Vol 94 issue 14

ARKA

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1923

THE

Miss Tech, the person behind the crown. PAGE 5

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY // THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018 • VOL. 94 NO. 14

Roush Hall to be demolished Athletes receive SAM STRASNER

MARCOMM

A residence hall that served Arkansas Tech University for more than 50 years will be torn down during spring break 2018 in order to create space for a planned outdoor student recreation area.

Roush Hall was dedicated on

Homecoming day 1963 at Arkansas Tech. Constructed at a cost of $335,692, the facility’s original purpose was to house 104 female students. It was named for Myrtle Roush, who served on the library staff at Tech from 1932-69.

By fall 2016, Roush Hall had reached the end of its useful life as a residence hall. It has been

vacant for more than 18 months and will be demolished beginning the week of March 19-23.

Afterward, the land that Roush Hall occupied for more than half a century will receive new life.

Plans from the ATU Department of Residence Life call for the space to be transformed with

the installation of a sand volleyball court, picnic tables and a grove for hammocks.

Kevin Solomon, an associate dean in the ATU Division of Student Services, reported that the new outdoor recreation area is scheduled to be available for student use by the beginning of the fall 2018 semester.

Study Abroad: Budapest on a whim

(FOOD page 4)

(NCAA page 8)

GABBI CALABRESE/THE ARKA TECH The iconic Budapest Parliament, grand and illuminated gold in the night visible to citizens and tourist alike no matter where you are in the city. find the Airbnb Friday night.

On Saturday, we visited the St. Stephen’s Basilica, which was stunning and massive but had nothing on the Parliament, a grand building, illuminated in the night so that it is visible no matter where you are in the city.

I’ve never been much of an architecture buff, but standing in front of these buildings made me feel small and bigger than life all at once.

On Sunday, we looked out over the Danube river while waiting for our bus.

It was such a casual thing, and yet it meant so

much to me. I was trembling from the cold, confused about wat bus I was supposed to get on, and caffeine-deprived, but I was standing on a bridge over the Danube!

In choir, I’ve sung songs about the Danube.

(BUDA page 3)

SENIOR NIGHT

YOUTUBE

Cupboard keeping Tech families full

CHLOE TAVERNER

Contributing Writer RICCI LOGAN/THE ARKA TECH Cheyeene North from Gallatin, Tennesse, played her last game in Tucker Coliseum Saturday, Feb. 24, against Arkansas Monticello. North scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds. Here she is on her last day with family and coaches.

An Arkansas Tech organization is in its fourth year of supporting Tech families and teaching students about food security and re-

Sports Photographer

source management.

The Green and Gold Cupboard has spent the last four years educating students, faculty and staff about the dangers of not having food security. One

Foreign Correspondent

was free to be a tourist.

There was no pressure to know what I was doing.

I didn’t feel guilty when I didn’t understand the language or the public transportation system.

I didn’t feel stupid stopping to snap a photo of the intricate buildings. I had fun merely trying to

Ricci Logan

College athletes receiving illegal benefits is nothing new. However, the National Colligate Athletic Association recently denied Louisville’s appeal after the Louisville basketball team was paying escorts to sleep with recruits. The program will lose NCAA recognition of its 2013 national title and have to pay back millions earned in tournament money.

A new investigation has come out. Yahoo! Sports published documents from the FBI’s investigation in college basketball. The investigation showed that more than 20 players from the nation’s top programs were implicated in possibly breaking NCAA rules.

Some of these school included Kansas University, Duke University, Kentucky University and North Carolina University. A few of the players were some of the nation’s best college basketball talents, such as: Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Alabama’s Colin Sexton and Kentucky’s Kevin Knox.

The documents obtained

by Yahoo! detail the work of former NBA agent Andy Miller and his agency, ASM Sports. Yahoo! reported that the documents, which includes paperwork from 2015-2017, shows cash advances. The documents also show travel expenses paid for college prospects and their families.

Many of the nation’s top basketball programs might suffer from NCAA sanctions once the FBI releases information it acquired during the investigation.

Six players were identified in the documents as receiving payments exceeding $10,000. Former college basketball player Dennis Smith Jr., received $73,500 in loans from ASM before he left for NC State University. Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Isiah Whitehead received more than $37,000 when he was a freshman at Seton Hall University. Also, 2017’s No. one NBA draft

Gabbi Calabrese

It is a surreal feeling to be able to turn to my friends and decide to plan a weekend trip to Hungary, but that has become my reality. This past weekend, I left Graz for the first time since arriving.

After a couple days of haphazard planning, a couple friends and I hopped on a bus to Budapest, Hungary, with zero knowledge of the language, the currency, or, well, anything about the city at all. But I didn’t need prior knowledge to fall in love with Budapest.

It is bigger, louder and dirtier than Graz, and I adored it from the moment the street lights enveloped me.

My Hungarian excursion brought about a liberation I hadn’t expected or realized I was missing in the first place.

Since the day I moved to Graz, I’ve been trying to figure out how to live there, but in Budapest I

illegal benefits

Alumna Jessica Brock new director of admissions

TYLER HAYWOOD

Contributing Writer

Arkansas Tech University alumna, Jessica Brock, has been named the new director of admissions and is replacing Shauna Donnell, who retired last semester after 20 years of service.

Brock has already began her goals for the university and the Office of Admissions. One of those goals is to establish a program that grants high school students an opportunity to graduate with an associate’s degree. Brock recently tried to create an associate’s pathway for concurrent stu-

dents to help them get a head start on their degree.

Brock’s job is to work with students and help them get admitted to the university.

She said that she “has the best job ever.”

“My favorite part of my job is working with first generation students and knowing that I am truly making a difference for them and their future,” Brock said.

Some workers in the Office of Admissions say they are looking forward to Brock’s new position.

“I am excited about Mrs. Brock being the new director of admissions,” said Alida Gutierrez, a health information major

from Dardanelle and a student worker in the Office of Admissions. “She is a very conscientious and hardworking woman.

I could not have picked a better person for the position.”

Jessica Brock Before being titled the new director of admissions, Brock worked in multiple administrative positions for the university including publicity and student recruitment specialist, associate registrar and associate director of admissions for concurrent enrollment.

Brock attended Springdale High School and began college at Arkansas Tech University as a freshman in the fall of 1996.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Management and Marketing in 2000 and furthered her education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She graduated from UALR in 2003 with a Master of Business Administration degree.

“One of the personal things I am most proud of, other than my family, is that I am a first generation college student myself,” Brock said. Brock currently resides in Russellville with her husband, Matt, and her four children.

2 Opinion arkatechnews.com

Student success not measured in testing DALE QUAID/THE ARKA TECH

When it comes to taking tests, many students have trained themselves to answer the multiple-choice questions and nervously debate which letter could be the right one. Filling-in-the-blank is, as defined by Merriam-Webster, simply “to provide missing information,” information that is already been given via textbook or lecture. Repeating back what a professor teaches you in class is not, in our opinion, the best way to determine if a student has learned the material. We believe these types of test should be used in a different manner and not as staples for our midterms.

The United States participates in two international assessments: the Trends in International Math and Science Study and the Program for International Students Assessment. The studies showed that, while the U.S. ranked 39 in math and science in the TIMSS, they ranked 13 in the PISA, which measures math, science and reading. Adding the reading element, which schools have changed the way they approach reading and been successful, helped their rankings immensely.

“Mathematics literacy scores have come in below the mean, with U.S. scores ranging between 470 and 487. The most recent mathematics score, 470, is the lowest for the U.S. in the test’s history.

Science literacy scores have also fluctuated within a tight range, 489-502,” said Tom Loveless in the 2017 Brown Center Report on American Education: International assessments.

Editorial: ed·i·to·ri·al

We believe that practicing to take standardized tests trains people to memorize answers instead of preparing them for practical application of knowledge and when faced with unknown testing standards we [the U.S.] come in 39. We would like to see more teachers put students in “real world” situations and have them find a solution based on the skills they have learned. We believe this will not only help with the retention of important information but also provide the students with skills that the can use in life beyond college.

For example, if students are testing over area in a math class and are provided with actual objects they have to measure and give the area of. This way the teacher can see that they are measuring, using formulas and applying the information needed to solve the equation. The teacher can make it as easy (1 to 2 shapes to measure) or complicated (10+ shapes to measure, varying sizes and shapes) as needed for each class.

We understand that some fields maybe harder than others to provide “real world” application for exams but professors and students alike should be approaching the exams in a different way.

Also, we aren’t saying take away all pen and paper tests, that is not practical, we are saying that midterms (a stressful test for many) should be something out of the ordinary and more practical for the world outside of college.

Many colleges are beginning to see

that tests do not define the ability of the student. In the United States, there are more than 850 accredited, bachelor-degree granting schools that do not require testing to apply, according to niche. com. A growing number of test-optional schools “recognize that no test—not the SAT, old or new, nor the ACT – is needed for high-quality admissions,” said Bob Schaeffer, FairTest public education director.

We believe that if almost a third of all accredited, bachelor-degree granting schools in the United States can see that standardization testing is not what determines the knowledge of a student or the best employee, then we should at least consider this option. Though they do it only for admissions, we believe it should be applied across the board for all exams; a pen and paper test does not define everyone’s intelligence.

In a New York Times article, ‘The Real World is Not an Exam,’ the author gives an example of a student who excelled on college exams, graduated and went into the job force. When the now degree-bearing adult had to use “real world” application for the information

recordings of yourself if you would like.

If this is shocking or upsetting, do not forget: you agreed to these services when you agreed to use the software. According to the iPhone Software License Agreement “When you use Siri or Dictation, the things you say will be recorded and sent to Apple in order to convert what you say into text and, for Siri, to also process your requests.”

License agreements are important to really read through if you are concerned about your privacy or other such issues.

Since you agreed to it then it becomes legal for these companies to do with your recordings what is stated in the license agree-

ple realize that the data is there. Google is relatively transparent, in that it allows you to review what has been collected, but it doesn’t go out of its way to publicize that it’s there in the first place,” said Simon Hill in an article on Digital Trends.

Google has made it easy to find all the data they have collected on you. If you are logged in to your Google account, go to: https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity, click Filter by date & product, scroll down and click on Voice & Audio, then click search. Here you can find all the recordings of you using Google Assistant on AMAZON.COM your Android devices. You may also delete the recordings if you so desire. I tested this ment, but nothing else. Sometimes wording one, because it is the only service I use, and is left vague on purpose, if you do not agree it works. with the terms, do not use the product.

The audio recordings were a little weird Unfortunately, Apple does not allow to listen to but it was me just telling my you to access your recordings, but they do phone what to text. This is the only feature allow you to access the transcripts of those I use Google Assistant for, and specifically recordings, but only for those recorded in so I can drive and just dictate a message to the last 24 hours. To find these transcripts, my phone completely hands free. So I think activate Siri then swipe down from the top the risk of being recorded is worth the reof the screen. ward of having a personal assistant to write Not everyone knows that they are being down my dictations while driving, no one listened to by their devices, and of the peo- else is willing to do it. So these “services” ple that do know, many probably do not really do have a helpful real world applicaknow that these files are being saved and tions and I am sure that a lot of you use at used to improve their software. “Few peo- least one of them.

[ed-i-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-] noun: An article that represents the official viewpoint of a newspaper on a topic of public interest. he learned, the person failed. This example, while on the extreme side, shows that there are many degree-bearing adults who do not know how to apply their degree to the world beyond college. In fact many college graduates don’t even get a job closely related to the major.

“Just 27 percent of college grads had a job that was closely related to their major,” according to the Federal Bank of New York.

While college grads do on average make more money with having a degree than without, according to Forbes, “the unemployment rate for college graduates is 2.5 percent. That means that one out of every 40 college graduates is unemployed.” Though this number may not seem large to some, if a class has 400 graduates, 10 of them will be unemployed.

We want all students, at all levels of education, to succeed. We are asking for the whole of the university to consider more “real world” practical application midterms and less pen and paper. We want to see this university represented in the best possible way and that happens when students from Tech shine in the professional world. Let them shine.

Move over NSA, 'wire taps' are already in your home DALE QUAID

Staff Writer

With new inventions in AI personal assistants coming out quickly, like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant who are “always listening” and always around us, how much privacy do we have? Well, just a little less than before. Many people have an Echo or iPhone, which both have intelligent computer assistants built in. Many people may also not know that these devices record what you say to it for use by the company.

If you issue, or “Echo” thinks you issue a command, it knows such as “Alexa,” “Echo,” “Computer” or “Amazon,” it will record what you tell it afterward. “A recording and transcription of the audio is logged and stored in the Amazon Alexa app and must be manually deleted later. For instance, if you asked your Echo, “Alexa, what is the weather right now?” you could later go back to the app to find out exactly what time that question was asked,” said Amy B. Wang of the Washington Post. Luckily these recordings can be accessed by you simply opening the Alexa app, pressing Settings and then pressing History, there you will find all the recordings that Amazon has stored on you. You may even listen to the

THURSDAY, MARCH1, 2018

Campus 3 arkatechnews.com

MAN ON THE STREET HOW IMPPORTANT ARE MIDTERMS TO YOU AND YOUR MAJOR?

“They’re important but they aren’t going to make or break you.”

Ely Soto Springdale

“Not too relevant because they’re there but not as hyped up as finals.”

'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes' BAILEY GREENWOOD

Contributing Writer

Arkansas Tech will be hosting events to educate others on women and gender issues and to raise awareness for rape, sexual assault and gender violence for students on the Tech campus.

“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” is an international men’s march in which the participants wear highheeled shoes to raise awareness for sexual violence.

The walk will be held on March 5 from 2-4 p.m. at the Hindsman Bell Tower.

Kyle Pierce, an economics and finance major from Greenwood, participated in the walk last year.

Pierce said it felt good to be able to participate and show his support rather than talking about something that needs to be addressed.

“I was like many of the other men, walking and complaining about how it hurt,” said Pierce.

“Then about 100 feet in, I remembered why I signed up for this: to show my support for the women who have been sexually assaulted.”

Tech is also a part of The Red Flag Campaign, a public aware-

RICCI LOGAN/THE ARKA TECH ARCHIEVES Arkansas Tech students gather at Hindsman Bell Tower to wear read high heels in support of “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes." ness initiative to prevent and gain awareness for sexual assault, dating violence and stalking in relationships.

The campaign encourages witnesses of violent acts to say something when warning signs or “red flags” are shown in a relationship.

Dr. Julie Mikles-Schluterman, associate professor of sociology and assistant director of honors, is in

charge of this initiative on campus.

Mikles-Schluterman said her favorite part of these events is seeing the large number of supporters they have and seeing people talk about the issues at hand.

“What I want to see is change in awareness about sexual assault and, of course, the rates of sexual assault we have on our campus,” said Mikles-Schluterman.

New lounge for commuter, nontraditional students

Jacob Capper Springdale

TIFFANY WEBSTER

Contributing Writer

“Pretty relevant because regardless our midterms are still a grade.”

Emma Burton Highland

JENN TERRELL/THE ARKA TECH ARCHIEVES

Jerry’s handlers get funds TIFFINI JARVIS

Contributing Writer

“Midterms are a good determiner of what the end of your semester will look like, so I’d say they are fairly relevant.”

Aaron Hunter White Hall

“They aren’t really that relevant to me because they aren’t weighted any more than a regular test.”

Jessica Rogers DeQueen

Arkansas Tech’s Student Government Association will begin reimbursing Jerry the Bulldog’s handler starting next semester to prevent cutting funds for other programs under the Department of Campus Life.

SGA passed a resolution to begin paying $1,628.76 per semester to the current and future handlers of Jerry to cover all costs of his non-event related care including feeding, supervised exercise, and event preparation work that Heather Strasner, current handler and Spirit Assistant, said she contributes.

In justifying the costs, Strasner claimed that 400 hours per semester of non-event related care is provided to Jerry; 56 percent of the care goes towards feeding and bathroom care, 29 percent is supervised exercise time, and 15 percent is event preparation.

“I provided care for Jerry as an extra duty in combination with my formal role as visit day coordinator in the Office of Admissions,” said Strasner. “When I began making plans to step away from full-time work, the Division of Student Services offered me a part-time employment opportunity overseeing the spirit squads and the campus ambassador (Jerry the Bulldog) program.”

Since Jerry is officially owned by Tech, the Department of Campus Life would have to absorb this cost resulting in a bud-

get cut for other programs, according to a memo provided by Strasner.

“My salary includes overseeing the Arkansas Tech spirit squads, planning Homecoming activities, overseeing campus spirit initiatives, and the time spent with Jerry the Bulldog at events on and off campus,” said Strasner. “The additional amount requested from SGA is to cover the non-event related duties of the campus ambassador.”

Local businesses, Russellville Animal Clinic and Creature Comforts, have contributed to the support of the program through donations that cover more significant costs associated with Jerry, but SGA remains the only on-campus organization to provide funding to his maintenance, according to the memo.

“I think Jerry is so popular and SGA’s name being a part of that could really get their name out there,” said Keegan Nichols, SGA adviser and vice president for Student Services.

SGA sees this as an opportunity to further advocate Jerry the Bulldog and the campus ambassador program, according to Resolution 011.

“Fully funding Jerry’s expenses shows how committed we want to be in explaining the story of Jerry and what our campus ambassador means, but also how we can expand the program to continue having a tradition at Tech that students love,” said SGA President, Matthew Smith, senior agriculture business major from Hermitage.

BUDA From Page 1 “They’re useful because it recaps everything and gives you an overview of what you’ve learned so far.”

Austin Phillips Hot Springs

It has always sounded historical and fictional and magical to me, but then it was right in front of me.

My adventures in Budapest were a series of extraordinary buildings, delicious Hungarian food (I will spend the rest of my life craving goulash and kürtoskalács), and an excessive amount of walking (at the very least, Europe is going to keep me healthy).

Words can’t do the city justice.

My two-and-a-half days there couldn’t do it justice.

Before coming to Europe, I didn’t know Budapest was a place I wanted to visit, and now I cannot wait to return.

After three weeks, Graz has grown familiar to me.

It’s easy to let every day, run-of-the-mill

stress seep into my life, to forget that I’m doing something I have always dreamed about, but Budapest served as an excellent reminder of the fairytale my life has become, of the opportunities waiting for me, of the adventure that has only just begun.

Until next time, Budapest (hopefully when it is a bit warmer).

As for next week? I’m headed to Italy.

Commuter and nontraditional students now have a lounge on the Arkansas Tech campus to store items, heat-up food and relax throughout the day. On Thursday, Feb. 15, the office of Student Services officially opened the new lounge in Doc Bryan 248.

Last fall, Student Services and nontraditional students came together to create a space for students who do not live on campus to go and relax between classes. This resulted in the commuter lounge.

The lounge has many different features for students to enjoy: a fridge and microwave to store and heat up food, lockers to store items a student might need throughout the day, computers, a television and a seating area.

Student Services plans to provide the students with locks to use with the lockers throughout the day; however, students are allowed to bring their own locks.

The lounge is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Eventually Student Services hopes to be able to open the lounge earlier to give commuter students a chance to store items before 8 a.m. classes.

“It’s my first time being here and it’s really calm. I recommend people to come in here,” said Dywon Wilson, a graphic design major from Little Rock.

Student Services has communicated this new feature on the campus to nontraditional students and commuters through email and the university’s online news.

“We wanted to give the students a different area to go and re-

(LOUNGE page 5)

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

4 Sports arkatechnews.com

Golden Suns sweep past Northwestern Oklahoma

RICCI LOGAN

Sports Writer

The Golden Suns had successful regular season, now they will enter in the 2018 Great American Championship tournament as the number two seed, facing off against number seven seed East Central on Thursday, March 1.

Tipoff is set for 2:15 p.m.

The Golden Suns closed out the regular season strong this past weekend against the Arkansas- Monticello Cotton Blossoms.

In the opening minutes of the game both teams traded baskets.

The score was 8-8 with 5:11 to play in the first quarter.

The Golden Suns would out score the Cotton Blossoms 8-7 down the stretch to take a 16-15 lead after the first quarter. The Cotton Blossoms hit a three-pointer to take a 17-16 lead.

The Golden Suns started to build some

momentum, closing second quarter on a 16-8.

Going into halftime the golden suns were up by nine 41-32.

The Golden Suns shot 57.1 percent from the floor in first half.

The Cotton Blossoms hit six three-pointers and forced eleven turnovers to keep the game close.

In the second half the Golden Suns came out focused and took double digit lead 43-32.

The Golden Suns would eventually extended their lead by 23 after Kylie Ladd from Ozarks made a layup. In the fourth quarter Golden Suns were on top 71-44 and would go on to win this game 91-66.

The Golden Suns shot a red hot 63.0 percent from the field which is a season-high and the third highest in Great American Conference history. The highest field goal percentage Tech has posted in a game came against Christian Brothers on Nov. 22 of the 2011-12 season when the Golden Suns netted 63.8

2018 GAC Women's Basketball Standings GAC

Seed #

20-2

#1

Arkansas Tech

19-3

#2

Henderson State

16-6

#3

Harding

12-10 #4

Southeastern Oklahoma State

11-11 #5

Ouachita

10-12 #6

East Central

9-13

#7

Oklahoma Baptist

8-14

#8

Northwestern Oklahoma State

8-14

_

Southern Nazarene 8-14

_

Southern Arkansas 8-14

_

ArkansasMonticello

_

Southwestern Oklahoma State

RICCI LOGAN/THE ARKA TECH Kylie Ladd from Ozark drives in for a contested layup against the Arkansas Monteicollo Cotton Blossoms.

3-19

Golden Suns pick up conference win in series sweep DANIEL TURNER

Contributing Writer

The Golden Suns softball team picked up their first conference series sweep over Northwestern Oklahoma State at Bentonville High School in Bentonville due to weather.

The first game on Sunday was a great pitcher’s duel. The Lady Rangers took the early lead in the first inning on a wild pitch by ace Cara Tolar, which put them up 1-0.

Then the Suns battled back in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single by infielder Paige Mendoza to tie the game up at one.

Northwestern Oklahoma took back the lead on an RBI single by centerfielder Peyton Garrett to put the rangers back up 2-1. Tech came back and tied the game up in the bottom of the third when first baseman Megan Goodnight hit an RBI single to tie the game back up at two.

Then, in the next half inning, third baseman Morgan Kirk hit a solo homerun to put the score back to 3-2 NWOSU. The Golden Suns weren’t done just yet and scored two runs in the bottom half of the fourth in back to back RBI bunt singles by outfielder Sydnie Henson and utility player Bailey Bunch to give ATU a 4-3 lead. Goodnight came into the fifth inning and closed the door to pick up the 4-3 victory.

Bailey Shaffer pitched an inning and two-thirds and picked up her third victory of the year. Goodnight pitched three innings and picked up her third save of the year.

The night cap was quite a different story. Through the first three innings, neither team scored. It wasn’t until infielder Sarah Coronado hit an RBI single in the fourth that ATU gained a 1-0 lead and the Suns extended their lead to 4-0 on a three-run homerun by catcher Janie Knowles. They ended up winning

by that score as well behind a complete game two hitter by pitcher Kristen Dempsey. Dempsey gave up one walk and struck out nine Lady Rangers. Dempsey picked up her third victory of the year.

The third game of the series was quite similar to game two. The Lady Rangers took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Tech tied the game when Mendoza scored on a passed ball. Outfielder Ashton Sangster hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the second to give ATU a 3-1 lead.

NWOSU drew closer on a solo homerun by outfielder Macy Madewell to make the score 3-2.

Sangster hit in another RBI in the third, then the offense exploded in the fourth inning with a two-run homerun by Makenzie Addis to make ATU’s lead 7-2.

Then Henson knocked in another run in the fifth, and Mendoza hit a sac fly to make the lead 9-2.

The Golden Suns ended up winning by that score behind an ex-

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, MARCH1, 2018

cellent outing by Shaffer went four innings, giving up only two hits and no walks and also stuck out three.

Shaffer improved to 4-1 on the year and Lacy Mann also got her first experience on the mound in this game. Mann went three innings, giving up seven hits, two runs both earned, walked one and struck out four.

The final game of the series was another outstanding performance by the ATU softball team. Tech took an early lead in the bottom of the second when Henson knocked in Hayley Womack to put them up 1-0. NWOSU came back in the fourth and tied the game at one on an RBI single by Estrella Guardiola.

ATU then scored four runs in the fifth inning, notably by single by Coronado then back to back RBI singles by Mendoza and Goodnight. The Suns ended up completing the sweep by winning 5-1 in the series finale.

Goodnight picked up her third

RICCI LOGAN/ THE ARKA TECH ARCHIEVES

Golden Suns softball team picked up their first conference series sweep over Northwestern Oklahoma State. win of the year, going three innings, giving up one hit, walked one and struck out one. With the series sweep, the Golden Suns extended their winning streak to six and stand in a two-way tie atop the conference standings with Harding.

ATU looks to extend their winning streak next weekend when they take on Ouachita Baptist next weekend in Arkadelphia.

FOOD From Page 1 in five families in the River Valley are not food secure, meaning they do not have consistent access to healthy, nutritional foods said Sydney Stone, cochair of Because We Can, from Clarksville.

“Food insecurity doesn’t discriminate,” said Marlie Ball, a senior psychology, sociology, and criminal justice major from Gravette. “It could be happening to the girl sitting beside you in class.”

Because We Can is a student organization that raises awareness on issues surrounding poverty such as food insecurity. Because We Can was founded in 2014. It began when three students from a Social Movements and Change class began to get “fired up” about social injustices, according to Ball.

The organization started with funding toy drives for the Arkansas Department of Human Services: Division of Children and

Family Services. They now host food drives and hygiene drives in addition to toy drives, but their biggest project is the Green and Gold Cupboard, the school’s food pantry.

The Green and Gold Cupboard’s resources are available to students, faculty and staff. It is located off campus and has no signs so “it is discrete, and people won’t be embarrassed to enter the pantry,” said Ball. The Cupboard is currently supporting an estimated 60 Tech families, according to Stone.

When someone comes into the pantry, a volunteer will ask them several questions including their family size and if they have access to certain items such as a can opener at home. Then they fill up a bag with nonperishable food items for them to take home.

If the person is not a student, faculty member or staff member at Tech, volunteers will give them

information about other food pantries in the community.

Right now the cupboard is only able to give away nonperishable, prepackaged food that has not expired. Ball said their next mission is to get the walk-in cooler that they have in the pantry working because this would allow them to offer frozen food items to Tech families.

Because We Can’s next campus event is its third annual hygiene drive in April. They will be collecting hygiene products for students in public schools around the community.

Students can get involved with Because We Can and the Green and Gold Cupboard by contacting the Behavioral Science Office in the top floor of Witherspoon, or by participating in the many toy, hygiene and food drives Because We Can hosts throughout the school year.

More than a crown

Feature 5 arkatechnews.com

HANNAH BUTLER

Staff Writer

Filled with genuinity and a heart for others, freshman Madison Oswalt has become our new Miss Arkansas Tech. Although she began competing at the early age of 13-years-old, she did not always have her pageant personality down, and still does not always. When she was younger, she used to be a shy girl, and she claims she used to “dress like a boy with a sweater and a hoodie.” On the few weekends she has free time, Madison loves to ride four wheelers and go horseback riding.

“You put me on a farm, and I’m a farm girl,” said Madison of her varying personalities.

Madison is a pre-veterinary major, which she decided she wanted to do after her dad showed her the ways around a farm in an attempt to sway her in another direction. She chose this not out of spite, but out of the experience, she grew more in love with animals. Madison and her family as a whole are lovers of animals. They have what they call a “hobby farm.” They do not make any money off of them, but whatever animal comes, stays. Between her and her family, she owns four dogs, a cat, one rooster, and six goats.

Madison plans on going to graduate school to finish out the veterinary program. Although most do not want to return to their hometown, Madison can see herself returning to Harrison and either running her own veterinary clinic or taking over one.

“My ending point would probably be in Harrison,” said Madison.

Although she did not live in Harrison her whole life, she has lived there long enough to appreciate her community and the people that are in it. The ultimate goal for her is “being in a community that I know is going to be uplifting, and resourceful.”

As someone who wears many hats (or

“Most of the time, I just want to crawl in my bed and just say, ‘Madison has the day off.’”

one of her favorite parts. The philanthropy that her and her sorority gets involved with the community. There are a lot of standards with being in the sorority. Yet, Madison is thankful. “It helps you grow as a woman. Being in Delta Zeta, I can definitely see a difference. I was the freshman, young girl coming into a new college, and not knowing hardly anybody. And now, because of my sisters behind me, and everything that we’ve done, I still am growing into a woman. But I feel like, because of them pushing me and just doing everything that we do together we’re all pushing ourselves to be the women we want to be in the future.”

Madison clearly has a heart for others.

Her platform is “That’s Not Love,” which deals with abusive relationships, both physically and verbally, and the warning signs of these. Within the span of a few years, Madison herself had an experience with abusive relationships from a few people who were close to her. When she discovered the platform, it struck a chord with her.

“I want to be a voice for those that do not have a voice because being the victim, and people don’t realize how hard it is,” said Madison.

Rather than showing it as a presentation, Madison instead prefers to have more of a “heart-to-heart” with those she speaks to.

ALL PHOTOS SUBMITTED As far as being Miss Tech, she wants Madison Oswalt (left) takes a photo on the Tech campus with her sister, Shelby Oswalt. to get more involved. Although she is involved in so much already, Madison wants crowns, for that matter), Madison is an or- nine at night. Fortunately, all of her hard to be as incorporated with Arkansas Tech ganizer and a planner. She schedules time work paid off in landing a spot on Tech’s as she can. Integrating the Russellville for absolutely everything, including nap Golden Girls Dance Team, as well as the community is also a part of what she wants time. She is currently handling some soph- Kristen Hayes Dance Award. According to to promote. omore classes as a freshman, her new role Madison, her and her team “It’s humbling, and it’s as Miss Tech, activities with the Delta Zeta are like a close family and honoring,” Madison said sorority and the Golden Girls dance team. always support each other. of her new position.

Prioritizing and planning do help, although Support from this team Her family, her Delta there are some days she admits that it gets and her sorority are super Zeta sorority, the dance hard. helpful to her and are alteam and her director, Dr. “Most of the time, I just want to crawl ways supportive.

Jim Collins, all motivate in my bed and just say, ‘Madison has the “I’ve always wanted to her to represent Arkansas day off,’” she said, laughing. go Greek,” Madison said.

Tech as she does.

Yet, destressing has a place in hanging The idea of a sisterMadison Oswalt, alout with friends and eating lunch or during hood motivated Madison though young, is motivatpractice at the dance studio. to want to be involved. ing, confident in a good Madison started at what is now called She knew she really liked way and cares wholeheartNext Step Dance Studio in Harrison when Delta Zeta going into edly. All of this, she most she was 12-years-old. She found it as a “hid- recruitment, and Madiundoubtedly would dediden talent that I could do and I loved.” She son is almost speechless cate to the organizations was a teacher throughout high school for when it comes to the sub- Meet Cash, Madison's dog. and the people around her dance and competed often. Madison dedi- ject: “It’s…amazing. And I for her successes. cated countless hours of time at the dance don’t regret my decision of going Delta “Knowing my best in anything I do will studio, often going straight from school Zeta at all.” be just fine,” Madison said, and feels she is to the studio and staying until around Among the sisterhood, giving back is a winner, with the successes or not.

Juggler catches more than just your eye AMANDA HAMPTON

Staff Writer

Ivan Pecel, a juggler from Los Angeles, California, brought the art of juggling to Arkansas Tech on February 19. Pecel is renown at his craft, winning several championships as well as performing on the first season of “America’s Got Talent.”

Pecel emphasized how he encourages crowd participation to make the show more enjoyable not only for the audience, but for him as well. Starting off with juggling three red balls, he began engaging the crowd by balancing the ball flat on his forehead, and then shifting its position all across his face; a talent that he entitled “Seven years without a social life.”

The entire performance was riddled with comedic moments, while the juggling continued and escalated in difficulty. Pecel then started juggling five yellow balls at once, and subsequently moved on to clubs, which he balanced on his forehead, nose and chin all the while continuing to juggle. Needless to say, the crowd continued to

hang on his every action.

“I could not stop laughing the whole time. I had never seen anyone juggle before and I was constantly amazed by his talent. He was totally one of a kind, that’s for sure,” said Rachael Hicks, an undeclared major from Monticello.

When Pecel told the crowd that he was going to juggle a bowling ball, an egg and an axe at the same time, they were taken back to say the least, but this made the success of it all even more jaw-dropping.

At one point within the performance, Ivan juggled swords while a Tech student lay on the stage blindfolded and holding a balloon. At this point, if the crowd was not already on the edge of their seats, they were now.

“I thought I was going to die,” said Clay Williams, a fisheries and wildlife major, the student who was literally under Ivan’s knife. “I trusted him,” he continued, but he highlighted his disbelief in the courageous acts of Ivan Pecel. Williams had no idea the extent to which the act would go, and until his girlfriend showed him a prior vid-

eo of a performance, he was in disbelief.

“I started when I was like ten years old, and I saw somebody at a street fair doing it when I was a kid. I honestly thought that it was like the lamest thing I ever saw in my life, but I was like, I guarantee that I can do that. I went home and tried it, and could do it and just took it way-way too far, and now I’m in Arkansas,” said Pecel.

Although juggling, performing and competing in front of audiences is generally Pecel’s forte, he is still a family man offstage. “Being self-employed is always a little more difficult,” said Ivan, because he often has to do the things a normal businessman would do, but on his own. Regardless of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, it is obvious that his passion for performing fuels him to go the extra mile to make people smile.

“My advice to anybody that wants to do anything, not just juggling, find something that you love to do and find a way to make money at it. Then life becomes a little bit easier,” said Ivan.

AMANDA HAMPTON/THE ARKA TECH Ivan juggled swords over Clay Williams, fisheries and wildlife major, lays on the stage blindfolded and holding a balloon.

LOUNGE From Page 3 lax, study or take a good break,” said Clay Moore, coordinator of Campus Life.

The idea for the lounge was to keep traditional students from having to go to their cars,

potentially leave campus and then have to find another parking spot before their next class.

Moore would like to “encourage and welcome” nontraditional and commuter students

to take full advantage of the new lounge. A student can find out more information about the

lounge at the Student Services office.

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

6 Entertainment arkatechnews.com

AMAZON.COM

Powerful, stirring read AMBER APPLEBY

GEORGE CLARK/THE ARKA TECH

Morelos fills bellies for good price

Cheese covered combo is delightful JORDAN CLARK

Staff Writer

Taking a three-minute drive to an authentic Mexican restaurant does not sound like a bad idea.

Which is how I decided to review Morelos, which is located next to Walgreens on East Main.

Upon walking through the door of the restaurant, I was introduced to a variety of Hispanic designs. The place was not so busy due to the weather, so I was very quickly presented with a seat and a menu. The waiter did not take long to give me my water and greeted me with the simple chips and salsa as I waited for my food.

The salsa tasted amazing, just a tad mild. I

could’ve just filled up on chips if I didn’t order anything else. The selection was indeed special, offering different items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I simply ordered the combo No. 12, featuring one burrito, one enchilada and one tamale; all for $6.99.

It did not take long for my food to arrive from my waiter’s hands and onto my table and I knew I made no mistake picking this restaurant for lunch. I chose cheese sauce to be put onto my combo meal and once more the meal offered me a wonderful taste when I began to eat it. So much so I almost forgot I had a job to do.

For a simple combo meal, the meat overall was

8

JORDAN CLARK/THE ARKA TECH Combo No. 12, featuring one burrito, one enchilada and one tamale; all for $6.99 and Jordan chose cheese sauce to be put onto his combo meal. quite savory, complimented by the white cheese sauce that gave off a slight spice.

All parts of the meal were

spectacular, making me wish I had more or order another item off the menu.

The price for such a meal

/10

was nice. Overall, my experience with this restaurant was amazing and I do hope to come here again.

Specials offer a plateful of fantastic food with bacon GEORGE CLARK

Cartoonist

When we pulled up to Morelos, I immediately noticed that parking was decent. The restaurant has a medium sized parking lot, and there were a decent number of cars.

Making it considerably busy for heavy rain.

After being seated, we were introduced to our server, Carlos, who was very friendly. He was able to answer any questions I had about the food.

After perusing the menu for a few moments, I decided on the Morelos Special, which was $10.99 and included chicken with mushrooms and bacon and rice and beans. I went with water

to drink because there’s nothing better than a cool glass of water when the sky is pouring down rain.

While we waited, we gorged on the standard Mexican restaurant chips and salsa. We didn’t have to wait long about 10 minutes after ordering, our food arrived.

I was already impressed with the price for the amount of food I was getting, but I was even more impressed with the way the food looked. With the chicken piled with mushrooms and bacon and all topped with white cheese dip, it looked like a mound of deliciousness. I immediately dug in.

The spices in the

GEORGE CLARK/THE ARKA TECH The chicken was piled with mushrooms and bacon and all topped with white cheese dip. with a side of beans and rice for $10.99 dish were great. Both the chicken and mushrooms were sweet, with just a bit of spice. They were cooked so well and were wonderfully tender. After tasting those, I was a little apprehen-

sive about how the bacon would factor in. I was pleasantly surprised.

The added bacon was surprisingly fitting. The entire entree was juicy, and spicy enough to feel, but the spice was easily

8

/10

quenched with a sip of drink.

I would definitely recommend Morelos to anyone who enjoys Mexican food. Morelos has quick, friendly service and great food.

Editor-in-chief

In keeping with my want to understand, after reading Lowery’s “They Can’t Kill Us All,” I started “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander, who is a civil rights advocate and a professor in New York City.

It took me two weeks to get through this book because I often went back to reread and to check my understanding. Overall, much like Lowery’s book, this one is a necessary read.

In Alexander’s text, she posits the idea that the criminal justice system uses the War on Drugs as a tool for racial discrimination.

She says that this new form of racism is to blame for the increased incarceration of African American men.

According to Alexander, if the United States continues on this path, approximately one-third of the African American population will be incarcerated.

Ultimately, Alexander compares this “racial caste system” to the Jim Crow laws that were prevalent for nearly a century in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

If you need a quick history lesson, Jim Crow laws were the laws used in the southern United States in order to keep African Americans segregated. Think signs denoting “White” and “Colored” restrooms, water fountains and pretty much any even semi-public area.

Alexander spends much of the book relating facts and figures and theories to support her argument.

She seems to constantly be working toward persuading her reader that what she is saying is fact, and it’s nearly impossible to argue with her points. Alexander’s background as a civil rights advocate makes the observations

(BOOK page 7)

Beyonce: A look at one of the most influential female musicians JORDAN CLARK

Staff Writer

Ending Black History month, this week’s musician of the week is Beyoncé Giselle Knowles, a wellknown singer, songwriter, dancer and actor.

Knowles already set high goals for herself at a young age. This music star started out strong by performing in singing and dancing competitions. Soon, she put herself in a singing group known as Girl’s Tyme, which performed on the show “Star Search.” Unfortunately, the group lost on the show; however, they still persevered, and eventually changed their name to Destiny’s Child, which was managed by Beyoncé’s father.

The group signed into Colum-

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bia Records and had a song on “The Men in Black” soundtrack called “Killing Time.” The group set off to climb with their single “No, No, No” in 1997, becoming a R&B hit with its smooth tone.

Though they did work hard, the group’s two-parter self-titled debut album did not make it passed No.

THURSDAY, MARCH1, 2018

63 in the U.S. Billboard 200. But, Destiny’s Child rose with each single they made.

During 2001, the group announced that each member would pursue solo projects; however, the group had no plans to disband.

This is when Beyoncé began an acting career, starring on the mov-

ie “Carmen: A Hip Hopera.”

In 2003, she released her debut solo album, “Dangerously in Love.” This actually attributed to her winning five Grammy Awards in 2004. That following year, she was nominated by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for five Image awards, making her the Entertainer of the Year honoree. She soon found herself not only a member of Destiny’s Child, but also as a solo artist. She decided to form an alter ego for herself in 2008 named Sasha Fierce, a sassier and confident version of herself, and released an album called simply “I Am… Sasha Fierce,” featuring many of her classic hits like “Single Ladies” and “Halo.”

The star still decided to keep

going higher it seemed, with her dismissing Fierce as she grew more comfortable with her growing fans.

In 2008, she married Jay-Z in a private ceremony. As the years went by with movies and music, the couple had their first child, Blue Ivy. In the year 2013, without any announcements at all, Beyoncé release a self-titled album. This “secret album” became a major success.

However, this did not mark the end of her career. She soon released the album “Lemonade.”

In 2017, she gave birth to twins Rumi and Sir Carter. As of 2018, this artist is a very influential and inspiring, not only as a black female musician, but also as an actress and a mother. She started off setting high goals for herself and pursued them.

Entertainment 7 arkatechnews.com

'Black Panther' is more than a superhero DALE QUAID

Staff Writer

“Black Panther” is the newest super hero movie from Marvel Studios and was met by audiences with much enthusiasm. Rightfully so, the movie was fun, full of action and had more jokes than I expected from a movie with such a serious theme.

The Black Panther is not the first black super hero movie from the Marvel Universe; “Blade” came out 20 years ago.

But still African Americans all over the United States grew excited and anticipated the arrival of “Black Panther,” not because he was the first black super hero in a major film, but because of the African culture woven in to every fiber of the movie.

Chadwick Boseman, who played the title role in the film, was amazing. His acting was spot on and emotional. I rooted for him throughout the movie and felt uneasy when anything negative would happen to him.

He was a great choice to play the hero.

T’Challa, which is Black Panther’s real identity, is next in line to become king following the events of “Captain America: Civil War.” Once he becomes king of Wakanda, a fictional technologically advanced African country, his throne is challenged.

The antagonist of the film Michael B. Jordan, who played Erik Killmonger, was excellent in his role. When you leave the theater hating the actor because he was so convincing, he has

done his job well. His character reveals himself as very self-centered and egotistical, not someone you would want running a country. After challenging T’Challa, chaos ensues and makes up the bulk of the film.

“Black Panther” was visually stunning. The action sequences were well thought out and shown clearly. There was no shortage of action, and any down time was filled with story progression and a litany of jokes which brought some levity to an otherwise fairly dark movie.

The visuals were stunningly over the top. My favorite set was the Warrior Falls, Wakanda’s most famous waterfall and the site where other people of Wakanda may challenge the King for his throne. The set was a work of art and surprisingly

was all practical effects (except for the backgrounds) and not CGI and green screen.

I believe the largest draw of the movie is the African culture shown in the film. Not often is Africa, its people and their cultures shown in a positive light on the big screen. In fact, more often than not Africa is shown as a continent filled with disease, savages and violence. “Black Panther” celebrates African culture and shatters the normal movie expectation of an African country.

Instead, Wakanda is shown as a scientifically advanced and peaceful place, but still kept its ancient roots of culture, spirituality and clothing. I have never seen these aspects put together in such an effortless way that all work well together. Not only

IMDB.COM

does it dispel the savageness normally associated with Africa, but it also allows a celebration of black culture to be enjoyed by everyone.

BOOK From Page 6 to be. It is meant to get under your skin a little and to make you think. But, with something this important

SIMPLY CASUAL

and this necessary to discuss, it has to make people a little angry and it has to scare people a little. If it

didn’t, it would work.

This book is powerful.

Whether or not you agree with every idea that Alexan-

der brings up, her facts and figures and linear logic make it difficult to argue with her.

The only thing that makes

me sad about this book is that the people who most need to read it, will be the ones who don’t.

GEORGE CLARK/THE ARKA TECH

ANSWERS from Feb.8

she makes in her book particularly astute.

Much of this book is inflammatory, and it’s meant

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

8 Sports arkatechnews.com

Wonder Boys tame Rangers in 3-game series NOAH DELASHAW

Sports Writer

The Wonder Boys will host the Ouachita Baptist Tigers Friday at 2 p.m. at Tech field.

The Wonder Boys come home after taking the series from the Northwestern Oklahoma Rangers 2-1 in Alva, Oklahoma.

The Wonder Boys, 8-6 in overall play, will take on the Ouachita Baptist Tigers, 4-10 in overall play. The Wonder Boys are tied for sixth in the GAC with the Rangers. The Tigers are at seventh in the GAC. To open the series on Friday, the Wonder Boys dropped one to the Rangers 2-6. The

Wonder Boys were down 1-2 in the eighth inning and then allowed a quick four-run jump to put the Wonder Boys down 1-6. The Wonder Boys then scored one final run in the ninth, making it 2-6. Cody Wescott, from Phoenix, Arizona, hit his fourth home run of the season leading the team.

Dylan McDearmon, from Greenbrier, had two hits in the game.

The Wonder Boys put forth some more offense to take the final two games of the series from the Rangers 10-4 and 1211. The Wonder Boys hit 10 runs in consecutive games for the first time this season. They had 15 hits in the first game of the day, setting a season high

RICCI LOGAN/THE ARKA TECH The Wonder Boys, tied for sixth in the GAC, will take on the Ouachita Baptist Tigers, at seventh. with seven Wonder Boys having at least two hits.

Riley Hickerson, from Cooter, Missouri, batted in

three runs in the win. The Wonder Boys got 11 hits in the second game, scoring 12 in three innings. Isaac Hale,

Boys go into GAC with number five seed RICCI LOGAN

Sports Writer

The Wonder Boys will play in the 2018 Great American Conference championship tournament as the No. 5 seed. They will face the No. four seed Southeastern Oklahoma at noon on Friday, March 2.

The Wonder Boys played the 17-11 Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils this past weekend.

The Weevils controlled the opening minutes, taking a 1610 lead with 13:47 to play.

Later, the Weevils extended their lead to nine points, 23-14 after a 7-4.

The Wonder Boys fought back. Alex Brown, from Vernon, Florida, through doing a monster dunk gave his team a lift to trim the lead 23-19.

The Weevils quickly responded going on a 6-0 run, taking a 29-19 lead.

The Wonder Boys cut the Weevils lead five points, 31-26, after RJ Glasper, from Forrest City, hit a three-pointer. Glasper lifted the team with his play, scoring 37 points As play went on, Glasper would hit two crucial three-pointers before halftime to keep things close going into halftime as they were down by three, 37-34.

The Weevils out rebounded the Wonder Boys 26-18 in the first half and scored 22 of their 37 points in the paint.

In the second half, both teams would fight hard.

The Wonder Boys were able to build a ten point lead after Jerami Grace, from Dallas, hit a three-pointer and Montrell Williams converted a steal to a fast break dunk to make the score 6757 with 9:17 remaining in the second half.

The Weevils narrowed the deficit to seven but Glasper stretched the lead back to double figures with a

2018 GAC Men's Basketball Standings GAC

Seed #

Southern Nazarene 21-1

#1

Northwestern Oklahoma State

17-5

#2

East Central

13-9

#3

Southeastern Oklahoma State

13-9

#4

Arkansas Tech

12-10 #5

ArkansasMonticello

12-10 #6

10-12 #8

Henderson State

9-13

_

Oklahoma Baptist

7-15

_

Harding

5-17

_

Southwestern Oklahoma State

2-20

_

FLICKR.COM

New player profiles JUSTIN LEWIS

Contributing Writer

RICCI LOGAN/THE ARKA TECH RJ Glasper from Forest City takes contact on layup in the first half. three-pointer.

The Wonder Boys would take its largest lead of night

going up by 17.

The Wonder Boys would go on to win this game 88-73.

NCAA From Page 1 pick Markelle Fultz received $10,000.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball commented on the FBI investigation in a press conference. “Everybody knows everybody’s getting paid. Might as well make it legal,” said Ball.

How can this problem

be solved? Every year, stories come out about players receiving illegal benefits.

This investigation may not just change the landscape in college basketball but in college sports in general. Obviously there are systematic failures that can no longer be overlooked in college basketball.

With the season finally in full swing, it’s time to mention a few Wonder Boys who have been swinging the bat fairly well in the beginning of the season. Tech has shown in recent years that it is not over until the last out. The Wonder Boys are a great team, still trying to get the feel of few new players on the roster stepping up to the plate.

Riley Hickerson, who this time last year was a major factor for the Three Rivers Raiders in his home state of Missouri, has emerged as the bell cow of the group with the highest batting average on the team. Hickerson has taken no time to adjust to the Great American Conference pitching, giving Tech a new feared batter in the lineup.

Despite currently holding the most hits, Cody Westcott has made it a habit to bat in runs at a rather high pace.

Helping this is that Westcott is bound to have a ball leap over the outfield wall at any moment with a good sized

frame. At 6’3”, 200 lbs., Westcott has the ability to go yard if you happen to leave him a curveball hanging. Leading the Wonder Boys in with at least 13 runs batted in, he is a familiar face, having started in the hot corner at third base for the majority of the games in the past season.

Kyle Gibbs, from Phoenix, Arizona, knows a little bit about getting hot, being a hero in the past GAC tournament batting in four runs to past a stout Harding to reach the semifinals last season. Gibbs will poke a few extra base hits in times of need, and has started all games in the infield so far due to his reliability.

Fellow infielder Connor Brady has been at the front of the pack in terms of production this season. The shortstop has played recent games with a chip on his shoulder, trying to lay it all out with it being his senior season. The bats have been around, but maybe not all at the right times. With more games to be played, this group is looking to showcase how dynamic they can be.

Player of the week • RJ Glasper from Forrest City • Had a career high 37 points in the win over Arkansas-Monticello.

• He got eight assists and picked up four rebounds in the win.

Southern Arkansas 11-11 #7 Ouachita

from Aledo, Texas, earned his first win of the season pitching three innings allowing three hits and striking out six.

RJ

Glasper

This week in sports Thursday March 1, 2018 Tennis vs Ouachita Baptist 2 p.m.

Saturday March 3, 2018 Softball @ Ouachita Baptist 12 p.m.

Friday March 2, 2018 Softball @ Ouachita Bapstist 2 p.m.

Saturday March 3, 2018 Baseball vs Ouachita Baptist 1 p.m.

Friday March 2, 2018 Softball @ Ouachita Baptist 4 p.m.

Saturday March 3, 2018 Softball @ Ouachita Baptist 2 p.m.

Friday March 2, 2018 Baseball vs Ouachita Baptist 6 p.m.

Saturday March 3, 2018 Baseball vs Ouachita Baptist 4 p.m.

THURSDAY, MARCH1, 2018

Monday March 5, 2018 Women's Golf @ Southern Nazarene Invitational Tuesday March 6, 2018 Women's Golf @ Southern Nazarene Invitational Tuesday March 6, 2018 Baseball @ Lyon 2 p.m.