding and other house-

hold items.

Other items offered at the shop

are all kinds of articial ower ar-

rangements, statues, pictures, and

books. The shop has a detached

building from the resale shop to

house and sell larger appliances

that may be donated. The resaleshop has a fair return policy on

items they are not able to test

prior to sales.

We have a good guarantee

here, we sell a lot of appliances,

we receive refrigerators, stoves

and other large appliances that

we do not have the room to test

and try out before sales, said

Rogers. Because we do not have

the space to test the items to know

whether something works or does

not work if you take it home and

install it and it does not work you

have ve days from when you

purchased the item to return theitem for a full refund.

After more than a decade of

being in business the shop has

grown into a professional group

with an honest reputation.

We are getting to be thought

of as a professional group, saidRogers. When I began some 13

years ago people thought we were

a bunch of crazy old ladies, and

mostly it was older women who

took dogs home with us because

we did not have a shelter.

The volunteers at the resale

shop make sure they keep up their

professional prole and good rep-

utation.

We have a good reputation forhonesty and for wonderful pets,

said Rogers. We make sure that

the new owner and pet are com-

patible for each other because

our desire for our animals is that

they are forever dogs in forever

homes.

As the organization has grown

volunteers have been able to

do more fundraising and other

events to build awareness for the

humane society. There are other

organizations that put on benets

for the Cherokee Humane Soci-

ety. NSU Mass Communication

Public Relations Campaigns stu-

dents are currently coordinating a

5k run on March 31.

The race begins at 7 a.m. and

ends at 9 a.m. Pre-registration is

currently taking place. The stu-

dents have a Facebook page titled

Strut your Mutt 5k.For more information about

the 5k, visit the Facebook page

or contact Ashley Vinyard at vin-

[email protected]. To volunteer

at the resale shop they are in busi-

ness from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday. They

do ask that volunteer be older

than 16 years. For other informa-

tion about volunteering or the hu-

mane society visit their web pageat humanecherokeecounty.org.

For us it is not just a job it is a

way we give back to the animals

for the joy and love they give us,

said Rogers.


[email protected].

Courtesy PhotoStrut Your Mutt is a 5K race to benet the Humane Socitey of Cherokee Coun-

ty. Every year the Humane Society takes in and cares for hundreds of local dogs

and cats that cannot take care of themselves.


11/20

Page 11


The Northeastern

Bingo fundraiser to benet Special OlympicsJAMES COSBYTNE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Every year it is a struggle for

the local chapters of Special

Olympics to produce enough

money for the season.

This year a small group from

NSUs PR campaigns class will

present a Bingo fundraiser to help

this noble cause.

The event will be in the Uni-

versity Center Ballroom April 7,from 2 to 5 p.m.

Blair Taylor NSU senior and

Public Relations major has had

plenty of experience in the eld

of PR and hopes bringing her

knowledge to the group will help.

I am really enjoying plan-

ning something that will benet

the Special Olympics team, said

Taylor.

The fact that this money needs

to be raised in order for the team

to have a season makes this cam-

paign essential.

I think we are going to have a

great turn out and end up raising

the funds necessary to help the

team with uniforms and equip-

ment, said Taylor.

This is a great opportunity for

anyone from the community to

support the cause.

Bingo is something that peo-ple of all ages can participate in,

so it can be fun for the whole fam-

ily, said Taylor.

Renee Peters NSU senior and

mass communication major is one

of the familiar faces within the

group. As a member of the Al-

pha Sigma Alpha sorority I have

spent countless hours volunteer-

ing, but our most cherished days

were spent with Special Olympics

team in Muskogee, said Peters.

For some people the rewards

are not just the games or the

money.

We cheer with the athletes

and celebrate, but the real reward

is watching the athletes perform

and support each other on theeld, said Peters.

This team is not just fueled

with the urge to complete an as-

signment, but also with passion.

They are real athletes, they

never give up and they show

true sportsmanship, said Peters.

Working with these athletes isone of my favorite things to do.

Mass Communication major

Kevin Scrapper has joined this

diverse group with the hopes that

his advertising skills will aid the

campaign.

Our group is made up of six

very different people with very

different backgrounds and goals,

said Scrapper. I thought this

would be a hindrance, but every-one is bringing their own unique

skill and it has made us a more

complete team.

This group is not the only ones

who are passionate about the

Special Olympics.

I never knew how many sup-

porters the Special Olympics

had, a lot of people and business-

es from the community are jump-

ing at the chance to support this

great cause, said Scrapper.This event is already starting to

win the hearts of local supporters

of the Olympics and is creating

new supporters for the future.

This event really won me over,

I didnt have any ties to Special

Olympics coming in, but this is

denitely a cause I am proud to

support, said Scrapper.

This event is in the making and

could always use more support.If an individual has something

to contribute or wants to enjoy a

game of bingo, they are encour-

aged to come on out and support.

Everyone has a story and this

could be your chance to add this

experience to yours, said Scrap-

per.


[email protected].

Courtesy PhotoBingo serves as a benecial fundraiser for NSUs PR Cam-

paigns class. The group will hold a bingo fundraiser to honorthe local chapter of Special Olympics.


12/20

Page 12


The Northeastern

NSU provides free tutoring to rural schoolDANIEL TALBOT

TNE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

NSU has many outreach pro-

grams that are designed for the

community but a new reading

program hits very close to home

for one professor.

The education department

works with a group of rst and

fourth grade students from Bell

School, which is a rural school

from Adair County. The programgot started when Dr. Leslie Han-

nah, associate English professor,

started visiting the school with

hopes of getting involved.

One of the things I had in

mind was to hit the areas in the

Cherokee Nation where there is

a naturally high Cherokee speak-

ing population, said Hannah.

Some of those areas are Bell,

Salem, Greasy and Dahlonegah.

Lots of areas in southern AdairCounty.

Hannah grew up in Adair

County and wanted to get in-

volved with a school in that area

to provide any support he could

to the students and teachers. He

knew just where to start.

I knew the trouble Bell School

was in a few years ago, where they

were almost shut down, said

Hannah. I contacted Bell schooland met with Tony Davidson,

who is the principal.

Hannah visited Bell several

more times and saw a need in

the school that could be met. He

came back to NSU and got in

touch with Dr. Tobi Thompson

and Ingrid Massey of the Educa-

tion department.

This is a collaborative effort,

said Ingrid Massey. We were

asked to come to Bell as a supportand resource to them. As part of

our graduate reading program we

have several classes that are clini-

cal where students are working

hands-on with kids.

Massey said the program lled

a need in both situations because

NSU needed to bring in children

for the applied assessments grad-

uate course and Bell needed some

assistance.In the applied assessment

class, the NSU graduate students

administer a series of reading as-

sessments to nd out the students

strengths and needs. From there

they built a plan of instruction

based on those strengths and

needs, and then tutor the elemen-

tary students an hour a week.

The kids seem really excited

about it, said Massey. They

work really well and have just

done a remarkable job at working

hard for their tutors.

Bell school is grateful to get

so much support from NSU. Jan

Talbot and Eileen Tidwell are the

teachers from Bell who bring the

kids to NSU on Thursday eve-

nings.

We are so happy that NSU has

taken an interest in our school,

said Talbot. The professors and

graduate students have just been

so great to our kids and they

love coming to the collage every

Thursday. We really appreciate

everything they have done.

Charity Hallmark is a fourth

grader from Bell who makes the

drive to NSU once a week. Char-

ity said working with the teach-

ers has helped her to improve

her reading. Charity enjoys the

chance to come to NSU every

week.

Hannah saw a need in Bellschool and contacted the right

people to help him meet that

need. Hannah makes the hour

long drive to Bell school at least

once a month to continue his

involvement and provide any as-

sistance he can. He said the goal

of this program is to meet needs

in the school but also show the

students that collage is something

within their grasp.I think it shows these kids that

NSU is not on the other side of

the world, said Hannah. It

gives us the chance to show them

that collage is attainable.


[email protected].

Daniel Talbot/TNEStudents from Bell School in Adair County make the drive

once a week to work with NSU graduate students who helpthem improve their reading skills. Pictured from left to right-Arbrianna Locust, Charity Hallmark, Hailey Harlow, Maci Kes-ter, Jacob Pettit and Keegan Hallmark.


13/20

Page 13

February 28, 2012

The Northeastern

A & E

Monologues bring awareness to serious issuesSTACIE GUTHRIE

TNE WRITER

Vagina is a strong word, empowering to

some and to others it is nothing of impor-

tance.

Some women go through life with vio-

lence such as rape, incest, mutilation, sexu-

al slavery and battery.

V-Day helps promote events, which are

highly information and tell of what these

women go through and might even face on

a day-to-day basis.The Vagina Monologues help support

this day by raising money for organiza-

tions, which help women who had to suffer

through these horric events or who still

do.

Some of the things attendees will hear

may be shocking to them, said Traci

Clark, director. Other monologues offer

comic relief. A lot of the monologues are

about things women discuss among them-

selves, but not everywhere. I think its a

good thing for both men and women to seeand hear.

Eve Ensler wrote the Vagina Mono-

logues in 1996. It included interviews,

which Ensler conducted with 200 women

about their views on relationships, sex and

violence towards women.

A little over a decade and a half later the

play has been translated into 48 languages

and is performed in more than 140 coun-

tries.

Lenea Patterson, Bartlesville senior hasa monologue in the play. Patterson said the

Vagina Monologues is a series of mono-

logues.

Ensler interviewed a number of women

about their vaginas. She later turned the

interviews into an informative script of

what abused women have to go through.

More than one out of every three wom-

en on this planet will experience violence

during her lifetime, said Ensler, writer of

The Vagina Monologues. With seven bil-

lion people on the planet, thats one billionwomen. Stopping this violence is as crucial

as addressing the issues of disease, hunger

and climate change. One Billion Rising is a

global strike, a call to refuse to participate

until rape and rape culture ends. Its a soli-

darity reach, a new refusal, and a new way

of being.

The Vagina Monologues are on March

2 through 4, at the NSU Playhouse.

All of the proceeds of the ticket sales go

to Help-In-Crisis and the V-DAY interna-tional organization.

The Vagina Monologues event will

spotlight the stories of 15 women.

Peggy Cotten, local resident and partici-

pant in the upcoming production, said she

becomes really emotional while reading

though her monologues.

When I read through it initially, I be-

came emotional, said Cotten. During

rehearsal, I just sobbed.

The Vagina Monologues help put the

womens word out there. No women shouldbe abused because they have a vagina.

The Vagina Monologues is a way to

inform people of the pain staking troubles

these women had to face and women alike

them still continue to face.

For more information, email guthries@

nsuok.edu.


14/20

Page 14

February 28, 2012A & E

The Northeastern

JONATHAN DALLIS

TNE WRITER

Audiences can prepare to be

astonished as NSU celebrates the

music of George Gershwin, an

American composer and pianist.

Gershwin wrote most of his vo-

cal and theatrical works, includ-

ing more than a dozen Broadway

shows. His compositions have

been used in numerous lms and

on television, and many became jazz standards. Gershwins music

spans an emotional array, from

fun and excitement to drama and

heartache.

The event Embraceable You

is set for March 9, at 7:30 p.m. aspart of the Galaxy of Stars Se-

ries, presented by the Sequoyah

Institute.

Amber Cowan, director of the

Galaxy of Stars Series said the

performance would feature the

husband and wife duo, Lisa and

Dean Balkwill. Both Veterans of

the Broadway stage and have a

long list of performance history.

Embraceable You is thoughtto be musical theatre at its nest.

Dance numbers, nostalgic ballads

and romantic comedy are set un-

der the Paris sky.

The renditions of Gershwins

tunes will be vibrant and full ofcharacter, said Cowan. Lisa

and Dean are very talented, have

a natural rapport and can really

reach audiences.

Dean has a fair amount stage

history, on Broadway Dean

played Roger in Rent and Ed

the Hyena in The Lion King.

According to a press release, In

2002 Lisa was cast to sing and

dance alongside Catherine ZetaJones in the lm Chicago, work-

ing with Oscar-winning director

Rob Marshall. Lisa has also ap-

peared on Broadway in Beauty

and the Beast.

Cowan said she believes the

performance will be fun and en-

joyable for the Galaxy season

ticket holders and the community.

Dean and Lisa are both triple

threats, gracing the stage with

phenomenal acting, singing and

dance experience.

The show on March 9, will

present a little bit of everything

for lovers of the stage. Backed by

live musicians, the performance

will offer romantic ballads and

witty comedy.

Preceding the evening show,

Dean and Lisa will have a pre-

show lecture on the subject of

The Business Of Broadway.The event is free and open to the

public.

Cowan said the lecture will be

at noon in the NSU Jazz Lab and

will be about their experience.

The lecture will deal with what

an aspiring performer can expect

in the real world, a look behind

the scenes and address certain as-

pects of the lifestyle, which peo-

ple normally do not think about.

Cowan said with the Galaxy of

Stars Series they also have what is

referred to as a beyond the stage

series.

We have either a lecture, a

master class, a workshop or a stu-dent matinee performance which

accompanies our evening perfor-

mances, said Cowan.

Cowan said with the series

their goal is to introduce the arts

and present a one of a kind expe-

rience to the community.

The event will be at the NSU

Center for Performing Arts, lo-

cated on the Tahlequah campus.

Were really excited to be

back on NSUs campus, said

Cowan. The Freddy Cole show

went great.

For any of those who have

concerns about parking, Cow-

an urges people to access theirwebsite, nsuok.edu/si or call

them at 918-458-2075 so they

may further inform and di-

rect them as much as possible.

The Tahlequah campus has

the circle turnaround for

drop-offs and numerous other

parking lots for convenience.

The box ofce will open an hour

before at 6:30 and the house

doors will open at 7. Individualticket prices for the event are $20

for adults, $18 for NSU alumni,

$16 for NSU employees and se-

niors 60 and over, $10 for stu-

dents and $6 for NSU students.


[email protected].

Courtesy PhotoDean and Lisa Balkwill, performers in Embraceably You,

are both Broadway veterans. The Balkwills will perform inTahlequah March 9 at the NSU Center for Performing Arts.

Annual Galaxy of Stars sets stage in Paris


15/20

Page 15

February 28, 2012

The Northeastern

A & E

Homemade Fireworks brings laughter to NSUADAM WALLACE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Improvised comedy is an increasingly

popular art form that features quick-witted

comedians who stage short, simple scenes

that are made up completely on the spot.

Homemade Fireworks, NSUs only im-

provised comedy team made up of only

students, will perform two comedy shows

in March.

We usually do one show per month, but

well have a special bonus show in March,said Alyssa Buckley, artistic director of

Homemade Fireworks.

The team will take a trip to Chicago

during Spring Break to watch shows and

take classes at Second City, the same venue

where comedians such as Tina Fey and

Stephen Colbert got their start. The sec-

ond show in March will be a bonus per-

formance to showcase some of what they

learn in Chicago.

The rst show, scheduled for March 2,

will be a March Madness tournament style

show, where the team will play short-

form games, similar to those seen on the

show Whose Line is it Anyway? said

Randall Skidmore, Tulsa junior.

The team, which consists of eight stu-

dents, will split into four teams and com-

pete for audience votes. Based on sug-

gestions from the audience, each comedy

duo will play a series of short, scene-based

games and will make up everything off the

top of their heads.

One thing you can expect from Home-

made Fireworks is some zany, off-the-wall

comedy thatll make you pee your pants,said Knickel Sloan, Pawhuska junior.

After the Spring Break trip, the team

will perform a bonus show Friday, March

30. The show will feature a variety of new

ideas and games that the team will learn in

Chicago.

Both shows will take place in the Webb

Auditorium on the NSU, Tahlequah cam-

pus.

In order to nance their trip, the team

sells tickets for each show. Tickets cost $5,but there are many opportunities to nd

coupons on posters around campus. Those

who attend a Homemade Fireworks show

will receive a $2 coupon for the next show.

Its good, cheap entertainment, said

Kay White, stage manager at Tahlequah

Ballet. Its the cheapest date in town.

All Homemade Fireworks shows begin

at 7:30 p.m., with an encore performance,

geared toward mature audiences, begin-

ning at 9 p.m.

For more information on Homemade

Fireworks and other upcoming shows, con-

tact Alyssa Buckley at buckleya@nsuok.

edu, or like Homemade Fireworks on Face-

book.

Courtesy PhotoAdam Wallace, Homemade Fireworks member, acts out an improv scene in

front of a live audience. Homemade Fireworks will present two shows in March.


16/20

Page 16

February 28, 2012S P O R T S

The Northeastern

RiverHawks womens basketball prepares for playo runJOSHUA WIGGINS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The RiverHawks, 22-3, slipped

into this weeks NCAA Division

II rankings at No. 9. The wom-

ens basketball team have found

themselves sitting in the Top 10

three times this season. Being in

the Top 10 has the RiverHawks

sitting comfortably as they pre-

pare for a playoff run.

Its been a great season sofar. It has put us in another great

position just like last year. If we

win out the rest of the season we

could possibly host the NCAA re-

gional. That would be great if we

could play at home and in front

of our home crowd, said Megan

Fraley, Adair senior.

Fraley is one of three seniors

leading the team this season.

Hoping for a successful run at

the playoffs, the RiverHawkshave lost only three of 25 games

played this season. Two of the

three losses suffered were handed

to the RiverHawks from No. 22

Emporia State, who they could

potentially face again in the re-

gional tournament.

I think our success is a great

thing, said Tosha Tyler, Vinita

junior. But none of us are sat-

ised, we are dying to take it tothe next level. Every year we have

made it to the Regional tourna-

ment. But I dont want it to end

there like the two previous sea-

sons. I want to take this season

the farthest this schools program

has ever been, not only for myself

but for my seniors. They deserve

the best. Every single person in

this program has a certain level

of understanding and love for the

game that is very hard to nd.Head coach Randy Gibson,

has coached the NSU womens

basketball team for 13 years.

Coach Gibson is also a major fac-

tor in the success of the season

thus far.

We have players who are

committed and very hard work-

ers, said Gibson. Our team

competes hard, they are talented

and experienced players. We areprepared to make a strong run at

the playoffs. I think we still have a

lot of gas in our tank.

Playoffs begin the second week

of March.

Since the RiverHawks have

an independent status they have

two weeks to prepare while other

teams are playing their confer-

ence championships.

Lenzi Davidson/Contributing PhotographerTaylor Lewis, (10), Tosha Tyler (12), Katy Harsen (22) Tosha

Tyler and Katy Harsen watch while Taylor Lewis takes her freethrow. The RiverHawks are 23-4 on the season.


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Page 17


The Northeastern

MIKE YORK

TNE WRITER

With success comes changes,

one such change is the new offen-

sive line coach

Mike Barela.

To me the

decision was

a no brainer,

I had worked

with Coach

Kenny Evansbefore so I was

familiar with

his coaching

style and his

beliefs, said

Mike Barela,

the newly

hired offensive

line coach.

Coach Ev-

ans and I had

also kept up

throughout

the years and

I was very

familiar with

the progress

he has been

making.

This is not

the only time

Barela has

had a chance to coach at the uni-versity.

Coach Evans actually offered

me a job here when he rst took

over in 2008, said Barela. I de-

clined, but lets be clear about why

I declined, it had nothing to do

with Coach Evans, NSU, Tahle-

quah, or that it was D-2, very sim-

ply, I knew we had a good team

coming back where I was at the

time [Texas State] and I thoughtwe could win a championship.

This time around Barela

jumped at the opportunity to

come to NSU.

Sure enough we ended up

winning a conference champi-

onship and progressing to the

New offensive line coach brings successNCAA FCS Playoffs that year,

said Barela. When coach Ev-ans called me about the opening

a few weeks back, I jumped on

board without talking to my new-

lywed wife.Barela believes that Coach Ev-

ans has the RiverHawks heading

in the right direction.

I knew when he called, that

everything Coach Evans has been

working towards since he was

hired was leading to these nextfew years, said Barela. This is

exciting to me, the growing pains

of Evans rst few years are start-

ing to bear suc-

cess as evident

by the increased

wins.

With the Riv-

erHawks on the

rise and players

knowing the sys-tem great things

on the horizon.

To come in

and have the

ground work laid

makes it excit-

ing, because now

we can focus on

expanding the

success on the

eld knowing the

players believe in

the system, said

Barela.

I have 16

years of coaching

experience, all on

the offensive side

of the ball.

Much like Ev-

ans, Barela has a

lot of Division 1

experience.I have coached on the Di-

vision 1 level for 14 years, said

Barela. I have coached the offen-

sive line, tight ends, and running

backs besides being the Director

of Football Operations.

Barela has had the chance tolearn under some great coaches.

I feel fortunate that I have

learned from some of the best

and coached some very talented

young men, said Barela. I be-

lieve in what I coach and how I

coach. I bring a few things to the

table that can help add to what is

already there.

According to meangreensports.

com Barela tutored rst-team All-American Keith Heinrich,

who was drafted by the Carolina

Panthers in the sixth round of the

2002 NFL Draft.

Offensively, I think we con-

tinue to build on what has been

established here, said Barela.

We just add a few wrinkles here

and there.

As NSU joins one of the best

conferences in NCAA D2.

The NSU community and

fans should embrace this, said

Barela. Our team should wel-

come the challenge.

Shane Devers, Sand Springs

junior, said Barela is an excellent

member of the coaching staff atNSU.

He denitely knows football,

said Devers.

Kenny Evans, head football

coach said they hope to expand

on their newly found success.

Moving into the MIAA con-

ference and playing not only

against a higher level of compe-

tition, but in more cold weather

games, said Evans.The running game will need

to be a large part of the attack as

more cold weather games appear

on the horizon.

We hope to be able to have a

balanced attack and need to im-

prove our running game, said

Evans. Evans has known Barela

for over a decade and said he

truly brings a new level of experi-

ence and character to NSU.

Barela and his wife Lauren

will be not only a great addition

to the university, but also to the

Tahlequah community, said Ev-

ans.

Pete Henshaw/University PhotographerChucky Bryant, Tahlequah junior, quietly celebrates a suc-

cessful play. The RiverHawks are set to see many more suc-cessful games.


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Page 18


The Northeastern

Womens tennis hopes for regional titleKIRA COKER

TNE WRITER

The NSU tennis team is not

holding back this semester with

some players having not lost one

match. Ivana Belejova, Slovakia,

Europe junior, has gone seven

and zero so far this season.

My personal goals for this sea-

son are to compete every match,

play my best, and be a good

leader for my teammates, saidBelejova.

The tennis team has set some

high goals for this season. With

only having four home games the

team sometimes travels quite a

distance to play.

Our team goal for this season

is to qualify for regionals, said

Belejova, And try to make it to

nationals.

With regionals as one of the

teams main goals they have anexciting season ahead of them.

We have 15 more matches to

go, said Jeanne Mallem, Courn-

ou, France sophomore. We are

going to play some really good

teams.

The team is diverse with hav-

ing a number of international

players including four freshmen

on the team.We are a pretty young team,

said Mallem. We are all inter-

national, so it makes us different

from other universities.

Each of the players has a differ-

ent background because of their

diverse upbringing. Each player

also has a different way they rst

got involved in tennis.

I got my rst racket for my

third Christmas, said Mallem.My dad taught me how to play

and then I asked to have tennis

lessons and a coach.

Players participant in single

and double matches and are off

to a good start.

I am 6-1 in singles and 5-2 in

doubles, said Mallem.

The team enjoys traveling to

matches and competing against

other teams together. The ten-

nis team will be traveling duringthis season to Texas and the east

coast.

I love traveling with my team-

mates, said Sara Trott, Brighton,

Zachary Whatley/Contributing photographer

The womans tennis team is preparing to continue their al-ready successful season. They have 15 matches left this sea-son and hope to make it to regionals.

England freshman. They give

me support. I am also lookingforward to our tournament in

Florida in a few weeks.

Sometimes the game can get

difcult and the matches end

close, but the tennis team is hold-

ing their own.

We played against Northwest

Missouri and it was a really tough

and a close match, said Trott.

We beat them 5-4 and this was

my best so far.The tennis players strive to

play better each week and want

to work on their game as much as

possible.

I want to play my best and

improve my game as much as I

can, said Mallem.

Even though the season has al-

ready started, players are looking

forward to upcoming matches.

I cannot wait to play on cam-

pus, said Mallem. We are go-

ing to have three home games in

March.

The rst home match is against

East Central on March 8 and it is

to be announced.

On March 9, they will play

Lindenwood at 3 p.m. and then

against Fort Smith, Arkansas on

March 13.

These will be the teams rst

home games this semester andthe only ones during March.

For further schedule, coach

and player information fans can

log onto goriverhawksgo.com/

sports/wten


[email protected].


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Page 19


The Northeastern

RiverHawks prepare for new baseball seasonMIKE YORK

TNE WRITER

Since the RiverHawks took

the eld in the 2012 season, the

players and coaching staff have

shown great

strides as they at-

tempt to obtain

their year goals.

We have met

our expectations

thus far this sea-son, said Travis

Janssen, head

baseball coach.

Our wins and

loss record

doesnt reect

where we are as

a team.

Janssen said

his team has

competed well

for the most partthis season. They

are trying to iron

out the details,

like every other

college team in

the nation is do-

ing.

Were try-

ing to get things

worked out early

in the season,said Janssen.

The team has

been making great strides this

year and plan to do so as the sea-

son rolls on.

There have been some guys

that have played very well for us,

said Janssen. I wish our win/loss

record was better, other than that

I feel the guys have been compet-

ing hard everyday, said Janssen.Team chemistry has been one of

our strongest areas this year.

Janssen said for a group of 35

guys being put though a coaching

staff change, theyre doing excel-

lent.

Team chemistry has been great

this year; they stick together and

have fun with each other.When you have a group like

this, its fun to be around, said

Janssen.

Chemistry and character have

been the teams strengths this year

and the players have embraced

learning a second position.

I like playing the guys early

and seeing who will respond in agame, said Janssen. The depth

has been pretty good, we have

12 to 13 viable options on posi-

tion players, depending on whos

pitching and

where people

are playing.

According

to a press re-

lease on goriv-

e r h a w k s g o .com Janssen

has done a tre-

mendous job

for the NSU

program. Also,

Janssen is a

tireless worker,

who has taken

the necessary

steps to accept

the head coach

position.As you can

see in box

scores, we play

more than

nine guys,

said Janssen.

The River-

Hawks pitch-

ing has also

seen improve-

ment this year.The ex-

pectation is

that we have guys who will go

out and competed and play as

good as they can, go and get af-

ter the strike zones, and be ag-

gressive against the hitters, saidMike Nisco, RiverHawks pitch-

ing coach. Cutting down on

the walks is one of are goals, and

throwing a lot of strikes.

Although there is always room

for improvement, the pitchers

have denitely stepped up and

competed this year.

The guys are getting better ev-

ery single day, said Nisco. They

continue to get better every day inand out, and work their butts off.

There are no weak links in the

pitching staff this season, as start-

ers and the bullpen have pitched

well.

I feel both starting pitching

and our bullpen have pitched

well, said Nisco. The starting

pitching has done a good job thus

far this season.

The offensive has helped the

pitchingIf we give up a few runs, our

hitters have done a good job get-

ting them back, and keeping us

in the game, said Nisco. When

that happens, we have a lot of

guys in the bullpen that will throwstrikes and keep us in and give us

a chance to win as well.

The RiverHawks are deeper in

the eld and in the pitching staff

in the 2012 season.

I think our expectation is to

go out and compete the best we

can and win games, said Dustin

Hess, hitting coach. Team chem-

istry has been a big strength for us

this season. We have a great groupof guys that really like each other

and enjoy playing together.

The coaches feel this is a great

group of players and they are

proud of the teams hard work

and dedication.

They get along well with the

coaching staff and truly listen,

said Hess. The response has

been good from them. I think we

are deep at most positions, weve

got enough outelders, enoughinelders, and we have guys who

can go out and play every day.

For more info email york01@

nsuok.edu

Jon Dallis/TNEPreparation is in full swing as the 2012 baseball season ap-

proaches. The men are working hard in practice everyday toinsure this season is a successful one.


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Documents

The Northeastern - February 28, 2012