The UALR Forum: April 16 - May 5, 2014

BASEBALL BRAWL BRINGS BEVY OF BAD BROADCAST

College doesn’t prepare you for adult life

Zach Martin staff writer ZRMartin@ualr.edu

Days creep by and fade out of view behind us as the final day approaches. Graduation day. The day you invite all your family to so they can embarrass you obnoxiously in good fashion when your name is called to run up the steps to grab a hand and a piece of paper. The hand is for the picture; the paper is your life. It’s like a time card with every single second that you poured yourself into that lecture room filled to the brim with Starbucks and a huge pile of information that you stayed up all night cramming into your brain like drinking from a fire hydrant. You’re proud of that time card, and now it says, “Time for the Real world”. Now you have to walk down the other steps and you come out an adult ready to conquer anything that might stand in your way. Not. Most graduates confuse that paper for a shield, but their not understanding the reality of it. We haven’t thought it through. We haven’t thought about the fact that its not going to be easy, or the fact that we have no idea how interest on a mortgage works or how to finance a car or cook our own food. Yet we hear our names called and step up high and wave to Mom and Dad and keep on walking, basking in the completeness of it all. One hun-

dred and sixty hours devoted to learning how to do the job that we’ve dreamed and hoped of doing one day, all proven by this card stock paper with fancy writing and signatures. Yet, once we step off that stage we’re in the real world. That scary alternate reality that your granddad used to talk about when he would get on one of his doomsday rants. That’s where we are right now. I don’t know about you, but I’m frightened by my current ignorance. I have no idea what effect legislative bills can have on my insurance or taxes or my future career. Some of us may have to buy a car, or an apartment, which we all know requires a credit history. What is credit? How do I get it, since it’s a crucial thing? Why don’t universities teach us this stuff? If they really want us to succeed like it says on their mission statement, why have they fallen so short from expectation on this front? Would it have been so hard to include a class for every senior to optionally take that might address how exactly we should move to the next level and how best we could do that? We pay more for tuition year after year and our grants financial aid decrease at the same rate, yet our “beloved” soon to be alma mater left out one important core curriculum, “4398 – How to be an Adult, in an Adult World”. This is a modern culture, and colleges should be evolving with the social demand. We got cheated. But, so did many others at uni-

versities across America. We must demand change in the future, for the good of our fellow college goers. Yes we all worked very hard for our piece of paper, but it’s just a symbol. Everything we do after college will come from our brains and current knowledge. Everyone says, “Its not what you know, its who you know” and there is quite a bit of truth to that. Many of us (myself included) had parents that made their life with a less important piece of paper

Being happy and gay

SShashank Avvaru Staff Writer SXAvvaru@ualr.edu

enator Michele Bachmann is one of America’s best known politicians. Her incredible strategies and generosity aside, Senator Bachmann is also well-known for being openly anti-homosexual. At the EdWatch National Educational Conference, she stood before hundreds and said, “If you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it’s bondage. It is personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement.”

This is the world we live in.

The recent legislative attempt by a group of Arizona locals to refuse service to customers in restaurants on the basis of their sexuality was vetoed by the Mayor and will now be remembered as a much needed victory for the gay community. More than 3000 species of animal life portray homosexual behavior. Only one species in that vast number shows resistance to this behavior: the human species. Why is it that

News Editor KenDrell Collins

newspaper is copyrighted.

than ours. They persevered despite their unpreparedness just as we must learn to do now. We have to act fast; we have to figure out our lives in the future now. Consult family friends that may know about buying a house or renting an apartment or building credit. Our classes teach us the material, but we are forced to learn all we can about life by ourselves. Our drive and knowledge are our strengths. We just conquered college! That is nothing to bat

even in a world that is taking gigantic technological bounds something as fundamental as sexuality is troubling?

Almost every study on homosexuality concurs with the common beginning of antihomosexual behavior: primary and secondary educational institutions. The human mind, along with the growth of knowledge, starts becoming aware of the world around it.

The reaction to this awareness forms opinions and these opinions form personalities.

But the scenario isn’t this simple. Many young minds pick up their understandings and ideologies from the families they live in and the people they are with. Homosexuality’s acceptance in the society is increasing consistently but the sad fact still remains: not everyone decides to ‘come out of the closet’. While those who are open enjoy acceptance and celebrate their lifestyle, the closeted ones fall prey to another fact:

7 in every 100,000 individuals from the ages of 15 to 19 commit suicide, according to The National Institute of Mental Health.

As a society we have been selfish and picky. We have all heartily embraced the inven-

an eyelash at. If we stayed strong for four years studying and dealing with crazy professors, then figuring out adult life is just another step on the stairway. We are the future. We are what’s next. Our hard work in our careers will shape the future, as we know it. There’s no better feeling. Graduation from college is a beautiful thing. Step forward friends. Take what is yours. We will succeed because we must. Adult life is just part of the learning process.

tion of new economical and social norms, but we still continue to reject the LGBT community. The Bible states that homosexuality is unholy and evil. In certain societies homosexuality is considered a crime and punishable by death. These societies don’t just form 1 or 2% of the world’s population: they are a third of it.

In a few countries, anything anti-homosexual is banned. Anti-homosexual literature, films, music and art are promoted heavily thus ensuring that anyone even practicing hidden homosexuality knows what they are doing is perceived as wrong by the people around them.

Homosexuality isn’t a choice. Just as a man will grow old and a woman can get pregnant, the biological framework of a homosexual is tuned to make him/her homosexual. A man can color his hair to hide his age. A woman can use birth control. But how can you control or prevent something eventual and unpreventable?

It is essential, now more than ever, to give homosexuals the acceptance they deserve. Homosexuality isn’t punishment. It certainly is not degrading.

Homosexuality is a way of life.

turing deal, which has cut their debt to more than a third two years ago.

As for the Quiznos here at UALR, it is also shielded from bankruptcy. However, there are some changes that will be made to not only improve Quizno’s at UALR, but also improve the entire food court.

Logan Hampton, the Interim Vice Chancellor for the Dean of Students, is currently working with Curtis Williams, the general manager, who brought in corporate Quiznos team to retrain UALR employees in the food court.

“In addition, over time, he has challenged reassigned and disciplined persons who failed to provide good customer service,” said Hampton. He also mentioned that Terry Woodard, the district manager for Sodexo said that UALR’s type of account should not be impacted by the Sodexo bankruptcy. According to ownaquiznos. com, Quiznos was founded in 1981. Quzinos is a restaurant that was originated from a local Italian restaurant in Denver, Colorado.

An unnamed Quiznos representative said that another way that Quiznos is also improving their franchise is to improve their menu as well. A new line of pastas for $4.99 include the Mac & Cheese, Spicy Sausage Marinara, Meatballs Marinara and Chicken Pesto. This company has also launched Toasty. TV. It is a website that provides entertainment content based on music, comedy, food and sports.

“Quiznos will continue to roll out a steady stream of content over the coming months, and, like the ‘House of Thrones’ parody, the new additions will be sure to resonate with fans,” said the Quzinos representative.

Alumnus attempts to save dissolving department

Michael Smith staff writer MRSmith1@ualr.edu

The potential dissolution of the Department of Applied Sciences has graduate students and alumni worried about their futures and what the measure could mean for the value of their hard work towards degrees.

After sending letters to both Chancellor Joel Anderson and Provost Zulma Toro-Ramos, UALR doctoral alumnus M. Mert SU has not received a reply. His letter included a petition with of over forty signa-

tures. It has been three months since he made the inquiry.

An interview with Ph.D. Mert SU illuminated some of the pressing questions that he and all those affected by the department’s dissolution are currently asking. The main concern he expressed is whether his “degree will be worthless with no existing department to back it.”

If a potential employer were to check into his degree, it could raise a red flag if he or she discovered that the department no longer exist.

“The program would possibly dissolve and be absorbed by the newly forming College of

Science, Letters, and Arts,” Mert SU said. He also added that he wouldn’t be very pleased by the transition.

“The department already runs extremely well as it is. There is never a problem with collaboration across the department.” It is confusing to those who call the Applied Science their home department.”

Not only does the Department of Applied Science serve to educate and train Ph.D. students, it also generates a great deal of research money. While he was a student at UALR, Mert SU said that he participated in several large research projects, including a half million dollar

Donaghey Scholars Program to support charity with silent auction

Alyssa Causey Staff Writer ARCausey@ualr.edu

The Donaghey Scholars Program will host its fourth annual Live Silent Auction on Thursday April 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will take place in the UALR Bailey Alumni Center. Donations from the annual silent auction are given to different charities each year. In years past, they have donated to Our House, Harmony Health Clinic, and the Summer Laure -

ate University for Youth.

This time, all proceeds from the event will go to the Joseph Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp. The camps is located just outside of Little Rock near Ferndale, Ark. on Ferndale Cutoff. The camp hosts a summer program for children ages 9 -14. Students in the third, fourth and fifth grade who complete the Alternative Classroom Experience will attend the camp again for an additional week of strictly fun.

“It’s a great things for the scholars to do. It’s a lot of work. I can’t take credit in any way. It’s the students,” said Earl Ramsey, director of the Dona-

ghey Scholars Program. The event is orchestrated almost entirely by students. Organizing the event is split among different student-led committees.

“I’m very proud of them for doing this,” said Ramsey. “It’s their baby.”

“We’re excited to make a donation to the Kiwanis Camp,” Donaghey Scholar Connor Roset added. “We think this is a great program for kids, so we’re excited to donate to it.”

The event is open to the public. Students, faculty and members of the community are encouraged to attend. The scholars will auction off “just

Students celebrate sustainability at third annual recycled newspaper fashion show

Victoria Hickey Staff Writer VXHickey@ualr.edu

The Forum hosted the Third Annual Recycled Newspaper Fashion Show in the Donaghey Student Center cafeteria on April 9. Seven participants strutted their stuff on the cat walk, all hoping to win the Grand prize of a $100 gift card to The UALR Bookstore.

The Participants included Chandria Harris, James Har, LaCresha Wesson, Stefanie Valentine, Maria Cole, Paige Harris and David Stinnett. The contestants had 15 minutes to create an outfit using only old Forum newspapers and masking tape. After folding and taping and furiously working to beat the clock, each contestant walked and danced on the runway to the songs of his

or her choice. Among the most popular songs were hits by Beyonce: ‘Drunk In Love’, ‘Diva’ and ‘Flawless’.

After competiting, the contestants waited onstage for the judges choice. Taking into account the audience vote, judges Shashank Avvaru, Tori Hickey and Pauline Mothu awarded the grand prize to David Stinnett.

The Fashion Show was in

honor of Earth Day, which is on April 22 and was put on in accordance with the activities and booths that were sponsored by the UALR Sustainability Committee. Throughout the afternoon, various vendors and activities awaited students outside the DSC to promote Earth Day and sustainability. There were vendors selling everything from homemade salsa to gluten-free baked goods.

Entrepreneurship Club breeds business leaders across disciplines

Shashank Avvaru Staff Writer SXAvvaru@ualr.edu

The University

day proving the power of diversity and the value of a global environment. But there is one thing that every student has in common: the urge to create. The urge to touch new horizons, the urge to discover new possibilities and the urge to build something out of nothing are few of the reasons why the Entrepreneurship

Club was formed.

Arkansas is a growing haven of independent businesses and individual, fresh ideas. Some of the leading companies in America today (Dillard’s, Walmart etc.) started out in our state. UCA, U of A – Fayetteville, ASU all have their own entrepreneurship-oriented organizations and the lack of one in our school inspired a few passionate students from different departments and disciplines to form the Entrepreneurship Club.

“UALR is a confluence of students from all walks of life with ideas,” said Debanjan Mahata, the club’s president. “Our state is filled with opportunities just waiting to be explored. All that you need is the right direction, which is what we are hoping to provide. I’m the club’s president and Josiah Brann is a computer science student and the vice president. Roger Doyne is the secretary and a technical writing student, and Benjamin Berley is in the management program and is our treasurer. Our diversity is our biggest

project commissioned by NASA and another $750,000 project in the field of nanotechnology.

“I graduated from the university in Turkey, and I have never seen such a thing,” said Mert SU. “I got my Ph.D. from the Department of Applied Science. What’s going to happen to the value of my degree? What is my degree worth if there exists no department to back it?”

This also raises concerns and unanswered questions for current and prospective students. What will happen to those students who are currently dedicating their lives to earning a degree through the Applied Science graduate program?

about everything,” according to Roset. Framed photography, paintings, mixed martial art lessons, golf lessons, baskets of baked goods and even a bonsai tree are just a few of the items that will be auctioned off.

Monetary tax deductible donations and items for auction are now being accepted for the event.

While the silent auction will be the main event, light snacks will be provided and a live band will be performing.

English major and Donaghey scholar Geoffrey Bara is the designated emcee.

“The event is well attended each year,” according to Dr. Ramsey. If you are looking for a fun, charitable way spend your Thursday evening, check out the program’s Live Silent Auction.

E-versity, cont. from page 1

2015. The UA System’s contribution to that amount needs is supposed to be 2,391 additional degrees, according to Moore. He also cited Arkansas’s rank of 49th place in national educational attainment as one cause for additional degree options. Currently, 85 institutions outside of Arkansas offer 1,041 degrees in the state.

The eVersity is slated as being an accessable, high-quality and affortable alternative that targets “fully online students” in the state. Individual institutions, however, are concerned about what the new competition may mean for their enrollment.

“If the Univesity of Arkansas System starts sort of an alternative, that’s, in a sense, a competing unit because it focuses on a relatively small number of courses and programs that are likely to have high enrollment, and chearper,” said Anderson at the Board of Trustees’ meeting.

“Will they then take away our students with the result that it has a harmful affect on our enrollment?

That’s one concern.” Another issue that the eVersity raises is the assurance of quality teaching.

advantage – the wide range of perspectives will only make the club’s framework broader.”

The Entrepreneurship Club’s flagship event is a Mixer which will take place on April 16 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the DSC Student Center (Ledbetter Hall B & C). With this mixer, the members aim to fulfill two distinct goals: 1) provide budding entrepreneurs the right guidance and tutelage needed to succeed and 2) give fresh students a foray into entrepreneurship. The entire board of the club will be present along with some well-known advisors and professors from the school. Discussion along with question and answer sessions are all part of the event.

The Entrepreneurship Club is also going to accept new members during the mixer. A number of exclusive, exciting members-only facilities will be provided as a part of the membership privilege. If you were looking for a club that tells you that it is better to create a job than to get a job, then look no further.

“How do you make sure that they are equal in quality to the courses that students are going to get on campus?” asked Anderson, who has been met with the same dilemma with online classes at UALR.

Each year, more than 25 percent of UALR’s total Student Semester Credit Hours are in the form of online classes, according to Anderson.

“One of the reasons we can be comfortable doing it is that it’s our faculty [who] we know are well qualified, experienced, and they have to deal with other faculty members.”

Many of the questions posed by Anderson and other leaders have yet to be definitvely answered. Nevertheless, $3 million dollars of the $10 million project have already been appropriated, according to a Times Record news report sent to faculty.

The chancellor noted that while he does have concerns, UALR will be cooperative with the decision of the board.

“As I have emphasized on many occasions, online education is not the future of higher education. Online education is an important part of the future of higher education.”

“French Pressed”

By Pauline Mothu pxmothu@ualr.edu

Spring is finally here, which means it is almost Easter! Let’s talk about how French celebrate it compared to Americans. I have spent Easter in three different countries so far, so I have learned the French celebrate Easter (“Pâques” in French) almost the same way Americans do, with religious commemorations and the famous egg hunt. However, France has its own cultural traditions that differ from American ones.

If you happen to spend Easter in France, do not try to look for the traditional Easter Bunny you have here in the U.S. because you will not find it. Do not bother mentioning it to a French person either; he or she will look at you confused, and tell you there is no such thing as an Easter Bunny.

Indeed, in France children are told it is a bell that brings them eggs—chocolate eggs, of course—not a bunny. I believe this tradition comes from the fact that France is mainly a Catholic country, so every French city and village has a church whose bell rings at every passage of time and for various events throughout the year. The only time bells are silent is the Thursday before Good Friday in acknowledgement of Jesus’ death. Children are thus told that the bells—known as the Cloches de Pâques—have flown to Rome to see the Pope and will be back on Easter (with chocolate eggs) and ring again in celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, when children hear the bells ring, they know it is time for the traditional egg hunt. I know here in the U.S. children usually paint and decorate eggs and get little gifts in an Easter basket too!

Children in France get chocolate only, and the eggs hidden for the egg hunt are chocolate too—not hard boiled like in the U.S.

In France, chocolate is an integral part of Easter and is the perfect time for master chocolatiers to show their creativity. Some decide to make chocolate bells, eggs, bunnies and pretty much anything they want to make. They pay great attention to detail when it comes to Easter chocolates, and some chocolates look more like works of art than food! Many French enjoy walking in the streets and looking at the shop windows filled with chocolate. Another difference between French and American Easter celebrations is that French get a three-day weekend to celebrate this holiday. Indeed, the Monday following Easter is a day of celebration where schools, universities and most stores are closed. Whether or not French celebrate Easter for its religious meaning, the holiday is a good time to spend time with family and enjoy a meal together, which traditionally includes lamb. Happy Easter (or “Joyeuses Pâques” as we say in French)!

A bientot pour de nouvelles aventures! (See you later for other adventures!)

Efforts of International Club’s president incite record-breaking membership

Alexis Williams Editor AXWilliams3@ualr.edu

“Ijust love life and all of its facets.”

These are the words of junior studio art major Vivien-Sara Fechner, who has been nominated for this edition’s “Student Spotlight” due to her tireless efforts with International Club.

At 21 years old, Fechner has completed much already. Her crowning achievement (thus far) is becoming the UALR International Club President, where she gave the group not only a rich Calendar of Events, but also a recognizable face and name on this campus. She has also become a model ambassador for her home country of Germany.

Fechner is a studio art major with an emphasis in photography and a marketing minor. She is from Berlin, Germany with three siblings whose ages range from 8 to 38. Both her parents worked for a lightbulb company in Germany where they first met.

The International Club president first came to the United States in 2007 as part of a foreign exchange program. She attended Lisa Academy in West Little Rock during the academic year. Fechner returned to Little Rock in 2011 to attend UALR. She is now a Donaghey Scholar.

Before college, Fechner attended Max-Beckmann, a bilingual high school with 400 to 500 students. She did not participate in any extracurriculars in high school because MaxBeckmann, like most schools in Germany, is only academic in nature (meaning no school sports teams or homecoming). However, the country participates widely in league teams.

The international ambassador loves to dance. She has danced since she was four years old, stopping only when she came to the US because she was too busy to pick it up again. She was also active in a sport called “handball” that she played for five years, which is sort of a combination between basketball and soccer. Though handball may be unfamiliar to many Americans, the sport is very popular in Europe.

“One food I couldn’t live without? Mashed potatoes. I could live off mashed potatoes. I could eat them with any kind of meal as a side.” Fechner said Germany is known as the “Potatoheads” of Europe and for good reason: they consume “a lot of potatoes.” She is no exception.

“[I love] creamy mashed potatoes, no skin. Skin is just being lazy,” she contends.

Fechner said that she always wanted to be a teacher, but photography became her passion when she first came to the United States at a time when Skype was not fully developed.

“It started in 2007 when I came to the US--this is the era of MSN Messenger. I only saw my family three or four times that whole year, so we really relied on communicated over images. But I couldn’t describe to them all of these emotions in words-what did I see?, what did I feel?-but photography allowed me

to put stories into photos without saying words.”

Fechner said she likes all genres of music, but would cite Michael Buble as her favorite artist.

“I love his voice, and his music is calming, positive and classic. It takes me back to a different time,” she said.

Fechner joined the International Club in 2012 when the current president was Georgette Huyler. After the International Club attended a conference the last academic year, they learned how to grow and organize different activities.

“I was very determined to get things done. There was room to grow,” Fechner said. “So when I had a plan for fall 2012 completely laid out in spring 2012, that’s when I got voted to become president.”

Since Fechner took office, the International Club has grown considerably.

“It had 60 members when I started, and as of today we have 362 active members,” she said.

The club’s growth might be the direct result of Fechner’s encouraging active participation in club events.

“One thing I introduced which I’m very proud of, is our biweekly off-campus meetings. We rotate between Buffalo Wild Wings, the Rave and Professor Bowl.”

Fechner said the meetings are especially important to internationals who first come to UALR.

“They’re lost when they first come here and don’t know anyone. Their families are overseas, so do they ask if they have a problem? So at least every two weeks, this allows them to get out and socialize. It is a casual, affordable way of recharging from school. It is purely student-oriented with no agenda.”

She remembers fondly one meeting last semester in which eighty students met at Bar Louie.

“We took up nearly half the restaurant,” she recalls.

The International Club president plans to end the year with a bang at the Cinco de Mayo/ Finale Honor Banquet in May. This event will recognize the members of the International Club who have excelled in their club, academic and athletic duties. More details to come.

Fechner learned English in ninth grade at Max-Beckmann. She is fluent in both German and English, but she has taken five years of French, two years of Spanish and one year of Latin. Since arriving in the US, she has become more aware and appreciate of her own native language.

“I would say that our language is truthful, direct, straightforward and descriptive (though ‘descriptive’ you might say that of any language). Interestingly, I never noticed before how German sounds so ‘huh-huh-huh’ (at this, she made a hacking noise) until I came here and everyone said our language sounds like that,” Fechner said.

The German native shared some preconceptions she held before arriving in the States.

“There are definitely stereotypes people in Europe apply to Americans. I expected every-

one to drive their car quite a bit more than in Europe, where we walk most of the time,” she said. “Furthermore I expected people to be very welcoming, because that is what the American culture is displayed as. Both things are very true as far as I can tell! In fact I have been overwhelmed by the kindness of the American culture, and people’s willingness to help those around them.”

Fechner said the main cultural difference between Germany and America is each country’s mentality towards time.

“In Germany, if a workday starts at 8 a.m., you better be at work at 7:30, so you can take your coat off, make your coffee, turn on your computer and be prepared to start working at 8 a.m.,” Fechner said. “In America it seems as if starting a workday at 8 a.m., means leaving the house five minutes before. Is either one of these ways wrong? We could argue for hours, or just accept that these are characteristics of a culture we will have to face.”

She said another cultural difference would be the way Germans and Americans make plans with friends.

“In Germany, we decide on Monday that we are having a barbecue and game night on Friday [We decide] who is bringing what, where we are meeting and at what time. In America, my friends tell me ‘We will see how it goes’ on Friday when we are supposed to hang out. In Germany people would be nervous and freaked out by the idea of not knowing their plans for the weekend.”

The international student said that American culture is “a lot more laid back when it comes to time, which allows people to be more flexible and relax.”

“Oftentimes, plans stress me out, because I tend to plan every aspect of my day! What I am trying to say is that I am holding on to part of my German culture, because it allows me to prepare, plan and organize for things especially in the work field, where one expects professionalism. In my personal life I try to let in part of the American culture to help me relax and not stress out about what time I am going to meet with my friends!”

Other than family, Fechner said what she missed most about Germany was the food.

“I think I gain ten pounds every summer, because I try to take in enough German meals for the rest of the year. I miss walking to places and just enjoying the weather and observing people around me. There is something about walking to places, that allows you to observe and appreciate your surroundings.”

“Of course,” she added, “I miss my friends back home! The few people I consider friends are part of my family.”

Fechner said that she would describe herself in three words: determined, passionate, and a perfectionist.

“Once I set myself a goal, I don’t lose sight of it and I am determined to reach it. I’ll walk the extra mile to make sure I get something done perfectly, and I’m not gonna do something if I’m not passionate about it,” she explained.

Fechner’s father created a video for her when she turned eighteen, and in the video he placed a quote in it that she has always remembered.

“People always want freedom, but they don’t realize that freedom comes with taking responsibility.”

Dancers and robots coexist on the dance floor

by

SRachel Wright Staff Writer RSWright@ualr.edu

tudents in Engineering Technology and Applied Science are constructing an autonomous robot to be used in a performance of the dance department. The dance performance is scheduled for

April 25 at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Andrew Wright, associate professor of systems engineering, said the robot is going to be maneuverable with “lights and sensors to show emotions in response to stimuli from the dancers.”

“The next goal [after this performance] is to include autonomous behaviors such as

going to a location, avoiding obstacles, and reacting to a dancer during the performance,” he said.

The students are building the robot for a class called Machines Design.

“The class is offered once a year, and we do a project every time,” Wright said. “[The] first time was with catapults to hurl a potato. We’ll stick with the robot next year.”

This marks the first time the dance and engineering department have worked together.

“Stephanie Thibeault [associate professor of dance] and I started talking about integrating engineering and dance and this is the result,” Wright said. The robot will work as a platform for a dancer to stand on as it moves around the stage. The platform has a main support structure and gearbox. Spindles and wheels are on each end of the platform for maneuvering.

“It is built from the ground up. All of the machine is from

scratch,” said Stephen Fitch, systems engineering major. Wright said the robot would start off as remote operated for the safety of the dancers and to work out any issues it might have, but it will eventually react to sensors.

“We have been designing and building it for the past year,” he said. Students work on the robot in and outside of class.

“It takes up a lot of time,” said systems engineering mechanics major Demetric Dixon.

The robot is not a final project for students, but future designs are centered on it. When the robot is finished, students in the dance department will use it to begin rehearsals.

Parts and materials for the robot cost nearly $5,000, according to Wright. However, this does not include the robot’s design and fabrication, which would bring that cost to a much higher number.

Families in college together

Twin sisters who share home, combs, and chromosomes

Kendrell Collins Editor KDCollins@ualr.edu

Imagine leaving home at the age of eight to live on another continent. Separated from family, friends and life as you know it by an ocean, your world changes. Such was the case for identical twins Bukola and Dolapo Odeniyi, when they boarded the plane in Nigeria. A new life awaited them at their destination 7,856 miles away in Los Angeles, Calif.

The sisters, only children at the time, are now young ladies preparing to march across the stage to receive their Bachelor degrees in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

They lived in L.A. for three years before coming to Arkansas. Fortunately for them, English is one of Nigeria’s national languages.

“I was in seventh grade [when I learned English],” Dolapo Odeniyi said. “The accents are different, but I was still able to understand. People spoke very fast. Some of the spellings were different because we used British English. Language adjustments, however, were not the only hurdles the twins had to leap over during elementary school.

“We didn’t have a lot of friends because we’re Africans or we’re different,” Dolapo Odeniyi said. “There are different stereotypes about Africans. So we weren’t exactly the cool people.”

“We were fortunate to be twins. We always had each other to look forward to during lunchtime or recess.”

When the Odeniyi family moved to Arkansas, the twins said they were able to take most of their classes together.

Still, the transition wasn’t easy. According to Dolapo Odeniyi, it was the first time many of their classmates had even seen Africans.

“It was hard. The population of Africans in Arkansas or in Little rock is not that big.”

Dolapo laughingly recalled being terrified of her teacher,

because his face was so red. She would later learn that such an appearance was not uncommon in the South.

After only a few minutes of watching the twins interact, it is clear that they are not just sisters but best friends. They learned to crochet together, do hair together, and even change the oil in a car together. It is difficult not to become friends when you are as close as the Odeniyi twins.

“The two of us were kind of forced to be very close because we had to share almost everything. Share a room, share a bed, share clothes, share shoes,” Bukola Odeniyi said. “They tried to make us share a blanket,” her sister added.

Despite being forced to share virtually everything, their personalities could not be more opposite.

Bukola Odeniyi plays keyboard. Dolapo Odeniyi likes to draw. One loves to cook, the other likes to eat. Like opposite sides of the color wheel, the two seem to compliment one another.

“A lot of people generally say I’m the more outgoing one and more friendly one,” Dolapo Odeniyi said. “Whereas my sister might seem more reserved at times, more serious. But I think that is changing and I’m becoming more reserved and she’s becoming more outgoing.”

“We’re a balance for each other. Some twins are not like that, but we are,” she said.

“If she went to a university alone, and I wasn’t there, there would be no one there to distress her,” Bukola Odeniyi explained. “If I went to a university alone, and she wasn’t there, there would be no one to cause me stress and get work done. So it’s just like a nice balance. She doesn’t lose her mind, and I get my work done. And we both succeed.”

As Donaghey scholars and double majors, their success is not to be understated. They attribute their achievement to their mutual support for each other. The two have taken all of their classes together during college, with the exception of

Statistics.

“If one of us made an 85, we sit down and figure out how are we going to get that other person above an 85.”

The sisters tried living apart during their sophomore year as Resident Assistants, one at West Hall and the other at East Hall. Soon enough, they realized how interdependent they had become.

“That was stressful because that balance wasn’t there,” Dolapo Odeniyi said. “We weren’t able to see each other at night or wake each other up. The first couple of weeks I had overslept. We weren’t always with each other at night to study.”

“That year our grades weren’t as good as they normally are. It makes a big difference, at least for the studying part.” The twins now live together again in an on-campus apartment.

“What were the advantages of being apart?” Dolapo Odeniyi asked her sister.

“Of being apart? Nothing,” she said. They do have to deal with annoyance of people getting them confused when they are

Father-daughter duo experience college from two different views

Alexis Williams Editor AXWilliams3@ualr.edu

Seldom is a whole family in college together at one time, but that is exactly what happened with the Jovanovics.

together.

“When our teachers are passing out our papers, we’re sitting next to each other,” Dolapo Odeniyi said. “They pause for like 30 seconds. They try to guess it. Sometimes they’re right; it’s 50-50. Sometimes they’re not. It’s fun.”

Dating the twins can also be a difficulty, at least from the guy’s point of view.

“Our voices are similar,” Bukola Odeniyi said. “I was taking to Dolapo’s current boyfriend and he just carried on the conversation like I was her. So about 10 minutes later I was like, ‘Um, yeah, so she’s not around. Do you want me to deliver all that to her?’”

They mentioned that the only person who seems to be able to recognize their voices over the phone is their older brother. Even their parents get them mixed up.

“Currently, my dad has my (Bukola) picture as her (Dolapo) ID on his phone,” Bukola said.

Those minor identity issues are not enough to make the twins want to stay apart. In fact, they will spend the next seven years together in medical

schooled Nicole when it was discovered that she could already read well in preschool.

school. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences recently sent letters to the sisters notifying them of their acceptance into its combined M.D. and Ph.D program.

“Our desire in the medicine aspect is to work in underserved communities. We hope to be physician-scientists, meaning that we’ll have hands on experience with the patients, but we will also be in the lab doing research,” Bukola Odeniyi explained. The term for the field is translational medicine. Doctors are able to both work with their patients and then go to the laboratory to find solutions to their problems. Eventually, the sisters would like to return to their homeland–a place they have not seen in nearly 13 years. Nigeria is still in their hearts though. Indeed it is their desire to improve the health care in Africa and other developing nations that drives their academic decisions.

“We’re working towards our ultimate goal and wherever we go, we’re going to have to achieve this goal.”

keep an eye on his daughter through the years.

Nickolas Jovanovic born in Connecticut and moved to Little Rock when was Nicole Jovanovic one year old; they have lived here since then. The Jovanovics wanted to come closer to their family in Kansas, but they realized Connecticut was too far from Kansas, so when former Chancellor Hathaway came to UALR to start the College of Engineering, Nickolas Jovanovic seized the opportunity for the new job.

“We started taking her to the Children’s Theatre [at the Arkansas Arts Center] to see ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ when she was two, and I don’t think she’s missed a play since,” Nickolas Jovanovic said.

“I’ve missed some. I’ve missed about five in my life,”

Nickolas Jovanovic and Nicole Jovanovic are father and daughter who have experienced UALR from two very different perspectives. Nickolas Jovanovic, 54 is an associate professor of systems engineering and the coordinator of the College of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering. Nicole Jovanovic is a senior theatre and Spanish major, math minor, and Donaghey Scholar, projected to graduate in December. Wife Paula Jovanovic also took Spanish classes a few years ago.

Nicole was so young when she started at UALR that for father and daughter to be in college together, Nickolas was able to

Nicole is an only child who still enjoys spending time with her parents. They still come together for opening night at the Children’s Theatre.

New hall council adds another opportunity for student leadership

Victoria Hickey Staff Writer VXHickey@ualr.edu

For residents looking for more ways to be a leader on campus and hang out with other students after class, the newly-formed Hall council may help meet their needs.

Hall Council was started last semester as a way for residents to help support their resident assistants and Hall Directors with the programs they host for their residence halls. The purpose of Hall Council is to act as a voice of the residents.

Members of Hall Council help set up for events, prepare re -

sources and help work the events. Hall Council takes some of the pressure off of the RAs and hall directors. Hall Council is also a way to bring the residents closer together. By working with other residents within one’s dorm, one can meet new people and get more experience working as a team.

Members of Hall Council plan activities such as community service events, social and educational events. At meetings, members can discuss what events they want to have and things that they do and do not like at the residence halls. Currently, West Hall residents are trying to lobby for a vending machine. By being a mem-

ber of Hall Council, one can encourage others to get involved, have fun participating in activities around campus and help others participate in service projects. It is a great stepping stone for taking on any leadership position, especially an RA position.

Last semester, the East Hall Council hosted a successful “Black Light Night” event. Over twenty residents showed up for the festivities. Residents were face painting, splatter-painting even painting each other’s faces, arms, and shirts. The residents put up a poster in the parlor that people could paint which stayed on display for a week.

West Hall just began a regular event called Sunday Night Live. Activities for SNL included karaoke, live music and lots of other performances for residents by residents. The group said they had a good turn out and everyone enjoyed themselves.

There is a small rivalry between East and West Hall Council. The East Hall Council is represented by their mascot Pat the Penguin and their motto “East is Beast”. The West Hall Council is represented by the Golden Eagles and their motto, in a Southern accent, “Do it right, do it West.” This healthy competition between the two dorms encourages both dorms

to create great programs that people of all different types will enjoy and want to come back to. Students interested in joining Hall Council need only attend a meeting. West Hall schedules their meetings on Mondays at 9 p.m and East Hall schedules theirs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. All residents are welcome to join their hall councils, even if they cannot attend every event. For more information, contact either Leanna Payton, the West Hall Director, at ljpayton@ualr.edu or Ricky Harris, the East Hall Director, at rrharris@ualr.edu.

Going green: 5 easy steps to reduce your carbon footprint

“Carbon footprint” refers to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by human activity. The amount of toxic fumes emitted by the lifestyle of the average American is harming Earth’s atmosphere.According to the Global Footprint Network, the lifestyle of the average American requires more resources than the earth can offer. This truth infers that we are living beyond our earth’s means. To find out how to take better care of our planet and live healthier lives, follow the simple steps below.

•Buy local. Buying local means more than just “nearby”. Look for produce that is from Arkansas or neighboring states. Long transport of produce contributes to air pollution. Vehicle emissions consists of toxic fumes that we breathe in, so reducing air pollution ensures cleaner air in our lungs. Purchasing produce at the local farmers’ market also cuts down on the packaging material required for long transport. Not only is buying local better for the environment, but it also tastes better. Fruits and vegetables begin to lose nutrients quickly after being harvested, so the longer the produce travels, the older and lower in nutrients it is.

•Unplug electronics and turn off lights when not in use. Many people are not aware that leaving electronics plugged in, even when not in use, wastes electricity. The most common waste of electricity is leaving a phone or laptop charger plugged in when it is not charging anything. Though the electricity used is minimal, it makes a significant difference over time. Another common waste of electricity is leaving lights on when not in

use. When you leave the room, turn the light off.

•Replace single-use water bottles with reusable ones. Just because a plastic may be marked as “biodegradable” does not mean it benefits the environment. Plastic is made of harsh chemicals that release toxins when digested by bacteria. We come in contact with some of the bacteria through

our meat consumption. For example, a plastic bottle finds its way into the ocean and is decomposed by bacteria. The bacteria now consist of toxins from the plastic and a fish eats the bacteria. The fish is now contaminated with toxins and we eat the fish. Consequently, our bodies now consist of the toxic chemicals of the plastic we send to landfills.

Avoiding single-use water

bottles is the easiest way to reduce the number of plastic bottles that sit in landfills. Break the cycle of harmful chemicals from single-use water bottles with a reusable water bottle. Refill your bottle on campus at the hydration stations in the fitness center and upper concourse of the Donaghey Student Center.

•Reduce your meat intake.

Meat, especially beef, requires many other resources before it reaches grocery stores. Decreasing resources used for livestock saves an enormous amount of water, cropland, and fossil fuels required to process the meat. Although water is considered a renewable resource, it may not be so for long. The high rate of population growth demands drinkable water faster than it can be renewed.

Reducing meat intake also has health benefits, such as improved heart health and living a longer life. Cutting back to one meatless day per week will make a significant difference. Choose one day of the week to go meatless or join the already established movement of “Meatless Monday.” Go to meatlessmonday.com for more info and tasty meatless recipes.

ªCarpool if possible. Carpooling with a friend, coworker, or family member reduces the emission of gas fumes that are toxic to the environment. Carpooling also reduces our dependency on oil. At the rate Americans are using nonrenewable resources, oil will run out sooner rather than later. Make the effort to find at least one person you can work out an alternating driving schedule with, and note that you will both save money on gas and avoid a boring, daily commute.

Living a more eco-friendly life does not have to mean making drastic changes that will make you miserable. The best way to begin is with one small change at a time. Calculate your personal carbon footprint at footprintnetwork.org and find out how many earths it would take to sustain your lifestyle. Then, cut down on the number of resources your lifestyle requires.

Implementing these small changes will make a world of difference, literally.

‘Rape culture’ invades college campuses

LAndra Onecic staff writer ALOnecic@ualr.edu Pauline Mothu Staff Writer PXMothu@ualr.edu

ook down. Shut up. Swallow your anger. Swallow your tears and keep going. Does it ring a bell, ladies?

This is what you do when someone calls you “sexy,” “slut” or asks you to smile. This is what you do when someone is putting his hands on you. After all, it is your fault; why are you wearing a skirt? You decided to dress up nicely, so it is normal for you to get some attention. But it is not. Our appearance or the way we act should never lead to sexual comments or aggression.

Unfortunately, in today’s society when sexual harassment or aggression occurs, the victim is often blamed—and blames herself—more than the aggressor, whose behavior is often normalized and excused by the media and popular culture. We have all heard that “she was asking for it,” or “she should have been more careful,” or “I was drunk,” or “boys will be boys,” or “he did not mean it,” or “but he comes from such a good family,” or “it’s none of my business.” The list goes on.

This is rape culture. It is everywhere in our society: in the street, on college campuses, in the media, in advertising, in songs and in sitcoms such as “South Park,” “Family Guy,”

and “Whitney,” to cite a few.

“Our society is set up where we blame the victims more than we do the perpetrators because it is easier that way,” said UALR Counselor Aresh Assadi. “And it is hard to admit when we are out of control.” Amy Muse, another UALR counselor, agreed with Assadi’s notions of blaming the victim. “Criticizing and blaming others help us to feel more powerful,” she said.

Women are raped more often than men, with 1 out of every 5 American women reporting being a victim of sexual assault, according to the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network. However, this does not mean it is only a women’s issue.

“It is everyone’s issue,” Assadi said, “because we all have daughters, sisters mothers.”

Muse said, “I can’t stand up in front of a bunch of guys and say, ‘Hey guys, we have been living in a rape culture, all of us are participating in this and we can do a lot to change it.’ It goes much better when Assadi is there and uses a ‘man language.’”

“In our society, there is the idea that men cannot control themselves because they are driven by their penises,” Muse said. “And that it is the woman’s responsibility to make sure she is safe because men cannot be trusted. I think men should be offended by this. They need to stand up for themselves.”

Assadi agreed. “The more they say they are not OK with it, the better and more proactive it would be,” he said.

Rape culture is still a stigmatized, sensitive and uncomfortable subject to talk about, nonetheless it is a subject that must be discussed.

“If people knew more about rape culture, it would be easier for them to understand that there is a problem in our society,” Muse said.

“For instance, if a girl [was] drunk and passed out on the couch with drunk guys around her, it is [considered] more OK for them to sexually assault her. But flip it around. If a drunk guy is passed out on the couch, is it OK to stick things inside him?” she said.

It is thus important to inform people, especially the young generation, about rape culture and help them realize it is not OK to dehumanize women and treat them like objects.

“UALR does a good job talking about this issue,” Assadi said. “We have the Green Dot Program, which is about creating a safe campus environment through the power of community, as well as defense training given by the UALR police and workshops.”

Indeed, the university holds different events throughout the year to address these issues. For instance, during the fall, the traditional “Welcome Week” is followed by “Cam-

pus Safety” week, also known as “See Something, Say Something” week. During this week, UALR partners with the campus police to address various kinds of violence and give guidance on how to stay safe.

The university also hosts the Trojan War event, where students learn about “sex-positive culture,” which involves creating healthy sexual communication, knowing the difference between passive, aggressive, and assertive communications, setting boundaries, and knowing how to be safe and prevent pregnancy.

“UALR will not tolerate sexual assault in any form—including sexual harassment and rape—or encourage, aid, or assist in the commission of this offense,” Vice Chancellor Logan Hampton said. “We take this issue very seriously. Victims are heard, investigations are done and are not taken lightly.”

Once a sexual offense is reported to campus police, investigations are done, apart from the criminal justice investigation, and disciplinary actions, ranging from a warning to a definitive expulsion, are made.

The decision is made on the preponderance of evidence, but whether or not the accused is found responsible, UALR authorities still refer the victims to counseling.

“Even if there is not enough evidence to prove it, sexual assault has consequences, and

the university is sensitive to it. We want to help the victims and restore them in the community,” Hampton said. Sexual assault has lifetime consequences such as feeling of guilt, anxiety, fear and depression. “I have a lot of people coming in my office whose assault did not happen recently or on campus,” Assadi said.

“Women blame themselves even long after it happened, saying ‘It’s my fault,’ ‘I should not have [gotten] drunk,’ or ‘I should not have gone in the car with him,’” Muse said.

Rape culture not only affects rape survivors but all women. Rape culture says that if a woman says yes all the time, then men can assume she will say “yes” to them. Rape culture says that if a woman said “no” but did not leave, then she did not really mean “no”. Rape culture says that a woman is misleading men by wearing short skirts or tight clothes. Rape culture excuses, forgives and victimizes rapists.

Rape culture is all around us and needs to stop. No one deserves to be raped. There is never an excuse for it to be accepted.

Rape culture needs to be replaced by a consent culture where we teach at an early age that everybody’s word should be respected, especially concerning one’s body and personal space.

Meet Judy Williams: the woman behind the campus emails

Ryan Guinee Staff Writer ryan.w.guinee@gmail.com

As the spokesperson of the campus, the manager of Communications, and deliverer of all news to the UALR family, Judy Williams makes connections as simple as responding to an email.

Like many current students, Williams came back to college as a non-traditional student.

As a young mother, she saw the need to postpone school, marry, and go into the workforce. Returning to school with one more son on the way, she earned a degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. After spending her time in various marketing and public relations roles in the state over the span of two decades, she made her way back to UALR in 2007.

Since then she’s been the familiar friend in your UALR Mail inbox. She keeps you updated on the goings-on of our piney campus from huge successes and new buildings to the more solemn parts of our campus activity including crime and unfortunate passings. She’s been called a mom, a wife, a boss, and a friend. Of the many names and roles she’s held in her career and life, there is but one name to whom the UALR student body affectionately refers: Judy.

Williams is an ’89 graduate of UALR, and is certainly a Grad@Work proudly speaking for UALR and overseeing the communication efforts for the entire university. From first contact made with high school students to the email announcement reminding you of Grad Fest, Williams considers the fine details of messages being sent inside and outside the school over the course of an audience’s “university life cycle.”

“Lately it’s been about getting a good communication flow in terms of what the university’s brand is,” Williams said. “What’s the reputation? How do we lift it up? How are we transparent?” As a state institution, the university has to carefully consider these matters.

However, she explained it hasn’t always been about the university brand. “We’ve been called many things: information office, news bureau, media response office, and so on. There wasn’t a great need in the beginning to market the school. Initially, we were a growing ju-

nior college. We couldn’t build buildings fast enough to accommodate students!”

Perhaps a good problem to have. It’s a growth statistic the university hasn’t seen in many years though. In times of enrollment drought, there are more careful and targeted measures that take place to secure top-ofmind awareness of UALR when Arkansans think about college. “Now, in the past ten years with increasing competition we have to answer ‘Why UALR?’ We certainly help influence choice. We answer marketing questions like who is our audience, what is our mission, and how do we support the brand and mission through communication,” she said

Much like storytelling, she described, the Office of Communication finds characters and a plot. It then tells stories through the various mediums.

“The Digital department tells stories through video, websites and social media. Media Relations people tell stories through interviews with professors and students through writing. Print, Production, and Graphics team tells stories through print material and art. Robin [Mizell], the Advertising Manager, focuses on storytelling. People relate to stories, because through stories we relate to people.”

The advertising campaign

Grads@Work, which can be seen across the campus, has been wildly successful for the campus and community. Earning first-place awards from organizations such as the Arkansas Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the campaign sought to tell these stories in a way that would relate to people. “It began with ‘I don’t know what UALR does.’

A focus group with high school students, parents and businesses in the community was held where we asked ‘What stories do we need to tell?” she said.

Grads@Work was at a time when the economy was in recession. In tough times, people will find ways to augment their resumes to improve their futures. “We had to spend money wisely to tell enough stories that resonated with enough people. We told the story of a nurse, a school teacher, a programmer, and so on. We looked for majors at UALR that we felt good about holding up because it meant jobs after that degree,” Williams said. It took the power of an agency to pull off this big campaign.

A small team in a building on the corner of campus managed well.

Photo by Jayme Goad

Williams works with a team of people that do many of the behind-the-scenes type of work to ensure UALR students know what’s happening and, ultimately, enjoy their college experience. “What I love is making connections with real people and holding those real people’s story up. I love storytelling. We’ve grown the office and hired really talented people [to help do that].”

While the hen at the helm, it is true that Williams relies upon a group of skilled and experienced communicators to help support the mission of the Office of Communications. Seeing the growing need for digital relevancy, Williams hired experienced digital marketer and analyst, Dan Shisler, from Dilliard’s, Inc. to manage the campus’s digital strategy. Also, recognizing the need to expand storytelling, Williams hired Keli Coburn Jacobi as Senior News Writer/Editor. An award-winning journalist, she previously served in the Office of Public Information at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Jacobi is also an ’89 graduate of UALR, earning her bachelor’s degree in mass communication.

Reflecting on previous positions, Williams explained that this kind of communication work has its differences. What she calls “organizational communication” when referring to UALR, she fondly remembers her time as a corporate communicator for Doctor’s Hospital, Aerospace Education Center and Stone Ward, an advertising agency. Throughout the day in Williams’ office, it seemed like the phone’s never stopped ringing. A sign of busy to many, it aroused questions concerning crises. UALR has seen its share of troubled events and tragedies, and dealing with them as the spokesperson can be

stressful. It’s not something for which Williams is unprepared; however, she says, “each one is a little different every time.”

While working as the marketing director for the Aerospace Education Center (the original IMAX theatre for those who have lived here a long time), Williams saw one of the most severe tragedies to happen to Little Rock.

“At AEC, there was an airliner that crashed at the Little Rock Airport, now the Bill and Hillary Clinton Little Rock Airport. I got a call from my boss early in the morning saying the airport was going to use us [AEC] to bring people from the crash for hospitalization. In a crisis situation you don’t want people coming in to the airport - you stage the area in a separate place. In this case, the place was us. I had to jump out of bed from Maumelle and work all night and through the next day to deal with reporters and media and airline companies and distraught families.”

She remembers it was a rainy night that night.

“Families came in with clothes all soaked. The red cross was called while we tried to find clothes and food. There was a gift shop that had sweatshirts and t-shirts, and I remembered we yanked those off the racks to hand out to replace the wet clothes.”

While at Doctor’s Hospital, they occasionally tested the communication departments by running drills. She said, “We had many drills that were patient related. For example, we would get a brief like “A tornado comes through town and people get injured. Fifty unexpected patients are brought to the hospital. What do you do?’ So, we were given things to consider. This really happened: A

baby was kidnapped from the nursery the day before I got to DH. That said, the hospital was considerably prepared for crises, and I had good people to model after.”

For we students, we rarely see the planning and implementation behind the Office of Communication. Something as simple as our weekly emails from Williams can often have considerable planning and careful measurements in place.

“When I first came here, there was a funny story. There are controls over what is acceptable and not. The Chancellor and I have access to the two major list-serv’s directed to all employees on one and all students on another. Well, for the longest time I used my personal name as I do now. Then, I asked ITS [Information Technology Services] to create a new communications@ualr. edu address. For a month or so it was used. I finally realized it felt cold. There was no human face behind it. So, I said ‘I’m not gonna do it.’ We took it away, and now it’s Judy again.”

Something as simple as an email coming from Williams rather than Communication makes all the difference for students. While many can’t put a face to the name, it doesn’t stop the student body from rejoicing when Williams tells them school is closed due to the weather. It doesn’t stop the student body from casually thanking Williams when she reminds them about that student organization meeting. If anything, students feel warm and welcomed.

“When I send out an email to all students and you email me back with a question, either I will answer or send it to someone that will know,” she said.

Student to host own talk show at UALR campus

Jayme Goad Staff Writer JMGoad@ualr.edu

Senior Jerrell Hardnett, host of his own new talk show, The Jerrell Hardnett Show, will be coming to UALR beginning Saturday, May 31st at the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. Born in Oakland, Calif., Hardnett has experienced first-hand both the ups and downs of putting together his own talk show. Hardnett moved to Pine Bluff at the age of 12. He participated in the band and track at Watson Chapel Senior High School.

“I had no aspirations; I had no wants or needs to go to college,” he said.

All Hardnett really wanted to do was become a flight attendant like his father, who at the time, lived in California.

In the sixth grade, Hardnett had an opportunity at an event to meet former KATV news anchor, Pamela Smith.

“My first love was broadcasting,” he said. Once he came to UALR he ran into Smith again and she offered him an internship at the Little Rock School District. While interning, he said he knew he wanted to be in

front of a television and wanted to make people happy.

“She encouraged me to go after a small dream of mine,” he said.

In 2011, Hardnett experienced a low GPA which resulted in him having to be on academic probation and sit out a semester of school. Two UALR professors that really had an impact on his returning back to school were Amy Barnes and Tim Edwards. “I am very thankful for Dr. Tim Edwards here in the mass communication school and Mrs. Amy Barnes,” he said.

“Dr. Edwards and Amy pushed me to continue through school when I had to sit out,” Hardnett said.

Hardnett returned after sitting out a semester and immediately raised his GPA. He began to work towards his degree in public relations, motivated more now than ever.

He said, “I got back into school and I do feel as if God started laying down the path for me.”

Graduating in December, Hardnett still struggles, but said there is one thing that still inspires him to this day and that is to get his degree, regard-

less of his success.

“Seeing how hard my father had to work not having a high school diploma and seeing how hard my mother had to work not having a college degree, it pushed me,” he said. Hardnett’s father passed away in October 2013.

The shows will be about “ordinary people, doing extraordinary things.” He said he will be having community personalities on the show talking about how they “got to where they are today.”

The first show’s guests will include former KATV news anchor now Director of Communications for the LRSD, Pamela Smith, Broadway Joe from the “Broadway Joe Morning Show,” actors from an upcoming play coming to Little Rock, and a performance and interview with UALR student Korey Fells, who was accepted into the Berklee College of Music.

The Jerrell Hardnett Show will be filming for three consecutive Saturday, beginning May 31st and ending June 14th. Shows are at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. For tickets and more information about the show, visit http:// www.thejerrellhardnettshow. com.

RIVERFEST 2014 PREVIEW

Three Days Grace

Genre: Hard Rock

Hit Play: “Painkiller,” the latest single from their yet-to-betitled upcoming fifth album

Why you should watch: The 2007 Billboard Rock Artist of the Year may have parted ways with its original lead singer last year, but his replacement is someone who has been close to the band for many years. New lead singer Matt Walst (from My Darkest Days) is the brother of founding member and bassist Brad Walst. The group has been touring with Matt for about a year now and just weeks ago released the first Three Days Grace song to feature a vocalist other than Adam Gontier.

Performance: Saturday, May 24 on the Bud Light Stage

Social Media Credentials: @threedaysgrace has nearly 365,000 followers on Twitter and about 7.8 million “likes” on Facebook.

Lee Brice

Genre: Country Hit Play: “I Don’t Dance,” from his yet-to-be-named upcoming studio album.

Why you should watch: Brice, a native of South Carolina, was a two-time 2014 Grammy nominee for his song, “I Drive Your Truck.” His latest single, “I Don’t Dance,” has already hit No. 30 on the country radio airwaves. Brice is not only a brilliant performer, but also an accomplished songwriter. He has helped pen songs for Tim McGraw and the Eli Young Band.

Performance: Friday, May 23 on the Bud Light Stage Social Media Credentials: @leebrice has more than 439,000 followers on Twitter and more than 1.4 million “likes” on Facebook.

Chicago

Genre: Pop/Rock Hit Play: The band’s next release, Chicago XXXVI “Now,” is set for a July 4 release. Why you should watch: Chicago is a nine-piece band that has been in the business for nearly 50 years. The band uses a variety of instruments to entertain its audiences, including trumpets, trombones, keyboards, guitars, drums and woodwinds. Chicago put out five consecutive chart-topping albums albums between 1972 and 1975. The band most recently performed with Robin Thicke at the 2014 Grammy’s.

Performance: Friday, May 23 on the Coors Light / Arkansas Federal Credit Union Stage Social Media Credentials: @chicagotheband has more than 16,000 followers on Twitter and more than 766,000 “likes” on Facebook.

TMichael

Smith staff writer MRSmith1@ualr.edu

o Arkansans, the month of May means wonderful weather, blue skies, summer break, and the long anticipated Riverfest. This annual festival is a tradition that has been one of Arkansas’ greatest and most attended events for more than 35 years. Last year, more than 250,000 people attended Riverfest, and provided a revenue boost of more than $30 million for the state. Not only does the festival attract tourists and generate a great deal of revenue, it also provides Arkansans amazing music, art, and a great weekend full of entertainment. As is the tradition, Riverfest will be take place over the course of Memorial Day weekend, May 23 through May 25 at Julius Breckling Riverfront Park, the Clinton Presidential Park and Heifer International. The festival begins at 6 p.m. May 23 and ends at 11 p.m. May 25. According to the Riverfest website, tickets range from “$20 in advance for a 3-day pass, $35 on the website & $40 at the gate for a 3-day pass, children 10 & under are admitted free with a paid adult admission.” Tickets have been sold at Walgreens since April 1.

Buckcherry

Genre: Hard Rock

Hit Play: Confessions, the band’s latest album, released February 2013

Why you should watch: Buckcherry, the Grammy awardwinning rock band from Anaheim, Calif., have been around the rock n’ roll scene for almost 20 years now. In that time, they have amassed an impressive resume, including performing for a quarter of a million people at Woodstock ’99, touring with Guns N’ Roses and AC/DC and penning a smash-hit song, “Lit Up.” The band is currently touring in support of last year’s release, Confessions.

Performance: Saturday, May 24 on the Bud Light Stage Social Media Credentials: @buckcherry has more than 90,000 followers on Twitter and more than 875,000 “likes” on Facebook.

Salt-N-Pepa

Genre: Hip-Hop Hit Play: “Push It,” the 1987 hit from the group’s Hot, Cool & Vicious album Why you should watch: The self-proclaimed “Queens of Hip-Hop,” won a Grammy in 1995 and put out a new album in 1997. The duo disbanded in 1999, reforming in 2004, but only touring sporadically since then. Are you keeping up?

Performance: Saturday, May 24 on the Coors Light / Arkansas Federal Credit Union Stage Social Media Credentials: @TheSaltNPepa have more than 19,000 followers on Twitter and about 36,000 “likes” on Facebook.

Hank Williams Jr.

Genre: Country Hit Play: Old School New Rules, released July 2012 is the most recent studio album from Hank Williams Jr. Why you should watch: Hank Williams Jr. knows a thing or two about country music; he’s the son of the legendary Hank Williams. Williams Jr., however, has made quite the name for himself, though. He’s been inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, he’s been awarded the Johnny Cash Visionary award and he’s been named the Entertainer of the Year by the Academy of Country Music a number of times. Some folks may recognize his music when it was used for more than 20 years during Monday Night Football games. If there’s one thing that will be certain of Williams Jr. and his appearance at Riverfest, he will put on a memorable and entertaining set.

Performance: Sunday, May 25 on the Bud Light Stage Social Media Credentials: @Hankjr has about 125,000 followers on Twitter and more than 2.4 million “likes” on Facebook.

This year’s music line up and list of events will bring a diverse group of artists, including acts such as Chicago, Ceelo Green, and even Hank Williams Jr. The list of events includes “Flowing on the River,” a wine and beer tasting, the BAGGO national championship, the “Rockn-Ride Poker Run,” the “Rockn-Stroll 5k Fun Run,” and the annual “Ruff on the River Cirque du Pup Pooch Parade.” Along with these headlining events, there will be numerous other fun-filled events and activities all weekend long. Festival goers can look forward to enjoying fireworks, beautiful art displays, and even a retriever championship- when it comes to Riverfest, there is never a dull moment, and everyone will be able to find something enjoyable no matter what might interest the soul and mind.

Riverfest offers something for all Arkansans- it’s a great place for family fun, great music, and a phenomenal time down by the river. A visit to Riverfest’s website, www.riverfestarkansas. com will answer any questions about the festival and also allow potential festival goers the great opportunity to save a little money by purchasing a 3-day-pass. The webpage will also allow anyone interested in volunteering to sign up and get involved.

Easton Corbin

Genre: Country Hit Play: “Clockwork,” a single from his upcoming album Why you should watch: Corbin is a three-time winner of the American Country Awards, on of which is for “New/Breakthrough Artist of the Year.” Corbin’s latest song is called “Clockwork,” which has hit No. 40 on country radio charts, is set to appear on his yet-to-benamed third album. “Clockwork” is filled with catchy hooks and a simple backbeat that lets Corbin’s vocals really shine through. A steel guitar near the end of the track ties an emotional bow around this heart-shaped box.

Performance: Friday, May 23 on the Bud Light Stage Social Media Credentials: @eastoncorbin has more than 366,000 followers Twitter and more than 1.1 million “likes” on Facebook.

The Wallflowers

Genre: Alternative Hit Play: Glad All Over Why you should watch: This alternative rock band out of Los Angeles has two Grammy awards under their belt for their break-through hit, “One Headlight,” in 1998. The band is fronted by Jakob Dylan, the son of legendary artist Bob Dylan. The band’s most recent album, Glad All Over was the band’s first since they went on hiatus in 2005.

Performance: Sunday, May 25 on the Coors Light / Arkansas Federal Credit Union Stage Social Media Credentials: @TheWallflowers have more than 9,000 followers on Twitter and have almost 166,000 “likes” on Facebook.

Jamey Johnson

Genre: Country

Hit Play: Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran

Why you should watch: Johnson is one of the most decorated artists appearing at Riverfest this year, with a total of nine Grammy nominations under his belt. His previous two albums have each debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200 chart. If that wasn’t enough, Johnson also has impressive songwriting credentials. He’s helped write songs for artists such as Trace Adkins and George Straight.

Performance: Sunday, May 25 on the Bud Light Stage Social Media Credentials: @jamey_johnson has nearly 20,000 followers on Twitter and nearly 767,000 “likes” on Facebook

CeeLo Green

Genre: Pop

Hit Play: Green’s next album, Girl Power, does not have an official release date

Why you should watch: Green is a five-time Grammy award winner who most recently wrapped a gig where he served as a judge on NBC’s The Voice. Green has an eccentric and entertaining persona that will entertain a diverse audience. Riverfest attendees can expect to hear hits from his solo catalog and also a few tracks from his days in Gnarls Barkley.

Performance: Saturday, May 24 on the Coors Light / Arkansas Federal Credit Union Stage

Social Media Credentials: @CeeLoGreen has nearly 1.9 million followers on Twitter and almost 2 million “likes” on Facebook.

The Fray

Genre: Alternative Hit Play: Helios, released February 2014

Why you should watch: The Denver-based band were catapulted into stardom with the help of two smash-hit singles on their debut album, “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “How to Save a Life.” They have collected four Grammy nominations and scored a No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart in 2009. Now, with their fourth album, Helios, The Fray is firing on all cylinders.

Performance: Sunday, May 25 on the Coors Light / Arkansas Federal Credit Union Stage Social Media Credentials: @TheFray have about 355,000 followers on Twitter and more than 4.4 million “likes” on Facebook.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band

Genre: Funk / Soul Hit Play: Lickety Split, released July 2013 Why you should watch: Robert Randolph and the Family Band is led by pedal steel guitar virtuoso Robert Randolph, who was recently named to Rolling Stone’s list of “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” The six-piece band is touring in support of its latest release, Lickety Split, which is being put out by Blue Note Records.

Performance: Saturday, May 24 on the Bud Light Stage Social Media Credentials: @rrtfb has more than 14,000 followers on Twitter and almost 70,000 “likes” on Facebook.

Captain America: The Mediocre Soldier

Shashank Avvaru Staff Writer SXAvvaru@ualr.edu

Introduce a central character with a good heart dealing with internal conflict. Put him in an assortment of other characters. Pick up this entire group and place them in the middle of an earth-shattering catastrophe headlined by a shady antagonist. Cue a happy ending.

This is the premise Marvel has been devoted to ever since the first Iron Man movie. The Winter Soldier is no exception.

Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) is now one of SHIELD’s top soldiers and together with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is hosing fires out all around the world.

A secret mission, under the instructions of Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), takes him to the depths of the Indian Ocean and after escaping alive out of a seemingly unwinnable situation he discovers that SHIELD has been keeping secrets from him. Before long, Nick Fury is

killed and SHIELD, led by Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), declares Captain America a fugitive. While on the run, Cap and the Widow find themselves battling against America’s finest and a mysterious entity armed with incredible technology –The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).

After Hulk and Abomination, Thor and Loki, Iron Man and Whiplash, the Cap and the Red Skull, this movie’s plotline doesn’t bring anything new into the universe except for Avengers references and loud action scenes. But what it lacks in originality it makes up for in acting. Everyone in the cast, especially Robert Ford and Sebastian Stan, immerse themselves in their roles and act exceptionally well. There are very few actors that are good at both acting and action and the cast of The Winter Soldier definitely is up there with them. There is one place where the movie definitely excels: political inferences. Secret organizations with secret organizations, portrayal of government agents

as criminals, stealing personal data for malicious use are just some of the innovative themes that make The Winter Soldier a movie of our time.

But a good movie? That is debatable. Comic-book loyalists eagerly waiting for these movies are sure to feel tired and slightly frustrated: everything we see here we have seen before (and we will eventually see again). Déjà vu and whyaren’t-they-coming-up-withsomething-original will sit in the back of your mind as you watch the movie. The Winter Soldier tries to be philosophical and thought provoking but is busy balancing its intellectuality with rhythmic violence.

The Winter Soldier presents goodness in spades but you can’t help but realize that they could have done so much more if they sacrificed formula and repetition.

Rating: ***1/2 / ***** RATINGS LEGEND

- Unwatchable

Game of Thrones is more than just another medieval story

UALR student shines in Rep’s production of ‘Les Miserables’

Jayme Goad Staff Writer

JMGoad@ualr.edu

Senior vocal performance major Micheal Lowe shined brightly during his performance in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s most recent production of Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables.”

The play ran from March 5 to April 6, and I saw the March 14 show. Smite me not, but I have yet to see the 2012 film starring Hugh Jackman. That

said, I possess no less appreciation for the Rep’s production of the play than would someone more familiar with the film, and I found the show to be sensational. It was visually stunning, tear-jerking and all too real. The two songs in which I forced myself to choke back sobs were “I Dreamed a Dream” and “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.”

Douglas Webster played an intimidating Jean Valjean, torn apart by the ghosts of his past and his demons inside. Years

CZach Martin staff writer ZRMartin@ualr.edu

haos is a ladder. Not a pit. These are words that can perfectly explain what this thrilling show is all about. This is not anything like Lord of the Rings or any other medieval story.

George R. R. Martin has perfected something unique and completely different from the norm. A world full of vicious dogs chained to the same tree fighting and snapping at each other despite the choking reality of their fate, all reaching out for the same thing—the crown. Peasants and knights alike die on the battlefield due to one man’s claim and for another man’s revenge. This place doesn’t send fluttery happy things around to everyone all the time. Reality has placed its hold on this land and its people and that means only one thing—trust no one.

For another war is raging on another battlefield. Where spies and lies are the swords and arrows. Slipping in between the ribcages of those that are defeated, exactly when they think they’ve won. There are many good men and women in this story who live among the bad. Yet, to be on a side is to have enemies on the other. Experiencing this story will have you on edge the entire time waiting for the next big event, usually a brutal killing.

Although, its not just all

pass as he attempts to reconcile his bad deeds after skipping parole, but he is endlessly pursued by the dogged policeman Javert (Christopher Carl). Javert is oft considered the play’s “antagonist,” but his final actions in the play reveal he only sought to upholding the law.

Our university’s very own Micheal Lowe, senior vocal performance major, did not miss a beat in his performance as a member of the Ensemble. For much of the play, he maintained his role as a revolutionary who is gung-ho about overturning the bourgeoisie. When his friends sat around the inn and drank and sang, Lowe

about killing and blood and lies, Game of Thrones dives deep into each character, showing the beauty and imperfection of all of them. Shedding light on the dark side of the good and the good side of the bad. Viewers will be counting the days until the next episode, not able to wait to continue the story. Game of Thrones is a great show that has many facets. It has moderate amounts of humor from situational events to simple wordplay. Love and its struggles have a considerable presence throughout this story, mixed with war and terror alike. Nearly everyone should be able to find a desirable aspect of this show, one that they could relate to and enjoy. The cinematography used is extremely innovative. The cut of a throat is displayed in its true light and not assumed to be a geyser of blood so strong the camera is covered in red. Swordfights and action are caught in such a way that you feel that you are actually there inside of it. This show has completed three seasons and is now currently under way with its fourth season. There are plans to make two more seasons at the very least. HBO on Sunday nights is when and where you can find Game of Thrones and all of its suspense and drama. I strongly encourage everyone to watch this show, because your life isn’t quite complete without it. You don’t want to miss out on anymore that you already have. The Winter is coming.

joined the camaraderie and mirth. When the revolutionaries rejoiced over their small victory, Lowe was right there to rejoice too. With a resonant voice and towering stature, Lowe was a powerful character who drove home the mission of the revolutionaries. In what has come to be my expectation of a Rep production, “Les Mis” was a no-holdsbarred visual spectacle with beautiful songs and heartbreaking performances. The colors were vivid, the characters were vivacious and the choreography was vivace to boot.

Best-selling author set to speak and perform at UALR

Hillary Perkins Staff Writer HDPerkins@ualr.edu

Harlan Cohen, a New York Times best-selling author,will be speaking and performing at UALR April 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Student Services Center auditorium. “A Night of Nakedness,” will be theme of the program, in which various types of relationships will be analyzed and discussed. Cohen will help the audience with some of their problems and how to handle certain situations that revolve around dating, family and friends. Cohen is known for his ability to empathize with students and to communicate with them about various issues that students want to talk about in a humorous and entertaining way.

“Some students will walk away with perspective and ease, knowing someone else understands and can relate to the experiences they are facing in college, other students will walk away with the memory of a humorous night of fun, and still others will walk away with motivation for their college, and personal life,” said Ericka Henson, the executive chair member for the University Programs Council. Henson is a sophomore majoring in Business Marketing and Speech Communications. She has been a member of UPC for two semesters. This is her first semester as an Executive Chair member of the UPC.

Cohen is known for his books such as “The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues you Might run Into in College,” “Getting Naked: Fives steps to Finding the Love of Your Life (While Fully Clothed and Totally Sober),” “ The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only!,” “The Naked Roommate’s First Year Survival Workbook,” “Dad’s Expecting Too!” and “Campus Life Exposed: Advice from the Inside.” Cohen is not only known as New York Times best-selling author. He is also a national and international speaker who has visited more than 400 college campuses. He has also visited numerous radio and television programs. He is also known as a notorious relationship expert who has inspired people to follow their passions, make good choices in life as well as taking risks to live a good life.

“I always like to see how students are impacted,” said Emily Cox, the Coordinator of Campus Life. “That makes me know what I have to do, which is the purpose of Campus Life.”

According to the website, apbspeakers.com, Cohen’s career began in 1995 at Indiana University during an internship at “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” From there, he launched his own column, “Help me Harlan,” through the inspiration of another writer. He would write down questions on his own to answer them himself. This was a strategy to give other people advice.

“The end of the semester is upon us all, and I, like many other students, am feeling the weight of tests and deadlines on my shoulders,” said Henson.

“I think, his advice is solid”, said Cox. “I think that relationships are important to students.”

Visit our website, ualr.edu/ forum, to read our interview with Harlan Cohen.

Balls stops bouncing on the season for UALR basketball

Trojan men’s basketball team took resiliency to overtime this season

Alton Young Editor AXYoung1@ualr.edu

The UALR Trojan men’s basketball team’s 20132014 season came to an end in record-setting fashion with a 116-114 quadruple-overtime loss to Arkansas State in the SBC Tournament in New Orleans on March 14. The loss left the Trojans with an overall record of 15-17 for the season. According to the Sun Belt Conference website, the four overtime game was a first in SBC tournament history. The game featured 23 ties and 31 lead changes with neither team leading by more than seven points.

Senior guard Leroy Isler led the Trojans with 25 points while playing 52 out of the game’s 60

Tpossible minutes. James White had 20 points and Josh Hagins added 17. The game was a microcosm of the season as a whole as the Trojans lost most of their available post players, but managed to stay in the fight until the very end.

“I was proud of our guys’ resiliency, their togetherness, their toughness and unfortunately for us, we came out on the wrong end,” head coach Steve Shields said.

The coach pointed out the similar way that the team fought on the road against Louisiana in a double-overtime 93-87 loss earlier in the season. The Trojans were without all of the team captains going into the game with senior Will Neighbour, Isler and J.T. Thomas all sitting with various injuries. (Thomas was injured early in the season.)

“I thought our guys played very well that night and once again unfortunately for us, we didn’t come out on the right end. (We) had the ball on the last possession with a chance to win and unfortunately couldn’t finish it off,” Shields said.

Coach Shields alluded to what could be considered the theme for the team this season, which was wrought with injuries.

“Guys stepped up in different situations,” he said. Shields lamented the loss of the two Trojan seniors who played very different but integral roles for the team this season. Neighbour, who missed the last third of the season with ankle and shoulder injuries, was the primary offensive weapon for the team. Neighbour was named to the SBC All-Conference second or third

team for three straight seasons, a first for a UALR player.

Isler was the defensive stopper for the team and would always draw the assignment of the best perimeter offensive weapon of the opposing team. A job that is sometimes taken for granted by fans and can be a tough sell for a coach to some players, however, that was not the case with Isler.

“That’s a role that is hard to get guys to embrace, because it’s not something that’s real glamorous and Leroy embraced it from day one,” Shields said.

“The thing that I’m most proud with both of those guys is that they’re both going to graduate in May and that’s something that is very important to us here and will help open up future doors for those two guys.”

Season ends too soon for the women’s team finding its stride

Alton Young Editor AXYoung1@ualr.edu

he Lady Trojans season played out like a movie that ended right as the plot was getting good. The team had won eight of nine games before losing to Western Kentucky 66-62 in the second round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament.

The Lady Trojans came back from large deficits in both the

first and second halves, but could not take the lead after tying the game late in the second. The loss left the Lady Trojans with a 18-12 overall record for the season and also left head coach Joe Foley wondering what could have been had the season lasted just a little longer.

“I think the season just ended a little bit too quick, because I think we were coming on,” Foley said. “I’d like had another week or two to kind of see what

would’ve happened.”

The Lady Trojans finished the season with an outstanding 13-1 home record, losing only to an LSU team that was ranked #13 at the time.

“It’s very rewarding when a team takes pride and plays at home that hard,” Foley said. “We almost went undefeated at home, so I’m very proud of that. Hopefully that’s something that will carry over to next year with all the kids coming back.

As for the three seniors, Taylor Ford, Hannah Fohne and Nia Gregory, Foley hates to see them go, but like the way that they handled academics as well as athletics.

“They’re kind of the epitome of what you want in a studentathlete. They did both sides of it very well,” he said. “When you’ve got kids like that, it causes you a lot less stress as a coach and makes it lot more enjoyable.”

By Alton Young axyoung1@ualr.edu

This is it!! This will be my final time addressing you guys here in our paper and I’m not short of topics to discuss. The most important on my list is the beginning of the NBA playoffs this weekend. If you have read here at all, you know that professional basketball is my favorite of all the organized sports. I’ll even brag about having a jump shot myself, if given the opportunity. But I’m not going to talk about my basketball game. I’m leading this column with the cloud of impending change blowing through college sports, this includes the Northwestern football players seeking unionization and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s mention of a way to possibly compensate college basketball players.

The Chicago district of the National Labor Relations Board ruled in March that Northwestern football players are employees of the school and can unionize. The drive to unionize is being spearheaded by former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter. The argument for unionization is that the obligations that players have on the field equate the players to employees of the school, not just students.

The school and the NCAA obviously disagree with the ruling. A few arguments against it are that if players unionize then they could strike while citing unfair working conditions and that players unionizing means that paying players is the next step and that would cause the college athletics institution to collapse.

I don’t know if I’m cool with players unionizing, but I definitely don’t agree with the NCAA about the collapse of college athletics. It would just take some better planning to take care of players who sacrifice their bodies for and (in some cases) help bring in millions of dollars to the school. What If graduating seniors received a piece of the NCAA money they help generate? It would give players an incentive to stay in school for all four years and actually try in the classroom. The NBA commissioner recently brought up an idea for the NBA to cover the cost of attendance gap for students. The idea behind the NBA commissioner’s thinking is to encourage those in financial need to consider staying in school. The thinking of any potential professional athlete is to get it while you can, but there are those who aren’t ready for the jump and another year or two in college would definitely be beneficial. It will be interesting to see where the NBA goes with this in the future. Now, to the fun stuff. The NBA playoffs begin this weekend and so too do my binge-watching sessions. The matchups aren’t quite set as of this column, but I predicted before the season started that the Miami Heat and the L.A. Clippers would meet in the NBA Finals and I’m not backing off now. The Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs will be challengers to the NBA throne, but I have no doubt that my Heatles will prevail.

It has been a pleasure to write about sports for The Forum. If you want to tweet with me about the NBA or about sports in general, hit me up on Twitter @player1leo. Let’s go Heat!

Inaugural UALR Open takes place on the Coleman Sports track

Zach Martin staff writer ZRMartin@ualr.edu

The Trojans were off to the races early on Saturday Apr. 12 for the inaugural home track meet at the Coleman Sports & Recreation Complex.

Rickitha Hicks sealed the win for the women’s team in the 4 x 100-meter relay. The men’s 4 x 100-meter relay team showed promising fight holding an early lead, but were bested in the end for first by Harding University.

Next was the 5000-meter run, which the women ran first. UALR runner Tori Copeland finished strong in sixth place, gaining points, despite Harding University’s first and second place runners’ wide lead.

The 5K runners for the men were John Vodacek, George Gathuru and Markus Pearson. Vodacek started out to a slow pace, around seventh or eighth place, playing it smart and waiting for the right time to show his cards. Gathuru held second for most of the race, while Pearson held his own close behind.

In the last stretch, Vodacek turned the corner and unleashed his last bit of energy, snagging the second place position from Gathuru and giving the Trojans the power play of second, third, and fourth (Pearson).

This strategy is how meets are won: by being strong in numbers, snagging consecutive places and taking a great amount of points away from the other teams. This was a great move for the Trojan men.

In the field events, Rebekah Grissom was the star clinching the first place position in the javelin with a throw of 38 meters. Grissom also went on to get first in the discus throw and a close second place for shot put making her a powerhouse of points.

Back on the track in the 800-meter dash, Cheryl Nolan grabbed first with Brittany Brasuell finishing sixth. Nolan also placed high in the 1500-meter run with second place and Rebekah Gibbons not far behind in seventh. In the 100-meter dash there was a dominating time set from Terrence Goodwin with 10.81, but he ended with fifth place.

The lady Trojans held a strong lead in the 400-meter dash, with Shanavia Cole in fifth, and also the 400-meter hurdles where Bree Walker and Ashtin Boykin got second and third. Alex Ebmeyer lead the way for the men in the 400-meter dash with a 49.18 time giving him second place overall.

This inaugural meet was against UCA and UAPB and was scored as a tri-meet. The Lady Trojans faired well, behind UCA 159-126, but beating UAPB 145-121. Our men faired a little worse, trailing UCA 23684 and finishing behind UAPB with 134-100. Despite the losses, the teams won many events and even broke several UALR records. This weekend the Trojans will be spreading their efforts and participating in three meets, two in California and the other in Conway.

Suspension, cont. from page 1

coach Trent Kline joined in, Coach Norwood was knocked down and the UALR team ran to his defense. This was followed by the UCA bench and about a minute of mayhem. It took about another minute for the teams to be separated.

Trojans get back to work on the baseball

Magaret Rogers staff writer MJRogers1@ualr.edu

After a few days in the news for reasons other than baseball, the UALR Trojans got back to business on the field as they battled against the Georgia State Panthers in a weekend series. The Trojans won two out of three games against the Panthers, starting with a dominant 14-7 win on Friday April 4. During the first two innings on Saturday April 5, both teams remained scoreless. At the top of the third inning, a Georgia State player hit the ball to left

field, letting the runner on third base run home to make the score 0-1. At the top of the fourth, another Georgia State player hit a homerun, putting the Panthers at 0-2. At the bottom of the seventh inning with runners at first and third, Austin Pfeiffer hit the ball, letting the runner on third score, making the score 1-2. At the top of the ninth, Georgia State hit another homerun, making the score 1-3. During the bottom of the ninth inning, with Ryan Scott on first, Drew Merten found the gap between third base and shortstop, putting runners on first and second. Hayden Martin bunted and was out at first, but

Trojan guard hopes to continue to build off adversity

Antonio gayden Staff Writer AXGayden@ualr.edu

Adversity can be defined as experiencing difficulties or misfortune and it can either make you or break you. For J.T. Thomas, a redshirt junior guard for the University of Arkansas Little Rock, adversity doesn’t seem to faze him. It’s his faith that makes him believe he will make it through.

“More than anything I just trust in God, because I know whatever he puts me in, it’s for a good reason: to build my character and to build me mentally,” said Thomas. The 6-foot1-inch guard from New Orleans has had his share of tough times.

Hurricane Katrina was a part of the adversity that Thomas faced. He played his first three years of high school basketball at Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Dallas because of the hurricane. He said his family was in the middle of their normal routine of a family vacation in the Hyatt and got stuck for 7 to 8 days. “The first night we had good food and a nice meal and for the next six

The fact that UCA won the game 5-4 after UALR led 4-0 was mostly a side note to the fight and its aftermath. The incident led to the suspension of eight individuals for varying lengths of time. Four players from UALR were suspended for at least four games each. Three players and the assistant coach from UCA were suspended for at least four games. Additionally UCA head coach Allen Gum suspended himself for a game, according to his statement. Both coaches gave their obligatory damage-control statements in the days following the incident. UALR head coach Scott Norwood delivered his message a day after the game and Gum followed with his own the following day. The announcement of the suspensions took place in the time between the two coach’s statements. In a press conference that took place in front of several members of the local media outlets and UALR’s Communications Director Judy Williams (Athletic Director Chris Peterson was away dealing with family matters), Coach Norwood expressed his remorse about the incident.

days we were just eating bread and drinking a bottle of water,” said Thomas. He said the whole experience allowed him to see life from a different perspective.

These experiences are inspiration to him. He wants to lead the way for other people who have a story to tell and to not give up when times are hard.

The Edna Karr’s Student of the Year in 2009 said that his big brother James Thomas III is his go-to person when he needs it.

Thomas played in and started four games before a groin injury he suffered at Southern on Nov. 22 sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Thomas said that he’s been here before (facing adversity) and it won’t stop him. He averaged 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.8 minutes per game before the injury. His goals are to continue getting healthy and to win a Sun Belt championship of his own (the Trojans won back in 2011).

Thomas said he has worked hard enough to be in that moment and to have fun during the good and hard times. The sarcastic guard is a people person who just loves to have fun and smile. His favorite artist

“It’s something that we take very, very seriously and it’s something that I do as well,” he said. “I think it’s also an embarrassment to this university and something I think we’ll be able to correct very quickly,” he continued citing the effect on the school’s student athletes and fans. “I deeply regret that this has happened.” No questions were allowed after the coach’s roughly two minute statement and school officials have expressed caution at allowing anyone to discuss the matter further with the coaching staff or members of the team. However, the dam-

the runners were able to advance to second and third. Ben Crumpton hit the ball to centerfield and it’s caught, but a runner was able to go home, making the score 2-3. With two outs, the next batter hit a ground out, ending the game with the Panthers winners. Sunday April 5 was a victorious day for the UALR Trojans, winning 9-2. The Trojans started the game by putting a run on the scoreboard, and scored again at the top of the third inning when Austin Pfeiffer scored to make it 2-0 Trojans. At the top of the fourth inning, Georgia State player Matt Rose hit a homerun, making the score 2-1.

field

During the bottom of the fourth, the Trojans put five runs on the scoreboard, making the score 7-1. The top of the fifth inning was the last time the Panthers scored a run making the score 7-2. By the end of the game the Trojans had a 9-2 win, putting the Panthers out of their misery early.

“It was good for us,” Coach Norwood said referring to the victories. “It gave us an opportunity to get back in the playoff race and most of all probably gained some confidence as well,” Norwood said. Norwood said despite the tough schedule, he is very happy with how the Trojans played.

J.T. Thomas was slated to be the starting point guard for the UALR Trojans this season, but an injury in the fourth game of the season forced him to miss the rest of the year

to listen to right now is Daniel Heartless, a friend from back home in New Orleans. Attempting to come back better than ever, he said he’s just letting God guide him on his journey.

age was already done as video of the fight made its rounds on newscasts throughout the state. There were several videos of varying quality available, but one of the best was taken by UCA senior Spencer Griffin, who was filming the game for when the altercation broke out.

A criminal justice major, Thomas says that his ultimate dream and goal after college is to stick around the sport of basketball, whether it be playing or coaching.

“I knew it was trouble whenever you saw him (Norwood) coming out and then Coach Gum and him getting close together,” Griffin said. “Usually it’s just between coaches or players and the umpires, but when it gets between two coaches and they got face to face and then Norwood went down and it all escalated from there.” Griffin also expressed concern with how close the melee got to the fans when it moved to the backstop. “Right on the netting is a little scary, because you don’t know how close the fans are going to get. Luckily nobody was injured or anything and they dispersed after that,” he said. The media attention that this has attracted may not be the kind that the school seeks, but it insures that the upcoming game on April 23 at Hogan Field will have a larger audience than normal. That is when the UCA Bears visit the UALR Trojans.

Caution: No Trojans at play

Alton Young Editor AXYoung1@ualr.edu

Women’s softball, women and men’s tennis, men’s water polo and of course the beloved sport of football, what do these sports have in common other than the fact that they all require a ball of some type? The answer is that almost all of them were played by the UALR or its previous incarnations of Little Rock Junior College or Little Rock University at one time or another.

A quick review of the official UALR sports sponsorship list reveals that since 1975: Men’s volleyball has come and gone (1982-1985). The women’s volleyball team missed 1987. Women’s basketball ended after the 1987 season only to return in 1999. The men’s water polo team ended in 1993 followed by the men’s swim team in 1995. The men’s tennis lasted until 2007 and the women’s tennis team recently ended its run after the 2012 season. Women’s softball is played by only eight out of the 14 SBC member schools, so it’s no surprise that UALR does not participate as one of the smaller schools in the conference.

The reasons for the missing sports range from the budget reductions that UALR Athletic Director Chris Peterson cited for the end of the women’s tennis team in a 2013 Forum

article to the Arkansas Title IX issues that football would bring as the reason from Peterson in an article in 2011. The reasons are separate issues that may be debatable, but the experience of sports both as an athlete and as a fan is something that is undeniably part of the college tradition.

This experience was something that former UALR water polo coach Richard Turner could reflect on as an original member of the water polo team in the 1970s and also as coach of the team from 1983 until it was disbanded in 1993.

“It was a good run when we had it. The kids did a great job representing the university. They all graduated. They were good students. It’s just unfortunate that we had to make some tough decisions back in the early 90s,” Turner said. The problem with the polo team was a logistic one as the team had to travel great lengths to compete every weekend according to Turner. “If you know the geography of water polo, the best teams are on the west coast and the second tier was on the east coast,” Turner said. That meant that every weekend the team would travel about 16 hours overnight to compete in its conference.

Another problem was that the team had to practice in a pool that wasn’t equipped for the sport. Both problems were resolved when a new pool was built in 1993 that was able to

not only accommodate water polo, but diving as well. That year the school hosted the regional championship for the first time in Turner’s 11 seasons as coach. Ironically, the same year that the new stateof-the-art pool opened in the Donaghey Center, the water polo team was disbanded.

The team had a very successful run during Turner’s coaching tenure, winning five Southern Polo Conference titles and appearing in the NCAA Water Polo Championship tournament twice. Though the men’s swimming program ended in 1995, Turner remained the

UALR golf season winds down

Victoria Hickey Staff Writer VXHickey@ualr.edu

Men

n March 31 and April

O1, the UALR Men’s Golf team participated in the ULM Wallace Jones Invitational in Calhoun, La. The men took second place out of the fourteen teams competing, shooting an 881, 11 strokes behind the winners, Louisiana-Monroe.

Freshman Noah Tullos shot two under par, ranking him in second place as well. Men’s golf head coach Jake Harrington reflected on the tournament. “It is always good to be back towards the top of the leaderboard, so it’s fun to see the team improving,” he said. The men were in McKinney, Texas April 7-8 for the Jim West Intercollegiate Tournament where they finished ninth out of 14 teams. On April 20 the men will begin playing in the

The music stops for this year’s dance team

Clayborn Waters Staff Writer CWWaters@ualr.edu

The UALR Dance Team recently completed the 2013-2014 season. As a non-competitive squad in the Sun Belt Conference, the team participates in several athletic events, volunteers for community service opportunities and performs cheer routines and

TROJAN

dances at UALR basketball games every year. Head Coach Sara Beth Wyatt has had up to 12 dancers on the squad each year. “Twelve dancers are allowed every year for the Sun Belt Conference and NCAA tournaments,” Wyatt said. “This was our fifth consecutive season.”

This year, the dance team consisted of 10 members including: Alexandra Hutchins, Britney

Sun Belt Conference tournament, where they hope to win so they can move on to Regionals.

This was Coach Harrington’s first year as the Trojan’s coach and looking back on the season he said it was a little disappointing, because the team had a lot of injuries that prevented it from playing to its fullest potential. The end of this season means the team will be losing four of its seniors, however, Coach Harrington says he has

Johnson, Caitlin Yarberry, Elizabeth Chandler, Hannah Milligan, Jordan Benedict, Katie Vanpool, Morgan Priddy, Taylor Puckett, and Tessa Rusher. Every summer Wyatt hosts a dance team tryout for all UALR students. The current dance members also have to try out for the squad again. Practice frequency varies between the first weeks and the regular season, but the team practices more as the season gets underway.

Coach Wyatt expressed that being with the dance members showed how the team is capable

you know? The SBC adds four teams to the football schedule for the 2014 season: Idaho, New Mexico State, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State

SPORTS UPDATE

BASEBALL: The team plays its first conference games this week with the triple-header against Arkansas State on Mar. 14-16.

TRACK: The outdoor track season begins with the Rhodes College Open in Memphis, Tenn.

BASKETBALL (W): The Lady Trojans finished their regular season with a vic tory at home against ULM and went undefeated at home for the entire conference schedule. They face Troy today in the first round of the SBC tournament in New Orleans.

BASKETBALL (M): The men will be the #4 seed in the SBC tournament despite losing the last game of the season at home to ULM. They will face Troy in the first round of the men’s tournament Thursday in New Orleans.

SOCCER: The soccer team will host

GOLF: The women’s team will end the month at the John Kirk Panther In tercollegiate at Stockbridge, Ga. Mar.31-April 1. The men’s team will be in Louisiana for the ULM/Wallace Jones Invitational Mar.31-April 1. Statistics good as of Mar. 9

coach of the women’s swim team until 2007 and remains in an administrative position with UALR. In order to find out when UALR played football, you would have to go back to its days as Little Rock Junior College. The team actually won a junior college championship in 1949 and was recently honored in 2006 with induction in the UALR Sports Hall of Fame. The team went undefeated that season (1949) and won the Junior College Rose Bowl. Many people have clamored for a football team to return to the UALR, including Rex Nelson on a 2009

a big recruiting class coming in for next year and he plans to have a strong season next year.

Women

The Lady Trojans played in the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate tournament in Stockbridge, Georgia on March 30 and April 1 where they placed 10 out of 16 teams. Junior Sofie Kvanstrom played well, tying for fourth and shooting 3 over. In addition, Junior Sofia Berglund finished strong, shooting even par in the final round.

Women’s head coach Bridgett Norwood always has

of growing every year. All of the dance routines are the same every year and they are performed at each home game during basketball season. “They have to do a six to eight dance routines,” Wyatt said. “UALR Prep Time, a half-time dance, two dances per song, one or two country routines and a Dallas Cowboy-style routine.”

Tryouts for the 2014-2015 season will be held at the Jack Stephens Center at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 29. The tryouts should last until 6 p.m. and new members will have their first meeting an

post on his Southern Fried blog. He wrote that Trojan football could be a huge draw for football fans in Little Rock. He used examples of possible games against ASU and UCA as potential crowd draws to a War Memorial Stadium that would serve as the Trojan’s homefield. No mention was made of the longtime rumor that being part of the UA system means that UALR cannot ever again have a football team. The fact that that Arkansas loves football means that interest will continue in the possibility of having a team right here to represent the capital city.

high expectations for her team and this year she was disappointed with how the team played this season but “this team is young and there is a ton of potential, the team just needs more experience.”

The women’s golf season is scheduled to conclude today with the final day of the SBC tournament in Alabama. Coach Norwood is “really looking forward to next year. I have four new players coming in and with those players added to the ones on the roster now, I believe there will be a tremendous change and we will play well.”

hour after the end of tryouts. The dance team will be announced at the conclusion of the tryout process. The team will require all dancers to perform six basic dance skills and six advanced dance skills.

Dancers are required to wear a stylish, embellished top, dance shorts, tights and jazz shoes. They must also wear game-day make up and their hair down with rhinestone earrings. Applications can be returned to Coach Wyatt’s email at sewyatt@ualr.edu.