The Forum is the official student newspaper at UA Little Rock. It is published monthly from the newspaper office in the Donaghey Student Center Room 116. Any UA Little Rock student is welcome to be a staff member. Opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the staff and contributing writers and do not represent the official views of UA Little Rock. Any inquiries should be directed to the Forum’s executive editor, Jordan Woodson, at editor@ualr.edu.
The Forum welcomes letters to the editor on any subjects as well as comments on our news coverage and editorial positions.
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Letters should be emailed to editor@ualr.edu.
Writer: Nakiah Willis
@jordanjwoodson
McGehee
Chancellor Drale sees a promising future for UA Little Rock
By Oksana Durkee Entertainment Editor
Following the resignation of former Chancellor Andrew Rogerson, Dr. Christina Drale was appointed as our new Chancellor back in September and has done a lot of work already, with more goals she plans on completing.
In the short time of her position at UA Little Rock, Drale has fit into her new role nicely.
“I have a routine now and I’ve gotten things scheduled out and planned,” she said. “I feel a lot more settled in than I did when I first came into this office.”
According to Drale, the early days in the office were quite hectic due to the one week notice of her acceptance.
“We still have many challenges and are working through a lot of things,” she said. “We are very busy, but I think we are on track.”
In addition to the responsibilities on campus that can’t be ignored, Drale said the most difficult part of her position is all of the external work that needs to be done. Spending time in the community doing interviews with local media, legislatures and businesses are all vital to building partnerships.
“There’s been a lot more [external work] than I’ve ever
done before and that has been an adjustment, primarily in terms of scheduling,” she said.
“The campus expects constant communication as well and that sometimes is a balancing act.”
During this balancing act that has been happening ever since Drale was appointed, the campus has been forthcoming with their feedback on the quality of the job being done. Drale says that she’s gotten mostly positive remarks about her work, but that there are still quite a few negative ones.
“There are some faculty members who are very concerned about the retrenchment announcement/process because we’ve never done anything like this before and it could potentially involve the termination of tenured faculty,” she said.
See next page for more financial info
According to Drale, the people of the university are happy that she is finally making a plan for going forward and isn’t just waiting to see what happens. Another positive remark was
that she isn’t just making across the board cuts without any strategic thinking about it.
“We recently did a set of focus groups on the faculty, staff and students,” she said. “I am proactively seeking input because I want to see what the people want to see, what they want kept, what they want focus on and what they want supported.”
An open forum was held on Feb. 19 for students and there will be another one before the end of the semester.
“These face-to-face discussions are a nice way for people to get to know each other on a more personal level,” she said.
UA Little Rock’s website has a page called “Improve UA Little Rock ‘’ under the Office of the Chancellor page for any students and/or faculty that have any suggestions on how to improve the university.
Although she can’t do something about every suggestion or complaint, Drale has been very busy getting things accomplished to better our university.
“The primary goal right now is to plan out the budget because there was a revenue shortfall due to declining enrollment,” she said. “We are two-thirds of the way done with that right now and I am confident we will be done with it by the end of the
Declining enrollment and budgetary missteps at heart of UA Little Rock’s financial problems
year.”
Another less tangible goal that Drale has for the university is building partnerships with the surrounding community. An example of these developing partnerships is the new Building Information Modelling (BIM) lab that was built for the construction management and civil engineering department. The dedication happened on Feb 20 and this is all because of a partnership with the Associated General Contractors of Arkansas.
“BIM is essentially the cutting edge of construction management and construction engineering,” Drale said. “Now students have cutting edge modeling to work in that’s being used in industry.”
Not only will this partnership improve the education of the construction management students, it will also allow them to have job opportunities post graduation through the partnered companies. This is just one of many developing partnerships that Drale has acquired in order to improve our campus.
In addition to the budget right sizing process that will be continuing into next academic year, accreditation for the campus is just around the corner. Once accreditation is renewed, and the budget is more predictable,
Drale has future plans that are proposed to happen in 2021/2022 for developing a mission statement and strategic plan that are updated.
“We have a mission statement that was written in 1988,” Drale said. “It’s not a bad mission statement, but it does need to be updated and made to be more contemporary.”
Although the current strategic plan was updated a few years ago, it was based on an older strategic plan that previous Chancellor, Andrew Rogerson, did not want to make new.
“Rogerson thought the strategic plan simply needed to be updated, and I think we need to start over,“ Drale said. “As soon as accreditation and retrenchment is over, the updates will begin.”
In five years, Drale sees the university having a stabilized enrollment and a stabilized budget. She wants a fully integrated planning and budget process in place and for the investments to match the universities priorities. Drale predicts that the budget will be ironed out and stabilized in less than five years, then a majority of time will not be spent talking about budget.
“I want to see conscious decisions about where to put our resources,” Drale said.
Another continued goal Drale hopes to see play out is the relationships with the surrounding community. The two main relationships Drale wants to focus on are with UAMS and Pulaski Tech (PTC).
“I have been speaking to the Chancellor at PTC and we are working on making transitions from PTC smoother and more welcoming for transfers here,” Drale said. “We want to make the experiences of those students as good as we can make it.”
Drale is hopeful about the upcoming future of UA Little Rock under her leadership.
“We have a lot to be proud of here at UA Little Rock,” she said. “We have a lot of good people doing good things, and I think that’s important for everyone to focus on and keep in mind as we make our way through the budget adjustments.”
By Kolton Rutherford Staff Writer
Years of declining enrollment, the discovery of an over-inflated yearly budget and an almost $11 million budget shortfall have put UA Little Rock in an awkward position at the beginning of the new decade.
Declining Enrollment
UA Little Rock’s enrollment troubles aren’t unique. For years, colleges across the country have faced steadily declining rates of enrollment. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, college enrollment in the United States dropped 11 percent from 2011 to 2019. In 2010, UA Little Rock counted over 13,000 students. Six years later, in 2016, enrollment tallied at just over 11,500 students. The latest enrollment calculation, completed for Fall 2019, counted about 9,500 students. While lost enrollment revenue has been a common experience in recent years, budgetary enrollment projections for thecurrent fiscal year pushed the school’s financial issues to the
extreme.
“We projected an enrollment decline of 1 percent,” UA Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale said. “And it was 9 percent.”
That 9 percent decline resulted in about $5 million worth of revenue loss. Drale said the original projected decline was the result of philosophical differences.
“I think there were people who recognized that was not a realistic projection,” Drale said.
“But there were others who were very optimistic and truly believed we would be able to turn enrollment around and limit it to a more modest decline.”
While the university isn’t expecting another 9 percent drop in enrollment for next year, they are prepared for more declines.
“We are predicting we will not regain any of the 9 percent we lost this year,” Drale said. “And in fact, [we think we] will lose potentially another 6 percent.”
That 6 percent accounts for a further $4 million in potential revenue losses.
For this year, however, the school still has another $6 million to make up for outside of
last November. The report detailed an audit of the school’s 2019 Fiscal Year which discovered the school’s actual budget was significantly lower than what they provided to UA System officials.
For years, the school had been over-inflating their yearly budget by rolling over accounts designated for multiple years. In one case, revenue was overcalculated by $20.5 million.
Despite some hiccups, Drale said the school has learned from their mistakes.
“We’ve stopped that practice and we’ve corrected that,” Drale said. “We did roll over the grants for this fiscal year and we had to go back and correct that. So, we think we’ve got all of that worked out. There were some not-best practices going on for a while.”
University Response
In spite of all the financial challenges, the school just finished the second in three rounds of budget cuts to account for 2020’s deficit. But the most significant cuts are on the horizon.
their operating budget.
“We projected an enrollment decline of 1 percent and it was 9 percent.”
- Chancellor Christina Drale
$11 million budget deficit
Institutions like UA Little Rock have a part of their budget called net position which deals with depreciation, bonds and other accounting matters.
Over time, the university failed to account for depreciation in their budget.
“We weren’t setting aside enough funds to match that depreciation level,” Drale said.
“We came into this fiscal year $5.6 million in the negative on our net position.”
For the 2020 Fiscal Year, the university faces an almost $11 million budget shortfall.
University Audit
A report which alarmed many on campus arrived in an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article
For more on the university’s response to the financial crisis and the potential impact on students and faculty, read the followup to this story in next month’s edition of the Forum.
Chancellor Drale with Dr. David Montagu at this year’s Fribourgh Award Ceremony
Trump proposes an end to Public Service Student Loan Forgivness Program
By Latosha Newman Staff Writer
President Donald Trump released his budget for the year 2021 on Feb. 11 where he proposed some major changes, in particular a major cut to student loan forgiveness programs. In his 132-page budget proposal, President Trump wants to cut the funding for the Department of Education by $5.6 billion, which equates to a 7.8% decrease. Some major cuts he is making to the budget includes eliminating subsidized Stafford Loans, eliminating the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, cutting $630 million from the Federal Work Study Program, reducing income-driven loan repayment programs, and eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. President George W. Bush created the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program in 2007.
The program forgives federal student loans for borrowers who are employed full-time in an eligible federal, state or local public service job or nonprofit job that make 120 eligible, on time payments over ten years.
“I think it’s a very smart decision,” freshman David Beavers said. “Forgiving student loans encourages people to take more loans out because they have no negative repercussions from them, which only feeds what has turned into a national problem.”
Beavers believes it shouldn’t be on the government to pay off someone’s student loans and that it’s not the government’s fault that they can’t pay it.
“No one forces anyone to take out student loans,” he said. “It is a consensual business agreement with the borrower and whoever gives out the loan. And if you rely on the government to forgive you of that debt then maybe you shouldn’t take out student loans in the first place.”
Beavers sees the viewpoint
of taxpayers who don’t have to worry about paying off student loans.
“Its not fair to blue collar workers who didn’t go to college because they didn’t want to take out loans and its not fair to people who have already paid off their students loans,” he said.
Senior Tyler Kee has a completely different viewpoint on the situation.
“Eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is a direct affront to education and its ability to better society through public service,” he said. “Any effort to line the pockets of the federal government through deliberate burdening of public servants with student loans is a clear opposition to equal access to services, as it attempts to devalue the public service and non-profit jobs that our society so heavily relies upon.”
The proposed budget is not yet in affect and still has to get approved by congress before it can get passed, which, with how divided it is at the moment, may not ever even happen.
Is the UA Little Rock and Pulaski Tech joint smooth sailing?
By Alexandria Trantham Guest Writer
In February of 2017, Pulaski Technical College formally joined the University of Arkansas System with a name change to University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College (UA-PTC) in a move to provide greater articulation of college transfer program options from UA-PTC to other four-year UA System universities, which includes, for many, UA Little Rock.
It is 2020, so how has the transfer process been for students? It should be easy right? For some students, they found themselves stuck or unsure what to do at times. Transfer should be easy and simple for students wanting to go to a school that is already linked together. For some students, however, it has not been as easy as some people would have liked.
Briana Taylor and Mecca Hinnant are both transfer students from UA-PT and neither of them had a warm welcome in to UA Little Rock. Taylor transferred in as a sophomore while Hinnant came in as a junior. They both ran into issues when they tried to transfer even though the transfer link had been set up between UA Little Rock and Pulaski Tech. Hinnant was guided to two advisers when she was enrolled into UA Little Rock.
“It was a little confusing, but I managed to work through it,” she said.
She had been to a university before in the past and was hoping for that style of campus life again.
“Campus life here is not what I expected from a University level,” she said.
There are pros and cons of any transfer, but Hinnant’s pros
New student led award to honor five faculty members
By Kelly Connelly Staff Writer
The Student Government Association (SGA) has partnered with the provost’s office to honor the UA Little Rock faculty for their hard work and dedication.
and cons are just a little different. Her pros are being able to know she can obtain a degree again while her cons are that tuition is expensive and she had to explore her own alternate payment options.
“I just didn’t know a lot and wasn’t informed about a lot of things when it came to finances at UA Little Rock,” she said. Taylor also did not have a great transfer experience when she transferred in as a sophomore. She did not have the help of advisers or much help at all for that matter.
“There was no communication between advisors and student,” she said. “I had to find all information related to aid, finding an advisor and class requirements [on my own].”
“I had to find all information related to aid, finding an advisor and class requirements [on my own].”
- Briana Taylor
She transferred from UA-Fayetteville for a year, then transfered to Pulaski Tech before coming to UA Little Rock.
“Transfer was easier from [Fayetteville] to Pulaski Tech,” she said. “They were more willing to help than when I transferred to UA Little Rock.”
The pros for her were that the information was easy to locate
but the cons were that even though there had been a connection set up between UA Little Rock and Pulaski Tech, there was still a lack in communication from UA Little Rock when transcripts were sent and then not accepted when sent. This was only just a few semesters ago, but the connection had been set up since the two had transferred a while back. There are still stories that have gone on about how the connection is still a bit rocky but is slowly getting better. Still, when they set up the connection they should have had some type of heads up saying they were not ready nor sure themselves how it would 100% go. With UA Little Rock having to cut back due to the lack of numbers of students trying to transfer from Pulaski Tech, it would be a great way to increase numbers. That being said, that is if the transfer process has gotten easier.
A new student choice award known as the “We Heart Our Faculty Award” was designed to give students an opportunity to nominate their favorite faculty member. The results of who voted for who will remain anonymous, but the awards will be presented at the Faculty Excellence Award ceremony April 9. The five faculty members chosen will receive a small glass heart with UA Little Rock’s colors in their honor.
This is the first year We Heart Our Faculty Awards will be given out. There was no student-sponsored award for faculty members last year. In 2018, there were awards that recognized a few exceptional faculty members during SGA’s student choice award ceremony. SGA president Katie Zakrzewski created the new award to work in conjunction with the We Heart Our Student Awards. Her hope is to show how much students care about the university’s employees.
“I am hoping to prove that even though morale is very low at the university right now and even though our faculty members are really overworked, we still appreciate everything they do and we still notice when they go out of their way for us,” Zakrzewski said. “They are always willing to spearhead campaigns that let us know how much we mean to them and we need to return the favor.”
Dean of Students Richard Harper said this award is a recognition opportunity for students to acknowledge faculty who are doing outstanding work on campus.
Harper said he believes the awards could serve as motivation for other faculty to rise up to a better level of work. He said seeing their peers recognized and honored could cause faculty members to improve their own roles.
“I am looking forward to seeing who is going to be named as winners,” Harper said. “Hopefully, they can serve as role models for the rest of the faculty.”
SGA senator Landon DeKay said discussions with his teachers caused him to realize they do not receive the recognition they deserve. DeKay chose a professor who cares about student input and pushes for students to succeed as his nominee. He said the faculty members at UA Little Rock cause students to choose the university.
“Faculty are the reason why the students are here,” he said. “If you ask any student what their favorite part of going to school here is, it is most likely their teachers. They actually think they’re caring and they want them to succeed. I think that is something our school could use to increase enrollment.”
Five faculty members will be nominated to represent each of UA Little Rock’s five colleges: the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences (CALS), the College of Business, the College of Education and Health Professionals (CEHP), the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) and the College of Social Sciences and Communication (CSSC).
Zakrzewski said more than 500 students nominated a faculty member within the first week of voting. The voting for We Heart Our Faculty Awards closed on Feb. 1, but both Zakrzewski and Dean Harper hope this award will become an annual event.
“I think it is a great idea,” Harper said. “It is great on both sides. It gives the students an opportunity to recognize faculty members that are doing a good job and also it gets to highlight the campus community.”
“At its most basic level, it is to recognize their good work and the excellence they are doing,” he said. “Whether it is inside the classroom or outside the classroom, whether it is advising student groups or research related, it is the students’ opportunity to pick and choose who they believe is making a meaningful impact.”
Photo by WhiteHouse.Gov
Impeachment in the classroom
How political science professors are using the Impeachment to teach students
By Kolton Rutherford Staff Writer
The impeachment investigation and subsequent senate trial of President Donald Trump dominated headlines and fueled many opinions the last several months. And while the process ended on Feb. 5 with the acquittal of President Trump, one UA Little Rock political science professor is still using the latest presidential impeachment trial to teach students in her classroom.
Impeachment, as it is outlined in the Constitution and expanded upon in The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, is typically discussed in the Constitution chapter of UA Little Rock’s Presidency class, as well as the chapter on Presidents and the Courts. But Dr. Margaret Scranton, a university political science professor and current instructor of the presidency class, was able to expand on the topic of impeachment due to its impact.
“I realized that two really important political processes were underway during the first month of class,” Scranton said. “And that we needed to spend time on those as they unfolded.”
That other important process she described is the 2020 Election campaign. Giving students multiple topic options for the assignment was a conscious choice by Scranton.
“I wanted students to be able to opt-out of dealing with
Students
By Caitlyn Robbins Staff Writer
The Trojan Transit was introduced to UA Little Rock students and staff in March of 2015 to enhance safety and sustainability initiatives and provide a convenient way of transporting university attendees efficiently. When this amenity was revoked last fall, many were left with
Politics on campus
By Dorothea Greulich Guest Writer
impeachment for whatever reason and to provide an option for people more interested in electoral politics,” Scranton said.
Whether their topic was impeachment or the 2020 Election, students in her class were required to identify a theme or question associated with their topic and gather 20 pages of evidence into an online Wiki which ultimately answered their theme or question.
Scranton says that setting the assignment as a wiki avoided frequent class discussions which could put students at risk.
“Given the volatility and hyperpolarization of opinion about this President, I did not want to hold regular discussions in an online class,” Scranton said.
“It’s too risky for students to feel that what they write might be copied and posted on someone’s social media and then move on to other media.”
Scranton has years of experience incorporating current events into her classes and even taught about impeachment in her Clinton Presidency course which aired on C-SPAN.
“We can’t understand a president’s choices and the wider policy-making process if we don’t follow issues from their birth through getting to government and then how [the] government decides what to do or not to do,” Scranton said.
Dr. Joseph Giammo, an associate professor at the School of Public Affairs, hasn’t extensively discussed impeachment in his current classes but also values
the importance of using current events in the classroom.
“It’s important to use examples that students can relate to in order to help them understand the concepts we are talking about,” Giammo said. “My goal is to help them be able to analyze issues and events from a political science perspective, not from a partisan perspective.
He says that partisan perspective is tricky at times, but guiding the class back on course if the discussion turns is usually successful.
Despite the difficulties partisan politics can cause in the classroom, Giammo doesn’t discredit the partisan perspective entirely.
“I tell them there is nothing wrong with having a partisan perspective,” Giammo said. “It’s entirely appropriate in some settings. It’s also important, though, to be able to set that aside and analyze things from a different perspective when the partisan one is not appropriate or is even destructive to our ability to understand what is going on.”
Due to the nature of the current political climate, there is always a risk when discussing current issues in a political science classroom. Despite those risks, Scranton believes conversations about current issues are necessary.
“The central concept of my discipline, power – who has it, who uses it, and to what ends,” Scranton said. “Is at the heart of every discussion of issues.”
Data shows that college students in the United States are more and more interested in politics. However, this trend does not seem to fit the campus of UA Little Rock. This is a request to the university to help their students out.
Research conducted on the behalf of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy in May 2019 demonstrates that 66% of college students follow the Presidential election closely. The same number of students says that politics are relevant to them. This number is fairly high compared to the number of students that have voted in 2016, which was 48.3%.
If two in three students turn out to vote this fall, many will be impressed by the engagement of college students.
UA Little Rock students seem to follow a different direction. While asking students on campus about their interest in the upcoming election, the majority said that they do not pay much attention. Many even recognized that they should care more about it but there are many other things in their lives that are more important to them.
This goes along with long identified reasons for the low engagement of the younger generations in politics. These include a lack of knowledge about the government, candidates or politics in general. Moreover, students criticize that politicians do not appeal to them in their campaigns. For many others, it is just a boring topic and they believe it is worthless to vote.
The data also shows that 46% of college students use social media
such as Facebook or Twitter to get their news about politics and civic affairs. Social media has the disadvantage that news can be easily overlooked and pushed in the background. However, there are many attempts to make politics more appealing to college students through the new media. One example is the show published by the comedian Hasan Minhaj on Netflix. His show, “Patriot Act,” tries to explain complex political issues directed to a young audience.
While new developments such as shows like “Patriot Act” and the national trend give hope that society can finally overcome the problem of students’ disinterest in politics, the students on the Little Rock campus need help to get there. The University with its staff and knowledge is in a good place to change that through a few initiatives. Students especially on our campus are not able to engage in any forums or events that deal with politics or the Presidential election because they are simply non offered. Though, a college campus is a nearly perfect place to host initiatives that inform students about aspects around the election. Professors and political science students have the knowledge that so many lack. They just have to share it. It would be very beneficial if the university manages to help their students in understanding the complex issues of politics and election. However, with the college just being in the middle of restructuring, it might be challenging to start political initiatives on campus.
University reacts to sexual assault on campus
By Chloe McGhee News Editor
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, students received a crime alert that changed the outlook of campus for the new semester when it was reported that there had been a sexual assault on campus in Stabler Hall.
Students were confused, scared and worried. Not only was the assault surprising, but it was also highly publicized for days after. When UA Little Rock reopened after winter break, students were more alert than ever. A public forum was held on campus to discuss what happened and what steps are being taken to prevent further incidents.
“We want [students] to know where to go ahead of time,” LaTonda Williams, Title IX Coordinator said. “We don’t want anything to be reactive. One should already know what to do with your call. We want to make sure that the person who has been victimized knows their resources- that’s the most important part. We have to make sure that our campus community is free from discrimination. We have to make sure that our students and our employees are fully aware of their rights and protections under Title IX.” Williams wants students to
know that Title lX can be an asset to those who are feeling anxious about the incident.
“It can be overwhelming, because it’s a real feeling to be fearful,” Williams said. “You’re not here to be concerned about that, you’re here to get your education. Keep in mind that if you get to the point that you just don’t feel safe, there are resources available to you. If something does happen, and you’re not ready to talk about it, there’s not a statue limitation when it comes to Title IX, so just because it happened this month, does not mean you have to pursue something at this very moment. It’s always helpful because evidence can go away, but Title IX is here to help whenever.”
Doctor Molly Smith, a professor in the Criminal Justice department and an expert on sexual assault, says that if students are aware of their surroundings, they are much less likely to encounter any crime.
“I always tell all my students to walk in groups,” she said. “I teach my classes that I do not want to see a single one of them walk out by his or herself. Also, walk with a little care. Walking with your headphones in can be a big problem. It’s hard to remember, but we have to. If you’re nervous about your surroundings, don’t zone out like that. You have instincts for a reason.”
Williams also encourages students to stick together when walking around campus.
“You’re not here to be concerned about that, you’re here to get your education.”
- LaTonda Williams
“[Students should] watch out for one another,” Williams said. “You have to make sure that when you leave out of your class that you have a partner, somebody to buddy up with to walk you to your car, walk you back to your residence hall. Also be aware of the telephones on campus. It really is common sense type things, but now we’ve just been reminded of the things to be aware of, because sometimes we take it for granted, you really may not think that much about it, but we do need to.”
Both Williams and Smith encourage students to take advantage of campus resources.
“Our campus is safe, and that’s why we pursue investigations of anyone who is a member of our community, but we will not force a person to go through our process if they’re not ready,” Williams said. “Sometimes a person just wants to talk to someone. They don’t file a report. If that’s the case, seek confidential counseling, because all of our employees are mandated to report anything reported to them and they have to do that within 24 hours of hearing the information, but our counseling services department and our health services department are exempt so you can go and talk to them and they’re not going to report anything to our office unless you want them to.”
Smith also thinks that campus services are key to helping students.
“Use your campus resources,” Smith said. “Be diligent, if you’re anywhere on campus and you feel like you can’t walk from your car to the library or where you want to go, all you need to do is call public safety and they will provide someone who will take you where you need to go.”
Smith also recommends using another campus recourse when students need help.
“Use the blue lights on campus,” she said. “I know we all have our phones now but they really count. And then counseling services, there’s benefit to something like that here. These are free services that your tuition pays for so make sure you use them.”
Smith urges students to remember that incidents like this are rare and that UA Little Rock is a safe campus.
“In general, UA Little Rock is a large, pretty safe campus,” Smith said. “That doesn’t mean it’s a completely safe campus. Something can happen no matter how aware of our surroundings we are. That said, it shouldn’t paralyze you with fear. The faculty and staff have tried their absolute hardest and mostly succeeded in providing the safest environment for students as possible.”
Not only will DPS be increasing their presence on campus, but services are available to students who feel uncomfortable walking around campus. Counseling services are also available for any students who feel affected by the assault. The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month so more training and education will be provided.
minimal options for transportation around campus.
Most people that attend UA Little Rock are commuters and can understand how inconvenient parking can be when arriving at the campus and walking to class. The walks to class can be long, cold, rainy, and sometimes dangerous for those with night classes. Chloe Moses, a graduate student who resides in the University Village, was a fre-
quent rider of the Trojan Transit and was negatively affected by the removal of the service.
“The Transit was an efficient resource for me to travel to and from classes quickly and safely,” she said. “Especially in bad weather or at night.”
She also goes on to explain how the only options she’s left with are to make the ten-minute walk, spend money on an Uber or Lyft or have a friend or fam-
ily member drive her which isn’t always available.
UA Little Rock is known to be in a notoriously dangerous part of town. Long walks back to the dorm, apartments or even your car in the parking lot across campus can be daunting, especially with it being an open campus. The Department of Public Safety could not give an answer as to why the transit service was abolished, other than
the University having a lack of funds. However, they want students to be aware that safety is their number one priority, and thus have offered escort services to all students and faculty who feel as if it is necessary. If students are in need of an escort service, they can call the campus DPS at 569-3400.
By Latosha Newman Staff Writer & Jordan Woodson Executive Editor
The Little Rock Police Department has responded to a report of a stollen wallet, an individual crying on campus, a report sexual activity in a campus parking lot and a report of a suspicious man that had a warrant out for his arrest.
Stollen Wallet
Police were notified on Jan. 31 when a UA Little Rock
student lost his wallet in the Donaghey Student Center while running around the indoor track. He came back to his backpack and noticed it had been rambled through and his wallet was missing. He called DPS and eventually it was retrieved by an instructor and returned to him on Feb. 3.
Individual Crying
On Jan. 26, Officer Gavin Hurst was called to an E Phone going off at Lot 10. When he arrived, he saw a female crying and she stated that she had
gotten into an altercation near Paper Moon Nightclub by three other females allegedly ganging up on her the previous night.
During the fight, she lost her phone and couldn’t find it. She later filed a statement with the LRPD since the incident occurred off campus.
Sexual Activity
On Jan. 20, around two in the morning, Officer Claunch and Officer Wilson found a vehicle with fogged up windows in Lot 10, near West Hall. When they approached the vehicle, they
found two individuals, one UA Little Rock student (female) and one non-UA Little Rock student (male), in the back seat having sex. They were advised of their violation of Disorderly Conduct but were not charged of a crime. The incident was instead reported to the Dean of Students. The male individual didn’t have a valid driver’s license so the UA Little Rock PD took possession of the vehicle.
Suspicious Male
Office Claunch observed a suspicious male walking on the
wall of the back of Big Lots. When asked for the individual’s name, Claunch found a warrant out for his arrest in both Little Rock and North Little for larceny. The individual tried to hide his backpack and bicycle behind a dumpster, but the police found it and took possession of both items. No contraband was found inside the backpack, only $5 in cash was found inside. The individual was later taken to the Pulaski County Jail.
saddened by removal of the Trojan Transit
What it’s like being black at a PWI
By Nakiah Willis Staff Writer
A PWI is a predominantly white institution. The abbreviation, PWI, is pretty much defined by its name. It’s a college or university where the student and faculty population consists mostly of white individuals. UA Little Rock is one of the most diverse institutions in the state. There is a little bit of every race and socio-economic background on campus. However, that doesn’t dismiss the fact that over half the student population is white. Therefore, UA Little Rock would be classified as a PWI.
For some black students, attending a PWI can be an overwhelming experience. Especially if that’s not the environment they are used to. Sydney Agudah, a junior Health Education and Promotion major and a member of the UA Little Rock basketball team, stated that his experience at a PWI has been great.
“It could be improved with more clubs and events on campus, however I am enjoying myself,” he said.
No one truly knows what it’s like to be in other people’s positions and Agudah recognizes that.
“I feel like my peers have a general concept of what it means to be black, but not black at a PWI,” he said. “Many people don’t know the difference between a PWI and a HBCU [Historically Black College or
University]. They just see it as a college with no formal labeling.” Sydney emphasized that he hasn’t experienced any form of racism or discrimination during his time at UA Little Rock.
“There have been racial incidents outside of campus with the Kappa Sigma Fraternity but not any directly towards me,” he said.
There was also an incident back in the spring of 2018 with the predominantly white fraternity and sorority, Pi Kappa Alpha and Chi Omega. The two organizations were briefly suspended for a video that showed the two groups singing a song and using racial slurs.
According to Agudah, UA Little Rock has done an excellent job in creating diverse classroom settings.
“In my classes, it would either be a mixture of different races or the majority being the same race,” he said. “Out of my three years here at UA Little Rock, I never had a class where I was the minority.”
Compared to white students, UA Little Rock fails to equally accommodate the needs of students of color. Agudah suggests that there needs to be more events on campus catered to African American students.
“I know it’s hard to get events for black students approved considering that there are a lot of individuals of the UA Little Rock community that look down on us,” he said.
Agudah mentions that the
only time black students come together as a community is outside of campus where there are events such as parties. Not only does UA Little Rock fail to equally accommodate the needs of students of color, they also miss the mark when it comes to representation.
“We aren’t represented on campus well,” Agudah said. “UA Little Rock doesn’t help us much. Any events that we host, we have to do all the promoting so that others will attend. They make it difficult to do anything on campus. Not many of us do things unless it’s off campus.”
Jaelyn Tucker is a freshman, track athlete majoring in Mass Communication with an emphasis in radio and television production. For Tucker, coming to a predominantly white institution wasn’t an extreme cultural shock to her.
“I grew up in a mostly white town and went to school with mostly white kids,” she said. “At the time, I didn’t know the difference between me and my white peers. It doesn’t bother me at all and I haven’t had any issues.”
Tucker mentions that her peers don’t understand what it’s like being labeled as a black individual.
“My peers don’t understand that being black comes with many negative labels and stereotypes,” she said. “Everyday I work to try to break them. That’s not me.”
Tucker admits to having experienced microaggression on
campus.
“It was nothing extremely serious,” she said. “However, that’s what happens when you live with three white roommates.”
Tucker believes that UA Little Rock does a good job at providing equal opportunities for students of color. She also thinks that black students are represented well on campus.
“I went to a few black fraternity events on campus,” she said. “They made me feel really welcomed.”
Angelica Clark is a senior majoring in Management. She is also the President of the UA Little Rock NAACP collegiate chapter.
She says her experience here at the university has been “okay.”
“It’s definitely different from an HBCU,” Clark said. “For example, the professors I had at Texas Southern University (an HBCU in Houston) were more considerate of my success. At UA Little Rock, the attitude is more like ‘it is what it is.’ I’ve had teachers carelessly grade my work and not give me any feedback on what I did wrong.”
Clark says that she has experienced micro-aggression from an advisor at UA Little Rock.
“When I transferred to UA Little Rock, I expressed to my advisor that I wanted to take 18 hours,” she said. “I was told that I couldn’t do it because UA Little Rock was not ‘easy like TSU.’”
Clark eventually did end up taking 18 hours anyway and says that it felt good when she proved
Tips for safe driving Learning from expierence
UA Little Rock NAACP celebrates Black History Month
her advisor wrong. She believes the students of color need to do more on campus, not UA Little Rock.
“The more we do on campus, the more awareness that can be brought so that we too can have an amazing college experience,” she said.
Clark has been working hard as the president for the NAACP so that it can be a good representation of black students on campus. She says that UA Little Rock does recognize black students, however they fail to acknowledge all shades.
“When UA Little Rock does recognize black students, they are all lighter shades,” she said.
“They hinder the representation of dark skinned, black students. Black isn’t just one color. If you’re going to acknowledge one side of the spectrum, you need to consider the other side as well. We’re all black no matter the shade of our skin.”
Overall, UA Little Rock has some work to do when it comes to representation and equal commodities for their students of color. However, black students need to do their part as well. They need to advertise themselves more on campus to receive the representation they want. They can’t rely on UA Little Rock to do it for them. They haven’t done anything for them before. The black community needs to come together and take action into their own hands.
By Chantia Green Guest Writer
Knowing the rules to safe driving on the streets may not be a challenge to most drivers, especially for those who have years of driving experience. Freeway driving comes with an additional set of rules due to the risk of driving among others at a faster speed limit. According to The Drivers Education website https://www.driverseducationusa.com, there are nine important safety tips for driving on the freeway:
1. Avoid driving when you are drowsy or impaired in any way. Research shows that drowsy driving is a cause of at least 100,000 auto crashes each year; therefore, it is very unsafe to drive on freeways when you are drowsy or impaired.
2. Avoid driving on the freeways when circumstances are adverse.
For example bad weather, Busy or congested traffic and the possibility of intoxicated drivers, specifically on holidays or weekend nights.
3. Enter the freeway safely. When getting on the freeway, turn on your signals, accelerate to a safe speed close to the flow of the freeway traffic, and look over your shoulder and mirrors to make sure that you have a safe distance and opening, and then merge onto the freeway.
4. Stay in a safe lane and at the right speed.
5. If you need to pass other vehicles always pass on the left, never the right.
6. Leave a lot of room between your vehicle and other vehicles.
Leave at least one car’s distance between you and the other vehicle.
7. Do not drive in another vehicle’s blind spot Driving in the blind spot of other vehicles can be very dangerous. Try not to drive directly parallel to other vehicles.
8. Scan far ahead for obstacles and traffic hazards. Always scan far ahead and your surroundings for traffic hazards and obstructions. This way, if there is a hazard or traffic situation, you have enough time to react appropriately to the traffic situation or hazard.
9. Do not park on the side of the freeways. Avoid stopping on the pavement, shoulders, or ramps of any freeway unless it is an emergency.
These tips are very important to remember when driving on the freeway because many unexpected dangers can happen and these tips could save your life or others. From those nine tips I can personally relate to tip number eight, Scan far ahead for obstacles and traffic hazards.
Being a driver with years of experience, I was aware of tip number eight but it was easy to momentarily forget those tips with the countless number of distractions that come with driving. In my case, I was driving in the middle lane of the freeway when I noticed another vehicle swerving from something in the road. By the time I saw the debri in the road it wasn’t till after the other vehicle swerved away. At that moment it was too late for me to switch lanes and miss the debri. I then lost control of my vehicle and crashed into both barricades on each side of the freeway resulting in my car being totaled.
Being a victim of a vehicular accident I’m now aware of the tips I didn’t know beforehand and will be aware in the future.
According to Drivers Education practicing these nine tips will ensure your safety on freeways.
By Nakiah Willis Staff Writer
In honor of Black History Month, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) at UA Little Rock hosted three events on campus: Karaoke Night titled “You’re Not Black if You Don’t Know This Song,” “Black People Don’t Litter,” and “Black People Greet.” The NAACP is an organization that is deeply rooted in service and progressivism to eliminate discrimination on the basis of race and to ensure positive health and well being of all people. Their vision is to secure a society in which all people have equal rights without race-based discrimination.
NAACP hosted “You’re Not Black if You Don’t Know This Song,” on Wednesday, Feb. 5 in Ledbetter Hall A. This event was a karaoke night where willing participants got up on stage and performed a song of their choice. The songs played ranged from old R&B jams such as “Before I let Go,” by Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, to current, popular hiphop songs such as “The Box” by Roddy Rich. The event also consisted of free food from Cici’s Chicken and Waffles and various free prizes. Some of the prizes won by individuals included speakers, candy, Walmart gift
cards, bedroom lights, digital alarm clocks and coffee cups.
On Saturday, Feb. 8, NAACP presented “Black People Don’t Litter,” a street cleanup event on Fair Park Blvd. A total of ten members of the chapter participated in the cleanup. The members were split up into two groups of five; one group was assigned West 24th St. through West 28th St., while the other group was in charge of West 19th S. through West 23rd St. Everyone was given a bright, yellow vest to wear for safety purposes while cleaning up on the side of the road. Each group was also given a pair of gloves, a standard trash picker and a bottle of water to stay hydrated. Many of the trash items picked up included alcohol bottles, cigarette butts, glass pieces restaurant cups and at the end of the cleanup, several trash bags were placed at the end of West 28th to be picked up by the city of Little Rock.
On Thursday, Feb. 13, NCAAP hosted “Black People Greet,” a speed dating event in honor of Valentine’s Day in Ledbetter Hall A of the Donaghey Student Center. Speed dating involves a group of singles going on fast paced dates with each other. At the event, two tables were set up on each side of the room. Individuals sat across from each other for one minute and asked
any questions they wanted to know about that person. Once the clock ran down, individuals on one side of the table moved down to the next person and the dating continued. At the end of the night, many people left with each other’s social media and contact information. The NAACP served food at the event such as pizza, dessert, fruit, and drinks. In between conversations, tickets, a pen, and a collection plate were passed around for participants to put their name into a drawing for prizes. The prizes consisted of a goody bag filled with candy, a coffee mug, and a small teddy bear. However, the biggest reward of the event was a $50 gift card for two individuals to the Movie Tavern. Two members of the chapter won that prize.
The UA Little Rock NAACP collegiate chapter intends to host more fun, student-friendly events like “You’re Not Black if You Don’t Know This Song,” “Black People Don’t Litter” and “Black People Greet” in the future.
Javonnica and DeCorius, winners of the Movie Tavern gift card. Photo by Angelica Clark
UA Little Rock showcases fantasy coffins to celebrate death
By Miriam Battles Staff Writer
UA Little Rock Windgate Center and Design is showcasing fantasy coffins to celebrate death. Ghanaian artist Eric Adjety Anang is a carpenter who creates fantasy coffins for funerals, art galleries, museums and more. The coffins are hand-carved by Anang from the woods of Ghana.
According to the Arkansas Times, Anang started making fantasy coffins after his grandfather created a palanquin for a chief who died before he got a chance to ride in it. It was used as a coffin instead.
Fantasy coffins are a prominent form of art in Ghana. They are made in different shapes, sizes and forms to represent the profession of the deceased. Their hope is that their profession can resume in the afterlife.
The name of the exhibit is
Celebrating Death: Fantasy Coffins from Ghana. Inside the gallery, you can find some of Anang’s pieces like a wingtip shoe, chili pepper and a bee.
The Windgate Center of Art and Design showcases fantasy coffins to celebrate death in Ghana. Photos by Miriam Battles/The Forum
Bowen Law student crowned Miss Nigeria International
By Jordan Woodson Executive Editor
Aisosa Osaretin, a thirdyear concurrent Juris Doctor student at the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, was crowned Miss Nigeria International at the 2nd annual Miss Nigeria International Pageant in Minneapolis over winter break.
Miss Nigeria International Pageant (MNI) is a pageant based in Minnesota that seeks to empower women beyond just natural beauty. The organization’s mission is to celebrate beauty in diverse forms, uplift intellect and promote corporate social responsibility in the community. Anyone from any part of the world can participate as long as they are of Nigerian decent, meaning they have at least one parent who is Nigerian. Osaretin first heard about the pageant from a family friend who gave them the number of the pageant director.
“At first, I refused without even thinking twice,” Osaretin said. “My mum encouraged me to speak with the contact and that was how I decided to
participate.”
Osaretin, along with the contestants, had three months of pre-pageant activities which included phone interviews, prepageant judging and appearances at a variety of events. This gave the judges an opportunity to access the contestants’ communication skills, team work, self and mutual respect as well as their professionalism. The actual pageant itself included five different rounds. The first round was the contestants’ introductions, which included them stating the state of Nigeria they were representing as well as the slogan of that state. Osaretin represented Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in which its slogan is “Centre for Unity”. The second round was the “beachwear” portion of the competition. The contestants didn’t wear tradition bikini swimsuits and were instead scored based on their confidence and physical fitness. The third round had the contestants wearing traditional attire that represented the culture of the state they were representing while dancing to a traditional song. The fourth round was the talent portion of the competition where Osaretin performed the song “Great Nation” by Nigerian singer Timi Dakolo. The fifth
and final round was the evening gown portion, where the contestants are judged on their pose, grace, catwalk and intelligence.
“I told myself that I was going to have fun and at the same time, I will do my best to win,” Osaretin said. “I resolved to do my best, but was also aware that all contestants came to win and I may not be the winner.”
“I told myself that I was going to have fun and at the same time, I will do my best to win.”
- Aisosa Osaretin
Osaretin won three separate awards at the pageant before being crowned Miss Nigeria International; Best Traditional Attire, Best Beachwear (both decided by the judges), and Miss Congeniality (decided on by her fellow contestants).
“I was in so much shock for the rest of the week,” she said.
“My parents and some friends were at the event and they ran up front screaming in jubilation the moment I was announced as Queen. My entire family and friends, both at home and abroad, were elated and I spent a good amount of time responding to congratulatory messages.
I was most grateful for winning because it was a way of telling those who had supported and encouraged me from the start that their confidence and trust in me was not misplaced.”
It means a lot to Osaretin as a Nigerian living in the U.S. to be crowned Miss Nigeria International.
“As a Nigerian in the United States, I have always been aware of the fact that I represent my country in so many aspects, in the sense that people gain a perception on Nigeria just from interacting with me,” she said.
“However, as the Queen, I take it more seriously and it feels more official. Also, it makes me proud to know that I embody all the values MNI supports enough to be an ambassador of the values of Nigeria.”
Because of her win, Osaretin must now participate in at least four hours of community service
MSA celebrates fourth annual World Hijab Day
every month and must represent Nigeria in another pageant.
“For my community service, I try as much as possible to focus on human rights advocacy because I am most passionate about issues pertaining to human rights,” she said.
Osaretin has volunteered for a variety of different organizations and participated with some human rights organizations such as Write for Rights in Amnesty International, which is the world’s biggest human rights event that has people write millions of letters for those whose basic human rights are being attacked. She will also be appearing at events aimed at boosting the Nigerian culture and will be visiting the Nigerian consulate in New York. For personal reasons outside of the pageant, she is also in collaboration with her sisters, who are in the medical field, to start a group aimed at sensitizing children in her hometown of Benin City, Nigeria, on sex education.
“As through my research, this is very much needed to address issues on sex-related violence in my hometown,” she said.
Osaretin got her Bachelors in Philosophy from the University of Benin in Benin City, Nigeria and is currently a third-year student at the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and concurrently pursuing a masters in Public Service at the Clinton School of Public Service. She is also a Post-Baccalaureate student at the UA Little Rock main campus for biology and chemistry classes.
“My goal after graduating is to be the lawyer you want to represent you,” she said. “The one who gives you hope that something can be done and it’s not time to give up yet. I plan to apply myself as a human rights advocate, specifically in relation to women and children. I am also working towards becoming a patent attorney, hence my postbaccalaureate status.”
By Nakiah Willis Staff Writer
The Muslim Student Association (MSA) hosted World Hijab Day on campus for the fourth year in a row Friday, Jan. 31, 2020.
Members of the Muslim Student Association set up a table outside the cafeteria for students, faculty and staff to ask questions they had regarding the Islamic religion and to choose from a wide variety of hijabs to wear for the whole day. The hijabs varied in different colors, patterns, lengths and ways that they could be worn.
“The purpose of this holiday is to inform fellow UALR students, faculty and staff that Muslim women aren’t oppressed and that they aren’t forced to wear the hijab,” Nataly Abu-Halimeh, president of MSA, said. “World Hijab Day encourages women of all backgrounds to experience what it’s like to wear the hijab.”
World Hijab was founded in 2013 by New Yorker Nazma Khan, but didn’t become an event at UA Little Rock until 2016. Since its founding, it has become a popular event celebrated by over 140 countries around the world. The purpose of World Hijab Day is to
encourage women from all backgrounds to wear and experience the hijab.
The hijab is head scarf or covering worn by Muslim women that represents modesty.
“The hijab is a requirement,” Abu-Halimeh said.
“However, it’s also the woman’s choice to wear it or not.”
Abu-Halimeh does not currently wear a hijab, but hopes to in the future. Although she doesn’t wear one, she still feels it is important to celebrate the practice for the UA Little Rock campus.
“We’re a really small minority group on campus,” she said.
“Because of that, it’s really good to celebrate World Hijab Day on campus because it brings awareness about who we are and what we stand for to the UA Little Rock community.”
According to a study published in 2018 by the Pew Research Center, 3.45 million Americans identify as Muslim and two percent of adults in Arkansas fall into this category, making Arkansas tied for second alongside D.C. and New York, just behind New Jersey with three percent.
With Arkansas being a largely conservative state situated right in the center of the Bible Belt,
discrimination against MuslimAmericans can be a worry for some.
“It’s difficult being a Muslim in Arkansas,” Abu-Halimeh said. “There are a lot of prejudice people here who discriminate against us just because of our religion.”
Abu-Halimeh does say, however, that she is one of the lucky ones that haven’t been faced with the struggle of discrimination.
“I believe this is because by not wearing the hijab, I don’t necessarily show that I am Muslim,” she said. “However, I have seen instances where other Muslims have been faced with that challenge.”
Despite the challenge looming over her and other Muslims living in the state, Abu-Halimeh does see a bright side to the whole thing.
“Being Muslim in Arkansas brings us closer to our religion in a way,” she said. “Because of what we’re surrounded with, which isn’t much for us, it requires us to come together which makes ourselves and our faith stronger overall.”
To continue the hope and positivity, as with every year UA Little Rock has celebrated World Hijab Day, a balloon launch took
place at the end of the event.
The balloon launch is to honor Muslim women around the globe who have been victims of violence and discrimination because of their choice to wear the hijab. People who participated wrote the names of friends who wear the hijab on white balloons as well as special messages that showed their support for the victims. These messages ranged from special hashtags to
uplifting quotes such as “Hijab is Beautiful.”
“This has been the highlight of my day,” said Paxton Richardson, a social work graduate student. “I am here especially for the balloon launch. I like that we are putting positivity into the world.”
The MSA plans on returning next year with their fifth annual World Hijab Day celebration.
Aisosa Osaretin in the beachwear portion of the competition. Photo submitted by Aisosa Osaretin.
To honor victims of violence and discrimination, a balloon launch took place at the end of the event. Photo by Jordan Woodson/Executive Editor (2018)
Photo by Jordan Woodson/Executive Editor (2018)
Movie Reviews
Executive Editor: Jordan Woodson
‘Birds
of Prey’ soars above the disastrous ‘Suicide Squad’
“Birds of Prey” is a spin-off of the 2016 DCEU film “Suicide Squad” directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson (writer of “Bumblebee”).
Academy Award nominee
Margot Robbie reprises her role as Harley Quinn who is coming to terms with her breakup with long time boyfriend The Joker.
Now that she doesn’t have the most powerful man in Gothem City to protect her anymore, all the people she’s ever pissed off are now out to get her, so when a man that goes by the name Black Mask (played by Ewan McGregor) asks of her to retrieve a priceless diamond, she must go find it in order to take the giant target off her back.
“Suicide Squad” was a complete disaster of a film to me and many other people and came
during a dark period for the DCEU. Over the past year or so, the DCEU has found a ray of sunshine in films like “Shazam,” “Joker,” and now, yes, “Birds of Prey.” Now, I should say that Birds of Prey is by far the weakest of the three movies above, but it’s still a good film nonetheless and a pretty fun time.
Cathy Yan is an extremely unknown director, especially in America as her only feature film she’s ever directed, “Dead Pigs,” was from China. Yan steps up and delivers a very entertaining blockbuster. The action scenes are great and she thankfully doesn’t over-use cutting in them. If the Oscars would actually add a stunt category, this could honestly be in the conversation for a nomination. Each fight sequence, for the most part,
are clean and full of both energy and color.
Margot Robbie was one of the few actual good things about “Suicide Squad,” and I’m happy to say she’s back and even better than ever. She is truly PERFECT for this role and disappears into the character completely just like she did in Suicide Squad. As for the cast surrounding her, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, who plays Black Canary, is amazing and just as good as Robbie, but for completely different reasons since the two characters couldn’t be more opposites. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Scott Pilgrim vs the World”) is very weak, but I think that has to do more with the writing of her character rather than her as an actress. And that’s where we come to the main problems. What I will say about Christina Hodson’s writing is that she knows how to write female characters authentically, as seen both here and in “Bumblebee,” but I think having to juggle so many characters and probably some studio notes (and notes from producer Robbie) messed her up. I get that Harley Quinn is by far the most popular character going into the movie after she was such a breakout in “Suicide Squad” and I suspect that Robbie being a producer and all wanted more screen time for herself, but she really is in the movie too much and it takes away from other characters. Huntress is basically absent the entire first two acts and then joins in during the final battle. The movie is also kind of all over the place. The timelines keeps getting scrambled and that could honestly be purposeful on Hodson’s part since the story is being told by Harley Quinn and Harley’s brain is basically scrambled eggs. If that was indeed the reason for why the story structure and plot were so messy, it’s a pretty interesting concept, but I’m not sure how well the actual execution landed.
Overall, despite some writing problems and a few pacing issues, “Birds of Prey” is a fresh, vibrant and most importantly fun addition to the DCEU that contains great performances and great action sequences while continuing DC’s upward trajectory.
‘The Photograph’ is like any successful romance, it takes its time
“The Photograph” is written and directed by Stella Meghie (director of “Everything, Everything”) and stars Issa Rae (“Little [2019]” and “Insecure”) as an estranged daughter of a famous photographer who dies from cancer. When a journalist (played by LaKeith Stanfield, “Get Out”) begins to write an article about her mother’s life, a special kind of romance begins to develop between the two.
Stella Meghie’s most popular movie, “Everything, Everything,” was a cheesy, young adult romance film based on a popular novel. With “The Photograph,” however, it’s clear that Meghie has moved from making young adult romance to full on original, adult romance. She’s matured as a filmmaker, making a mostly non-cheesy romance film that appeals to an older audience.
A problem a lot of people are going to have with this film is
that it is very slow and while I agree there are quite a few problems with the pacing of the film, the slowness of it is on purpose. There’s a line said by Stanfield’s character that I loved and perfectly sums this movie up: “the best relationships are like a photograph, it takes time to develop.” This movie takes time building up the romance between Rae’s and Stanfield’s characters. A lot of problems I have with most romance films nowadays is that the romance between these characters happens unrealistically quick. This film is only about 100 minutes long, but uses every second of it to build the relationship between our main characters. While the success of the romance on screen does owe a lot of thanks to Meghie’s improved writing and directing, it would be dead on arrival if it wasn’t for Stanfield’s and Rae’s
incredible chemistry. I haven’t seen this amount of chemistry in a romance movie (or honestly almost any movie in general) in quite sometime and the sparks are there instantly. Their scenes together are both hot and tender and it’s all thanks to them. Their acting is also great and while Stanfield is amazing, he has done better work elsewhere (but that’s mainly because of him being in better films). Rae on the other hand gives her best performance I’ve seen out of her yet in a surprisingly calm and down-toearth performance compared to her other over-the-top comedies. Mark Schwartzbard’s cinematography is great and really enhances a lot of the film, Composer Robert Glasper, who only has a few movie credits to his name, has a great score which really sets the mood for the film. There is a “twist” (maybe not so much a twist as a reveal) towards the end of the film which is set up to be a huge shock, but is something I called about 10 minutes into the movie. It was kind of painfully obvious and I wish Meghie would’ve hid it better than she did so I could have that shock revelation I believe she wanted me to have. There is a lot of predictability here, but it never fully took me out of the film.
ing into their worst nightmares.
Overall, “The Photograph” was surprisingly good compared to my anticipation going in. Stanfield and Rae are on fire and Meghie’s direction shows definite signs of progress. It might be too slow for some people (and trust me, you will feel every second of the runtime), but it worked for me for the most part.
‘Fantasy Island’ should’ve been what it’s based off of: a TV show
“Fantasy Island” is a horror remake of the 1977 television show of the same name. It’s written and directed by Jeff Wadlow (writer and director of “Truth or Dare (2018)” and “Kick Ass 2”) and stars Lucy Hale (“Truth or Dare” & “Pretty Little Liars”), Jimmy O. Yang (“Silicon Valley”), Austin Stowell (“Whiplash”),
Ryan Hansen (“Veronica Mars”), and Maggie Q (“Nikita”) as guests seeking for their real life fantasies to come true by making a vacation to Fantasy Island and meeting Mr. Roarke (Michael Peña, “Ant Man”). Soon, the guests begin to realize that their former fantasies are turn-
“Truth or Dare” was, in my opinion, one of the worst movies of 2018 so I was going into this with very low expectations. Coming out of it, it still is in no way good, but I also didn’t completely hate it. I have no connection to the television show and honestly didn’t know it existed until the trailer for this movie first dropped, so fans of that show might enjoy it more than I did since they might a. feel nostalgic and b. understand some of the references in this.
One of my problems with this movie is that it honestly should’ve stayed as a television show and would’ve probably worked really as a streaming show on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime. The characters in this movie are poorly fleshed out and following them for six episodes would’ve benefited them. Also the lore of the island and the entire plot of the film would’ve benefited from another four extra hours of storytelling.
The characters as a whole are a major problem. Very few of them are likable and some are downright annoying, cringe and difficult to watch (I’m mainly talking about Yang’s and Hensen’s characters). They have a lot of very badly written dialogue and very few, if any at all, redeeming qualities to them.
The cast doesn’t help this either as there isn’t really any single standout. Peña is very restrained in this compared to his other works and maybe that’s how Mr. Roarke was in the TV show, but I wanted more from him. I wanted his character to be as over-the-top as someone like Willie Wonka (the Gene Wilder one). I know Peña could pull that off flawlessly, but he instead decided to stay back, which I got to believe is the director’s fault.
Everyone else isn’t necessarily bad per se, but I didn’t leave the theater being impressed by any single performace. They were all just… meh. There is a twist at the end that I personally didn’t see coming,
but at the same time it didn’t really make sense. There’s nothing in the film that you can really trace back to and be like “OHHHHHHHH” and just trying to think about the logistics of this twist will make you even more confused. It isn’t a twist that makes sense, is justified, or is really even shocking even though I didn’t predict it at all. It also kind of completely fails as a horror movie. Not once did I ever feel tension or get scared. The cheap jump scares didn’t even make me jump at all. And if the movie was going for a horror-comedy type of vibe, it failed at that too since there are only like three lines in the entire nearly two hour runtime that made me chuckle.
All these negatives being said (and I know it seems like a lot), there is still entertainment to be had. I never was actually ever bored at any point and the movie cutting back between four different fantasies taking place all at once made it so I reached boredom. It could’ve easily have been choppy, but they made it work. However, like I said, this format probably would’ve worked better as a streaming show.
The movie looks good. The set design of both the Fantasy Island mansion and the island as a whole look great and while there is a lot of bad CGI throughout the movie, it was never so bad that it took me completely out of it (which I guess that’s a good thing nowadays in a world where “Cats” and “Dolittle” exists).
Overall, “Fantasy Island” has some entertainment and could work well as a background movie on a rainy day, but it should’ve been made as a television show like it’s predecessor was instead. The annoying, unrootable, poorly written and fleshed out characters as well as the lazy screenplay really sink this movie and now it’s my fantasy that Lucy Hale stop making horror movies with this director.
EAT BEAT
A Taste of Culture
Copeland’s of New Orleans- There’s Always Something Good
By LaQuanda Cook Guest Writer
American Louisianan raised entrepreneur Alvin Charles Copeland, founded Copeland’s of New Orleans in the year of 1983. Copeland’s is known for its southern Louisiana Creole-based seafood, pasta, salads, steaks, and desserts.
With Creole food and peoples varying widely in ethnic background traced back during the colonial era, racial mixing between Africans, Europeans, South Asian, and American Indian peoples. Copeland’s will take your taste buds on a culture trip.
The first thing notable about Little Rock’s local Copeland’s was the scenery and atmosphere. The restaurant was large and decorated with dangling ceiling lights. Jazz and R&B music played gently in the back. The lighting was dim, and there was ample space between every booth and table perfect for family or date night events.
Copeland offers a wide variety of appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. I was starting with the most popular appetizer, the artichoke spinach dip — which is an acquired taste to some. The dip
came with crispy golden-brown bow tie pasta chips; talk about unique. The dip was creamy and cheesy, and the chips had a crispy outside and a chewy inside.
Next was the Cajun Gumbo Ya-Ya, a classic cajun roux, loaded with shrimp and crawfish served over a bed of rice. The gumbo had to be a personal favorite even over the main course. The flavor was fresh, and the roux was well-seasoned. The meal will transport you to a small kitchen right in the heart of New Orleans.
Lastly, my main dish the Jambalaya Pasta, filled with gulf shrimp, chicken, andouille sausage, spicy jambalaya sauce, mushrooms, peppers, and bow tie pasta. The main course meal was piping hot, and the spices from the sauce brought the dish to life. Although the meat was tender and juicy, the pieces in the pasta were tiny. Hence is why the Gumbo Ya-Ya was a personal favorite.
Copeland’s offers an authentic New Orleans vibe, with delicious Creole food that brings comforts and culture. Make Copelands a part of your next dining experience and remember there’s always something good at Copeland’s.
K. Michelle returns with the theme of “All Monsters Are Human”
By Miriam Battles Staff Writer
Michelle shows that she is true to R&B on her fifth studio album All Monsters Are Human This album was released following the release of her top 10 albums Kimberly: The People I Used to Know
She is one of the few artists who rose to fame as a reality star on VH1’s hit show Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta. She’s always been an advocate for staying true to herself and writing music that is true to her life experiences.
Social media played a big part in the making of All Monsters Are Human. She regularly used Instagram and its live streams to connect to her fans while recording the songs for her highly anticipated album. During this album cycle, fans got a chance to get an inside look at her creative process.
“I have a different motto. I don’t believe you leave your fans waiting, I believe you let them hear and you see how they react,” K. Michelle said in a behind the scenes clip on Instagram.
The lead single The Rain was the first song that fans gravitated to. It samples 1988 hit Can You Stand The Rain originally recorded by R&B male group
Lil Wayne releases 13th studio album
By Darrell Farmer Guest Writer
Lil Wayne recently released his 13th studio album “Funeral.”
While going through contract disputes with Cash Money Records, he announced this album in 2016, while the album was finished in 2019.
The album cover is the word “Funeral”, but upside down it says Lil Wayne. The album has a total of 24 tracks.
To start his album, the first track which is the title track “Funeral” really set the tone to what the album was about. The second track “Mahogany” was Wayne doing what Wayne does best. The Third track “Mama Mia” had a distinct production, but it didn’t take away from Wayne’s lyrics. The Fourth Track “I Do It” features Big Sean and Lil Baby, though the hook was very underwhelming at first, you get used to it after Lil Baby and Wayne’s verse and with the help of Lil Wayne’s adlibs over Big Sean’s Hook.
New Edition. Even though the original song is about a relationship standing the test of times, K.Michelle spices up her version by singing about her sexual experiences.
The cover art of the album is not like any other cover art that she has had on her previous albums. There is a connection between the design and composition of the cover art and the title of the album. A theme of duality and good versus evil is present throughout the work. Michelle believes that there is a monster in everyone and that is why she named her album All Monsters Are Human
“Everybody is a villain to somebody. In somebody’s story, you’re not an angel so all monsters are human. We all have been hurt and hurt,” K. Michelle said during a radio interview with The Morning Hustle. Michelle heavily touches on relationships and everything that comes with it; the good, the bad and the ugly. She sits down and writes songs that stem from real-life experiences. Topics on this album include love, sex, infidelity, heartbreak and revenge. On this album, she has songs that are lyrically driven, like Can’t Let (You Get Away) and Just Like Jay. One song that lyrically stands out on the album is The
Worst. She sings “I know she comes first and that’s the part that hurts, boy loving you is the worst.”
In an Instagram post, she explained that there can be a situation where a guy moves on after a breakup but a woman can still have love for him.
Seeing a man that you’ve spent time with being a better man for another woman could hurt.
Even though there isn’t a title anymore, you’ve created memories together.
This is the type of music that K. Michelle has been making since she entered the music industry. Throughout her discography, it is safe to say that she is a fan of creating real R&B music. This album puts a confirmation on the statement that R&B is not dead.
Other songs like Love on Me and Supahood give the album an uptempo and light vibe to complement the heartfelt songs that reign throughout the album.
All Monsters Are Human has received good feedback since its debut. Her honesty and vulnerability connect with fans on a personal level. Due to her undeniable talent and solid fan base, the album hit the number one R&B album in the country with over 20 million streams.
The Fifth Track “Dreams” was good for the subject matter but it was unnecessarily loud on the production side and vocally. I could have been fine without this track on the album. The sixth song “Stop Playin with Me” was a bit underwhelming on pretty much all sides of the track. The seventh track “Clap For Em” was probably one of my favorite tracks on the entire album. With the nostalgic beat pattern and the lyrics, it makes me want a Lil Wayne/Mannie Fresh project sometime in the near future.
The eighth track “Bing James” which features Jay Rock which is another standout on the album for me, from the eerie beat selection and the pick for a feature in Jay Rock (Which fits him PERFECTLY) it was a very dope track. “Not Me” the ninth track from the album which was okay, but the subject matter begins to be repetitive.The Tenth Song “Trust Nobody” which features Adam Levine was a bit subpar on both verses from wayne and the hook with Adam Levine. The eleventh track “Know You Know” features 2 Chainz which was very good, but like in the ninth track, the autotune is getting a bit repetitive. The Twelfth song “Wild Dogs” was very underwhelming and repetitive. The autotune gets annoying throughout the song.
The Thirteenth track “Harden” was another favorite off the the album, though the autotune has been repetitive throughout the album, it doesn’t take away from the lyrics and production.The Fourteenth track “I Don’t Sleep” which features Takeoff, the beat production is similar to today’s production by Pi’erre Bourne but nonetheless the track was decent. The Fifthteen track “ Sights and Silencers” which features The-Dream, the song was very subpar and boring. The Sixteenth song “Ball Hard” which features Lil Twist, and honestly it’s okay if you can tell who is rapping because Lil Twist sounds exactly like Lil Wayne.
The Seventeenth track “Bastard (Satan’s Kid)” was another standout on the album for me. From the eerie beat selection, lyrics and the way flows on the beat brings about this drop track.
The Eighteen track “Get Outta My Head” which features the Late XXXtentacion was very underwhelming, I honestly feel like the XXXtentacion’s Estate should have kept this in vault. The Nineteenth track “Piano Trap” was again underwhelming, pretty much the subject matter and the amount of autotune that was used in this track.
The Twentieth track “Line Em Up” was pretty dope, another standout from the album. The production was pretty dope and the subject matter was Wayne being Wayne. The Twenty-First track “Darkside” was subpar at its best. The instrumental didn’t help and Wayne’s repetitive ways have resurfaced yet again. The Twenty- Second track “Nevermind” was pretty much the worst track on the album.
The Twenty-Third song “T.O.” which features O.T. Genasis was okay. Nothing bad, but nothing good came from the track. The Final track “Wayne’s World” which was again subpar. The album in its entirety was pretty much hit or miss. Though there were some standouts on the album such as “Clap For em,” “Bing James,” “Bastard,” and Line Em up,” the album was pretty much all over the place. I believe that Wayne has too many “Yes men” in his camp and he needs to stick with one producer and have that producer in the studio with him.
K. Michelle’s cover art for her album, All Monsters Are Human. The album was released Jan 31. Drawing by Kenneth Reed/The Forum
Photos by LaQuanda Cook
UA Little Rock and eSTEM help make UA Little Rock clean again
By Mecca Hinnant Guest Writer
UA Little Rock held yet anoth-
er Campus Cleanup Day on Feb.
7 from noon to 3 p.m led by 2nd
Lt David Morris who leads the university’s military mentorship program at the Military Student Success Center.
Morris says the idea was first introduced by some of his students who expressed a desire to help out more around campus but he decided to act on it when he realized the small staff of only about six to seven people responsible for keeping the campus in good shape.
Morris partnered with eSTEM’s staff and students– who became an add-on to the university’s main campus in 2016, to organize a Campus Cleanup Day.
This event provided a helping hand while sending a positive message to the community.
“Mentorship is a massive part of the guard,” Morris said.
“Showing high school students the value of helping others was something we didn’t want to miss out on.”
Since the idea came from the students, it was an obvious step to get them involved as well.
“It’s our campus and we’re here to help,” Morris said. “It depended on the student turnout
Loud and Rowdy at The Library
By Briana Taylor Guest Writer
Men’s Basketball February Recap
Women’s Basketball February Recap
at the end of the event how often it would be, but we want to make it a regular occurrence.”
For every hour of work students received two hours of documented volunteer time for the event.
“It’s our campus and we’re here to help.”
- Lt. David Morris
Student organizations like the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) took the initiative to support the cause.
Elizabeth Santillan, President of LULAC, said she thought the event was a great opportunity for her organization to be hands on in the community and more mindful of what is trash and what is actually able to be recycled instead of wasted.
The Little Rock Women’s
Soccer team was also in attendance, almost in its entirety.
Freshman Julia Edholm said she would definitely volunteer for the event again.
“It was an easy opportunity to help out as a team for our community,” she said. “It is always nice to do something on campus that makes campus just a little bit better.”
Though the event was aimed toward students, it was open to anyone in the community who wanted to volunteer. Participants of the event shared the flyer staff emailed to students on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to help spread the word.
Upcoming event dates have yet to be announced but Morris expressed his pleasure with the amount of students who showed up from the university alone and says they will have the event reoccur at least twice a year or once a quarter if possible.
Just a short distance from the UA Little Rock campus, there is a trendy and upcoming bar, The Library + Kitchen and Lounge, right in the center of the entertainment hub of Little Rock, the downtown River Market Entertainment District (RMED).
The Library is located at 313 President Clinton Ave. and has been a hit with locals and latenight guests of RMED.
“We wanted to approach this concept uniquely, in an iconic building in downtown Little Rock to support the newly created RMED, and there is no doubt that we have done just that,” Rob Byford, Project Developer, said.
The Library is a part of Little Rock’s new RMED, a new development being planned that aims to take advantage of the district lenient alcohol policies and foot traffic that the district is aiming to generate.
“We wanted this to be fun and ironic,” Byford says. “A library is a place you go to be quiet and study. The Library is a place where you come to be loud and have a good time. We want it to create a one of a kind experience in the River Market.”
Many locals and travelers seem to think they’ve done just that.
“We decided to try this new place today,” Jessica Rivers, a guest at The Library, said. “The staff is very friendly and everything was very tasty. We will be back. I can’t wait to go back for dinner and drinks. Excellent!”
Taylor Adams, a frequent
guest of The Library for various televised sporting events, says he has enjoyed the high-energy concept that The Library brings to the River Market.
”This city needs new and exciting places here in downtown to add to the variety of other eateries, entertainment, and shopping,” he said.
The Library offers food influenced from southern traditions and the Mississippi Delta with a touch of Cajun, according to its Facebook page. The menu includes a fried pork chop sandwich served with garlic aioli, a barbeque cobb salad with smoked pork belly, chicken on a stick, and a meat and cheese board built on the flavors of the Delta.
For the Sunday brunch crowd, The Library also offers a special menu with Cajun-inspired flavors including a New Orleans classic Grits Grillades, Biscuits & Gravy, and so much more.
For your sweet tooth, a turtle cheesecake made locally from Southern Cake Co. A collection of local beers is also featured on tap.
This high-energy concept offers a traditional set-up with flat-screen televisions. The inside of the restaurant will include a yard area with picnic tables open to the street in good weather – outside, there will be a bar, which will offer a menu with quick food items and drinks. With this vivacious energy, The Library offers live bands a couple of times a month, including Sheyna Gee, Almost Famous, and The Amber McCain Band all in March.
By Analee Jones Sports Editor
The LR Trojans have made a huge impact this season with fans and coaches. The team grows stronger each and every game. Their overall standing is 19-9 while the Sunbelt Conference standing is 13-4. The Men are doing well offensively, defensively and also working the game to their advantage. The Trojans played 2 home games at the Jack Stephens Center and 3 away with 2 being in Texas and 1 in Jonesboro this month. The men successfully won 3 and lost 2 of those games. The fans were awesome when it came to the first two games here at the Jack Stephens center. They “packed the Jack” in preparation for the Trojans to beat their opponent. The first game was against Appalachian State in which the star players were #0 Ben Coupet Jr. with 23 points and #1 Marquis Nowell with 17 points and 13 assists. The Trojans played great offensively and won the game 93-86. The next game in the Jack was against Arkansas
State. The rivalry for this game fired up the Trojans. Arkansas State held their own in the first half and came with strong shooters. But, our Trojans pushed to the end. #10 Marko Lukic had a total of 14 points in the first half. By the start of the second our men worked together and #44 Ruot Monyyong had his 14th double double of the season. The Trojans ended that game with a strong win of 90-87. The last three games of the month have been away from home. The Trojans went to Texas first and then played Arkansas State on their home turf. The road trip began in San Marcos, TX against Texas State. The star players for this game was #20 Kamani Johnson with 14 points and #44 Ruot Monyyong with 12 points. In the first half, Texas State came out strong defensively and pushed back the Trojans to a point where they were struggling most of the half. They had a back and forth with Texas State to try and regain the lead but, they ended the half 22-41. After some locker pep talk, the Trojans tried to come back in the second half. They were able to gain 44 more
points. They could not catch back up to Texas State and ended up losing 66-74. The second game was in Arlington, TX against UT Arlington. The Trojans tried to regain some of the fight they had from the previous game but UT came back with a fresh face. The Trojans did not make a 50% shooting average this game. They were able to stay within a few points when the first half ended at 28-33 UT. In the second half, they pushed defensively but UT had some strong shooters and they ended the game 65-76. The road trip for the Trojans ended in Jonesboro with another rivalry game against Arkansas State. Coming off two loses, the men were ready to take on this game stronger than ever. #20 Kamani Johnson pushed his way to have a career best with 32 points and 16 rebounds. #1 Marquis Nowell also led the Trojans well with a total of 19 points. In the first half, the Trojans held on to their lead by 2 points to start off the second quarter. The second quarter, the men went in strong and ready. They ended the game 81-78.
By Analee Jones Sports Editor
Our Lady Trojans have had a good season with them standing at 11-15 overall and a conference standing of 9-6. This month the ladies took on 7 games. Out of the 7 games played they played 2 at home in the Jack and 5 away. The Lady Trojans were able to snatch 3 wins and lost 4 games this month. Coming off two wins in January, the Lady Trojans started on the road this month in Lafayette, LA. They played against Louisiana University. The lead players for this game were #25 Alayzha Knapp with 21 points, #5 Tori Lasker with 13 points, and #35 Teal Battle with 12 points. The ladies held their own in the first half and were able to have a 9 point lead ending the first half. The second half began and they kept the same energy offensively. The ladies claimed a win over Louisiana with the score of 59-44. The second game was still on the road against Georgia Southern in Stateesboro, GA. The ladies had a field goal percentage of 46.6%, free throw average of 77.8% and a 3 point average of 40%. #23 Kyra Collier led this game with 17 points and 6 rebounds. The Lady Trojans were able to lead the game in the first with 21 points against Georgia Southern with 7 points. Georgia Southern came back with some punch in the second and third quarters but, our women didn’t stop the fight. In the forth quarter the Lady Trojans pulled their biggest lead of 18 and ending the game with another win of 65-49.
The next two games were at the Jack Stephens Center here at UA Little Rock. The women were coming off two wins on the road and ready to take on Texas State. #35 Teal Battle led this game with scoring with a total of 15 points. The star player to accomplish a goal of her own is #25 Alayzha Knapp who was able to get her first double
double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Lady Trojans tried to stay dominate most of the game. But in the final minute of the game they were not able to make a field goal. Texas State walked away with the win of 50-47. The next home game was against UT Arlington in the Jack. Fans came out to “Pack the Jack” and support out Lady Trojans. #23 Kyra Collier lead with points in this game with a total of 11. #32 Nicole Hemphill also made an impact with a total of 10 points and 9 rebounds. In the first two quarters, the ladies tried to close up the gap between them and UT but just weren’t successful. The ladies pushed defensively however, UT was able to get a lot of shots off. They ended with a field goal average of 43% while the Lady Trojans ended with a 27%. In the next half of the game the ladies tried to come back in the 4th with 16 points but, they were already to far behind. The Trojans lost this game 46-62. After the two losses at home, the Lady Trojans hit the road to take on two more games. They would play in Alabama for both games. The first away game they played against Troy University and South Alabama. For both games, #35 Teal Battle lead with scoring. In the first game she came away with 24 points and 6 rebounds. The second game she made 16 points and 7 rebounds. The Lady Trojans wanted to push hard against Troy University and was able to do so. They lost their mojo in this game going into the second half and unfortunately lost 59-77. The second game in Alabama was history making for our Coach Foley. He was able to capture his 800th career win for the Lady Trojans. The women also played well with gaining momentum in the first quarter and coming out with a bang the rest of the game. They had a 59.6% field goal percentage for the game. The Ladies ended the game at 69-58.
#0 Ben Coupet Jr Photo by Analee Jones/The Forum
LR Baseball opens season with a bang
Indoor Track and Field continue to break records
By Analee
The LR Trojan Baseball team opened their 2020 season with a three games series against the Illinois State Redbirds.
The men opened the first game in the Gary Hogan Field with a strong offense and defense. The star pitchers for the first game was #30 Hayden Arnold with 11 strike outs and #25 Jose Torres with 4 strikeouts. Both teams had a slow start till the 5th inning when #5 Miguel Soto came to bat and sent #22 Garrett Scott home before getting out. Then #21 Jordan Hussein came to bat after and sent one more home. The Trojans were leading 2-0 at the end of the 5th. The
Trojans were able to carry that momentum to the end and by the 7th inning the Trojans had 4 more runs to their name. They ended the first game 6-0. The series continued in the Gary Hogan Field on Saturday the 15th of February. The Trojan baseball team came strong in the beginning however, Illinois State gained some momentum by the beginning of the first with ending 0-1. The men didn’t let that stop their fight. The 3rd inning was a showstopper for #8 Tyler Dixon. He hit a home run and sent 3 people to home which led the Trojans to lead 3-1. Then in the 9th inning the boys were able to get 3 more runs which led them to win the game 7-6. The series ended with the
Trojans coming into it 2-1. They were starting with confidence to try and take the whole series for their open. The game began with the same tempo from both teams. In the 3rd and 4th innings both #22 Garrett Scott and #5 Miguel Soto went to the plate and both were able to get a run. The Trojans are in the lead 2-0 going into the 5th. Star pitcher, #17 Aaron Funk was on fire in the first couple of innings with only a couple of walks and one hit out of many pitches. He was substituted by #25 Jose Torres who unfortunately let 3 slide in from Illinois State. That led to the end of the game and the Trojans lost the game 2-4. They ended their opening series 2-1 over the Illinois State Red birds.
Three Trojan swimmers podium at MVC 2020
By Alex Ball Staff Writer
The start of the spring semester usually brings with it a haul of anxiety and stress, but for the UA Little Rock Trojan Swimming and Diving team, the spring semester carries a lot more weight. Amidst the pres-
sures of school, our Swimming and Diving team competes in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. This year, the hard work and dedication of our Trojans reflected in the results of the 2020 MVC. Not only were there three Trojan Swimmers at the podium in the conclusion ceremony, but Freshmen Annya Grom and Fer Moussier alongside sophomore Carolyn Godwin all landed a spot in the top eight of their events, earning themselves MVC Honorable All-Mentions. Grom also set the school record for the 100 Breakstroke.
By Analee Jones Sports Editor
The season for Indoor Track and Field opened in Dec. for both men and women. The LR Trojans have so far competed in five invitationals since Dec. The men and women competed in two invitationals in Kansas and also in Texas.
On Feb. 1st, the Trojans competed in the Pittsburgh State Invitational in Kansas. In all of the invitationals this indoor season, many athletes have broken either personal or school records. For high jump,
Freshman Christian Matamoros and Breya Clark set records for the school and also personal. Also in the women’s pole vault, Freshman Tricia Pierce crushed her personal record in pole vault by seven inches. The next invitational was at College Station, Texas. In this meet, the men placed 10th and the women placed 14th. Freshman Mia Dunning placed 7th in the weight throw and placing for the Trojans. Also in the 400m, Junior Helensia Green ran 57.05 as the 6th fastest. With the men, Freshman Jared Schneider was able to place 6th in the triple jump and 12th in the long jump.
Wrestling knocked down after multiple losses
By Jordan Woodson Executive Editor
The LR Trojans Wrestling team has been hit hard with multiple losses despite having a strong start to their season back in November. Since their win in November against The University of the Ozarks, the Trojans have had ten losses in a row.
On Feb. 2, LR lost a match at home against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (SDSU) 42-0. Freshman Will Edgar had the best performance of that match. Despite his opponent getting on the board first, Edgar picked up a reversal followed by a near fall, showing fight throughout the entire bout as proven by his point for riding time. A takedown in the second period kept him close, but unfortunately the match ended in an SDSU victory with 10-7.
On Feb. 7, LR hosted their the last home match as well competing in their first match of PAC-12 conference, but also ended in
Coaching Spotlight Alan Webb
Cross Country & Track
defeat against Arizona State Sun Devils with a final score of 38-9. Junior Paul Bianchi, Redshirt Freshman Conner Ward and Freshman Tyler Brennan each claimed match victories back-toback. Bianchi won with an 8-6 decision, Ward won his first D1 duel ever in an extremely close 8-7 match, and Brennan, despite being down 0-2 with five seconds left to go, came away victorious with a 4-2 decision.
On Feb. 13, LR competed against Stanford University at Stanford University where they lost yet again 38-10. Despite the lost, Bianchi had his sixth dual win of the season, staying perfect in PAC-12 competition.
Two days later on Feb. 15, LR competed in their last match of the regular season against Oregon State in their tenth loss in a row, losing, just like against SDSU, 42-0.
LR Trojan Wrestling will compete in the PAC-12 Conference Tournament hosted by Stanford University on March 7.
By Chloe McGhee News Editor
Alan Webb is a record-holder and an Olympian, but he has recently moved to Arkansas to take over an associate head cross country and assistant track coach position for athletics here at UA Little Rock.
In 2007, Webb ran his best season professionally. He beat the previous American record in the mile in July of that year, with a time of 3:46.91, breaking the previously held 25-year-old record of 3:47.69. He also ran the 4th fastest 1500 meter time by an American at the time, with a time of 3:30.54.
Webb knew he loved running from a young age, but wanted to keep working to get better.
“I got into running in elementary school, when they had the mile run, and I did well, and I liked seeing myself improve,” he said. “I felt like when I would prepare and practice, I grew and got better. I fell in love with the improvement part of it.”
When Webb was able to run in high school, he jumped to take advantage of the opportunity.
“I wanted to get better and once I got to high school, I fully committed to running,” he said.
“I succeeded a lot in high school and set some records I never dreamt of setting when I started running. Still, I didn’t set goals until they were realistic and achievable.”
The journey to the Olympics for Webb was different than that of other Olympians.
“Going to the Olympics was accomplishing one of my lifetime goals,” he said. “I struggled some after high school, but I felt like I persevered and really put my head down the fall of 2003 and worked harder than I’d ever worked before. I did more than I’d ever done. By the time I got to the trials, I had improved in mental toughness, speed and strength. I was proud to overcome that down part of my life.”
Being an Olympian is not the only part of his life that Webb is proud of.
“I would say what I’m most
proud of is that once my running career ended, I had the perspective to recognize what is most important to me,” he said.
“Having my faith and becoming much stronger in my faith in God led me to be a better husband, better father and I hope a better coach, too. It helped me recognize the high, high value in helping others. My new calling as a coach has come from that. I realized I have all these experiences as a runner, and I can give all that back to other athletes.”
Once Webb knew he wanted to be a coach, he started seeking out opportunities to be a fulltime coach.
“I was living in Portland before Little Rock and we didn’t want to move, but I knew being a collegiate coach would require that,” he said. “That just led me to realize I wasn’t doing what I should be doing. I missed being fully into track and field, I didn’t want running to be part time. I applied [at UA Little Rock]. I felt like coming here was a place that very much interested me, because I felt like I could win
here. The program as a whole is being built up and I felt like I could move things in the right direction with the distance runners. It goes back to wanting to improve with running, it’s the same with coaching.”
His care for his athletes and the students he works with shows in each and every one of his interactions and words.
“I love the athletes, getting to know them and getting to know what they need as athletes, and trying my 100 percent best to help guide them so they can accomplish their goals is my favorite part [of campus],” he said. “If I can help them get better at running, I know it can help in other areas. There’s a genuine need to have a coach be an objective servant of an athlete. It’s proven that the most successful athletes have a coach. I benefited greatly from my coaches, and I want to be that for them.”
Webb has high hopes for the UA Little Rock’s running program in the future.
“The first thing is that I want everyone to get better,” he said.
“Everyone should leave better than they came, and if we can do that, I’d like to win some championships with the team and individually. It’d be nice to get people their own wins. The process to get there is to create the right culture where everybody is here to work hard and give 100 percent effort on and off the track.”
Every piece of advice Webb gives about running to his athletes is peppered with the passion he has for the sport and coaching.
“Don’t focus too much on the end result, focus more on the process of pushing yourself and set realistic, intermediate goals,” he said. “Nobody can guarantee an end result, but you can control how you go about each day. You have to enjoy the work and pushing yourself. You won’t get anywhere without that. Love the work that you do. If you enjoy working hard, you will get better.”
Jones Sports Editor
Right-Handed Pitcher Aaron Funk. Photo by Analee Jones/The Forum
Trojan Lane by the campus dorms. Photo by Oksana Durkee
