Arts festival to include variety of art, music, foodRonna Fisher, Assistant Editor For a third year in a row, Home-coming Weekend will include an arts festival which will feature the art and work of local artists, SNU alumni, staff, faculty, and students. This year there are a total of twen-ty-five groups or individuals par-ticipating in the festival. The first two years featured a blend of students, alumni, local artists, and artists from out of town with an association with the university. The art has includedmixed media, handmade jewelry, paintings, fabric art, photography, and glasswork. This year the show will also feature an artist working with iron. Kendra Thomson, Executive Director of Alumni Relations, ex-plains that the festival is way to highlight artists’ work in a fun way and build camaraderie within the campus and local community. “It provides a great event for families during homecoming,” Thomson said. “Our goals are to highlight faculty/staff, student, and local artists in a fun, family friendly environment. We have live music, local food trucks, and this year we will have a few inflatables for the kids. While the festival is during homecoming, it is free and open to the public—we hope to continue to build our crowds from the community as well the cam-pus.” The coordinator of the festi-val, Greg Dimond, says, “While

the young festival was created to enhance SNU’s homecoming weekend and to bring additional awareness to the university, our ongoing goal is to grow the event into something that benefits the surrounding communities, emerg-ing artists, and all others with no formal affiliation to the school. I think we are on the way to realiz-ing that goal.” The Arts Festival is still fairly new, but it has had a lot of suc-cess. The crowds are growing each year and include a large percentage of locals. Often, the size of the crowd depends on the weather, but a large variety of music, food, and inflatables for kids can usually draw a lot of people. In the past, the SNU Jazz Band has accompanied the art viewing.This year, festival attendees will be treated to a variety of local bands, some of which feature alumni or current students. The line up in-cludes: Logan Henry, Red Vinyl Red, Briana Gaither, Tree Piece, Carousel Revolt, Costella, Bryan Patrick English IV, and Nathan Holliday Tribute Band. The food trucks are sure to draw a crowd and include: Roxy’s Ice Cream, S&B Burger Joint, Taste of Soul Egg Rolls, Heo’s Kitchen, and Cupcakes to Go Go. If the food, music and art do not bring you to the festival, then may-be the booths representing a good cause will. Speak Imel Theme House will be raising awareness

about sex trafficking. Bee’s Knees is a group of Oklahoma artists that are co-sponsored by Youth and Family Services of Canadian County and AutismOklahoma.org that work toward self-sufficiency for adults with developmental dis-abilities. Jubilee Partners uses the funds from sales to help fight pov-erty in OKC communities through

its partnerships with the City Res-cue Mission, The Refuge, and First Indian Church of the Nazarene. Laura Hardee is raising fundsfor missions to Africa. The festival is tomorrow, Satur-day November 10, from 9 AM to 5 PM. It is free and will be located along College Street between 42nd and 39th Expressway.

Visit echo.snu.edu throughout the week to stay informed and connected!

6612 NW 42nd St. Bethany, OK 73008 (405) 491-6382TheEchoNovember 9, 2012

Volume 84 Issue 10echo.snu.edu

Meet the Homecoming Court 2012 candidates.

Read more on pages 6 and 7.

Learn why it’s important to support local busi-nesses.

Read more on page 12.

2NEWS11.9.12

Kendra Nixon, Content Editor Human Rights Awareness Week (HRAW) is a bi-annual event put on by the Campus Ministries council, and this year’s HRAW will be unlike anything that’s been done in the past. Twice each year, this event-filled week intends to spread awareness about a subject that is relevant to SNU students. Themes in the past have been issues such as hu-man trafficking and AIDS, but this year’s focal point is home-lessness. Human Rights Aware-ness Week follows Homecoming week and will be SNU’s focus the week of November 12-17. Jake O’Bannon, SGA VP of Campus Ministries, is heading up the events and partnering with the Imel 2 theme house, “REACH,” to help raise money for their weekly ministry of serving food to the homeless of Downtown Oklahoma City. This year’s events are sure to get the attention of the student body and get people involved in mak-ing a difference in the city. Some events are light-hearted while others are intent on stirring the hearts of the students. “I would say our goal is to let people know that this theme house exists and to share our pas-sion for this ministry in raising awareness for, and helping, the homeless of OKC,” said REACH theme house resident Jakob Wil-liams. The events are as follows:Monday- foursquare tournamentTuesday- activities at the home basketball gamesWednesday- REACH house will be speaking at different churchesThursday- prayer chapel wor-ship night at Kingdom ComeFriday- hanging out on the Bracken lawn and sleeping out-sideSaturday morning- waking up, pancake breakfast, then making food and going downtown to serve it to the homeless

Williams explained the events’ purpose and what is on the ten-tative schedule. On Monday, the foursquare tournament is being held to raise money for the food for the homeless. “Anyone can sign up in teams for a couple dollars per person,” he said. During the basketball game Tuesday, they are having a “mir-acle minute.” On Wednesday, the REACH house plans on speak-ing at different churches about what they’ll be doing that week. Thursday’s Kingdom Come will be themed around HRAW and their ministry and will be a night of prayer. “On Friday night, we are ten-tatively (pun intended) planning on a night where we live out on the lawn and there will be some activities like music and a prayer walk,” said Williams. The next morning will consist of feeding the homeless as the REACH house does normally, but several more locations will be added. “If anyone wants to get more involved or anything, they can come to talk to me or anyone else in our theme house,” said Williams. “We would love to have them join us.” The Imel 2 theme house, REACH, consists of students Caleb Grosse, Sam Duce, Casey Myers, Andrew Leahey, Camer-on Keeton, Andrew Taylor, Ja-kob Williams, Blake Jordan, Ca-leb Swanigan and Garrett Neal. For more information on Human Rights Awareness week, contact Jake O’Bannon or any of the REACH theme house residents.

-Editor’s note: To find out more about REACH, check out “Liv-ing out the faith and caring for the least of these” in the Septem-ber 25, 2012 issue of The Echo at echo.snu.edu.

Human Rights Awareness Week to focus on homelessness

Imel Townhouses are home to multiple theme houses. REACH addresses homeless-ness and Speak theme house addresses sex trafficking. Photo by Stephany Reyes.

3NEWS11.9.12

Amy Lauver, Staff Writer Many students enjoy commuting on campus by biking or longboard-ing. We had three students, two who bike and one who longboards, talk about what they love best about it and why they do it. “I love the rush of it,” Cole Trot-ter said about longboarding. “It makes going place to place more fun.” With a small campus, it isn’t ex-tremely necessary. It is, however, a fun and entertaining way to travel around more easily. Blake Jordan said he bikes “to save time traveling across campus,” and “It’s also fun to ride, especially during the fall, to see how many leaves you can crunch!” “I ride my bike because I love to ride my bike,” says Emma William-son. “I like it as a hobby. And it’s faster and more efficient.”

There are many benefits to rid-ing a bike or longboard wherever you are. It can save gas and help the environment. It also makes it easier to get around campus, espe-cially from places such as Imel or the A.M. Hills. “Living in Imel it’s really far from my classes,” Jordan said, “so I can save a lot of time travelling from Imel to Herrick. Otherwise it would take several minutes and I might be late to class if I wake up late.” He added, “Also in case I want to ride around Bethany and for exercise. A bike ride is peace-ful and something fun to do with friends.” Williamson said, “I can travel places quicker. I can travel around campus without using my car and hurting the environment. It’s al-most like a social event, to me, be-cause of the people I ride with.”

“I’m not late to class very often,” Trotter claims as a benefit to long-boarding. “I can leave two minutes before and still get anywhere. It’s a lot of fun. I have an adrenaline happy heart.” With all the bikers and long boarders on campus, the question arises if they are doing it to com-mute or for leisure. “Well both, but more leisurely,” said Williamson. “I don’t walk to the places too far from bracken like Imel and the Hills. But mainly leisurely.” Jordan rides for both also. “Of-ten I ride to the public library to get CDs. I ride my bike to save gas if it’s a nice day. Take advantage of how beautiful the day is.” Trotter said, “Both. All the time. When I don’t it feels weird. It just feels I should have it by my side when I’m walking.”

SNU does a good job at appeal-ing to those who choose to bike or longboard on campus, accord-ing to these students. When asked what SNU could do, all three said they feel SNU is laid out well for both walkers and riders. However, Williamson said, “More bike racks. Because some places you just have to attach you bike to a tree.” “The campus is nice because there are so many sidewalks. I feel like there is enough room for bik-ers, long boarders and walkers,” Jordan said. “I feel there should be another bike rack near the science building. They are pretty full in the mornings. I usually use the poles by the Commons, but they don’t like that too much.” He added, “I think it’d also be fun if there was a bike group that met once a week and en-joyed the outside together.”

Students talk benefits of riding bikes, longboards around campus

Blessings and Beau: Our interview with A.M. Hills RD Katy BradleyBaker Pitts, Staff Writer

Resident directors play an important role in students’ college experiences. This is the fourth in a series of interviews with resi-dent directors to help students get to know them better.

The Echo: Katy, how long have you been an RD here?

Katy Bradley: This is my sixth year. I was in Garey for two years, then I made my way to CAI, which is Chapman, Asbury, Imel, then I went to Hately and moved over to Hills halfway through the year. So I’ve made my rounds.

TE: What do you like about being an RD?

KB: I love everything about it; it’s my dream job. There are definitely hard moments, but it is always a good day.

TE: What kind of hard moments are you referring to?

KB: Just hearing stories from stu-dents where you just wanna step in and be able to heal and do things and you can’t, and sometimes they have to learn and you just have to watch them hurt and not pick them up, and it’s hard. But then there are just as many stories where you get to see the light bulb go on, and you get to see those people that were hurting so bad walk across that stage at graduation and bawl your eyes out. So they are always good days, there are just hard moments within those days.

TE: A little, big news in your life at the moment is Beau. Tell me about him.

KB: He’s just, I’m not gonna say he’s a sweet angel, he is! But he’s just a strong, bold courageous young man. I think I have realized that he is definitely the Lord’s and Brett and I have been chosen and blessed to get to love on him and raise him and coach him and speak into him and train him to be the

man and the husband that God wants him to be later on down the road.

TE: So how has having Beau changed your life?

KB: I think it requires a lot more planning. It requires a lot more prayer and balance, you know bal-ancing my job with my responsi-bilities as a mom, and just know-ing how to keep those two in the

proper balance and make sure no one is disappointed because I’m with my son or my husband.. A lot more balance and a lot more com-munication between Brett and I and my RA’s and myself.

TE: Do you have any big plans,

any big events that you have up-coming for Hills in the near fu-ture?

KB: Our next big thing is our Hills family feast of blessings, and all of our staff will get to-gether on Nov. 15th to put on a big Thanksgiving feast for the residents. We’re gonna have tur-key and ham and all of the fix-ings, and the hope of that is to get everyone together to cel-ebrate as a family, knowing that not everyone will get a chance to have something like that.

TE: Other than that, is there any-thing you’d like the readers to know?

KB: I definitely count it a bless-ing to be here. I mean, how many other people get to go into work and just have conversations with students and hear their stories and where they’re coming from? I love my job, and I leave here pretty much every day feeling re-freshed, and I love that.

“I leave here pretty much

every day feeling refreshed.”

OPINIONSTheEcho November 9, 2012 Page 4

BradCrofford, Editor-in-Chief America has a debt crisis, and its students have a problem of their own. Student loan debt presents a problem that reaches far beyond the debtors to negatively impact the larger society. Last fall during the Occupy Wall Street movement, one of the key messages was a demand for the forgiveness of student loans. Since that time, the problem of student loan debt has become even more severe. According to BusinessWeek in September 2012, student loan debt exceeded $1 trillion in March 2012, making it larger than either credit card debt or auto loans. In 2010, two-thirds of seniors gradu-ated with debt; the average amount was $25,250.

If this amount of average debt seems insignificant, it’s worth not-ing that it is shaping decisions for many. According to BusinessWeek, 27% of young college borrowers moved in with their parents, 24% said it affected their career choice, and 14% said it even affected their decision to get married. One common response to such figures is that these students should have chosen a cheaper option, such as a public university instead of a private university. However, this ar-gument doesn’t hold as much water as it might have in the past. With the economic downturn, states are providing less and less support for students. According to The New Times in May 2012, state and lo-

cal financing for students dropped 24% from 2001-2011. During this same time, tuition rates at state schools increased by 79%; tuition at nonprofit private colleges and universities increased by just 29%. While community colleges do present something of a solution in keeping costs lower for the first two years, rapidly increasing costs for the remainder of study only make this a partial solution for those pursuing a bachelors’ degree or higher. Another response is to say that these students knew what they were getting into when they took on this debt. It’s their fault and their responsibility. While indi-vidual responsibility is indeed im-portant, there are a couple of key contextual aspects to consider. First, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for students to predict some relevant macroeco-nomic trends. For example, how could recent high school gradu-ates considering college in 2007 or 2008 have predicted the eventual severity of the economic reces-sion and the horrific job market in which they would emerge? Given such fluctuations that they have no control over, essentially telling students they “should have known better” is misguided. Second, while this is certainly not true for the majority of cases, students are sometimes misled by universities who focus on revenue over student welfare. The PBS Frontline documentary Colleges, Inc provide some horrifying examples of for-profit colleges using high pressure tactics and misinforma-tion, causing individuals to take out loans for degree programs that had little to no value or for which they were not prepared.

The $1 trillion question: The student loan debt crisis

Photo by Daniel Borman used under Creative Commons License

One final response is that col-lege debt, unlike other debt, is good debt because of the knowledge and skills acquired during college. Un-fortunately, this is not the case for students who take out loans but subsequently drop out of college. With massive amounts of debt (the result of sometimes excessive price tags) and no degree to show for it, these students’ financial future is likely dim. In the light of the rising college costs and such high student debt, what can be done? First, the government should increase funding for and awareness of service programs such as Amer-

iCorps, which includes a $5,500 educational allowance for those who complete a year of service. Second, the government should expand programs that forgive gov-ernment student loans in exchange for public service. Third, state leg-islatures and universities should take all reasonable measures to ar-rest the increase in college costs, including the cost of textbooks. Fourth, the federal government should continue to pursue colleges that use high pressure tactics and deception to increase enrollment. Perhaps, once such measures are in place, this “good debt” will actually be good debt once more.

“student loan debt exceeded $1

trillion in March 2012”

5OPINIONS11.9.12

“Snubies” no longer: How I learned to stop judging people in SGARonna Fisher, Assistant Editor I’m going to be honest: I haven’t always been very supportive of SGA. I’ve used words like “snubie” with a negative connotation. I have been cynical of the motives behind people who are highly involved in SGA. I have been harsh, judgmen-tal and sometimes even secretly cruel towards people in SGA. Last year I went to LEAD re-treat before school started, and my eyes were opened to my judg-mental attitude. I grieved over how much bitterness, resentment and even hate I harbored. I grieved over the countless relationships I might have missed out on because I judged. I remember my sister used to always tell me how judg-mental I was, but I never believed her; I always had some excuse. I worked on my attitude and percep-tion throughout the school year. I saw some change, and God re-ally worked on my heart. I began to see my judgmental manner was simply a mask to hide all of my insecurities. I judged people I was intimidated by or I thought would judge me. But it wasn’t until I was a participant in SGA training this past summer that I began to have an appreciation for SGA and its purpose. These students really do have a heart for God and for the stu-dents at SNU. They work so hard before, during and after events to make them enjoyable and fun for

everyone. They start planning long before school ever starts and they spend a lot of late nights get-ting things ready for events such as SNL. Perhaps you always knew this, had no doubts, but maybe you are like me. Maybe you are blinded by your insecurities, fears or critical attitude. I am not say-ing that SGA is perfect. I am not saying that students in SGA are al-ways welcoming, easy to befriend or understanding. SGA might not always do the best job of repre-senting their goals or purpose. But I have seen that they do care and they do try. Sometimes students are critical of other “cliques” or friend groups: “They move in packs. They never talk to me or try and include other people.” But, what do we do? If I have a close friend in a room or at a meal I will sit with that person, talk to only that person and never attempt to break out of my close comfort-level of friends. It’s only human nature to attempt to find a place where you are comfortable and stay there. Maybe it’s time to give SGA (or whatever group of peo-ple you find yourself resenting) a second chance, or at least try not to be so critical. This isn’t easy. I struggle with this all the time. I find myself talking negatively about “the cool people” or the “not-so cool peo-ple,” as if I were better than every-one else. I would judge others for

judging! How backwards is that? I am doing the exact thing that I do not want other people to do. And I have missed out on possible relationships or knowing some-one who is absolutely amazing by allowing my fears to become judg-ments. I only hurt myself when I put up these condescending boxes around other people. I know this is a little cliché, but every time we judge someone, we judge one of God’s creations. We judge someone that Jesus gave his life to save, that God has a plan and purpose for. We don’t allow them to become the people God intended them to be. We put them in a labeled box and we don’t al-low them to become the beauti-

ful, complex beings that they are. God has already given the stamp of approval. We take that away from others and ourselves when we judge unknowingly . . . or at all. Do find yourself putting oth-ers in a box? Are you missing out on amazing friendships because you have labeled someone in your mind? Am I a lone judge? When I find myself harboring judgment or resentment against others, my-self, or even God, I remember, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you,” Ephesians 4:31-32.

Jake O’Bannon, SGA VP of Campus Ministries, and Jared Webster, SGA VP of Athletic Relations, work SGA’s NSI Booth in August 2012. Photo by Kyle Pierce.

Married students talk dating, counseling, and “ring by spring”Brad Crofford, Editor-In-Chief Having already gone through the processes of dating, getting en-gaged, and getting married, Josue and Ginger (Villacampa) Murillo, Marissa (Summerford) Callen, Hill-ary (Johnson) Underwood, and Bre (Simmons) Frees have some per-spective. We asked them for some advice and about the infamous “ring by spring” phenomenon. Seniors Josue and Ginger Mu-rillo met during their sophomore year through the Nazarene web-page and Facebook, and they were

married in New York in August 2010. Josue Murillo noted that some people think the first per-son they date is their true love, but cautions that this may or may not be the case. “I hear that if you don’t get mar-ried or engaged at SNU, it’s never gonna happen, but keep in mind that marriage isn’t just something you do for a couple of years; it’s for eternity,” Josue Murillo said. He added that he was 27 when he got married. Ginger Murillo said that stu-

dents get married for a variety of reasons. She said that while in some cases there may be pressure from friends or it may be so they don’t fall into sin, she said this not true for all and shouldn’t be generalized. She gave the example of some friends who are current SNU students. They dated for five years before getting married, including a one year engagement. She said they “did things right and followed God’s path.” Underwood emphasized the importance of honesty and pre-

marital counseling. She and her husband Clark went through pre-marital counseling at SNU as well as going to the couples retreat of-fered by the university. The first thing is “Being hon-est with yourself and the other person, first and foremost,” Un-derwood said. “If you are thinking about marriage, don’t be afraid to do premarital counseling. There will be some difficult things raised, but that makes the relationship stronger.”-------------------------------------continued on page 8

Photos by Kira Roberts

Ben is a Pre-Physical Therapy and Ath-letic Training major from Burleson, Texas. During his time at SNU, he has been an RA in Snowbarger, an NSI Mentor, and played JV basketball. He has also been involved in SSP and Student and Faculty Spiritual Life Council. Random fact about Ben: “My snowboard’s name is Victoria.

Eric is a Finance major from Bremen, Germany. He he has been on the Golf team and a part of SGA. He has also been involved with the Business Board of Directors, the Student Athletic Advi-sory Committee, and has led worship for various events. Random fact about Eric: “I was the first child in the history of Germany to have my finger prints taken by the government for child ab-duction safety.”

Jake is a Business Administration and Pre-Law major from Yukon, Oklahoma. During his time at SNU, he has been the SGA Campus Minitries Executive, VP for the School of Business Board, and a writer for The Echo.Random fact about Jake: “If I could be a 50+ year old actor, I’d be Harrison Ford.”

Trey is a Youth Ministry major from Ramona, Oklahoma. During his time at SNU, he has been on the Football team and been an NSI mentor.

Random fact about Trey: “I love Sar-ah.”

Homecoming Court Candidates 2012Ben Glidden Trey CloudZach Bond

Zach is a Human Relations major from Junction City, Kansas. During his time at SNU, he has been SGA class and executive president as well as cam-pus minitries VP. He has also been involved in the honors program, Zig Ziglar’s Scholars Program, and the President’s Ambassadors. Random fact about Zach: “I like turtles.”

Jake O’Bannon Eric Smith

Brooke is a Human Relations major from Scottsville, Texas. During her time at SNU, she has been part of SNU crew, an NSI mentor, a small group leader, and an RA is Asbury. Random fact about Brooke: “In high school, I memorized the first 51 deci-mal places of pi (3.14)”

Photos by Kira Roberts

Rebekah Barkocy Amy Longnecker

Kara is a Nursing major from Yukon, Oklahoma. During her time at SNU ,she has been in SGA class council for two years, an RA in Hills, and SGA Of-fice Administrator Executive.Random fact about Kara: “I went sky-diving for my 21st birthday with my best friend Brooke.”

Amy is a Nursing major from Okla-homa City, Oklahoma. She has been involved in the Student Nurse Associa-tion and is SGA Senior Class Social Life Vice President.Random fact about Amy: “My parents thought I was going to be a boy. So the whole family referred to me as Bil-ly Bob until I was born and found out that I was actually a girl!”

McKenzie is an English Education ma-jor from Bethany, Oklahoma. During her time at SNU, she has been on the soccer team and cheerleading squad, has been involved in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature, and is a Weatherwoman this year. Random fact about McKenzie: “I once dyed all of my hair pink like Katy Perry.”

Bekah is a Graphic Design major from Bethany, Oklahoma. During her time at SNU, she has been the SGA Cam-pus Communications VP and then Ex-ecutive. Random fact about Bekah: “I don’t know what to do with my hands 60 percent of the time...”

Homecoming Court Candidates 2012

McKenzie Redwine Brooke Williams

Kara Pirog

8OPINIONS11.9.12

Married students talk dating, counseling, and “ring by spring,” cont.

Patty Juliuson, Columnist My husband is an Oklahoma boy, so when he retired from military service, we decided to live near the family in OKC. That put me within reach of several fine academic insti-tutions. How did I end up at SNU? Good question. First and foremost, I am a Chris-tian. Not an “oh, I go to church” Christian, but a born-again, Bible-believing, faith-driven Christian. I am so grateful to know Christ as my Savior! It’s not a label I put on like a sweater; it is who I am and how I have chosen to live my life. With that as my foundation, I knew I would not be happy in a university that does not acknowledge Christ. It’s that simple. I am not Nazarene. (Shocking, I know). However, it’s not the denomination, it’s the foun-dation. I wanted a Christ-centered liberal arts education, and this uni-

versity offered just that. I didn’t want to constantly re-spond to humanistic or atheistic philosophy, and I absolutely re-fused to subjugate Biblical prin-ciples to get a degree. I know that some classes in other universities would have required that I either go head-to-head with a professor or simply “drink the Kool-Aid” in order to pass. I’m experienced enough to know neither situation would have been appropriate. I also knew myself well enough to realize I would be lost on a sprawl-ing campus with a student popula-tion that numbered in the tens of thousands. Beginning college in my 50’s was hard enough; getting lost on campus among strangers was not an appealing thought. For me, a smaller student body meant that I would share multiple classes with some students and I might have

an easier time making friends. And that’s what happened. It was com-forting to see familiar faces, and much easier to learn names in a class of 20 as opposed to a seminar of 200. Study buddies and partners in crime… oops, I mean friends… were easily identified, and my stress level went down as I became more familiar with my classmates. SNU also offered a variety of offices and programs to help me reach my educational goals. I re-ceived information and advice from Financial Aid, the Learning Resource Center, and the Office of Disability Services. I became a member of the Student Support Services and found their assistance invaluable. While other institutions may have similar programs, SNU personnel have extended them-selves in a way that leads me to be-lieve they consider it more than a

job. Having a staff member take a personal interest in my challenges made all the difference. In another university, I might have been just a number, but at SNU I know my professors see ME. (OK, forget that I am the oldest person in the room and a little hard to miss…) They have been supportive of my goals and have helped me reach be-yond what I thought were my lim-its. I have a new goal now: graduate school. One professor gave me the dream, others have encouraged me to go for it, and--can you believe it?-I am now in a program designed to help me in that quest. Who would have thought? I could have chosen any univer-sity, but I am here. “Character, Cul-ture, Christ.” Thank you, SNU, for helping me develop all three. I have homework to do. See you in class.

As I see it: How I ended up at SNU

Underwood also brought up the importance of friends. She warned against abandoning friends when entering a relationship because “they give good advice from the outside.” Finally, she said it was a misconcep-tion to think that “all your wildest dreams will come true.” “[Marriage] is great, and it’s fun, but it’s hard work,” Underwood said, mentioning things like paying

bills and working. “Ring by spring” is a phenom-enon that seems to occur each year on campus. It involves men propos-ing to their girlfriends by or during the spring. While a series of engage-ment announcements on Facebook seems to substantiate its existence, does it lead to people feeling pres-sured to get married? “I was never concerned with get-ting a ‘ring by spring,’ although I’m

really glad I did,” Callen said. “And Nate [her husband] said he never felt pressured by the saying. But there are definitely a lot of people that live by that saying.” Not everyone, however, thinks that there is pressure at SNU to get married. “I didn’t feel any pressure to get married coming from the SNU en-vironment or my peers,” Frees said. “I feel like people should not try and

force a relationship to work just so they can have some sense of false security going into graduation.” “I think the first misconception is that you just get married because everyone else is,” Underwood said, noting that she and her husband had dated for seven years, ever since she was in the eighth grade. “Ring by spring wasn’t the case for us. We didn’t feel pressure. The time was just right for us.”

Want to advertise in The Echo?

Contact Brad Crofford at echo@mail.snu.edu for more information!

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TheEcho November 9, 2012 Page 9The Student Athletic Advisory Council

Kira Roberts, Layout Editor The Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) is a somewhat overlooked, but important, group of students on campus. While not many people even know they exist, they spend a lot of time and effort as the voice of student athletes to the athletic administration, faculty and student body. The Athlete Ministry Council was formed in 2006, which then became the SAAC in the spring of 2011. The purposes haven’t changed, but it is now influenced by the NCAA program. According to Paul McGrady, the purpose of this group is to “assist with community service, campus issues, questions and concerns of the student athlete, among others.

Last year they raised $400 for the Angel Tree Ministry with a hotdog cookout at the Oklahoma Chris-tian baseball and softball game. The SAAC helps lead Fields of Faith during the fall semester, Courts of Praise in the spring, and athlete chapel. Last year, they made a recommendation for fac-ulty to consider a “dead week” be-fore finals each semester. SAAC Secretary Ellen Martin said that this group is important because it gives athletes a voice in the athletic department and aca-demics. “It continues to push the beliefs of this university as well as our in-dividual goals in spiritual, physical, and mental development in an in-creasingly secular college environ-

ment,” Martin said. “One of our goals is to continue to build bridges between students and student athletes” McGrady said. “We feel a lot of progress has been made on campus in this regard. We want student athletes to know that they have a represen-tative on their team that they can go to if they have questions or concerns.” McGrady also mentioned that the SAAC is one of a number of groups in the NCAA model that are in place to ensure a positive student athlete experience. The SAAC representatives are expect-ed to be leaders on campus as they serve as the liaison between the athletic department and the stu-dent athletes of each team.

SNU

Athletics

STORMSPORTS

International Athlete Feature: Luis HernandezMatthew Wellman, Staff Writer This week, I interviewed one of my teammates, Luis Hernandez. He is a junior baseball player from the Do-minican Republic.

MW: How did you find out about SNU?LH: A friend of mine told me about the school needing a player, so I contacted Coach Lee, who I met in summer of 2011, and I visited the school and liked it and ended up coming here.

MW: What’s the best part of being an in-ternational student?LH: Just the experience of being in a whole different culture makes it awesome. Also, the opportunity of bringing another culture to my friends is cool. I get to show people what I am about and what my cul-ture is like throughout my everyday life. It is fun sharing all my stories with people and just getting to know

a whole new culture here in the U.S.

MW: What is challenging about being an international student?LH: Being an international student at the beginning is hard. You feel lonely, sad; you miss your coun-try and family. But once you get to know people, it gets better. I’m not going to lie, I miss my family like crazy. But I have to remind myself that I am here to make my life better by getting an education and trying to be someone better in the future. So the challenging part about being an international student is being around new people that are different cultur-ally than you and not being able to see your parents for almost a full year. It gets tough sometimes.

MW: How is the culture different here and in your country?LH: I would say people here are re-ally busy all the time. There is not

much time to enjoy the little things in life. I would say people focus a lot on money, school, work, I mean life in general that they don’t notice the small things that matter in life. I think in Dom. Rep. we like to enjoy family time a bit more, and not just in the holidays. I think that is the biggest culture shock I have. Besides the fact that people don’t really appreciate what they have here. Coming from a lower income country like Dom. Rep. we really need to appreciate and take care of what we have. In the U.S., I think people sometimes take for granted the things they get to enjoy. For example in baseball, most of kids growing up don’t get to enjoy many new gloves, and bats and cleats and things like that. They usu-ally buy used things and treat them like gold. That was also hard for me to process, the idea of “I don’t care, if it breaks I get a new one” that the athletes have here in the U.S.

10SPORTS11.9.12

Matthew Wellman, Staff Reporter The Oklahoma City Thunder are all set to attempt a repeat Western Conference Champions title. They have a couple new pieces that they are excited to get on the floor and hope to complete the journey this year and win the Finals. The biggest happening for the Thunder this offseason happened recently with the trade of James Harden along with Cole Aldrich, Lazar Hayward and Daequan Cook, to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and future draft picks. Most people think this was the wrong choice for the Thunder. Harden was a beloved member of the team and will definitely be missed. Losing the energy and scor-ing he brought off the bench could potentially hurt the Thunder in the long run. However, Martin has been known as a potent scorer and will most likely take over the start-ing shooting guard spot right away. Martin averaged 17 points per game last season, which was his lowest to-tal since becoming a full time starter in 2006-2007. Jeremy Lamb is also a fantastic addition to the Thun-der. He is a young player who the

Thunder are no doubt looking to develop into a big time player in the near future. Overall, the Thunder may take a minimal hit right off the bat from this trade, but they will most likely be better off in the long run. The main reason that Harden was dealt was because he and the team could not reach an agreement on a contract extension. He want-ed more money than the Thunder thought he was worth and subse-quently ended up getting a much larger contract from Houston than Oklahoma City was offering him. All-Stars Kevin Durant and Rus-sell Westbrook are no doubt ready to get this season underway. Surely they are looking at this year as sort of a redemption year after rolling through the Western Conference in the playoffs and then getting mauled by the Heat in the Finals just a season ago. Durant hopes to continue his dominance by taking his fourth straight league scoring title and Westbrook has become one of the most respected point guards in the league. With Harden gone, Oklahoma City will turn to guys like Eric Maynor, Reggie Jackson and first

round pick Perry Jones III to fill some more major roles off the bench. For Thunder fans, this is one of

the most exciting seasons yet and surely they are just as excited as the team to get it started. Thunder Up!

With Harden trade, Thunder hurt in short term, better off in long term

James Harden. Photo by Keith Allison used under Creative Commons license

echo.snu.edu

Arts ENTERTAINMENTTheEcho November 9, 2012 Page 11

Ashleigh Buchanan, Staff Writer Sometimes, you need to take your one-man study party off campus. Whether it’s because the library is closed, your roommates are being loud, or you just need a change of scenery, it’s good to have a few places in your back pocket to retreat to whenever these situations arise. Here are a few of my places…

Northwest Library5600 NW 122nd StOklahoma City, OK 73142

There are a couple reasons that make this place one of my favor-ites, the first one being that it’s the coolest looking library I’ve ever been to. The architecture is super modern, and I feel like I’m in a museum/library. Another reason I love Northwest Library is because it has a variety of seating options such as funky couches and chairs,

booth type seating with comfy benches and big tables, and they have these little rooms with chairs and tables scattered around the li-brary that you can reserve. Down-side? You can only reserve them for two hours at a time. But going to a library to study is awesome because you don’t have to buy anything to sit there for hours! Free wifi, free awesome environ-ment, what more could you ask for?

T An Urban Teahouse7518 N May AveOklahoma City, OK 73116

Confession time: I don’t like coffee. I know, how can I even call myself a college student? But it is what is it. So you can see why this teahouse is totally my thing. I love the atmosphere here. It’s cute and small, but not crowded with chairs and tables. There are plenty of electrical outlets, which is key for study-ing that requires laptop use. The playlist they have going in the background is absolutely per-fect. And they have almost 100 different teas to choose from. When I was here it wasn’t very busy, but on a busy afternoon it might be hard to find a spot to spread out!

Elemental Coffee Roasters815 N Hudson AveOklahoma City, OK 73102

I absolutely love the Midtown neighborhood of OKC. I like the

industrial feel to this area and how this vibe is kept with a lot of the businesses in this area. Elemental has massive windows across the front of the store, which lets in a lot of awesome, natural lighting. I know I just said I don’t like cof-fee, but lucky for me this place has tea, too! The interior of this place carries on with the indus-trial theme of the neighborhood, which is awesome from a design standpoint, but doesn’t allow for the most comfortable seating op-tions. They have several counters with barstools and nice big tables that are great for spreading out, but the benches with them aren’t super comfy. So try out these favorite study places of mine, or go exploring and find your own! There are plenty of fun, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops that might have the best drinks and best study envi-ronment for you!

My favorite off-campus study places

Matthew Wellman, Staff Reporter Video games have come a long way since the days of Pong and Space Invaders. We now have devices like motion sensor controllers and life-like graphics. But what’s next for the video game world? Is it virtual reality? Is it complete artificial inter-action? We won’t talk about those things, at least not yet. Microsoft is always looking for ways to get ahead of the game. There has been speculation of a new con-sole, but so far they are denying it. However, they have announced quite a few upgrades to the current XBOX 360. Through Kinect, you can now tell your XBOX what to do. Want to listen to music? Just talk to your sys-tem. Play Call of Duty? Simply speak

the words and your disc begins to spin. They have also introduced some-thing they call XBOX SmartGlass. This brings all your devices-- your smart phone, your tablet and your XBOX-- all together. If you’re watching a movie on your tablet, you can pick it up right where you left off on your television. While watching shows or movies on your television, your tablet or smart-phone can give you information about the show that you are watch-ing. If you’re playing something like Halo, you can look at unlocked weapons or data and even join a multiplayer match all from your tablet. For sports fans, you can cre-ate a play on your tablet for Mad-

den and immediately put it into the game. Sony seems to focus more on the game-play than the extra stuff that Microsoft brings. They have

announced a new game from the creators of Heavy Rain, which won Game of the Year in 2010. This new game, entitled Beyond: Two Souls, is psychological thriller that is un-like any other game. The studio that makes this game, Quantic Dream,

loves to put in human decisions that impact the outcome of the game. If you don’t make the right choice, you may not know something that will help you later in the game. They have also used 3-D graphics in order to make the characters come to life. Sony also announced a game called Playstation All Stars: Battle Royale. This is going to be Sony’s version of Super Smash Bros., tak-ing all the classic Playstation charac-ters and clashing them together. All in all, we have a lot to look forward to in terms of video games this upcoming year. XBOX will have more cool stuff to play around with on the menus and PS3 will have some great new games. Enjoy, gamers!

What’s next for XBOX and PS3?

“we have a lot to look forward to

in terms of video games”

“Free wifi, free awesome

environment, what more could you

ask?”

12A&E11.9.12

The ECHO is the weekly student newspaper of Southern Nazarene University and is a long-standing member of the Oklahoma Collegiate Press Association. Viewpoints expressed in the paper are not to be considered official standard-bearers of the university or its sponsoring denomination. Editorials on the op/ed pages that are generated by the ECHO staff--and therefore have no byline--express the opinions of the editorial staff but not necessarily of the administration, faculty or staff of Southern Nazarene University. Personal columns with bylines as well as opinions reprinted from subscription wire services or other publications by permission express the opinions of the writer and not necessarily of the editorial staff of the ECHO or the administration, faculty or staff of Southern Nazarene University. The ECHO publishes a public forum called “Letters to the Editor” and invites readers to express themselves here. The editorial staff requests that letters not exceed 250 words and reserves the right to edit them for clarity and brevity. All letters must be signed. Send them to The ECHO, SNU Box 2541, or through e-mail at echo@snu.edu. Letters will not be returned. Unless otherwise marked, letters received by The ECHO that deal with newspaper content or practice will be considered for publication. Information on advertising can be obtained by contacting the editor-in-chief at echo@mail.snu.edu.

Editor: Brad Crofford

Adviser: Melany Kyzer

Content Editor: Kendra Nixon

Layout Editor: Kira Roberts

Assistant Editor: Ronna Fisher

Ashleigh Buchanan, Staff Writer As college students, we don’t really have a lot of money to spend on food. So it’s easy to go to Taco Bell for a cheap meal or run to Panera Bread for a cozy lunch. But what better way to spend our money than by sup-porting local shops and restau-rants? There are a lot of reasons that shopping locally is better than shopping at franchises, and hopefully I will convince you to trade your love for McDonalds in for a more socially/locally re-sponsible choice! By shopping locally, you are supporting the local economy. By supporting local business, you are keeping money and jobs here in Oklahoma. According to keepitlocalok.com, of every $100 that is spent at a locally-owned business, $73 remains in the local economy and $27 leaves. But for every $100 spent at a non-locally-owned busi-ness, $43 remains in the local economy and $57 leaves. I’ve seen how business can link people together and build community, as well as giving Oklahoma City more unique-ness. Have you ever been down to the Plaza District on 16th Street between Classen and Penn? How about the restau-rants and businesses along 9th Street and Broadway? These are excellent examples of how a group of local businesses have redefined an area and made it a fun place to go instead of just a random street. Local businesses make it more fun to go explor-ing and find a place that defines local community.

Okay, so I know you’re think-ing “There’s no way I could like a local business I like more than (insert generic chain res-taurant/business here)! And I

get it; I like Chili’s chips and salsa as much as the next per-son. But I guarantee there is a better, local alternative to your favorite place! And I’m going to give you some suggestions to help you get started.

Instead of Qdoba, try Igua-na Mexican Grill at 9 NW 9th street. Tip: On Tuesdays they have mini tacos for $1 each! Plus they have great chips and salsa. Instead of ordering out Piz-za Hut, go to Hideaway! With a location near SNU at 5501 NW Expressway, it’s a great spot for a big group of friends to go to. Chili’s has great burgers, but you know who has even bet-ter burgers? Nic’s Grill at 11th and Penn. Nic’s is a great place to go for lunch (they are open from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.) when you need a break from Sodexo! Tired of buying clothing at Target, and then awkwardly wearing that outfit the same

day as someone else? Try shop-ping at Blue Seven at 7518 N May Ave! They have a lot of unique clothing, so you will be looking good and supporting local designers. Want go to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the game? Try Republic in the Classen Curve for their HUGE TV’s and loud atmosphere. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have my money go into the pockets of my “neighbors” rather than a big-shot CEO living in Cali-fornia, which is why I’m trying to choose local businesses over franchises more often. Will you join me in this mission to be great citizens of Oklahoma City and keep it local?

Keep it local: Why it’s important to support local business

Iguana Grill is a local alternative to Qdoba. Photo by Muy Yum used under Creative Commons license.

“I would much rather have my money go into

the pockets of my ‘neighbors.’”