Volume 92 Issue 02

ARKATECH THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1923

THE

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, S E P T. 1 7 , 2 0 1 5 • V O L . 9 2 N O . 0 2

ASHLEY PEARSON/THE ARKA TECH Zemaric Holt was named team captain for the home opener game. His jersey was taken to midfield for the coin flip.

Wonder Boys make headlines with play Matthew Emery Staff Writer

When the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys lined up with 10 players on defense in their season opener against Southern Nazarene, they weren’t trying to make the news or be discussed all over the nation. They just wanted to show respect and love for their fallen teammate, Zemaric Holt.

football player,” Monica said.

On that same play, the Wonder Boys recovered a fumble for a touchdown. The play quickly received national attention and was featured on the Twitter feed of ESPN and other major sports media outlets.

“Who would ever dream of that?” Monica said.

The decision to line up with 10 players was head coach Raymond Monica’s idea.

Holt’s teammate, Logan Genz, a senior from West Fork, said “It was surreal. There was definitely a higher power with us on that field.

All the emotions we’ve dealt with over the summer and leading up to the first game, that play triggered the entire team to have energy throughout the game.”

“We felt that was a good way to honor an outstanding young man and an outstanding

That energy showed as the Wonder Boys clobbered Southern Nazarene 62-14.

Holt played defensive lineman for the Wonder Boys. He died in an accident on July 19 at the age of 21.

On Holt, Genz said, “He was one of those players a team needs as a role model. He always had a positive attitude, he always wanted to practice and work out. His smile would light up any room and he’d always keep spirits lifted.”

(see HOLT page 7)

“We felt that was a good way to honor an outstanding young man and an outstanding football player” -Raymond Monica Head coach

News briefs

Tech IN to Social Justice, an inclusion event where students will have in-depth conversations about race, sex and religion, will be in Doc Bryan 242 at 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday.

Public safety building to become Brown parking lot

The Student Activities Board (SAB) will be holding a Community Service Fair from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday at the Hindsman Bell Tower for students seeking service hours or those who want to lend a helping hand.

Pack the Stands will be held on Tuesday from 5:30-7 p.m. at Tucker Coliseum as the Golden Suns volleyball team takes on Harding University.

affect the opening of Brown Hall.

The Health and Wellness Center will be presenting an eating disorder/body image program from 3-4 p.m. on Wednesday in Baz-Tech 202.

“We may have to keep the area where the building is undeveloped until we get it down,” Moseley said.

SAB will show the movie “Inside Out” on Caraway lawn at 9 p.m. on Sept. 24 and at midnight on Sept. 25.

The project for the future Public Safety building won’t break ground until well after the New Year.

Family Day will begin at 3 p.m. on Sept. 26, featuring a Wonder Boys kick off at 6 p.m.

RADCLIFFE DACANAY/FLICKR.COM Sierra Murphy Staff Writer Arkansas Tech’s Public Safety building will be torn down to accommodate the new parking lot for the Brown building, which is nearing completion.

“The parking lot for the Brown building is going to take that entire area, including where the structure is,” said David Moseley, vice president for administration and finance. “It will keep us from doing part of the parking lot.”

However, the campus security building will not

“As far as I know, our building is scheduled to be torn down after they build us a new facility,” Chief of Public Safety Joshua McMillian said.

(see SAFETY page 4)

Applications for Alternative Spring Break will open October 1 on theLink. Alternative Spring Break is an opportunity to give back during the holiday break. Alternative Spring Break 2016 will focus on the issue of homelessness.

PAGE 2 | Opinion

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain MATTHEW EMERY Staff Writer

“Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” by Kojima Productions is the long-awaited conclusion to a story 30 years in the making. However, players new to the franchise should not feel uneasy, as this game has legs of its own to stand on.

The abridged version of the game plot is legendary soldier, Snake, along with the help of some friends, have created their own militant nation that does dirty work for countries willing to pay.

Snake’s old commander, Zero, is not happy with Snake, and he destroys their home, also known as Mother Base. The player assumes the role of Snake, who was last seen going down in a helicopter crash during the fall of Mother Base.

“The Phantom Pain” opens to Snake awakening in 1984 and discovering that he has been in a coma for nine years due to the crash.

horn and would cause him to die if it were removed. If that weren’t enough, he also lost his left arm in the crash.

Needless to say, Snake really wants revenge on Zero.

controls don’t fight back, which has always been a stigma of “Metal Gear.”

Snake does exactly what I want, which is essential in a game where one misstep can cost you so dearly.

This is evident as soon as Snake awakens from his coma, and the doctor informs him that his body had become a pincushion for the bone and teeth fragments of his comrades during the crash.

At its core, “The Phantom Pain” is an open-world, choose your own adventure action game. It drops you into its setting, Afghanistan at the start, and allows you to pick your own equipment and proceed how you see fit.

You can infiltrate an enemy camp and pick each soldier off one by one with your tranquilizer gun, getting in and out without ever raising an eyebrow.

Or you can run in using a machine gun and grenade launcher to set the camp ablaze.

In other open-world games that implement stealth, I always find myself sneaking around until I inevitably get caught, then the scene turns into a bloodbath. That is not the case here. If I get caught, I always feel the need to restart it and try again.

He also has a chunk of shrapnel stuck in his forehead, which resembles a

“The Phantom Pain” controls fantastically and feels great. The

“Metal Gear” has always walked a fine line in their story between ridiculously campy and military drama. “The Phantom Pain” does keep some of that campiness, but this story has a much more serious and dark tone than any of its predecessors.

Editorial: ed·i·to·ri·al

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

With the release of “Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots” in 2008, creator Hideo Kojima fell under fire from critics as the game had over eight hours of cut scenes, including one that was 80 minutes long.

(see GAMING page 3)

From 'Pancho & Lefty' to 'Django and Jimmie'

Develop Weir Road or fall far behind

EDITORIALS The Arka Tech As cities like Conway, Little Rock, Fayetteville and Fort Smith continue to develop at an accelerated pace, Russellville lags far behind despite being home to the state’s third largest university, a far lower crime rate and a comparatively high standard of living.

Our city’s decisions not to capitalize on development opportunities cause our consumers to travel elsewhere to spend their money.

And when a consumer market is dependent on surrounding cities and metropolitan areas other than its own, the chance at proactive development diminishes more and more.

Wait around too long, and then you’re playing a game of reactive catch-up.

At one point, before the 2008 recession was in full swing, a large shopping center at Interstate 40 and Weir Road was supposed to serve as the crowning jewel of Russellville’s economy.

Other businesses showed interest in developing the area that now lies dormant along Weir Road, but when the nation’s market spiraled downward, developers and the City Council alike clung tight to their pocket books.

Seven years and an improved economy later, and there’s still no development to be heard of or seen on Weir Road.

The major prohibiting factor is the lack of water and sewer service

in that part of town. Russellville City Corp does not currently have pipes that feed the few businesses dotting the roadside near I-40.

According to an article from The Courier, initial estimates range from $2.5-$3 million to serve the properties in the area with pipes for water and sewage. The city doesn’t want to spend the money without assurances that businesses will come to Russellville to reciprocate the costs incurred through extensive pipe laying and groundwork.

The problem is only exacerbated by the common sense notion that businesses won’t purchase permits and set up shop until the city provides these basic services.

Thus it becomes a waiting game of who will budge first. In this case, it’ll have to be the city.

The real estate off I-40 and near Walmart has too much potential to leave fallow, and the city cannot afford to have its consumers shop elsewhere.

Groups of retail recruiters have made pitches to the City Council and local officials, and every plan for growing Russellville beyond playing second fiddle economically to other cities involve developing Weir Road.

Although the chunk of money doled out to provide the necessary water and sewer services to the area will be considerable, the benefits of large retailers settling in Russellville are too attractive to ignore.

"The problem is only exacerbated by the common sense notion that businesses won’t purchase permits and set up shop until the city provides these basic services."

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WILLIENELSON

RYAN HARMON Staff Writer You know the names. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. They're two of the last standing legends of country music. They've achieved a great amount of success and have earned the respect of everyone in the industry. So when these two legends come together to record a duet album, they can afford to put out a bad album. Luckily, they chose not to.

"Django and Jimmie" is the result of perfect timing. Haggard pointed out in an interview the two had been talking about doing another album for a long time, and it just so happened that now was the right time.

The album, produced by Buddy Cannon, is the first duet from the two outlaws since 1982's "Pancho & Lefty," and it features some of the best musicians in the business, such as Nelson's harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, and Arkansas native, Shawn Camp.

The title track, "Django and Jimmie," is a tribute to music legends Django Reinhardt and Jimmie Rodgers. The final line says it all: "There might not have been a Merle or a Willie, if not for Django and Jimmie."

The duo pays tribute to another influence and friend, Johnny Cash, with "Missing Ol' Johnny Cash."

The song came from an idea Haggard had, which he described

as more of a rap.

Both Nelson and Haggard had a history with Cash. Nelson and Cash were members of the iconic country super group, The Highwaymen, along with Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.

Haggard was a longtime friend of Cash, but he first became a fan when Cash played at a prison that Haggard was serving time in.

For those hoping for some beautiful smoking music, you're in luck with "It's All Going To Pot." For those who haven't guessed what this song is about, allow me to fill you in.

Haggard and especially Nelson are supporters of legalizing marijuana.

In fact, there's a video of them in the studio, while this album was being recorded, where Nelson passes Haggard what appears to be a joint.

One of the highlights of the record is Haggard's rendition of "Family Bible," which was written by a young Nelson while he was a radio DJ. Not long after writing it, he sold the rights to the song. But most fans know who it truly belongs to.

In 2014, it was announced that Nelson, Haggard and Kristofferson were working on an album together.

I can't help but think that this album was originally supposed to serve that purpose, but for whatever reason, Kristofferson is not a part of it. Regardless, this record is pure country, pure heart and soul and another great addition to the legacies of two old friends.

Opinion | PAGE 3

MAN ON THE STREET What is the saddest song that you know?

“I don’t listen to a lot of sad music. I guess I would say ‘No Children’ by the Mountain Goats” Bruce Thomas Sophomore Computer Science Little Rock

“’Sun and the Moon, but the Evan Duffy cover.”

Sam McNinch Junior Graphic Design Enola

Secretly starving CLAUDIA HALL/THE ARKA TECH

CLAUDIA HALL Managing Editor

You never realize how far you’ve let yourself go until you step back and reevaluate your life.

You let a single thought enter your brain. Before you know it, it starts to dictate your life. You listen to this thought before you listen to the people you trust.

Throughout high school, I gained weight. I gained forty pounds by my junior year. I hated how I looked. My friends wore bikinis and short shorts while I wore jeans and T-shirts to cover my stretch marks and stomach.

When I looked in the mirror, I saw an awkward sixteen year old with a baby face and rolls to match.

“See You Again” Justin Creed Sophomore Business Administration Little Elm, Texas

This is about the time Pinterest made its debut. I became obsessed with exercising. I pinned hundreds of workouts, and I only ate when my mom got suspicious.

“No one will like you if you are fat.”

I saw it written on every plate of food. I chanted it in my head as I ran, ignoring the black specks forming in my vision. I etched it into my brain.

(GAMING from page 2 ) "Wrecking Ball is a pretty sad song" Destiny Crumpley Freshman Health and Physical Education Little Elm, Texas

" ‘Riptide’ by Vance Joy" Mason Moody Sophomore Mechanical Engineering Lonoke

"Definitely “Hate Me” by Blue October" Caleb Mott Junior International Studies Mansfield

Kojima must have taken those complaints to heart, because I’m currently 35 hours into “The Phantom Pain” and I have seen less than ten minutes of cut scenes total.

Instead of long cut scenes, most of the story is told through cassette tapes that play on Snake’s Walkman. I’m glad there aren’t that many cut scenes, but then again, “Metal Gear” is famous for its huge info-dump scenes.

The game is also littered with collectible hits from the ‘80s to listen to while you play. That’s when the “Metal Gear” charm really begins to set in. I caught myself listening to a Billy Idol cassette on Snake’s Walkman while using his iDroid to look at an augmented reality map of Afghanistan, so he can fight a giant robot that launches nukes and machine gun wielding spirits. This game is the best kind of absurd.

As I mentioned before, I’m currently 35 hours into “The Phantom Pain,” and yet I sit at an overall completion of 36%.

There is so much to do in this game, and I haven’t begun to get tired of it yet. Kojima has always been obsessed with the idea of

When I looked into the mirror, I didn’t feel skinny enough. I still saw an awkward sixteen year old. I lost pound after pound but nothing changed. The vision I had for myself was unattainable.

More often than not, I couldn’t go to sleep because of the ache in my stomach. The kitchen was a hundred steps away but every time I walked by a mirror, my appetite went away.

My immune system was in shock.

One day when I was home sick, I passed out and hit my head against a wall. I woke up a few minutes later and blamed it on my sickness. I was so oblivious to the fact that I was doing this to myself. I blocked out the thought that maybe this wasn’t healthy.

I will never forget the moment I realized what I had done. The revelation was a hundred times worse than what I had been feeling all those months.

I lost all of my fat, but kept all of the skin. Even though I had worked out, I had no nutrients to help build muscle. I still have physical reminders of it today.

I’d like to say that I don’t suffer from these demeaning thoughts anymore, but the temptation is always there. It comes from little things, like a friend telling me he has never considered me as skinny or walking past a human Barbie on campus.

At a crippling weight of one hundred and ten pounds, I finally felt beautiful. I wore clothes that showed more skin because I thought I deserved it. I felt like every guy looked at me when I walked into the room.

The important thing I’ve come to realize is that I’m not alone in this. There are so many people in my life who care and will make me eat, even when I don’t want to. They think I’m beautiful and worthy of a healthy, happy life.

And I am.

I never thought I’d look at a photo of myself and realize that my skin was hanging from my bones. I looked like a skeleton. I had gone down four sizes in less than six months.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, I urge you to seek help. Call the National Eating Disorder Association helpline at 1-800-931-2237 or talk to a loved one. You are not alone.

making video games into art, and in his swan song, it seems like his vision has finally been realized to its fullest potential.

for Nintendo.

other.

Employees who were late or took a long lunch break were publically shamed through an intercom system throughout the entire building.

Cameras were also installed to track movements and actions of the employees during the work day, as opposed to security.

The report goes on to list several other downright degrading and demoralizing claims. There’s no word on if these reports are true, or if they stem from a disgruntled employee with an axe to grind.

Lastly was the death of Nintendo president Satoru Iwata at the age of 55.

Iwata began working in video games more than 30 years ago, while still attending university.

In 2002 he became the fourth president of Nintendo, and the first that wasn’t of the Yamauchi bloodline.

Iwata brought something to the table that had not been seen before. He himself was a character, which made him such a great fit

Iwata proved that the man behind the scenes in the business suit doesn’t have to be made of stone.

He loved gaming and interacting with fans.

He even helped bug-test “Super Smash Bros. Melee” when his actual position in the company at the time was much above that of a bug-tester.

This is a tradition his competitors, Sony and Microsoft, would adopt as they discovered the best way to run their business is to be directly involved in it.

The industry came together as a whole after Iwata’s death and remembered him in beautiful fashion. Although he is gone, his impact on the industry will always remain.

These, along with stories such as the abysmal PC release of “Batman: Arkham Knight;” Time magazine scaring everyone away from virtual reality; a resurgence of once great games like “Rock Band” and “Tony Hawk Pro Skater;” and the announcement of “Fallout 4;” culminated to create a memorable summer.

After all, it had to be busy when the last thing mentioned is “Fallout 4."

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

PAGE 4 | News

LIZ CHRISMAN/UNIVERSITY RELATIONS Arkansas Tech will celebrate Family Day on Sept. 26 with a full slate of activities. This year's event will be the 91st edition.

Tech Family Day set for Sept. 26

SAM STRASNER University Relations

Parents, siblings, grandparents and other family members of Arkansas Tech University students will converge on Russellville to spend a day on campus on Saturday, Sept.

26.

Family Day is one of the oldest and most popular traditions at Arkansas Tech. This year marks the 91st anniversary of the event, which was originally known as Dad’s Day. The event has been part of the annual calendar at Arkansas Tech since 1924.

Arkansas Tech Family Day 2015 will begin with morning events such as an on-campus 5-kilometer run/walk and a golf outing at Russellville Country Club.

Arkansas Tech families seeking a more relaxing environment will visit the fourth annual Family Day Jazz Brunch at Chambers Cafeteria from 10 a.m.-noon.

Entertainment will be provided by the Arkansas Tech Jazz Ensemble and the Arkansas Tech Music Theatre Workshop. The event is free and open to all Arkansas Tech

students and their families.

Tech students and their families will also have an opportunity to view student artworks in Norman Hall, which will be open from noon-3 p.m.; and learn about the history of the institution in the Arkansas Tech Museum at the Techionery, which will be open from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

The Arkansas Tech Bookstore main location in the W.O. Young Building will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Family Day, while the location at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field will be open from 4 p.m. until the end of the third quarter of the football game.

Party at the Plaza, the pre-game tailgating celebration outside Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field, begins at 3 p.m. on Centennial Plaza.

The party will include face painting, snow cones, inflatable bump-andjump games and a free photo booth sponsored by the Arkansas Tech Alumni Association. Chartwells will serve a picnic-style buffet at Centennial Plaza.

Kickoff for a Great American Conference football game between Arkansas Tech and Southern Arkansas University is set for 6 p.m. Tickets will be available at the Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field

ticket office.

For more information about Arkansas Tech Family Day 2015, visit www.atu.edu/parents/ familyday.php or call (479) 968-

(SAFETY from page 1 ) “The new facility location is supposed to be where Garden Park currently is, on the South side of the baseball complex.”

The department’s current building is 2,100 square feet and modeled closely after a home for a small family.

“Each office space we have is doubled up on, with two desks in each office,” McMillian said. “The kitchen is currently our student worker area, as well as equipment storage for our part-time officers.”

The department, which has about 18 officers, 10 student workers, two administrative assistants, an emergency manager and a

graduate assistant, will soon undergo a needs assessment that will give Tech a better understanding of what to include in the new facility.

“Some of those needs are more space for staff and designated areas for those staff,” McMillian said.

The new, bigger building will give Public Safety the opportunity to eventually increase their staff, department and campus outreach.

“I’m hoping that with this new facility we can increase that, and it’s going to provide another layer of protection and security for our faculty, staff and students,” McMillian said.

“We may have to keep the area where the building is undeveloped until we get it down” -David Moseley, vice president for administration and finance

The Arka Tech

GENERAL POLICY

Managing Editors:

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.

RYAN SMITH JENN TERRELL CLAUDIA HALL Staff Writers: SIERRA MURPHY ASHLEY PEARSON RYAN HARMON SAM HOISINGTON MATTHEW EMERY

CONTACT US Office: Energy Center 138 General email: arkatech@atu.edu Ads email: arkatech.ads@atu.edu

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

AMBER QUAID Faculty Advisor: TOMMY MUMERT

THE

ARKATECH

Campus | PAGE 5

PHOTOS BY: ASHLEY PEARSON/THE ARKA TECH ABOVE: Zemaric Holt's parents stand on the 50 yard line during a moment of silence during Saturday's game.

LEFT: The Wonder Boys carried Zemaric Holt's jersey onto the field and displayed it alongside a sledgehammer as a tribute to their late teammate.

In Holt's Honor RIGHT: Sophomore running back Brayden Stringer doesn't let OBU stop him as he runs the ball.

BELOW: GAC Offensive Player of the Week senior Arsenio Favor led the Wonder Boys in their second consecutive game 50-7 against OBU. BOTTOM LEFT: Junior defensive lineman Bruce Livingston fights for a win alongside his teammates.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Senior wide receiver Jermaine Murdock puts his hand up to protect the football as he runs it down the field at Saturday's game.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

PAGE 6 | Features

Living with a

hole in her heart AMBER QUAID Staff Writer

Going to the doctor is part of most peoples’ daily lives. We get a cold or break a bone, and we visit the doctor to get cured. Elon Kierre, a senior print journalism student from Dardanelle, did just this just a few weeks ago, but her regular checkup was anything but regular. Her doctor told her she had a heart murmur.

“Are you sure?” Kierre asked, not believing the situation could be that serious.

Most college students believe they can’t have serious heart conditions, especially a student as active and healthy as Kierre. When Kierre’s doctor referred her to a cardiologist in Russellville, she thought it wasn’t a big deal because her dad had a similar situation, and his got better without surgery.

She then had to wait a week for the results only to find out they needed to run more tests, so they sent her to the heart hospital in Little Rock.

There, the doctors performed a TEE test, or a trans-esophageal echo, in which they ran a food tube with an ultrasound transducer inside it down her throat to get a closer look at the

CLAUDIA HALL / THE ARKA TECH heart's valves and chambers.

“It was the worst experience of my life,” Kierre said.

The results confirmed she did have a hole in her heart, known as atrial septal defect (ASD).

According to the Adult Congenital Heart Association, about 1 in 500 babies are born with ASD, but by age five the hole usually closes on its own.

Kierre’s ASD, however, did not close on its own.

The condition left a one-inch hole between the left and right chambers of her heart.

After consulting with her doctors, they informed her surgery was necessary. She was also informed if the hole got any larger, they would have to do open-heart surgery.

Kierre would not have to go through this, though, and they were able to perform a less invasive surgery through her leg.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, “The doctor inserts a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) into a vein in the groin. He or she threads the tube to the heart's septum.

A device made up of two small disks or an

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

umbrella-like device is attached to the catheter.

When the catheter reaches the septum, the device is pushed out of the catheter. The device is placed so that it plugs the hole between the atria. It's secured in place and the catheter is withdrawn from the body. Within 6 months, normal tissue grows in and over the device.”

“I woke up in the middle of [the surgery] and looked around, and I was like, 'What’s going on?',” Kierre said.

Kierre spent the night in the hospital but was released the next day. The whole process wasn’t too stressful for her because she had the support of her family, friends and co-workers. Kierre even showed up for the first day of classes—just two days after her surgery.

She said the process did make her tired, but “everyone was really understanding.”

She’s now being monitored by her doctors and is taking prescribed medication. After the six month waiting period, her doctor notes she should notice a difference, especially in her breathing.

“If your doctor says you have a murmur, don’t disregard it; I almost did,” Kierre said.

Sports | PAGE 7

Tech improves to 2-0 in blowout win

ASHLEY PEARSON/THE ARKA TECH Kristian Thompson, freshman running back, scores during the home openerr as Jabyes Cross holds up his hands to signal the touchdown.

Matthew Emery Staff Writer Arkansas Tech keeps chugging full steam ahead, as the Wonder Boys won their home opener Saturday with a 50-7 win against Oklahoma Baptist, the first time since 2009 the team has started a season 2-0.

After a moment of silence for fallen teammate Zemaric Holt, the Wonder Boys immediately began taking the fight to Oklahoma Baptist.

The first seven drives for the Wonder Boys resulted in points.

“We’ve come out so strong in these first two games, and that’s been key,” head coach Raymond Monica said after the game.

Quarterback Arsenio Favor, a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, led Tech to victory with 302 passing yards, three rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns.

The Wonder Boys defense was a force to be reckoned with, as Oklahoma Baptist wasn’t allowed a first down until a minute into the second quarter and was held to 160 total yards.

The first and only score for the Bisons came with 7:37 remaining in the game.

Logan Genz, a senior from West Fork, added to his all-time Arkansas Tech career record with six tackles. Alonzo Joyner, a sophomore from Queens, New York, followed with five stops of his own.

After a touching tribute to Holt the week prior, the Wonder Boys found themselves making headlines nationwide.

“It was surreal,” Genz said. “There have been cameras everywhere. We wanted to show them what we work for, and what Holt was working for.”

Favor said, “We wanted to do this for him; he’s our brother, and he’s still with us.”

When asked if there was something special about this team, Monica said, “No doubt. We are for real.”

The Wonder Boys will next take the field Saturday for a 6 p.m. contest at ArkansasMonticello.

BURKE LEADS PACK

LIZ CHRISMAN/UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

arkansastechsports.com

Posada atop the leaderboard.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Freshman Bryce Burke is in a tie for first place, helping the Arkansas Tech men's golf team to a fifth-place finish after one day at the GAC Preview at Lake Hefner Golf Club.

Junior Austin Smith and sophomore D.J. Godoy each fired a 4-over 76 to finish in a group tied for 27th, and senior Dylan Lovell was one shot behind them at 77, part of a tie for 35th.

The Wonder Boys tallied a 10-over 298 Monday at Lake Hefner's North Course to finish the first round two shots behind Arkansas-Monticello and just nine shots behind leader Oklahoma Baptist in the tightly bunched field.

Junior Julio Arguelles wrapped up the Tech scoring contingent by shooting a 7-over 79, the same score as senior Jordan Hawkes, who is competing unattached.

Burke carded a 3-under 69 to draw even with Oklahoma Baptist's Drew

The Wonder Boys' season opener concludes Tuesday with the second and final round back at Lake Hefner Golf Club.

(HOLT from page 1 ) “We’re happy this blew up like it did—to be able to honor him on a scale this large is great,” Genz added.

Holt’s family attended the home opener against Oklahoma Baptist, where Holt was named team captain for the game. His jersey was taken to midfield for the coin flip.

Holt’s presence will remain with the team throughout the season. The Wonder Boys will continue to wear ZH on their helmets, break huddles with “Z90” and bring Holt’s jersey to every game.

ASHLEY PEARSON/THE ARKA TECH

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

PAGE 8 | Community

Ceramics keep Tech alumnus in art world photos by Jenn Terrell

JENN TERRELL Managing Editor

When Nick Hancock decided to get a graphic design degree from Arkansas Tech University, he didn’t know this experience would prime him to become the studio director at A Conversation Piece in downtown Russellville.

Hancock said that the design process he learned in school was key to helping him break into the art world.

“If I went back to college and was going to do it all over again, I would still get the graphic design degree even though I am not necessarily working in graphics, just because of the process study,” Hancock said. “Being able to say I know what it’s going to look like, [and] how can I get there?”

As studio director, Hancock is responsible for overseeing the studio, teaching ceramic arts to classes and groups, firings (heating the pieces to

completion) and developing his own work.

“It’s fun to introduce people to [ceramic arts,]” he said. “A lot of people see it and think ‘Oh I could never do that,’ and that’s one thing I want to get rid of. I don’t want people to be too scared to try it. I want it to be a fun environment.”

Hancock teaches one-on-one and group classes.

He even recently taught a team building class for employees of a local company.

The equipment required to do ceramic projects can be very expensive and quite technical. These classes offer a more affordable way to learn about ceramic art without all the excess costs.

“When we do a workshop, I want to talk people through everything,” Hancock said. “It’s so hands on and tactile, a lot of it is based on touch, and so it can take a little bit to develop that.”

Hancock is teaching a horsehair workshop in October (date TBA.) For this type of project,

participants heat a piece of clay after it’s been made into a pot. While it’s still hot, horse hair is dropped onto it, creating an interesting and unique look.

“Right now this is a part-time job,” he said. “I am not motivated by money. I sincerely just enjoy it.

Other things pay the bills, but at the end of the day, this is what I want to be doing. I am working towards making this a full-time job. My goal is to be a production artist. Getting started with ceramics is a good opportunity to stay in the art world.”

Student memberships are offered, which include access to the studio, priority on the pottery wheel when classes aren’t going on, discount prices on workshops and more.

For more information on one-on-one classes, workshops, seminars or any other questions, Hancock can be reached at (479) 970- 9396 or nickhancockdesign@gmail.com.

TOP LEFT: Nick Hancock begins to form a bowl out of clay for fun in A Converstion Piece Studio downtown.

TOP RIGHT: Of all the art Hancock has completed recently, this set of turquiose cups is his favorite. They aren't actually safe for drinking out of because of the specific type of firing used on them.

Each cup is similar but slightly different in some way.

ABOVE: Hancock molds a bowl out of clay. The bowl ended up breaking while it was being formed.

LEFT: Hancock holds a piece of horse hair pottery in front of a sign up sheet for an upcoming workshop.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015