he Forum is the official student newspaper at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The Forum is funded in part by the student activity fee; members of the UALR community are allowed one copy per edition. The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the staff and contributing writers and do not represent the official views of UALR. Advertising inquiries should be referred to The Forum’s advertising office and can be reached by calling 501-569-3319. The Forum is published 7 times in each of the fall and spring semesters. The Forum editor can be reached at 501-569-3265. All material published in this newspaper is copyrighted.
TORI TALKS
‘Looking back now’
By Victoria Hickey Executive Editor editor@ualr.edu
Likemost people, I have changed quite a bit since I first came to college. I can remember my first day moving into the dorms. I’m not from Arkansas, and I knew no one! It was such a nerve-wracking experience. I was pretty shy when I started college, and it took me a week or two to finally break out of my shell, but I’m so glad I finally did.
As I’m getting closer to finishing my college career, I’ve been thinking about what I would have done differently if I could do it over. To be honest, there isn’t much I would change. I know some people are still in the beginning stages of their college career, so I decided to share a few tips of how I’ve made my college experience great!
First, and in my opinion, most importantly, GET INVOLVED! Coming from someone who has been involved in about 20 student organizations throughout my college career, this is a must! You don’t have to join every club, but at least pick one. There are more than 150 student
GUEST COLUMN
organizations, ranging from language clubs to hobby clubs and everything in between! Getting involved is important because it gives you an opportunity to network with people who share similar interests. It also gives you a chance to explore new things and, of course, have fun!
The next important thing is, to stay organized. I’m drowning in calendars, planners, class schedules and to-do lists. You might not need as many to-do lists as I do, but find something that works for you. I’m the type of person who needs to write things down. Otherwise, I will never remember what I have to do. Staying organized will help make sure your assignments get completed on time and that you don’t double-book yourself with scheduling commitments.
Another important tip is, don’t worry too much about what others think. You may think that people notice you are wearing sweats and no makeup, but 90 percent of the time they don’t. I, for one,
know that I rarely pay attention to the people I pass in the hallways because I’m focusing on getting my own things done. If you like dressing up every day, do it! But only do it because you want to, not to impress others.
My final tip is, which I once read on a motivational poster is, keep in mind great things never come from comfort zones. I know things can be scary sometimes. Trust me, I overthink everything. But try something new every once in a while! Last year I tried painting for the first time, and even though I’m not going to be the next Picasso, it is something I love doing! It is so relaxing.
Whether it’s joining a new club or applying for a leadership position, take a chance! You learn just as many lessons from failing as you do from success. Do you have any tips for other college students? If so, submit them to editor@ ualr.edu and they might get published in an upcoming issue!
Service-learning and career development: making the connection
TheUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock is working to provide “high impact” learning experiences for students. One such experience is servicelearning. Service-learning is an approach to teaching that integrates community service with classroom instruction and reflection. Service-learning provides students with a broader and deeper understanding of the course content, fosters their sense of civic engagement, and sharpens their insights into themselves and their place in the community.
The concept is a simple one: Students provide service in their community that is directly connected to their academic coursework, and the community provides an educational experience for the student. So much of what we do in life is experiential and service-learning often helps students practice new found skills, understand theory and test innovative ideas all in a real world setting.
Students often ask me why should they take a service-learning course when it looks like more work? I reply, “Did you learn to drive a car by reading just the manual?” No, of course not. You got in
the driver’s seat of the car with a parent, or instructor and practiced those skills (hopefully in a safe place). The same can be said about choosing a career. Would you want a doctor performing surgery on you without having practiced these skills?
Students participating in servicelearning at UALR: help local children learn to read, serve as mentors for high school science programs, write grants for local nonprofits, organize food drives for our pantry, carry out written oral histories with the elderly in nursing homes or build houses for homeless people.
Students have: developed financial and marketing plans, conducted voter registration drives, created databases for local agencies, produced public service announcements for community based organizations, designed publications or carried out health screenings. These are just a few examples of service-learning projects that our students have carried out.
These activities allow students to practice skills they may need in their chosen career and at the same time provide service to the community. Through reflective activities (which are an essential element of service-learning) students are able to critically think about their experience and the implications for the future.
According to Deborah Bloch, a career development specialist at Western Carolina University, career development occurs through participation in the interweaving networks of education, occupations and needs of the community, among other factors. Service-learning interweaves education with community needs, allowing students to participate in networks and explore occupations.
Service learning supports career planning and professional preparation. Through their participation in these projects students learn teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, communication and leadership, which are all vital for success in any workplace. It also helps students gain marketable experience and a competitive edge. Many students have reported they landed their first real job at places where they did community service.
So, the next time you enroll in a course that involves service-learning, embrace the opportunity. Take advantage of the learning experience to practice your newfound skills while giving back to the community. It will make a difference in your own learning and career choices while making a difference in the community.
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D., LMSW
New Hampshire feels the Bern…and the Donald
Scott Foster Staff Writer snfoster1@ualr.edu
New Hampshire set the stage for the first primary contest in the nation on Feb. 9, delivering resounding defeats for the so called establishment candidates.
On the Republican side, businessman Donald Trump topped the moderate governor of Ohio, John Kasich by earning 35.3 percent of the vote. Kasich managed to reach 15.8 percent, while the other major challengers to Trump - Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, former governor Jeb Bush of Florida, and Florida's Sen. Marco Rubio - all garnered between 10-12 percent of the “Granite State” Republican vote.
In a surprise move, Gov. Chris Christie (R) of New Jersey called out Marco Rubio in a debate leading up to the primary by accusing him of reciting prepared remarks instead of thinking about, and answering, difficult policy questions. This charge appeared to rattle Rubio somewhat. Rubio then repeated certain parts of his speech, which apparently gave more credence to Christie’s claim and contributed to Rubio’s poor, fifth-place performance.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, the upstart candidate challenging establish-
ment favorite Hillary Clinton, dominated the New Hampshire primary on the Democratic side, defeating the former Secretary of State and First Lady by earning 60.4 percent of the vote. Clinton gathered 38 percent of primary voters while experiencing difficulties in winning over major groups of voters in the state, especially the 18-30 year-old voting group.
Clinton maintains a substantial lead in the next primary state of South Carolina by a wide margin of just over 20 percentage points. She also boasts a consistent double digit lead in poll averages nationwide, although elections expert Gregory Shufeldt of the UALR Political Science department commented in a recent interview that the election was not over yet.
Shufeldt claimed this was so because “there is such a small percentage of the population that has weighed in so far,” pointing out that less than five percent of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention have been allocated to this point.
Until the next election update, try to begin making your final choices on the candidates you will support. The Arkansas primary contests for both the Republican and Democratic parties are coming fast on March 1. The political activism and voting of students has already had a significant impact on this year’s campaign, so don’t forget to vote and make sure your opinion counts.
Americans need to stop 'biting the bullet'
Brian Gregory Sports Editor bjgregory@ualr.edu
Ilive in the United States, the most powerful and well-off country in the world. However, it is not a stretch to say we are the most violent industrialized nation on the planet. I believe that we need comprehensive commonsense gun reform.
This isn’t just for my safety or because I am having a knee-jerk reaction to the mass shootings. This is because gun violence also
ravages poor, urban neighborhoods.
I have never owned a gun, and I don’t desire to own one. I may be somewhat biased towards not owning a gun, but I would direct you to our Constitution. In the Preamble of the Constitution, it says that the government should provide “insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare.”
For me this means two things. First is that the government is in the business of promoting peace and goodwill for its citizens. It also means that you deserve to be kept safe. For many, guns provide a sense of security because there
is a bond between the gun owner and their guns. However, non-gun owners should have that same sense of security.
This means I shouldn’t be fearful when I walk into the mall or the movie theater. I should feel like that is a safe place. This also means that when I am walking down the street, I shouldn’t feel like, at any moment, I could be murdered.
Gun violence has no prejudice. Constitutionally, the Second Amendment clearly states that you, as an American, have a right to bear arms. The government should take steps to make it harder for those with the desire to take the lives of innocent Americans.
On balance, more gun control isn’t worth it
Scott Foster Staff Writer snfoster1@ualr.edu
The value held most dear by a large number of people in America, throughout its existence, has not been equality, safety, fraternity or even justice. The most sacred value is the independence and freedom of its people.
This love of freedom manifested itself long ago at the founding of the Republic, when the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written to announce the reasons for the creation of our country and the manner by which it was to be governed, respectively. The top priority of the framers of this new government was the protection of individual rights, so the awarding of the new powers to the govern-
ment occurred concurrently with the adoption of the Bill of Rights.
The second among these fundamental and important rights (set forth to protect individual liberties) was the right of the people to keep and bear arms. The reasons for holding this right in such high esteem were myriad. It allowed for the protection of one’s person against others who may threaten lives, family or property. It served as a natural check against tyranny in our own government. It resulted in a populace familiar with and skilled in the use of firearms. It made the prospect of invading the United States a daunting one for potential enemies. Contrary to the assertions of many who disparage its importance, the right to keep and bear arms still affords us these benefits today.
There are plenty of statistics supporting both sides of the gun control argument. However, the bottom line remains the same: a
majority of Americans love their freedom and the benefits listed above more than they love the possibility of saving some lives through making it more difficult to acquire firearms.
Americans continue to play football, drink sodas, eat red meat, drive cars at unnecessarily high speeds, utilize swimming pools, smoke cigarettes and use illegal drugs with very little regard to the fact that all these activities kill or injure a great many people. Instead of banning these activities, we choose to regulate them to a limited extent in order to eliminate some of the most extreme outcomes…yet we all accept the inevitable casualties associated with those behaviors. Of course, not one of the activities mentioned on this list are enshrined in our Constitution, and none can claim the benefits of gun ownership delineated here.
Illustration by Byron Buslig
Police Beat Active shooter training and you
Sydney Bradshaw Staff Writer slbradshaw@ualr.edu
‘Learn how to park’
On Feb. 2, an officer responded to a report of criminal mischief in Lot 13. The victim had allegedly double-parked his truck that morning and came back that night to find it had been vandalized. Written on the driver’s side window were the words “Learn how to park” in what appeared to be black Sharpie. The officer took the victim’s license plate number along with the license plate numbers of the cars adjacent to his to add to the report.
Library books found in trash
On Feb. 9, two officers arrived at the Ottenheimer Library in response to a report about library books being found in the trash cans. The library supervisor informed the officers that one of the cleaning staff told him that they had found several books inside the trash cans of the 4th floor men’s restroom. A student worker was then sent to look into more trash cans and found water damaged books. The supervisor checked the camera footage and saw the suspect throwing the books into the trash. The suspect was identified and the supervisor told the officers that he would like the suspect banned from the library.
Theft at bookstore
On Feb. 2, two officers reported to the campus bookstore about a theft of property. The two store employees told the officers that they noticed many items inside a shopping bag that a customer had set beside the register when checking out. The cashier asked the customer about the items because she had not charged her for those. The customer said that she had purchased the items previously and came into the store with them. The employee continued to charge the customer for the items she came to the register with, but did not know what to do about the items in the bag. Once she left, the two employees looked at the video footage and saw the customer stealing the items. DPS was contacted and spoke with the suspect who admitted to stealing the items. She was arrested and the items were recovered from her car. She was then transported to the Pulaski County Regional Detention Center for Theft of Property.
Elton Tevebaugh Staff Writer ewtevebaugh@ualr.edu
active shooter on the same floor or one above or below,” Birmingham explained. “It’s an active, live simulation.”
After the Arkansas State University active shooter scare in Jonesboro, it seems that now more than ever active shooter training is necessary. Of course, we all hope that we never have to face such a situation, but it is much better to be prepared for something and not need the training than it is to not have the training and need it
To avoid such a scare at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Detective Sharon Houlette said, “In the case of what happened to ASU – if, say, the theater department is planning to use a fake firearm, we are always informed as to the use of simulated guns on campus.”
According to Lt. Aaron Birmingham, the training consists several steps, including: watching a video, working with participants, breaking them up into groups, and doing exercises with them.
“We pretend that there is an
As far as what sort of mentality to embrace, Birmingham said, “If the shooter is on the other end of the building, our concern is to get everyone out if they can safely do so because we’re [officers] going to go in and handle it. If they are coming in the room, I’d rather go down fighting.”
Houlette said, “Some people would rather go down hiding. Everyone is different.”
If a student faces an active shooter situation without training, Birmingham advised, “A lot of what police officers do is play out different scenarios.” He continued, “I’m not going to say that it makes you ready, but if, God forbid, it does happen, you’ll have less of a possibility of going into a full-blown panic.”
Birmingham gave further advice, saying, “Do the best you can to remain calm. You know you’re not them, but [officers] don’t know that until everything is taken care of. Don’t try to argue or tell us, just be compliant. Before we get
there, try to remain calm. If you’ve been trained, try to remember the training.”
The average response time of Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers on UALR’s campus is about one to two minutes. This quick response time is very valuable, especially in sensitive times such as an active shooter situation.
Houlette said, “If you call LRPD, you may end up waiting 45 minutes to an hour at least. That’s due to their high volume of calls. [UALR] is our jurisdiction, and we’ve all trained in active shooter. We are all over campus: We have officers on foot, on Segway, on bike, and in patrol cars. Our response time is amazing.”
Sgt. Jennifer Lusk works in crime prevention and instructs active shooter training sessions on campus. These sessions are free and are available not only to faculty, staff, and students, but anyone expressing interest. Some professors have even allotted times during their regular class times to schedule active shooter training sessions. For those interested in taking active shooter training, contact UALR DPS at (501) 569-3400.
Illustration by Brady Jackson
Research guides to the rescue!
Lela-Tamara Fluker Staff Writer ldfluker@ualr.edu
In a 45-minute presentation, John Siegel and Amar Kanekar used data from physical education courses taken at UALR at the undergraduate and graduate level to show how course-focused research guides provided by the Ottenhiemer Library website helped in forming better research papers from students and developing better research habits.
The duo presented statistics on the courses that the research guides were used in, including how students responded to them. There was no evidence in regard to how guide usage directly affected grades. A step-by-step process of how to get to journals, howto guides, style guides (MLA and APA), and how to navigate the
library website was given.
“Do not pull your hair out searching for articles. Please contact [librarians] for help when you need it,” Siegel said.
Kanekar is an assistant professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Sports Management. Siegel is an associate professor in the Student Success Library in Ottenheimer Library. Together they discuss the use of online research guides for improving student academic performance along with quantitative and qualitative results to present the work they’ve done over several semesters. The importance of these guides was stressed for courses overall, not just limiting it to use within health education courses.
Siegel works to create guides that are course-specific based on research projects and objectives for the course. They are accessible anywhere and links can be embedded into Blackboard. There were
usage statistics being kept to show how much they are being used. They also work hard to even assist students taking online classes.
Kanekar stressed how important how the use of credible websites is. In one of his courses, Siegel explains how to seek out such sources. Results showed that lack of knowledge in regards to what kinds of websites to use was not only exhibited at the freshman level, but all across the board.
The Ottenheimer Library website provides students and professors with articles, journals and other reliable sources for conducting proper research. Instructors can also work to create a guide for research that is course specific and leads students to relevant information based on the subject. Research and instructional support is also easy to come by. There is an “Ask Us” link added to the library website-- ualr.edu/library.
MXO brings new app to campus
A new social networking app is now available to college students across the nation. With MXO Pulse, students within a particular college or university can stay connected with ease. The app serves as a “hot spot” for all things happening on campus.
“We want[ed] to take every bulletin board around campus and put [them] on one screen,” E West, CEO of MXO, said.
It is different from Facebook as it is targets college students only. West went on to say that the app will be most beneficial to school clubs and organizations as they can post about their meetings and events on the app. MXO Pulse allows students to stay connected on campus even when they are not there. Students can also post about tutoring services they are
offering, textbooks for sale, or lessons they are giving. The app is geared toward promoting a sense of community on campus.
Another feature of MXO Pulse is the Campus Pulse, which serves as another version of Snapchat and Instagram for your specific campus. The app groups students together by their school “.edu” email address, but you can still connect with students all over the country and, eventually, all over the world.
“The more people on it, the better,” West said.
The app is available to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and can be purchased in the App Store.
MXO Pulse introduces a new way for students to connect on campus.
Courtesy of E West
Food pantry open to serve campus
Alexandria Barnes News Editor ambarnes@ualr.edu
Being one of eight campus food pantries in the state, the Trojan Food pantry celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 4 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. The pantry began as a way to help eliminate food insecurities among our students, faculty, staff and also their families.
“It’s definitely something that’s becoming more prevalent,” said
Betsy Hart, director of the pantry. “Because folks are recognizing there is a need (for food) amongst students and staff on college campuses.”
There are no guidelines or eligibility requirements for those able to receive food, except that you must be a UALR student, faculty or staff member. Upon filling out a one-time application, Food Request Form on it’s website (www.ualr.edu/foodpantry), you can receive a three-day supply of food each week for yourself and your household. If you prefer to do a paper application, you can stop
by the pantry when it is open and fill one out then. All information will be kept private and confidential.
The pantry is open on Thursdays between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in DSC 110B, across from the tennis courts. However, if you need to come another day to receive your food, you can contact the pantry to set up a time to come in by emailing pantry@ualr.edu.
If you wish to donate to the Trojan Food Pantry, a few items they need are: individual cereal boxes, Hamburger Helper, jelly and canned chicken.
Trojan Track provides attractive path to law school
Scott Foster Staff Writer snfoster1@ualr.edu
The law school admissions process can be quite a daunting challenge for many students. Some of these potential law school candidates have achieved in the classroom and on college entrance exams, yet feel intimidated or concerned about taking the entrance exam usually required for law school applications, the LSAT. Unlike some standardized tests, the LSAT requires most students to allocate significant time out of their schedules to study for the exam’s specialized questions if they expect to perform well.
In response to student concerns, UALR’s Bowen Law School has created a different path to admission: the Trojan Track. The most important benefit of Trojan Track is that a student can save the study time, expenses (typically $175), and
worry of taking the LSAT by qualifying for admission using alternative criteria. In lieu of LSAT test scores, students utilizing Trojan Track may submit almost any commonly used college or graduate admission test scores in which they scored in the 85th percentile. Students also must also hold an undergraduate degree from UALR, be ranked in the top ten percent (or have earned a 3.5 GPA) of their undergraduate class through six semesters at the school, and transmit their completed applications to Bowen by December 1 of the year before they intend to begin law school.
President and long-time member of the Pre-Law Society at UALR, Alexis Williams, confirmed the existence of the Trojan Track option for students. Williams also mentioned that the Pre-Law Society, sponsored by Dr. Joanne Matson of the Rhetoric and Writing Department, was a good opportunity for “those students considering law as a career and wishing
to obtain more information about law schools and their application processes.” Students wishing to find out more about more about Trojan Track or other Bowen Law School application information should contact the school at 501324-9434.
Trojan Food Pantry combats hunger on campus.
Courtesy of Betsy Hart
Bowen offers Trojan Track for UALR grads. Courtesy of Scott Foster
UALR business students triumph in national competition
Scott Foster Staff Writer snfoster1@ualr.edu
For the third year in a row, students from a University of Arkansas at Little Rock business class dominated in a national marketing competition which pitted them against some of the most prestigious universities in the United States.
Gary Geissler, a professor in the UALR department of Marketing and Advertising, has made a habit of leading his students in successfully challenging schools like USC, UCLA, Boston College and West Point in major marketing competitions. The students who participate in these competitions are involved in Geissler’s “Advertising: Integrated Marketing” class and use what they learn to create marketing campaigns with real-world applications.
This year’s contest was the Facebook Global Digital Challenge, and the team earning top honors in the country that represented UALR in Washington D.C. was comprised of: Glen Ritta, Cathy Heathscott,
Quay Allen-Smith, Hillary Darby and Shannon Carroll. These students authored the marketing campaign “#7Strong” in response to the contest’s call for a plan to counter the recruiting tactics of extremist religious and political groups on social media outlets.
“#7Strong” proposed bringing together seven billion people living on all seven continents together to challenge extremism by urging them to “raise a flag” (immediately report any extremist group’s attempt to incite violence or recruit followers to do so). This idea recruits the social media users themselves to identify potentially problematic behaviors for review by the proper authorities, thereby involving almost everybody in the fight against extremism.
The White House Security Council mandated that efforts like the Facebook Challenge be held in order to collect and deploy innovative ideas in this security field. “UALR’s team felt that our campaign should target two markets,” Geissler said. “Uncommitted college students and the silent majority of social media users that find it difficult to get involved…or wonder what they can do to help.”
The team’s ideas were received well by the judges of the worldwide Facebook contest, but they were not the only ones who admired the work of the UALR team. The student presenters were also invited to a reception in the office of Sen. Brian Schatz (D) of Hawaii, the ranking member on the Senate Subcommittee
on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet.
Congressman French Hill, U.S. Representative for Arkansas’s second congressional district where UALR resides, also attended the reception to congratulate the students and speak with them about their project.
When asked about his plans to
continue competing on a worldwide stage, Geissler stated that he “believed it was good for UALR and the students to gain this valuable experience” and would continue the winning tradition he and his student teams have created for as long as possible.
Author breaks barriers within English language
Alexandria Barnes News Editor ambarnes@ualr.edu
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Rhetoric and Writing department has teamed up with the UALR Institute on Race and Ethnicity, the University of Memphis, and the University of Central Arkansas for the third annual Southern Regional Composition Conference.
Kicking off the university’s Diversity Week, the conference will focus on the relationship between language performance and identity.
At 1:00 p.m., Vershawn A. Young, author and associate pro-
fessor at the University of Waterloo, will speak on his ideas about race, language and performativity in the Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter Hall. This event is open to UALR faculty, students and staff.
“The performativity of language is something most of us never really think about, but yet we do it every day when we function in various roles in our lives.” Language performance can also be thought of in terms of using language to build your ethos (identity) with others, such as we see with hip-hop artists,” said Pamela Reed, graduate teaching assistant and assistant to the director of composition.
She continued to say that the performativity of language plays a role in how we communicate on a day-to-day basis. Another way performativity occurs is through
“code-switching.” This is how you change your language to better adapt to your environment. For instance, how you communicate with friends is different from how you would communicate with a professor or during a meeting.
“We’re always performing though language,” Reed added.
Young has presented on a variety of topics related to language and intercultural communication including the concept of codemeshing, which he believes to be a more effective approach than code-switching.
Young seeks to break racial stereotypes and promote the benefits of an individual using their own English.
To learn more about the conference, visit http://ualr.edu/rhetoric/composition-conference/.
Young will speak on how racial components apply to the language we use.
Courtesy of http://ualr.edu/ rhetoric/keynote-speaker/
Students introduce new concept to combat terrorism. Glen Ritta; Professor Gary Geissler; Cathy Heathscott; Quay Allen-Smith; Monika Bickert, Head of Product Policy, Facebook; Hillary Darby; and Shannon Carroll.
Courtesy of Gary Geissler
UPC continues family movie night
Players at the Brain Cell Game show categorize answer choices in hopes of winning money.
Lauren Humphrey Campus Life Editor lehumphrey@ualr.edu
OnFeb. 10, the University Programs Council hosted a Brain Cell Game Show. Students who came to the event used their cell phones throughout the night to win cash. Each round required four participants to answer questions at a buzzer, but if the participants did not know the answer the crowd got a chance to answers. Questions revolved around the use of a cell phone and players texted in their answers. Not many attended, so students who attended received more prizes.
On Feb. 16, UPC hosted another movie night. This one showed "The Night Before." Students who attended received candy, popcorn and drinks. Raffle prizes were also given out at the end of the night.
The next movie night is for families. "The Good Dinosaur" will play on March 2. Families can arrive at 5:30 to get their Dino-Photo taken and eat dinner before the movie begins at 6 p.m.
Leading up to the dinosaur movie night, over 200 eggs will be scattered throughout campus. Many eggs will contain candy, but four will contain a Trojan head. Those containing Trojan heads can be brought to the Office of Campus Life to redeem a gift card. The eggs will be scattered Feb. 29- March 1. For more information about UPC events, visit http://ualr. edu/campuslife/upc/.
LULAC helps the community
Photo courtesy of LULAC
The LULAC hopes to “advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States as well as provide financial aid and promote volunteerism," said Sandra Carmona, president of LULAC.
Christina Turner Staff Writer cmturner2@ualr.edu
TheUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock has over 150 registered student organizations that students can join based on their interests as well organizations for professionalism. One of the many registered student organizations is the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).
The LULAC hopes to “advance
“I
just enjoy mentoring students and it’s a great satisfaction...” Mary L Good said.
Whitney Bryson Staff Writer wxbryson@ualr.edu
Mary L. Good, PhD, is the Founding Dean of the University of Arkansas at
money, but they are also involved in the community. They have two main community events that they have each year, one during the fall for Thanksgiving and one during the wintertime. For Thanksgiving, they partner with a “local church to help them distribute meals to homeless people, rehab patients and members of the community.”
During the winter months, they have a blanket drive. This past winter they “were able to collect and donate over 90 blankets to the homeless and rehab patients.”
They are also active with a local school, Central High School, where they “talk to the students twice a month about college readiness, scholarships and community involvement.”
community service and helping with the fundraisers. Sometime during the year we get together to have a dinner meeting where we get to socialize, talk about our goals and sign a member form. Perks about being a member include being able to give back to the community, apply for our scholarship and help fund other students," Sandra said.
the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United States as well as provide financial aid and promote volunteerism," said Sandra Carmona, president of LULAC. Sandra also states that they host fundraisers to help provide financial aid by teaming with Applebee’s and participating in their FlapJack breakfast fundraiser to help fund some of their annual scholarships.
Not only does LULAC raise
Sandra talked about their meetings. “Most of our communication is done through email. Therefore, we usually only have dinner meetings once a semester. The volunteer opportunities and fundraisers are announced in the emails and in our Facebook page LULAC 756.”
The way that person can join is simple. Those interested can send an email to sicarmonaga@ualr. edu and request to be put in the mailing list.
"Being a member involves doing
LULAC is currently gearing up for the 87th LULAC Annual National Convention and Exposition that will take place in Washington DC, July 12-July 16, 2016. The convention allows “delegates of LULAC to discuss issues, set policies and elect the organization’s national leaders," says Sandra. This year, Sandra also said that “five UALR LULAC students along with two Pulaski Tech Students are planning to attend the convention to represent, participate, learn and share issues that affect the Hispanic community in the US as well as here in Arkansas. We are currently (planning) a series of fundraisers to pay for the registration, transportation and accommodations." They also created a GoFundMe account,gofundme.com/ df6q37qs, to assist with raising money to get to Washington.
passion for chemistry and began to teach.
“I spent 20+ years as a faculty member at the Louisiana State University and 15 years in the industry,” said Good.
One interesting thing about Good is she has accomplished many awards over the course of her career. She has accomplished awards such as: Agnes Fay Morgan Research Award, Garvan-Olin Medal, American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal, National Academy of Engineering, Priestley Medal, and many others.
Little Rock George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT). She is an organic chemist and has held high-level positions in the academic, industrial, and government sectors, where she has been a strong proponent of science, science education, and women in science.
Good started working at UALR in 1997, as the Donaghey University Professor. She retired back in July of 2011, which led her to becoming Dean Emeritus of the College of Engineering and Information Technology and special advisor
to the Chancellor for Economic Development. Since retiring, Good has enjoyed mentoring graduate students, teaching freshman chemistry, and using experiments to open up more areas within the field.
During her college years, Good had intentions of becoming a home economics teacher but became interested in chemistry freshman year instead. Soon after, she pursued a degree in chemistry with a minor in physics, at the University of Central Arkansas in 1950. Furthermore, Good took her
In addition to a strong desire for the fields of science and technology, Good is also passionate about her students as well. Good wants students to be first class professionals, be competitive, and just go for it.
“I just enjoy mentoring students and it’s a great satisfaction to see freshman come in, [in particular] the ones from families who haven’t had much college before; to see them graduate and get good jobs in the engineering community,” said Good.
Ultimately, Good has a lot to be proud of when it comes to reaching many goals and achieving many outstanding accomplishments.
Photo by Lauren Humphrey
Photo by Analee Jones
Sigma Lambda Gamma is a show-stopper
S G A
Student Government Association
Lela-Tamara Fluker Staff Writer ldfluker@ualr.edu
Feb.
17 Student Government Senate Meeting: "I kind of know what's going on, I want to make sure everyone else knows what's going on."- Connor Donovan
After the postponement of the Feb. 10 Senate meeting; senators, executives and guests came into the Feb. 17 meeting ready to get the
ball rolling. Filled with discussions and introductions, the meeting was a great success with a seven senator quorum.
Johnathan Bobo was also introduced as the new adviser for Student Government Association. Bobo, who is pursuing his master's degree here at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Bobo was
a member of SGA for three years during his undergraduate years. He served as senator for the College of Education for two years.
"I look forward to working and stepping in. I know that SGA, for the most part is self sustainable, but I look forward to working with (senators) and execs on any kind of questions, recommendations or opinions," Bobo said.
President Jacob Lann introduced Bill S002-2016 to make amendments to the Constitution. These amendments as well as changes to the Election Code are all helping to prepare for upcoming elections in April. Lann introduced changes such as the addition of SGA experience requirement for presidential candidates, and a clause requiring candidates to be in good standing with SGA before attempting to take on executive positions. The bill was tabled for seven days to be voted on at the next meeting after review by senators.
The Election Code was also discussed in a similar manner. The revisions were approved by the
senate making it consistent with other codes at other universities across the country. There was also an ignorance clause added to the code.
Senators also signed up for roles in a groups initiative as a part of a potential campaign for the betterment of the amenities at UALR. Senators presented new initiatives for SGA to take on including the potential development of a new transit trail, a campus mural and the addition of a crisis response page to the campus website.
During the meeting senator Kristopher Garrett was selected as Leader of the Week in acknowledgement for his work with Veteran Affairs. Garret himself is a veteran.
President Pro Tempore Seth Cook introduced his efforts to engage those interested in SGA senator positions. Cook invited those interested to participate in the presidential election and fight for their seat. This will allow the group to recruit members truly interested in being a senator.
TheAnalee Jones Staff Writer aejones4@ualr.edu
excitement was on at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Friday, Feb. 12. A new sorority was announced at a probate that night. Sigma Lambda Gamma made their debut on the Arkansas stage. The University Field House was packed with Greeks and supporting family members. The night started out with all the Greeks coming out and stepping to the beat of the music. However, in the back locker room the founding line was getting prepared for their show.
Freshman Natasha Wilbon, one of the members of the line, said, “We called for our Dean to come in and she kind of gave us a pep talk.”
The Gamma moms were also encouraging their daughters before and during the probate. The journey for them was hard and a trial in itself. Freshman Brenda Zambrano, captain of the line, stated that, “Gamma moms help prepare for this day. Also we were told to speak with conviction.”
The Sigma Lambda Gamma girls showed their dedication to the process by being diligent. Zambrano also mentioned that they bonded very close with their line. “If you didn’t see all of us together it was usually two of us together.”
The girls were stoked to have this chapter here to bring more and more diversity to the school's sororities. Willing and dedicated these girls hope to steal the show away.
Major Spotlight
Creative writing emphasis
Stephanie Donovan Staff Writer
TheCreative Writing emphasis at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock exposes students to a wide array of literature while simultaneously polishing the students’ abilities as writers. Along with the required classes for an English major, students may choose creative writing classes, depending on whether they want to focus on poetry or fiction writing- or even a mixture of both. Some students may choose to major in disciplinary studies and choose creative writing as one of their minors.
Michael Alexander, senior at UALR, chose this route and has
nothing but praise for the diversity of the program. “All the classes complement each other even though they’re different," Alexander said.
The class sizes for creative writing are generally very small and inclusive, allowing for greater teacher/student communication. For Intro to Creative Writing, Dylan Wright, freshman, said, “It was my favorite class last semester and I feel like I definitely got better as a writer.” He contributed the success of the course to the faculty and their feedback. The department can be found in 501 Stabler Hall, where they have been noted for being “very open and easy to reach,” according to Alexander.
Christa Matthews, senior with a creative writing emphasis, agrees that is important to keep an open mind when approaching the
coursework: “You don’t know what to expect. There are so many different types of writing.” Matthews also suggests to students starting out to keep a daily journal to use for inspiration in writing.
Not only are there various scholarship opportunities provided by the English department, but there are also internships that can help students looking for experience. For example, students can work with Equinox Literary Magazine or the Arkansas Literary Festival to gain some hands-on experience. Also, students have the opportunity to work under Jeffrey Condran, professor of Fiction Creative Writing, at Braddock Avenue Books for those interested in editing.
Professor of Poetry Creative Writing, H.K. Hummel, advises newcomers to “be brave and try everything, all of the genres” in the program and attend events like the Visiting Writer Series with Amy Greene on Feb. 24. Hummel believes that if you are interested in writing, then this emphasis is very beneficial and even fun.
“You get to use your imagination, integrate it with research and critical thinking… and engage in the community.”
Students can follow the English page on Facebook or introduce themselves to the department to stay informed and familiar with the program. For more information, visit ualr.edu/english/.
Freshman Brenda Zambrano and Natasha Wilbon pose with their sorority sign.
Photo by Analee Jones
Illustration by Byron Buslig
Student spotlight: Jon Wicklund – a dynamic personality,
Abdul Mohammed Staff Writer ggmohammed@ualr.edu
There is always time to study and improve your business and management skills. University of Arkansas at Little Rock senior, Jon Wicklund, has said so himself. Originally from Michigan, Wicklund moved to Little Rock three years ago and decided to attend UALR after much guidance from the university faculty. He thought the Business Information Systems major fit his best interest.
Previously a petty officer third class in the U.S. Navy, Wicklund has experienced life on international waters and traveled to many places including the Middle East and the Atlantic region. He served in the Navy for four years and spent most of his tenure on water than on land. He traveled in carriers and took care of equipment as part of his job description. During that time, he made many friends and enjoyed playing rugby with them in his free time.
After a year of being a part of the university, he approached the faculty to ask them about their rugby team. He found out that there were eight people on the team, and he wanted to change that. Wicklund started asking others to join the team out of his appreciation for sports.
He asked the faculty to help him attract more students towards this sport. They provided him with all the information to make a rugby team for the university. Wicklund put a lot of effort into his plan of action. He gave out flyers for the rugby playoffs and used the help
team player and good
leader
of the UALR website to spread the message about him forming a team and starting training sessions. All his efforts that he put into the team definitely made it better.
Wicklund lives in Little Rock with his wife who is in the U.S. Air Force. He follows a strict routine and is a very busy person. He is hoping to graduate in the spring of 2017. He is very busy with his academics, assignments, projects, extra-curricular activities and responsibilities, but he occasionally likes to hang out with his friends.
After graduating, Wicklund hopes to continue his career as a manager or join the Navy again to serve the country. He is a proud American, a team player, and also a leader with a clear vision and dynamic personality. He is a person who can get things moving for you; someone you can count on. This is strongly displayed wherever he goes. Wicklund wants to keep inspiring people with his ideology.
Photo by Jeffery Ridgle
During his second year at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, senior Jon Wicklund used the faculty's help to start a rugby team.
thick hair problems
A’Ja Rolfe Staff Writer anrolfe@ualr.edu
Let’s hear it for the gals (and guys) who deal with hair so thick that you cannot see their scalp without using a magnifying glass!
It is both a blessing and a curse to have thick hair. Never having enough bobby pins, running out of conditioner before shampoo and so many broken brushes are known struggles for those of us with lion’s manes. But fret not, there are ways to cope! Follow my five steps and you will have thick hair PRIDE:
Patience is Key
First things first, when dealing with thick hair, patience is a must! While it may take some a matter of minutes to style their hair, it can take you longer. Plan ahead of time to do your hair on a day you aren’t busy or at night before going to bed.
Routine
This is one of the most important steps - having a hair routine. If you lead a busy life, like most college students, then dealing with
crazy, tangled hair does not fit into your schedule. Having designated “wash days” where you dedicate most of your day to your hair is common among the natural hair community. For wash day, I usually follow this simple procedure: wash, condition, detangle, deep condition or protein treatment, dry, and prepare for styling.
It’s About What and How You Use It
There is a never -ending list of products on the market that claim to magically fix your hair. But regardless if you use the best shampoo in the world, if used incorrectly, the results could be horrendous.
A few quick tips:
wash and condition your hair with lukewarm water when drying, it’s better to use an old t-shirt versus a towel that can snag hair
wear protective garb (satin bonnet, hair wraps) at night
The best way to decide on a product is to look first on the ingredients label. Try to avoid products that use sulfates, parabens or words that look hard to pronounce (usually words ending with -acetyl, -ate or -amine). These chemicals can be harsh on your hair, stripping them of its natural oils and
even causing long-term effects.
Divide and Conquer
When washing, drying, braiding, etc., it is always a good idea to divide and conquer - section off your hair. Generally, sectioning
off your hair into four large sections and then working one section through at a time works.
Embrace the Mane
After establishing the other steps, know that your hair, thick
and full of life, is amazing the way it is. Because your hair is thick, you have more room for versatility than others. And remember that everyone is different so try not to compare your hair to anyone else's. All textures are beautiful!
Illustration by Jacy Andrews
Trojan's Trending Topics
by Caitlyn Sample Arts and Leisure Editor casample@ualr.edu
What do you watch during ‘Award Show Season’?
Nathan Nelms Junior
Computer Science
Major
“I watched some of the Grammy Awards. My favorite part was probably the ‘in memoriam’ because it honors all of those that we lost. It honors those that made the music industry great and are still influencing other artists and producers.”
Samantha Mcgehee
Junior
Spanish Major
“I probably will watch the Oscars. I have already watched some videos over the controversy that the Oscars are whitewashed, in a sense that the nominees or actual winners tend to be white males. I think that there are many people of color that are great directors, actors, actresses and other major parts of films that don’t get recognized as much as they should.”
Steven Kincade Senior
Motion Picture Major
“I look forward to watching the Oscars. I want to see if my predictions come true. Also, I always enjoy the tribute to the actors who’ve passed away.”
Science says: you teleki-need to hear about this
Victoria
Mugambi
Staff Writer vnmugambi@ualr.edu
Telekinesis has always been one of those skills that you silently beg to get if you ever come in contact with radioactive material. You imagine yourself throwing a bad guy off a building, stopping a car from hitting someone or (if you’re like me) summoning Oreos from the comfort of your bed. But thanks to scientific advances, we can put away that eerie barrel of green goo and use our brains to move things outside of our body.
Founded by Steve Castellotti, Orbit is a toy helicopter that uses
a helmet to transmit your brainwaves into flight commands. Using EEG, or electroencephalography, the helmet picks up electrical signals along your scalp and turns these signals into commands that are picked up by Bluetooth sensors on board the helicopter. In order to get the helicopter moving, however, the helmet wearer has to concentrate on a specific thing (such as a math equation or a sentence) without diverting their attention or focus.
Although flying a helicopter mentally sounds pretty amazing already, Orbit is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using EEG detection to further modern technology. Professor Kenneth Camilleri and his team at the University of Malta in Malta, Europe has been developing the
Trump storms Little Rock, attracts
thousands
Renea Goddard Staff Writer rbgoddard@ualr.edu
Thousands of Arkansans from all parts of the state flocked to the fairgrounds on Feb. 3 as Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, campaigned in Little Rock’s Barton Coliseum.
While supporters gathered to attend the rally, opponents lined the road outside for almost a quarter of a mile to protest the event. Trump has come under fire from many groups due to his often controversial statements and questionable proposed policies. Protesters such as University of Arkansas at Little Rock student Jordan Lott, 19, braved the windy day to show their opposition.
“He’s trying to hurt our country. He’s said many problematic things in the media,” he says, criticizing Trump’s comments about Mexican immigrants. “It’s really scary that there’s a possibility of him becoming president.”
Supporters of the former reality TV star disagree. Remarking on Trump’s “honest” nature, many
Brain-Machine Interface, or BMI. The BMI will give a person the ability to control and communicate with machines using their brain signals instead of their muscles. This technology will allow those whom have lost the use of their limbs to do things they normally would need help with, such as turning on the television or typing on a computer.
Though the BMI still has a long way to go before it is readily available to the public, the research behind it holds a promising future for the use of our brain outside of its everyday abilities. So even though we don’t have the ability to mentally summon our dropped pencil off the floor just yet, there is hope that we can one day use our brains to do even more of the hard work for us.
S S s a y c c i n e e
admire his unfiltered speech and abrasive political persona. Though the majority of the rally attendees were white Americans, they were from all walks of life, as both battered pick-up trucks and BMWs parked side by side in the Coliseum parking lot.
Trump himself arrived three hours late to the rally after his plane made an emergency landing in Memphis earlier that evening. Lott and several other protesters also attended the rally that night and were removed from the premises for peacefully demonstrating during Trump’s speech. “The fact that we caused such a commotion is really empowering,” he says about the incident.
Several other incidents also occurred in which security removed attendants from the rally, the Arkansas Times reports. Trump states that attendance for the rally broke Barton Coliseum’s record, with over 11,500 seats claimed, though approximately half the seats were vacant during the rally.
Regardless of political affiliation or personal opinions, both supporters and protesters alike contributed to different sides of history that day.
The Donaghey Student Center
Illustration by Byron Buslig
Fit tip:
how to fit health and fitness into your busy schedule
Little Rock Marathon...game on
Shaun Williams Staff Writer sgwilliams@ualr.edu
The Little Rock Marathon will commence its 14th annual race on March 6 where those in attendance will be dazzled by the theme “Game On,” a nod to the world of tabletop, card and board games.
ave you ever started a new semester and planned out a balance schedule of school, work, socializing, health and fitness? Fast forward three weeks into the semester and you can't quite keep up, and some parts of the plan have to suffer. After another two weeks, you haven't gone anywhere near the gym like you'd planned to at least three times a week.
Sometimes it takes small steps and compromise to get in tiptop shape. Here are a few tips and quick exercises that can get you closer to your goal of regularly visiting the gym without placing a burden on your hectic schedule:
1. Eat a healthy breakfast at home. This will help you to avoid less filling, fattier foods from fast food restaurant menus.
2. Walk to class from your dorm or apartment instead of driving or calling for the Trojan Transit.
3. Leave earlier in the morning and take the long way on your walk to class.
4. TRY to do at least 15 jumping jacks, 10 sit ups, 10 push-ups and one minute planks daily. As this becomes easier, increase the number of times you do each exercise and the number of times per day that you complete the workout.
5. DRINK MORE WATER. This will help to naturally cleanse your body helping you to feel more refreshed.
It is recommended to register online because it is quick, easy and secure. Online registration will close at 11:59 p.m. Feb. 26. If the race has not sold out by that date, then late registration will resume at the Little Rock Marathon Health & Fitness Expo on March 4 through March 5. Online registrants will receive an auto-generate email confirmation stating their registration was received. You must keep this email because it is vital information needed to receive the registrant’s race packet on race weekend. Mail in registration fees are $5 higher than online fees and must be postmarked by Feb. 26. Fees are not refundable.
Also, it is recommended to register early for the event because races have sold out in past years and it usually attracts large crowds every year. The Little Rock Marathon has had participants
from all 50 states and 14 different countries.
Anyone who participates in the marathon will receive an official Little Rock Marathon participant shirt, a digital race book, personalized race number, scenic course featuring the Capital City’s famous landmarks, entertainment throughout the course, plentiful course support and aid stations and of course a crowd filled with “southern hospitality.”
For those who finish the marathon, they will receive an electronic finisher’s certificate, post-race festivities, food and the famous world’s largest finisher’s medal. This medal is the ultimate prize for finishing a marathon. Each year the medal gets bigger with 2015’s medal measuring at 8.5 by 8.25 inches and weighing over three pounds.
At the lineup, there will be the starting line and start corrals which are secure areas for participants only. Start corrals are used to provide a smooth and fast start for faster athletes. This also provides a positive race experience with sufficient room to run and walk along the race course. The goal of these start corrals is to keep slower athletes from lining up in front of faster athletes. Athletes should line up in the start corral that corresponds to the letter on his or her race num-
ber. These corrals were assigned based on the estimated finish time given at registration.
If you are looking for a little motivation to run the Little Rock Marathon or the half marathon, then you can look towards University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor, Edward Anson. Professor Anson has run half marathons over the last nine years and this year will be his 10th year running it. After this year though, Anson will take on the full marathon where he will hopefully finish and receive “the largest medal in the country.” Even though he has never run the full marathon, Professor Anson feels very confident that he will overcome this physical feat. Professor Anson is constantly training year round for the Little Rock half marathon and training for the full marathon will be no different.
If you think you will run the marathon and need guidance, just follow these few tips from Professor Anson. First, start off at a slow pace if you aren’t accustomed to running long distance and work your way up. Second, if you are looking for some motivation, run with a partner who can push your limits. Third, always make sure to stretch! If you’re ready to run, go get your “Game On” and run the Little Rock Marathon.
Illustration by Lyndse Ellis
Illustration by Brady Jackson
Contact UALR eLearning for more info: 501.569.3003 ualr.edu/online
Annual $10,000 scholarships and $2,000 paid internships available! Arkansas needs more STEM teachers.
You need a great career that pays off. The solution? Noyce Scholarships • Priority Deadline is March 1 Applications accepted until all scholarships are awarded. Visit ualr.edu/ualrteach for an application.
Scholarship eligibility
• Must be junior or senior enrolled in STEM degree program
• Must pursue a secondary STEM teaching license
• Willing to work in pairs to teach one STEM lesson at a middle school every other week
• Scholars must remain in good standing, make satisfactory progress toward their degree and licensure, and sign a contract to teach one year in a high-needs school for every semester scholarship is received
Internship eligibility
• Must be a freshmen or sophomore enrolled in a STEM degree program
• Must pursue a secondary STEM teaching license
• Complete Step 1 and 2 classes with a grade of B or higher prior to internship
• Interns will provide workshops for CI students and work 20 hours per week for four weeks, or 80 hours as needed, during the summer
College of Arts, letters And sCienCes College of eduCAtion And HeAltH Professions
Applications may be obtained from Fleta Watson, Stabler 705. Turn them in to Carlton Rhodes, Stabler Hall 705 by 5 pm on March 16. 1. Have at least a 2.5 overall grade point average. 2. Have completed the following courses: MCOM 2350 and MCOM 3320. 3. Be enrolled in at least nine hours of coursework during each semester as editor if an undergraduate and six hours if a graduate student. Exceptions to these requirements can be made only through petitions to the UALR Publications Committee and only if the candidate has other appropriate coursework or experience.
Elton John succeeds again
Illustration by Jacy Andrews
Elton Tevebaugh Staff Writer ewtevebaugh@ualr.edu
Elton
John returned with his 32nd studio album, “Wonderful Crazy Night,” on Feb. 5. This album is an upbeat breath of fresh air and a welcome addition to an already extensive catalog.
Several tracks have a gospel sound. This, however, is not the case for every track.
The title track fits into the former. The track begins with a busy piano riff, and it slowly builds into something reminiscent of his past work.
True to form, John plays a strong melodic part on the piano throughout. The song also has a bit of a southern twang to it. How the lyrics are split up also gives it a very distinct feel. An example of this distinct sound is heard in the chorus: “Some things you don’t forget / some things just take a hold / A wonderful crazy night like that / takes you back, won’t let you go / Someday if you’re asking / all about the key to love / I’d say that wonderful night / What a wonderful crazy night it was.”
The use of aesthetic imagery in the title track is very well executed. An example of this is heard in the lines: “Loose clothes and a cool, cool drink / A greasy breeze from the chicken stand /Hearts on fire just one last time / a wishbone snapping in every hand.” The imagery is so vivid that it makes the listener feel as if they’re actually experiencing the sights, smells and inner warmth being conveyed.
Another noteworthy track is “Blue Wonderful.” This song begins with a very distinct melodic line on guitar, which is repeated several times in the song. The lyrics are beautiful, and evoke a sense of admiration for someone else, although who specifically is left open to interpretation.
The opening lines are nostalgic and have a strange ability to be happy and sad simultaneously. “Every breath is a prayer of some kind / I breathe in, I breathe out, I just breathe / And you’re so well, blue wonderful /Blue wonderful to me,” kicks off the song and establishes the tone of the track.
While the album as a whole is solid and composed of some similar tracks, some have a slightly different feel to them.
Probably the brightest track on the album is fittingly titled
“Looking Up.” This track begins with a bluesy guitar line reminiscent of ZZ Top’s “La Grange.” Not very long into the song, John adds flair by adding a very bright and busy piano line. It’s echoed by a guitar, and it builds up nicely leading up the where the lyrics start.
“Now I’m looking up more than I look down / The view’s a whole lot better second time around / Too much of me was hidden in the shadows / I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground.” This gives the song a consistently optimistic feel while creating a sort of rock bluesy sound.
Finally, a much different song is heard in “Guilty Pleasure.” It has a very piercing line that is reminiscent of being in a relationship and being unclear about how things are and where they’re going. This is heard in the lines “What do you see when you look at me? / Tell the man to measure / Am I the lover you’d like my love? / Or just some guilty pleasure?” This part of the chorus especially holds a heavy weight to it. This song has a sound reminiscent of Meatloaf.
Overall, “Wonderful Crazy Night” is a happy, mostly optimistic album and a welcome addition to Elton John’s discography.
The New Space Race
Jack A. Webb Staff Writer jawebb@ualr.edu
On July 20, 1969, the United States won the Space Race by becoming the first to place humans on the moon, beating out the Soviet Union. Since then, the goal of expanding our reach beyond the moon has surpassed our technological prowess, until now.
A race of similar determination has sprung up in recent years, not by countries or political agendas, but by commercial businesses with a shared goal of space exploration and possible existence on other planets. One such company, SpaceX (founded in 2002), is considered to be in the lead with its most recent launch and landing of an orbital class rocket on Dec. 21, 2015. A feat in which the company had failed twice before.
The importance of SpaceX launching its Falcon 9 rocket isn’t what made it significant; it was the company’s ability to land it back on earth in one piece. Much like we’re accustomed to airplanes staying intact during flight,
that notion for rockets had only been done by one other company before, Amazon’s Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin, on a much smaller scale. With these advancements, spacecrafts may finally be getting the commercial treatment that intergalactic dreamers have envisioned for decades.
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, said in a statement to Wired magazine that, “If humanity is to become multi-planetary, the fundamental breakthrough that needs to occur in rocketry is a rapidly and completely reusable rocket ... achieving it would be on a par with what the Wright brothers did. It’s the fundamental thing that’s necessary for humanity to become a space-faring civilization. America would never have been colonized if ships weren’t reusable.”
SpaceX and Blue Origin aren’t the only ones taking part in this exciting race. Joined by the likes of Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Galactic along with several other ambitious companies, it’s certainly going to be interesting to watch who actually prevails and succeeds in flying passengers into space.
What’s happenin’ in
Little Rock Marathon: March 4 - 6
The 14th annual marathon weekend will kick-off on Friday, March 4 with the Little Rock Marathon Health & Fitness Expo at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock. The exposition will feature various vendors for beauty, health, nutrition, lifestyle improvements and more. The Health and Fitness Expo will be an opportunity for a businesses to showcase their companies and products to families, athletes and guests.
Participants are able to register for a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K Fun Run/Walk and a Kids Marathon.
The main marathon begins on Sunday, March 6 at 7 a.m. It features a new course that starts at Scott and 4th Streets and ending at Main and 3rd Streets. The same eight hour time limit still applies. Participants can register online until 11:59 p.m. on Feb 26 for $110. Late registration will be available at the Health & Fitness if the 3,300 positions are not filled. Proceeds from the marathon help to benefit Little Rock Parks and Recreation. More information can be found at www.littlerockmarathon.com as well as, program requirements, amenities and registration.
Staff Writer ldfluker@ualr.edu
Schoolhouse Rock LIVE!: March 4 - 25
This March get ready to feel nostalgia like you’ve never done before. Schoolhouse Rock LIVE is coming to Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre located at 501 E. Ninth Street. Tickets are $12.50 for general admission and $10 for Arts Center members. The live musical experience will perform many of the songs from the Emmy Award winning cartoon series including “Conjunction Junction,” “Zero My Hero,” “Interplanet Janet” and many more to keep your feet tapping. The show brings together various educational subjects and make them fun to know and learn. The revamped musical adaptation will draw in the eye of new age audiences and bring a familiar sense of entertainment to the rest of us. The perfect opportunity to relive a blast from the past awaits.
Lela-Tamara Fluker
Deadpool is hilarious
ANewton Entertainment Editor tgnewton@ualr.edu
lmost a decade after failing spectacularly, Ryan Reynolds redeems himself in his second turn as “the Merc with a Mouth” in “Deadpool.”
“Deadpool” is a superhero movie that is part of the “X-Men” series. The character already appeared in the fourth film in the series, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” That movie went down as one of the worst movies ever made.
One of the refreshing things about the “Deadpool” is that it hates that previous film. The character, created in 1991, is famous for continually breaking the fourth wall and here he gets multiple jabs in at the expense of the studio.
Reynolds and director Tim Miller spent years begging Fox to let them make this movie. Fox was afraid of losing money and were reluctant. This movie is very hard R. The violence is not too bad but f words and nudity, some of it full frontal, pop up repeatedly.
R rated superhero movies have not done well in the past. While the first two “Blade” movies were popular, “Watchmen,” “Kick Ass” and “Dredd” each disappointed at the box office.
To get the green-light, Miller and Reynolds had to make the movie very cheap. As a result, the action scenes are pretty minimal. This actually sets up several funny moments where Deadpool will plan a huge assault, then forget to take his weapons into battle.
Another example of cost cutting is that despite being the eighth “X-Men” movie; only two X-Men are in it. They are Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Deadpool points out that there is nobody else at the X-Mansion and says that the studio must not have had the budget for more X-Men.
The fight scenes are fun but not memorable. The real selling point is the comedy.
The marketing department on this film deserves a round of applause. From the informational videos about how to spot breast and testicular cancers to Deadpool refusing to forgive Australia for “Wolverine,” each ad they released was hilarious.
Also, Reynolds has done a lot to get the movie out there. There’s the heart-warming story about him showing the film to a very sick 12-year-old cancer patient. There’s also the feel good story of a girl that had a post-surgery, anesthesia induced panic attack about missing the movie. Reynolds saw the video of her and took her to the premier.
Reynolds and the marketing department managed to get many people to go watch this movie. It opened to $132 million, which is the seventh best opening ever for a superhero movie. It is also the only R rated movie to ever open over $100 million.
But a high gross in money doesn’t always mean quality. “Kick Ass” only made $48 million and it is a great movie. Repeatedly throughout “Deadpool,” I kept being reminded of that film. Both are hard R movies that spoof comic book movies. “Kick Ass” is funnier and has better action scenes, so if you liked “Deadpool” then I highly recommend looking it up.
That said, it’s more entertaining than either “Avengers” movie and is a million times better than the last film featuring Deadpool. Tanner
AD TEAM NEEDED!
Illustration by Brady Jackson
‘War Room’ teaches audiences about the power of prayer
Tanya Triplett Staff Writer tmtriplett@ualr.edu
Recently released on DVD, “War Room” teaches both the power of prayer and how praying can solve problems.
Released in 2015 and rated PG, the movie is about a realtor in a strained relationship. The main characters are Elizabeth (Priscilla Shirer), her husband Tony (T. C. Stallings), and her new client, Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie).
The movie is inspirational and has several great scenes. I rate the movie a 10, and I think it is one of the best movies I have ever seen.
Elizabeth and Tony argue frequently, sometimes in front of their daughter, and the husband appears controlling and uncaring. One of their biggest arguments is over money.
Elizabeth took $5,000 out of their checking account to help out her brother-in-law. Tony gets angry over this.
“The last time I checked we both put money into that account,” says the wife.
“And the last time I checked I make four times you do, so you don’t move a cent out of that account without asking me first,” the husband replies.
You can feel the tension and anger between the two. You can also see and feel the disappointment and sadness on their daughter’s face.
My favorite scene is when Elizabeth meets Miss Clara for the first time. Clara teaches her to fight and solve her problems with prayer and to use a prayer closet.
Jordan struggles to save her marriage but puts her faith in God.
The movie’s message is that it’s better to let God fight life’s battles instead of fighting alone. Clara teaches Jordan this.
Another great scene is when Jordan finally takes control (with the Lord on her side) and she
rebukes the devil and casts him out of her home. She then walks outside and says to him that he cannot have her marriage, man or daughter.
“This house is under new management and that means you are out.”
She walks inside the house and then walks back out and tells him that he has already been defeated by Jesus. Viewers can feel her anger towards the devil and feel her triumphant emotion as she wins the fight against the devil.
The opening scene is also great. It shows Clara’s husband as a young man in a war. You can also hear her say that there are many reasons to fight but people have to learn how to fight the right way.
The movie was made by the Kendrick brothers, the makers of “Fireproof” and “Courageous.”
One of the DVD’s special features is “The Making of War Room.” The Kendricks, and other members of the cast, talk about how they made the movie and shot different scenes.
Another special feature that is great is the ‘Warrior’ Music Video by Steven Curtis Chapman. Not only does it go with the movie but it can inspire others to go on through life. It is also very uplifting.
Other special features include Bloopers and Outtakes, Deleted Scenes, Commentary with the Kendricks.
Photo courtesy of Kendrick Brothers Production
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‘Three Fold’
Victoria Mugambi Staff Writer vnmugambi@ualr.edu
Hidden in downtown Little Rock along Center Street, is an old bank that has been transformed into a delicious Chinese eatery known as Three Fold. The restaurant has a unique balance of modern cleanliness (seen in the white walls, floors, and ceiling) and aged vintage style (seen in the wooden tables, exposed brick and old, black vault doors).
The menu is extremely simple, offering patrons the choice between noodles, dumplings and steamed buns with vegetables and their choice of protein. On my visit to Three Fold, I tried the dumpling bowl, noodle bowl, mini buns and taro chips.
I ordered the noodle bowl with pork and mild sauce. The noodles were cooked to perfection, but the flavors in the veggies and broth were understated. Though the mild and soy sauces gave the noodles a tangy taste, they left me wanting more depth to the dish.
Next, I tried the dumplings with pork and medium-spice sauce. Honestly, these were the best dumplings I’ve ever had. The handmade dumplings were extremely well made and cooked to perfection, and the pork mixture inside the dumplings was well-seasoned. The true star of the dish was the medium spicy sauce. Mixed with the soy sauce and fresh herbs, the sauce was just the right amount of spice to complement the decadent dumplings.
After devouring both the noodle and dumpling bowl, I tried the mini bun with chicken. The buns are made fresh when ordered, so
Three Fold
Price Rating: $-$$
$ = $5 or less
$$ = $6 - $15
$$$ = $16 - $25
$$$$ = $26 - $35
$$$$$ = $36 +
it took 10 minutes for it to arrive at my table. The wait was well worth it. The pan-fried bun was prepared with sautéed vegetables and fresh cilantro and spinach. The veggies were seasoned with a little salt, but they paired well with the shredded chicken. The bread was soft and moist, making the bun a fresh and delicious side to the meal.
When I ordered my mini bun, I also received a small paper sack with taro chips. Taro roots are a type of tuber plant (like potatoes and yams) that is eaten in several countries around the world, including my home, Kenya. We normally prepare the taro by boiling it in hot water and eating it unseasoned with chai. I didn’t know what to expect from the chips since I had never tried them sliced and fried before, but I was pleasantly surprised by how different they tasted. The taro chips had been sprinkled with sugar after being fried, giving them a slightly sweet taste to go along with their crispy crunch.
Overall, I give Three Fold a 4 out of 5. Though their noodles were subpar, the delectable dumplings, mouthwatering buns, and appetizing taro chips, mixed with the relaxing atmosphere and kind service, made the restaurant unforgettable.
Three Fold is located at 215 Center Street in downtown Little Rock. Their menu includes a choice of noodles, dumplings and buns with choice of chicken, pork or vegetarian. Three Fold also offers a small variety of sides and drinks including taro chips and bubble tea, and a kids menu featuring smaller portions of the main menu. Their hours of operation are Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A classic alternative: Ben-Hur
Tanner Newton
Entertainment Editor tgnewton@ualr.edu
William Wyler’s epic “BenHur” puts modern Hollywood spectacles to shame and teaches good morals.
This issue of The Forum has a review of the new religious film, “War Room.” To complement that review, I decided to review “Ben-Hur.” This film is regarded as the best religious film. It won a record 11 Academy Awards and was included in the American Film Institute’s list of 100 great films.
Two stories are told in the almost four-hour long film. One shows the birth and eventual death of Jesus Christ. While these scenes are well acted and beautifully shot, they are not particularly memorable.
The real reasons to see the film is the other story. Charlton Heston gives one of the all-time great performances as Judah Ben-Hur. He transforms from a happy, peaceful man who hates violence to a hate filled man who will not stop until he murders his enemy.
That enemy is Messala, his former best friend. Played by Stephen Boyd, he’s a Roman soldier that is in charge of Judah’s hometown. The Roman wants help with taking over the city’s population of Jews.
Judah cannot accept this offer. He is Jewish and will not betray his people. The first act is about an hour long and it is not very entertaining. The next few hours; however, are unquestionably brilliant.
Messala has the Hur family punished. Judah is sent to work on slave ships and his mother and sister are sent to prison.
It is aboard the slave ship that Heston shines the most. All the other slaves are broken down. They are weak and look near death. Judah does not. He is furious. Between the look in his eyes and his body language, he looks like Bruce Banner moments away from “Hulking” out.
Enemy ships appear and a mas-
sive battle breaks out. This part is fascinating to watch because of how creative it is and how tangible it is. This movie was made in 1959. Without the crutch of CGI, filmmakers had to get creative to film these kinds of scenes. The filmmakers used scale models.
While the models do not look real, they do look tangible. CGI gets better every year but it still has an unreal, ghostly look to it. For example: compare the puppet T-Rex in “Jurassic Park” against the CGI T-Rex in “Jurassic World.”
Speaking of “Jurassic World,” that film made over a billion dollars last year. So did “Furious 7” and “Avenger: Age of Ultron.” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” made over 2 billion. Those films have big, cool action scenes that look like garbage when compared to the chariot race scene in “Ben-Hur.”
The mixture of set design, stunts and camera work create an unforgettable moment. The crashes look terrifying and the sound of the crowd makes it feel like you are watching a real sporting event and not a movie.
Judah and Massala are both in the race and it does not end well for the Roman. Revenge does nothing for Judah and that is the ultimate message of the film. Do not live your life full of hate and anger. Judah Ben-Hur learns this lesson while watching the Roman’s crucify Christ.
Illustration by Byron Buslig
by Zachary Tallent
by Chris Graham
by Byron Buslig
UALR divided on winner of NCAA tourney
Athletic Profile: George Trujillo
lege. Trujillo led them to many championships and world cup earnings.
March is approaching and for the sports world everyone knows exactly what that means. The NCAA Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness. The Big Dance begins March 15 in Dayton, Ohio.
Each member of the Division I men’s basketball committee evaluates a quick amount of information during selection process. Their opinions are usually developed through observations, discussions with coaches, directors of athletics and commissioners, and reviewed. This will ultimately determine selections, seeding and bracketing.
The committee selects the 36 best teams for their conference to fill the bracket. There is no limit on the number of “at-large” teams the committee may select from one conference. The committee then begins evaluating those teams on the “under consideration” board.
Heading into the final stretch of the college basketball regular season, the North Carolina Tar Heels lead on the odds to win the 2016 NCAA Tournament as reported at Sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
According to Jim Lawson, The Big Ten’s Michigan State Spartans are one of the NCAA’s most stable programs. Michigan State’s last appearance in the championship game was in 2009, when they lost against North Carolina.
Jackson Morrison says that he
feels the Oklahoma Sooners will take the chip. The Sooners are led by predicted national player of the year Buddy Hield.
Allana White feels that the Villanova Wildcats, who have been ranked No. 1 for two weeks in a row will win the tournament. Their strongest tactics include defense, free-throw shooting and impressively high assist-to-turnover ratios.
Sharvonia Nelson says she thinks the Wildcats will take March Madness. There are +1400 odds for the “NBA lottery pick factory” that is coached by John Calipari. Jamal Murray is a projected top-10 pick, not to mention Kentucky has been consistent almost every time tournament season comes around regardless of their regular season outcome.
Trojan Baseball looks to improve with wealth of newcomers
The University announced plans in January to build a new baseball field and expand its sports complex thanks to the Coleman family. Athletic Director Chasse Conque says that the time frame and exact cost is still underway but the donation itself is what makes it all possible.
On Jan. 17, George Trujillo tied for 6th place in the Latin-American Amateur Championship at Teeth of Dog Golf Course. Prior to attending University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he was ranked number 875th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Trujillo is studying Spanish with a minor in psychology and is originally from Barquisimeto, Venezuela. He played for the Venezuelan International Team and was ranked the number one junior player in Venezuela back before his glory days in col-
Trujillo is very well-known in the golf world for his ability to stay on top. His focus on the golf course makes him a threat to others. Becoming a recognized player was hard and required a lot of dedication from him, but in the end, he still makes it. Dedication and focus are two main factors of playing golf; and by the looks of it, he has it without a doubt.
Coming to UALR, he has now been one of the main players. In October, the Little Rock Men’s Golf team played in the OGIO Utah Invitational, and Trujillo placed 25th in rankings. Trujillo also participated in the Fall Beach Classic and qualified for the LatinAmerican Amateur Championship.
Members of the Coleman family, longtime owners and operators of the former Coleman Dairy, agreed to donate nearly eight acres of land in the area of the University Village Apartments and the Coleman Sports & Recreation Complex. A 10-acre property donation was made by the Coleman family in 2010, that combined with land the university previously owned made way for UALR to build its current sports complex.
Coaches and advisors feel that it is necessary to expand in a Division I conference such as the Sun Belt Conference. Walt Coleman said plans for the most recent land donation moved
quickly once the brothers had a conversation with Trojans’ head baseball coach, Chris Curry. Curry also mentioned university leaders discussing possibly wanting to add a baseball field onto the current sports complex property. Soccer and track facilities housed in the existing complex would benefit as well as the gold program and administrators. University leaders also look forward with hopes that they will one day put each of its teams in on-campus homes.
Little Rock baseball will kick off its second season under head coach Chris Curry against Indiana State Friday Feb. 19 at 3 p.m., at Gary Hogan Field. The Trojans will also welcome the Kansas Jayhawks to Little Rock on Saturday at 3 p.m., before concluding the opening weekend against Indiana State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Little Rock went 16-33 last season with newly hired coach Chris Curry. Curry led Little Rock to some big wins in 2015 although the season wasn’t exactly what was hoped for. The Trojans first big break came as they swept a series with conference champions Louisiana with two walk-off wins at home. That became the first time since 2000 that the Trojans had swept a regular-season series against the
Ragin' Cajuns. Little Rock continued its winning at home as it swept Appalachian State with three more walk-off wins. Curry and the Trojans got their biggest win of 2015 on the road against #14 Missouri at the time.
Little Rock brings its largest class in program history as 27 newcomers join the Trojans for the 2016 season. There will be 16 junior college transfers and 11 freshmen joining the Trojan baseball team.
Two of Little Rock's three best hitters from the 2015 season make their return in this season in 2016. Senior Ryan Scott led the Trojans with a .328 average last season and had the second-most doubles in the Sun Belt conference. Scott also led Little Rock with 63 hits, 91 total bases, a .474 slugging percentage and a .398 on-base percentage. He recorded the team's longest hitting streak and second-longest reached base streak at 17 games.
Senior Kyle Kirk is an addition to the Trojans' offense this past season as he recorded the third-highest batting average on the team at .312. Kirk had the second-most RBIs with 26 and had 54 hits in 173 at-bats. The team as a whole is looking forward to the season. The season schedule is posted on the athletic website.
Photo courtesy of the Athletic Department
Junior George Trujillo earned individual medalist honors at three events.
Hot Corner
It’s time to be Royals
Brian Gregory Sports Editor bjgregory@ualr.edu
As the freshly mowed lawn smell starts to enter into my airspace, that can only mean one thing - baseball season has officially begun. Full team spring training started this past weekend. While my love of baseball is not as deep as my love for football, basketball or even tennis, I still love watching my beloved New York Yankees.
Last year the super team was supposedly the Washington Nationals. Armed with Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman as starting pitcher and Bryce Harper in the outfield, the Nationals were the runaway favorite to win it all. However, the Kansas City Royals, an organization that was once anemic to success, won the World Series after losing to the Giants the previous year.
This baseball season sees another super team formed, and it comes from one of the most unlikely organizations in history. The Chicago Cubs added Ben Zobrist of the World Champion
Royals and Jason Heyward of the rival St. Louis Cardinals. They also added John Lackey to help out their pitching rotation. The Mets, Royals, Astros, Cardinals and Giants all look to have something to say about this race for the World Series title. We all know that the Giants look to win in the even years, something that has happened in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Bruce Bochy, a top-three manager in the game, has another formidable pitching rotation in newly-added Johnny Cueto and the effervescent Madison Bumgarner. In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros will look again to challenge the Royals for the AL Pennant.
I think this season is the season the Cubs win, but I also believe that they will lose it. We are talking about the most snakebitten franchise in human history. This is the Chicago Cubs! They will not win the World Series. That title will stay with the American League and stay in Kansas City. I know they lost Zobrist and Cueto, but they still have the most complete team in all of Major League Baseball. With that said, Go Yankees!
Intramural teams begin spring season
Freshman Lucee Lugo is a referee for intramural basketball games.
Analee Jones Staff Writer
aejones4@ualr.edu
Intramural sports for the spring semester are heating up. The current session was based mainly on basketball. The teams are registered on Rec it or Imleagues to get their schedule and then play throughout the season to go into the playoffs. Games are filled with players trying to defend their titles while others were struggling to get recognized.
The first couple of games each night were boys and the last two were girls.
Standings of the games continue to change ever, but as of Feb.15, the men’s team Warriors take first, Pike takes second, and in third place is PWA. The teams are very diverse and compete well together. Each team brings the good and bad out of the other and its very interesting to watch.
On the girls team however, they make more of a statement. The girls play with aggression and use physical tactics that make the game too intense for anyone to handle. The
women bracket only 4 teams so the standings are a bit different. Most of the girl teams consist of diversity or organizations just trying to bond. The standings as of right now show that the Hoopers are in first and the PowderPuff Girls don’t fall to short behind. The girls are rough players they just have fun. Watching Intramural sports is always fun. Seeing a lot of the student body come out and support each team even though they are not professional is kind of awesome. Each team is filled with potential that in the end carries them to the top.
Photo by Analee Jones
The mecca of Arkansas basketball
Gregory Sports Editor bjgregory@ualr.edu
What a time to be a Trojan basketball fan in Little Rock, Arkansas! This season has been the best in program history for the men’s basketball team. Their record now stands at the time of this article at 22-3. The women’s team, even though they got off to a slow start, now sits firmly in second place in the Sun Belt conference as we now start to get into late February, early March and the tournament talk becomes increasingly more and more heated. The new rebranding by Athletic Director Chasse Conque and the talented coaching by Head Coach Chris Beard of the men’s team and
Head Coach Joe Foley of the women’s team has led to Little Rock becoming the place to be when it comes to winning basketball.
For the women’s team, last year was a whirlwind for Little Rock and the school. The Trojans last year were 29-5, the best record in school history. They also went to the NCAA Tournament, where they defeated the Texas A&M Aggies. However, their season ended after a loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils, 57-54.
Coach Foley, after this great season, signed an extension after interest came from the Kansas Jayhawks. This season was not a great start for the Trojans. There were seven new players for this team, and, with a tough non-conference schedule against teams like Texas, LSU and Texas A&M,
the team would have to grow up quickly.
The start of conference play produced a lot of ups and downs for this team. Little Rock seemingly got its footing after a road win against the UT Arlington Mavericks. Since then the Trojans have won seven games in a row, to push them up from the middle of the pack in the Sun Belt standings all the way up to second place behind rival Arkansas State Red Wolves. If the Trojans can keep their winning ways consistent, then the Trojans will be in a great position in the tournament and hopefully make to the NCAAs for a second straight year.
On the other side of the basketball realm, the Little Rock Trojans men’s team was not expected to do this well. After a disappointing season last year, which led to
the resignation of longtime coach Steve Shields, new Athletic Director Chasse Conque went out a find a gem in Chris Beard, a coaching disciple of longtime Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight.
With so many new players being brought in, who knew that this team would be a team that would have so much great success this season. Little Rock men’s games are now the place to be on Thursdays and Saturdays. Fans now are more surprised when we lose rather than when we win.
This team is very balanced and efficient. They play an excellent brand of basketball, which is instilled by Coach Beard and his roots. A winner at Angelo State, he was praised by so many of peers including Tennessee coach Rick Barnes who also coached at Texas.
Seniors Josh Hagins and Marcus Johnson, Jr., who are first and second in team scoring, lead the team. Hagins is making a case for first team All-Sun Belt honors. They are also undefeated at the Jack Stephens Center. This is a team that has not accrued a losing streak this season, a mark that has them in the running for the best record in the nation.
As both of Trojan teams look to finish the season heading into March, the question has to be asked - Can both of the Little Rock teams make it into the NCAA Tournament? Their brand of basketball travels well, and it would be shocking if they both didn’t make it. If they do and both coaches stay for more years to come, Little Rock could become the Mecca of Arkansas basketball.
Brian
Photos by Lauren Humphrey
Trojans attempt to shoot past the opponent to gain more points.
Reaching to grab the rebound, the womens team jumps past the opponent.
YOUR NEWS YOUR WAY
Sun Belt basketball standings
Men’s
1. Little Rock Trojans 24-3 (142)
2. Louisiana Monroe Warhawks 15-12 (11-5)
3. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns 14-11 (10-6)
4. UT-Arlington Mavericks 18-8 (9-6)
5. Georgia Southern Eagles 12-14 (8-8)
6. Georgia PanthersState14-11 (7-9)
7. South Alabama Jaguars 12-15 (7-9)
8. Arkansas State Red Wolves 11-16(7-9)
9. Texas State Bobcats 11-13 (5-10)
10. Appalachian State Mountaineers 7-20 (5-11)
11. Troy Trojans 9-18 (4-12)
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Forum basketball power rankings
NCAA
1. Villanova Wildcats 24-3 (13-1)
2. Kansas Jayhawks 23-4 (11-3)
3. Virginia Cavaliers 21-5 (10-4)
4. Xavier Musketeers 24-3 (12-3)
5. Oklahoma Sooners 21-5 (9-5)
6. North Carolina Tar Heels 22-5 (11-3)
7. Michigan State 22-5 (9-5)
8. Iowa Hawkeyes 20-6 (11-3)
9. Arizona Wildcats 22-5 (10-4)
10. Louisville 21-6 (10-4)
11. Miami Hurricanes 21-5 (10-4)
12. Duke Blue Devils 20-7 (9-5)
13. Maryland 23-5 (11-4)
14. Oregon Ducks 21-6 (10-4)
15. West Virginia Mountaineers 20-7 (9-5)
16. Baylor Bears 20-7 (9-5)
17. Iowa State Cyclones 19-8 (8-6)
18. Indiana Hoosiers 22-6 (12-3)
19. Kentucky 20-7 (10-4)
20. Texas A&M Aggies 20-7 (9-5)
21. Purdue Boilermakers 21-7 (9-6)
22. Utah Utes 21-7 (10-5)
23. Texas Longhorns 17-10 (8-6)
24. Dayton Flyers 21-5 (11-3)
25. Wichita State Shockers 21-7 (14-2)
NBA
1. Golden State Warriors 49-5
2. San Antonio Spurs 47-9
3. Cleveland Cavaliers 40-14
4. Toronto Raptors 36-18
5. Oklahoma City Thunder 40-16
6. Los Angeles Clippers 36-19
7. Boston Celtics 33-24
8. Memphis Grizzlies 32-23
9. Charlotte Hornets 29-26
10. Indiana Pacers 30-25
11. Miami Heat 31-24
12. Chicago Bulls 29-26
13. Portland Trailblazers 29-27
14. Atlanta Hawks 31-26
15. Dallas Mavericks 30-27
16. Houston Rockets 28-28
17. Utah Jazz 27-28
18. Washington Wizards 25-29
19. Sacramento Kings 23-31
20. Orlando Magic 24-30
21. Detroit Pistons 27-29
22. New Orleans Pelicans 22-33
23. New York Knicks 24-33
24. Milwaukee Bucks 23-33
25. Denver Nuggets 22-34
26. Minnesota Timberwolves 17-39
27. Brooklyn Nets 15-41
28. Philadelphia 76ers 8-47
29. Los Angeles Lakers 11-46
30. Phoenix Suns 14-42
* As of Sunday, Feb.21 from ESPN.com
ACROSS
1 Upper class deservin' to get the chop – that's not changed (9)
6 Originally Arthurian errant knight, resident of 6 dn (5)
9 Some writing that stands out (7)
10 Hermione, leaving island with bag, stupidly makes a bloomer (7)
11 Hearty desire to take on the unknown (5)
12 Streep performs with bad actor in "The Greatcoat" (9)
13 State airline gets capital backing (8)
15 Chief of 6 ac's is silent? (4)
19 Heartless trick by Venetian magistrate (4)
20 One fool to fool around endlessly – describes old Secondary system (8)
23 Unseats from steed with horn blast (9)
24 Not any sun on the 7th of March? (5)
26 Day boy takes on head of school for a thrill (7)
27 Some chapter ministers' final destinations (7)
28 Invest with bear right away (5)
29 Drinking den where the conversation flowed? (9)
sudoku online
DOWN
1 A French mistress isn't at all liked (9)
2 Kings and Queens having no love for old coins (5)
3 One of 15's attendants who went for a noted ride (8)
4 15's transport provided by Northern Irish, after mistake involving English (8)
5 Obligation involving a bit of effort gives rise to contention (6)
6 One draws up by home of 15 and 6 ac's (6)
7 Sources of heat in Heaven and Hell under which you won't bum (9)
8 Region in which King Alfred the First hid in a tree (5)
14 See 22
16 An essential tax, it is accepted in rising foreign currency (9)
17 Sleeper is angry with Oriental we hear (8)
18 Newspaper informant obtains nothing from downfall of 6 ac's (8)
21 Water rescue leaders endlessly try lifting up swimmer (6)
