Category Archives: News

Seeing No-bunny

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Allison Hall

Have you ever wanted to be involved with a seemingly insane man and his imaginary bunny? Well has Arkansas High got the show for you! Coming this spring, a carefree and charming, family friendly comedy about a high society man and his 6 foot tall mystical companion named Harvey hits the stage of Texarkana’s own Arkansas High School. More specifically, Harvey (1941), written by Mary Chase, is the second show of the year for Mr. Wyatt Hamilton, Arkansas High’s theater director, and his students. This show is centered around a Mr. Elwood P. Dowd, played by James Hodges and Victor Vargas, and focuses on a central message of wholesome friendship, or, as Mr. Hamilton puts it, “love your friends for who they are and all of their quirks”.

For this 2015-2016 school year, Mr. Hamilton has chosen to run with a fall drama and spring comedy as opposed to Arkansas Highs prior fall play, spring musical due to lack of male interest of the musical form. Even the smallest of theatrical musicals require an abundance of strong, dedicated, and interested patrons. In addition, Hamilton has chosen to employ two full casts for a sum of four shows as opposed to the prior two. He believes that not only will this open up more opportunity for show attendees, but also for performers in being able to have 21 students involved in a 12 role script. The push for this show seems to be individual creativity and involvement, which will promote positivism and encouragement, a good note for the modern age teenager or anyone else for that matter.

Among things that are remaining the same are ticket prices, show times, location, and concession. Tickets with be on sale at the door for five dollars and concessions with be available, namely sodas, chips, and brownies, at varied prices. The play will take place in Arkansas High’s Student Union (a.k.a cafeteria) from April 21-24 with a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday showing at seven o’clock p.m. and one Sunday showing at two o’clock p.m. Harvey is expected to run approximately two hours, including a 10 minute intermission. It is also worth noting that the Arkansas High theater department plans on more fundraising for show support. If you have any questions or ideas for fundraising endeavors, you can contact Wyatt Hamilton at (870) 774-7641 or email him at Wyatt.Hamilton@tasd7.net.

All in all, Harvey will be a great experience for people of all ages and worth a viewing. You can’t beat five dollar entertainment. If nothing else you will get a good laugh, and who doesn’t need that from time to time?

 

The Crisis in Flint…Coincidence or Environmental Racism?

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Anthony Hamilton

By now we are all aware of the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan. There are an unacceptable amount of people in the city who are living below the poverty level and also over 60% of them happen to be African Americans. Whole families have been poisoned by drinking water that was never fit to drink, yet they’ve been fed this water for a period of time, and now there are many health problems beginning to show up because of this.

This story is actually not as new as one might think. It was first broken in 2014 that there was potential contamination in Flint’s water system. Al Jazeera America was first to break the story. The story was then largely ignored until recently when Flint became news again with residents showing the news samples of the brown water they are expected to drink, cook and bathe with, and it doesn’t appear to be fit for any type of human consumption.

The homes of Flint residents have been tested and their homes show there are 10 times the amount of lead that is considered the norm. As a result of this, members of the community who would wish to leave will not be able to sell their homes in any move, because it’s illegal to sell a home that has lead issues.

In all of this, it’s amazing that the Governor of Michigan isn’t indeed facing criminal charges over this situation. According to an article in archive.freep.com, Michigan has a 500 plus million dollar surplus, as well as a rainy day fund, yet the governor has said that removing the lead containing pipes is not even a priority to him. There is also strong evidence that he knew about the contamination as early as 2014 when he began shipping cases of bottled water to state employees but not everyday citizens.

When the first attempts to gather clean water for the residents of Flint, an amazing thing happened. Cher revealed, during an interview on CNN that she attempted to gather water for the citizens of Flint, and no American bottled water company was willing to donate any water to the poverty stricken, predominantly black community of Flint. Cher had to go outside of the United States to get water for them.

The Michigan National Guard was called in to distribute the water, but they declined taking it to the so-called worst areas of Flint, saying it would be too dangerous. This from people we would count on to help protect the U.S. during times of war.

The Flint police have also been using this situation to their advantage. According to articles on Bing.com/news and Trofire.com, under the guise of delivering water filters to the residents, they are in fact taking advantage of the opportunity to arrest those residents who have warrants. As an ex-law enforcement person, I do not agree with their actions at all.

According to westsidegazette.com as well as newpittsburgcourier.com, this disaster has indeed been labeled as a man-made disaster caused by the emergency manager that the state installed, in a cost-cutting measure that went horrible wrong, which again leads me to wonder why they are focused strictly on the emergency manager when he is simply a scapegoat meant to do the governor’s bidding.

When the change was made from the Detroit water system to the Flint River in 2014, the residents immediately began to complain about the smell and taste of their tap water, but they were largely ignored according to nytimes.com. Now they can no longer be ignored because they’re too black or too poor to have a voice. The entire world is now aware of what has been done.

Judge Greg Mathis, in an interview with journalist Roland Martin on Newsone Now likened this ordeal to a terrorist attack. “Every day, our homeland security’s biggest fear is terrorists poisoning the water,” Mathis said. “The Secretary of Defense talks nervously about it.” Mathis continues, “In this case, the government has poisoned the water, causing permanent loss of health.”

Mathis also speaks on the possibility of criminal charges in what he calls the poisoning of an American city.

Now there are children experiencing symptoms of lead poisoning, including headaches, anemia, dental problems and their internal organs not functioning properly. Adults are experiencing hair loss, skin disorders, and seizures as well as weakening of teeth and bones along with many potentially fatal cases of Legionnaires’ disease.

This whole situation is remarkably similar to the response to hurricane Katrina where the upscale areas of New Orleans immediately received aid, but those who, like the majority of Flint residents were poor, and less fortunate were left to fend for themselves and die. The same can be said for the residents of Flint.

I read an article on www.mlive.com about the General Motors plant in Flint having ceased using it for fear that it will corrode the metal, yet residents are expected to drink, cook and bathe in that water, and continue to receive water bills for water they can’t use.

I wonder how long this would have been allowed to go on and how quick it would be fixed were Flint an upscale community. Here’s to the hope that they receive justice, and those who perpetrated this tragedy upon the get what they deserve.

Pelicans Beat Cavaliers in Thriller

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Percy Davis

December 4, 2015, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the New Orleans Pelicans. This game was a battle to the finish, going into overtime to decide who would win the game.

Cleveland led the first quarter 27-21 but Anthony Davis and the Pelicans weren’t going away quietly. They ended the half only down by one point at 53-52.

Late in the fourth quarter the Pelicans went up by 10 points on the Cavaliers but superstar LeBron James wasn’t going down without a fight. He scored 21 of Cleveland’s last 24 points and also made the shot to put his team into overtime. James finished with 37 points, eight assist and 23 of those 37 points came in the fourth quarter.

Although James had an amazing fourth quarter it wasn’t quite enough to stop Anthony Davis and The Pelicans who won the game 114-108 in overtime.

Lebron James goes at Anthony Davis for a layup. Photo credited to (AP Photo)

Lebron James goes at Anthony Davis for a layup. Photo credited to (AP Photo)

New Orleans Pelican Anthony Davis had a wonderful night finishing the game with 31 points and 12 rebounds. He also had some game changing big shots to lead his team to the victory over Cleveland.

The Commencement of the Rest of Your Lives

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Alyssa Bertrand

“May all the students of the class of 2015 please stand” is what everyone will hear at a graduation. These words mean more to each person than the people of the audience. These words will last forever in their minds. They know they were able to complete one-step of their lives and are now able to see what the rest of their lives has in store for them. Graduation is a special ceremony for all the students that have completed the required elements. There are some items that people fail to mention, when speaking about graduation, and that is the behind the scenes work that the staff does in order for graduation to run smoothly.

Texas A&M University-Texarkana has two main people in the graduation department. Kristie Avery and Karen Dukes are the ones who put in a ton of hours outside the office. To make sure the processing and the real ceremony is correct and able to run as it is supposed to. More staff members help of course. Avery and Dukes are the women behind the curtain. The process is long but these woman are the best in town.

Applications start flowing in at the start of the semester, and some before that. From the moment the first application is sent, the physical time of TAMU-T staff is filled. Avery has expressed that she spends many hours on graduation work outside the office, however she would never miss an important event with her family. She makes sure she is still able to help her daughter with homework, or make it to school events.

When it begins, there are many items that one must to keep in mind, when processing the application. First, one has to make sure the application is correct and every part is filled out. The next step is when the hard part starts to happen. After printing the application, they first look at the major of the applicant and print out the individual’s DegreeWorks. One must make sure that they have all the credits they are supposed to have and look at how many upper level division hours one has. The credits are important, but making sure one has all the classes one needs is harder than finding the credits. Sometimes, one may have the correct number of credit hours, but may be missing one or two classes. The graduation staff have to make sure that the applicant has the correct number of residence hours, which is the number of hour and time spent enrolled in the university.

After checking, the application, the reviewer, will call if they have a question about the application. The staff will work and try as hard as possible when making sure that every detail is in place. There have been times when a student may have all the credits but are missing one class. In this case, they will either try to put them in that certain class or look at the DegreeWorks and see if the student has taken a previous class that would equal the class needed.

DegreeWorks is an online processing page that allows someone to get access to his or her classes. It makes it easier to see what classes one needs to take and tells them what they already have taken as well. This site will also allow the student to see the percentage they are to their degree and how many credit they are lacking. Avery says, “I didn’t have DegreeWorks when I graduated (Web for Students was just really getting started and there wasn’t an email program like Ace Mail when I graduated). DegreeWorks works, so that’s one thing that makes the process easier.”

A graduating student must consider their GPA in three different parts they will need to see if there is any hold on the accounts and see if there are any outstanding balances on their accounts as well. There could be a part that will need a transcript so one will have to see if one will need to be sent to the graduation office.

Elaine Willis has recently graduated from TAMU-T; she explains that it is very stressful but would not change that for the world. Her friends from the university helped and motivated her to help finish the class she needed and she did. She says the process was long and stressful to make sure everything is okay with the application. One part being incorrect or have a missing part it could mean you either graduate or do not. Now, she could not be happier with her life. She wears her class ring every day.

Willis and Avery both have graduated from TAMU-T and they both wish there was a way to make the process easier and better to work with. Right now, the process must be completed by hand. If the process were available electronically, it would make it faster and easier for the students and the staff. “Just making students more aware of their graduation status and prohibiting the phrases “I didn’t know…. ” Or “No one told me…” this is the one thing that Avery wants to happen in the future.

Student by Day, Worker by Night

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Alyssa Bertrand

What is free time? What does time to relax actually feel like? For many, this is time to have fun or be able to just sit around the house and not really worry about anything. To an average college student, one may be able to experience this thing called free time. They can go out when they do not have class or have to worry about how they will study for a class. Being a full-time student and a full-time worker, is a different story.

Full time student means someone is taking 15-24 hours in one semester. A full-time worker is working 35 plus hours a week. With these times joined, time is very limited. Priorities is the key word. People have to make a list and know what MUST come first. To the people who are struggling, do not stress too hard.

Many students are also full-time workers and it is hard. It puts everything to the test. Your strengths and your weakness. What is more important to yourself as well as the other people around you. Free time is a rare gift that one gets to experience. This gift is something that is cherished dearly. Between work and school, the free time one gets is actually spent with a date with their bed. It is very exhausted when you go from work to school or from school to work.

Do not think that working and going to school is a bad thing or even the worst thing that could happen but it is actually a privilege. Even though the stress level increases daily, or not having much time to have fun and relax, but it shows the drive in someone. The most important part is to be motivated. The motivation that gives you the extra push is what one needs to look at all the time. Whether it is your past, the current struggle, or family that pushes you to succeed.

Take the no time as a good insight of what the future holds. If you are working and going to school, it means you are trying to make oneself better. The future is bright. Take it a roll with it. It will all pay off when the goal is reached.

ArkLaTeXmas!

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Laney Davis

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It is time to enjoy your friends and family amongst the beautiful Christmas spirit atmosphere. There are many opportunities in and around the Ark-La-Tex to enjoy the Christmas season.

December 7 on Main Street in Downtown Texarkana starting at 4 there will be music, food, and shopping. There will also be an opportunity to see and pet camels and the Express Clydesdales. Starting at 7, the 31st Annual Christmas parade “A Magical Christmas” will kick off. Before the parade, there will also be the “Festival of Trees Competition” on Front Street, and the winner will be announced before the parade begins. As well as Christmas lights filling the streets of downtown there will also be horse drawn carriage rides throughout December.

Starting November 25 through December 31st, Tuesday through Sundays, Marshall, Texas, will host the “Wonderland of Lights”. They will offer beautiful lights, outdoor ice-skating, a carousel, Santa’s Workshop and Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, carriage rides, and train rides. On December 5, there will be a Jingle Bell run. The “Wonderland of Lights” will not be open on Mondays or Christmas Eve.

For more opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights you can visit Hot Springs, Arkansas. Hot Springs will hold a Christmas parade on December 7 starting at 6:30. You can also stopover at Garvan Woodland Gardens for the Holiday Lights exhibit. Enjoy over 4 million bulbs across the 17 acre garden.

The Shreveport-Bossier area will offer a firework show with included activities on December 5. There will be a beautiful 40 foot tall Christmas tree at the Boardwalk offered all of December. If you still would like to appreciate some Christmas lights view the “Holiday Trail of Lights” November 14 through December 24.

Lastly, Ashdown, Arkansas, will be offering their Christmas Parade, “A Christmas Story,” December 5 starting at 6. The Kansas City Southern Holiday Express is making its way to Ashdown on December 4 and will arrive at 4.

These are a few ideas of what is going on in the Ark-La-Tex this holiday season. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

For more information on the events provided:

http://www.mainstreettexarkana.org/2015-christmas-parade-a-magical-christmas/

http://www.marshalltexas.net/public/warrants/wonderland-of-lights

http://www.hotsprings.org/events/event/1612/

http://965kvki.com/check-out-all-the-holiday-events-in-shreveport-bossier-this-christmas/

http://kkyr.com/the-kcs-holiday-express-is-coming-to-town-with-santa-claus/

LSU Tigers Snap Losing Streak

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Percy Davis

Les Miles gives appreciation on the Victory. Photo Credited to Scott Wolf

Les Miles gives appreciation on the Victory. Photo Credited to Scott Wolf

After losing three straight games, the LSU Tigers finally snapped that losing streak. The Tigers started the season off being undefeated before losing those three games. Saturday, November 28th the Tigers beat the Texas A&M Aggies 19-7.

LSU’s running back Leonard Fournette ran for an astonishing 159 yards and one touchdown. He now has the single-season rushing record at 1,741 yards surpassing Charles Alexander’s 1,686 mark.

Over the last couple of weeks there has been speculation that coach Les Miles would no longer be head coach for the Tigers. Miles has been head coach since 2005 and has a record of 111 victories and only 32 defeats. After losing three straight games his job as head coach was up for discussion but all the speculation went out the window once he defeated the Aggies.

The game started out neck and neck with the Aggies winning the first quarter 7-6. The Tigers put the first points on the board, scoring on two field goals from kicker Trent Domingue. Shortly after that Aggie quarterback, Kyle Allen put together an 80 yard drive to score on a eight yard touchdown to Ricky Seals-Jones.

The second quarter was strictly defense with neither team putting any points on the board.

In the second half the Tigers came out rolling! They scored a touchdown in each quarter and their defense held the Aggies to a scoreless half. The first touchdown was from Derrius Guice on a 50-yard rush. The second touchdown came from Leonard Fournette on a four-yard sprint. The LSU Tigers now have an 8-3 record on the season and are looking to close out the season on a good note by winning their next game, a bowl game.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo

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Laney Davis

Most people in December are dreaming of a beautiful Christmas tree, presents filling up the house, and the smell of pies and cakes coming out of the oven. This may seem familiar to you. As for cowboys and cowgirls in December, they dream of something a little different. Cowboys and cowgirls dream of Vegas lights, gold buckles, and the smell of arena dirt.

Starting December 3 through December 12, there will be 10 rodeo performances in Las Vegas, Nevada. This grand rodeo is called the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association holds over 600 rodeos throughout the year, and only the top 15 competitors in each event at the end of the rodeo season can qualify for the WNFR. The PRCA has been producing rodeos since the 1920’s making it the oldest rodeo association. The PRCA is also the largest rodeo association.

At the WNFR there will be 8 events: Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Tie-down Roping, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Barrel Racing, and the crowning of Miss Rodeo America. The cowboys and cowgirls competing come into the competition ranked first to fifteenth by their money earnings from this year. As they compete each night they have the opportunity to earn more money placing them higher in the rankings.

The cowboy and cowgirls can earn many titles at the WNFR. Each night they have to opportunity to win the round with either the fastest time or the highest score. They can also win the “average” and a gold buckle at the end of the 10 day rodeo stretch by having the best cumulative scores or times. They can also win the biggest title of all, World Champion, by earning the most money throughout the whole rodeo season including the money that they won at the WNFR.

There are many ways to be a part of the impressive rodeo. Much like professional football or baseball there are fantasy leagues you can compete in. You can also go to Las Vegas and enjoy the rodeo live and meet the professional cowboys and cowgirls. Lastly, you can watch from the comfort of your couch in awe of these professional athletes.

For more information on the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo visit:

http://nfrexperience.com

or

http://prorodeo.com

Black Friday = The Purge?

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Alyssa Bertrand

Every year, the country undergoes this big event called black Friday. Black Friday is the day everyone gets out at the crack of dawn to score the best deal. People will be in line waiting for the doors to open. Some people will take part in together as a family and some will go alone. The ones that go alone have one goal in site and they plan on reaching that goal.

If you have never experienced this big event, you might not fully understand the process. I have not gone black Friday shopping, but I have worked in retail for it for the past three years. Each year new things amaze me. Sometimes I wonder what these people are actually after. I watch the people around town and think about what is so necessary for them to fight over. Then I see people come into the store I worked in and see that some people will do anything for that five dollars they will be saving.

Fighting is another problem. All over the country there are many fight that break out on the big Friday of the year. One can look online and see fight after fight. Some of the videos that are put on the Internet have little kids involved. When I see those videos, I get sick in my stomach. How could some act that way and have a good conscience after one will throw someone on the ground to gain the upper hand on a toaster or crock pot. The fighting is beginning to get out of control.

The fighting every year, the very dangerous night, and the injuries that occur lead to the thought that Black Friday could actually be considered as The Purge. The Purge is the event in a recent thriller that is 24 hours each year during which murder is legal. Nothing would be against the law for only those 24 hours. Much like Black Friday, it is a full day event, people get hurt, and one can find that people will steal even when the prices are extremely low. Which leads to the question, is it really Black Friday or could we consider it a mini Purge?

Pesticides in the Hive

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Stephen Jones

Chemicals have been used for decades in order to ensure the growth and survival of crops essential to everyday life, but many of these chemicals are possibly affecting organisms outside of their intended targets, including the bee; an insect essential to the reproduction of various flowering plants. The chemicals scientists believe to be harmful to bees are known as neonicotinoids. These chemicals are synthetic derivatives of the widely used, naturally-occurring pesticide, nicotine.

bees

Bee populations are dramatically on the decline, and scientists are looking for what factors could be responsible for said decline. Dr. Chris Connolly and his colleagues conducted a study at Dundee’s School of Medicine consisting of a sample population of bees, and the conclusion suggests the decline in the bee population is partially due to neonicotinoids. In the study, Dr. Connolly found exposure to low levels of neonicotinoids caused a 55 percent reduction of the live bee population. Dr. Connolly states, “Our research demonstrates beyond doubt that the level of neonicotinoids generally accepted as the average level present in the wild causes brain dysfunction and colonies to perform poorly when consumed by bumblebees.” Even though the pesticides did not kill the bees, the effects of the neurotoxins could still be seen through the examination of the bees’ brains and cells. As mentioned before, the bee population was exposed to low levels of neonicotinoids, resulting in the shutdown of mitochondria, the failure to recognize the scent of a flower, and the inability to remember their way back to the nest.

What is important to remember about the study is the scientists are not suggesting that insect neurotoxins are wholly at fault; but when looking at the results of this study, it is hard not to believe the aforementioned pesticides are not partially to blame. Dr. Connolly’s analysis is only one of many experiments looking into the side-effects of pesticides, and with the number of studies steadily growing; various national governments have started to take action concerning the use of pesticides within the environment. This past September, a US court reversed the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the pesticide sulfoxaflor, due to data the court called “flawed and limited.” Although the court denied the use of sulfoxaflor, most neonicotinoids are still approved for use within the US; the situation is the polar opposite in the EU. The EU currently prohibits the use of most neonicotinoids and, as of July, allows the use of sulfoxaflor, even though the European Food Standards Authority believed the lack of information on sulfoxaflor does not exclude the possibility of a negative impact on the already deteriorating bee populations.

The unwanted influence of insect neurotoxins on bees is one of many factors we must look at when examining humans’ usage of chemicals in agriculture, but finding out whether or not these pesticides are significantly hurting bee populations is essential in ensuring the survival of many plant species we rely on every day.

Sources:

http://www.phys.org/news/2015-02-neonicotinoid-insecticides-impair-bee-brains.html

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28167-bees-win-as-us-court-rules-against-neonicotinoid-pesticide/