“I am going to be a vampire.”Ashley Bean,Beggsfreshman

“My last Halloween costume was the Hulk.”James Brown,Shawneefreshman

“I am going to be a red-neck bunny.”Brooke Butler,Ardmorefreshman

“I am going to be an M&M.”Morgan Johnson,Shawneefreshman

“I am going to be Psy from the Gangnam Style video.”

Kale Lampkin,Davis sophomore

“I am going to be a scary clown like the one from the movie IT.”

Justin Doughty,Ardmore freshman

BY COREY SCOTTStaff Writer

Living the life of a college student is rough. The long hours of studying and a dif-

ferent paper every week seem to mo-nopolize all a v a i l a b l e time. Many students do not realize the extra work some

of their fellow students must endure to get the degree. Single parents, married students and non-traditional students may seem like a frac-tion of the student body, but they are among the hardest working. Many put in 15 to 20 hours of school work then go home to cook, clean and take care of a family before they sit down and tackle looming mountains of homework. Some of these students are even industrious enough to put themselves out there and join student organizations and par-ticipate in a multitude of extra-curricular activities. Too many times students get back tests and curse the older person in the corner for ruining the curve or always having the right answers. These people work hard and deserve a bit of credit from the younger generation. This small pocket of the population, whatever their background, are Tigers. They belong in the halls of East Central Univer-sity just as much as the star quarterback or the homecom-ing queen. No matter their chosen field of study, these students dream of making a difference. They would not be here otherwise. So, next time the old guy in the corner scores a perfect score on a quiz no one else seemed to study for, the entire class needs to congratulate him and deal with the consequences.

EDITORIALPolitical Opinions Ought to Be Potty Trained

CAMPUS CHATWhat Are You

Going to Be for Halloween?

the JournalOct. 25 - Oct. 31, 2012

the Journal: An open forum dedicated to serving the East Central University community

with integrity, accuracy and fairness.Opinion

CARTOON/SALVADOR JASSO

BY MARY NEWPORTEditor-in-Chief

As the presidential elec-tion creeps closer and loyal

d e v o t e e s a d v o c a t e one candi-date or an-other, tem-pers run hot and many an argu-ment erupts. H o w e v e r

fierce the fight, debaters should take care to refrain from mud-slinging—or poop-placing and condom-cloaking, as seems to be happening at East Central University. A Tiger with strong politi-cal opinions recently placed a few flyers around campus. Presumably in reference to Mitt Romney’s remark about Americans who feel entitled to government benefits, the flyers read simply “47%.” Most occupy inconspicu-ous spots, but two were stuck to a wooden stake and planted

very visibly on the lawn near the front entrance to the Hor-ace Mann Building. The sign only stood tall for a short while. After a few days, it was unstuck from the ground and laid low, with a bit of dog poop balanced precisely on the uprooted stake. One supposes a civic-mind-ed canine with extremely good aim could have knocked the sign over and relieved itself there, but the idea seems a lit-tle farfetched. Reason suggests somebody decided to make a statement with his best friend’s waste. Ignoble as the poop may have been, it wasn’t over yet for the brave little sign. Not long after, someone brushed the dried ordure from the stake and pulled a bright red con-dom down its length instead. Unrolling a condom requires thumbs, which rules out local dogs. There are also those who oc-casionally get drunk enough to mistake a signpost for an organ of similar shape, but nobody so

intoxicated could bend down and pick it up without falling over. Once again, it seems, someone took exception to the sign. Those someones need to take a communication course. Leaving aside questions of propriety—because college students know dung isn’t a socially acceptable means of expression—the poop and con-dom approach is simply inef-fective. Such methods don’t spe-cifically illustrate the placer’s opinion. They might disap-prove of the sign, of Rom-ney’s remark or just of wooden stakes. ECU might be dealing with a churlish, pet-owning vampire. Things would go better if commentators put up their own signs or held a campus politi-cal debate. If people must con-tinue to comment childishly, they might try the traditional trick of drawing crude genita-lia. It at least takes a smidgeon of artistic talent and eliminates the need to handle excrement.

Scott’s SoapboxNon-Traditional Is a Good Thing

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ECU Stands United Against Domestic Abuse