The Cornerstone CAUSE ministry is led by construction management majors that have found a way to reach the community by helping with building projects.

Junior Azad Lassiter leads the ministry and started working on repairs for in the Siloam Springs veterans center about a month ago.

"The center looked like it needed help because it hasn't been taken care of in a long time," Lassiter said.

Cornerstone has been cleaning up the yard and brush from the trees that are around the center, and they are also waiting to work on a roofing project.

"The center needs to have the roof repaired, but we are waiting on the money to start the project," Lassiter said.

The veterans center is the main project they are working on right now.

"The veterans have a vision of what they want their center to look like, and we hope they can gain more hope by seeing it carried out," Lassiter said.

Another project the ministry is working on is distributing firewood to people in the community who are not able to afford it.

Junior Nathan Menken leads the Community Service Outreach CAUSE Ministry and works with Cornerstone every other weekend to do projects.

"I have always heard of needs in the area, and in the past I never knew how to help or if JBU was helping," Menken said.

Cornerstone finds projects to work on by partnering with Kind of Heart ministries and by people in the community coming to them with a need.

"Pastor Wayne Thomas is the biggest contact we have right now, and we are trying to build off of that," Lassiter said.

The ministry's vision is to go straight into the community with their projects.

"Our projects are primarily focused on serving the community and making an impact any way we can," Lassiter said.

Joe Nothum risked his life to pay for school.

After his freshman year at JBU, Nothum, unable to finance his studies, took a year and a half off and climbed communication towers for a living.

Nothum said tat as a communication towers inspector he climbed towers like the one behind KLRC .

"I've been on [towers] that are 60ft tall, others 600ft tall," Nothum said.

Nothum, now a sophomore majoring in construction management, traveled across the country inspecting towers in every type of weather: snow, rain and even 40 to 50 mph wind.

"The first tower I climbed had a half inch of ice," Nothum said.

Nothum came to JBU the fall of 2006. During his freshman year, his dad, who owns a construction company, was financing his studies, but as the economy worsened, Nothum's dad told him he would have to pay his way through school.

Nothum said he was initially planning to work for his father's company, but an unexpected opportunity arose through Jim Grueninger, owner of Mayfield Consulting Services (MCS),.

Nothum interviewed with Grueninger, and he explained the hassles of the job.

"It seemed right up my alley," Nothum said.

Though Nothum said that the most dangerous part of his job was driving across the country, there was also the danger of falling, an experience that he came close to, while working in Iowa.

Nothum and his boss were going to do a height verification on a monopole, which is a steel round pole. To do this, they had to use a laser range finder. The laser range finder essentially looks like a big calculator that shoots a laser to any given point and gives the exact distance up to the 100th foot, Nothum said.

The plan was for Nothum and his boss to climb up and shoot the laser down from the top of the pole.

As Nothum sat on top of the pole, his boss strapped himself and sat on an antenna mount a few feet below him.

"We would just sit up there and chill," Nothum said.

They tried shooting the laser, but for some reason it didn't work.

Nothum told his boss that he should climb down and that Nothum would hold his folder out so that he could shoot the laser to it.

But as Grueninger started climbing down, Nothum instinctively knew that something was off.

"When you start inspecting towers you know when something is out of place," Nothum said.

Nothum and his boss were not inspecting the tower on that occasion, so they had not realized that one of the bolts that was supposed to hold the antenna up was broken, and the entire weight of the antenna and Grueninger's was resting on one bolt.

"We were surprised that his weight didn't break it off," Nothum said.

The monopole was around 135 feet tall.

After a year and half of inspecting communication towers, Nothum earned enough money to pay for the rest of his JBU education, he said.

Nothum said that the job taught him how to be more responsible and work hard. It also gave him a sense of pride.

He said it was good to be able to say, "Hey, I'm paying for my own school."

A group of six students camped over the weekend in Jacket, Miss., to shoot a documentary of a music festival that took place in the area.

The Self Destruct In The Ozarks Festival was a 3-day Christian music festival was held from Oct.16 to Oct. 18 on a 90-acre farm.

Bill Beyer, owner of Skia, a Christian store, in Bentonville, Ark., created the idea of having the music festival.

Junior Robert Headrick and senior Tyson Banks directed a documentary about the music festival for their Nonfiction Film Production class.

Headrick and Banks came up with the idea to make the documentary from their professor Steve Snedicker, instructor of visual arts.

"He told us about the festival and that he knew the owner in case anyone wanted to switch ideas, and we did," Banks said.

Three people from the group set up camp on Thursday, and the rest of the group joined them the next day.

"The routine was that we would wake up around eight or nine in the morning, shoot concerts all day, take a few breaks and eat then sleep," Headrick said.

The students received an all-access pass and were able to speak to musicians in the artist tent and go backstage.

"Most of the time the bands were fine with us walking up to them after their set and asking for an interview, which was different than what we thought would happen," Headrick said.

At the Self Destruct Festival, it rained most of the weekend and hindered some of the one-hundred bands performances.

"On Sunday, the rain was pouring so hard that some of the bands weren't able to perform like they had wanted," Headrick said.

A widely known band, Thousand Foot Krutch, was unable to carry out their performance on Sunday and instead provided the fans with an acoustic performance.

"We interviewed one of the guys from Thousand Foot Krutch and, because they couldn't do their original performance, they passed out signed copies of their CD's to everyone who stayed to watch them," Headrick said.

The students interviewed the bands Spoken, Take it Back, MXPX, Newsboys, Hope for the Dying and The Overseer.

Headrick said the rain and location of the music festival made it difficult for people to attend.

"Not as many people came like they hoped for because of the rain and the fact that it was in the middle of nowhere," Headrick said.

Banks said the weather was one of the hardest things to work around.

"It was hard to stay motivated and find a story, while we were camping and shooting in the rain," Banks said.

Over the weekend, they shot seventeen hours worth of film, and the final product of the documentary had to be about thirty minutes long.

"We are hoping to show in detail what the music festival was like by providing background information, as well as stories from people who camped there all weekend," Headrick said.

Headrick and Banks wanted to showcase what the festival was like from many different perspectives and show what it was like for Beyer to produce it for the first time.

"We got the bands, the fans and the behind the scenes perspective, so hopefully that will give a good idea of what it was like," Banks said.

They are working with Skia to put together a promotional video to use for next year's music festival.

A team composed of Reserve Officers' Training Corp (ROTC) cadets, primarily from John Brown University, competed against 12 other teams from universities across Arkansas and Oklahoma in the annual ROTC Ranger Challenge Friday and Saturday at Camp Gruber in Oklahoma, finishing in eighth place. This weekend was the first time for JBU cadets to compete in the event.

This year, the competition required six-man teams instead of nine. JBU cadets were able to form a team this year, because for the first time, they had enough cadets. Because JBU cadets are a part of the University of Arkansas program, it was officially classified as a second University of Arkansas team.

The JBU team competed in the all-male category against ROTC teams from universities including Oklahoma State University, Cameron University (Okla.), Arkansas State University, University of Oklahoma, University of Central Oklahoma and Arkansas Tech.

The team was composed of JBU cadets, including sophomore Isaac Goff, who served as captain of the team, freshman Kyle Schmidt, freshman Stephen Newbauer, junior Daniel Burkholder, sophomore Luke Larson and a UA cadet, Justin Holmes, who replaced JBU junior Alex McLean, who was unable to compete. These cadets volunteered to be a part of the team.

The first event of the competition on Friday was Day Land Navigation. During this event, each team was given a map, compass and two points on a map to locate with these tools. Following this event, the teams competed in Night Land Navigation. This event was the same as the former, only hindered by the dark of night. To conclude Friday's events, teams took a written test covering land navigation, patrolling tactics and first aid.

Saturday, cadets awoke at 4:30 a.m. for the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). This event consisted of two minutes of pushups, two minutes of sit-ups and a two-mile run.

After the AFFT, teams rotated through four stations of competitions: Hand Grenade Assault Course, M16 disassembly, First Aid Obstacle Course and the 10K Ruck March.

In the Hand Grenade Assault Course, there were five targets on a course, and the team was given five grenades and instructed on a certain technique with which to attack each target, such as standing or lying on their back. The cadets had to throw the grenade so that it would come to rest within a five-meter circle.

"Accuracy is your biggest goal, but you're also graded on technique and proper procedure," Goff said.

The M16 Disassembly was a timed event in which cadets were given two minutes to complete a functions check on an M16. They had to disassemble it and reassemble it as instructed. It is mandatory that it be completed within two minutes in order to receive the maximum score.

In the First Aid Obstacle Course, cadets were to asses the injuries of a casualty on the course, load him on a stretcher and navigate four obstacles carrying the casualty. This event was timed as well.

The Ruck March was a 6.2-mile march, in which the cadets wore their backpacks, which they refer to as rucks, containing all of their supplies. The rucks weigh approximately 20 to 25 pounds each. The event was a race in which each team was given a maximum 90 minutes to complete the march.

Goff said, the JBU team's highest-placing event was the hand grenade assault course, in which it finished fourth. They placed 13th in land navigation and seventh in the APFT, but he did not have the results of the other contests.

The JBU cadets completed the ruck march in 77 minutes, finishing somewhere in the middle of the group.

"I was very happy with our results," Goff said. "Considering the limited amount of training we were able to put in, I think a finish in the middle of the group was a good accomplishment."

Goff added that he believed his team would have placed higher of not for some small mistakes, such as coming in four minutes late on the land navigation course.

Although it did not win any events, the JBU team was recognized during the award ceremony because of the fact that they trained without a cadre member, or leader, to coach them.

The JBU cadets began training for this event the last week in September. In addition to attending physical training (PT) Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at UA, cadets on the team began attending PT on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well.

When asked about the motivation to compete in this competition, Goff said that ROTC cadets are always being ranked against other cadets based on their PT scores, GPA, involvement in ROTC, extracurriculars, general leadership skills and potential. The points each cadet gathers is assessed between his or her junior and senior year of college against all of the roughly 5,000 of cadets in the nation. How high one ranks determines how much of a say you have in what branch of the Army you will go into after college, Goff said.

Participating in the Ranger Challenge gives these cadets bonus points.

"It was tough, and truly a team effort-from the training to the award ceremony," Newbauer said. "Whether it was an individual event, such as the Grenade Assault Course, or the 10K Ruck March, we had each other to fall back on and get motivation. The best was brought out in all of us as we struggled to find that last ounce of strength to reach the finish line."

Additionally, the ROTC Club had planned to hold an ROTC Challenge at JBU on Monday, but it has been rescheduled until next week because of rain.

Sophomore Caleb Wanzer, senior airman in the AirForce Reserve and member of the ROTC Club at JBU, said that the ROTC Challenge was open to anyone on campus. It is based off of the Army PT test and includes a two-minute run and two minutes each of pushups, sit-ups and pull-ups.

The goal, Wanzer said, was to raise money for colorguard equipment for the ROTC Club, and he added that it would be "just fun to get out there and get active."

Goff said that the event has a $3 entrance fee. Gift cards will be given to the top three places.

The event will be held Monday, Nov. 2, at 5 p.m. in the parking lot by the tennis courts.

The ROTC Club began this semester, and this will be its first event, Wanzer said. There are currently 10 ROTC cadets studying at JBU while training at UA.

With the often unpredictable weather of Northwest Arkansas, it is important to know how to dress for the appropriate weather. Especially as leaves fall and the cold winter wind starts to blow, not knowing how to prepare for the winter months can leave you, well, out in the cold. It's time to trade in the John Brown University wardrobe of short-sleeve t-shirts, cargo shorts and Chacos for layers, accessories and warm clothing that will keep you warm from head to toe.

So far this October, the weather channel (weather.com) says we have had temperatures from a record low of 20ûF to a record high of 96ûF. Also, we have received 8.10 inches of rainfall, significantly higher than our normal average of 3.68 inches. Although Siloam may not get as cool as other places in the world, it can still affect you if you are not prepared for it.

Check the Weather

The most important thing to do to know how to dress appropriately for the weather is to check the local forecast. You can check the weather on EagleNet, Google Weather (google.com/weather), The Weather Channel (weather.com) or check out a local news channel. An idea of the weather conditions will help you pick out whether you need a rain coat or a winter coat, a jacket, a sweater or both.

Another thing that will help you dress warmly is understanding how your body loses heat. The Sierra Trading Post (sierratradingpost.com) says our bodies lose heat in four different ways.

Radiative heat loss-Your body heat escapes into the cold air because of a lack of insulation.

Connective heat transfer-The wind draws heat off of you, especially where your skin is exposed.

Conductive heat transfer-Heat is lost through direct contact with cold surfaces.

Evaporative cooling-This happens when your skin gets soaked with precipitation or sweat.

With these cautions in mind, it will be easier to fight against the chill of winter.

Layering Up

The Weather Channel says, "The best way to dress for winter is to wear layers. This gives you flexibility to add or remove layers, depending on the weather and your activity." Layers can be especially useful if it is 30ûF outside but 75ûF in your classroom. Some things that are good to layer are a long-sleeve shirt, sweater and heavy coat for especially wintry days.

Sierra Trading Post categorizes three important layers into a base layer, mid layer and insulating layer. The base layer consists of thermal, or long, underwear. The mid layer can consist of clothes that you feel good in but still provide warmth. This can include fabrics such as wool, cotton and nylon, and items like a t-shirt or jeans.

The Sierra Trading Post says, "The idea is that you'll never get too cold or hot - and never sweat excessively - if you can drop and add layers as needed." The insulating layer can be an insulating jacket, such as a pullover jacket, sweater or vest. Fabrics for this layer can include wool, cotton and nylon. The Sierra Trading Post says to make sure this layer is "lightweight and low-bulk" for various activities.

If you're finding that jeans are not insulating enough, you can always add another layer to your legs, like leggings or tights for women. Wikihow.com suggests wearing more than one layer on your legs.

To keep feet warm, you should wear a pair of thick winter socks and boots. Proper footwear will keep your feet from getting wet and allow heat to insulate them, and you won't have to worry about walking through rain or snow and getting wet.

Learn to Accessorize

One of the most fun ways to dress for winter weather is to accessorize. This means wearing hats, scarves and gloves to keep important parts of your body warm.

Although scientists disagree on how much heat is lost through your head, a study by researchers at the University of Arkansas said that although heat lost through the head covers only about 10 percent of total heat loss, heat loss increases with activity or exercise. This makes covering your head a crucial part of staying warm.

The Weather Channel suggests wearing a fleece hat or headband. There are a variety of fashionable hats out there, from beanies to berets, which will keep you from losing this much-needed heat.

Next, scarves are a fashionable and useful accessory for women and men fighting the winter chill. Scarves and pashminas (a scarf or shawl made of a cashmere-wool fabric) are great for adding a pop of color to an outfit, while also protecting your neck and chest from getting cold. Scarves are cheap items that are fun to throw onto an outfit and are great at keeping your neck insulated.

Gloves are a small accessory that can make a big difference. Gloves that are waterproof are recommended, but any type of glove is great for protecting your hands from the wind and cool of winter. Ehow.com says, "Gloves keep your hands toasty warm and protect your skin from becoming tough and damaged from the wind and chill."

The weather channel suggests looking for gloves that use waterproof, breathable fabrics.

Winter weather doesn't have to make you want to hibernate to stay warm, but with the right layers and accessories, it can become one of your favorite seasons of the year.