Vol 92 iss 09 - The ARKATECH

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A R K A N S A S T E C H U N I V E R S I T Y / / T H U R S D A Y, N O V. 0 5 , 2 0 1 5 • V O L . 9 2 N O . 0 9

News briefs

Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity will be hosting the Miss Black and Gold Scholarship pageant from 6-8 p.m.

Friday in the Doc Bryan Lecture Hall. The event is $5 for students with a Tech ID and $7 for general admission. The proceeds will go toward the scholarship.

The Golden Suns basketball team will take on the Dallas Diesel (Exhibition) at 2 p.m. Sunday in Tucker Coliseum.

Tech’s Gospel Choir, United Voices of Praise, will perform from 3-4 p.m. Sunday in Witherspoon Auditorium.

Student Services will be hosting a Secular SafeZone Ally Training from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday in Doc Bryan 242. The threehour training will focus on providing a safe place for students who identify with nonreligious or nontheistic labels.

Learn how to get the salary you want at the Career Services Salary Negotiation Seminar from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Doc Bryan 242.

Tech football's special fan ASHLEY PEARSON Staff Writer

Alongside coaches and players, there is a special fan out on the field during Arkansas Tech football games.

Judie Dyer, the custodian for Hull, stands on the sideline during football games and takes pictures for her family. Miss Judie, as they call her, said the Wonder Boys are her family.

She’s been taking photos for the team for three years. After taking the photos, she prints them at Wal-Mart and hangs them in the locker room for the boys to take.

“I like my job; they bring me a lot of joy,” Miss Judie said with tears in her eyes.

Junior running back from Lufkin, Texas, JaMarcus Walker, like all of his teammates, is a fan of Miss Judie.

“I feel like Miss Judie is always giving, always giving, never expecting,” Walker said.

Miss Judie began her career at Tech nine years ago in housing cleaning residence halls. After one year in housing she spent one year cleaning classrooms and offices in the education buildings.

When offered a job in athletics, she

SAB is bringing comedian Matthew Broussard to campus from 7-9 p.m. on Nov. 12 in the Doc Bryan Lecture Hall.

wasn’t sure how she would like it, but she’s been there ever since.

Junior defensive back DeVarius Rice from Pine Bluff said he loves Miss Judie.

“She’s so energetic,” he said. “She’s just always coming up to us just filling us with joy. When we have a bad practice or a bad game or something like that she comes up to us and fills us up with excitement. She’s always happy and she loves taking pictures of us.”

Out on the field, Miss Judie wears a

(see FAN page 4)

Subway not in campus plans

The Wonder Boys basketball team will play against Northern State at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 at Tucker Coliseum.

AMBER APPLEBY

Contributing Writer

For many weeks, rumors have been circulating across campus that Baz Tech will be undergoing changes, including Subway replacing Which Wich as the sub shop on campus.

The Wonder Boys football team will play Harding at 2 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Thone Stadium.

“Atom Age Apocalypse: Mutants, Monsters, and Mushroom Clouds” Presented by Mike Bogue on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. in the Ross Pendergraft LibraryRoom 300 South.

ASHLEY PEARSON/THE ARKA TECH

Junior running back DeVarius Rice from Pine Bluff hugs Miss Judie after a football game.

SIERRA MURPHY/THE ARKA TECH Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is a holiday celebrated on Nov. 1. Although marked throughout Latin America, Dia de los Muertos is most strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition originated. Dia de los Muertos honors the dead with festivals and lively celebrations, a typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, brought to the region by Spanish conquistadores. (Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, minor holidays in the Catholic calendar.)

However, this rumor proved to be false.

According to Christopher Zunino, the assistant director of Baz-Tech, there are no plans for anything to change yet.

“The university still hasn’t

signed the contract with Chartwells, so nothing is going to be changing as of now,” he said. “I think Subway was brought up as a possible option, but there is nothing set in stone, as there will need to be negotiations with Subway Corporate as far as franchise fees, royalties and build out are concerned.”

While many students may have been eagerly awaiting the change to Subway, there appears to be no plans in the making just yet.

Diversity and Inclusion becoming focus at Tech SIERRA MURPHY

News Writer

Over a meal of Which Wich and water, students can gather around to learn how to become the next generation of successful Tech alumni.

Campus Life’s Lunch with a Leader series hosts members of the Russellville community to casually dine with

students and share their experiences in several professional fields.

On Monday, Campus Life partnered with the Diversity and Inclusion to host an African American entrepreneur in recognition of Diversity and Inclusion Week.

“The idea was ‘How can we work across campus to have collaborative programing and events

with different parts of the camps, so they can show their support and commitment towards diversity and inclusion?’,” said Dr. MarTeze Hammonds, associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion.

“So we were trying to find ways Diversity and Inclusion can be included.”

African American community leaders for their Lunch with a Leader series.

They found the solution by hosting

(see NELSON page 4)

Darrick Nelson, a 1981 Tech alumnus and owner of U-Call Car Wash and Detail, spoke about his experiences as a business owner, and how Tech students today can employ the advice in their own

“After 34 years, it’s a great opportunity to see the diversity that has changed over the years from when I came in, to what I see now” ­– Darrick Nelson,

1981 Tech alumnus

PAGE 2 | Opinion

Blackface: A problem of perception By now we all know the story. An Arkansas Tech student dressed up as Lil Wayne and painted her face black (or tan, whatever) to compete in Sigma Pi’s Greek Costume Showcase.

dressing up for fun and the hoopla over race is unwarranted. These are the same people that would say there’s not a race problem in this country, which is undoubtedly wrong.

Editorial: ed·i·to·ri·al

The picture that went viral and elicited media attention from across the country shows students laughing at and applauding the sorority girl’s idiotic idea of a costume.

The other side, however, is just as wrong to assume the girl deserves to be pilloried as a racist. No doubt she made a stupid choice, but not everyone is attuned to the cultural sensitivities that for good reasons are required these days.

by the storm of backlash against the student—stems from our nation’s warped history of African American servitude and the false precepts that arose thereby.

of hate are still being sowed today in the form of police brutality, systemic opportunity inequality in education and an unjust legal framework.

Slave masters, with clear consciences, believed they bettered the lives of those they oppressed. In the 19th century, blackface minstrel shows and theatrical performances featuring white actors portraying ebullient and simple blacks rose to prominence and became a public pastime.

Even if an individual personally sees nothing wrong with a white person painting her face black for a Halloween costume, that individual should make a more educated decision if only out of respect for those who are offended by it.

President Dr. Robin Bowen released a statement saying the university will “investigate this matter through the proper channels to ensure that appropriate corrective measures are taken.”

Sigma Pi President Blake Bratcher refused to comment. Associate Dean for Campus Life Kevin Solomon echoed Bowen’s statement about investigating the matter before any rash comments are made.

Whether or not Tech will take any disciplinary action—aside from the desultory apology we’re sure to be receiving in the coming days—is yet to be seen.

But honestly, punishing the girl won’t change anything about how we perceive race in this country, and more specifically this racially charged area.

The responses from both sides of the issue show how divisive our area is concerning race and how racial actions are to be received by the general public. Middle ground was immediately stomped out.

Reactionaries from the “it’s not racist” camp pleaded she was just

So she wore the costume for one of two reasons: She either had malicious intent and wanted to offend blacks, or she is so oblivious to the current racial climate that she genuinely thought it was OK to darken her skin to look blacker as a part of her costume.

Obviously she had no intentions of hurting people; she wanted to look more like the rapper. But her ignorance hardly lightens the burden blacks carry in this country.

And this ignorance, this blatant unscrupulousness, speaks to the larger problem concerning white culture’s arbitrary appropriation of black culture.

Whiteness is, in the U.S., the cultural default. Blackface is a convenient, and formerly safe, way of exploiting the “other” we subconsciously group black culture into, allowing us to dabble on the forbidden side. It’s an odd form of social fetishism that we’re, hopefully, bringing awareness to.

The ill-founded notion that such an act is tolerable and all in good fun—since proven terribly false

A letter to you: my someday daughter grandmas together. Let’s do it.

KATIE FERREN

Contributing Writer

Hey sister. I hope you don’t mind that I call you sister. Well, even if you do mind, I still will. Your great-great grandma called me sister.

She was good. Grandma Boyette was strong and funny and always laughing. I remember she wore these little pink slippers and mowed the lawn when she was eighty. She made the best lemonade, hands down.

I’ll never make you lemonade that tastes that good. Unless by some chance, someday, your daughter will have a daughter and by then I will have the whole lemonade thing perfected. It would be fun to be

Also, let’s talk about your great grandma. I’m not sure what you’ll call her, but she’s Nanny to me.

She prays-- all the time, about everything. She prays about parking tickets, tests, boys (fun fact: we don’t know who your dad will be yet), and I bet she prays for you.

She’s probably gotten me through a lot more life than I can understand right now.

She is soft. She has a gentle heart, and she loves to serve people around her. It gives her life to give to us.

You know your grandma. Oh man.

That’s my mom. She is free. She’s older than you and me but her heart is just as young as ours.

[ed-i-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-] noun: An article that represents the official viewpoint of a newspaper on a topic of public interest.

After slavery ended, this boiled down caricature of black people persisted throughout Reconstruction and up until the Civil Rights Movement as white culture’s means of exploring the outré without feeling as if any harm was being done.

The animate effigy was content with oppression, thus blacks must have been too, so the thinking went.

Of course, none of this was going through the student’s head when she made her costume. Why would it? She wasn’t trying to be a racist, she just made a decision that inflamed racial tensions, which were born out of and still grow based on these false perceptions.

But the antiquated idea that blackface isn’t harmful is a void sentiment. Look at the irreparable pain we’ve inflicted on blacks throughout our history. The seeds She’s also incredibly interested.

She’ll be interested in you— in your details. She’s interested in my friends, the trees outside of my apartment in autumn, how much I’ve been sleeping and what I ate for lunch today. She’ll ask you so many questions and make you want to dream until your head is so heavy with plans that the wind could tip you right over.

No worries, she’ll come and pick you up and give you the feet to take your heart where it’s hoping to go.

She’ll go with you.

Then there I am. By the time you’re old enough to read this you’ll already know it. But I’m trying. I’m trying to make you so happy. I simultaneously know that sometimes you’ll want to do things that will hurt you, or lead you to become the kind of girl that isn’t fitting for your heart. So I’m going to do everything I can do stop those things, and it won’t always make you happy.

This begins with thinking about the way in which others perceive a social issue like race and its functions in society. Genuinely trying to put yourself in another’s shoes takes care of a large amount of racial ignorance on one side, and reacting in the way you think you should on the other, both of which only impede human growth.

We construct race based on our social setting. We’ve used it to justify, condemn and entertain. Yet, the only actual race, anthropologically, is the human race. Race has no grounding in biology, where we’re all essentially the same.

Still, as long as injustices exist—and they do and will exist—sensitivity has to become a more natural part of the human ethos. Ignorance and small-mindedness populate the side of the insensitive, and these are the antithesis of what an institution of higher learning should stand for.

I’m trying to let you know that you are the coolest and most interesting girl, and that I have a total girl crush on you.

You can do anything, but you don’t have to. If you want to be a songwriter like me, I will feel so much joy. But guess what? You don’t have to do what I do. You don’t have to love all that I love, as long as you love something.

The same things that make me feel alive might not bring life to you, and that’s okay— as long something does. Find what makes you come alive and chase it down. Don’t let it out of your sight. Go where the beauty is and make sure you really see it.

It’ll all be in you—the strength of Grandma Boyette, the love of Nanny and the freedom of Mom. But you don’t have to be just like us.

You’re you. And that is exactly enough.

New Challenges JENN TERRELL

Managing Editor

I was recently promoted to manager at a local retail store.

I’ve held similar positions before, but I was introduced to a new challenge just a few weeks after my promotion.

The store had an employee who was continually showing up late or missing shifts completely. The employee was warned twice and was doing

much better after the second warning, trying harder and doing extra things, as well as showing up on time and not missing any shifts.

A few weeks after the second warning, the employee was an hour late one morning to open the store. We only found this out after receiving calls from a concerned customer about why the store wasn’t open.

The owner and I deliberated and decided

the employee must be fired. Many would think the employee should have been fired after the second mistake, but this was not an easy task.

The employee was well liked among customers and had contributed to the store in many ways. At one point, the employee even helped set up a new and effective pricing system we still use today.

I remember thinking, “I really, really don’t want to do this.”

I knew it had to be

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2015

done, but I wished someone else could have done it for me.

Often times in life, we have to do things that make us uncomfortable.

Many times these uncomfortable decisions will not be as

black and white as they might seem to others.

Facing these things head on can help us grow and handle difficult decisions better in the future.

Our

replacement

employee is not only always on time but is often early. I know in the end it was for the best, and if I had not faced this decision, I would still be dealing with similar problems from the employee.

Opinion | PAGE 3

MAN ON THE STREET

Grading my intelligence sleep means more time to study!”

Faculty office hours have changed. How do you feel about this?

I’ve been pushing those thoughts away this semester, pretending I don’t think them, but it’s time to face them head on.

Let’s get right down to it: Society puts a crazy amount of pressure on students. The higher the GPA, the more scholarships students are eligible for. The more A’s you get, the more respect from other students and professors. The more extra-curricular activities, the more job offers you’ll receive.

CLAUDIA HALL Managing Editor “I think it’s cool they made it just for the students.”

Malia Hernandez Freshman Rehabilitation Science Van Buren

“I actually find it a bit of a hassle. What if professors want to use that time to meet with another professor?”

Yvonne Westphal Sophomore Music/Graphic Design Mountain View

“I think that’s kinda inconvenient. My professors’ office hours are kind of petty and it's already kind of hard to meet with them.”

Suede Graham Senior

“Everyone wants to be successful until they see what it actually takes.”

I’m halfway through my fifth semester of college. I can see a glimmer of light through the thickets of the deep woods I’m in, but I still have to fight through the weeds. Everywhere I turn, there’s another obstacle. This year is the most difficult hurtle I’ve faced.

I’m acing the classes pertaining to my major, and I love everything about them. But then came along my general education classes.

They’re gnawing away at my sanity.

You see, I’ve maintained a high GPA my entire college career.

Usually this is fairly easy for me because of my work ethic, but I’ve built crazy expectations for myself.

“If you don’t make the Dean’s List, you’re not good enough.”

“You made a record-high GPA last semester. You have to beat it this semester.”

“Sleep isn’t that important. Less

Our society forgets there is more to intelligence than essays and memorization. Some of the most brilliant people I know barely graduated.

A few weeks ago, I got a test back in the class I’m really struggling in.

My friend showed me hers. An 89.

I turned mine over, and my heart dropped. A 66. I don’t let myself make D’s. I haven’t made a D in four years. How could I have let this happen?

Now I find myself losing sleep over the next test at the end of this week. If I don’t make at least a C in this class, I won’t make the Dean’s List.

I put my entire worth in my intelligence. My family brags on my achievements, and I’m terrified of letting them down.

This semester, I’ve been slowly making a change. Altering my thought process is a long and hard journey; it takes serious dedication. I’m yelling the truth over the deafening sound of my demeaning thoughts.

My parents want the best for me.

They will love me no matter what happens.

Employers care more about my extra-curriculars and skills than my GPA. I will do my best, but I need to remember that how I apply the material matters more. An A in Introduction to Multimedia means nothing if I can’t take a decent photo or video.

Really, what is the significance of the Dean’s List? Yes, it’s important.

But why do I put such pressure on myself to make a 3.5 or higher? I’ve heard from multiple professors that in not one interview did an employer ask about their GPA. I’m breaking my back and losing sleep over the first letter of the alphabet.

An A is impressive—there’s no denying that. But not achieving an A does not mean I’m not smart.

If I can apply what I’ve learned to the real world, I am successful.

If I am doing my best, I am successful.

Repeat after me: I am more than a letter of the alphabet.

I am more than a name on a distinguished list.

I am more than my demeaning thoughts.

I am more successful than I was a year ago because I haven’t given up yet.

We are pushing ourselves to the brink of sanity. It’s time to make a change.

Depression—

Music Clarksville

“I feel like that's a good change if they're using it on students, but it's already hard to find my professors in their office during their hours.”

it’s not taboo, speak up

Sara Eagle Sophomore Biology Redfield

“I think it's good for students, I just wish we could have a little more time scheduled for students…”

Tabitha Hudspeth Freshman Secondary Education Jonesboro

“I normally meet with my professors over email...knowing a busy professor’s schedule, they need that time to work on other projects.”

Glen Poole Sophomore Speech Education Fort Smith

WWW.PEXELS.COM

AMBER QUAID

Managing Editor

Arkansas Tech University’s Health and Wellness Counseling Services participated in National Depression Screening Day on Oct. 8 in BazTech. The screening was open to all Tech students and allowed them to come at their own pace to talk with counselors.

“We offer counseling services free of charge to all currently enrolled students up to 10 times a [fiscal] school year,” counselor Janis Taylor said. “Sometimes students use all 10 and some come for a couple of times or just one.”

Tech defines depression as “a mood disorder. The symptoms that occur (emotional and physical) interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time. Symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe.”

Depression is a chronic disease, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Depression knows no age limit, nor does it discriminate against color, race, ethnicity or gender.

According

to

the

National

Institute of Mental Health, “In 2013, an estimated 15.7 million adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.”

The website also reported that in “a nationwide survey of college students at 2- and 4-year institutions found that about 30 percent of college students reported feeling ‘so depressed that it was difficult to function’ at some time in the past year.”

To put that number in a more tangible form, it basically breaks down to 3,602 students of Tech’s 12,007 students enrolled that could be experiencing some aspect of depression.

“For a long time, I thought I was depressed, but after visiting with the counselors here, I have discovered I have anxiety disorder,” a Tech senior who asked to be kept nameless in the story said. “I have made an appointment to continue to talk with the counselors.”

The Health and Wellness Center participated in National Depression Screening Day to give students an opportunity

to evaluate themselves or offer support to their friends who might need its services.

The screening began with students filling out a college screening form, and from there students were able to talk to a counselor about the form they filled out.

The counselor broke down each of the three categories and explained to the students what their results were for each. If a student needed further counseling, the services on campus were offered, as well as off-campus choices.

“If you are open, I think it would be a beneficial thing [to go to counseling],” said Taylor.

The center provides opportunities for students who think they or their friends might have depression, anxiety or PTSD to come and talk to counselors free of charge.

Four licensed counselors can be reached at 479-968-0329 or online at atu.medicatconnect.com to make an appointment or ask questions. To take the screening anonymously, go online to www. mentalhealthscreening.org/ screening/atu.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2015

PAGE 4 | News

Meet your Faculty hours reduced Tech ghosts SAM HOISINGTON

president of the faculty senate.

office half the time and virtually the other half.

The Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees recently approved a resolution reducing the number of required faculty office hours from ten to six hours a week. The new policy states faculty must spend the hours in office for student consultation, with reduced allowances for faculty teaching online courses.

“It says ten hours a week for either consultation with students or faculty, so it was being interpreted for faculty meeting hours and department meetings and all that kind of stuff to be part of that ten hours,” he said.

“There was no previous requirement for online office hours for the online courses,” he said.

“There was no standard format that somebody would make themselves available for a certain amount of time, a certain window of time each week, so that has been addressed too,” he said.

Web Master

AMBER QUAID

Managing Editor

Ghosts walking the halls, talking to fellow students, playing the piano and even playing basketball are all part of Tech’s haunted history.

On Oct. 29, the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center, along with the Department of Arkansas Heritage, presented “Haunted Sites at Arkansas Tech University.”

“Learning about Arkansas Tech, it’s just interesting to know what happened here,” said Brooke Miller, a sophomore psychology major from Bigelow.

“People should definitely come next year and learn about our campus especially.”

Matthew Smith, a sophomore agriculture business major from Hermitage, said, “It was very interesting to learn about the supposed ghosts on our campus, the origins and how I might see ghosts one day.”

There are three buildings on campus that take claim as the most haunted: Caraway, Tucker Coliseum and Witherspoon.

Caraway takes the prize as the most famous haunted building on campus.

The ghost that haunts this building is known as “Gracie.”

According to Shelle Stormoe, education outreach coordinator for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, in the 1940s, Gracie’s room was right above the doorway at Caraway (the room’s window is now bricked up).

Gracie had an unknown hardship in her life and hanged herself out her window, so she could be seen by anyone leaving the front door.

It is said Gracie has talked to people and gave disapproving looks to males coming into the once all-female dorm.

Tucker Coliseum’s ghost, James Paul Lovelady, was a legend on campus even before he died. Lovelady was a Wonder Boy in 1958 and was said to have been an amazing basketball player. You can see his numerous newspaper clippings on a dedicated Facebook page named James Paul “JP” Lovelady.

Lovelady died when he was 22 after an

automobile accident. His ghost is said to play basketball on the court after hours, mess with the trophy case and even try to distract people while shooting.

The last ghost occupies Witherspoon.

The ghost of this building is none other than the man the building is named after, Gene Witherspoon. After more than 20 years of teaching music at Tech, Witherspoon died of a heart attack.

Stormoe said students have smelt his cigar smoke in the elevators and even heard him playing music.

“It was about seven or eight at night, and I heard someone playing the piano,” said Dr. Jason Warnick, associate professor of psychology. “I was wondering how in the world could they could play the piano so loud as I’m trying to get some work done, so I go out angry and sleep deprived, and I go into the hallway, and I don’t hear anything.”

Warnick went back to his office, and this scene played out three more times.

On the fourth time, “I ran out this time, checked every room and no one. So I packed my stuff and left.”

His wife said she was grateful the ghost got him home early.

Stormoe gathers encounters like these from students, teachers, alumni and anyone associated with the campus.

Over the years she has collected these stories, and through this collecting process, the stories have corroborated some of the others.

She shares her research with the public through lectures and leaves it up to the audience to decide if the history and research about each site equals truth.

This lecture ended with a bonus haunted site, the Allen House, where Stormoe brought a piece of audio evidence with her. Many were left speechless by this evidence.

For more information on the Allen House or any of the haunted buildings at Tech, contact Stormoe at 501-3249786 or at shelle@arkansasheritage.org.

For more information about the history of Tech or the upcoming event “Atomic Age Apocalypse: Mutants, Monsters, and Mushroom Clouds,” call 479-9640569 or go online to library.atu.edu.

The 10-hour requirement, according to the faculty handbook, was used to justify more than just student consultation time, said Kenneth Futterer,

(FAN from page 1 ) button pinned to her shirt with a fun meter on it. If the pointer isn’t on the highest level of fun, the Wonder Boys want to know why, and they’ll move it for her.

She’ll tell you the button she wears now is the second button given to her because the first wore out. The buttons were given to her by the Director of Athletics

(NELSON from page 1 ) businesses.

“I had always been a car enthusiast,” Nelson said.

“My passion grew into something I enjoy.”

That passion has forged a business that’s now more than 25 years old.

Nelson said the key to his longevity has been quality work, perseverance and the attitude that one doesn’t “jump into something you can’t complete yourself.”

“You have to find an area you can do a service and make a living [in],” Nelson said.

For Nelson, that area was vehicle detail work.

But prior to opening his business, Nelson invested 30-plus years into the

The resolution also states office hours may be divided based on the number of hours of online and traditional courses the faculty member teaches. For example, a professor teaching half his credit hour load online and half as traditional courses could be available in and former head football coach Steven Mullins.

“She takes a tremendous amount of pride in what she does,” Mullins said.

“Everybody knows how Judie cares for those guys, and she takes a personal pride in knowing them and being there when there is something they need.”

Miss Judie can be heard singing gospel songs and sometimes Kenny local education system, starting out teaching special education and eventually teaching and coaching full time.

“I had to figure out what was important,” Nelson said.

He went on to say he found that importance in spending time with his family; it was then teaching and coaching full time lost their place as Nelson’s focus.

However, Nelson took what he learned as an educator and applied it to his present-day business.

“It made me well rounded in working with different people in different areas,” Nelson said.

Those different areas now encompass the diversity seen on Tech’s

Futterer is sure the resolution will benefit students.

“It actually, probably, in practice, is easily the same or a little more [hours than before],” he said.

Chesney as she works.

On her lunch breaks, she sits in her office and studies her bible.

She can also be found in the hallway outside the locker room after games where she gives each player a hug or high five.

The sweat doesn’t seem to bother her at all.

“They are precious to me,” she said. “I think what an honor it is to be part of all that.” campus today.

“After 34 years, it’s a great opportunity to see the diversity that has changed over the years from when I came in, to what I see now,” Nelson said. “We didn’t know what to expect after we finished high school. Now they have people coming in and sharing the diversity and different cultures, and I think that’s a great opportunity.”

Those opportunities to share in diversity and different cultures continue as Tech’s Diversity and Inclusion continues to grow.

For future events hosted by Diversity and Inclusion, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ ATUDiversity.

The Arka Tech GENERAL POLICY

News stories printed in The Arka Tech must be accurate, fair and as unbiased as possible. Any mistakes in fact found in an issue of The Arka Tech will be corrected in the first possible issue. Opinions expressed in The Arka Tech are not necessarily the opinions of Arkansas Tech University or its students. Individual copies of The Arka Tech are free to members of the Tech community.

Contact the adviser for pricing of multiple copies.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2015

Editor-in-Chief: RYAN SMITH

Managing Editors: JENN TERRELL CLAUDIA HALL AMBER QUAID News Writer: SIERRA MURPHY Staff Writer: ASHLEY PEARSON Web Master: SAM HOISINGTON Sports Writer: MATTHEW EMERY Advertising Manager: MICHAEL HARRIS Faculty Advisor: TOMMY MUMERT

THE

ARKATECH

Campus | PAGE 5

SAB hosts Halloween Party

SAB hosted a Halloween party in Baz-Tech on October 30th from 8 pm - midnight. The party included food, contests and two live DJs.

From left: Shea Seaborn, Jessica Gardner, and Emily Jackson pose in their costumes.

Hannah Shellito, 2015 Tech Idol, gets food from a decorated table.

Xintong Liu sends a video of the event to a friend.

Students dance together under an assortment of lights and music.

ABOVE: Fog

Photos by: Jenn Terrell

Students dance together on the crowded dance floor.

shoots out above the DJs' set up in a colorful display as students dance all around the dance floor.

Christopher Rogers dances near the coffee counter of Baz-Tech.

George John Wewer III displays his costume.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2015

PAGE 6 | Features

Veteran refuses to give up

MATTHEW EMERY Sports Writer

Tyler Rollins, a senior parks and recreation student from Bearden, was nine and a half miles through the 10 mile Tough Mudder race in Okemah, Oklahoma, when he tried to slide through an obstacle.

A few moments later, Rollins found himself stuck face down in water, unable to move. His life was about to take a dramatic turn.

Rollins was in a segment of the Tough Mudder called the swamp stomp, which requires wading through waist high water.

He tried to slide through it but was halted when the top of his head was met by a slab of concrete.

That pushed his head into his back, compression fracturing and shattering his C6 vertebra.

his neck and was able to pull out bone fragment from his C6, put a new vertebra in, insert a plate with four screws that would fuse his fifth, sixth and seventh vertebrae together, pull bone marrow from his hip and insert it between those vertebrae so they’d grow together.

Following this surgery, the doctor came in to share the news to Rollins.

“The doctor said, ‘Well, his military career is over.’ That was it. I didn’t care to hear anything else. I knew I was paralyzed. I was awake and couldn’t move twothirds of my body. I knew what that meant.”

Rollins had spent four years in the National Guard and had been promoted to sergeant. He was a scout sniper team leader in charge of two younger snipers.

The injury left him paralyzed from the waist down and in his hands.

He also has impaired sensations in those places and is unable to tell the difference between hot and cold, or dull and sharp.

Initially, he had joined as a means to pay for college, but once training started, it became about more than college for him—it became about protecting and serving.

“Sometimes I catch myself thinking, ‘Man, all you had to do was walk through it,’” Rollins said.

“I could have done this or that, but my next thought is always, ‘But you didn’t, so get over it.’”

Rollins is currently medically discharged, and that is heartbreaking to him.

After sliding and falling face first in the water, Rollins tried to push himself up but could not. So he tried to roll out, but to no avail.

“I remember it all very vividly,” Rollins said. “I knew my body was in shock, it probably just shut down my motor functions. I didn’t know I was paralyzed, but I knew something serious was going on.”

Rollins comrades quickly came to his aid, and he recounted being instructed to “get his legs working.”

“I’ve done a lot for them in four years,” he said. “I’ve trained and trained others. But not being able to put that into action…that hurts.”

Rollins injury not only affected him and his military career, but also his loved ones. He remembered calling his mom after the accident.

“I said, ‘Mom, I hit my head.’ She asked if I was okay. I told her that it was bad enough that I’ve been paralyzed.”

The situation was hard on the family, but Rollins said they “pulled together” during this time.

MATTHEW EMERY/THE ARKA TECH Rollins still maintains a positive attitude after his accident.

“God is the reason I am alive,” he said. “God has orchestrated the entire thing. You can have 100 reasons to quit, but you just need one to keep going. For me, that’s my faith.”

At first, Rollins found himself bitter and constantly asking why.

He realized being hung up on “why” would lead him down the wrong path, one filled with depression.

Rollins compared himself to Job in the Old Testament. When Job asked God, “Why me?” God replied, “Who are you to ask me why?” Rollins holds this story dear to his heart. It gave him the ability to stop asking why, and to ask a new question: “How can I bounce back and glorify God in this?”

The medical staff at the event didn’t have the tools to treat him, so his squad-mates were trying to find ways to stop the head bleeding and a means of stabilization.

Rollins’ friends were also affected.

A lot of them came to Tulsa to see him, and some even came all the way to Colorado, where he stayed during treatment.

Following the injury, Rollins had what he described as a “miracle surgery.”

“A lot of genuine love and care was expressed to me from them,” Rollins said.

Rollins has already seen significant improvements in his condition that once seemed impossible.

The surgeon made a one-and-ahalf inch incision in the front of

The biggest factor that keeps Rollins going has been his faith.

He has the ability to grip with his right hand. His right leg also has seen a dramatic increase in mobility, and there has also been some in his left leg.

“I’ve been motivated to do everything I can to get back to a normal life.”

-Tyler Rollins

Rollins continued to praise, “God is the reason I am alive. I credit him for every bit of return I have.”

This amount of improvement in such a short amount of time has changed Rollins view of his wheelchair from being permanent

to temporary.

“I’m more faithful that I’ll be out of this wheelchair,” Rollins said.

“It won’t be very long. I can’t wait to hike. I’ve done a lot of hiking, and I want to do more. That’s my goal.”

Rollins incident has not changed his philosophy on life at all. People will frequently not take chances for fear of the what-ifs. Rollins views himself as an example of what could happen.

“I’m in one of the worst situations of what could happen,” he said.

“But I would still go for it again.

Living life in fear of what could happen will really limit how much life you can have.”

Rollins is a senior at Arkansas Tech, where he was happy to return after his accident. His friends, education and ministry are here, so he felt it was the best place for him to be.

After graduation, Rollins originally intended to start his own business doing guided hiking and climbing.

Now, his focus has shifted. He would like to design adapted outdoor recreational facilities.

“God didn’t create me with a quit switch,” Rollins said. “As soon as I sat up, I’ve been motivated to do everything I can to get back to a normal life.”

Opportunity seized for the Hispanic community SIERRA MURPHY News Writer Chances at opportunities like higher education and founding organizations don’t always open up for every college hopeful.

Yet despite the statistics that said no, Jocelyn Flores continues to defy odds.

“My parents just wanted us to graduate high school,” said Flores, a senior communications major from Fayetteville. “Now, my younger sister and I are in college, and my older sister is in medical school.”

The Flores family became what it is today from humble roots. Her parents were born and raised in Mexico before migrating to the United States in hopes of a better future for their children.

“My parents’ childhood was really rough, and neither of them finished their education,” she said. “They only finished elementary school.

When my parents were around 18, they decided to come to the United States. I’m thankful for that decision and what they did for us because I wouldn’t have gotten this education.”

That education, however, has tested ties between Flores and some within the Hispanic community.

“Sometimes it’s shamed upon in our culture to do more than what’s expected, especially when it comes to education,” Flores said. “A huge thing in the Hispanic culture is that you are born to be the mother, to have children—that’s the role we play. That’s all you do. With furthering my career, I know I’m doing it because I love it.”

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2015

This is where Flores breaks the mold.

not only president of, but also had a hand in building.

As of May 2015, the Pew Research Center reported that while Hispanics are tripling their enrollment on college campuses, they are also one of the groups that “still lag other groups in obtaining a four-year degree.”

“I took that responsibility and reestablished the organization by myself,” Flores said in an email.

“Our main goal is to educate the public about the Hispanic community.”

Flores, unlike the statistics, plans to continue her education and get her master’s degree in student affairs.

She also hopes to inspire younger Hispanic students to pursue a higher degree of education by speaking to local high school students with intentions of removing stigma and educating students about their options.

The idea of educating younger Hispanics was originally spurred by a Hispanic Students Association meeting, an organization Flores is

HSA, which currently has eight executive board members and 20 general members, is open to all students of Hispanic descent.

“I want it to be a family,” she said.

While HSA has yet to take root on campus, Flores hopes she can return to Tech and witness growth.

“If I come back 10 years from now or 20 years from now, I want it to be a powerful organization that is culturally driven to get their name out there and to promote our diversity,” Flores said.

Sports | PAGE 7

Wonder Boys No. 2 in GAC

MATTHEW EMERY Sports Writer

The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys put a thrashing on Northwestern Oklahoma to win their final road game of the regular season 53-21 and improve to 7-2.

With Harding’s loss, this gives the Wonder Boys sole possession of second place in the Great American Conference behind Henderson State.

The Wonder Boys put up 22 points in the second quarter, which gave them a 32-7 lead at the half. They would not look back.

Tech’s offense was firing on all cylinders, accumulating 535 total yards. Senior quarterback Arsenio Favor went 11-for-16 through the air for 163 yards and six touchdowns, which is a season high.

The Wonder Boys running back tandem of sophomore Brayden Stringer and freshman Bryan Allen continued to be a dangerous weapon.

The pair rushed for a total of 303 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wonder Boys will host Southwestern Oklahoma this Saturday.

Tech struck first and often, as it led 25-0 until 4:03 left to play in the first half. After half time, it was more of the same for the Wonder Boys.

Allen popped off his biggest rush of the game with 12:36 left in the third, a 49-yard run that resulted in a touchdown that put the Wonder

MATTHEW EMERY/THE ARKA TECH

Boys up 39-7.

With only 55 seconds left, Stringer put together his longest run of the day, a 48-yard rush.

The Wonder Boys defense continued to shine, this time led by freshman Cua’ Rose, who had nine tackles.

Junior defensive back Trevon

Gooden and freshman safety Kristen Trammell both recorded an interception.

The Wonder Boys will return home for the final two games of the regular season. This Saturday they will host Southwestern Oklahoma (6-3), who sits tied for third. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.

Golden Suns on a 16-match streak

KRISTINA EDEN Contributing Writer

Backed by big nights from junior Kaylee Konsella and senior Kaci Jackson, the Arkansas Tech women’s volleyball team turned away Henderson State with a 3-0 sweep in a Great America Conference match Oct. 29 at Tucker Coliseum.

The Golden Suns (22-5, 12-0 GAC) pushed their winning streak to 16 matches overall with the 25-20, 25-15, 25-16 victory and extended a GAC streak to 24 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Tech also raised $862 through auctioning off its game-worn jerseys, with the proceeds going

to River Valley Food 4 Kids through Tech’s Fight On Against Childhood Hunger Initiative.

“It was a successful night for two reasons,” head coach Kristy Bayer said. “First we raised almost $900 for River Valley Food 4 Kids, and secondly, we were able to get a 3-0 win over Henderson to move our record to 12-0. We’re taking the final third of our schedule in stride, with the rest of the Arkansas schools left to go. Now there’s one down, four to go.”

Freshman Sarita Stegall posted 38 assists and eight digs for the match, while sophomore McCall Wilkins and senior Katie Huff each put up seven kills in the middle.

The Golden Suns finish their

MATTHEW EMERY/THE ARKA TECH The Golden Suns will finish their regular season with four GAC matches over the next couple of weeks. regular season with four GAC matches over the next two weeks, heading to Arkansas-Monticello

Tuesday before returning to Tucker Coliseum to face Southern Arkansas Thursday.

Thank You For Your Continued Support Of The Arka Tech

Solutions to this week's puzzles will be featured in the next issue of The Arka Tech.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2015

PAGE 8 | Community

F A L L Tahmid Fateen Shantanu speaks with a potential employer at the annual Fall Career Fair.

C A R E E R

The Norman Career Service's Fall Career Fair kicked off last Wednesday and was packed with both students and companies.

The fair included business such as ABF Freight, Acxiom, ArcBest Technologies, Crest Industries, Entergy, International Paper, Kroger, Lockheed Martin, Southwest Power Pool, Rocket Fizz, and several others.

LEFT: Becky Bariola (left) and Sarah A. Keating (right) speak with interested students about opportunites avaiable working for Arkansas State Parks.

Photos by: Jenn Terrell

Gabriel Smith stands in line waiting for the career fair to begin.

Students go from booth to booth to speak with various companies and organizations.

Cognac Bryant speaks to studentts about Rocket Fizz, her employer.

F A I R

Each student was given a name tag before entering the career fair.

Jaqua Lindsey talks about opportunities at Regions.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2015

Arkansas Teachers Corps displays brochures, cups, pens, and various items.