The Forum April 3, 2013

The Clinton School of Public Service will host public presentations by local entrepreneurs during StartUp Weekend, a nonprofit event where individuals can pitch their small business ideas and receive feedback from their peers. The event will begin at 5 p.m. April 7 at Sturgis Hall.

The UALR William H. Bowen School of Law announced the recipients of its annual Faculty Excellence Awards. The winners are professors Coleen Barger for the teaching award, Frances Fendler for research and Kelly Browe Olson for service.

Austin Pfeiffer, has been named the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Player of the Week for the week of April 1. Pfeiffer, who began his week by scoring two runs in the Trojans’ recent win over Stephen F. Austin, helped lead the team to a 4-0 record over the last week of play. He also ranks sixth in the league in runs scored (26), ranks ninth in onbase percentage and is tied for fifth in assists.

Charles Hathaway, Chancellor Emeritus and Donaghey Distinguished Professor, has been honored with the fourth annual James H. Fribourgh Award. The honor, created in 2010, is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to UALR’s science departments as well as the state’s science community atlarge. Hathaway served as chancellor from 1993 until 2002 and helped to establish the Donaghey College of Information Science & Systems Engineering, now the George W. Donaghey College of Engineering & Information Technology.

court judge; and Robert Tellez, an attorney

ticipate in a panel discussion at the

County Conference on March 28 in the

Racial attitudes survey focus on crime, punishment finds gap in perspectives

Jennifer Ellis Executive Editor

While the gap is narrowing in many areas, results of the Racial Attitudes in Pulaski County survey, which this year focused on crime and punishment, revealed great disparities in the perceptions of life in our community, Chancellor Joel E. Anderson said at the 10th Annual Conference on March 28.

“It is not helpful to deny it and it is not helpful to fail to recognize it,” Anderson said. Among the most profound inequities highlighted in the survey report were in perspectives of trust and fairness in interactions with police and the judicial system, with about 30 percentage points separating the number of whites and blacks who responded to the survey saying they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of

Health Services’ STD tests find 30 percent positive

KenDrell

Collins Assistant Editor

The UALR Health Services Department reported that it has conducted 230 screenings for sexually transmitted diseases since March of 2012.

Among those screened, 72 positive STD cases were detected. There were five major diseases reported: chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, HIV and trichomoniasis.

Exactly 40 cases of chlamydia were reported; the highest among the four. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention chlamydia is most common STD in the nation. It is easily curable and the CDC advises sexually active women near the age of 25 to be checked annually.

Genital herpes and trichomoniasis tied in the number of cases reported with 11 apiece. Trichomoniasis, sometimes referred to as “trich,” is among the most common of the curable STDs. Those with the disease are infected with Trichomonas vaginalis, a protozoan parasite. As for herpes, no cure currently exists, but there are treatments available.

Eight cases of gonorrhea were identified over the past year. Getting tested for gonorrhea is particularity important since men or women who are infected with the bacterium may not experience symptoms, according to the CDC.

The Health Services screening program identified two cases of HIV infections during the past year, but no cases of AIDS.

Marie Sandusky, Director of Health Services, said that peak times during the year for getting tested were at the beginning of the spring and fall semesters, Generally, Sandusky said, people get tested either have symptoms, are curious or are entering a new relationship.

“It is important to make con-

scious, careful decisions about who a person chooses to have sex with,” said Sandusky. “If a couple decides to become sexually involved, they need to have a conversation about risk factors and past experiences that may have put them at risk of having a STD.”

She also warned students to be aware of the “window period.” Since most STDs take at least two weeks to appear after exposure, a person may falsely think that they do not have an STD if they are tested within this time frame.

trust in the judicial system and police. The opinions of Hispanics fell somewhere in between at just over 50 percent, meaning they were significantly more likely to have trust in the police and judicial system than blacks, but significantly less likely to trust than whites.

Panelist Olly Neal, a retired appellate court judge, said the difference in perception grows

Spring break gunfire strikes campus building

Numerous shots fired near campus during spring break caused several hundred dollars in damage, according to police.

Stray bullets reportedly hit campus buildings March 19, after gunfire was exchanged between two vehicles in the Subway parking lot. Witnesses say the shots were fired about 3 p.m. as a result of a failed armed robbery, where the victim was attacked after an unsuccessful attempt to sell his iPad to neighboring retailer Game Exchange. During the attack, the victim is said to have returned gunfire from his own vehicle, a gray Chevy Impala containing both himself and a two-year-old female. Both vehicles sped in opposite directions on University Avenue following the incident.

While no injuries were reported, four shots slammed into Ross Hall, where bullet holes on the building’s left side caused an estimated $500 in damages. According to facilities management subcontractors present at the time of the crime, a bullet also shattered a classroom window located on the building’s third floor, adding an additional $300 in repair costs. The suspect, who drove a white Chevy Impala with damage on the passenger side, is reported to be an African-American male between the ages of 20 and 25.

University to honor faculty excellence in teaching, public service and research

“I also advise all students under the age of 26 to get vaccinated against the STD human papillomavirus,” Sandusky said. The vaccine protects individuals from most forms HPV, an STD that can result in genital warts and cervical cancer.

Sandusky’s best advice to students is to practice safe sex by consistent condom use. Health Services provides free condoms to visitors and also offers treatment, family planning, and screening for all STDs. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located across from the campus bookstore in room 102 of the Donaghey Student Center.

The UALR Faculty Excellence Awards Ceremony will be held at the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 12. This is a special year for this ceremony; in addition to honoring the recipients the program will be observing its 25th anniversary. The program was initiated in 1988 by the UALR Foundation Fund Board. Awards were given to faculty for their excellence at both the college and university levels. There are three categories: Teaching,

Kimla Lemmons Staff Writer Public Service, and Research or Creative Endeavors. The award consists of a cash gift and a framed certificate. The monetary awards are: $1000 for college-level recipients, $5000 for university-level awards in both Public Service and research. The Teaching award recipient is given $10,000. Each UALR college nominates a faculty member then an independent selection committee chooses the three university wide winners. This year’s nominees for the teaching award are Radu F. Babiceanu of the DonaSee FACULTY, page 2

Body modification law demeans individual liberty

The Forum

Our legislators are not just trying to control women’s bodies; now they’re after everyone.

In March, the Arkansas Legislature passed Senate Bill 387, which tightens restrictions on body modification, particularly subdermal implants and scarification. Perhaps we should be grateful that the bill, championed by Sen. Missy Irvin (R), only regulates these procedures; originally it called for a ban. The bill claims to be motivated by safety but seems bent on controlling what people do to their bodies. There’s something to be said for safe body art; people should know it is being done by a qualified professional in a sterile environment. This could be accomplished with inspections, licensing and education; we don’t need the government to baby-sit us with

L

E tt ER EDI tOR to the

While campaigning for a Student Government Association Senate seat, I was consistently asked how we could get more students involved on campus; not just in campus life as a whole, but also in the SGA decision-making process that affects all students. While doing research, I found a section of the election code prohibiting off-campus campaigning, which the SGA interpreted to include social media use by SGA members and candidates during campaigning and elections. More recently, the SGA interpreted this provision so that any candidate with campaign material or pictures on a social media website, even if they were posted by a random stranger, can be disqualified, depend-

bans and restrictions. The bill seems motivated instead by prejudice against artists, young people, and people who simply don’t want to look like everyone else.

The bill sets age limits that targets teenagers, who cannot even vote for the decisions concerning them. Apparently, our legislators don’t think young people are capable of deciding what to do with their bodies.

The bill does not apply to “vanilla” procedures like ear piercing and permanent cosmetics. Ear rings, everlasting eyeliner and breast implants are fine, but decorative scars or horns would be too weird for our legislators. But what politicians think is weird does not really matter, or at least it’s not supposed to. Politicians should not have the right to decide what people do to their skin. In fact, we have the right to do whatever

ing on how the chief justice chooses to proceed.

Technology has fundamentally changed our lives. Students for the most part spend their time on their mobile devices, checking to see how their virtual lives can be relate to their plans for the day.

I believe that we can increase voter turnout and student involvement in SGA by increasing the presence of SGA and its candidates in these virtual forums.

Letting students post campaign communications on a virtual forum they already incorporate into their real lives would go far in increasing student involvement. To this end, we need an amendment changing the definition of “offcampus -campaigning” to no longer include social media, or specific constitutional allowance for its campaign use.

Increasing SGA social media use will also allow students to create the campus life they desire. I have no doubt this senate will be devoted to making the election code more modern and to transparency

we want with it. Look it up; free expression is guaranteed by the First Amendment. A star-shaped implant or a Molly Hatchet tattoo is symbolic speech. It’s how you convey your message to the world.

And really, if we don’t have our bodies, what do we have?

The bill also requires body artists to have five years of training before they can be licensed with the Department of Health. Even with a license, they are forbidden from insert

ing implants into their clients.

These restrictions rob artists and Arkansans of livelihood. They discourage the growth of the body modification industry, which could be a thriving part of Arkansas’ economy. The bill will only scare away potential investors and entrepreneurs, depriving us of state income.

This over-regulation runs contrary to the Republicans’ favorite pet – free trade, or

and openness. We are ready to accomplish positive changes this year for the betterment of the campus and our beloved student body.

It’s time for the usual SGA politics to come to a screeching halt, and for the collective voice of the student body to be its new gold standard. To be taken seriously by all, we must answer to all. We need more senators reaching out to their constituents to find out what students want from their government. I will continue to fight for social media usage during elections to get more students involved with the SGA.

My hope for this incoming senate is that my fellow senators will understand what needs to be done to revive this worthwhile student organization, that we will set aside

unregulated commerce. What an odd move for a Republicancontrolled legislature.

The bottom line here is hypocrisy. How can Republicans support a small government that routinely tramples on individual liberty?

Small government must only apply to big business. It’s wrong to tax major corporations, but okay to keep independent artists from working. It’s wrong to outlaw submachine guns, but okay to ban decorative subdermal implants, which don’t hurt anybody unless it’s the people who sign up for them, and they’re paying for it.

Legislators are trying to make people look like they do, which is, frankly, pretty boring. This petty move degrades the individual liberty America was built from, and sends a message that this is the land of the free (as long as you look like me).

our differences and individual ambitions, and, above all, that students will get involved and be heard. I, alone, cannot create this change. We need a resounding consensus from fellow students, student organizations and SGA members to make positive changes possible. I have no doubt we can make this happen.

When it’s all said and done we may not have $1,000 worth of T-shirts for ourselves. If the voter turnout is higher, the student body safer and more content and successful, and the SGA represents students’ diverse desires, I can do without T-shirts. The UALR community deserves the best we have to offer, and lately it has not received from its representatives. But with a growing consensus and resounding roar, we can take back our university. Nothing can stand in the way of the power of students’ voices calling for change.

Aaron Lazenby Senator-elect for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science

Strange girl, stranger world

Lonely, not alone

John Donne wrote “no man is an island,” to which Saul Williams added, “but I often feel alone.”

Sometimes I feel I am never alone. I have a boyfriend, a roommate, a dog and a family. I have colleagues, classmates and strangers. Even in an empty house, I can text someone or hang out on Facebook.

Sometimes though, I feel the poignancy of Williams’ completion to Donne’s famous quote. Once in a while, I feel crushingly isolated, like no one wants to talk to me, and if we did, we wouldn’t really communicate. Sylvia Plath described it as a bell jar – a transparent barrier that isolates us from the rest of the world.

In this, at least, I am not alone. I like to think everyone feels that way from time to time (but if you never do, do not start on my account). Facebook is littered with sad, alienated statuses and cries for attention. I sometimes see it in peoples’ eyes, and sometimes they just tell me. How is it that we are more connected than ever, and still feel lonely?

Technology could be the problem. Perhaps, rather than connecting us, it walls us up. During an awkward silence, people don’t make small talk; they play with their cellphones. Instead of talking during dinner, we may just watch TV. Maybe secularism is to blame. Losing their connection to a higher power, not to mention a religious community, could make people lonely. Then again, maybe God is lonely too. I prefer to think that we search for something in other people we lack in ourselves. People say their partner “completes” them. At the very least, other people validate us and give meaning to the things we do.

We seek synchronicity with others. When we find it, it is amazing. When we do not, it can feel like the whole relationship has failed. True connection can only happen in a few circumstances. Everyday life presents too many barriers for us all to sync up all the time. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; we must be individuals. Sometimes, we really do want to be alone. So what should you do when you feel lonely? You could always try to get to know yourself. There’s no better time than when you are not distracted by other people. Keep a diary, take a walk or write a haiku. It’s all about you. Find out what matters to you, and why you are unique. On the other hand, it’s not all about you. It’s okay to ruminate on your alienation for a time, but if you keep it up forever, you could degrade your relationships and feel more isolated. You can only read “The Catcher in the Rye” so many times. Maybe you are not the only one that feels alone. Call your friends. Help someone out with a project or give directions to a new student. Make someone’s day better and you will feel like people like having you around. And remember, you are not alone just because you’re lonely.

Faculty Senate hears talk of taxes, business

Alexis Williams Assistant Editor

The Faculty Senate discussed tax diversions, the core curriculum and academic dishonesty at its March 15 meeting.

Chancellor Joel E. Anderson said House Bill 1418 by Rep. Jonathan Barnett (R-Siloam Springs) would divert approximately $2.3 billion in state general revenue to state highways during the next decade. Sales tax revenue generated by the sale of new and used cars, auto parts and services would go to the Highway and Transportation Department.

“Imagine a pie that represents 100 percent of the state revenue: 47 percent is going to K-12 [public education], and that is not changing,” Anderson said. Twenty-three percent is going to Health and Human Services, and now the state will be spending more money on Medicaid. Nine percent funds prisons and criminal justice.

“Now that leaves 21 percent of the state budget left. Our piece, Higher Education, of the pie is taken from that. If it is shrunken anymore, that will mean devastation for higher ed, especially in the long-term,” the chancellor said.

“We’ve been fighting House Bill 1418, and we’re cautiously optimistic that it won’t get out of committee,” Anderson said. “Our position is that [the highway department] needs the revenue, but they need to find a different

source. Don’t take it away from us.”

Concerning the undergraduate curriculum that has been on the Faculty Senate’s agenda for almost two years, Provost Zulma Toro-Ramos spoke of progress.

“I recently spoke to the students of the Donaghey Scholars Program, and I asked them what they felt was the most important aspect of the program. Without exception, they said the team-taught courses were the most important part,” she said. ToroRamos stressed her adamant support behind integrating the Donaghey model of teaching into other courses across the curriculum.

Brad Patterson and Arrayon Furlough of Testing Services presented statistics in student cheating during online courses. Furlough cited various studies and surveys that found 42 percent of college students had admitted to working with others on individual assignments, 24 percent admitted to receiving unpermitted help from someone on a written assignment, and 72 percent admitted to cheating at least once while taking a virtual quiz, even after signing an honor code.

She told the Senators about a new service that would offer professors the option to proctor their online courses, and it would implement a new program which monitors the student computer activity. It would be capable of seeing their screen and taking screenshots, as well as blocking certain websites.

R ACIAL ATTITUDES , continued from page 1

out of the experiences that people have, and while things have improved since the era of segregation — it is not time to slow down.

“We’ve got to work more aggressively,” Neal said, “to figure out how to be conscience of race to the extent we make certain we don’t let the race be a factor in how we investigate, arrest, charge, try and serve the young people who appear before us.”

Other members of the panel included Charles Chastain, UALR professor emeritus of criminal justice, Leta Anthony, director of Lewis-Burnett Employment Finders Inc., Eric Higgins, assistant chief of the Little Rock Police Department, and Robert Tellez, an attorney with Monterrey & Tellez Law Firm PLLC who works at length with members of the Hispanic community.

In the 10 years since the Institute on Race and Ethnicity was founded, it has focused racial attitudes research on topics such as health and health care, media, education, values, social conflict and trust, perspectives on community, crime and public safety, local government, economic wealth, housing and financial well-being and personal perceptions about race.

“Ten years may sound like a lot, but for the issues we’re addressing, I would say we are just now to the point where we have begun to have a real baseline for looking at ourselves and our movement,” Anderson said.

Data for each of the institute’s surveys is now available in a researchable format on a newly launched website at ualr.edu/race-ethnicity, which went live following the conference.

Police Beat

DSC employee refuses to leave after quitting

Brian Darnell Danner, 49, a former DSC employee, caused a disturbance Feb. 27 when he quit his job then refused to leave the Sodexo kitchen, according to a DPS report.

Solon Lee Pietila, 31, executive chef with Sodexo, told police Danner quit his job after an argument about a disciplinary write-up, it said. According to the report, Pietila told Danner to leave the kitchen, and he refused.

A DPS officer told Danner to leave and not to come back unless he had official UALR business, it said.

Man threatens to return with gun after argument

A public safety officer was called to the DSC after an employee there overheard an argument between a man and two girls, according to a DPS report.

The employee told police that after a brief argument, the man threatened to return with a gun, it said. The employ told the officer that she did not know what the argument was about or any of the people involved.

Man arrested when officers find suspected drugs in vehicle

Damion L. Wyrick, 25, was arrested March 17 after a DPS officer found what he suspected to be marijuana in his vehicle, according to a DPS report.

The report said an officer stopped Wyrick near the intersection of Asher Avenue and Campus Drive for driving without his headlights on. When Wyrick’s registration did not match his license plate, the officer asked him to step out of the car, causing a green, leafy substance to fall into the road, it said. The officer found more

Meeting the Easter Bunny

FACULTY, continued from page 1

ghey College of Engineering and Infor

mation Technology; Michael Flannery of the William H. Bowen School of Law; Larry C. Holland of the College of Business; Christy L. Jackson of the College of Science and Mathematics; James Levernier of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; L. Carolyn Pearson of the College of Education; and David Weekley of the College of Professional Studies.

The research award nominees are Laura M. Amrhein of the College of Arts and Humanities, and Social Sciences; Daniel Berleant of the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology; Jeffrey S. Gaffney of the College of Science and Mathematics; Nannette Nicholson of the College of Professional Studies; Ann Robinson of the College of Education; Robert Steinbuch of the William H. Bowen School of Law; and Thomas R. Tudor of the College of Business.

The public service award nominees are John Burgin of the College of Education; James K. Carr of the Donaghey

College of Engineering and Information Technology; Mark Giese of the College of Professional Studies; Ken Gould of the William H. Bowen School of Law; Eric R. Kaufmann of the College of Science and Mathematics; Lawrence “Lars” S. Powell of the College of Business; and Elisabeth Sherwin of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

In 2012, Levernier, a professor of English in UALR’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, won the Ted and Virginia Bailey Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching.

Robinson is a professor of Educational Leadership and the founding director of the Center for Gifted Education at UALR. In 2012 she won the award for Research and Creative Endeavors.

Giese, an associate professor of Mass Communications in UALR’s College of Professional Studies, won the 2012 award for Public Service. Immediately following the ceremony a reception will be held in the Ted and Virginia Bailey Alumni and Friends Center.

of the substance when Wyrick admitted to having more under his seat, it said.

The officer took Wyrick to the Pulaski County Detention Facility, where he was fingerprinted and released with a court date, it said.

Officers dispatched to University Village for marijuana smell

DPS officers were called to University Village when resident advisors smelled narcotics coming from an apartment March 14, according to a DPS report. Officer Hoolapa later confirmed that the suspected narcotic was marijuana.

David Lynn Brown, a 21-year-old student, opened the door for the officers, who immediately smelled marijuana, it said. Three other students were sitting at the counter, it said: Carlos Jarvarious Frazier, 21; Chandria Monique Harris, 20; and Tanisha Kyarra Johnson, 20.

Although the officers saw ashes on the stove and counters, they did not see any narcotics or paraphernalia, it said, and no further action was taken.

CLC coordinator gets threatening call

Nick Steele, Coordinator for the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps contacted the DPS March 18, saying that he received a threatening phone call the day before, according to a DPS report. Steele told an officer he received the call at 1:23 a.m. Sunday morning, but did not answer his phone, it said.

The caller left a voice mail, it said, telling Steele that the caller knew what he did to the office, was going to tell everybody and that Steele should be scared. Steele told the officer that he did not know who the caller was, and checked his office, where nothing was out of place, it said. A DPS officer advised him to inform his local police department and to contact them if he received any other disturbing calls.

That damned Ellis kid Puppet Surprise

ID E LLIS

Life at a boarding school isn’t how most people imagine it. Sure there was rigid discipline and our days were strictly structured, but we also had a lot of free time, and we made the most of it.

In 1985, I was in the seventh grade. It was the first time I attended Morris School for Boys for an actual school year. I had gone to summer school there the two previous summers, so I had plenty of time to acclimate myself to the lifestyle I was expected to lead for the school year.

I had also come to know many of the monks who staffed the school and their individual personalities. While I remember every staff member who worked there and have fond memories of each of them, one in particular comes to mind whenever I think of my days at Morris.

Brother Thomas More was a tall, thin man with a quiet demeanor. He had a very thick accent that sounded almost German. Many of the students thought he was from Germany, which he denied. I believe he said his family was from Pennsylvania. He was reserved and slow to anger. In my time at Morris I had only seen Brother Thomas lose his temper once. It was the beginning of class and we were having opening prayer. Two nonCatholic boys in my class began to speak gibberish during the prayer and laugh at each other. Brother Thomas immediately stopped the prayer, seized each boy by the ear and dragged them into the hallway for a loud lecture on proper respect for the religions of others.

He was also very animated when it came to facial expressions. When he was surprised, he would often jump back slightly and his jaw would drop open, a motion I would call “Puppet Surprise,” because of how closely it resembled the expression of a puppet on “Sesame Street.” It was his animated facial expressions that made Brother Thomas a target for an April Fools prank that got huge laughs from my classmates, but got me and my friend Bryan Henderson thrown out of class.

Bryan and I had been wracking our brains trying to come up with a good prank, and we finally settled on one involving the chalkboard. Brother Thomas gave a lot of information in his lectures and used the chalkboard to write out key terms and information we were required to know for exams.

We grabbed the erasers and placed a small piece of chalk in the midsection of each one so that when Brother Thomas went to erase something he would end up making a mark instead, which we knew would elicit the “puppet surprise” reaction and get lots of laughs from the rest of the guys.

We decided to take our prank a little bit further. We rigged up two of the erasers with some fishing line, which we ran across the floor, so it would not be seen, and connected it to our desks. When Brother Thomas became frustrated with the other erasers he would reach for those ones, and when he did Bryan and I would tug the fishing line, causing the eraser to slide down the chalk tray away from the surprised teacher.

Class began with no one the wiser to our prank. As we predicted, Brother Thomas wrote on the board and tried to erase with the rigged erasers. Each time, his reaction made the class laugh. When he reached for the eraser strung to Bryan, it flew away from him causing him to jump and drop his jaw. When reached for the eraser connected to me, I yanked my line and the eraser flew away from him. Another “puppet surprise” and the class was in an uproar with laughter.

Brother Thomas was left shaking head in disbelief. When he finally figured out the prank, he frowned and asked, “Who is responsible for this?” Bryan and I were still laughing when we raised our hands. The only thing he said was “Get out.” Bryan and I looked at each other, knowing we our asses were grass and Brother Thomas would be the lawn mower.

We sat outside the classroom contemplating what our fate would be.

We knew there would be a beating involved, and we would be put on the campus list. An unfortunate student on said list could not leave the campus on the weekend and had to do extra chores while the other boys enjoyed going to town or home if permitted.

Class soon ended and Bryan and I prepared for our punishment. To our surprise, when everyone left, Brother Thomas wasn’t even angry; he was laughing. He said it was one of the best pranks he had seen in all his years of teaching, but cautioned us to take care who else we pulled it on.

I respected Brother Thomas a lot more after that, and not just because he didn’t punish me, which I was grateful for, but because he also taught me the value of humility and being a good sport. You should never take yourself too seriously or you’ll miss out on the little bits of fun life has to offer.

Professionals and socializers flock to Twitter

Jacob Ellerbee Sports Editor

The popular microblogging website, Twitter, which celebrated its seventh birthday March 21, has seen exponential growth in popularity as of late.

Meaghan Milliorn, a web communications specialist at UALR who operates the UALR Facebook and Twitter accounts, said one of the reasons Twitter has been so successful is that it combines two things that people already enjoy: texting friends and providing updates to an audience.

“[Users] were already accustomed to posting status updates to Facebook and to texting our friends,” Milliorn said. “Twitter combines both of those ... it allows us to post short, quick updates about our lives.”

Twitter imposes a limit of 140 characters per tweet, which seems minute, but the short bursts of information are one of Twitter’s strongest assets. This encourages users to frequently make updates, which could lead to more users looking at the time line or home page of Twitter and keeps people interested in learning about what’s going on in the world.

and provide updates or commentary with the public as it unfolds or shortly after it occurs. It is also used by celebrities to dispute things tabloids write about them; sports stars to take fans behind the scenes; politicians to garner support for an upcoming election; and reporters to tweet about a developing situation.

book by becoming a place in which consumers update and keep track of their friends, and see what people around the world are thinking and doing. Barnes said the social media sites may naturally lose users over time, but will constantly evolve and find ways to please their users.

The frequent and short burst of information have been a hit with newsgathering organizations, sports stars, politicians and celebrities.

During a breaking-news situation, Twitter users can quickly blast tweets

ing more widely used by public relations specialists.

“You have to monitor if you’re an organization,” Barnes said. “You have to have a department that probably does nothing but surf the net, not only social media, but blogs, wikis and other things.”

Twitter has joined the likes of Face -

“I think they both [Facebook and Twitter] have too solid of a footing to really just fade away and go quietly into that dark night,” Barnes said. Part of the evolution of the two social media giants has been the addition of more services and features within the sites.

Facebook recently purchased the popular photo sharing service, Instagram. The service allows users to take photos on their smartphones, apply digital filters and make minor edits to enhance their photographs before publishing them. In February, the company announced there are 100 million monthly users of Instagram.

Twitter, although younger than Facebook, has already evolved from its text-based foundation and moved into video service. Keeping the idea of simplicity and short bursts of information, Twitter launched its video service, Vine, in January. Users are limited to six seconds of video. The application is teeming with creativity and it seems stop motion animation has become a popular outlet.

do you use Twitter, or why not?

“I use Twitter. It’s quicker than Facebook and simpler.”

Clayton Winn junioR histoRy majoR

“I’m not using Twitter because I have Facebook and it’s kind of hard to use.”

seojin Kim FReshman physiCal theRapy majoR

“I do use Twitter. It’s just addictive.”

Raven Wilson FReshman biology majoR

“I use it so I can keep in touch with Justin Bieber, One Direction, Taylor Swift, Zooey Deschanel, and Betty White.”

aaRon CRoss junioR mass CommuniCation majoR

Ottenheimer Library celebrates progress

Since its 1976 opening, the Ottenheimer Library has moved from card catalogs and typewriters to electronic databases and multimedia tables with outlets for laptops.

Before its construction, the library was in the Administration South building, according to a document from the time. When it was built, the library looked about the same as it does today: a five-story building at the heart of campus.

“The shell was what it is now,” said Wanda Dole, library dean. “There’s not much you can do to the shell except tear down interior walls.”

The first floor contained the “‘keys’ to library use,” it said, like the card catalog and periodical indexes. At that time, the library had only two computers, located behind the circulation desk.

The second floor featured a multimedia center, which included a viewing room for films, a projection booth for slide shows and a darkroom for reproducing archives, it said. “Now we would just scan them,” Dole said.

The fifth floor was meant as expansion space to house the library’s growing collection, the document said. It also housed the conference room for the office of lifelong education, now defunct.

That floor now houses the graduate school and the office of research and sponsored programs, Dole said. She added that the library has made some structural changes since the 1970s.

The library shortened the first

floor shelves to let in more light, she said. They also replaced some carpeting and furniture, although Dole said some original furniture remains. The library also added self-checkout.

In 2012, the library removed a second floor wall, giving the area more space for furniture, particularly its five new AGATI Elements Media Tables, she said. The group tables have four laptop outlets, as well as a central flat screen for sharing screen content.

The library has also been making external improvements, Dole said, like washing the exterior and improving signs and landscaping.

Over the years, Dole said that the biggest change has been the shift to digital media. “That’s the big thing in terms of journals and whole collections,” she said. “I library like this couldn’t purchase that in the past.”

The electronic resources allow the library to purchase fewer print books, she said, which saves shelf space and labor.

Online resources are also easier to use, and users do not have to come to the building to access them, she said. Rather than relying on grainy, black-and-white slides or microfilm, users can see original documents in detail and color, often accompanied by sound and visuals, she said.

The shift has also presented challenges for the library. One challenge is sustainability and making sure that technology purchased today will continue to be usable in the future, Dole said. Online media also raises questions of ownership; owning database collections is not as straight-forward as owning a book, she said. In addi-

tion, keeping up with changing technology is expensive, on top of the rising cost of replenishing library resources, she said.

The improvements are well-worth the effort, Dole said. “Our surveys and national and international resources have shown that having a library as a place is very important to undergraduates,” she said. “We still see lots of students coming in.”

Dole said the library hopes to be a place where students can work alone or in groups, electronically or manually. She added that students should not be afraid to ask librarians questions; it is their job to help.

“Our mission has always been to connect the user with the material they need as efficiently as possible,” she said. That, at least, has not changed. Dole said the library is committed to teaching people how to research, helping people transition into college and anticipating future needs. “We want to teach people to use a library anywhere in the world,” she said.

From 6 to 8 p.m. April 4, the Ottenheimer Library Development Board will present a celebration of its progress. Tickets cost $50. The event will have a 1970s theme, Dole said, and will include music from the time, food and drinks, a slide show with historic pictures, and tours of the library.

“It really is very exciting the changes to the library,” she said. “It doesn’t seem radical to me because I saw the first wave from paper to CD-ROMs to complete online collections. But if someone hasn’t used a university library since the 1970s, it seems so.”

New miniseries delivers mediocrity of Biblical proportions

Liz Fox Entertainment Editor

All things considered, there’s little speculation as to why the Bible would serve as ideal source material for television. The first two books of the Old Testament are rife with unmatched gore and promiscuity — almost to a degree that trumps programs like “Dexter,” “Oz” and “The Wire” — and could be a real moneymaker if placed into capable, careful hands. But those behind His

tory Channel’s “The Bible,” the book’s most recent adaptation, have not only failed in creating a landmark piece of entertainment; they’ve also floundered in providing substantial insight into a book that’s been beloved, belittled and broken since its inception. Like its sister networks, the History Channel has morphed into a haven for reality television insistent on masquerading as fact. While “Pawn Stars” is more than worthy of the “guilty pleasure” label, older audiences who preferred documentaries on conspiracy theories and the Valkyrie mission are long gone, leaving the network with a gaping hole in their intended demographic. But executives are now attempting to turn the History Channel into a Sunday night hot-spot a la AMC by airing original miniseries to compete with the likes of other cable net-

works, and it was in this change of pace where “The Bible” was born.

Unlike “Vikings,” History Channel’s other blockbuster miniseries, “The Bible” takes an epic and turns it into schlock that panders to the lowest common denominator. Its source material, the essential text of Western religion, carries deep meaning for those who chose to invest in it, which is the reason it remains highly-regarded. But producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett have removed this element, creating an empty shell of poorly-choreographed battle scenes and empty acting that does little to provide its viewers with anything that couldn’t be found on videos distributed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

On the other hand, this void cannot be blamed entirely on the crew. Because of its significance, adaptations of the Bible run the risk of controversy. Even works of fiction, notably Nikos

New fairy tale film offers ‘Giant’ entertainment

“Jack the Giant Killer” is a British fairy tale about a young man who slays a number of giants during the legendary King Arthur’s reign and has become the basis of the new film, “Jack the Giant Slayer.” The movie is produced by New Line Cinema and directed by Bryan Singer, who is known for his role as producer for “X-Men 2” and “X-Men: First Class.” Jack, the film’s unwary hero portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, is sent to the city by his uncle to sell their horse in order to have enough money to patch their roof. While he’s on his errand, Jack meets Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) and finds himself rescuing her from robbers and thugs. Not surprisingly and through a comical twist of events, Jack comes home with no horse and nothing to show for his errand except for some supposedly “sacred” magic beans.

The beans, which were believed to be sacred by the original owner,, make little impression on Jack’s uncle, who throws them away and storms off to get the horse back. Meanwhile, the Princess arrives at Jack’s house after running away from Roderick (Stanley Tucci), her fiancee and a man involved in a sinister plot to become king. The magic beans begin to sprout soon after, taking the Princess with the growing stalk and leading Jack to an adventure that leaves him with more than he bargained for —

a rescue mission and a sky populated by giants.

This movie is well-assembled with an excellent story and top-notch cast. Because the effects are excellent, it’s also visually spectacular. I initially expected this movie to be another “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters,” but I found myself pleasantly surprised at how wellacted and entertaining it was. Nicholas Hoult, whose credits include “Warm Bodies” and “About a Boy,” brings likeability to the character of Jack that’s similar to his characters in other movies.

Because seeing “Jack the Giant Slayer” in 3-D adds to the movie’s visual effects, I highly recommend it. But keep in mind that there is a bit of gore and the movie has a PG-13 rating, so although this is a fairy tale, the gore may be too much to handle for young children.

Overall, “Jack the Giant Slayer” delivered the goods and ended up being a fun flick that’s full of action, humor and adventure. The movie would make a great family outing or even a good idea for a date night, and I can see myself buying this one when it comes out on DVD.

Kazantzakis’’ “The Last Temptation of Christ” and Dan Brown’s “The DaVinci Code,” have caused reputable outcry from the faithful because of their individualistic takes on Biblical events and figures. Chances are that network execs and producers didn’t want to risk the same reaction, so they played it safe by showcasing events akin to those found in the pantheon of Greek, Norse and Roman mythology -- the birth of a culture, triumphant rescues, various victories and most importantly, the life and death of a redemptive figure.

But this haphazard whitewashing does not excuse such a poor execution. Aside from the flaccid narration provided by voice-over actor Keith David (whose credits include “Mass Effect” and Disney’s “Gargoyles”), much of the wardrobe looks as if it was selected from that of a school play or church pageant, serving as flimsy cardboard testaments to frugality. Much of this low-grade production value could be overlooked if the acting was superb, but the primarily British cast does little to mark an impression on tuned-in viewers.

The biggest flaw, which may go hand-in-hand with lack of insight, is the fact that “The Bible” treats its subjects as distant reminders of the past. The series chronologically follows the events of the book, but performs horribly when trying to merge written

record with human drama. The quasilove triangle between Abraham, Sarah and servant girl Hagar is filled with forced jealousy from the two women, rendering the whole situation laughable with a daytime drama disposition. The Christ figure, played by resident hot guy Diogo Morgado, only builds upon the stoic caricature that the media has fostered for several decades and regretfully keeps Jesus as a two-dimensional concept instead of a living and emotive human being. None of it seems to register on an emotional level and like New York Times critic Neil Genzlinger, I’m fervent in my belief that “those looking for something that makes them feel the power of the Bible would do better to find a good production of ‘Godspell’ or ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’”

But as I deliver this moderate tonguelashing, I believe “The Bible” was an honest mistake and a missed opportunity. It sought to deliver an adaptation of a complex document with so much connotation, religiosity and backlash attached to it, which is no easy feat. But Downey, Burnett and the History Channel also aimed at producing a selection of stories for pure entertainment, and their failure to create a potentially eyeopening program leaves us with something serving as another testament to an overtold story that still needs to be told the right way.

Hard rock gods ignite Verizon Arena

A high-energy arena of almost 5000 die-hard fans welcomed a performance from Shinedown, Three Days Grace and P.O.D. March 16 at 7 p.m. at the Verizon Arena. The trio’s stop in Little Rock is just one leg of their 2013 tour.

Opener P.O.D. did well to energize the tentative crowd, with crowd-pleasers like “Alive” and “Higher” leading to a sea of fist-pumping. Their performance of the mega-hit “Youth of the Nation,” a song written with respect to the 1999 Columbine massacre, was particularly powerful because of the recent circumstances surrounding the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut.

The next act was Three Days Grace. Despite the unfortunate January departure of lead singer Adam Gontier, Three Days Grace did not fail to deliver as Matt Walst, frontman for My Darkest Days and brother of bassist Brad Walst, stood in for Gontier on lead vocals. Though it was initially difficult to get past a bias for the old sound, Walst’s vocal renditions of the group’s staples, such as “I Hate Everything About You” and “The Good Life,” almost made the obvious replacement forgettable.

This, combined with Walst’s synchronization with the drummer, made Three Days Grace my personal favorite. He also managed to create a few mosh pits throughout their setlist, especially during “Pain” and their parting battle cry, “Riot.” The band also wowed the crowd with colossal pyrotechnic columns during their recent hit, “Chalk Outline”.

Shinedown couldn’t let us off that

easily though. After “Enemies,” a recent single, coaxed the audience to frenzy, the three members returned to the main stage for another recent single, “I’ll Follow You”. Like Walst of Three Days Grace, vocalist Brent Smith channeled his charisma to evoke synchronized swaying and lyric chanting from the crowd. Like the other performers, the band also opted to travel throughout their decade of music, spanning “.45” (an early track) to work from the band’s 2008 album, “The Sound of Madness.”

Smith and the band also took a moment to express their gratitude to the audience, also discussing how vital their fans were to their success.

“See, what I am talking about is the beauty of rock-and-roll,” he praised. “Rock-and-roll is not a genre of music. Oh no, my friends, rock-and-roll is a way of life.”

Another thing of note is that each band added their own twist to the concert with unexpected covers. P.O.D ended their set with the chorus of “What I Got” by Sublime, and Three Days Grace brought out their touring manager/band assistant, Shawn “The Hammer” Hamm, to cover “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit. Shinedown also teased to audience with several covers as Smith and guitarist Zach Myers mounted on the small stage and performed introduction to “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Wanted Dead or Alive” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.”

Whether it was the powerhouse pyrotechnics or the contagious charisma of each band’s token vocalist, the Shinedown/Three Days Grace/P.O.D concert was infused with memorable moments and sensational songs.

Coach’s gamble pays off with dividends

The outdoor track season is underway and UALR senior Jason Belt is prepared to make it a memorable one. After a stellar season last year, the criminal justice major has his sights set on another great year with the ultimate goal being a regional berth for the team. The discus, hammer and shot put thrower set several school records last season.

The Council Bluffs, Iowa native said he wasn’t always set on taking up track and field.

“My mom played basketball in college, my dad played in high school and they were both real good,” Belt said. “That was one thing that we always did as a family.”

But after having knee issues, Belt’s own basketball career came to an early end and he was asked by his coach to try throwing for the track and field team.

“We went out and we threw and it ended up being pretty fluid; it ended up being pretty natural,” Belt said.

After winning one state title and finishing sixth in another for Thomas Jefferson High School, he admitted, “It ended up being more of a fit than basketball ever did.”

Belt went largely unrecruited after high school because he lacked the size

Doing the Sun Belt shuffle

of typical throwers, but after a couple of years at a junior college, he found his way to UALR.

“I knew I needed to go to a place that had a strong weight and conditioning program,” Belt said.

The interaction with UALR Track and Field head coach Milton Williams convinced Belt to make the transfer to UALR.

“The way that coach Williams talked to me, honestly, is what sold me,” Belt said. “We knew it was kind of a gamble. I needed to gain forty to fifty pounds and throw a heck of a lot farther than I was, to be worth anything,” Belt said.

“I appreciated the fact that he was going to take a gamble on me, because other coaches weren’t,” Belt said. “I don’t know a human being that knows as much about strength mechanics, or even kinesiology, than Milton Williams does.”

The gamble paid off for both coach and player as Belt had a great 2012 season after redshirting in 2011.

Belt said he is striving to end the season on a powerful note, as last season didn’t end the way that he anticipated.

“Last year was kind of a bittersweet ending,” Belt said. “We made it to the Regionals and were throwing really well going into the meet.”

“I ended up getting kind of nervous,” he continued. “I fouled some really bad

New coach, no problem

UALR’s new head soccer coach, Adrian Blewitt, signs 14 new players in fewer than 100 days

New head soccer coach Adrian Blewitt averaged one signee per week, after completing his off-season recruiting process.

Blewitt was announced as the new head coach Dec. 12, and on March 21, 14 new players were announced as signees in a press release.

The UALR soccer team is expected to return around 10 players from last season’s roster and Blewitt said he is confident the returning players have created a solid foundation for the newcomers to build upon.

“We have a strong returning core of players who are very determined to advance our team, so the combination of these two strong groups will begin a very exciting journey for our program,” Blewitt said in the press release.

Meet the new recruits

Sara Cavanagh, Goalkeeper (Bowie, Md.)

Hayley Fowle, Midfield (Horley, England)

Olivia Goddard, Defender (Sheffield, England)

Madison Hartley, Forward (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Linnea Kogsta, Defender (Gothenburg,Sweden)

Andrea Letzel, Defender/Midfielder (Mainz, Germany)

Hali Long, Defender (St. Charles, Mo.)

We made a mistake:

throws and only got one off. It was a rough meet to say the least. The end of the season wasn’t as good as I would have planned,” Belt said.

Belt’s goals remain high for this year and he knows exactly what he wants to accomplish.

“I’d like to hold every throws record,” Belt said.

Belt is already well on his way to accomplishing this feat. He holds all indoor records and, as he turns his focus to the outdoor season, his confidence is at an all time high.

“If there’s a throws record, I want my name next to it,” Belt said.

The team will canvas the country this season, competing in states like California and Florida, challenging even the most experienced student athlete.

“You have to constantly try to better yourself, not only on the track, but in the classroom because that’s more important,” Belt said.

He understands the value of an education and that his athletic career can’t last forever.

“[Throwing] is not going to sustain me for the rest of my life, but my education will.”

There is no questioning Belt’s dedication to the sport.

“Track is what drives me,” Belt said. “I’ve been eating, breathing, and sleeping track for the last three years.”

The coach pulled in a diverse group of players from within Arkansas, surrounding states and several players from Europe (see graphic below).

Sophomore Lexus VanPelt, a returning player, said she is looking forward to the opportunity of getting to know some of these players. VanPelt said she has interacted with several of the signees; however, they have been of limited to video calls and Facebook exchanges.

VanPelt said she’s looking forward to next season, especially at the prospects of playing for a foreign coach (Blewitt hails from England) and alongside several foreign players.

“It’s like a whole different style of play,” VanPelt said. “I’m excited to get the new people in [the program] and change the team and be much better as a whole.”

Shara Robbins, Goalkeeper (Hot Springs, Ark.)

Dakotah Sparrman, Forward (Apple Valley, Minn.)

Mathilda Torstensson, Forward (Gothenburg, Sweden)

Kayla Turner, Midfield/Forward (Sterling Heights, Mich.)

Mikayla Uyokpeyi, Forward (Garland, Texas)

Malin Westerberg, Midfield (Gothenburg, Sweden)

Kylie Wilson, Goalkeeper (Green Cove Springs, Fla.)

In the March 13, 2013 edition, we used the wrong caption on the men’s basketball photo. The caption should have said, Cameron Bell of Florida International University displayed his athleticism against UALR during a March 10 game at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Photo by Jacob Ellerbee