tne april 2, 2013

To err is human. To fix 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 104, Issue 27 Tuesday, Apr i l 2 , 2013 | Tahlequah, Okla. 74464

RiverHawk tennis prepares for MIAA Conference Championship.

See page 5

Media Day returns

NSU’s Media Studies department presents the 42nd annual Media Day.

See page 19

continued on page 2

continued on page 2

Veteran learns to read after lifelong struggle

Tennis team practices

KELI HOFFMANTNE WRITER

The ability to read a book or newspaper is a skill some take for granted.

For Ed Bray, 90-year-old Cook-son resident, it was a skill he thought he would never learn.

Janine Price, secretary II at the Cappi Wadley Reading and Technology Center, met Bray at a mutual friend’s house for din-ner one evening about six months ago.

Bray asked Price what she did for a living.

She told him she worked at the literacy center at NSU where they tutored children and adults to im-prove their reading ability.

“He stopped me and said ‘no-body can help me read,’” said Price.

Bray revealed to Price that he did not know how to read, and any attempt to teach him had been unsuccessful.

Price gave his information to Dr. Tobi Thompson, director of the Cappi Wadley Reading and Technology Center, and told him she might be able to help.

“You never know what you

can do to help somebody when you share a part of your life with them,” said Price.

Thompson did not immediate-ly begin lessons with Bray.

Instead, they would talk about Bray’s life, and Thompson slowly built a rapport with him.

Thompson said they would talk about his time served in the war, his wife, children and past at-tempts at learning to read.

Every time someone tried to teach him, either the teacher or Bray would eventually give up.

“People would tell him that there must

NSU gives back to community with Big Event

Keli Hoffman/TNEEd Bray, Cookson resident, visits with Dr. Tobi Thompson,

director of the Cappie Wadley Reading and Technology Center. Thompson helped Bray learn to read at the age of 89.

MIRANDA CAUGHRONTNE WRITER

More than 300 NSU students, faculty and staff have committed to bettering the Tahlequah com-munity.

Big Event takes place on April

6 starting inside the Jack Dobbins Field House.

The Big Event started at Texas A&M and now involves more than 70 other schools.

“I think it is important for stu-dents to give back to the com-munity as a way to say thank

you,” said Megan Edmonds, Big Event chairman and Herb Rozell scholar. “Tahlequah supports us in so much, and this is just one of the many ways we can support them.”

Volunteers will have an open-ing meeting and then be released

to their job sites around 10 a.m.They will receive breakfast and

lunch and should be done with their work by 2 p.m.

“I am volunteering for Big Event with my fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha,” said Matthew Reck-tenwald, Eufaula junior. “I love

helping others and giving back to the community because the com-munity has given so much to me.”

Students will do anything from raking leaves and weeding to painting a house.

Each of the jobs should take no more than a

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April 2, 2013NE W S

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Professor helps Bray accomplish his dream

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be something wrong with him,” said Thomp-son.

Bray told Thompson he did not want to be put in a classroom with other students, and he did not want to do lessons on a com-puter.

Thompson honored his re-quests and began creating lessons that tailored to Bray’s needs.

“In talking with him, I learned he was an Eddie Arnold fan,” said Thompson. “I picked Eddie

Arnold song lyrics Mr. Bray knew and used those as a place to start.”

Thompson said that the pro-cess grew from there.

Thompson turned the lyrics into flashcards, and Bray soon mastered those.

“My life’s done a 180 degree turn since I met her,” said Bray.

A few weeks ago, Bray read his first book about George Washing-ton.

Bray said after learning to read he felt like he was walking on

clouds. People around the world have

been inspired by Bray’s story, sending him letters and donating books from places such as Scot-land and Canada.

“Mr. Bray proves that you are never too old to follow your dreams, to achieve your goals and to learn something new,” said Thompson.

Thompson said this is a lesson that applies to all.

Bray served in World War II

where he was severely wounded and almost did not make it out alive.

Bray said he woke 14 days after the incident in a hospital in Eu-rope where he was certain he had died.

After the war, he worked at Tinker Air Force Base until retire-ment.

His wife helped him through life with anything that required reading.

She passed away in 2009, so his

desire to learn intensified. Bray said illiteracy was tougher

on him than war.“Spending time talking to him

and getting to know him has been a pleasure,” said Thompson. “I look forward to seeing him on Tuesdays and Thursdays and talking and working with him. He has a story to tell, and I am hon-ored that I am the one who gets to listen.”

For more information, email [email protected].

Nationwide volunteer program comes to campusfew hours

to complete and will not involve power tools of any kind.

“NSU has the Big Event spe-cifically for the purpose of pro-viding a way for NSU students to give back to the community that supports us in our academic en-deavors,” said Edmonds.

Big Event is based out of the Student Affairs office, specifically with the student activities depart-ment.

Big Event is chaired by Herb Rozell Scholars, Megan Ed-monds and Morgan Bozone, with help from a Big Event committee.

“We had around 800 volun-teers last year and the community really appreciated it,” said Alix Wells, member of the Big Event committee. “They really do look to NSU for help.”

Wells said it is a really good program.

Big Event is an opportunity for NSU students, faculty and staff to say thank you to the Tahlequah community for the continued support of NSU.

The mission of Big Event is to bring the community together.

“I have volunteered for the last two years and it’s really reward-

ing,” said Wells. “It is always someone that needs help. It is not just a project that you do and leave and don’t feel good about what you have done. It makes our community a better, tighter com-munity.”

Big Event is still accepting vol-unteers.

Students wishing to participate must go down to the student ac-tivities office to sign up.

Many student organizations have already turned in their pack-ets.

“It is really hard work, very hard work,” said Janna Hopkins, Tahlequah resident. “We both have bad backs and we have been trying to get our project done for two years and haven’t been able to get it done yet.”

Hopkins found the ad for the Big Event in the paper.

“I thought it would be really great and we could get help,” said Hopkins.

Hopkins said she is grateful for all the student’s hard work.

Big Event also sponsors a re-flection event which focuses on all of the volunteer work done.

The Big Event is April 16 at Beta Field.


Miranda Caughron/TNESarah Fletcher and Christie Fullerton Big Event committee members check on a job site at lo-

cal Tahlequah residents Janna and Steve Hopkins’ on March 27. Big Event will be April 6 and is one of the largest volunteer events for NSU students, faculty and staff.

April 2, 2013NE W S

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Campus housing increases securityDREW BENNETTTNE WRITER

Students have probably noticed in the past three weeks it has be-come more difficult to get into the Leoser complex.

On March 5, the housing de-partment restricted access to the building. Students must enter through the door between Coun-seling Center and Northwest Le-oser.

The door through housing is still open but is locked after the housing department closes at 5 p.m.

Despite rumors the cause of the sudden increase in security is due to a break-in, the real reason is not so drastic or extreme.

“We did not have a particular incident that caused us to increase security,” said Ellic Thayne King, director of housing. “We’ve been looking for ways to make the halls as secure as possible in all areas of campus. In Leoser we found that we had a significant number of non-residents cutting through the complex. These people were not escorted and on a number of occasions, we found that they were trying to enter the residen-tial wings without an escort. “

King said they decided too many exterior doors were un-locked at times they did not need to be.

“We changed access in those areas while keeping one door open for non-Leoser residents

who want to visit Essentials,” said King.

Though for the most part stu-dents seem OK with the changes, there have been complaints about the inconvenience this has caused some students in Logan, Ross and Hastings, mostly because of the increased distance.

Most students want to get out of the unseasonal weather as quickly as possible.

“The residents of Logan, Ross and Hastings had to walk around the south end of South Leoser to enter the building at the far south end of the Mile of Tile before we made the change,” said King. “Now, the additional distance is roughly twice the length of the Southwest Leoser wing. You now

have to walk around that wing to the front of the building and then access the door by the Counseling Center. That is maybe another 200 yards of exercise than what was experienced before we made the changes. We didn’t think such a small amount of distance would be too much to ask in order to provide more security for all of the residents of Leoser.”

While some students are still skeptical, other students have wel-comed the change.

“It’s great actually, and it im-proves security for us and makes for a safer environment,” said James Parker, student housing worker.

Parker said he did not have many issues before this though.

“As an RA I think it is good, but as a student however, not so much,” said Logan Week, resi-dent assistant in Ross Hall. “If people have to walk around a building to get to Essentials, then so be it. It’s not always about the individual and it is important to keep the halls low traffic.”

This security change has been a first for Leoser and some won-der if it was avoidable, but things could always be worse.

“People have said to me that it’s so far from their room in the dorms and I would reply, have you been to OU,” said Parker. “That is like a mile to anywhere from the parking lot.”


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April 2, 2013OP INION

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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].

Alcohol and responsibility go hand in handFor many students, college

brings a new sense of freedom.Often times they use this op-

portunity to branch out and expe-rience life in a way they never had the opportunity to before now.

Students who are of legal drinking age can go to local bars and take in a drink or two.

With so many establishments downtown near NSU, students may see it as a safer alternative to walk to places like Ned’s rather than driving.

Many students believe this is a more responsible option than attempting to get in their vehicle and potentially endanger the lives of others, as well as themselves.

Doing so can result in a public intoxication charge, and local law enforcement have no qualms with enforcing such regulations.

Many students have found themselves in this exact predica-ment and do not agree with this system.

Often we do not stop and take the time to see things through the eyes of the opposition.

Walking the few blocks back to campus might not seem like an issue to many students. In fact, many view it as the safest option.

Students have even proposed a ‘safe zone’ from Ned’s to campus.

Campus police have a much different view and have many

reasons to back it up. Regardless of how you defend

it, or how safe you might think it is, this behavior still results in pub-lic drunkenness.

In the state of Oklahoma, you are considered drunk in public af-ter having one drink.

According to campus police, nothing prohibits someone from walking to or from a local bar or restaurant

They even encourage people to make smarter decisions by not drinking and driving.

One of these decisions may include walking to the establish-ment. However, people must remember that if they exit the

business after drinking, they are considered intoxicated and may be subject to arrest if an officer believes they are in violation of the law.

The police are not out to arrest everyone who had a drink, but they do want to ensure everyone is safe.

Campus police encourages their officers to use discretion when they come into contact with individuals who have been drink-ing, including those walking back to campus.

Officers are advised to keep the person’s safety and wellbeing in mind when making the decision to take enforcement action.

The campus police departmen-tal standard used to determine if someone is intoxicated states “if the individual is intoxicated and unable to care for the safety of themselves or others, then the possibility of arrest is high.”

Other local police agencies have their own policies and pro-cedures on how to handle in-toxicated individuals which may differ from the way situations are handled on campus.

Walking may being safer than

driving, but letting people walk puts a liability on the police de-partment that they may not be able to handle. Someone could walk home drunk and stumble in the street and get hit by a car.

The police have no way of stopping such situations, there-fore a safe zone might not be the best option.

The NSU Police Department encourages students, faculty and staff to make intelligent decisions when drinking alcohol.

We encourage students to have a plan and utilize designated driv-ers.

If students have been drinking, and are unable to safely return home, they are encouraged to call campus police for a ride home if they are close to campus.

Campus police do not seek to arrest every student walking home from a bar.

They are simply doing their job as well as looking out for the safety of the student body.

Students should keep this in mind when having a good time and should seek to ensure a safe and responsible campus commu-nity.

Andrew Scott/TNEMark Dressler, University Police Officer, writes a ticket in his

vehicle. University Police seek to provide a safer campus com-munity.

April 2, 2013 F E AT URE

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Media studies program presents Media DayMIRANDA CAUGHRONTNE WRITER

Students from many regional high schools and middle schools will gather on NSU’s campus to participate and compete in the 42nd annual Media Day.

The Northeastern student newspaper and the Media Stud-ies department will sponsor Me-dia Day April 4.

“We want the students to take this as a learning experience and be able to look at their work and see things that could be improved upon or they are doing really well,” said Audra Hurley, Media Day coordinator. “We want them to grow from this experience and know they can work up to a pub-lication like The Northeastern.”

Students will compete in vari-ous media-based competitions from writing and layout to video. Competitions include sports writ-ing, feature writing and design.

“Media Day is good, because it gets students interested in NSU and shows all the different aspects to the media studies program,” said Ryan Beck, visual communi-cations senior.

The many breakout sessions students may attend will feature NSU professors, employees and recent graduates. The sessions will discuss yearbook planning strategies, photography, enter-tainment public relations, social media, and an adviser and edi-tor’s roundtable.

“Now, as a graduate, I finally have the skills and the knowledge to spread to the younger genera-tion,” said Jon Dallis, recent NSU graduate and speaker at Media Day. “These are the up and com-ing middle and high school stu-

dents that will be filling my place as editor-in-chief of the newspa-per someday. I like to know that my knowledge is being passed onto them.”

There will be an onsite broad-cast video and digital photogra-phy competition where students can shoot photos and videos and win awards at the end of the day.

Students will have an opportu-nity to shoot photos or video clips,

or to read on camera, and then get feedback on their work.

“We are thrilled to show the students from our region some of the exciting things we are doing with broadcast production,” said Aaron Anderson, instructor of broadcast production.

Attendees will be able to access a photo booth, a new feature to Media Day. There will also be many giveaways including glow-

sticks, sunglasses and T-shirts shot from a T-shirt gun.

Visiting students will also meet with many student organiza-tions and activities, such as RBC, NSUtv, NAB, Greek Life and many others.

“Media Day is a good oppor-tunity for kids to not only tour our campus, but also see what we have to offer,” said Dallis. “Our video production is up and com-ing, our newspaper is doing well, but not only for that. Media Day gives them a chance to see what a real-life newspaper is and see job opportunities you can attain after graduation.”

Dallis said it is a neat experi-ence for the students to get to see more than just their own lo-cal production by getting to see something on the collegiate level.

There is expected to be 400-500 high school students in atten-dance.

Students will spend the day at-taining knowledge and exploring the university.

This is a great experience for the students coming to Media Day and a great way to get the students to think about the Media Studies program at NSU.


Ashley Rogers/TNEMichelle Miron, Media Day coordinator, organizes Media Day entries. Media Day is an an-

nual event where high school, junior high and middle school students may submit works to be judged by the NSU chapter of the Society of Collegiate Journalists.

April 2, 2013F E AT URE

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Greek Week welcomes new program changesJAMES BAGWELLTNE WRITER

Every year, for one week, NSU’s Greek Community flexes its muscles and showcases its skills in the Greek Week competitions.

However, this year there are going to be some changes in the yearly NSU staple, and the indi-vidual events are getting a facelift as well.

“The biggest change for this year is that the Greek Sing com-petition is going to occur at the end of Greek Week,” said Chris Adney, director of student activi-ties. “It is going to act as a culmi-

nation for Greek Week. A lot of times Greek Week happens, the last event occurs and there is not really a wrap up. This year, Greek Sing is going to be the event itself plus the Greek awards ceremony that will be held during the inter-missions between the groups.”

In past years, Greek Week featured contact athletic com-petitions between all of the fra-ternities and sororities, which in turn caused a few injuries and heightened tensions between or-ganizations. In addition to the date changes for Greek Sing, the 2013 Greek Week will feature less impact sports such as golf, ping-

pong and volleyball.“Greek Week has been re-

formed,” said Ashley Medlock, Coweta graduate assistant. “It has moved to more of a Greek unity event. We are also kick-ing off Greek Week with the Big Event that will be the community service aspect of Greek Week. I’m excited to see how it goes because this is the first year that our students are actually getting to put their ideas into planning Greek Week as a whole.”

Along with all of the changes in sporting activities for Greek Week there are changes in the rules and point scoring system.

“This year I am hoping the points system is a little more clear and easy to understand,” said Alix Wells, Greek Week chair-woman. “We have hired intra-mural referees for the week who will be in charge of all the judging aside from the Greeks Got Talent portion, where we are finding judges from within the theatre de-partment and faculty. I hope ev-eryone really enjoys what we have planned, and as the week goes on be sure and give us feedback so next year can be even better.”

2013 is the first year there has been a Greek Week without a Greek life adviser. This has al-lowed room for a committee of elected students to play the big-gest role in the planning of this year’s Greek Week. The commit-tee is composed of fraternity and sorority members from almost all

of the Greek organizations on campus, which helps to allow ev-ery organization to have a voice and input about how Greek Week is run.

“I am looking forward to the competition,” said Becca Fulps, Broken Arrow sophomore. “It brings us together as a sisterhood, and it would be awesome if we won it again this year.”

Greek Week is April 8-12 with different sports and activities each afternoon. There will be a differ-ent theme for each day of Greek Week such as Old People Bowl, Nerd Out, and Hunt or be Hunt-ed, in which members of the Greek community are expected to dress the part for more points toward their goal of Greek Week champions.



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NSU promotes international diversityKELI HOFFMANTNE WRITER

Diversifying the culture of NSU is something the Office of International Programs continually strives to do.

Brittany Kjonegaard, in-ternational recruitment and retention specialist, and Dr. Sandra Edwards, master of business administration direc-tor, took a seven-day trip to Bangalore, India.

“We went to India to talk to some potential students to get them excited about coming to our university,” said Edwards.

They visited the Seshadri-puram Academy for Global Excellence, where they spoke at seminars to recruit students and inform them about the op-portunities offered at NSU.

NSU has an agreement with SAGE to send students here to earn a Master of Business Ad-ministration degree.

The agreement has been in place since 2012.

The students are brought from India each spring to begin their education.

There are currently 18 stu-dents in the program.

Syed Usman, Bangalore graduate, is one of the students brought to NSU by the pro-gram.

“I think this is the only pro-gram in my city that offers this kind of uniqueness,” said Usman. “You can study for a semester at your school in your home country, and then study three semesters abroad at NSU.”

Once the students complete three semesters, they will grad-

uate from NSU with an MBA.“They graduate here with an

MBA degree, and it looks better when they go back to their home country,” said Kjonegaard. “They have a graduate degree in America, which is amazing, and it helps them find a job.”

Kjonegaard spoke at a seminar at SAGE in front of more than 1,000 students.

She talked about the campus, campus activities, housing, safety and other information potential stu-dents may want to know.

“They’ve heard about us, but it’s easier to put a face to what they hear,” said Kjonegaard.

Edwards spoke at the seminar about the MBA program and all that it has to offer.

“We spoke with the manage-ment team about some of the elec-tives they’d like to see their students

have,” said Edwards. “We talked about the process and how to make it more efficient and effec-tive. To the students, we talked about the program components, like how many hours, and some of our expectations, and the value of an MBA.”

The MBA program consists of 36 credit hours, with courses scheduled in the evenings to ac-commodate the students who work full-time jobs.

Usman said the uniqueness, along with the affordability of NSU, is what brought him here.

Usman was not sure what to expect when he got here. Com-ing from Bangalore, a city of over 8 million residents, to a city of 16,000, was a shock to him.

“What was interesting is that people here are really nice,” said Usman. “Strangers here will wave

at each other, which is completely different in India.”

He said there are too many people in India, making it impos-sible to greet most of them.

For some of the students from India, eating meat is against their religion.

Usman said the kitchen staff has tried their best to accommo-date these students.

It is one of the things he will remember about NSU when he graduates and returns to India in May.

Vineeth Thomas, a representa-tive from SAGE, is visiting NSU April 1-4 to tour campus and check on the students from their program.



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BCM visits Hands of Grace warehouseMIRANDA CAUGHRONTNE WRITER

NSU students are making a difference in the lives of families in need. The Baptist Collegiate Ministry community missions team will visit the Hands of Grace warehouse sponsored by the Zoë Institute April 13.

“We do an event every month which is community service based,” said Tristin Dean, BCM community missions team leader. “Zoë supplies warm clothes and necessities and it is just a good place to spend a day helping oth-ers.”

Zoë Institute operates the Hands of Grace warehouse in partnership with the local Chero-kee County Christian Ministerial Alliance.

“The last time we helped with the Zoë Institute, we had a list of chores and did anything from hanging clothes and sorting meals to cleaning and setting up the pantry,” said Dean.

The Hands of Grace ware-house is open to families to access once a month for three months, and then every other month thereafter. Families wishing to ac-cess the warehouse must obtain a voucher from the Zoë Institute

beforehand. The hours to access the warehouse are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday.

“I think it’s a good opportu-nity to go and help people who are less fortunate and I think it is good for everyone to do commu-nity service,” said Bailey Richel, BCM community missions team member.

The Zoë Institute’s goal is to help hurting people around the world achieve the level of life they were originally meant to have. They hope to improve the quality of life of individuals both in the U.S. and abroad through educa-tion, life skills training and hu-

manitarian relief efforts. “Because I am a Christian, I

want to serve others,” said Joc-elyn Couch, BCM community missions team member. “This seemed like the perfect opportu-nity to go and serve. God calls his followers to show love to others, and with my service, I hope to show others what Christ’s love is about.”

The typical items available for families in need at the warehouse include paper products, clothing, hygiene items, diapers and house-hold goods.

“It is our Christian duty to serve those around us,” said Eliz-

abeth Cotrill, Jay freshman. “It truly opens your eyes to the world around you and strengthens your faith. BCM allows you to fellow-ship with other Christians.”

The BCM community mis-sion’s team has 12 members. The team meets every Monday in the BCM building.

“I would tell others to get in-volved because it is rewarding to help those in the community and you can meet new people,” said Cotrill. “Getting involved with a faith-based group helps guide and keeps you uplifted spiritually.”



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Career Services provides avenues for senior successANDREW SCOTTTNE WRITER

The semester is coming to an end and graduation is right around the corner. This means students need to buy caps and gowns and start looking toward the future.

For some, this means joining the alumni association, and for others, it means graduate school. Whichever it might be, this time can become stressful.

NSU looks to make gradua-tion less stressful for students. The RiverHawk bookstore and the Alumni Association are partner-ing up to make this happen.

April 5 they will have a Gradu-ate Fair that will help with any needs one may have.

“The Graduate Fair is a one-stop shop for graduates,” said Cole Martin, RiverHawk book store manager. “They can find out about graduate programs, the alumni association, find out their GPA and anything else they may need after graduation.”

This year’s Graduate Fair is a step up from the past. They are trying to make it more visible this year and more of an event.

“We will have tables set up for graduate schools or insur-ance that will help students with the resources they will need after graduation,” said Daniel John-son, director of alumni relations development.

The partnership between the RiverHawk Shoppe and the Alumni Association seem to be a no brainier when dealing with graduation.

“It makes sense to work with the Alumni Association because these are students that are going

into their last semester into be-coming an alumni,” said Martin. “We are the ones that sell that cap and gowns and they are ones that help you out with becoming an alumni.”

The Graduate Fair brings the needs to the students. For gradu-ates there are more benefits to the Graduate Fair, compared to other on-campus events.

“I think it is a great idea, be-cause when I graduated I didn’t have any resources to help me find out what the next step is after school,” said Michael Bates, Lo-cust Grove graduate. “The Grad-uate Fair will help students to get the help they need to get their feet on the ground.”

Other students are excited to have a place to look into their fu-ture.

“I am excited for the Graduate Fair because it gives me an op-portunity to get my cap and gown and look into graduate schools,” said Matt Ross, Broken Arrow senior.

As of now the event will be

inside unless the weather is nice, and then it will be at the Second Century Plaza on April 5.

“We will be on Tahlequah’s campus from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. and then pull up stakes and head to the Broken Arrow campus after that,” said Johnson.

For the future, they are already planning to have more vendors and different opportunities at this event.

“We would like this event to be something that graduates look forward to and also have more vendors at the fair,” said Martin.

The event gives students the chance to learn more about the benefits of being a member of the alumni association.

“It gives us the opportunity to let them know how to get in-volved with the alumni associa-tion and the benefits of being a part of the association,” said Johnson. “More than anything it is for the graduates to prepare for commencement.”


Andrew Scott/TNECole Martin, RiverHawk bookstore manager, helps Jordan

Toney, Porum senior, with graduation. Martin helps Toney pick out a class ring before graduation.


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Career Services event pairs etiquette and networkingJAMES BAGWELL TNE WRITER

The Center of Career Services offers many different outlets for NSU students to succeed.

They have many events in their repertoire to present new ideas and skill building opportunities to students and alumni alike.

Autumn Stafford, career events specialist, said that career services empowers students and alumni to be self-sufficient in marketing their education, skills and experi-ence to achieve success.

The center offers a variety of services to all majors and at all stages of students’ career.

They present numerous ca-reer fairs, on-campus recruiting events, information sessions and career-development workshops.

The weapon of choice for the next career services event is the Smart Talking and Dining: Net-working and Etiquette Dinner.

Brenda Pertain from the Green Country Etiquette School will lead the event.

“The Etiquette Dinner will help students understand how to handle themselves at a dining event in a professional setting,” said Stafford. “Students will also learn about networking and will be able to put those skills to use, as company representatives will

be on hand during the event.”Stafford also said she person-

ally hopes to provide NSU stu-dents with more events that will give them skills and information to better prepare themselves for their career and working life after college.

Several students are look-ing forward to the dinner and etiquette seminar, as well as the networking opportunities that ac-company this event.

This event is even more impor-tant for students who are gradu-ating in the spring semester, as it provides them an opportunity to network with the companies on hand.

“This event sounds like a great way to help me get my foot in the door with a good job after gradu-ation,” said Donald Urban, Sal-lisaw senior. “With graduation coming up soon I know several of my friends could benefit from this event, and others like it as well.”

Many students wish to attend the dinner, but between balancing their college careers and full-time jobs most of them will not be able to make it.

“Honestly, it sounds like a great idea to me,” said Josh Stuff, Coweta junior.

Stuff said that although he would be unable to attend, he thought it sounded like an excel-

lent opportunity. “Hopefully I will be able to at-

tend something like this before I graduate,” said Stuff.

Stuff said he feels like proper etiquette is essential making great first impressions.

The dinner will be on the 5:30-7 p.m. on April 9 on the Tahle-quah campus. Space for the Eti-quette

Dinner will be limited to rough-ly 30 students.

To RSVP, students may con-tact Autumn Stafford at career services at (918) 444-3113, or [email protected].



www.nsunews.comCourtesy of Weather.com

Current EventsTuesday, April 2

Women’s Tennis vs Southern Nazarene University

2-5 p.m.NSU Tennis Complex

Wednesday, April 3

Healthy Campus Meeting11 a.m.– noon

University Center room 223Tahlequah

Baseball at Pittsburg State University1-6 p.m.

Pittsburg, Kan.

Thursday, April 4

Volunteer Income Tax Assis-tance Program

3-6 p.m.Business and Technology,

room 121.Tahlequah

NAB - Movie Night9:30-11:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 6

The Big EventUniversity Center

Tahlequah

Saturday, April 6 (cont.)

Baseball vs Lindenwood Uni-versity

1-6 p.m.Thomas C. Rousey Field

Sunday, April 7

Women’s Tennis vs Truman State University

Tahlequah

Baseball vs Lindenwood Uni-versity

Noon-3 p.m.Thomas C. Rousey Field

NSU Jazz Ensemble Concert with Mike Bennett

5 p.m. Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

Monday, April 8

NSU Jazz Ensemble Concert with Mike Bennett

7 p.m. NSU Jazz Lab

Tahlequah

41st Annual Symposium on the American Indian

Apr 8–13, 2013University Center

Tahlequah

Students cope with stressDREW BENNETTTNE WRITER

It is no mystery that stress is a factor in every individual’s day-to-day life. Students at NSU are no different, and with the 2013 spring semester nearing its last few weeks, students are feeling the pressure.

It is good to know the ways to relieve some of that mid-semester anxiety.

Stress is caused by various factors, the causes of which are known as stressors. Stressors come in two categories for both external sources and internal sources.

External stressors consist of things such as physical conditions like the weather, stressful psycho-logical environments like working conditions or classwork and abu-sive relationships.

Internal stressors consist of physical ailments such as illnesses like infections and inflammation, or psychological problems such as always worrying.

Stress can have a lot of detri-mental effects on a person’s health ranging from many physical and mental ailments consisting of ,but not limited to, heart palpitations, depression, panic attacks, anxiety, hopelessness, fatigue, high blood pressure, sleeping disorders, loss of weight, loss of appetite, ner-

vous habits, emotional outburst and shortness of breath.

Knowing how to identify signs of stress is one of the first steps to take toward alleviating it.

Stress Factor, a two-day pre-sentation by Libby Rogers and Tamora Hamlin, is a brief class on April 1-2 to help freshmen learn to balance college life with the other stresses in life as well as how to recognize and cope with it.

“We are really excited about doing this,” said Hamlin. “It re-ally is interesting how any student can see one thing and each stu-dent see it completely different. When it comes to stress, it is all about how you react to it.”

Hamlin said they are helping students learn what to do when things like personal health, finan-cial aid, and family starts to get to them.

Another major source available to students suffering from stress is the HawkReach Student Services located in Leoser.

“We at counseling service bring a lot of resources for students with stress, along with many ways to help relieve it, such as counsel-ing services free to students and training exercises to help calm students,” said Blake Lundry, al-cohol education and outreach development assistant. “We can even as a last resort outsource stu-

dents to Student Health Services for prescribed medication.”

Students are always welcome at HawkReach, and meetings are confidential.

“If you are in a place where you are having a lot of anxiety and you don’t know what the reason is and you’re having trouble coping, you know, come by and see us, we are here to help you,” said Russ Waid, counselor at student affairs. “I guess what I am saying is come see a therapist.”

Along with these services there are also a few things students can do on their own to try and reduce stress.

These things can consist of as-sessing and improving your diet, sharing worries, reducing toxic intake and exercising more.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is to try to talk about it.

“Talking to someone, talking to anyone really can help you feel better,” said Sharon Bleau, re-ceptionist of counseling services. “Even if you don’t have anyone to talk to, you can always speak with one of the counselors. It seems that people are afraid of them, but it’s not actually that bad. It is good to know that they are friendly and what you tell them is always confidential.”



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NSU alumna named Principal of the YearNortheastern State University

alumna, Theresa Kiger, principal at Roy Clark Elementary School, has been named the 2013-2014 Oklahoma Elementary Principal of the Year.

Kiger said this award is a per-fect example of how a school and a community can rally together for the needs of the students.

Kiger said she could not have done this by herself.

“This is more of a representa-tion of the culture at Roy Clark.,” said Kiger.

Kiger said they are going to do whatever it takes to assure all the kids have an opportunity, no mat-

ter what their economic situation. Kiger received a bachelor’s

degree in elementary education with an early childhood emphasis and a master’s degree in educa-tional leadership from Northeast-ern State University.

Roy Clark Elementary is part of the Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative.

Community schools develop partnerships between the school and its local community by pro-viding not only academics to its students, but also social and health development programs to the community.

“I think it is a representation

of the teachers, support staff, par-ents and the community all work-ing together for a common goal and that is to make sure that every child needs are met,” said Kiger.

Dr. Stephan Sargent, assistant professor of reading and litera-ture at NSU, said Kiger is in-strumental in the preparation of teachers at NSUBA in the read-ing program.

“She is actively involved in the READ 4063 course and has pro-vided space weekly to us for our students for the past nine years,” said Sargent.

Kiger said she absolutely loves her NSU students.

“Having NSU students here, talking about current research, builds such a huge bridge be-tween the actual classroom and the work we do when we go to col-lege,” said Kiger. “Clark is such a

diverse school with so many dif-ferent levels of literacy, no matter what age the child is.

Kiger said each NSU student is able to work with each child.

Kiger said she has already committed to hiring two teacher candidate interns to join the Roy Clark staff next fall.

“It’s important when we are talking to new graduates that they understand that this school is a challenge and that there is some hard work ahead for them down the road,” said Kiger. “But they will be supported and nurtured during that journey, and have a school that cares for them and wants them to be successful.”

Kiger said that she enjoys the support and caring, which is part of the culture at Roy Clark.

Press release courtesy of www.nsuok.edu.


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Renowned poet visits NSUDONOVAN SCHNEIDERCONTRIBUTING WRITER

In 1974, Tahlequah became the set for popular film “Where the Red Fern Grows.” The city has always possessed a love of lit-erature, and bringing this novel to life is just a piece of its history.

Downtown Tahlequah still dis-plays a reminiscent quality in its old taverns, barbershops and gal-leries.

Like any old city, it is not un-common to lose elements of the past with time.

On April 8, the NSU Jazz Lab will once again bring the art of literature to life in Tahlequah.

World-renowned poet Maria-hadessa Ekere Tallie will visit NSU during a travel to Texas.

“She will be conducting read-ings and workshops this spring at Texas A&M and Texas Tech,” said Christopher Murphy, in-structor of English. “She’s read in America, Europe, and Africa.”

Tallie currently teaches at York College in New York City. She has been published in numerous journals across the globe includ-ing BOMB, Paris/Atlantic and Crab Orchard.

Flipped Eye Publishing pub-lished Tallie’s first book of poetry, “Karma’s Footstep” in 2011.

“While her work may not be familiar to students, as she’s a young-and-upcoming poet, the themes she deals with-race and gender, primarily-will be immedi-ately recognizable,” said Murphy.

Tallie will conduct a 20-person workshop on the craft of poetry from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Jazz Lab.

Murphy said Tallie’s workshop will involve Tallie talking about

how she ap-p r o a c h e s poetry writ-ing, as well as exercises for participants to write and present their own work.

Due to size constraints of the Jazz Lab, Tallie’s work-shop is avail-able by reser-vation only.

The work-shop is free for NSU stu-dents and $20 for members of the community.

Tallie will also have a poetry reading at 3:30 p.m., April 8 in the Webb Auditorium.

This event is open to all NSU stu-dents, faculty and commu-nity members and is free of charge.

“Her book will be on sale at the read-ing, and she will be sign-ing copies afterwards,” said Murphy.

M u r p h y said Tallie’s a wonderful

talent and speaker. “It’s a great opportunity to

have her here,” said Murphy. For more information, email

[email protected].

Mariahadessa Ekere TallieCourtesy photo

While many students spent their spring break visiting exotic locales, Blake Harris, Coweta senior, spent his rat-tlesnake hunting. Harris takes the snakes to Mangum for their Rattlesnake Roundup.

Student hunts snakes


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American Indian Symposium captures momentsJACCI ALWORDEN TNE WRITER

A woven link is connecting the past and present.

Technology is the link used to preserve the history of the Native American people.

The 41st annual symposium on the American Indian is using this theme to capture these moments in time.

“The symposium is a program that provides an opportunity for distinguished scholars and lectur-ers to examine areas relating to historic and contemporary Na-tive American issues,” said Alisa Douglas, administrative assistant for tribal studies. “The sympo-sium attracts not only local and statewide visitors but also nation-ally and a growing number inter-nationally each year.”

There are a number of guest speakers lecturing on various top-ics at the symposium.

Among them are Dr. Colleen Fitzgerald, of the University of Texas-Arlington.

Dr. Fitzgerald’s expertise lies in American Indian linguistics.

Dr. Daniel Littlefield of the University of Arkansas and co-founder of the American Native Press Archives will also present.

“I will be talking about the problems faced by paper archives in what is becoming a basically digital world,” said Littlefield. “I will be looking at the issue from not only the perspective of some-one like me who is in the busi-ness of archiving materials but also from the perspective of the people who are responsible for ar-chiving digital materials.”

Living in a digital age could present issues for future that past

generations had to endure. “I would like for the audience

to realize that if they don’t leave a record of themselves, no one else will,” said Littlefield. “If they don’t leave a record, they will be erased from history. I would espe-cially stress that to Native people, especially young people.

Little field said it is too easy to hit the delete button today.

“It may be that future genera-tions may think of the Informa-tion Age as an age we know noth-ing about,” said Littlefield. “Our society has faced this before. When we became a telephone society, personal correspondence went by the wayside.”

Littlefield said he would want them to look at what they are do-ing and decide if a record of their existence is important to them.

Each guest speaker was chosen for various reasons.

“The speakers for the sympo-sium this year were chosen be-cause of their area of field which closely relates to the theme, ‘Technology Future, Technology Past: A Woven Link,’” said Doug-las. “Their unique perspective of technology and how it’s used to-day within the Native community will be of focus in the areas such as research and documentation, artifact preservation, language, revitalization and pop-culture.”

The symposium is meant to educate and empower Native Americans.

“The mission of the SNRC is to archive Native expression, no matter what form that expression takes,” said Littlefield. “Our mot-to is ‘Voices from the past, Educa-tion for the future.’ Thus we pre-serve as much Native expression as possible: print, visual, sound

and film. We are creating a place where Native people can come in future generations and see what generations past have said, painted, sung, acted and so on. Knowledge is power. Ignorance is

weakness. If you have knowledge, you can make your own way in this life. Without it, someone else tells you how to go.”

The symposium is April 8-13 in the UC.

For an agenda of the events, visit http://www.cts.nsuok.edu/NSUSymposium/SymposiumA-genda.aspx.


Students sell Potter-inspired wands

Miranda Caughron/TNEMican Ernsten, Westville freshman, sells Harry Potter-inspired wands for N.E.W.T.S., NSU’s

chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance. The club is raising funds for T-shirts. Buttons made from book pages are available for $1 and the wands range from $4-$8 for the elder wand.


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Honors Program offers study-abroad opportunityALYSSA GREGORYCONTRIBUTING WRITER

From Italy to Costa Rica, the Honors Program abroad experi-ence is keeping its bags packed.

For the third year, the Honors Program is offering an education-al travel opportunity, this year to Scotland and England.

“An international experi-ence cultivates personal growth and global citizenship,” said Dr. Karen Carey, associate professor of educational foundation lead-ership and trip adviser. “When faculty and students have the opportunity to experience other cultures, traditions and learning opportunities abroad, they bring

back to our campus the knowl-edge gained and as a result we all benefit and grow.”

The eight-day trip, May 15-23, encompasses everything from castles to the iconic red phone booths littered along London’s streets.

The trip begins in Edinburgh, Scotland with time spent studying the medieval architecture, stroll-ing down the Royal Mile and feeding the animals at the Edin-burgh Zoo.

After five days in Scotland, stu-dents will take the night train to London. Standing in the shadow of Big Ben, grabbing some fish and chips wrapped in newspaper and walking through the site of

punishment at the Tower of Lon-don are a few of the excursions planned.

“I’ve longed to travel to foreign countries, especially England,” said Ashley Strother, Newkirk freshman. “It is one of my dreams. This experience would be a step in fulfilling my fantasy of touring the world. Being able to explore helps me to visualize the changes that have taken place over time.”

Hailing from Falkirk, Scotland, Dr. John deBanzie, professor of biology, is excited about the group tour locations.

“The tour will allow students to experience a different culture, see a different geography, and learn

about another history, while still speaking English,” said deBanzie.

The tour cost is approximate-ly $3,200 including round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, select meals, full-time tour direc-tor, sightseeing tours and visits to special attractions, as well as free time to study and explore.

Three credit hours can be earned for an additional fee.

The cost can be eased with the help of financial aid.

Students are not the only peo-ple encouraged to go.

Faculty, staff and community members are invited to attend.

“Hopefully, a seed is planted for students and other faculty to trav-el abroad, as well,” said Carey.

For more information about the abroad experience, email Carey at [email protected].


April 2, 2013A & E

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Beard performs senior recital at NSU’s Jazz LabJACCI ALWORDENTNE WRITER

The four years spent at univer-sity can seem to drag by, crawl through time or fly past in a hur-ry. For one student, it is almost time to don a cap and gown, walk across the stage and say goodbye to NSU.

Christopher Beard, Claremore senior, has been a student at NSU for the last four years. He is grad-uating in May with a bachelor’s degree in music performance/jazz studies. Before he goes, he will give his senior recital.

“I’m just excited to have a night to show all my friends, family and fellow students what I’ve been working on the last few years,” said Beard. “I was able to select all of the songs for the perfor-mance, so I’m fairly excited about

all of them. If I had to pick one that’s my favorite it would be the tune I’ll be playing last, ‘Sum-mer Romance, Anti-Gravity Love Song.’ It’s an Incubus tune, which I wrote out for a rhythm section, horn line and vocalist. Many of my friends will play on it, and everyone has had a fun time jam-ming out to it. I hope that the au-dience will enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoy playing it.”

Going to class, rehearsals and extra-curricular activities are what the college experience is built on.

Sometimes students even get to create not only memories that last a lifetime, but also create music that will last as well.

“The Jazz Ensemble collabo-rated with New York saxophon-ist Seamus Blake to create, ‘On Cue,”’ said Beard. “Seamus is

an amazing musician and had long been one of my idols, but it turns out he was hilarious and a lot of fun to be around. Everyone was having a blast, and we would record all day and hang out all night. It was then I remember thinking, ‘dang, this is what I want to do with my life.’”

Students make connections with faculty and friends along the way.

“Chris has been a great stu-dent,” said Dr. Thomas Poole, as-sistant professor of music. “He’s always been hungry for knowl-edge and diligent when it comes to practicing. He’s a versatile mu-sician capable of performing in different genres on a number of different instruments.”

Beard will be playing two in-struments for this recital. He will

play both tenor and soprano sax-ophone.

“The most rewarding part of watching a student perform their senior recital is witnessing how far they’ve come in a relatively short amount of time,” said Poole.

Life without music would be awfully quiet. This resounds even more with students who graduate with music majors.

“I am where I am because of music,” said Beard. “I’ve met many of my friends through dif-ferent performing experiences I’ve had. I wasn’t really interested in another field of study other than music. I always did well in English and literature classes as well as history, but music was the only thing that I really received a sense of fulfillment from. If I didn’t do music, I probably would

have just ended up at a tech school.”

Poole said Beard is a natural leader and has been a big part of the success of NSU Jazz.

“All of the music faculty have been very supportive of me since I entered as a freshman,” said Beard. “Many have offered their advice, not just on what to do next, but how to really make it as a musician and fight through some of the issues that affect you when working in a field in which every note you play is scrutinized. I would just like to say thanks for all the support, including the kicks in the butt when I needed them.”

Beard’s recital will be at 7 p.m. April 5 at the Jazz Lab. Admis-sion is free.


Jacci Alworden/TNEChristopher Beard, Claremore senior, practices his solo piece during rehearsal. His senior

recital will include tunes by Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea and more.

April 2, 2013S P OR T S

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Muay Thai kickboxing comes to MuskogeeMEREDITH BARKERTNE WRITER

StriKing brings their first Muay Thai kickboxing presentation to Muskogee April 6.

The four title fights are Adam Edgerton vs. Daniel Miller for the USMTA Jr. Middleweight Title, Billy Clark vs. Wayne Pokornik for the StriKing Jr. Middleweight StriKing Title, Manuel Gregory vs. Uriel Figueroa for the StriK-ing Welterweight Title and Billy Wiseley vs. Brayden Countess for the USMTA Oklahoma Youth Championship.

Originally from Muskogee, Clark is coming home for this title fight. His opponent said he has the hometown advantage.

“It’s going to be a tough, hard fight,” said Pokornik. “I think Bil-ly is coming to fight and win. He’s

a hometown guy, so I will have to fight that much harder to prove I want it. I see myself winning, but it won’t come easy.”

Clark believes the hometown advantage is not a factor.

“The coach is like a phantom that appears in between rounds,” said Clark. “I can’t remember one time when I heard anything while I was in the ring. I don’t know if I’ll win, lose or draw, but I’ll give an exciting fight for the crowd. That’s what they pay to see.”

Ty Pilgrim, co-owner of StriK-ing, said Muay Thai is kickboxing with knees and elbows.

“The first thing you hear in ev-ery crowd is ‘stand them up, ref, stand them up,’” said Pilgrim. “Basically, Muay Thai is every-thing you see in other fights, but they have to stay on their feet. There is no continuance on the

ground, which seems like what the people want if I listen to the crowd in other fights.”

Both fighters described Muay Thai as something that calls to them for various reasons.

“I’ve done Muay Thai for more than 10 years,” said Clark. “It’s all I know. I’ve been given a pur-pose. I think it’s God-given talent, and I can bring people to Christ through it.”

Pokornik said he enjoys the competition and respect.

“As a kid, I did other martial arts,” said Pokornik. “Once I saw my first live Muay Thai fight, I knew this was exactly what I

wanted to do. The fighters try to be the best person they can be while fighting and personally as well.”

John West, co-owner of StriK-ing, said they expect this to be a big event.

“It’s our first event, so it’s hard to forecast,” said West. “I think we are doing pretty well with the presales, and I expect big sales at the door.”

Pilgrim said he believes Musk-ogee needs events that appeal to the 16-45 age group.

“I’m a big city kid, and there is not much going on in this town,” said Pilgrim. “I have enough ex-

perience over the years from go-ing to these types of promotions with my fighters that I can do it at least that well, if not better.”

The event is USMTA sanc-tioned.

The fights begin April 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Muskogee Civic Cen-ter. General admission is $20 and ringside seats are $30. Advance tickets may be purchased at www.strikingfights.com.

For more information visit strikingfights.com or facebook.com/strikingpromotion or email [email protected].



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Brisk weather no match for women’s golfZACH TUCKERTNE WRITER

The RiverHawks Women’s Golf team teed up for the second time in 2013 at Hard Scramble Country Club in Ft. Smith, Ark. for University of Arkansas Ft. Smith’s tournament March 25-26.

NSU gained a last minute en-try into the event after the cancel-ation of Missouri Western’s tour-nament, due to cold weather.

Cold weather and brisk wind made the conditions tough for the team.

“The weather was a lot colder

than any of us expected,” said McCandren Lewis, Guthrie freshman.

The bad weather also brought high scores, and mental tough-ness was necessary to succeed.

NSU placed third, after an 18-shot improvement in the second round to score rounds of 330-312 for a 642 total.

Kelsey Kirkpatrick, Golden, Texas senior was low for NSU with a 79-74-153 which put her in a tie for second place.

“The conditions were very tough, but we just tried to hang in there and keep our composure,” said Kirkpatrick.

Whitney McAteer, Broken Ar-row senior finished solo fourth with a 78-77-155.

Lewis finished tied for 18th af-ter shooting 86-79-165.

Alex Koch, Jenks sophomore fired 87-82-169, which placed her in 25th place.

Kayla Schroeder, Bristow freshman rounded up the lineup for NSU with a 93-94-187 total, which finished 42nd.

“I, along with the rest of the team believe we could have scored lower, but overall we did decent considering the condi-tions,” said Koch.

Number 21-ranked Newman

University won the event with a team total of 627, clipping the RiverHawks by 15 shots.

The RiverHawks headed to Phoenix, Ariz. for Grand Can-yon State’s event April 1-2.

Sunny skies and warm temper-atures line up the forecast for the tournament, and the week in Ari-zona is set to be a nice break from the cold for the RiverHawks.

“After last week in Ft. Smith, we are all ready for the warm weather in Phoenix,” said Kirk-patrick.

Following the trip to Phoenix, the women have key regional

matchups and the MIAA Wom-en’s Golf Conference Champion-ship.

Solid play in the next month for NSU is needed to ensure their place in the regional champion-ship in early May.

The regional tournament is scheduled May 5-8 in St. Joseph, Mo. at St. Joseph Country Club.

Four teams will advance from St. Joseph and move on to the Di-vision II National Championship at LPGA National in Daytona Beach, Fla.


Zach Tucker/TNEKelsey Kirkpatrick, of Golden, Texas senior, stares down her

ball at the UAFS Lion Classic March 25 in Ft. Smith, Ark. The RiverHawks finished in third place in the event after shooting a team total of 642 for two days.


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NSU tennis team prepares for conferenceZACH TUCKERTNE WRITER

The RiverHawks tennis team has defeated almost every oppo-nent they faced in 2013. Recently the RiverHawks hopped into the Division II national rankings, tak-ing the number 37 spot. The team sits with a 14-2 record. Both losses were to ranked teams in close 4-5 matches. The first was to Drury University Feb. 8 and the second close loss was to Southwest Bap-tist University March 23.

Each event the women play three doubles and six singles matches, with nine possible points. Out of the first 14 match-es the RiverHawks won 93 of a possible 126 points this season. Not only have the RiverHawks been winning, but have done it with ease.

Torching their opponents has been the theme for NSU, and a solid stretch against conference ri-vals to close out the season would ensure their fate in the post sea-son.

The RiverHawks are set to face five conference rivals then finish the regular season April 12 with Newman University.

Doubles play is, and has been, the main focus for the team all season. The women were swept 4-0 in the match against South-west Baptist March 23 and this put the RiverHawks up against the wall heading into singles.

They were unable to bounce back and fell 4-5.

“We’ve been focusing on dou-bles the most and we’ve been very successful, but we need to tighten up,” said Amanda Stone, head coach. “We will not get swept in doubles again this season.”

The loss to Southwest Baptist was a learning experience and the team now knows they must bring it to the table against the high-powered teams.

“After playing Southwest we know what we are up against, and it should motivate us to keep working and improving,” said Stone.

The RiverHawks seem to own the court in singles play, with ev-ery team member in the starting six with winging records. Four RiverHawks sit with two or less losses individually for the season. Martina Bruzikova, junior (15-1), Kristina Savchenkov, freshman (14-2), Barbora Jirickova, sopho-more (14-1) and Houda Bella-mine, junior (13-2) all show de-pendability for the RiverHawks in singles play.

RiverHawks tennis prepares for the MIAA Conference Ten-nis Championship April 19-22 in Springfield, Mo. and relent-less work and conditioning takes place daily to ensure their goal of a conference title.

“I don’t think we need to change anything, just continue to work hard and I am confident of our potential,” said Savchenkov.

Ivana Belejova, senior captain and top singles player, has the most experience on the team and is a mentor to the younger play-ers.

The RiverHawks will count on Belejova and her role as captain. Belejova’s partnership with young Savchenkov has shown to benefit NSU in 2013.

Next on the schedule for NSU is Lindenwood, April 4 at the NSU Tennis Complex.


Zach Tucker/TNEKristina Savchenkov, Moscow, Russia freshman, focuses on a ball in flight during practice.

The freshman has a singles record of 14-2 in 2013 and NSU recently bolted into the national rankings at the No. 37 spot.

tne april 2, 2013

Documents

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email bennettn nsuok

email caughrom nsuok

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cappi wadley reading

media day coordinator