Arkansas Times - August 20, 2015

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NEWS + POLITICS + ENTERTAINMENT + FOOD / AUGUST 20, 2015 / ARKTIMES.COM

The

CEO Superintendent Baker Kurrus brings a businessman’s savvy to the LRSD. But can that preserve public education in Little Rock?

by Benjamin Hardy PLUS 2015 Arkansas Times College Guide

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COMMENT

Summit won’t help mass incarceration I have decided to boycott Gov. Hutchinson’s Restore Hope Summit, aimed at bringing faith leaders together to discuss ways to improve recidivism. I have publicly criticized this and the previous administration about governmental policies and practices responsible for producing the largest population of incarcerated persons in Arkansas’s history. Those policies, not anything faith leaders are doing, have done, or may be asked to do, lie at the foot of the Arkansas version of mass incarceration. I have carefully examined public statements by Gov. Hutchinson and others about what he has called “criminal justice reform.”

Respectfully, the public (and now faithful people and leaders) are now being invited to embrace measures that will not do anything to release the captives. Most of the people now in prisons, jails and other adult detention facilities (whether in Arkansas or whether shipped and warehoused for tens of thousands of dollars per inmate in other jurisdictions) are nonviolent offenders. In fact, the top 10 offenses responsible for incarceration in 2014 included only one violent offense ( battery in the second degree), according to data compiled by the Arkansas Department of Correction.

Drug convictions were far and away the reasons most people were incarcerated last year.

Faith leaders are now, as in the past, being asked to lend our moral authority to a hypocritical agenda that will not address any of the root causes of the non-violent crimes that are responsible for mass incarceration. We are being asked to lend our moral authority to the fruit of racial profiling, draconian laws that criminalize the public health issue of drug abuse and dependency, sentencing legislation and the entire prison-industrial complex that has now made it possible for nonviolent inca rcerated persons a nd the business of catching, sentencing, and warehousing them to be commodified.

Gov. Hutchinson did not champion early childhood education during the legislative session this year. He has not proposed any measures to expand and strengthen community ment a l hea lt h centers, d r ug abuse and dependency treatment centers, job training programs for ex-offenders, affordable housing for ex-offenders, or to eliminate previous criminal convictions on employment 4

AUGUST 20, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

applications. And remarkably, he has not suggested even a desire to address these matters (whether with faithful people or others).

In short, the Restore Hope Summit is a charade. Faith leaders are not being “summoned” (what happens when someone convenes a “summit”) to engage in candid conversation with Gov. Hutchinson and other policy makers aimed at doing justice or anything else remotely akin to restoring hope. We are merely being invited to endorse measures responsible for the despair associated with what Professor

Michelle Alexander has correctly exposed and denounced as “the new Jim Crow.”

I decline the invitation to be part of this latest exercise in political hypocrisy about justice, liberty and hope.

Wendell Griffen Little Rock

Flying an obscure Confederate flag It is common knowledge throughout Independence County, as well as

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adjacent counties, that Confederate flags have been removed from public property nationwide in response to the heinous Charleston murders. I and other Sons of Confederate Veterans abhor the use of our battle flag by hate groups or individuals for any purpose other than preservation of history or our heritage.

There is a flagpole on Independence County courthouse property that, until recently, flew a Confederate regimental Hardee Corps flag. It is a plain blue three-foot square with a white moon in the center. Unless one is knowledgeable about all of the many Confederate flags from 150 years ago, the Hardee flag can be considered quite obscure. There is no writing on it. The flagpole and flag are owned and maintained by the local camp of The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). The SCV is a national heritage group. It has many African-American members and is certainly not a racist organization.

The SCV exists solely to honor the memory of 350,000 Confederate soldiers (both black and white) who perished in combat during the War Between the States. Over 300 battles and skirmishes were fought in our state alone after it seceded from the Union.

The St a i n less Ba n ner [t he Confederate flag] looked like a flag of surrender when hanging limp on a pole.

In t he yea r 1911 t he la rge Confederate monument, also located next to the Independence County courthouse, was erected by the United Daughters of The Confederacy. Sons of Confederate Veterans flags have served to embellish that impressive monument. That’s it. The obscure Hardee flag was only there the past few years to embellish the monument — not to make a racist statement! It was removed the day after the horrendous Charleston incident when a local attorney called concerning a Facebook conversation about our flag. The flag was promptly hauled down out of respect for the Charleston victims.

It was also done to protect it from developing local controversy, as well as division within our community. The Batesville SCV camp was notified and acknowledged what had happened.

We optimistically look forward to the day when an appropriate Southern flag will once again grace the UDC Confederate monument.

John R. Malloy III Batesville

Celebrate American Style Wyeth

ON 9/11

Warhol

with a trip to

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on the Arkansas Times ART Bus

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11, 2015

for three exhibitions featuring the distinctively American art of Jamie Wyeth, Andy Warhol and Frank Lloyd Wright

“Jamie Wyeth” features work by the third generation of Wyeth artists, paintings of the people of the Brandywine Valley and the coast of Maine the artist made over six decades. “Warhol’s Nature” exhibit features the pop artist’s natural turn, including

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lithographs of poppies and other flora and fauna.The BachmanWilson house, the Frank Lloyd Wright design in his “Usonian” style for everyday Americans, is being reassembled on the grounds after its move from New Jersey.

Price includes: Round-trip Tour Bus Transportation Light pastries & hors d’oeuvres Beer/Wine en route Ticket into both the Jamie Wyeth and Andy Warhol exhibits Dinner at Eleven, the restaurant at Crystal Bridges

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Admission into Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is free.

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AUGUST 20, 2015

5

BRIAN CHILSON

EYE ON ARKANSAS

CUT OUT: A former barber shop on Plaza Street in Helena.

WEEK THAT WAS

Quote of the week “[State Reps. Charlene Fite (R-Van Buren) and Justin Harris (R-West Fork) demonstrated courage by standing strong in faith when situations were tough at the State Capitol and they did so with grace. They are consistently models of their Christian values in their homes, their communities, and their churches.” — From a press release from The Family Council Action Committee, an anti-gay political group, announcing the recipients of the outfit’s first “Power of Courage” award. The awards were to be presented to Fite and Harris at a Republican dinner in Crawford County headlined by presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, but the awards presentation was canceled, perhaps after the Cruz campaign became aware of Harris’ rehoming scandal.

State ready to kill again Arkansas is looking to end a decadelong hiatus on capital punishment. It now has drugs at the ready for use in lethal injections. Among the drugs purchased by the state is midazolam, a sedative that the U.S. Supreme Court effectively cleared for continued use in executions earlier this year. Midazolam was used in a 6

AUGUST 20, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

botched execution in Oklahoma in 2014, after which three men on death row in that state sued to prevent Oklahoma’s continued use of the sedative. The Court ruled against the inmates in June in a contentious 5-4 decision.

This doesn’t necessarily mean Arkansas can immediately move forward with executions. There’s still the matter of a pending lawsuit filed by attorney Jeff Rosenzweig, which challenges the state’s law on lethal injection procedure. A hearing will likely be held in the next 30 days, “probably sooner,” Rosenzweig said.

eStem goes to college This week, the leadership at eStem Public Charter Schools and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock announced a plan to relocate the eStem High School to the university campus, a move that would allow eStem to accommodate more students and make it possible for them to take classes at the college level.

The eStem system, K-12, has a waiting list of 5,200, John Bacon, CEO of eStem, said. The school is now at its 1,452 student capacity. The board wants to expand enrollment to 5,000 by 2025, which it can’t do on the current

campus.

The Charter Authorizing Panel of the Arkansas Department of Education and the ADE’s board will have to approve the plan, which, given the makeup of the boards, seems a cinch.

Plans call for putting 750 students in grades 11 and 12 in Larson Hall, one of the original buildings on the UALR campus.

Renovation of Larson Hall, which eStem will lease, is estimated at around $3.5 million. Another 750 students in grades 9 and 10 would go into a new school to be built at the corner of West 28th and South Fillmore streets on land eStem will purchase from UALR for $50,000. The land is part of a parcel previously offered for the Little Rock Technology Park.

Rapert’s rules Is Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway) growing more unhinged? Hard as it is to imagine, there is no ceiling for crazy after all. Last week, he took to social media to attack Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen, an ordained Baptist minister.

Rapert, an enforcer of His own Christian doctrine, which holds that agreement with Rapert Himself is necessary for someone to be a Christian, objected to Griffen’s boycott of Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Restore

Hope Summit, which aims to bring faith leaders together to help improve recidivism and foster care.

Griffen is skipping the summit because of disagreements with Hutchinson over criminal justice reform.

Rapert says in his statement that Griffen “brings reproach not worthy of the title ‘judge’ and he is definitely not worthy of the title ‘minister.’ ” Rapert adds that “as a minister he calls that which is unholy ‘holy,’” which is probably a critique of Griffen’s willingness to perform same-sex marriages.

Despite how hot and bothered Rapert was, he said that “the summit will be better that he is not there.” He then suggests that people “[p]ray for the man to awaken from the fog that envelopes his mind.”

When former Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel encouraged Rapert to reconsider his remarks about Griffen — “wrong to say a man of faith ‘not worthy’ to minister the gospel,” McDaniel tweeted — Rapert responded on Twitter that he still remembered McDaniel’s opposition to legislation Rapert sponsored that banned abortion after 12 weeks. When Democratic political consultant Michael Cook pointed out that McDaniel had been right about the law, which was later ruled unconstitional, Rapert called McDaniel and Cook “abortion pimps.”

OPINION

Hutchinson pulls Faubus move

and clients who have done nothing wrong. The problem is that the agency, in addition to numerous important health services, provides a legal medical service — abortion — that is at variance with the governor’s religion. When it does so — with a drug used only in the first eight to nine weeks of pregnancy, the state does don’t know what if anything might practice in which not pay. Even the limited engagement by arise or be planned in the future a woman will NOT Planned Parenthood elsewhere (it does not do so in Arkansas) in providing fetal relative to Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s be able to choose material for research is legal. Selling it order to end Medicaid reimbursement for from all willing is not. As yet, no proof has emerged of medical services (not abortion) provided providers. illegal transactions.

by Planned Parenthood in Arkansas. But You could MAX say the governor some observations: So, again: The governor has proposed BRANTLEY Note that I didn’t say end state merely reacted to end a legal contract for legal services maxbrantley@arktimes.com “funding.” This suggests discretionary politically to serve with a health provider guilty in Arkansas financial support, which payments to the fringe in his party. But that gives him of engaging in a legal practice of which Planned Parenthood are not. They are more credit than he is due here. He’s the ruling party disapproves. He has reimbursement for medical services (not acting on his own faith and imposing it done so with disregard to due process abortion), mostly funded by federal tax on others who don’t share it and claiming and evidence, acting only on the edited dollars, which Arkansas is sent well in he speaks for all of our values in doing so. representations of an anti-abortion group. excess of our contribution to the federal It’s patronizing as well as inaccurate. The (They are, again, irrelevant to Planned treasury. governor is using the tools of the state to Parenthood medical services in Arkansas Hutchinson has taken up the punish those with different political and — cancer and sexual disease screening, interposition posture of Orval Faubus. religious viewpoints. contraception.)

Courts and federal Medicaid rules be It is an offense to the First Amendment If Arkansas values really are at damned — this is one area of medical — government action to harm an agency issue here, let’s consider a case in

I

Politics and Social Security

S

ocial Security was 80 years old Friday and by general accounts more popular than ever, but the celebration was muted by the wild Republican presidential race.

If you awoke from a 30- or even a 10-year slumber to catch the Republican presidential exchanges, you might think that Social Security and Medicare, its consort in the welfare state, were unpopular because all the top GOP candidates talk about cutting the programs and/or privatizing them.

If Rip Van Winkle had dozed off during the Reagan or second Bush presidencies he would be wondering now: What happened to the Third Rail of Politics? You may remember that Reagan and George W. Bush suffered humiliating defeats when they tried to cut Social Security and that it was Reagan’s abrupt conversion to the faith in 1983 that introduced the description of Social Security as the third rail, the issue that politicians touched at their peril.

Bush’s disaster in the summer of 2005 reinforced it.

If you trust Mike Huckabee’s instincts — OK, OK, so there is not much reason to — the answer is that Social Security is still

untouchable. Alone of the 16 Republican candidates, he says flatly he won’t cut Social Security or try to privatize it.

ERNEST He has a nutty plan DUMAS to “save” it that includes making prostitutes and pimps pay for it, but if you followed Huckabee for 20 years you know that his goofy political flourishes have nothing to do with the pragmatic way he will govern. Besides, he has no chance of governing.

But Huckabee’s mating dance with us oldsters and the rural populists who may vote in Republican primaries is one of the fascinating phenomena of the season.

He figures that his chance of surviving depends upon holding onto the religious extremists and appealing to those who love Social Security and Medicare, since the rest of the field, or those who count, seem to be going after the other side, those who despise the safety net — the very, very rich and those who heed their warnings about the nanny government.

They are the ones who will dictate the results of the primaries because

they account for the vast majority of the money being spent by all the Republican candidates — maybe all but Huckabee.

Huckabee has a few rich donors but he lost the big ones, like billionaire gambling czar Sheldon Adelson, to more plausible candidates.

Only 130 immensely rich families and their businesses accounted for more than half the money given to Republicans and their super PACs through June, according to Federal Election Commission figures.

Polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans oppose Social Security cuts and want to see benefits improved, while a study by scholars at Northwestern and Vanderbilt universities found that 36 percent of the super wealthy believe Social Security should be cut or ended and only 3 percent think it should be improved.

Huckabee counts on that overwhelming majority — those of them who might vote Republican — to wise up in the primaries, while Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie and others pin their hopes on the 36 percent of the super rich who want it cut.

Christie, who squared off against Huckabee on Social Security during the Ohio debate, got his biggest gift from a Boston billionaire who wants to build a casino resort in New Jersey and who hates these socialist welfare programs.

I have a hunch Huckabee’s calculations will be wrong and that the other side will prevail in the primaries. But Huckabee’s predicament points to a larger one for

which we know a state actor did something that now is a bright-letter violation of Arkansas law and yet he continues to receive state funding. I refer to Rep. Justin Harris, whose religious-oriented preschool in West Fork has received millions of dollars in state funding, despite a variety of practices that appear to run counter to constitutional guidelines. But there are no appearances to discuss in the case of his throwaway children, adopted and then put into the home of a child molester. That is fact, an episode so shocking the legislature moved swiftly to outlaw the practice in which he engaged. Are throwaway children an Arkansas value? Should those who engage in it — and other questionable child-rearing practices, based on multiple accounts — be rewarded by continuing government support?

Gov. Hutchinson, if you believe in Arkansas values, as expressed in recent legislation, you’d end government funding for Growing God’s Kingdom, the Harris family religious-oriented preschool. his party. The winner will have to pivot in the general election and do it more persuasively than John McCain and Mitt Romney, who would later regret their extremist postures in the early elections in Iowa, New Hampshire and the South.

Christie is the only one who got a chance in the debate to repeat the baloney that Social Security and Medicare were driving the country into bankruptcy and that the trust fund had been raided and was full of worthless IOUs. The trust fund is invested in treasury bonds backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Huckabee explained to him that one reason for the declining trust fund is that only the wages of workers, not the unearned wealth of investors, are taxed.

But Huckabee stopped short of saying he would tax those enormous incomes, saying he would pay for Social Security and Medicare out of a giant national sales tax, which would hit the services of pimps and prostitutes as well as doctors, retailers and yard men.

The truth is that, other than the disability trust fund, neither Social Security nor Medicare is in immediate crisis. The disability fund faces cuts in payments next year if the president doesn’t transfer money from the retirement fund. The disability fund has dwindled since the huge annual growth of claimants during the eight stagnant years of the Bush presidency and the great recession of 2007-09, but disability awards have fallen sharply and terminations risen sharply since 2013, CONTINUED ON PAGE 76 www.arktimes.com

AUGUST 20, 2015

7

Same old song

S

7 P.M. THURSDAY, AUGUST 20

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ame as it ever was. Once again, according to pundits on the influential Washington, D.C., cocktail party circuit, Hillary Clinton is in deep trouble. The National Bitch Hunt is definitely on. Surely you didn’t think we could have a woman presidential candidate without one?

Rolling down the highway listening to Diane Rehm’s NPR talk show last week, I wondered if I hadn’t driven into some kind of weird political time warp.

In a sense, I had.

“Someone said the other day that Washington may now have reached the state-of-the-art point of having a cover-up without a crime,” pronounced the Washington Post. By failing to come clean, Hillary had managed “to make it appear as if the Clintons had something to hide.”

“These clumsy efforts at suppression are feckless and self-defeating,” thundered the New York Times. Hillary’s actions, the newspaper continued, “are swiftly draining away public trust in [her] integrity.”

OK, I’m teasing. Both editorials appeared 21 years ago, in January 1994. They expressed outrage at Hillary Clinton’s turning over Whitewater documents to federal investigators rather than the press, which had conjured a make-believe scandal out of bogus reporting of a kind that’s since grown too familiar in American journalism. (Interested readers are referred to Joe Conason’s and my e-book “The Hunting of Hillary,” available through Nationalmemo.com.)

However, by failing to roll over and bare her throat, Hillary Clinton only “continued to contribute to the perception that she has something to hide.”

Another joke. That last quote was actually The Atlantic’s Molly Ball on the Diane Rehm program on Friday, Aug. 14.

It’s the same old song, except that Ball was complaining about Hillary’s turning her email server over to investigators looking into a dispute between the State Department and the CIA about which documents should have been classified, and when.

She should have turned the gadget over six months ago, Ball opined.

Ah, but to whom? No state vs. CIA dispute existed then.

No cage filled with parrots could have recited the list of familiar antiHillary talking points more efficiently than Rehm’s guests.

The email flap, opined

the Times’ Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “creates and feeds into this narrative about the Clintons and Mrs. Clinton GENE that the rules are LYONS different for them, that she’s not one of us.”

Most Americans, she added indignantly, “don’t have access to a private e-mail server.”

Actually, most Americans don’t know what a server is, or why the hardware’s supposed to matter. Then, too, most Americans have never been secretary of state, aren’t married to a former president, and don’t enjoy Secret Service protection at home.

Stolberg saw a perception problem, too. Nobody was rude enough to ask her about the perception caused by the Times’ public editor’s conclusion that her own newspaper appeared to have an axe to grind against the Clintons after it falsely reported that the emails were the object of a criminal investigation.

They are not.

Stolberg also complained that both Clintons “play by a separate set of rules, [and] that the normal standards don’t apply.”

Which normal standards? According to, yes, the New York Times: “When [Clinton] took office in 2009 … the State Department allowed the use of home computers as long as they were secure … There appears to have been no prohibition on the exclusive use of a private server; it does not appear to be an option anyone had thought about.”

So why are we talking about this at all? No secretary of state previous to Clinton had a government email account.

Leave it to the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza, who’s written about little else lately, to sum it all up with classic wife-beater logic. Hillary’s emails, he told NPR’s audience, “remind [voters] of the things they don’t like, the secretiveness, the paranoia, the sort of distrust … . And then I also think it just feeds the perception that she is a candidate of the past. Do you really want to go back to this? Yes, the Clintons bring many good things. But they also bring this sort of baggage, this stuff that always follows them.”

See, if Hillary would just quit fighting for herself and her issues, they could quit ganging up on the bitch.

Treat, don’t jail, the mentally ill

BY NANCY KAHANAK

A

rkansas has an opportunity to address our incarceration crisis, save the state money and make our communities safer by helping people with mental health problems.

Arkansas arrests and jails too many nonviolent people simply because they have an untreated mental illness. Overrepresentation of those with mental illness in jails has increased over the past several decades due to diminishing mental health services.

When the mentally ill lose services to help them cope with their illness, they may turn to drugs — self-medication — and actions that are outside of societal norms. That puts a costly burden on local and county law enforcement, not only in Arkansas but across the nation.

A seasoned police officer may know when a disturbance is caused by someone having difficulty with his or her thinking.

The officer wants to get help for the individual. Unfortunately the officer has few choices. The officer can take the citizen to jail or to the emergency room. Neither option is appropriate. Both the officer and offender often wait long hours in the ER, if they are even seen. Alternatively, locking up a person needing mental health services is cruel and counterproductive, and often leads to a downward spiral in the person’s health.

The cost of mental health treatment is a concern. However, a recent study commissioned by the Arkansas Public Policy Panel found that a year of incarceration and the associated legal costs to the state for each person are at least 20 times higher than the cost of mental health crisis treatment and ongoing counseling for mental problems.

The costs of incarceration could be transferred to operating regional crisis centers.

For example, San Antonio opened a diversion crisis center that saved local jails and emergency rooms more than $50 million in the past five years. Last month, I was lucky to travel to San Antonio with an Arkansas group including a judge, six heads of Arkansas mental health centers, the head of the Arkansas Sheriff’s Association and two sheriffs. We spent the day with Leon Evans, CEO of the Center for Health Care Services in Bexar County, and his staff. Evans explained that the collaboration of law enforcement, hospitals, the judicial branch, mental health providers and addiction specialists led to the array of

services they offer, from a sobering unit to detox, case management and work skills.

When the group identifies more needs, it develops a new program; it offers at least 14 programs now.

Communities around the country are adopting successful and cost-effective solutions. Diversion from jail to a 24/7 crisis center is a first step. Nonviolent people in emergency situations can be taken by law enforcement, family members, or on their own, for assessment and connection to services for mental health.

The second component of the solution is crisis intervention training, or CIT, for all law enforcement personnel. Developed in Memphis, CIT is now used nationwide.

Officers learn to identify a person in a mental health crisis and how to help that person extract himself from the trouble his illness is causing. Once the officer has de-escalated a situation, he or she needs somewhere to take the ill person. The crisis center is the natural needed place.

Third is follow-up assistance. A community mental health center or another agency needs to provide case management by a mental health professional and/or a peer counselor. A trusting relationship can develop as medication, housing, work and other needs are addressed during weekly meetings. This prevents a revolving door and addresses problems at the root cause.

Substance abuse is a problem for the mentally ill, who may turn to alcohol and drugs as a way of handling various forms of mental instabilities. Detoxification and ongoing support services are an indispensible part of the treatment. Stable housing and job readiness also need to be addressed.

These reforms will save money for the state and municipalities while making our communities safer, enriching the lives of citizens experiencing symptoms of mental illness and relieving families of untold heartbreaks. How often do all of those benefits align?

It’s time for Arkansas to look at improved mental health care and crisis intervention as one proven way to address our burdensome prison populations.

Nancy Kahanak is a member of Judicial Equality for Mental Illness, a coalition working to change the revolving door of persons with mental illness being held in jails and prisons.

IT'S THE PARTY TO THE PARTY! Ride the Arkansas Times BLUES BUS to the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena

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’ve gone and done it again, huh?

One-third of the way through predicting the Razorbacks’ 2015 schedule, Pearls About Swine again throws an albatross of misery around the program by speculating that Jonathan Williams would start the year with a bang. Instead, a seemingly minor foot injury in a Saturday scrimmage morphed into a seasonending surgery for the gifted senior tailback, and the Hogs are now scurrying for relief at the position, which fortunately seems to be in ample supply with Kody Walker and Rawleigh Williams, a well-built true freshman with uncanny strength, necessarily getting more looks now.

The critical concern about Jonathan Williams is, in this columnist’s estimation, the benefit he provides in the passing game.

He’s a far better receiver and pass protector than Alex Collins, but not as dynamic and elusive. We’ll see how this shakes out, because as we chronicled last week, the first four games of the season represent a comparatively smooth entry into the eventual gauntlet that greets the Razorbacks in October: Arkansas at Tennessee, Oct. 3 — The first true road game of the year finds the Hogs traveling to Knoxville for the first time since 2007, and seeking their first victory there since the massive upset in 1992 engineered by current tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. When Lunney guided a patchwork Razorback team to that narrow 25-24 victory over the highly rated Vols, the Razorbacks were trying to find footing in a league where Tennessee had long been a force. Now both programs are essentially similarly positioned, buoyed by newfound stability in the coaching and recruiting ranks after years of upheaval.

The Vols are a trendy East pick with Florida clearly restructuring and nobody feeling terribly certain that Missouri can pull off an unthinkable third straight East title. Butch Jones was a proper choice to take over for the woefully unprepared Derek Dooley, and with Josh Dobbs leading the versatile offense, those in Knoxville are antsy to start the season for good cause.

Arkansas’s unbeaten September is built largely on the soft schedule, and the Vols’ defense stifles Arkansas in the red zone repeatedly. The game loses its competitiveness in the fourth quarter with Tennessee converting two turnovers into decisive scores. Volunteers 30, Hogs 17.

Arkansas at Alabama, Oct. 10 — Going to Tuscaloosa after a loss, trying to regain traction at Bryant-Denny Stadium of all places, would seem unpalatable. But it’s here that we see a decade of frustration

(OK, only eight consecutive losses to the Tide) end in rather glorious fashion. Since the Hogs were a wayBEAU ward extra point WILCOX and fumbled touchdown away from vanquishing ’Bama last fall, it’s a game that will take on a much deeper meaning to this team, particularly how to respond to adverse circumstances.

Arkansas takes a surprising early lead, 17-0, before the Tide storms back behind brawny tailback Derrick Henry. His two third-quarter touchdown runs draw the Tide closer and then put ’Bama ahead, but it’s at this point that Brandon Allen gets his signature moment as the Razorback’s oftmaligned quarterback. In the final 10 minutes, he leads two brilliant scoring drives, throwing one touchdown to Hunter Henry and scrambling for another, and Arkansas gets back on the map as quickly as it teetered off the edge of it. Hogs 31, Crimson Tide 28.

Auburn at Arkansas, Oct. 24 — Bret Bielema’s team was dangerous in Fayetteville a year ago, dominating LSU and Ole Miss in consecutive weekends, and losing only in the aforementioned Alabama contest. There will be no letdown for the Hogs against Gus Malzahn’s Tigers, and in fact, memories of Auburn’s shiftless injury-faking ways from the aggravating 2013 season will resurface and spur the Hogs to wake up from an early bye week lethargy.

Auburn’s set to become a bit more passreliant this fall with tall and stout Jeremy Johnson leading the offense. He will take some big licks from Tevin Beanum and Jeremiah Ledbetter, and lose confidence in the pocket as the Hogs charge back from a 10-0 hole. Allen again plays error-free football and contributes two scoring throws to transfer receiver Dominique Reed, and we see Rawleigh Williams post his first 100-yard rushing effort.

The Tigers’ pacing will create fourthquarter scares for a while, but in the end, it’s Williams’ long scoring run on third down that cements the sixth win in seven games for the good guys. Hogs 44, Tigers 34.

Tennessee-Martin at Arkansas, Oct. 31 — Homecoming weekend finds Arkansas comfortably in the Top 10 nationally, conclusively rebounding after the Tennessee defeat, and feeling strongly about heading out of the month in great shape. Obviously, a FCS opponent will do nothing to shake that.

A Halloween game enhances the CONTINUED ON PAGE 78

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AUGUST 20, 2015

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THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

For the birds

T

he Observer has in-laws in town and so we thought we would show them 20,000 or so purple martins.

We were a little early for the martin show, so we took a leisurely drive around the Little Rock Port Authority and Welspun and points south. A tour of an industrial area might not sound like a hot Saturday night to you, but the sight of thousands of pipes — maybe not as many as the martins but lots, anyway — was surprisingly diverting. Then we showed them the Hindu temple built by the Indian owners of Welspun, and then the bean fields on the Quapaw land where gambling competitors in Arkansas envision a casino that threatens their own take of misspent money.

Then young scissor-tailed flycatchers, their tails still a little stunted, came into view, and because we saw them we saw in a nearby snag a pair of Western Kingbirds. If you want to see Western Kingbirds in Arkansas, the industrial area is a good place to go. Around the corner was a field of calves, frolicking as only calves can do, by the fence near the road.

From across the field, like a bee to a flower, a donkey came to our car, sensing that within was one of the world’s biggest donkey fans. She was thrilled.

We got a good look at the beautiful dark slash of a stripe across its shoulders.

In the same field, off in the distance, appeared an alpaca in need of shearing.

Then we took a spin around the Terry Lock and Dam park, but struck out on painted buntings, who apparently have taken off for Panama. There was more wildlife to come, however: a long, fat water moccasin in a smelly ditch filled with leaping frogs. The minute Mr. No Shoulders drew near, the frogs would leap a safe distance (maybe).

The sun was getting low in the sky so we headed back to the power lines that we knew would be heavy with staging purple martins. And there they were, at the corner of Dock and Industrial Harbor roads, a mass of swirling, burbling, swoop-shaped birds moving around their perched brethren on power lines

from the Port Authority office to a distant tower on Industrial Harbor. While some sat on the lines awaiting the signal to fly to the roost — the sun’s descent below the horizon — others fed in the fields and on the road. Each section of power line, from pole to pole, held some 3,000 martins, by our count. As darkness descended, they flew in some martin-determined order, section by section, from west to east and across the river. How they knew to depart in such a fashion — or why they chose to — The Observer can only guess.

THE BIRDS ARE SOON TO FLY south.

The summer, thankfully, is winding down. A month from now, thinking optimistically, The Observer will be wearing a jacket in the mornings. And that sounds just fine.

But stay a while, summer. Not those brutal noons of 103 degrees, when the pavement feels like standing on a potbelly stove. Not the days when the water comes from the tap damn near warm enough to brew a cup of tea. But warm nights, and mornings that coolly surprise when we open the door and step out onto the porch. Oh, yes. More of that. More of the delicious feel of walking up the ramp to the Big Dam Bridge, sweating ball bearings, then turning the corner and being hit with the constant breeze that comes rolling down the river. More cold beer in the shade. More bare feet on damp grass.

More every-flavor sno-cones. More barefoot kids riding their bikes down Maple Street, inviting a memorable scar. More dogs panting happily at the end of a leash. More ugly tomatoes that taste beautiful. The way the leaves stir at any breath of air. The chlorine stink of the pool. The way the lake is warm on the surface and cools on the way down to the bottom’s chilly depths.

These are all the things we’ll crave in the blue heart of February. So stay a while, summer. Remain a bit, before the door of September coasts closed.

Do us a favor, for old times’ sake: linger just a little while longer.

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AUGUST 20, 2015

11

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S ID ER

Hester gleeful over end to Medicaid Arkansas is attempting to terminate Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid provider contract, in clear violation of federal law. That could lead to a showdown over Medicaid funds coming in to the state, and at least a few Republican lawmakers seem happy to bankrupt the state and snatch coverage away from the state’s disabled, elderly and children. Sen. Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs), perhaps misunderstanding what’s at stake, tweeted last week that such an outcome would be “so great” and the “best news of the year.”

The overwhelming majority of Medicaid spending in the state comes from the federal government. One possible outcome to Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s stunt is that the feds will threaten to cut off the tap and no longer provide any Medicaid funds to the state if Arkansas remains in noncompliance with federal regulations. To be clear: that would be all Medicaid money, including funding for the disabled, for the elderly in nursing homes, for low-income children, etc.

In that scenario, there is no doubt that the state would cave on its stand on Planned Parenthood. We’re talking about billions of dollars going to the state’s neediest citizens, much of it to programs that even the stingiest Republicans have no interest in cutting.

The governor is not going to bankrupt the state’s health care system over $50,000 in Medicaid reimbursements going to Planned Parenthood.

Hester, a diehard opponent of the private option, sees it differently. Because the private option is funded by Medicaid dollars, Hester sees this nightmare scenario as a happy outcome.

On Aug. 13, Hester directed a tweet to President Obama, “@BarackObama this is so great I just need to clarify. AR defunded planned parenthood so the Fed’s will defund Medicaid Expansion & PO in AR?” Since he’s asking for clarification, we’re happy to help. What he thinks would be “so great” is not just kicking more than 200,000 Arkansans off the private option. He’s also saying that it would be “so great” to kick elderly Medicaid beneficiaries out of nursing homes, kick disabled Arkansans off their health insurance, and kick hundreds of thousands of kids off ARKids. That’s what Hester is rooting for.

Harrison KKK wants bones The Southern Poverty Law center reports that a Ku Klux Klan faction based in Harrison has offered to pay to move the remains of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest — who served as the first 12

AUGUST 20, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

A panic button for teachers New phone app promises greater school safety, with a sizable price tag.

BY DAVID KOON

S

chool is back in session, which means a whole new set of worries for parents: filling supply lists, getting schedules sorted out, and arranging for pickups and drop-offs. Sadly, it also means worrying about safety at school, including the looming specter of school shootings.

A new phone app being implemented statewide in Arkansas schools this fall could alleviate some of those fears. The maker of the app and the sponsors of legislation that mandated its implementation say it will shave precious minutes off response times, allow instant schoolwide alerts in the event of trouble, and be useful in emergencies that are much more common than a shooter on campus. The price tag, however, is high: $950,000 the first year, including a $100,000 setup fee, and $850,000 per year after that.

The $950,000 first-year cost is coming out of the Arkansas Department of Education’s budget. The authors of the legislation say they’ll be looking for dedicated funding for the app in the next session.

The app is called the Rave Panic Button, and is made by Rave Mobile Safety of Framingham, Mass. The deployment of the app was mandated by the 2015 School Safety Act, which passed during the last legislative session. Under the terms of the legislation, schools across the state are required to implement the app by Sept.

1 (a deadline that has been pushed back while teachers train in the use of the system). The legislation also required that the panic button work with the state’s Smart 911 system, which is also made by Rave Mobile Safety. The Smart 911 system gives 911 operators instant access to additional information when a person makes a 911 call from a cell phone, if the caller has previously visited the website www. smart911.com, signed up, and filled out a profile on himself and his family, includ-

ing information like medical conditions, allergies and current photos. Because Smart 911 is proprietary software owned

by Rave Mobile Safety, no bids were taken on the purchase.

If there is an emergency at school, any school employee with the app on his or her phone can open the app, then touch one of several buttons, including medical, fire, police or a large red button for an “active shooter” situation. Once a button is touched, the app dials 911 while simultaneously sending an alert to every other employee of the school stating who touched the button and why. On their end, 911 operators have a digital floor plan of the school and are able to see exactly where the alert came from. Operators are also able to send out schoolwide messages to everyone monitoring the app. While the system is already in use at most public universities in Arkansas, this fall’s deployment in over 1,000 public schools in the state is the first statewide deployment for the technology.

Todd Piett, chief product officer with Rave Mobile Safety, said the app has beeninstalled at institutions and government agencies across the country.

Piett said that the company doesn’t have numbers on improvement in police response times when the app is in use because of variables like each client’s distance from emergency services and whether they have on-site security or medical. He said the system has never been in place during a mass shooting, but is often used during medical, security or fire emergencies. Piett said the company has already hired and trained a technician to do troubleshooting on the system in the state.

“I’ll hear somebody say: I can go have an app built for $100,000,” Piett said. “OK. You can actually get a baseline app built for

that. But how does [your app] deliver messages to everybody when an incident happens? Now you need a big infrastructure behind it to make sure the messages get out quickly, [that] has capacity so that if you have a massive incident, everybody’s going to get the message, and the support and training behind it. When you really dig in, there’s quite a bit to it.”

Piett said the panic button is also cheaper than infrastructure improvements like fortified doors and windows, given the number of schools in the state.

Rep. Scott Baltz (D-Pocahontas) and Rep. Bruce Cozart (R-Hot Springs) were co-sponsors of the 2015 School Safety Act. Baltz, a retired firefighter and EMT, said he became interested in trying to improve safety and security on school campuses in Arkansas after the Sandy Hook school shooting in December 2012. He said the panic button app’s compatibility with the Smart 911 system, the speed at which it can give 911 operators information about a situation and the ability to push out alerts to everyone on campus makes it worth the cost. According to Baltz, the time from when an administrator activated the system at a recent training drill in Benton to the time when every employee received an alert on their phone was three seconds.

“What happened before was: A teacher would get on the intercom and call the office. The office would take the information. They would call dispatch — 911,” he said. “Then 911 would get hold of the officer. You’re looking at a five- to sevenminute lag time, unless folks dialed 911 immediately. What would happen then, though, was that only one person would know about it. Now, when they punch this app, everyone on that campus knows about it … . The dispatch will be able to t e l l the entity that’s coming in, police or medical, ‘go in the west door of the junior high, go down three doors on the right and that’s where it’s at.’ They’ll know exactly where they are. That’s going to save minutes.”

Heartbeat goes BIG PICTURE country THE

O

ne of our favorite radio stations died last week, and we didn’t even notice. At 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 12, Heartbeat 106.7 FM, The Beat of the City, switched over to

a New Country format, and was rebranded as 106.7 FM, The Ride. Anyone expecting The Isley Brothers or Bill Withers or Michael Jackson or The SOS Band will have to settle for Luke Bryan. And the format shift occurred so suddenly — with only a brief, vague message at the Heartbeat’s website as explanation: “WE HAVE DECIDED TO SWITCH OUR FORMAT TO NEW COUNTRY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.” A Facebook group, “Bring Back Heartbeat 106.7,” has already been created so that old fans can vent their outrage.

To find out what happened, the Arkansas Times called 106.7’s owners, Signal Media, and spoke to Mike Kennedy, program director for the new station. (Signal Media president Steve Jonsson has since responded as well — you can find his letter on our blog Rock Candy at arktimes.com.)

How long has this been in the works?

Three months.

What was the idea?

The idea is that you’ve got country stations on the market, one’s focusing on older country, one’s playing older and new country, so we saw an opportunity to be strictly new country. And I think there’s room in Little Rock for all three of those stations, because each one’s taking a unique angle.

Was there any pushback?

So far the comments have been pretty good. Obviously there’s going to be some fans of Heartbeat that really liked it that are disappointed it’s gone, but I’ve gotten a lot of positive comments, too, and you know what surprised me was that the first comment I got on our comment line after I flipped

it — at 5 on Wednesday, we got a message and I thought, “OK, here we go…” And I listened to it, and it was a lady going, “Oh my god, I love your radio station — thank you so much, I love the country.” And I was like, “I was not expecting that.”

You were expecting people to be more upset?

Yes. Is there a staffing change, too?

When it was Heartbeat, it was staffed but it wasn’t. It was recorded.

HB, the guy who was on middays on Heartbeat, he works full-time for our sister station, The Buzz. So he’s not on the air anymore, but he’s still here and doing his main job.

He’s off the air, but still here with a full time job. And AJ, who was on the afternoon on Heartbeat, is going to more than likely continue on The Ride.

Do you think we have a gap now, for the old format?

Well, one of the issues with Heartbeat was that there are a lot of stations that are all trying to cover that territory. [94.9] TOM FM was trying to go there a little bit, and [102.1] KOKY was trying to go there a little bit. So I think those stations will step in and kind of fill the gap. I don’t think they’ll fully step into where Heartbeat was, but they’ll try to cover it a little bit between the two of them.

Did you know there was a Facebook group campaigning to Bring Back Heartbeat?

Yeah, 58 likes. (Editor’s note: By Tuesday, 526 people liked the page.)

So you’re not worried about it?

No.

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INSIDER, CONT. Grand Wizard of the KKK — from a Memphis park to property the group owns in Harrison.

Thomas Robb, leader of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, issued a press release last week saying that the group wants to move the remains of Forrest; his wife, Mary Ann; and a large bronze statue of the general, mounted on horseback, to the group’s “Christian Revival Center” in Boone County.

The remains of Forrest and his wife are currently buried beneath the statue in Memphis’ renamed Health Sciences Park, which is part of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus. The park had been named Forrest Park since 1904, the year Forrest and his wife were exhumed from the city’s Elmwood Cemetery and reburied in the park. Memphis renamed the park and two others in 2013 because of their Confederate-affiliated names.

Last month, the Memphis City Council voted unanimously to exhume the remains of the Forrests and return them to Elmwood Cemetery. That move will have to be approved by the Tennessee Historical Commission in October. Last week, vandals spray-painted the phrase “Black Lives Matter” onto the base of the Forrest statue.

Robb said in a press release: “While the remains of Forrest and his wife will be moved to their original burial ground, there is fear that the grave will remain unsecure and under constant threat of desecration. Therefore, [I am] requesting that the remains be placed at the Christian Revival Center church where they will be undisturbed.”

Huckabee and rape During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” last weekend, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was asked about the case of a 10-year-old Paraguayan girl, raped by her stepfather, who has been forbidden by the government to have an abortion.

“Let nobody be misled, a 10-year-old girl being raped is horrible, but does it solve a problem by taking the life of an innocent child?” Huckabee responded. “And that’s really the issue.”

“Let’s not compound the tragedy by taking yet another life,” he added.

If you were in Arkansas in 1996, his position comes as no surprise. That year, Huckabee blocked Medicaid from funding an abortion for a 15-year-old mentally challenged child who was raped by her stepfather.

He broke federal law in doing so — just like our current governor has done in blocking federal funds to Planned Parenthood for family planning. So that the 15-year-old could get the abortion before it was too late, private donors stepped up. www.arktimes.com

AUGUST 20, 2015

13

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE WITH THE FUTURE OF LITTLE ROCK PUBLIC EDUCATION HANGING IN THE BALANCE, SUPERINTENDENT BAKER KURRUS FACES FEARSOME CHOICES.

BY BENJAMIN HARDY PHOTOS BY BRIAN CHILSON

O

n March 6, just five weeks after the Little Rock School District was taken over by the state of Arkansas, Rep. Bruce Cozart (R-Hot Springs) filed legislation that threatened to undermine the foundations of traditional public education in the city.

House Bill 1733 originated with a group funded largely by the Walton Family Foundation, which advocates for “reform” strategies built on the introduction of market forces into public education, such as more charter schools. The bill proposed a sweeping expansion of the authority of the state Education Commissioner within districts under state control because of an “academic distress” designation, such as the LRSD. It empowered the commissioner, who heads the Department of Education, to outsource the operations of any school within such a district, or the entire district itself, to a private entity — a charter management organization. It allowed charters to capture a portion of local property taxes to fund their operations and to use existing school facilities, rather than constructing their own buildings. And, it authorized the commissioner to both waive the state law requiring due process when firing teachers — the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act — and instantly void any contract with a local union.

The arrival of HB 1733 seemed to 14

AUGUST 20, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

confirm the suspicions of many who opposed the takeover of the LRSD back in January: that Little Rock’s school system, like those in American cities from New Orleans to Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., was slated for wholesale or partial privatization. There was little doubt the bill was aimed at Little Rock, not only because it had recently come under state control, but also because the LRSD is one of only two districts in the state that has a union recognized by its district for contract negotiations. And the fact HB 1733 was almost immediately endorsed by Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson lent credence to the narrative that the state’s plans for the LRSD post-takeover were following a blueprint mapped out by the Walton Family Foundation and other powerful players bent on squashing the teachers union and (whether motivated by ideological conviction or some obscure financial interest) turning public schools over to private operators.

But then, in the face of dwindling legislative support, the sponsor abruptly pulled HB 1733 without so much as a vote in committee. A groundswell of popular opposition from Little Rock residents rallying outside the Capitol surely helped, although the deciding

factor was likely the lobbying work of statewide education groups representing teachers, school boards, superintendents and others. Those interests saw HB 1733 as a potential threat to traditional public schools in Arkansas writ large, even if its proximate target was clearly the LRSD. It’s necessary to keep HB 1733 in mind when considering the task now facing Little Rock School District Superintendent Baker Kurrus, the man the state appointed to run the LRSD. Yes, the episode illustrates that “reformers” like the Walton Family Foundation see the takeover as an opportunity to accomplish the charterization of the LRSD — but the bill’s rapid withdrawal also suggests agnosticism about the “reform” agenda in some quarters of state government.

A corporate lawyer and businessman, Kurrus, 60, is undeniably a member of Little Rock’s moneyed class. He’s no champion of the charter movement, however, having spent over a decade as an elected member of the Little Rock School Board, from 1998 to 2010. He knows the district’s policy questions and the city’s power dynamics like few others do. Yet he lacks a traditional superintendent’s qualifications. Kur-

IN CHARGE: Five years after his time on the Little Rock School District’s board ended, Baker Kurrus returns as superintendent.

rus has no formal training in education, which meant his appointment required a waiver of law by the State Board of Education. That, combined with the fact that Education Commissioner Johnny Key hired him with no advance notice to the community and no public discussion, reinforced the notion already held by some in Little Rock that the state takeover amounted to a hostile occupation of the district. It didn’t help that Key himself — a former Republican state senator who has also never been an educator — was not legally qualified to hold the commissioner’s seat until the legislature changed state law this spring to pave the way for his appointment.

Kurrus’ challenges are threefold.

The first is academic: a stark disparity in student achievement, which largely breaks down along lines of race, class and neighborhood. The second is fiscal: the loss of $37 million annually from the district’s budget as payments from the state to the LRSD as the result of a desegregation settlement come to a close in the next two years. The third is political: a 60-year legacy of turmoil within the district that’s resulted in toxic levels of public mistrust and disenfranchisement, much of it regarding race.

Above it all looms the existential threat of privatization. When the

state board voted Jan. 28 to dissolve the local LRSD board, governance of the district became vested in a single person, Commissioner Key. Even without the expanded mandate of HB 1733, Key could take steps to convert any of Little Rock’s six academically distressed schools into charters if he chose to do so. Significantly, that’s not yet happened. When Key appointed a new superintendent this May (with the evident blessing of his boss, Gov. Hutchinson) he chose Kurrus rather than a gung-ho reformer.

Voluble, charismatic and gregarious, Kurrus has emphasized relationship-building and budget-trimming during his first three months on the job. He’s in constant motion, making certain to visit each school in the district and speak as frequently as possible to students, staff and parents — a marked contrast from his predecessor, Dexter Suggs, who was known as remote and aloof. (Suggs departed the district under a cloud in late April amid allegations that he plagiarized a portion of his doctoral dissertation; he was nonetheless awarded severance pay that will amount to $250,000 when complete at the end of this year.)

Thus far, Kurrus has cut some $12 million from the district’s budget, partly through central office layoffs initiated

by Suggs and partly by shortening the amount of planning time allotted to teachers at some schools.

When it comes to larger questions about the direction of the LRSD, though, Kurrus tends to diplomatically defer.

“I have a lot of ideas,” he told the Arkansas Times recently. “I have a lot of front line experience and knowledge and access to facts that most people don’t have, so I’ll have strong opinions — but I don’t act on those. It’s not for me to decide things that are policy-related. The superintendent is an executive role, not a policymaker, and there’s a huge difference.”

State Sen. Joyce Elliott (D-Little Rock), an advocate of traditional public schools and a former teacher, said she thought Kurrus was “working at his job very earnestly and in a very dedicated fashion.”

But, she added, “I do think the circumstances that created the position did kind of poison the well for many people in the community who are very, very upset about [the takeover]. … It’s not about the person; it’s about the position itself. It’s the power vested in that position.”

THE ACADEMIC OUTLOOK

system we have that tends to cycle certain students in certain directions.”

The Little Rock School District was “If you have, say, an elementary taken over by the state because its 48 school that has 55 percent of its stucampuses included six in academic disdents who are Proficient and Advanced, tress: three high schools (Hall, J.A. Fair what does that tell you? You have 45 and McClellan), two middle schools percent who are Basic or Below Basic.

(Cloverdale and Henderson) and one Well, if you have a number of those [elementary] schools, elementary school (Baseline). A school is in acasome of the kids end up going into an environdemic distress when fewer than 49.5 perment where some of cent of its students the high achievers score Proficient [also] end up. ... or Advanced The rest of the on stankids who dardized are Basic or tests in math Below Basic end up in the and literacy. same [middle] (There are four school, and that score ranges on standardized tests: school automatically Advanced, Proficient, hits the screen through Basic and Below Basic.) no fault of its own.”

Education “reform” Kurrus also acknowlCathy Koehler edged that socioeconomadvocates pin the blame for underperforming schools ics play an outsized role in primarily on bad teachers predicting success among and a venal union. A Jan. 11 students. “In a city like ours editorial in the Arkansas Democratwhere you have wide disparities in Gazette suggested that then-superinincome — and income correlates to stutendent Suggs needed “a freer hand — dent achievement at the earliest grades so he can clear the classrooms of those — we have to deal with that. That’s a teachers who are just sleep-walking to huge reality in our world. ... Some private or charter schools don’t deal with retirement. ... It’s got to be hard to ask a teacher to teach (rather than show Disthat, but we do. And we don’t run from ney movies all day) if he or she knows the challenge. ... We feel like that’s the work that’s calling us every day.” very well that there’s no way a pink slip will ever show up in that teacher’s However, Kurrus’ critics say he has next pay envelope. Or, even if it did, the thus far made few bold moves to directly teachers’ union would just bail out the address academics. Considering the so-called teacher.” The newspaper’s statutory justification for the takeover publisher, Walter Hussman, is a longwas low student achievement — not time advocate for charter schools. Suggs finances — it’s fair to expect learning himself also played this card, once tellto be prioritized. Perhaps the most coning the state Board of Education prior crete change is happening at Baseline to takeover that “the LRSD has been …

Elementary, which is being reconfigan employment agency for quite some ured under a new principal. time.”

That’s not enough, said Jim Ross, Kurrus, on the other hand, veheone of the former members of the local mently disagreed that the problems of school board that was dissolved by the the academically distressed schools are state in January. Ross, a professor of primarily the result of lower-quality history at the University of Arkansas at staff.

Little Rock, is one of several plaintiffs “I would never concede that point,” in a lawsuit challenging the legality of he said. “Frankly, if you look at the six the takeover. distressed schools, five of them are sec“We have achieved the status quo — ondary schools, and every single one of which was the point all along, right?” those schools enrolls a high percentRoss said. “Our teachers are not propage of students who are below Profierly trained about how to educate poor cient from the moment they [walk in] children, who start years behind midthe doors of those schools … That’s no dle-class kids. … We’ve got a redesign for indictment of the people who are in Baseline, [but] we still have no comprethere, certainly not of the teachers. It’s hensive reading strategy. We still have the reality of the student assignment the exact same administration in place.”

One high school teacher in the district echoed that sentiment in a letter to the Times. “I’ve heard little from him or anyone else regarding how to help the six academically distressed schools. … Kurrus is willing to admit he is not an educator and will listen to educators regarding education. But he has not done anything to secure trust in him yet,” she wrote.

Still, Kurrus has taken proactive steps regarding the organization and management of personnel throughout the district, which he cites as one of its major ailments. Sandra Register, the principal at Terry Elementary — which is one of the highest performing elementary schools among those with a large percentage of students from lowincome homes — said Kurrus’ policy of empowering principals has had a tangible effect in her building.

“It’s a change,” she said. “He’s basically given us back our leadership, with support from the district. He invites sharing of information and he’s very quick to respond. There’s a renewed culture of openness and fairness.

“Before, you were told, ‘Everybody does this, everybody does that,’ all across the board … . Now, the principal has the freedom to decide what’s best for all the students in that building.”

A veteran teacher at Hall High said she’d seen little change in her school and remained skeptical of Kurrus, but was encouraged by his engagement with teachers.

“I think once you get in the trenches and you see some of the teachers teaching, you see some of the stuff going on and the clientele we’re dealing with, you realize that there’s not a bunch of fat, lazy teachers sitting over there not trying.

“I still think he was sent to do the bidding of the Waltons, but I think he actually is starting to see the teachers’ side of things, the realistic side of things.

And it’s probably going to end up getting him booted out, and they’ll put somebody else in … somebody else who does toe the line.”

THE UNION

On the afternoon of Aug. 10, the day before the 2015-16 school began for certified staff, teachers received word that their contract — a 93-page document that has been negotiated over the past half-century between the district and the local union, the Little Rock Education Association — was about to go away. The news came not from district www.arktimes.com

AUGUST 20, 2015

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BRIAN CHILSON

administration, nor from LREA President Cathy Koehler, but from a Facebook page managed by Jim Ross, who said he learned of the change through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The Hall High teacher said the news about the contract “threw morale into chaos” among staff at her school. “We were really excited, and now of course you’re getting the same rumors — that they’re going to fire everybody and you’re not even eligible to go back to your school because there’s not going to be a contract to protect you. So, it just crashes the morale.”

The current professionally negotiated agreement covers everything from salary and benefits to teacher working conditions to procedures for resolving grievances. A five-page draft of the new proposal, which the district made public after Ross leaked the information, indicates it will be limited to salary and benefits alone. Nonetheless, if a new contract is negotiated successfully, it would mean the LREA will at least continue to exist as a bargaining partner with the district.

Considering the current contract expires at the end of October either way, and considering the state’s Republican leaders are no fans of organized labor, the union has little choice but to play ball.

That placed Koehler on the defensive the next day when addressing rank-andfile members at an LREA meeting that attracted over 400 concerned teachers.

“We’re not all in the same place,” she admitted later that week. “A few people were disgruntled or discouraged. I respect the right of people to dissent and I always will, because believe me — I’ve dissented many times. … But the overwhelming majority [of members] feel that we must make decisions in a way that support our children and families without sacrificing what we’re doing to ensure that students have the resources that they need to be successful.”

Koehler explained what’s at stake for the union. “A school board or district can agree to [either] negotiate with a particular entity or have a Personnel Policy Committee. When you have a negotiated agreement, you are bound to follow it. When you have a PPC, the school board is under no obligation to follow that recommendation.

“Kurrus made it abundantly clear that his choice is to negotiate with the people who have been working for 50, 60 years in the district. He wants to keep continuing the discussions with us. He has said this time and again — that he believes in the teachers of this district. ... Do I believe him to be genuine? I have

NOT COMPROMISING: Rep. John Walker (D-Little Rock) says the takeover was an injustice.

no reason, as of today, to not think so.”

Kurrus would not comment on the substance of the negotiations, but he said, “You’ve got to start somewhere. …

We’ll negotiate in good faith in hopes of finding some common ground. … It’s my understanding that the union wants to proceed under [the negotiating terms provided by] the existing contract. I’m perfectly happy to do that.”

John Riggs, a Little Rock business leader who long advocated for the state takeover, said Kurrus is sincere in his respect for the teachers union.

“He’s come to the Chamber [of Commerce], said, ‘Hey, listen — this is going to take all of us, not just the business community.’ There are some business types that would just say, ‘If you just get rid of the union, everything will be great.’ Baker has maintained since day one that the union is not the problem.

And I agree with him. The union is not the problem. It’s the contract, and some of the archaic things in there.”

But Joyce Elliott said Kurrus was making a mistake by limiting the scope of the contract to economic issues. “Anywhere in the U.S. where schools are doing well, there is meaningful input from the staff. ... It’s hard work to get it done, but it works,” she said.

She fears that the new contract will play into the hands of those who would like to privatize the district. “I don’t think [Kurrus] is all about furthering that consciously. … [But] I think unwittingly, or maybe by dictate, he’s playing a part in that role by the position he’s taken with employees.”

Ross said he leaked news of the contract negotiations because “people deserve information,” but also acknowledged the LREA faced an existential threat if it pushed back too hard. “The tactical question is whether you keep a union without any teeth ... or do you force the state to destroy the union? ...

Sometimes it’s better to go down fighting than to sit there and take it.” (Ross is not an LREA member.)

The Hall High teacher said she was “skeptical at this point if they’re even going to negotiate. … I think they’re going to say, ‘Well, we really, really tried to negotiate with the teachers’ and then in October, it’ll be over and they don’t have to do anything. When the contract runs out, it’s out — they’re off the hook.

I think that’s the plan.”

THE WEST AND THE REST

Sensitive as the contract negotiations

are, an even more contentious question is on the horizon: the recently renewed push to build a secondary school in West Little Rock.

Gary Newton is president and CEO of the Walton-funded group Arkansas Learns and the city’s most visible advocate for new public schools on the west side of town, whether traditional or charter. He’s leading an email campaign urging Kurrus to consider investing in the 245,000-square-foot Leisure Arts building, near the intersection of Cantrell Road and Chenal Parkway.

“It could be purchased and converted for half the cost of a projected middle school, without raising taxes. It’s adjacent to property already bought by the district. With one stroke, the district could trend toward positive enrollment for the first time in years. It could be open for 2016.”

Newton said he and other West Little Rock residents would be open to hearing about other buildings around the district that could be used for a similar purpose, but, “If it doesn’t happen, then charters are really the only public education solution for a place that doesn’t have secondary education.”

Data from the district, Newton said, shows that 61 percent of fifth grade stuCONTINUED ON PAGE 65

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ARKANSAS TIMES

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ARKANSAS TIMES

THE COLLEGE ISSUE

2015 EDUC ATION · LIFE S T Y LE

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SAU offers the perfect environment for every student to stand out, to be unique, and to be more than just a face in the crowd. Students come for a visit and are impressed with the beautiful and welcoming campus, and they stay through graduation because of the supportive atmosphere where everyone feels like this is home.

Come for a tour across our campus and you will see why we say, “It is a great day to be a Mulerider!”

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015 Messages from the Presidents

TIM HUDSON, CHANCELLOR

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY “Arkansas State is the intersection of innovation and tradition. The First-Year Experience received the Apple Distinguished Award for our commitment to technology. The 120,000-square-foot Humanities and Social Sciences Building transforms the center of campus, part of more than $150 million in upgrades in recent years. For all our additions, we know our formula for student success – Educate – Enhance – Enrich – begins with our faculty. Here you are taught by scholars who are cutting edge of their fields, and dedicated to working with students. We know a caring professor, one that makes a connection with students, remains at the heart of what we do. I invite you to visit us in Jonesboro.”

DR. STEVE COLE, CHANCELLOR

COSSATOT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS “You want to learn skills and receive a credential that places you at the top of the list when it comes to getting a job. Pure and simple, that is why you care about your education.

We pride ourselves on making sure we are offering programs that lead to employment. We also pride ourselves on making sure we get you there as quickly and affordably as possible while creating a collegiate atmosphere that allows you to grow as a student.

We are proud to say that we are an agile and aggressive college that never rests on old ideas. We always strive to be the leaders in innovation.

One example of this is our textbook policy where students will never have to purchase textbooks for courses, but rather enjoy free, open-source materials or simply pay a nominal rental fee for a textbook.”

DR. STEPHEN SCHOONMAKER

COLLEGE OF THE OUACHITAS “Recognized in 2013 by the Aspen Institute as a top ten community college in the nation, we are transforming our students’ lives by inspiring excellence. Throughout our history we have prepared students with high demand skills for jobs and/or further study that businesses and industries in the region need for jobs that are desirable and earn a living wage.

Excellent faculty and caring staff create effective learning environments, offering a high quality education that is both accessible and affordable. College of the Ouachitas is the smart choice for students; whether they aspire to enter - or be promoted within - the regional job market, or seek to transfer for a bachelor’s degree after obtaining one of our nationally recognized and accredited educational programs. Come experience ‘a higher degree of you!’”

TOM COURTWAY

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS “The University of Central Arkansas is at an incredible moment in its history. While realizing steady enrollment growth, we continue to be mindful of making an exemplary education accessible. For the first time in more than 20 years, our students will see no increase in tuition and fees. At the same time, new facilities and enhancements are underway to better serve our students and university community. We are committed to helping our students reach their goals in the classroom, while providing an enriched and fulfilling campus life experience that will prepare them for the future.”

DR. JOEL E. ANDERSON, CHANCELLOR

DR. STEPHAN HILTERBRAN

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS COLLEGE “Southeast Arkansas College provides an education, workforce skills, and social experiences that help students reach their goals. The College motto “Changing Lives, One Student at a Times” is the very root of our college mission and the center of our educational philosophy. It is a challenge for students to examine, explore, and realize the incredible power of possibility and how it can change their lives. We not only provide knowledge and skills, we also offer students a means to develop their vision of the future and the tools to make that vision a reality.”

DR. PAUL B. BERAN, CHANCELLOR

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FORT SMITH “The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith serves the greater Fort Smith region and Western Arkansas as a leader in higher education, workforce development, quality of place opportunities, and economic development activities. The university is committed to educating individuals for the 21st century through internships and an international focus.

Our faculty and staff are, first and foremost, committed to our students and their undergraduate success, giving them lifelong skills in critical and creative thinking and problem solving while preparing them for a fulfilling career when they graduate.”

DR. ROBIN E. BOWEN

DAN FERRITOR, CHANCELLOR

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS “The University of Arkansas is the 7th fastest growing public research university in the country for a reason.

Nowhere else in the state can you find the range of majors, classes, and research opportunities, as well as access to world class faculty and cutting edge facilities. Our graduates are state governors, Fortune 500 CEOs, scientists and novelists.

They’re nurses, teachers, architects, engineers, and lawyers. We offer a campus environment like no other in the state, including almost 400 registered student organizations and access to Southeastern Conference athletic events. Routinely recognized as one of the nation’s best values, the University of Arkansas is rising fast.

Come see why so many students are coming here, and leaving with their names etched on Senior Walk.”

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY “Grit,” the ability to persevere to reach a long-term goal, is critical for success in college and beyond. At Arkansas Tech University, we know many students already have grit, but we also know it is our responsibility to help them channel that grit so they may achieve their goals. Doing so will create the mindset necessary to help our great state realize its limitless potential.

Learn more at discover.atu.edu.”

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UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK “UALR is known for excellent academic programs, innovative research, and its ability to tackle tough community and state issues.

Our students are wonderfully diverse and our faculty hold degrees from the finest graduate schools in the nation and the world. Our purpose is to help students come to value the process of learning, and gain a greatly expanded understanding of the world. UALR is the university our community and state need – grounded in the capital city and global in reach.”

DR. TREY BERRY

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY “Over the past three years, Southern Arkansas University has experienced record enrollment and growth. New academic programs in engineering, game design and animation, musical theatre, marine biology, and wildlife biology have attracted students and have transformed SAU into a truly global campus.The School of Graduate Studies has also grown dramatically and offers a wide variety of programs, both online and on campus. Our primary mission at SAU is to serve students. That commitment to students is present in all areas of our campus life. Since 1909, our outstanding graduates have used SAU as the foundation from which to become leaders throughout our state and nation.”

DR. GLENDELL JONES

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY “Henderson State University, located in the heart of southwest Arkansas, provides a learning environment that prepares students for a lifetime of intellectual and personal growth in a global society. For 125 years, Henderson State has worked to bridge student aspirations to career success by instilling in students the skills employers most want – communication, decision-making, teamwork and problem-solving – through the application of a strong core of liberal arts classes that are applied through professional studies.”

DR. LAURENCE B. ALEXANDER, CHANCELLOR

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF “The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is dedicated to academic excellence that contributes to student success, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Agriculture, Business, Education, and Arts & Sciences, including a Ph.D. in Aquaculture and Fisheries. UAPB provides a supportive, welcoming environment in an intimate setting. With a 15:1 student-faculty ratio, students get the opportunity to know members of our very accomplished faculty. UAPB has 16 NCAA Division I athletics programs and more than 100 student organizations.

We are committed to preparing students for advance study and employment in the 21st century globalized society. For a gratifying college experience with a personal touch, join the pride at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where we are student-focused, success-driven, and mission-based.”

JUDY PILE, ED.D., CHANCELLOR

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK “Baptist Health College Little Rock is a unique institution. Our total focus is healthcare education and we are guided by the workforce needs in our numerous facilities around the state. We offer nine programs of study including one-year certificate programs, associate degree programs, bachelor degree programs through several affiliations and one-year postgraduate opportunities. Our student outcomes in retention, successful board/registry passage and graduate placement in the profession are consistently strong. BHCLR offers rich clinical experiences and a Christian campus environment. To be successful in healthcare, an individual has a natural tendency to serve and care for others, is willing to invest in their chosen profession and exhibits professionalism in all areas of their life. The future of healthcare is dynamic and challenging and there are many avenues to an incredible career.

Visit our website to learn more at www.bhclr.edu.”

DR. EVELYN E. JORGESON

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE “NorthWest Arkansas Community College serves and strengthens our region by providing high-quality, affordable instruction at locations throughout Benton and Washington counties. We focus on providing what our learners need, whether that’s adult basic education, new job skills for today’s workplace, or the foundation to pursue a four-year degree and post-graduate study.

NWACC creates an environment that inspires students and encourages them to maximize their potential.”

DR. RICHARD L. DAWE, PRESIDENT

DR. DEBRA WEST, CHANCELLOR

DR. RODERICK L. SMOTHERS, SR.

DR. DONALD WEATHERMAN

OZARKA COLLEGE “Ozarka College, located in the beautiful hills of north central Arkansas serves students in Izard, Sharp, Stone and Fulton counties in Arkansas and beyond. Ozarka offers more high quality, fully accredited online degrees and certificates than any other two year college in the state. Programs include a robust Allied Health program that produces more LPN nurses than any of the 21 other two year colleges in Arkansas.

Other exciting programs include Aviation – Professional Pilot; state of the art Culinary and Hospitality Management; Criminal Justice and Corrections; Information Science Technology; Automotive; and many additional AA and AS transfer degrees.

As a small rural college with four campus locations, Ozarka is proud of our innovative culture, small classes with highly committed and talented faculty, and staff that are dedicated to providing Life Changing Experiences through Education.”

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY MID-SOUTH “ASU Mid-South is a learning-centered college, dedicated to student success.

Our recent merger with the Arkansas State University System has changed our name, but not who we are. We continue aggressive and determined efforts to offer world-class learning opportunities designed to prepare our students for further education or for direct entry into high-demand, high-skill, and high-wage jobs.

Through strategic partnerships with the Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce, FedEx, The Manufacturing Institute, the Memphis Bioworks Foundation, regional colleges and universities, and area Chambers of Commerce, we are confident we can help meet the education and training needs of our region. Simply stated, ASU Mid-South is uniquely positioned to transform the lives of the people and communities we serve.”

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE “Philander Smith College is a crown jewel. At a time when many people question the relevancy of historically black colleges and universities, our small, private institution does not shy away from boasting that we remain a highly viable option for any student who looks to obtain a quality liberal arts education. We are fortunate to be situated right in the heart of downtown Little Rock, which makes us an urban school that is uniquely positioned to address urban issues.

Furthermore, our student-centered approach to learning ensures that when our scholars graduate, they are prepared to enter what is now a global marketplace. We are a progressive institution with a rich heritage, and it is with renewed energy and sense of purpose that we are focused on moving Philander Smith College forward.”

LYON COLLEGE “Lyon College offers an outstanding undergraduate education in a personalized setting. Our core curriculum, EPIC: Educating Productive Involved Citizens, provides studies in the fine arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences to prepare our graduates for effective and fulfilling participation in society. Additionally, our student-run Honor and Social Systems are dedicated to developing the character of our students. Our outdoor program provides mountain bike trails, a zip line, climbing grotto, and much more. New to Lyon this year is intercollegiate football, and besides the usual sports, we also offer men’s and women’s wrestling and a shooting team. Finally, our faculty members have won 14 Arkansas Professor of the Year Awards. Lyon College provides its students immediate access to one of America’s strongest and most dedicated faculties.”

DR. COY GRACE

DR. JOHN A. HOGAN

DR. MARGARET A. ELLIBEE

DR. EUGENE MCKAY, CHANCELLOR

EAST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE “East Arkansas Community College is a learning-centered community committed to providing quality lifelong education opportunities for the diverse citizenry of the Arkansas Delta. We’re creating exciting educational opportunities with a focus on the future. EACC provides students with the academic, technical, and personal skills that will prepare them for a successful career or for transfer to a four-year college. Our students are being enriched by new perspectives, new academic and technical programs, and by a sense of community that encourages and inspires. The faculty, administration and staff at EACC are dedicated to the success of all of our students.”

DR. KEITH PINCHBACK

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE “Quality backed by a guarantee and the only college to reduce tuition for Arkansas students, that is what you will find at National Park College.

You will also find broad and robust general education programs that serve as a basis for transfer and personal enrichment; technical and professional programs to prepare students for career experiences; and continuing education and workforce training opportunities to meet community needs and personal interests. We strive to be an exemplary model of access, collaboration, and accountability, and we count it an honor to equip our students and prepare them for careers by challenging them to think analytically, to be inquisitive, and to realize and utilize their talents. Find your path at www.np.edu.”

PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE “As a leader in higher education in Arkansas, Pulaski Technical College is here to meet the educational needs of students, business, industry and the entire community we serve.

Whether a student wants to further his or her education at a four-year institution with our university-transfer curriculum or desires to enter the workforce with an in-demand skill set, Pulaski Tech is committed to improving the quality of life for the people of central Arkansas. The college empowers our students with the knowledge and skills that give them the ability to transform their futures.

And as our students succeed, the entire community benefits.”

PHILLIPS COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS “This year, PCCUA celebrates an important milestone in its history — 50 years! Over the past 50 years, one thing has remained the same – our commitment to the success of every student. In terms of best value, PCCUA has been ranked 13th among 25 institutions that offer students the better deal, according to Bankrate.com, and was the only Arkansas community college named in the ranking. Arkansas’ first ever community college, PCCUA is a multi-campus institution with locations in Helena- W. Helena, DeWitt, and Stuttgart. We have just under 2,000 students in academic, occupational/technical and continuing education programs and offer 25 associate degree programs. Our transfer guarantee ensures that our courses will transfer to most colleges and universities allowing our students to stay home for their first two years, saving them roughly half the cost of attending a four-year college or university for four years. And financial aid and scholarships help make PCCUA even more affordable. Fifty years after opening its doors, PCCUA is still leading the way. Join us in celebrating 50 years of changing minds and changing lives in Eastern Arkansas!”

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITYBEEBE “At ASU-Beebe, students will find high quality programs with the most affordable tuition in central Arkansas. With more than 80 years of experience preparing students for college careers and the workforce, we offer a variety of options for students wanting to pursue an associate’s degree, a technical certificate, transfer to a four-year university or enter the workforce. We have unique programs that include Veterinary Technology and a partnership agreement with John Deere in Agriculture Equipment Technology. We offer the only Associate of Fine Arts degree in the state and have the only accredited Pharmacy Technology degree. ASU-Beebe is the only two-year college in the state with traditional residence halls. With campuses in Beebe, Heber Springs, Searcy and the Little Rock Air Force Base, we are a student-centered university dedicated to meeting the needs of our students.”

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015 THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

Major Trends ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

The second largest university in the state, Arkansas State experienced an 82 percent increase in Honors College enrollment during the past five years as more and more high-achieving students who have been accepted into multiple colleges choose to attend A-State. It’s A-State’s commitment to innovation, leadership, and educational excellence, along with a clear vision for exemplary learning environments that attract the best and brightest students. This commitment also earned A-State an Apple Distinguished Program designation for its First Year Experience program, which integrates digital learning into the curriculum.

New degree areas like social media management, which is the first of its kind in the Mid-South region, and a growing interest in A-State’s study-abroad program – participation has doubled – show A-State’s commitment to innovation.

In addition, campus life participation numbers are at all-time records thanks to new residence areas and a renewed commitment to on-campus activities.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-BEEBE

At a time when students are looking to have a college degree without a lot of student loan debt, ASU-Beebe offers degree options at a very affordable price.

At $96 per credit hour, ASU-Beebe offers the lowest tuition in Central Arkansas.

Two of the most popular programs on campus are business and education.

Business. The Department of Business offers several areas of study for students interested in pursuing a business degree. An academic advisor can provide assistance in selecting courses which apply toward a bachelor’s degree in accounting, administrative services, business education, business administration, economics, finance, management, marketing, computer information systems or other business-related areas.

Education. The education curriculum at ASU-Beebe offers an Associate of Science in Education K-6 and MidLevel (grades 4-8). Students interested in continuing their education can attend baccalaureate programs in education K-6 and mid-level, as well as master’s degrees in educational leadership and curriculum and instruction on the Beebe 6

life needs and quiet spaces for studying.

The Lyon Education and Adventure Program, also known as LEAP, is a popular outdoor recreation program that includes a bouldering wall, disc golf course, hiking and biking trail, and a zipline and ropes course. They plan to make more LEAP services available to students in the upcoming semester, including added features to the rope courses.

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

The National Park Technology Center (NPTC) is a career and technical school for high school juniors and seniors located on the campus of National Park College (NPC). The purpose of the center is to be a resource and training facility for every Garland County high school in an effort to provide the most cutting-edge training and equipment for a changing world of work.

NPTC offers seven career and technical programs for high school juniors and seniors. Programs offered include: Surgical technologists are in high demand and Baptist Health College Little Rock meets the need with its School of Surgical Technology.

campus through Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

ASU-Beebe’s college transfer services works with many fouryear universities to insure students have a smooth transition to further their education to a bachelor’s degree or beyond. Students who average a 3.25 GPA or higher may receive a transfer scholarship to some four-year universities.

Henderson State University Henderson’s top five undergraduate degrees are:

COLLEGE OF THE OUACHITAS

Founded in 1969, College of the Ouachitas offers some of the region’s best professional and technical programs, such as allied health/nursing, business, cosmetology, criminal justice, electrical and plumbing apprenticeships, and mechatronics. The college also offers high school alternatives through its Career Center at the Malvern campus, which include automotive, cosmetology, criminal justice, medical office, pre-engineering and welding classes.

The College’s general education courses, including its Honors College, provide a solid foundation for a high quality bach-

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

1. Business administration 2. Biology 3. Early Childhood Education 4. Psychology 5. Physical Education, Wellness and Leisure elor’s degree – a smart choice for savvy students wanting to stretch scholarship dollars, family funds and financial aid assistance.

LYON COLLEGE

Lyon College has had substantial growth with new-student enrollment during the past three years, with more than 710 students registering for classes for fall 2014 – the highest enrollment count in the school’s history. Another strong enrollment count is expected for the fall 2015 semester.

Two new residence halls, housing 200 students, will open in fall 2015. Each residence hall features state-of-the-art living facilities, open space for student

• • • • • • •

Advertising and graphic design Automotive service technology Criminal justice Engineering Health science technology Machine tool Wood technology

Students who complete one of the NPTC programs have the opportunity to earn college credit, gain industry certifications and college scholarships.

“NPTC is an excellent resource for high school students in Garland County,” Jason Hudnell, NPTC director, said. “Students have opportunities that otherwise would not be possible.

We pride ourselves in preparing students for the world awaiting them after high school.”

For high school graduates, NPC offers coursework in a variety of fields, including industrial technology, engineering and poultry science.

Industrial technology. NPC offers a Technical Certificate in Industrial Technology that includes coursework to meet the needs of manufacturing and industrial organizations. The coursework includes curriculum in hydraulics, pneumatics, blueprints, electricity, industrial motor controls and program-

Flying High mable logic controllers. The coursework can be completed in one year and leads to national certification.

Engineering. Careers in engineering are closer to home for NPC students, who can now earn an Associate of Science degree in engineering with an emphasis in mechanical engineering.

A collaboration between NPC and its STEM partners, Arkansas Tech University and the University of Arkansas, was developed to increase the success rate of engineering students at NPC. The new STEM partnerships allow students to get college experience with personalized advising and mentoring at the twoyear level before transferring to a fouryear university with junior-level status.

NPC offers a complete mathematics program to support the engineering students. According to Darlene Gentles, Math and Sciences Division chair, NPC students can enroll in math courses ranging from basic math and algebra skills through the calculus sequence (I, II, III) and differential equations. Student support on campus includes free tutoring for all math courses and readily available instructors. New courses for engineering students include Introduction to Engineering, Engineering Graphics, Circuits, and the calculus-based University Physics I and II. Poultry Science. Arkansas is the second largest producer of poultry products in the U.S. Students in NPC’s poultry science program can get a bird’s eye view of an industry with more than $45 billion in broiler sales by completing two specialized poultry classes: Introduction to Poultry Careers and Avian Biology, the first steps toward earning an Associate of Science in Poultry Science. The first course is an experiential, no text required, hands-on class where students tour poultry production facilities, feed science facilities, and business offices to learn the industry from egg to chicken and from marketing to sales. Avian Biology prepares students for upper-level poultry science courses, including husbandry and feed science. Students earning a degree from NPC in poultry science can transfer to the University of Arkansas, located near the headquarters of Tyson, Inc., to complete a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral program in a wide variety of poultry specialties.

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE

Over the years, business administration has emerged as one of the

Colleges around the state offer aviation industry training

nology program provides students with instruction in the general powerplant and airframe curricula. Students may choose to seek FAA certification as an aircraft maintenance technician with an airframe rating and/or a powerplant rating by completing the certificate coursework, or they may choose to complete the Associate of Applied Science in order to acquire additional ARKANSAS STATE education to advance UNIVERSITY – into supervisory and MID-SOUTH inspection positions Funded through in the industry. a $3.4 million U.S. Aviation manageDepartment of Labor ment. Students can grant, funded through earn an Associate of Science in Aviation the American Recovery Management. The and Reinvestment Act of degree is designed 2009, ASU-Mid-South’s to allow students to aviation technology proqualify for FAA cergram is an integrated, Federal Aviation Admintificates and complete istration (FAA)-certified the requirements for the first two years of training program for air- FedEX donated a 727 jet for ASU Mid-South aviation maintenance the Bachelor of Sciframe and powerplant technology students to gain hands-on experience. technicians. Emphasizence in Aviation degree ing internships and onfrom Henderson State the-job training, the program gives stuscholarship recipient will be awarded University. This option is designed to dents the skills and experience needed $500 per semester, beginning in spring provide students with the skills and 2016. There are additional scholarship to meet the growing demands of the knowledge required for aircraft manopportunities available for Ozarka stuaviation maintenance industry. agement programs. This degree predent pilots and those enrolled in other Through a partnership with FedEx, pares students for careers involving programs. the college has a signature and iconic aircraft maintenance, flight management programs, airport management piece of training equipment for the proThe college is continuing to grow its and many areas associated with FAA gram – a FedEx 727 jet, which is located fleet of aircraft to support the program Part 121, Part 135 and Part 145 Repair near the West Memphis airport. In addiby acquiring a Cessna Skyhawk 172 and Station Requirements. tion to the 727, FedEx donated tooling a Redbird LD Advanced Aviation Trainand test equipment for student training ing Device in preparation for the first Professional pilot. The Associand participates in the college’s interncohort of students. Lenczycki said that ate of Science degree for professional ship program, which allows students to the Cessna Skyhawk is an ideal training pilots is designed to provide students with academic and practical instrucobtain on-the-job training while workplatform with a proven safety record. tion as they pursue the FAA-certified ing toward an FAA Airframe and Pow“The Redbird LD accurately reperplant Certificate. resents the training aircraft in almost pilot ratings in private pilot and comevery respect and serves as an economimercial pilot, to include instrument OZARKA COLLEGE cal way for students to practice a whole and certified flight instructor ratings.

On Aug. 11, Ozarka College range of skills,” he said.

Graduates of the program will also For those considering taking flying announced that the FAA approved the have completed the requirements for the first two years of the Bachelor of college’s professional pilot program. classes, Ozarka offers discovery flights.

FAA approval was a critical step in the These flights last about 30 minutes and Science in Aviation degree from Henrollout of the new Associate of Science students have a chance to fly an airplane derson State University. Central Flying in Professional Pilot - Aviation degree. and see what aviation is all about. DisService in Little Rock is contracted to covery flights are available for $75.

The first class of student pilots will provide the private pilot lab, commerbegin their studies during the fall 2015 cial pilot lab, instrument pilot lab and semester.

PULASKI TECHNICAL aeronautics lab classes.

COLLEGE As an FAA approved college, both Non-destructive testing. Nondegree-seeking students and private The Aerospace Technology Center at destructive testing is a non-invasive individuals will be able to complete Pulaski Tech offers classes in a variety of approach used in evaluating and troutheir flight training with fewer required aviation industry specialties, including bleshooting in industries such as aviaaircraft maintenance technology, aviahours. tion, oil and gas drilling, railroads and “Students can now complete their tion management, professional pilot, and other industries. Classes include magprivate pilot certificate with five fewer non-destructive testing. netic particle/liquid penetrant testing, hours of solo flight time,” Nick LencAircraft maintenance technoleddy current testing and ultrasonic zycki, Ozarka College director of aviogy. The aviation maintenance techtesting.

A

ccording to a 2014 article on Forbes.com, there will soon be a shortage of pilots and aviation mechanics, and several colleges across the state offer training programs that allow students to take advantage of the career opportunities ahead in the aviation industry.

ation, said. “This saves every student nearly $600.”

Ozarka College recently announced two endowed scholarship for students of the new aviation program from the late Gwenn A. Lea. These scholarships, endowed at $20,000 each, are for students to use for lab (flight) fees. Each

the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015 most popular majors at Philander Smith College (PSC). Due to business administration’s growing popularity as a major, a Business Advisory Council was re-established to support the Division of Business and Economics. Recently the college has shifted toward cultivating science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM, majors. With a new emphasis on STEM majors, there are now more students interested in math and biology attending PSC.

PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Pulaski Tech continues to serve central Arkansas with high-quality and affordable university-transfer curriculum and technical/occupational programs designed to facilitate direct entry into the workforce. The college is actively engaged in close collaboration with area employers that advise the college on creating relevant curriculum to ensure that graduates are able to step into career-oriented employment upon graduation.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS COLLEGE

Identified by US News and World Report as one of the 50 best careers in 2011, emergency management is a career field that is expected to grow 22 percent by 2018. Southeast Arkansas (SEARK) College’s emergency administration and management program prepares graduates to enter this fastgrowing field. Emergency Administration and Management is a field of study that strives to prepare the student to mitigate the potential risk of natural

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

b h c l r. e d u

Nursing Histotechnology Medical Laboratory Science Nuclear Medicine Technology Occupational Therapy Assistant Radiography Sleep Technology Surgical Technology

a commitment beyond academics

Apply online at bhclr.edu For additional information please call 501-202-6200 or 1-800-345-3046.

Baptist Health College Little Rock does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, creed, physical challenges, gender, marital status, race, national origin, or religion. Gainful employment and consumer information can be found at bhclr.edu/outcomes BHCLR-Schools of Allied Health are licensed by the Arkansas State Board of Private Career Education. BHCLR-Schools of Nursing are licensed by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.

11900 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, AR 72210 8

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Strengthening Arkansas Tech University’s Culture New university president outlines her vision for the future

W

hen Arkansas Tech University inaugurated Dr. Robin E. Bowen as its 12th president in April 2015, she outlined four areas of emphasis for her presidency.

Bowen cited distributive leadership, grit, collaboration with the community and social justice as four aspects of the Arkansas Tech culture that she hopes are strengthened during her tenure as chief executive officer for the institution.

Below, in part, are Bowen’s thoughts on those four areas of emphasis: On distributive leadership: “Each of you, faculty and staff, are experts in your own areas. You are the ones who see the day-to-day implications of what we do and how we do things on this campus. You are also the most knowledgeable regarding how we can better do things. Good ideas come from across the university. The vision for and the future of our university needs your expertise, your knowledge. The distributive leadership model results in enhanced leadership capacity across the university and a shared commitment to improving the university so that it can be everything it can be.”

On grit: “Students, you are our partners in this educational process.

Ultimately, the passion, the perseverance and the grit must be your own.

Most of our students do have grit, but we haven’t always challenged our students to apply that grit to their studies. Students, you have grit. Many of you have lived lives that required you to develop grit. We must make you understand that this excellent trait you possess, many of you through hardship, will serve you well at the university.

We need to make sure you understand that your ability to learn is not fixed.

It can and it does change with effort.”

On collaboration with the community: “The community first gave this university life in 1909, and it is the community that will help Tech grow. I am impressed by the abundant goodwill toward Tech. I am encouraged by the collaborative efforts of the mayor and other city and state elected officials, as well as the (Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce), in making the

Inauguration of Dr. Robin E. Bowen

University of Arkansas

city, the state and the university stronger. I know that I am very fortunate to have landed in such a wonderful community. Life is good in the Arkansas River Valley, but there is still much to do. Together, we must find ways to enhance and then sustain economic development. We must embrace (Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s) technology initiative and create programs at the university level that are the next logical step for high school students who are interested in these programs.

We must also build communities that are safe and socially attractive for our citizens. I am encouraged by the development of North El Paso Avenue. I would like for the university and the city to combine efforts to help El Paso become Russellville’s version of Dickson Street to provide a geographic, social and economic link between the university and the city. This will help us transform, as one community member aptly stated, from a town with a university to a university town.”

On social justice: “I ask each of you, all of you, to join me in working toward a stronger culture of social justice, where, as Martin Luther King Jr. stated, we are judged by the content of our character and our abilities rather than the color of our skin.

And I add, or by our gender, whom we choose to love or what we call the personal God we serve. To move beyond tolerance to respect – respect for different opinions, different cultures, and beliefs that are different from our own. I challenge us to truly celebrate diversity in all of its forms, which in turn makes us a stronger institution and a stronger community.”

Enrollment at Arkansas Tech has grown by 183 percent since 1997.

Arkansas Tech was one of just three universities in the state with 12,000 or more students during the 2014-15 academic year, and Tech has been recognized by the Chronicle of Higher Education as the fastest-growing institution in Arkansas.

With more than 60 degree programs added over the past two decades and a growing distance

learning presence through its digital campus, eTech, Arkansas Tech has a demonstrated track record of academic innovation.

Fraternities and sororities, intramural sports, NCAA intercollegiate athletics and outdoor recreation are just some of the opportunities available to students seeking the personal enrichment that comes from participation in campus life.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

The University of Arkansas offers more than 200 programs of study.

The top 10 majors last year were: 1. Engineering 2. Pre-nursing 3. Biology

Kinesiology Economics* Marketing* Psychology International business* Pre-elementary education Finance*

*Located in the Walton College of Business

You Aspire

Dreams drive each of us. Whether you want to be a pilot or a teacher, a doctor or an artist, ambitions can become a reality at Henderson State University.

We Empower

At Henderson, we empower students with the tools to excel. We offer more than 70 majors — including the state’s only four-year aviation program — and a variety of academic support resources.

You Achieve

A student-centered focus makes Henderson more than a university.

We’re a community that prepares you for a successful career and life.

Visit hsu.edu to learn how Henderson State can help transform your dreams into a lifetime of achievement.

Allen Tatum

BA, Criminal Justice Class of 2016 Warren, Arkansas

Arkadelphia, Arkansas 800-228-7333 hsu.edu

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9

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015 and man-made hazards, while at the same time preparing the community to effectively respond to those situations that do occur. The Associate of Applied Science in Emergency Administration and Management is designed to prepare an individual to work in both the public and private sectors in the fields of (but not limited to) emergency and disaster preparedness in government, private industry, emergency medicine, law enforcement, fire service, education, and public and private disaster relief organizations. Graduates of the

program will have a working knowledge of the federally mandated National Incident Management System and the nationally recognized Incident Command System, and they will be involved with disaster prevention, planning, preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery disciplines. Through cooperation with Arkansas Tech University, SEARK College graduates will be able to continue their post-secondary education by through Tech’s emergency administration and management baccalaureate program.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY

Southern Arkansas University (SAU) is committed to keeping a finger on the pulse of high-tech fields, offering degrees in areas such as computer game and animation design and engineering.

Computer game and animation design. SAU’s computer game and animation design programs, one in computer science and another in art and design, are unique to Arkansas and are incredibly popular. SAU offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art and

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design for game, animation and simulation design and a Bachelor of Science in computer science with an option in computer gaming and animation design.

The technical side of SAU’s gaming program will offer students experience in the highly competitive introductory and advanced topics of game development, such as 3-D rendering, graphics algorithms, game scripting, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction and interface design. Students will be educated to create apps for mobile devices, games for the gaming industry and animation in traditional and 3-D aspects of the entertainment industry. But the possibilities do not end there – a student will be able to learn to use technological software in this program to not only create a 3-D model, but also print their creations in 3-D. Engineering. One of SAU’s newest programs is engineering. Students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, a degree that’s in high demand among the area’s oil, defense, and manufacturing industries, which have shown strong support for the program. Students have an opportunity to take courses in chemical and mechanical engineering and work in modern science laboratory facilities while engaging in collaborative research.

THE IRON YARD

find your path

From REDUCED AND GUARANTEED TUITION to high-demand skills, National Park College provides the tools needed to achieve your potential. Our experienced faculty and staff are committed to your success in the workforce. In fact, WE GUARANTEE IT. NPC will even guarantee that the skills taught here are what four-year universities are expecting. With an education at NPC, the path to a full-time career is closer than you think. LEARN MORE AT NP.EDU.

101 College Drive • Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas 71913

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AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

The Iron Yard’s Little Rock campus is one of 15 campuses (14 in the U.S., one in London) offering a variety of software development courses designed to help people reach their learning and career goals. Courses include instruction in several areas of study: front end engineering, back end engineering, mobile engineering and data science.

From those looking to dip their toe into the world of software to those who want to dive deep and find a fulfilling job, there’s a place at The Iron Yard. The Crash Courses teach how software works through free, fun, one-night lessons. The Part-Time Courses give a solid foundation through instructor-led, 10-week night classes. The Immersive Courses help launch a new career through 12 weeks of full-time study and The Iron Yard’s comprehensive career support program.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs. Among the top programs are those offered through the

Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT), since UALR is one of only a handful of universities in the world to offer the entire “family” of civil engineering disciplines under one roof. EIT also boasts one of the top graduate programs in information quality, which is among the hottest new fields in the world. Criminal Justice is another favorite, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. options. The Department of Theatre Arts and Dance offers the state’s only bachelor’s degree program in dance performance, and the Department of Arts offers the only applied design program. Many of UALR’s students choose to pursue degrees in construction management because of the high demand for construction managers; in fact, 98 percent of UALR students in this major find good jobs before they graduate. Other popular fields include nursing, business, psychology, biology and mass communication.

finance, insurance and risk management, management, and marketing.

The program has one of the most active internship programs in the state. Students within the College of Business are some of the first recruited in the state to work at major companies.

Education. The College of Education promotes a strong emphasis on preparing educators to work effectively with low-achieving student populations to improve student learning outcomes. UCA continues

to be one of the top two producers of licensed school educators in the state. Currently, more than 5,000 UCA graduates work as educators in Arkansas K-12 schools, with the highest concentration of its graduates working in Central Arkansas or Northwest Arkansas.

Health and Behavioral Sciences.

The mission of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences is dedicated to the enhancement of the health and well-being of the public through the preparation of professionals, the

development and advancement of knowledge, and service to its constituencies. The College awards more undergraduate and graduate degrees in the health and behavioral sciences than any other four-year institution in Arkansas. UCA provides a full range of health sciences degrees and programs, including nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, nutrition, kinesiology, and communication sciences and disorders. Z

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF

One of the most popular areas of study at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) is regulatory science, which is housed within the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences. Regulatory science students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Sciences with concentrations in agriculture, environmental biology or industrial health and safety. Graduates have knowledge of the industry, environmental and technology related laws, rules and regulatory systems that ensure the health and safety of the public and the environment. Job options include agricultural inspectors, compliance officers, soil and water conservationists, and occupational health and safety inspectors.

Other popular UAPB majors include biology, business administration, criminal justice studies, industrial technology, health and physical education, computer science, early childhood education, psychology, human sciences and agriculture sciences.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) offers a wide range of majors.

Some of the most popular include those in the areas of business, education, health and behavioral sciences.

Business. The College of Business has more than 1,500 students majoring in accounting, economics,

For today’s youth, the pressure to do well in academic environments can feel overwhelming. Some may turn to illegal substances to give them a competitive edge. Rivendell is here to help teens struggling with substance abuse and their families overcome this struggle together.

Our acute care unit takes an in-depth look at coinciding emotional and behavioral

factors and educates patients and their families on the risks and potential complications of their substance abuse.

Our staff takes into account the social, educational, and medical ramifications of chemical dependence, and teaches how abusing drugs and alcohol can have longterm effects on the body and mind, and may even result in serious legal consequences.

If you are the parents of a teen struggling with substance abuse related to academic performance, we would like to offer you guidance. Please call us toll-free at 1-800-264-5640. We are here to help.

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts: Preparing the whole student for college and beyond

W

hatever the gauge for the state’s best and brightest students, whether it’s

the list of the Times’ Academic AllStars or National Merit Finalists, it seems that

the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA) is always well-represented.

It’s no wonder, considering that ASMSA, located in Hot Springs, is one of 16 public, residential high schools in the country specializing in the education of gifted and talented students who have an interest and aptitude for mathematics and science. ASMSA instructors hold master’s degrees and 27 percent have PhDs. It’s been recognized by Newsweek, the Washington Post and the Daily Beast as one of the nation’s topperforming schools.

But ASMSA isn’t all about academics. The school, where students attend their junior and senior years of high school and live on campus, prepares kids for all aspects of college life.

“ASMSA is a college bridge environment – it combines the academic rigor, research experience and opportunities to study abroad of college with the supervision, safety, support and structure of high school,” Corey Alderdice, ASMSA’s director, said. “There’s this idea of college readiness being measured by ACT score benchmarks, which predicts how good of a chance a student will have making a C or better in a college class, but there’s more to consider than academic capacity.

Can the student live independently?

Can they act autonomously and make 12

decisions as a young adult?”

Moving away from home and into the total freedom of college life can be overwhelming for someone just out of high school. The ASMA experience allows kids to experience living away from home in a low-stakes environment while receiving a top-quality education and a jumpstart on earning college credits. Through partnerships with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and National Park College, ASMA students can more than 50 hours of college credit through Advanced Placement and concurrent classes by the time they graduate.

This head start “provides students time to get the most out of their undergraduate years,” Alderdice said, explaining how ASMSA alumni have

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

Senior Taryn Imamura of Conway drives a robot that members of the schools BEST Robotics Club built from PVC pipe. The club is just one of many opportunities students have to participate in computer science-related activities. All ASMSA students must take at least one computer-programming course as part of their graduation requirements.

gone on to earn a second or third college major or take a year off to pursue a prestigious internship. Students can decide to finish a bachelor’s degree early, saving their families money that may be applied toward graduate study.

There are currently 230 students enrolled at ASMSA. An average of 60 counties are represented each year; 70 counties have been represented

by ASMSA’s student body during the last five years.

MATH AND SCIENCE PROGRAMS

Created in 1991 by an act of the Arkansas Legislature, ASMSA is nationally known for its math, science, and computer science programs.

Aside from basic biology, chemistry, algebra, and calculus, students have the opportunity to take courses such as number theory, artificial intelli-

gence and robotics, immunology, and biomedical physics. All students are required to complete a science research project and have access to advanced lab activities.

ASMSA also offers a wide range of team-taught, multi-disciplinary courses. The science department works closely with humanities instructors to offer courses that combine physics with music, art with chemistry, and photography with chemistry. There is also a course that combines physics with human physiology and one in environmental science.

ARTS AND HUMANITIES COURSES

Students from ASMSA are wellrounded and ready for practically any college major – even those that are not science or math-oriented. In addi-

Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts 200 Whittington Ave. Hot Springs 501-622-5100 or 1-800-345-2767 Asmsa.org

Alex Ladd, a senior from Pine Bluff, enjoys a conversation with friends during a meal on the patio of the Student Center. While great discussions happen in classes across campus, some of the most meaningful conversations are had at meals, during students’ down time and throughout the residential experience.

tion to its math, science and computer courses, ASMSA offers classes such as American folk music and acoustics, studies in genocide and human rights, comparative world religions, introduction to philosophy through film and literature, painting, graphic design, and documentary film-making.

ADMISSIONS AND COST

To apply for admission to ASMSA, students must fulfill the following criteria:

• •

Be residents of the state of Arkansas Be current 10th-grade students who have a minimum of 10 Carnegie units of study upon completion of the 10th grade — this must include two English, two mathematics, and two sciences

•

Submit an ACT or SAT test score with a minimum composite score of 19 on the ACT or a comparable score on the SAT. Applicants are also required to have a 19 sub score in Math, English and Reading or comparable sub scores on the SAT or COMPASS.

•

Submit the results from your Algebra I Proficiency Exam, Geometry Proficiency Exam, PLAN or PSAT if available

•

Have a minimum unweighted G.P.A. of 3.25 in core academic courses from your current school or proof of the equivalent if home schooled.

•

Submit transcripts from ninth and 10th grades

•

Submit three letters of recom-

mendation. These recommendations should come from a ninth- or 10th-grade mathematics teacher, science teacher, and English teacher.

Over the last three years, the average ACT score has been around a 25 and the average GPA has been a 3.8. ASMSA takes into consideration where a student lives and their school’s average test scores.

While it’s important to look good on paper, Alderdice said there are other factors that make a student an ideal candidate for ASMSA. “There has to be a growth mindset, a passion for learning,” he said.

“The type of student who knows they haven’t mastered everything yet and have a hunger for learning.”

He said ASMSA looks for two types of learners: the transitional and the transformational. The transitional learner has it all – they’re brilliant,

they have sky-high test scores. ASMSA helps transition these students into higher levels of learning in preparation for college.

The transformational learners are what Alderdice describes as “diamonds in the rough.”

“They’re just as smart as the transitional learners, but because of limited resources at home or at their schools or family issues, they haven’t reached the same level,” he said. “They have lots of potential, and ASMSA gives them the opportunity to make continuous progress toward success.”

In additional to do well at ASMSA, a student must have the social and emotional maturity to be able to live away from home.

While ASMSA is a public high school and has no tuition, there is a cost to attend. Residential fees are $350 per year, and concurrent credit fees through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are $250 per semesCONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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13

ATTENTION JUNIORS AND SENIORS AUGUST

2 0, 2 01 5

ARKANSAS TIMES

THE COLLE GE IS SU E

2015 E D U C A T IO

N · L IF E S T YLE

the col leg e issu e • AD VER TIS ING

SUP PLE ME

NT TO AR KA NS AS

TIM ES

CHECK OUT THE WEB VERSION OF ARKANSAS TIMES 2015 COLLEGE GUIDE AT

ARKTIMES.COM

ASMSA is your opportunity to be

You are smart, and learning excites you.

You find philosophical discussions more interesting than reality TV arguments.

You want to create the newest app, not just download it.

As a high school junior, you can join a community of peers from across Arkansas who are dreamers, thinkers and doers at

the state’s premier public high school.

Engage in courses designed to challenge bright minds. Travel to international destinations and explore other cultures.

Grow as a student while earning more than a year of college credit.

Be a researcher. Be an artist. Be a scholar.

ASMSA will help you become extraordinary.

Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts

Digital Learning • Residential Experience • Enrichment Programs

Discover who you can become at asmsa.org.

501-622-5100

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015 ter, for a total cost of $850. However, if a student qualifies for free or reduced lunch, all fees are waived.

It may seem like a hefty price tag for a high school, but it’s a bargain when you consider the number of college credits earned compared to the cost of living on campus at an in-state university, which can be as high as $30,000 per year.

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

ASMSA students are required to

live on campus during the school year are able to visit family on weekends and holidays. The dormitories are four-person suites, with two, twoperson rooms that share a common area and bathroom. All residential facilities have access to broadband Internet. There is a full-time, professional residential life staff at ASMSA that includes a nurse, a community developer and three residential mentors.

Students have the opportunity

to join a variety of clubs and activities similar to those found at traditional high schools, and a few that are unique to ASMSA. There are other planned social events such as dances and field days.

GLOBAL LEARNING PROGRAM

ASMSA’s Global Learning Program seeks to provide students with educational travel opportunities that allow the students to learn firsthand about

Education tion Educa

focusEd on your

futurE Future-focused degree programs connecting education with careers Flexible learning options Small class sizes Over-the-top student support Excellent career and graduate school placement Beautiful campus and caring people

uafs.edu • 479-788-7120 • 888-512-5466 16

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

other countries and cultures. Students are given two opportunities to travel during the year, with trips planned during spring break and during the summer. Trips planned for 2016 are a grand tour of Italy and a Spanish immersion program in Barcelona during spring break and a French immersion course in Canada in the summer.

Costs for the trips are separate from regular school fees, but there are a limited number of grants available for those who need financial aid. The grants cover airfare, lodging, and transportation at the destination; entry fees to museums and other cultural sites; and fees for tour guides, as well as breakfast and dinner daily.

OUTREACH PROGRAMS

ASMSA sponsors a number of outreach programs that help enrich younger students’ learning and allows them to explore the possibility of attending ASMSA in the future.

The Science and Engineering Institute (SEI) is ASMSA’s flagship outreach program. The institutes offer students in the sixth through 10th grades the opportunity to participate in science- and math-based classes led

by ASMSA instructors. All sessions are free and are held on the residential campus in Hot Springs on a Saturday. SEI@ program takes the SEI experience on the road with Saturday sessions scheduled at Arkansas STEM Centers based on college and university campuses around the state.

SEI@ will be held in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Conway, Magnolia and Monticello during the 2015-16 academic year.

Humanities Day is the arts and humanities counterpart to SEI, focusing on arts, storytelling and world cultures. Classes may involve learning a new language while participating in fun activities from another culture to using computer programs to develop a work of art. Taught by ASMSA faculty members, HD classes are free and are held on the residential campus in Hot Springs on a Saturday.

Summer at ASMSA is a week-long day camp where students entering the eighth, ninth and 10th grade can participate in fun sessions focusing on math, foreign language, science and art on ASMSA’s campus.

For more information about the outreach programs or to register, visit asmsa.org. Z

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

In Demand Careers ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

SEBASTIAAN TER BURG

Health care professions are in high demand at Arkansas State University, which produces more nurses than any other university in the region. Another growing health care field is occupational therapy, and A-State has added a doctorate in occupational therapy to fulfill increasing need.

In the social sciences, A-State’s Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program is nationally accredited for both traditional and online delivery, and the online MPA was ranked the No. 1 value in the nation last year.

Meeting the state’s educational systems’ needs remains another important degree sector at A-State, and the College of Education and Behavioral Science offers degrees in early childhood education, health promotion, reading and more.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY – BEEBE

Whether students need job skills in a year or less to enter the workforce or are looking to complete a bachelor’s degree or beyond, ASU-Beebe offers degree options at a very affordable price. At $96 per credit hour, ASU-Beebe offer the lowest tuition in Central Arkansas.

The university is committed to helping students identify top-notch career paths that take advantage of a student’s talents and interests. The Student Success Center is staffed with expert counselors dedicated to assisting in career development and in navigating today’s job market. The center offers a full range of resources and services to assist students in developing the necessary strategies and skills which will distinguish them as a qualified professional in a competitive job market.

For students looking to quickly enter the workforce, ASU-Searcy offers technical and occupational programs along with workforce and economic development. Most programs at ASU-Searcy lead to a certificate of proficiency or a technical certificate within the discipline; however, all technical certificates can lead to an associate’s degree for those wishing to pursue that level of education. ASU-Searcy offers specific training curriculum designed to meet the needs of area business and industry in programs such as welding, computer-

Students trained in digital media fields like graphic design, film and radio production and web design will be in high demand.

ized machining, diesel technology and air conditioning.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY MID-SOUTH

Some of the fields with the greatest career opportunity are respiratory care, aviation maintenance technology, medical assisting, machining, process technology, diesel maintenance technology, hospitality management and digital media, and ASU Mid-South has programs of study that will prepare students to enter these industries.

Digital Media. ASU Mid-South’s Associate of Applied Science Degree in Digital Media program is seeing increasing interest among students. In the program, students learn film and video production, graphic design, website design and audio production on the digital platform. Program-specific courses include film and video production, audio production, screenwriting, cinematography, producing and directing, advanced digital graphics, digital radio, intro to web page design, digital graphics for the web, and web design and methodology.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Many medical and law professionals of tomorrow are beginning their academic careers at Arkansas Tech University. With pre-professional degree programs in fields such as pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-law, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy and pre-veterinary medicine, Arkansas Tech provides many of the state’s brightest students with an ideal environment to build the foundation for a successful career.

Providing pre-professional programs such as these are part of a commitment to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education that became part of the culture at Arkansas Tech long before the issue was a national talking point.

That head start in the STEM fields has made Arkansas Tech a recognized and accredited leader in such fields as business, emergency management, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, nursing and many other disciplines that are critical to the state’s economic prosperity during the 21st century.

For those seeking to advance in the

field of K-12 education, Arkansas Tech offers online graduate programs that lead to a Master of Education degree and an Educational Specialist degree, both in educational leadership. Beginning in 2015-16, Arkansas Tech will offer a Doctor of Education degree in school leadership. It is the first doctoral degree in the history of the university.

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK

Baptist Health College Little Rock (BHCLR) offers an expanding and challenging career in surgical technology.

Surgical technologists, or scrub techs, work as part of the surgical team and anticipate the needs of the surgeon, utilize surgical equipment, and provide for the needs of the patient and surgical team. Interested students must possess strong communication skills, balanced leadership and the ability to evolve in an ever-changing environment. The School of Surgical Technology began in 1999 and has been growing ever since due to the high demand of scrub techs. BHCLR now accepts students each January and July for a

the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

17

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015 one-year program. No previous college coursework is required for this program, so students can complete the certification needed and be in the field within a short amount of time, ready for the career ahead. BHCLR School of Surgical Technology is a hospital-based, hands-on program that allows students to learn both in the classroom and in actual surgery environments.

COSSATOT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

As the world becomes more and more automated, workers with technical skills become more valuable and necessary. Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas (CCCUA) provides a host of technology-related certificate programs, including welding, automotive repair, collision repair and industrial technology.

LYON COLLEGE

Lyon College students continue to achieve levels of success seldom matched by most colleges: Almost 100 percent of pre-law students enter law school after leaving Lyon, and more than

90 of law school graduates who earned undergraduate degrees at Lyon are successful in completing their respected state bar examinations.

In health care, more than 95 percent of Lyon’s pre-medicine students are accepted to medical schools in Arkansas, the South and throughout the United States. National placements for law and medical students include Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Harvard University and other prestigious institutions. Lyon College students applying to professional programs such as pharmacy, dental school and physical therapy schools are accepted at rates far exceeding the national average.

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

National Park College is well known for its nursing and health science programs, but its criminal justice and computer information system programs are also achieving high placement rates in the Central Arkansas region. Accounting and teaching degree programs also promise a bright future for area students planning to attend college. In addition, the College has strong ties to Garland County economic development, and

technical education, and an aggressive workforce program to help place students in rewarding, well-paying positions upon graduation.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

With the adoption of electronic health records, the scope and challenges facing health information management promises to be overwhelming, resulting in a greater need for health information management professionals. The traditional method of processing and evaluating health care data will continue to evolve and transform. Continued education will be required to develop additional skills to increase efficiency.

There’s a steady demand for skilled workers who can use and understand electronic health information technology. This is why Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) developed the Health Information Management program, where students can earn an Associate of Applied Sciences degree.

Students in the HIM program will take classes on medical coding and health care statistics, as well as completing an internship.

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE

Philander Smith College (PSC) seeks to strengthen its STEM program and recently became one of 10 colleges throughout the state awarded the Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Division of Science and Technology Grant, which will expand research and workforce development training opportunities over the next five years. In addition to careers in the STEM fields, PSC is looking to bolster the number of male students entering in the field of education. There is a great demand for Black male teachers, and this is a demand/challenge to which the College is positioned to meet.

Additionally, there remains a need to produce more minority graduates who are prepared to enter fields in health care. Graduates from PSC’s health care degree programs will develop the knowledge, skills and abilities to care for patients, improve population health and address the various minority health disparities that continue to plague the nation.

PHILLIPS COMMUNITY COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

In addition to nursing, allied health professionals such as phlebotomists 18

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

and medical laboratory technicians are needed to help physicians diagnose and treat disease.

Phlebotomists. Phlebotomists are the professionals who draw blood from patients or blood donors for medical testing. They can also prepare and process blood tests. Every time a phlebotomist draws blood or sends out lab samples, they are creating that patient’s blood history, which is an essential part of a patient’s health profile. Phillips Community College University of Arkansas (PCCUA) offers a two-semester technical assistant program that prepares graduates for the national phlebotomy certification examination.

Medical laboratory technicians.

Medical laboratory technicians work in a clinical laboratory either in a physician’s office or in a hospital. They perform routine tests in all areas of the clinical laboratory setting, including blood banking, chemistry, hematology, immunology and microbiology.

Working under the supervision of a medical technologist, a medical laboratory technician performs a full range of laboratory tests for the basic clues to determine the causes or extent of diseases or to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments. PCCUA offers an Associate of Applied Science degree for medical laboratory technicians that provides an integrated program of technical courses and complementary humanities and social sciences work.

PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Skilled heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians are in high demand, and Pulaski Technical College offers an Associate of Applied Science degree program. The air conditioning and refrigeration program provides education and training in the areas of residential heating and air conditioning systems, commercial/ industrial systems and commercial refrigeration. Graduates of the program may be employed as installers, service technicians, or system designers.

Pulaski Tech offers programs that prepare students to fill much-needed positions in health care, such as nursing, dental assistant and medical technician. Information technology, welding and aerospace are other fields in need of the qualified applicants Pulaski Tech produces.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

In the heart of the capital city, come DISCOVER your

H ME SWEET H ME

at the University of ArkAnsAs At LittLe rock

DISCOVERUALR

OPEN HOUSE for future Trojans

9 a.m. • Friday, Oct. 30 Jack Stephens Center Learn more about admissions, housing, scholarships, and academic programs.

Reserve your spot now at ualr.at/discover the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

19

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015 rapid growth is a large increase in the demand for computer software. The Iron Yard is working with Innovate Arkansas, The ARK Challenge and Gravity Ventures in Arkansas to bring tech education to the already-robust ecosystem they’ve built for tech businesses.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

Students at The Iron Yard in Little Rock have the opportunity to meet and share ideas with representatives from the area’s top technology firms.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Health care is an ever-changing field, and there is a growing need for skilled workers to deliver patient care and to ensure that the services delivered are properly coded to ensure quality and accurate payment.

Nursing assistants/home care aides. With the increase of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age, there is a growing need for nursing assistants and home care aides who can provide safe, effective care to the elderly and disabled. SEARK offers comprehensive training for those wanting to enter the field. Nursing assistants/home care aides focus on safe and effective functioning when providing client care in the health care setting and/or the home environment.

Emphasis is placed upon assisting clients with daily living and performing fundamental skills. These skills include checking and recording blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate and temperature, performing bathing, hygiene and toileting, bed making, utilizing proper body mechanics, providing mobility, meal service and the proper usage of assistive devices, wheelchairs and lifters. Concepts pertaining to the psychosocial approach to care-giving are covered along with basic anatomy and physiology, medi-

cal terminology, and infection control.

Skills are taught and practiced in a hospital-type laboratory and a home/apartment laboratory setting.

Required clinical hours are spent in a long-term care facility providing hands-on care to residents.

Upon successful completion of 48 contact hours students will receive a Home Care Aide Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a Nursing Certificate of Proficiency and are eligible to take the practical and competency examinations that lead to Arkansas State Certification as a nursing assistant.

Medical coding. Starting Oct. 1, all health care professionals who receive payment from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance will be required to use the new ICD-10 coding system in order to file claims, which creates a demand for billing and coding staff who are knowledgeable about the system. SEARK offers a Medical Coding Certificate of Proficiency, and its coursework is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and skills required for basic medical coding. Students receive an in-depth introduction and practice in procedural coding using the ICD 10-CM/PCS and CPT-4 classification systems. Empha-

sis is placed on the purpose of coding, definitions of key terms, accurate application of coding principles, and an overview of the impact of prospective reimbursement on the function of coding, principles of classification systems, nomenclatures, indexes, and registers. Students develop coding competency in both hospital and physician practice settings. Upon completion students are eligible to sit for the Certified Coding Associate exam offered by the American Health Information Association.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY

Southern Arkansas University’s (SAU’s) pre-health, allied health, and nursing departments are showing growth. In addition, SAU’s biology and chemistry departments are located in SAU’s state-of-the-art Science Center and cater advising to each student’s specific goals and aspirations.

THE IRON YARD

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for software developers is projected to grow 22 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. That’s nearly a quarter million new jobs! The main reason for the

Two of the fastest growing career fields are in data analytics and STEM. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) has developed cuttingedge programs in both to prepare the students of today to be successful professionals tomorrow.

Big Data. In a given day, Google receives more than 5 million search queries and Facebook users share more than 4.75 billion pieces of content, according to Google annual search statistics. Businesses hire people who understand the complex data mining systems that collect information about consumers ranging from products they view to products they actually purchase, as well as what their social network’s interests are. UALR offers undergraduate degrees in business information systems, business analytics and information assurance sciences. In addition, UALR offers graduate certificates in data science, master’s degrees in information quality and doctoral programs in integrated computing and bioinformatics.

STEM. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the growth of civil engineers could be especially robust in the next several years as a greater emphasis is placed on improving the nation’s infrastructure. Civil engineers will be needed to design, implement, and upgrade transportation, water supply, and pollution control systems. UALR is one of only a handful of universities in the world to offer the entire “family” of civil engineering disciplines under one roof.

In addition, computer and mathematical occupations are expected to add hundreds of thousands of new jobs through 2018, more than twice as fast as the average for all occupations in the economy, according to BLS projections. Demand for computer specialists stems from the ongoing need for businesses and other organizations to adopt new technologies.

Roughly half of computer specialists will be within the computer systems design industry by 2018, according to CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

20

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

Inauguration of

RodeRick L. SmotheRS, SR., Ph.d.

F ouRteenth P ReSident

oF

P hiLandeR S mith c oLLege

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Inaugural Weekend Events AUGUST 27–30, 2015 THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 TIME

EVENT

LOCATION

•Noon – 2 p.m.

Campus Cookout and Celebration with Philander Faculty and Staff

Philander campus center

TBA

Inaugural Community Symposium (Open to the public)

TBA

2 p.m.

African-American Art Exhibit (Open to the public)

D.W. Reynolds Library (Philander campus)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 TIME

EVENT

LOCATION

A Day of Student Engagement President’s Inaugural Scholarship Gala

7 p.m.

Little Rock Marriott

(By invitation only) Cost $250 per person Sponsorship opportunities available. For more information, call (501) 370-5378 Chairs: Dr. Charles Donaldson, Trustee Emeritus Pat Lile, Board of Trustees Chairwoman Sub Chairs: C.J. Duvall, VP of Institutional Advancement

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 TIME

EVENT President’s Inauguration/Investiture

Noon

(Open to the public) Immediately Following

President’s Inaugural Reception

Investiture

LOCATION M.L. Harris Auditorium (Philander campus)

Kendall Health and Science Building (Philander campus)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 TIME

EVENT

LOCATION

3 p.m.

Ecumenical Interfaith Prayer Service Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church Speaker: Dr. Zan Holmes, Pastor Emeritus, St. Luke Community United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas Sacred Music by: Philander Smith College Gospel Choir

For more information, please contact Rosalind Hudson at 501-975-8537.

900 Daisy Gatson Bates Drive | Little Rock | 501.375.9845 | philander.edu

Jntroducing the 14th President of PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE RODERICK L. SMOTHERS, SR., Ph.D.

A new chapter in Philander Smith College’s 138-year history will officially be written August 27th–30th during the inauguration of Roderick L. Smothers, Ph.D. As part of the celebration, President Smothers will host a Scholarship Gala on Friday, August 28th at the Little Rock Marriott Hotel to raise vital funds that will help students matriculate at Philander Smith College. Sponsorship levels vary; however, all monies raised will benefit the College’s mission to graduate a new generation of leaders who will change the world for the better. Help usher in this new era by helping ensure Philander Smith College’s ability to equip graduates with the skills, resources and qualifications they need to affect change in Arkansas, our nation and around the globe.

The President Speaks

In the 1950s and 1960s, Philander Smith College was in the top 5 percent of HBCUs, with Spelman, Morehouse, Fisk, Hampton and Howard (the Black Ivy Leagues). Philander Forward is doing everything we need to do academically, culturally, and from a business standpoint, to get Philander back to that top 5 percent. The only way we can get there is by going forward.

Philander Forward, is a new way of doing business, a cultural shift, if you will. A new business model focusing on everything that is forward, everything that is good about this college. Philander Forward is not necessarily the replacement for “Think Justice,” but simply my one year administrative mantra as the new president, saying “Hey, while we come in, and as a community begin to shape Philander’s vision and long range planning process, here is what I want everybody to be energized around.” Ultimately, Philander Forward is our road map to returning Philander Smith College to the position of national prominence and international acclaim it once enjoyed.

To clear things up, social justice is who we are. We take students from the respective places in their lives, bring them into our community of education and transform them through meaningful experiences to get them ready to go out into the world and make a difference. We’re committed to that. That social justice aspect won’t change.

In order to propel Philander Forward we are going to engage in the same process that Dr. Kimbrough used to create Think Justice. Pulling together focus groups, a long-range planning process and asking alumni, faculty, and students what they think a new mantra for the college should be. If it’s Philander Forward, so be it, but the community will determine what the mantra for the college should be.

I say to the students and community, this is the type of change you can expect with having a new president. Dr. Kimbrough engaged in this process and it has served the college well for almost a decade now, but give the new administration an opportunity to put its fingerprint on the college in a positive way.

When I got here in January, I had the fortune of attending the inauguration of Governor Hutchinson and I listened attentively to his speech. I noted that one of the first things he set as a goal for his governorship was getting more Arkansans back to work and into liveable wage paying jobs.

As a president, sitting in the heart of Little Rock, a part of this urban community, I asked myself and my staff, “What can Philander do to play its part?”

We came back to our leadership table and began to strategize. What if we went to some of the key industries in Arkansas and said to them, “We have a strong educational program; we can train your potential employees to have the skills and knowledge that you need, just tell us what they are.”

We identified some partners in a number of sectors -- technology, healthcare and supply chain management -- and proposed the Workforce Innovation Strategic Economics Public Private Partnerships Initiative or WISEP3.

We went to Governor Hutchinson and said, “Philander wants to partner with the state to address the urban issue of unemployment in Arkansas and here’s how we’re going to do it.” He loved the idea.

We submitted a grant proposal to Walmart to assist in the formation of our technology lab which would serve as the center for the initiative, and they granted us $25,000.

As with everything else, this is just one way for Philander Smith College to demonstrate that it’s more than just a small United Methodist school sitting on the hill in Little Rock.

We have many strengths, but our greatest strength lies in our students and their success. They are the clay, if you will, that the Philander experience is making, shaping and molding into a product to do exactly what our mission statement says: intentionally change the world [for the better].

We train our students to be excellent in their discipline specific areas, undergirded by this notion of social justice, and send them out unafraid to tackle the tough issues.

We may graduate a math major who can go teach in a toxic school district in the Delta region of the state, but more importantly we have graduated a math major whose foundation is social justice, enabling him to do more than just teach in that school, but engage that community about the issues that affect those students who come to that school.

No other institution around here can do that. That is what we’re selling right now, that experience.

I’m a huge proponent for equal access [to education]. HBCUs play an important role in the access dilemma to higher education for minorities in America.

Research shows that if 100 African American kids graduate from high school, only 40 percent of them are going on to college. That leaves 60 percent left out. If you look at the reasons they don’t go, the number one reason is still affordability.

Second is interest and third is academic credentials.

As long as we have statistics that show a 60 percent gap, there will always be a need for HBCUs. So whether or not HBCUs are relevant isn’t really a question to me. HBCUs are important and we must have them today, tomorrow and forever.

The first quote I gave to the community of scholars here was by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia and Africa’s first democratically elected female Head of State. She said that “Sometimes in order for us to achieve the things we want to achieve in life, we have to think outside of our capacity to achieve them. Sometimes if when you’re dreaming at night, those dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.”

What you’re seeing now, the Philander S.T.A.R.T Program (our summer bridge program), our plans to offer a degree in Social Justice, the WISEP3 Initiative and the remaining things I’m going to unveil during my inaugural address are a result of a whole bunch of people dreaming big for Philander.

Philander deserves that. At 140 years old --which we will turn in 2017 -- Philander deserves to be floating on the big dreams of its people, and making a difference in a way it has never done before, realizing its mission statement in new and exciting ways.

Philander Smith College is truly Arkansas hidden treasure, folks need to know about it, and come experience it for themselves.

Roderick L. Smothers, Sr., Ph.D. President

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

Art at Philander In 2000, Philander Smith College received an art grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation which made it possible to establish the largest museum-quality collection of African American art at an academic library in Arkansas.

The 83 piece collection has increased awareness and appreciation of regional and prominent black artists. The collection has been praised for its quality and diverse medium and is frequently used by students as an educational resource and visited by tourists, local groups and individuals of all ages. The original collections value exceeds $500,000.

The collection represents the works of 39 artists including John Biggers, Hale Woodruff, Ron Adams, Romare Bearden, Lois Mailou Jones and Elizabeth Catlett. In compiling this collection, the Art Consulting services of Greg Thompson Fine Art, Inc. researched the genre of African American Art in the United States and pulled some of the top artists from around the country. Precedence was given to regional artists from the South but not limited to them. Important artists from the Harlem Renaissance are included as well as artists from the East and West coast who are doing work in non-traditional media.

The criteria for the collection was to select work by prominent artists who could be found in art history books and museums thus providing a resource and exposure to museum quality art to the student body at Philander Smith College.

The collection is displayed clockwise from the first floor throughout the second floor. Sculptures and figures are housed in glass cases on the first and second floor of the library, paintings and mixed media pieces hang from the walls and a brightly colored tapestry hangs from the ceiling above the lobby of the library.

The most recent addition to the collection is from Melissa and Kevin Katz and valued at $950,000. Their donation of 23 pieces of African art includes an assortment of sculptures, masks and ceremonial pieces amassed by the couple over 35 years in mixed media formats including bronze, metal and wood.

The art represents and depicts traditional clothing and customs from 9 countries in West and Central Africa including Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Mali.

The Katz Collection is on display in the Philander Smith College Archives on the second floor of the library. An art exhibition is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015 as a part of the slate of inaugural events during the President’s Inauguration.

Resources for the collection included the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. Michel Rosenfeld Galler, DC Moore Gallery, and the Marlborough Gallery in New York City. Hearne Fine Art in Little Rock, Arkansas. Fay Golden Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. Gallery Simon Stern in New Orleans, Louisiana. The collection of Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Walker in Little Rock and studios from artists across the United States.

Written by Kaya Herron Philander Smith College Alumni, Class of 2015 B.A. in Political Science

labor statistics. UALR has one of the most vibrant and highly regarded computer science programs in the state in the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology, where students may pursue Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in computer science as well as a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in integrated computing.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF

The world’s increasing reliance on computer systems makes computer science a growing field with computer scientists typically being sought-after and receiving high salaries. By 2018, current government projections show that more than 800,000 high-end computing jobs will be created in the economy, making it one of the fastest growing occupational fields, and five of the top 10 fastest growing jobs will be in computing-related fields. Computer software engineer jobs expected to grow 45 percent over the next five to seven years, for example.

According to the Department of Labor’s recent projections for employment trends, computer science and

technology oriented employment is expected to increase by 32 percent from 2008-2018, which means these fields are growing much faster than average for all occupations in the United States. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) offers courses of study in cybersecurity, software engineering, data engineering, bioinformatics, statistics and applied math, which are all designed to prepare students to work in computer, technology and Big Data fields.

Other in-demand fields UAPB prepares students for are medicine, research, pharmacy, dentistry, marketing, business administration, physical therapy, agricultural research, manufacturing and construction.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

In addition to being among the most popular majors, degrees in the health sciences also lead to career opportunities in the most in-demand fields. Exceptional undergraduate and graduate programs are offered through the University of Central Arkansas’s (UCA’s) College of Health and Behavioral Sciences in an environment that emphasizes leader-

ship development, cultural competence, ethical practice, lifelong learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Nursing. Degree specialization in nursing is designed to meet the evolving demands of the 21st century, including flexible degree concentrations, which allow students to customize their majors, engaging their interests and facilitating their career ambitions. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is offered for students who are not yet registered nurses (RN). Within the BSN degree program, UCA also has a track for licensed practical nurses who wish to complete the BSN, a track for RNs who do not yet have their BSN, and a track for RNs who want their BSN degree and their graduate nursing degree.

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program is offered to RNs with a BSN degree. The online Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program, in its second year, is available to nurses who currently hold a master’s degree in nursing.

Physical therapy. The Department of Physical Therapy offers a PhD in physical therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and a credentialed Residency

in Pediatric Physical Therapy Program. The UCA Department of Physical Therapy was the first physical therapy program in the state of Arkansas.

Information technology. In an effort to increase student awareness of the many kinds of information technology (IT) careers available, UCA hosted its ninth annual IT Careers Camp.

Approximately 50 high school students from across the state were selected to attend the camp this summer.

The UCA Department of Management Information Systems and Department of Computer Science partnered with Acxiom and Hewlett Packard (HP) to offer the camp at no charge to the students. During the four-day camp, attendees make connections with professionals and professors in the field of IT as well as interact with other like-minded students. The camp offers variety of educational and hands-on programs such as web design, application design for iOS devices, wearable technology, 3-D printing and robotics. The activities gave students the chance to see the different applications of technology and the variety of IT jobs that exist. Z

Six Associate Degrees Completely Online 800-844-4471

www.cccua.edu

Six Associate Degrees Completely Online

the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

25

GUIDE TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

FOUR YEAR SCHOOL

CITY

PHONE

YEARS

PUBLIC PRIVATE

ENROLLMENT SEM

PER FEMALE

PER MALE

SEM TERM

HRS SEM

TUITION SEM

HOUSING SEM

Arkansas Baptist College

Little Rock

501-370-4000

4-year

4-year Private

1119

36%

64%

Semester

12-17 hours

$3,900

$3,975 (double occupancy: 19 Meals/week)

Arkansas State University

Jonesboro

870-972-2100/800-382-3030 (in-state only)

4-year

4-year Public

13,144

59%

40%

Semester

12 hours-full time undergraduate

$2,400 (in-state)

$4,070 (room and board)

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville

479-968-0343/ 1-800-582-6953

4-year

4-year Public

12,002

56%

44%

Semester

15

$3,870.00

starting at $2,820 (includes meals)

Central Baptist College

Conway

501-329-6872/1-800-205-6872

4-year

4-year Private

858

44%

56%

Semester

15

$6,450.00

$3,750.00

Crowley’s Ridge College

Paragould

870-236-6901

4-year

4-year Private

200

51%

49%

Semester

12 or more

$4,950.00

$3,450 (includes meal plan)

Harding University

Searcy

800-477-4407

4-year

4-year Private

6,100

53%

47%

Semester

15

$8,565.00

$3,314.00

Henderson State University

Arkadelphia

870-230-5028/1-800-228-7333

4-year

4-year Public

3,600

57%

43%

Semester

12-15 hours

$2,484.00

$3,012 (including room & board)

Hendrix College

Conway

800-277-9017/ 501-450-1362

4-year

4-year Private

1,400

55%

45%

Semester

4 courses/semester

$20,435 (including fees)

$2,895 (including meals)

John Brown University

Siloam Springs

877-528-4636/ 479-524-7157

4-year

4-year Private

2,850

57%

43%

Semester

12-18 hours

$11,699.00

$4,867.00

Lyon College

Batesville

1-800-423-2542/ 870-698-4242

4-year

4-year Private

700 estimated. *census date is Sept. 1, 2015

48%

52%

Semester

12

$12,520.00

$4,055.00

Ouachita Baptist University

Arkadelphia

1-800-DIAL-OBU/ 870-245-5110

4-year

4-year Private

1,501

51%

49%

Semester

up to 18

$12,060 (including fees)

$3,570 (room and board)

Philander Smith College

Little Rock

501-370-5221

4-year

4-year Private

600

66%

34%

Semester

12-16 hours

$5,902.00

First year and sophomore student housing $2,596/Upperclass student suites $2,954/Board per semester $1,528/Room reservation fee $235

Southern Arkansas University

Magnolia

870-235-4040

4-year

4-year Public

3,500

60%

40%

Semester

15

$3,255.00

$2,794.00

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock

1-800-482-8892

4-year

4-year Public

11,645

60%

40%

Semester

12

$8,129 (15 hours)

$5,708 (including room & board)

University of Arkansas at Monticello

Monticello

870-460-1026/800-844-1826

4-year

4-year Public

3,945

60%

40%

Semester

12-15 hours

$141/credit hour

$1,510-$2,200

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff

Pine Bluff

870-575-8000

4-year

4-year Public

2,615

54%

46%

Semester

15

$2,220.00

$3,733 (20 meals)

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville

479-575-5346/1-800-377-8632

4-year

4-year Public

26,237

51%

49%

Semester

15

$4,261 (including fees)

$4,940.00

University of Central Arkansas

Conway

501-450-5000

4-year

4-year Public

11,698

61%

39%

Semester

15

$3,944.40

$2,991.00

University of Arkansas at Fort Smith

Fort Smith

1-479-788-7120/ 1-888-512-5466

4-year

4-year Public

6,823 (Fall 2014)

56%

44%

Semester

15

$150/credit hr (in-state) $410/credit hr(out of state)

$2,197-$3,628/Semester + meal plan

University of the Ozarks

Clarksville

479-979-1227/ 1-800-264-8636

4-year

4-year Private

600

52%

48%

Semester

12-17

$11,875.00

$3,550.00

Williams Baptist College

Walnut Ridge

1-800-722-4434/ 870-759-4120

4-year

4-year Private

500

53%

47%

Semester

12-17

$7,700.00

$3,500/$515 General fees

TWO YEAR SCHOOL

CITY

PHONE

YEARS

PUBLIC PRIVATE

ENROLLMENT SEM

PER FEMALE

PER MALE

SEM TERM

HRS SEM

TUITION SEM

HOUSING SEM

Arkansas Northeastern College

Blytheville

870-762-1020

2-year

2-year Public

1,400

66%

34%

Semester

15

$65/hr

N/A

Arkansas State University

Beebe

501-882-3600

2-year

2-year Public

4,300

58%

42%

Semester

12

$96/hr

Residence Halls

Arkansas State University Mid-South

West Memphis

870-733-6722/ 866-733-6722

2-year

2-year Public

1,895 (Fall 2014)

61%

39%

Semester

1-21 hours

$90/hr (in county), $110/ hr (out of county/in state), $150/hr (out of state)

N/A

Arkansas State University at Mountain Home

Mountain Home

870-508-6100

2-year

2-year Public

1,413

64%

36%

Semester

12

$87/hr

N/A

Arkansas State University at Newport

Newport

1-800-976-1676

2-year

2-year Public

2,100

60%

40%

Semester

12

$86/hr

N/A

Baptist Health College Little Rock

Little Rock

501-202-6200/800-345-3046

2-year

2-year Private

800

85%

15%

Semester

Varies by Program

Varies By Program

No Campus Housing

Black River Technical College

Pocahontas

870-248-4000

2-year

2-year Public

2,300

64%

36%

Semester

12

Fall 2014 $102/hr with fees, $83/hr without fees

N/A

College of the Ouachitas

Malvern

1-800-337-0266/ 501-337-5000

2-year

2-year Public

1,400

60%

40%

Semester

12

$1,116

N/A

Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas

De Queen

870-584-4471/ 1-800-844-4471

2-year

2-year Public

1,500

70%

30%

Semester

12

$65/hr **

N/A

East Arkansas Community College

Forrest City

870-633-4480/877-797-EACC

2-year

2-year Public

1268 Fall Semester 2014

65%

35%

Semester

12

$82 per credit hour (In-County) $92 per credit hour (Out of County) $109.05 per credit hour (Out of State)

N/A

ITT Technical Institute

Little Rock

501-565-5550

2-year

2-year, 4-year Private

Continual

N/A

N/A

Quarters

12

See website.

N/A

National Park College

Hot Springs

501-760-4222

2-year

2-year Public

3,001 Fall 2014

64%

36%

Semester

12

$88/hr $1,584 max indistrict; $98/hr $1,764 max out-district

N/A

North Arkansas College

Harrison

870-743-3000 or toll free at 1-800-679-6622

2-year

2-year Public

1,786

60%

40%

Semester

15

$1,020 (in county)

N/A

North West Arkansas Community College

Bentonville

479-636-9222/ 1-800-995-6922

2-year

2-year Public

8,000

58%

42%

Semester

15

$1125 in district ($75 per credit hr)/$1,837.50 out of district ($122.50 per credit hr)

N/A

Ozarka College

Melbourne

870-368-7371

2-year

2-year Public

1,100

70%

30%

Semester

12-15 hours

$88/hr

N/A

Phillips Community College

Helena

870-338-6474

2-year

2-year Public

2,028

67%

33%

Semester

15

$67.25

N/A

Pulaski Technical College

North Little Rock

501-812-2200

2-year

2-year Public

Spring 2015 - 8,321

64%

36%

Semester

Varies

$110/credit hr

N/A

Rich Mountain Community College

Mena

479-394-7622

2-year

2-year Public

1,000

71%

29%

Semester

15

$1,080

N/A

Shorter College

North Little Rock

501-374-6305

2-year

2-year Private

n/a

75%

25%

Semester

16-Dec

$1,800.00

N/A-non-residential

South Arkansas Community College

El Dorado

870-864-7142

2-year

2-year Public

1,694

70%

30%

Semester

15

$1,245/$1,440/$2,580

N/A

Southeast Arkansas College

Pine Bluff

870-850-8605/888-SEARKTC

2-year

2-year Public

1,700

80%

30%

Semester

12-18 hours

$84/hr

N/A

Southern Arkansas University Tech

Camden

870-574-4500

2-year

2-year Public

2,487

54%

46%

Semester

15

$108/hr in state $156/hr out of state

$1100/semester double [On-Campus]; $1300/semester double [Off-Campus]; $1850/ semester single

University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville

Batesville

870-612-2000

2-year

2-year Public

1,574

70%

30%

Semester

12

$63/hr in district $75/hr out of district

N/A

University of Arkansas Community College at Hope

Hope

870-777-5722

2-year

2-year Public

1,500

69%

31%

Semester

12

$64/credit hour

N/A

University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton

Morrilton

1-800-264-1094

2-year

2-year Public

1,995

60%

40%

Semester

12

$84.50/hr** $91.50/hr In-State

N/A

INFORMATION CURRENT AS OF AUGUST 2015. **IN COUNTY. ***OUT OF COUNTY. †IN-DISTRICT. ††OUT OF DISTRICT. †††OUT OF STATE.

26

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

TOTAL SEM COST

AIDDEADLINE

PER ON AID

SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE

REQUIRED EXAMS

APP DEADLINE FEE

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION

CREDIT EXAM ACCEPTED

COMMENT AND WEBSITE

$7,875 (Tuition + room and board)

Open

87%

None

ACT/SAT/COMPASS

None

Baptist

CLEP

Arkansas Baptist College . . . It’s a GOOD thing! www.arkansasbaptist.edu

$7,297.00

June 30th

78%

Feb. 1st

ACT/ASSET/SAT

1st day of classes/ $15-Undergraduate; $30-Graduate/Masters Specialist; $40 International Students; $50 Doctoral

None

AP/CLEP

In-state tuition available to out-of-state students residing in counties in contiguous states. There is a higher percredit-hour tuition for ASU courses in the Colleges of Business, Engineering, Nursing & Health Professions and Sciences & Mathematics. www.astate.edu

$6,690 (not including books)

Open

78%

Feb. 28th

ACT/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

See our website. www.atu.edu

$10,950.00

July 31st

90%

Dec. 10th First Priority

ACT or SAT

1st Day of Classes

Baptist Missionary Association of America

AP/CLEP

Central Baptist College, is committed to transforming lives through education that integrates Christain faith and academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment. www.cbc.edu

$9,000 for boarding students

Open

80%

Aug. 24th

ACT/ASSET

Aug. 24th

Church of Christ

CLEP/AP

www.crc.edu

$12,314.00

August 1st

95%

August 1st

ACT/SAT

Open/ $50

Church of Christ

AP/CLEP/IB

One of America’s leading character-building colleges with a distinguished academic program. www.harding.edu

with fees approx $6,403

April 15th Priority

80%

Feb. 1st Priority

ACT/SAT

None

None

AP/CLEP

Connecting academic aspirations to career opportunities. hsu.edu

$23,330.00

March 1 Priority

100%

Feb. 1st for certain scholarships, however scholarships are awarded through all application deadlines.

ACT or SAT

Early Action I - Nov. 15, Early Action II - Feb. 1

United Methodist

AP/CLEP/IB

All students engage in “Your Hendrix Odyssey” – a unique array of active, real-life learning experiences that enrich every degree program. www.hendrix.edu

$16,566.00

March 1 Priority

85%

March 1st Priority

ACT/SAT

Rolling/ $25

Interdenominational

AP/CLEP/IB

John Brown University is a private Christian university, ranked No.1 overall and Best Value among Southern regional colleges by U.S. News. JBU enrolls more than 2,800 students from 42 states and 40 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, degree completion and concurrent education programs. JBU is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and a founding member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. www.jbu.edu

$16,575.00

Rolling but priority consideration by Feb. 1st

99%

Rolling but priority consideration

by March 1st

ACT/SAT

Rolling/$25

Presbyterian

AP and International Baccalaureate

More than 90% of Lyon applicants are accepted into medical or dental school (national average: 47%). Winner of 14 Arkansas Professors of the Year Awards. www.lyon.edu

$15,630.00

June 1st

97%

Jan. 31st Priority

ACT/SAT

Open/ No Application Fee

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

AP/CLEP

Discover the Ouachita Difference. www.obu.edu

$10,459.00

March 1st

98%

Rolling Deadline

ACT/SAT

Open/$25

United Methodist

AP/CLEP/IB

Philander Forward. www.philander.edu

$6,049.00

June 1st

84%

March 1st

ACT or SAT

Open/No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

Affordable, student-centered education and the Complete College Experience. www.saumag.edu

$15,337 (est 15 hrs tuition/fees, rm/brd, books/supplies)

March 1 Priority

70%

Dec. 1st Priority, Feb. 1st Final

ACT or SAT

Freshman admission and credential deadline is one week before classes begin.

None

AP/CLEP/PEP/Regents College Exams

Apply and register on-line today! www.ualr.edu.

$8,251 including campus room and board

Rolling

83%

March 1st Priority

ACT/ASSET/SAT/COMPASS (for placement)

Rolling/No Fee - Except for international applicants

None

AP/CLEP

UAM consists of the main university campus in Monticello as well as the UAM Colleges of Technology in Crossett and McGehee. www.uamont.edu

$6,711.00

April 15th Priority

90%

March 1st/ April 1st

ACT/SAT

Open

None

CLEP

UAPB is a comprehensive 1890 Land Grant, HBCU institution and the second oldest public university in Arkansas with a diverse student population, competitive degree offerings and stellar faculty that provides liberal and professional education. www.uapb.edu

$9,201.00

March 1st

66%

Feb. 1st (Freshman) April 1st (transfers)

ACT/SAT

Aug. 1

None

AP/CLEP/IB

See our website. www.uark.edu

$6,935.40

Open

79%

Feb. 25th

ACT/SAT

None

None

AP/CLEP/IB

UCA is a comprehensive university offering students excellence in education. www.uca.edu

Varies

June 15th

96%

Varies

ACT/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP/Challenge

UAFS is a comprehensive workforce focused university teaching real world professional employment preparation via certificate programs, associate degrees, and baccalaureate education. www.uafs.edu

$15,425 (not including books or fees)

Feb. 15 Priority

99%

April 1st Priority

ACT/SAT/IB

May 1st Priority

Presbyterian

AP/CLEP

Ozarks Outdoors is one of the premier university-affiliated outdoor education and recreation programs in the state. www.ozarks.edu

$11,715.00

May 1st

97%

None

ACT/SAT

Open/No Fee

Southern Baptist

AP/CLEP

www.williamsbaptistcollege.com

TOTAL SEM COST

AID DEADLINE

PER ON AID

SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE

REQUIRED EXAMS

APP DEADLINE FEE

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION

CREDIT EXAM ACCEPTED

COMMENT AND WEBSITE

$975 plus fees

Open

82%*

April 1st Priority

ACT/COMPASS/SAT

Open

None

AP/CLEP/Prior Learning

*Note: % on aid does not include federal and alternative student loans (aid that must be repaid). www.anc.edu

$1,368 tuition/fees

Priority dates June 1/ Nov 1/Mar 31

54%

June 1st

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS

Open/ No Fee

None

CLEP

Bachelor and graduate degrees are available through Arkansas State University on the Beebe campus. For more information, view www.asub.edu.

Approx. $2,600 but varies depending on academic/ technical program (does not include transportation, personal expenses, housing).

Open. Spring 2016 priority, Oct. 30 Summer and Fall 2016 priority, May 10, 2016

Approx. 90%

Oct. 30 (Spring 2016), April 29 (Fall 2016)

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT

Open

None

AP/CLEP

ASU Mid-South is committed to economic development in the Arkansas Delta through the provision of high quality, affordable, and convenient learning opportunities and services. www.midsouthcc.edu

$1,044 plus books and fees

Priority Consideration Deadline - June 1st

81%

June 1st

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

Bachelor and graduate degrees are available in some areas through ASU-Jonesboro’s Degree Center at ASUMH. Nestled in the heart of Ozark Mountains. www.asumh.edu

$1,760 (plus books and fees)

Open

72%

April 1st

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

A great place to start! Campus locations: 7648 Victory Drive in Newport; 5504 Krueger Drive in Jonesboro; and 33500 Hwy 63 East in Marked Tree. www.asun.edu

Varies By Program

May 1 / Oct 1

90%

May 1st

ACT/SAT

Varies By Program / No Fee

Baptist

CLEP

Baptist Health College Little Rock provides nine programs of study in direct and indirect patient care in the fields of nursing and allied health. Interested students are invited to visit our campus by calling 501-202-6200 or study@bhclr. edu. Visit our website today at www.bhclr.edu!

Varies

Open

70%

April 15th

ACT/COMPASS

Open/ No Fee

None

Advance Placement

Black River Technical College - Bridging Resources, Technology, and Challenges…One Graduate at a time. www. blackrivertech.org

$1,116 plus books and fees

Open

86%

May 1st/ Dec 1st

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

As a Top Ten Community College in the Nation, College of the Ouachitas wants to help you build a future you thought possible only in your dreams. www.coto.edu

$804-$999

Fall-May 1, SpringNov. 1, Sum.-April 15

70%

April 1st

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

CCCUA has 4 on-line associate’s degrees and more than 70 internet courses available. The college also offers many technical programs, a brand new agriculture degree, occupational therapy assisting program, Aviation, Physical Health, Wellness, and Leisure degrees and rodeo team. www.cccua.edu

N/A

July 1st

75%

April 15th

ACT/COMPASS

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

EACC is an open-door institution of higher education serving the Arkansas delta since 1974. www.eacc.edu

Varies

N/A

N/A

Open

ACT/SAT/WONDERLIC

Open

None

N/A

ITT Technical Institute offers associate and bachelor degree programs in Electronics, Criminal Justice, Networking, Design and Project Management. www.ITT-Tech.edu

Varies

Open

68%

Open

ACT/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP/IB

Learning is our Focus! Student Success is our Goal! Find Your Path in beautiful Hot Springs. www.np.edu

N/A

Varies

60%

June 15th

ACT/COMPASS

Open

None

AP/CLEP

Northark offers transfer and technical degree programs, one-year technical certificates, certificates of proficiency, customized business and industry training, adult basic education (GED) classes and non-credit community education courses. In addition, Northark offers many online courses and several online associate degrees at an affordable price. www.northark.edu

$1,550 in-dist, $2,260 out-dist (tuition/fees/books)

May 1st

Approx. 55%

Feb. 25

ACT/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ $20

None

AP/CLEP/DANTE

www.nwacc.edu

Varies

Priority deadline of June 1

80%

March 1st

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

Providing life-changing experiences through education. www.ozarka.edu

$1,296.25

Call 870-338-6474

70%

Call 870-338-6474

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

www.pccua.edu

The average cost of tuition and basic fees for a full-time student taking 12 hours is $1,860 per semester.

Fall-May 15, SpringOct. 15, Sum-Mar. 15

72%

Open

ACT/COMPASS

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

For more information and a schedule of classes, visit our website at www.pulaskitech.edu.

$1080 plus fees & books

March 1st

70%

April 1st

ACT/SAT/COMPASS

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

A comprehensive college providing a variety of programs, services, and learning opportunities. Transfer, technical degrees and courses: professional workforce, personal development and adult basic education. English as a second language; student support and outreach programs; financial aid assistance. www.rmcc.edu

$2500 including books

Open

95%

Open

ACT/SAT/COMPASS

Open

African American Episcopal Church

CLEP

Serves traditional and non-traditional students offering the Associates of Arts Degree in General Studies with concentrations in General Studies, Teacher Education, and Christian Leadership. www.shortercollege.org

Varies

July 1st

60%

March 1st Priority

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

Where students come first. www.southark.edu

Varies

May 1 priority

46%

April 30th

ACT/COMPASS

Open

None

AP/CLEP

Changing lives…one student at a time! www.seark.edu

Varies

Varies

60%

1-Mar

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

CLEP

Southern Arkansas University Tech is a two-year comprehensive college emphasizing technical programs and is commited to providing quality educational programs delivered through various technologies and methodologies to meet the needs of its service areas. It accomplishes this through technical career programs, transfer curricula, continuing education, workforce education, transitional education, and administrative, student, and community services. www.sautech.edu

Varies

Open

Varies

Contact Financial Aid

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

Student Centered. Community Focused. www.uaccb.edu

Varies

April 1st

47%

April 1st

ACT/COMPASS/ASSET

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

www.uacch.edu

$1,456 Plus books

June 30 Priority

68%

Nov. 1st/ April 1st

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS

Open/ No Fee

None

AP/CLEP

UACCM - A Journey with Meaning. www.uaccm.edu

TO COMPILE THIS, FORMS WERE SENT TO EVERY QUALIFIED COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO RETURN BY A SPECIFIED DEADLINE. THOSE SCHOOLS NOT MEETING THE DEADLINE WERE REPEATED FROM LAST YEAR. EVERY ATTEMPT IS MADE TO GATHER AND VERIFY THE INFORMATION.

the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

27

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

What’s New on Campus ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

The 120,000-square foot Humanities and Social Sciences building and the indoor Student Activity Center open this fall at Arkansas State University, part of more than $150 million in campus improvements and upgrades completed in the last five years. Located at the center of campus, Humanities and Social Sciences becomes the new anchor of A-State’s academic buildings. The oldest instructional building on campus, Wilson Hall, is undergoing renovation to turn it into the home of New York Institute of Technology’s (NYIT’s) College of Osteopathic Medicine for NYIT’s second instructional site, expected to open in fall 2016. The Johnny Allison Tower highlights a dramatic expansion of Centennial Bank Stadium for the Red Wolves, opening with SEC opponent Missouri on Sept. 12.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY – BEEBE

It’s an exciting time for students of ASU-Beebe! The university has just launched its new branding with official new colors of blue and gray with red accents and a new logo. In addition, ASU-Beebe also approved the use of a spirit mascot called the Vanguard.

The mascot pays tribute to the first newspaper publication on campus, which started publishing around 1951.

A vanguard is a group of people leading the way to new developments or ideas and has a special meaning for ASU-Beebe students, faculty and staff in “leading the charge” in education.

The creation of a spirit character or symbol for the Vanguard mascot is in the development phase and should be unveiled in late 2015.

ASU-Beebe offers unique programs, including the only Agricultural Equipment Technology (John Deere) program, pharmacy technician and veterinary technology programs in the state.

The John Deere Agriculture Technology program recently completed an $850,000 expansion, which included a 5,270 square-foot main shop building with lab space, six equipment bays and a 3,920 square-foot storage building.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY MID-SOUTH 28

Arkansas State University MidSouth recently dedicated the Jeremy Jacobs Hospitality Management Center. The $2.2 million facility is located between ASU Mid-South’s Workforce Technology Center and the Eastern Arkansas Workforce Investment Board One-Stop Workforce Center on the North Campus.

The Jeremy Jacobs Hospitality Management Center features classrooms, a thermal bottling laboratory, bakery and food service preparation rooms, a computer laboratory, receiving/multipurpose area, and freezer and dry storage areas.

Funding and support for the Center came from a variety of sources, including Southland Park Gaming and Racing, The Assisi Foundation, the Delta Regional Authority, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and ASU Mid-South.

“This won’t be the largest facility of its kind, but it’s going to be one of the best,” ASU Mid-South president Dr. Glen Fenter said. “The building and cutting-edge equipment puts us in a position to give our students access to a world-class set of skills while giving area entrepreneurs a place to hone their hospitality and business skills.”

The facility is named in honor of Jeremy M. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Delaware North, the parent company of Southland. Southland and Delaware North are making a $1 million investment in MSCC’s hospitality program over a 10-year period.

In addition to housing MSCC’s Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees and related certificate hospitality/food safety/culinary arts programs, the facility will provide space for “Delta Cuisine: A Southern Kitchen Incubator.”

The Delta Cuisine project is the result of the combined efforts of the Arkansas Delta Rural Heritage Development Initiative, the City of West Memphis, the Delta Regional Authority, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, State Senator Keith Ingram, and ASU Mid-South. Delta Cuisine is a nonprofit West Memphis organization centered on a kitchen incubator that addresses both the competitive and productive workforce and sustainable communities’ goals for the region. The incubator assists the cre-

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

ation of businesses involving products and services in the food industry. The ASU Mid-South/Delta Cuisine partnership will train entrepreneurs in the fields of food science, safety and nutrition, as well as small business development and expansion, including marketing and accounting.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Construction is ongoing for a new $16 million academic, student support and administrative facility on the main campus of Arkansas Tech University.

Scheduled to open in late 2015, the new 66,900 square-foot facility is expected to house the following operating areas: admissions on the first floor; financial aid, student accounts and the student identification card office on the second floor; registrar, Upward Bound and Student Support Services --- a pair of federally-funded programs that provide students that have identified barriers to higher education with resources to achieve their academic objectives --- on the third floor; and payroll, budget and human resources on the fourth floor.

There will be classrooms and conference rooms on all four floors of the facility.

Other recent facility improvements on campus included construction of a new stadium at Tech Field, home of Wonder Boys baseball; renovations to Chambers Cafeteria, which has seating for more than 900 students; construction of M Street Residence Hall, which opened in fall 2013 and is home to 290 Tech students per semester; and Baswell Techionery, a student union that opened in 2011 with a variety of quick-service dining options.

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK

In 1921, Baptist Health graduated its first class of five nurses. Now more than 800 students are enrolled at the school, which offers multiple fields of study. Along with the expansion of its student body and academic offerings, the school has been transitioning from a diploma-granting institute to a degree-conferring college over the last few years. The transition was complete when Baptist Health Schools Little Rock officially became Baptist Health College Little Rock in July.

Initially, degrees will be offered in the

Arkansas Tech University students enjoy the quick-service dining options available at Baswell Techionery, which opened in 2011.

school of nursing to about 600 students.

Those graduating will now receive an associate degree instead of a diploma.

“Our associate degree graduate should exit as prepared for the profession as the diploma graduate but now much further along in his or her pursuit of a bachelor’s degree,” said Judy Pile, the school’s chancellor and assistant vice president of education at Baptist Health.

Students can choose from nine programs of study, including practical nursing and registered nursing and the allied health fields of histotechnology, medical laboratory science, nuclear medicine technology, radiography, occupational therapy assistant, sleep technology and surgical technology.

Currently, many of the allied health fields only require a certificate upon completion, but the accrediting bodies for both histotechnology and surgical technology have announced that by 2020, students will need to have an associate degree upon graduation.

“We’re seeing the trend to move away from certificates and diplomas to degrees in all fields,” Pile said.

COLLEGE OF THE OUACHITAS

The establishment of a new center, College of the Ouachitas at Sheridan,

upperclassmen only. The university also purchased the Whispering Oaks apartment complex and renamed it Ridge Pointe Apartments. Several improvements are also occurring with athletic facilities.

Henderson’s Hot Springs education center opened in spring 2015 and features a computer lab, seminar rooms, classrooms and faculty offices.

PHILLIPS COMMUNITY COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

•

PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE

• •

COSSATOT COMMUNITY COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Cossatot Community College University of Arkansas’s (CCCUA’s) new textbook program is unlike any other in the state. Many of CCCUA’s classes are now using Open Educational Resources, which free for CCCUA students. In the few classes that a textbook is required, students are allowed to rent the book for $30. This program is estimated to save students almost $1,000 a year during two semesters.

It’s another way CCCUA strives to provide a cost-effective, quality education for its students.

EAST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

East Arkansas Community College’s (EACC’s) new North Façade is currently under construction. When completed, the new façade will provide EACC students, staff, and visitors with improved access, visibility, and weather protection for the buildings at the north end of campus.

Additionally, the EACC Fine Arts Center recently announced its 2015-16 Performance Season of Events. This year’s season includes Larry the Cable Guy, The Four Tops, “A Christmas Carol,” Million Dollar Quartet, the Oak Ridge Boys, and “Ragtime the Musical.” Family Series shows include “Frosty” and “Peter Rabbit.” The Fine Arts Center is located on the college campus just off of I-40 in Forrest City.

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

A new residence hall and apartment complex are nearing completion and are expected to open this fall.

University Place, the residence hall, will house both freshmen and upperclassmen. It will accommodate 300 students, offering suite-style rooms with semi-private restrooms. Reddie Villa Apartments is a 240-bed on-campus apartment complex designed for

Philander Smith College recently opened a new Campus Center which is the hub of student life and engagement. The 16,000 square-foot facility offers an array of state-of-the-art amenities, including a dining hall, conference center, bistro and student lounge.

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

National Park College (NPC) has many new initiatives to benefit its students and community. The first is a new tuition guarantee, which is a plan to help students and their families prepare for education costs. Beginning this fall, students will get a fixed tuition rate for their degree or certificate completion as long as they meet the following criteria:

located at 1409 S. Rock (across from Sheridan Walmart) will allow the College to better serve the residents of Grant County. The College’s Grant County Adult Education program has also moved to the new location and continues to offer the same exceptional service to the students and the community.

New programs recently added include CDL Training (reinstituted and improved) with the state’s first truck driving simulator, additive manufacturing/3-D printing, industrial robotics, and CNC machining and fabrication.

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE

•

Students must be working toward a degree or certificate.

Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA Students must complete a minimum of six semester credit hours each fall and spring Students must be enrolled continuously, fall/spring/fall/ spring

The Physical Education and Recreation Department of NPC’s Health Science Division has a new Wellness Center that serves students, staff and faculty. The center offers classes such as yoga, cardio circuit, Pilates, weight training, Zumba, R.I.P.P.E.D., total barre, and now paddle boarding in the summer semester. All of the classes are offered by certified fitness professionals and are extremely challenging to help participants achieve positive results for a healthy lifestyle. As NPC’s mission statement says: learning is our focus; student success is our goal – these words ring true in every area on the campus, and NPC is proud to incorporate these values in the new Wellness Center’s activities.

OZARKA COLLEGE

Ozarka College opened its new Student Services Center on the Melbourne campus in January 2015. The center houses student services, two community meeting rooms, a café, computer lab and video conferencing center. The College also started a new private pilot aviation program.

Phillips Community College University of Arkansas (PCCUA) now has a mandatory student orientation program for all students enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours at the beginning of the fall semester. The orientation acquaints new and returning students with all the programs and services PCCUA offers.

The Center for Humanities and Arts building on the Pulaski Technical College’s main campus is nearing completion and will open for classes in the 2016 semester. The new facility will include 17 classrooms, 44 faculty offices and additional part-time faculty office space, reception areas, jazz and choir rehearsal space, writing and open computer labs, a 500seat theater, costume and set shops, a black box theater, art studio space, and gallery areas. The building will offer complete accessibility for persons with disabilities.

The center’s 500-seat theater will provide the perfect venue for student theatrical productions, concerts, lectures and other cultural events. Stateof-the-art technology in the theater can support webinars, video conferences and professional development through distance training. In addition, the new theater will be the only location on campus where all college personnel can gather for professional meetings and training. With the current renovation of Little Rock’s Robinson Center well underway, theater space is at a premium in Central Arkansas, making it even more important that Pulaski Tech will be able to provide an alternative professional stage for community performances and exhibitions.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY

Southern Arkansas University (SAU) is launching Arkansas’s most CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

ASMSA is your opportunity to be

As a high school junior, you can attend one of the nation’s top public schools right here in Arkansas.

10 in its “America’s Top High Schools” rankings.

The Washington Post named ASMSA to its 2015 “Public Elites” list, which recognizes 25 of the highest-performing high schools in the nation.

With more than 60 courses available in which to earn college credit, opportunities to conduct scientific research and the chance to study abroad, ASMSA offers experiences you can’t find at any other high school in Arkansas.

In 2013, Newsweek ranked ASMSA as No. 13 in the nation on its “America’s Best High Schools” list. The Daily Beast in 2014 placed ASMSA No.

Be a researcher. Be an artist. Be a scholar. Visit ASMSA in person or online to learn how you can become extraordinary.

Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts

Digital Learning • Residential Experience • Enrichment Programs

Discover who you can become at asmsa.org.

501-622-5100 30

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#ASMSA

EDUCATION THAT WORKS. You can earn an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree and transfer to a four-year college.

Or pursue a Technical Certificate or Certificate of Proficiency in your future career field. PTC offers day, evening, and online classes.

www.pulaskitech.edu

3000 West Scenic Drive • North Little Rock, AR 72118 • (501) 812-2200 the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015 affordable Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre program this fall, and there is an exciting lineup of plays and musicals planned.

Another new aspect to campus life at SAU is Making Magnolia Blossom (MMB), a community organization established last year. The organization’s mission is to create sustainable growth in the community of Magnolia, beginning with revitalization projects along the city’s downtown corridor.

Hundreds of students are involved in MMB and are helping to begin to

transform the community.

THE IRON YARD

The Iron Yard’s Little Rock campus hosts technology events and meetups that allow students to interact with the community in addition to simply offering classroom and lab space. As part of its non-traditional course format, The Iron Yard hosts special events for students and invites local software developers to guest lecture. Students also often go off-campus to meet with local technology companies and engage in

hands-on learning. These shared experiences create strong bonds for all of The Iron Yard students and create relationships between The Iron Yard and the local technology industry.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Two academic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places – Ozark Hall and Vol Walker Hall – were recently renovated with additions, one to create a home for the University of Arkansas’s nationally prominent Honors College and a second to provide facilities for the top-ranked School of Architecture.

The newest academic department on campus, biomedical engineering, also received a new home with renovations to the John A. White Jr. Engineering Hall. Renovations are also nearly complete on another historic building – the 1937 Field House – as it becomes the 600-seat Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center. Champions Hall, a four-story, 62,000-square-foot facility, the university’s first new classroom building since 2007, will open this fall.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS – FORT SMITH

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith opened the doors to its new $15 million, 58,000 square-foot Windgate Art and Design building at the beginning of the fall 2015 semester. The three-story building is home to gallery space, a letterpress and printmaking operation, and a 150-seat film theater, as well as areas for graphic design, photography, painting, art history, and sculpture classes. UAFS plans to open a new Campus Wellness and Recreation Center in fall 2016.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

With a target date to open in fall 2017, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s (UALR’s) newest building will be among the finest higher education facilities in the country for visual arts education. Funded by a $20.3 million grant award from the Windgate Foundation, the second largest gift in UALR’s history, the new structure will serve about 1,000 students each year who are enrolled in visual arts classes. The new building will integrate UALR’s applied design, art history, and studio arts classes into 32

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

UCA student Jacob McKinney climbs the poolside climbing wall in the HPER Center.

a facility that promotes collaboration and creativity between students, faculty, and guests under one roof. Drawing, painting, printmaking, art history, and 2-D design and illustration classrooms will be located on the north side of the building to make use of the large expanse of glass along 28th Street. The building will be designed to achieve a LEED Silver rating with the USGBC LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art/ Applied Design track, a unique program in Arkansas, primarily serves students interested in the study of traditional arts and crafts representative of the South Central region of the U. S., with particular emphasis upon craft practices within Arkansas.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF

The newest physical addition to the campus is the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Academy and Conference Center.

The 29,000 square-foot building used green concepts during its construction and includes a wet lab, computer labs, class/seminar rooms, student resource center, conference rooms and auditorium for large assemblies.

The newest academic program on campus is the pre-licensure (generic) Bachelors of Science in Nursing program. Students who are admitted to the pre-licensure program and successfully complete all required coursework and program requirements will be eligible to apply to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEXRN). Students who pass the NCLEXRN will be licensed to practice as a registered nurse.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Nearly a century after its first fraternity was founded, the first phase of Greek Village opened on the University of Central Arkansas’s (UCA’s) campus this fall. Greek Village is the newest addition to the university’s living/learning communities, which – like the Jefferson D. Farris Jr. Honors Hall for the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College – connect residence life with academic programs, extracurricular activities and programs for character and leadership development. The first phase includes five new two-story sorority houses on the

north side of campus, housing more than 160 students.

Greek Village is an idea that has been 10 years in the making. With red brick Colonial Georgian architecture consistent with the rest of campus, the new location will create an attractive gateway to the northeast corner of campus.

The second phase of the Greek Village will include construction of fraternity houses for larger groups, as well as chapter meeting rooms for smaller fraternities with the completion of the Greek community center.

The newly expanded Health Physical Education and Recreation Center (HPER) opened on campus last year. In addition to the three pre-existing, refinished, full-sized basketball courts, the expansion and renovation includes an approximate 10,000 square-foot weight room, an approximate 5,000 square-foot cardio room, and three group exercise studios including one dedicated to spinning classes. Windows have been placed around the pre-existing Mondo X indoor track to allow exercisers to look out to the nature reserve. They also provide an open feel that coincides with the architectural style of the new portion of the HPER. Also added to the HPER is the natatorium, featuring a six-lane, 25-yard lap pool. Other additions include lounge areas, recreational game space, three racquetball courts, and an outdoor recreation center, where the campus community can check out kayaks, canoes and camping equipment, and even get basic bicycle services and repairs done.

Last December, Conway Corporation, operator of Conway’s city-owned utility system, pledged $3 million to UCA for the construction and renovation of the Lewis Science Center on campus. The Lewis Science Center expansion, a key initiative of the University’s Framework for the Future, includes a 50,000 square-foot addition for teaching and laboratory space to accommodate current and future teaching methods, ensuring that UCA remains competitive for top students.

Also included in the design are features allowing for significant improvements in equipment efficiency and energy utilization with LEED certification. The groundbreaking for the Lewis Science Center expansion was held in May, along with one for Donaghey Hall, a 67,500 square-foot, four-story, mixeduse building. The first floor will consist of approximately 15,000 square feet of commercial space. The upper floors will be residence hall space for sophomore- and junior-level students.

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

THOMAS LEUTHARD

Two-Year and Community College Update

Students at the state’s community colleges have the option to earn technical certifications, associate’s degrees or credits that can be transferred to four-year colleges.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY - BEEBE

With the lowest tuition in Central Arkansas, ASU-Beebe is a an affordable option for students seeking a degree, looking to earn credits for transfer to other institutions of higher learning or looking to immediately enter the workforce. An open admission policy encourages the enrollment of both traditional and non-traditional students.

As the only community college in Arkansas with traditional residence halls, ASU-Beebe is a true college experience both academically and socially. Recognizing the uniqueness of each student, the college provides programs designed to assist students in determining and achieving their educational, personal and occupational goals. Additionally, ASU-Beebe contributes to the economic development of Arkansas by providing comprehensive training and technical support for business and industry. The Online College offers students an opportunity to earn a variety of distance learning degrees, some completely online while others are a combination of online, Internetassisted, and/or traditional classes.

The Beebe campus also collaborates with Arkansas State, a four-year university in Jonesboro, to offer baccalaureate and graduate degrees on the Beebe campus.

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ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY MID-SOUTH

In July, Mid-South Community College officially became Arkansas State University Mid-South and the newest member of the ASU System. Dr. Debra West, who replaced outgoing president Glen Fenter, was named chancellor of ASU Mid-South and took office Aug. 1.

ASU Mid-South serves almost 2,000 students in Crittenden County and surrounding areas in the Delta. Originally established as a vocation-technical school, Mid- South became a comprehensive community college in 1992.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY – OZARK CAMPUS

Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus will soon be home to a new multimillion dollar facility for its allied health programs. The 20,273 square-foot building will house five of the campus’ allied health programs --- paramedic, health information technology, physical therapist assistant, practical nursing and registered nursing.

The multipurpose facility will also feature offices for faculty and support staff, a fitness center, student lounge areas and a testing center. The building will have three computer labs.

The groundbreaking took place in October 2014, and the anticipated completion date is November 2015.

The building is scheduled to be open

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

for spring 2016 classes.

Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus offers health care coursework in health information technology, physical therapist assistant, cardiovascular technology, occupational therapy assistant, medical assisting, nursing assistant, practical nursing, registered nursing, emergency medical technician, paramedic and human services.

In all, Arkansas Tech-Ozark has 13 associate degree programs and 15 technical certificate programs for its students.

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK

Baptist Health College Little Rock welcomed its first Associate of Applied Science degree-seeking students in the School of Nursing in July. The first graduating class is expected to matriculate in fall 2018.

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

National Park College (NPC) is strengthening an already robust linkage with four-year partners through a new initiative branded National Park University. Students currently enjoy a strong pathway to degrees in nursing through NPC’s partnership with Henderson State University. Students can complete a two-year registered nursing degree and receive their licensure from NPC, then complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Henderson without leaving the community.

NPC continues to promote its Asso-

ciate of Science in Pre-Engineering degree as part of the state’s science, technology, engineering and math initiative. The degree leads to seamless transfer to the University of Arkansas and Arkansas Tech University for baccalaureate study. NPC will pursue similar pathways in additional disciplines with four-year partners in the state, region, and beyond. By bringing these opportunities to Hot Springs, NPC is laying the groundwork to retain the best and brightest students in Garland County.

New and expanded course offerings at NPC include redesigned degrees in applied technology and hospitality and tourism and a technical certificate in aerospace manufacturing and repair that will soon be available.

A new technical certificate in industrial technology will train graduates in basic manufacturing, industrial maintenance, and other technical skills.

In addition, NPC is connecting to the local workforce by integrating information technology, coding, and programming degrees with a Center of Excellence in Information Technology. This will add courses in gaming, application development, and strong linkages with both the workforce and, eventually, four-year degrees.

PHILLIPS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Phillips Community College, the

first community college in Arkansas is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Founded in 1965 with an original enrollment of 250 students, PCCUA now provides classes to almost 2,000 students in academic, occupational/ technical, and continuing education programs. PCCUA is part of the Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS), which guarantees students transfer of applicable credits to other Arkansas colleges and universities. ACTS allows PCCUA students to save money, stay at home and get the same quality education for half the cost.

THE IRON YARD

The Iron Yard has assembled a strong list of advisory board members

to keep it on the pulse of the tech community in Little Rock and connect with employers and partner organizations.

Advisory board members include: • • • • • • • •

Innovate Arkansas Winrock International Few Young Coders Academy/Amitech Solutions Southwest Power Pool iDestini Studio Acxiom Privacy Star

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

The University of Arkansas at Little

Rock (UALR) partners with community and two-year colleges around the state to provide a seamless transfer option for those who choose to pursue a four-year degree. In some cases, students may even enroll at UALR to begin coursework on their bachelor’s degrees closer to home. One example is a partnership with the University of Arkansas Community College Texarkana, where classes for bachelor’s degrees will be taught on the Texarkana campus by UALR faculty. This two-plus-two partnership will allow a student to start a degree at the system community college and then transfer to the university while remaining in Texarkana. UALR will offer the following degree programs in Texar-

kana this fall: Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Professional Studies, Bachelor of Business Administration in General Business and Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff partners with Southeast Arkansas (SEARK) College, which allows SEARK students and provides ease in transferring to UAPB along with scholarships. SEARK students also enjoy the same discounts to university functions hosted on UAPB’s campus, such as free football/basketball game admission and access to special events.

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

I knew Arkansas Tech had an impressive history, but I didn’t know my professors would look out for my future.

Elijah Moreno, a senior and Psychology/Criminal Justice major, at the Tech Library

For more than 100 years, Arkansas Tech has been a leader in higher education in the state. Today, we offer all five of the most sought-after degrees, and we’ve added more than 50 new programs of study in the past two decades. Best of all, we have the second-highest graduation rate in the state among public universities. We’re committed to providing the highest quality education and the best overall experience for our students.

Take a tour of the campus and discover what you don’t know about Tech.

Get started at discover.atu.edu.

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

A family first

B

eing the first person in the family to attend and graduate college presents its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. Students share their experiences and advice to others who will be the first in their families to go to college.

Kardashia Howell, 21 School: Henderson State University Major: Human services Expected graduation: 2016 Hometown: Waldo When asked how she feels about being the first in her family to attend college, she describes it as “an excitement that never ends.”

Growing up in a small town, Howell said there weren’t very many people in the community with college degrees, so she’s proud of being a role model not only to younger members of her family, but the rest of the community as well.

“High school students will text me to ask questions about how to get into school,” she said.

Howell hopes to become a licensed social worker or work in family and marriage counseling after graduation. Ultimately she wants to give back to her community by helping children and young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds to break the cycle of poverty and find better opportunities, she said.

Howell urges first-generation college students to pursue their educations with a sense of higher purpose and a desire to give back the community.

“If you take the attitude of going to college just to make money, you won’t enjoy [the experience],” she said.

Stephanie Quick, 25 School: Arkansas State University – Beebe Degree: Bachelor of Science in Education, 2012 Hometown: El Paso, Ark. For Stephanie Quick, being the first person in the family to go to college means having the ability to create a better life for her family, and when her children are ready

for college, she’ll be able to guide them through the process.

She said that while her family was supportive of her education, they “didn’t know how to help me” when it came to things like applying for financial aid. Fortunately, she joined Upward Bound, a federal outreach program for college students from low-income families who are firstgeneration college students, at ASU-Beebe.

The program helped her navigate the process of registration and meeting with advisors who could select the right classes and succeed in school. Quick is now the academic coordinator for Upward Bound at the ASU-Heber Springs campus.

Quick offers this advice to students who face similar challenges: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. A lot of people are probably asking the same questions.

And if you don’t understand something, speak up.”

Josh Zamorano, 23 School: Henderson State University Major: Biology with a minor in chemistry Expected graduation: December 2015 Hometown: Glenwood Josh Zamorano’s upcoming graduation from college will mark an important milestone for his family. His parents are immigrants from Mexico who encouraged their three sons to pursue an education in whatever field they desired. As the oldest, Zamorano will be the first in the family to graduate; his middle brother is an EMT and the youngest is studying psychology at Arkansas Tech. After graduation, Zamorano plans to work at Arkansas Nuclear One. Like many students who don’t have family members who have attended college, Zamorano said his greatest difficulty in school was being unprepared for how different college is from high school.

“I didn’t know how much harder the classes would be in college,” he said. By taking advantage of Henderson State’s student support services, he was able to access the resources he needed, such as tutoring, counseling and assistance with textbooks and computers.

His advice? No matter how hard the first year may be, it’s important to keep going and to create a support system.

“Surround yourself with people who are good influences,” he said.

WALTON COLLEGE At the Sam M. Walton College of Business, We’ve made a name for ourselves!

87.5% of job-seeking undergraduate students had jobs earning an average salary of Nearly $50,000 upon graduation in 2015.

Join the Razorback family and make a name for yourself too!

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

Financial Aid

T

uition, room and board fees, the cost of books – the expenses add up quickly, and how much it costs to attend a

certain school can have as much influence on

your decision to go as your choice of major.

Fortunately there are several ways to help you pay for college, although the process involves

apply for Distinguished Scholars, Second Century Scholars or Collegiate Scholars scholarships is Feb. 28 of the current award year. June 1 is the deadline to apply for transfer scholarships for the fall term, and Dec. 15 is the deadline to apply for transfer scholarships for the spring term. Incoming freshmen who wish to apply for the University Honors program must do so by Dec. 1 of their senior year in high school.

Phillips Community College

University of Arkansas (PCCUA).

Three types of academic scholarships are awarded: Chancellor Scholarships, Academic Excellence Scholarships and Technical Achievement Awards.

A PCCUA scholarship available only to Phillips County and Arkansas County high school graduates is the Great River Promise Scholarship, an innovative educational initiative that provides gap scholarship funding that covers all tuition and mandatory fees. To qualify, students

its own set of applications. But with a little perseverance and a lot of research, you should be able to fund your education through grants, scholarships or loans.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

The first type of financial aid you should explore are scholarships and grants, which are financial aid sources that don’t require you to repay the money you receive. Scholarships and grants can come from a variety of sources, including your selected school, nonprofit organizations and the state. Most are awarded to applicants who meet certain criteria, such as good grades or membership in an organization. Other grants and scholarships are awarded according to an applicant’s financial need.

Examples of available scholarships or organizations that provide scholarships are below.

Arkansas Academic Challenge Program. Provides educational assistance to Arkansas residents in pursuit of a higher education. For information on requirements and to apply, visit the Arkansas Department of Higher Education’s website, www. adhe.edu.

Arkansas Community Foundation. Applicants can browse available scholarships by interest area, level of study or where they went to high school by visiting www.arcf.org and clicking on the Students tab.

Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Provides scholarships to qualifying low-income single parents pursuing college or tech-

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nical education in preparation for skilled employment. Scholarships are awarded through affiliate organizations located in each county. To find your county organization, visit www.aspsf.org.

FEDERAL STUDENT AID

Federal Student Aid, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation, providing more than $150 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to more than 13 million students paying for college or career school.

Students should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is used to determine if you qualify for federal aid. Your college or technical school can also use the information you provide on the FAFSA to determine if you are eligible for school-based aid. Visit fafsa.ed.gov to find out more.

SCHOOL-BASED AID

Most colleges and technical schools have their own scholarship programs and accept federal financial aid. Below are some examples of school-based aid programs.

Arkansas Tech University. All freshman academic scholarships at Arkansas Tech University are awarded on a competitive basis. The deadline for incoming freshmen to

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

With a little research and persistence, high school students can find numerous ways to fund their college education.

must attend four years at an Arkansas County or Phillips County high school, graduate with a high school diploma, achieve attendance requirements for high school, have no drug or DUI offenses, and exhaust all other scholarship and financial aid programs first. Applicants must also enroll in the fall semester following high school graduation, be accepted as a PCCUA student, and complete a PCCUA scholarship application.

National Park College. The College is committed to providing access to higher education programs to all students who qualify. Federal aid in the form of grants, loans and work-

study are all available at NPC along with a wide variety of scholarship assistance through the NPC Foundation.

One of the fastest growing segments of NPC’s student population is veterans, which NPC proudly supports with a recently developed Veteran’s Center within the Financial Aid Office. Veterans are provided free coffee and snacks, a computer and Internet lounge, and support in all related applications for VA benefits, federal and state aid, scholarships, and any rehabilitation services that might be needed.

S U C C E SS STARTS HERE

www.asumidsouth.edu

• Personalized Instruction • Qualified Caring Facility • One Of The Lowest Tuition Rates In The State • Core Classes Transfer To other Arkansas Public Universities

Visit

• Admissions Assistance, Financial Aid & Career Counseling Available

www.eacc.edu for more information.

1-877-797-EACC

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

Location, Location, Location Discover what these college towns have to offer

C

ollege life isn’t just about what happens

in the classroom or on campus – the cities and towns where these schools are located offer opportunities to enjoy great

BEEBE

Arkansas State University – Beebe

the state that are home to higher education.

Located approximately 30 miles north of the metropolitan Little Rock area, Beebe is a small hometown with easy access to Central Arkansas dining, shopping, museums, recreation and other attractions. ASU-Beebe offers students many opportunities for artistic and cultural experiences through venues such as the Centennial Bank Concert-Lecture Series, theater productions, music performances and art gallery.

ARKADELPHIA

PINE BLUFF

restaurants, lively festivals, amazing scenery or a variety of art and performances. We’ve got the inside information on a few of the towns around

Henderson State University

Arkadelphia is just eight miles from DeGray Lake, a 13,800-acre lake that offers swimming, fishing, water sports, golfing, camping facilities, wildlife and spectacular views. The 40

town has many dining options that welcome college students. It’s also a transportation hub, with an Amtrak stop and a small regional airport operated by Henderson State through its aviation program. Arkadelphia is only 30 minutes from Hot Springs.

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Southeastern Arkansas Community College

Pine Bluff is home to Bayou Bartholomew, the largest bayou in the world. The city is also known for its

hunting, fishing, and golfing, and is home to the first nature center in the state. Annual festivals such as the Land of Lights and Legends, Black Pilots Association, and Smoke on the Water bring visitors from all over the country.

CONWAY

University of Central Arkansas

Conway is home to a number of individuals and organizations committed to fostering a vibrant arts community. Together, they provide a plethora of free and ticketed events throughout the year. With art galleries, a symphony, and events ranging from live theater and music performances to yoga and painting classes, Conway offers unique activities for every unique individual.

Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre (AST), the state’s only professional

Students at the University of Arkansas can enjoy the beautiful displays of color that are the hallmark of fall in the Ozarks.

Foundation and has been featured in The New York Times.

ArtsFest is sponsored by Conway Alliance for the Arts and takes place over a 10-day span in September and October of each year. The event includes a number of activities geared toward art lovers of all ages, including performances by the Conway Symphony Orchestra and other musical groups, interactive exhibits, a film festival, literary readings, and book signings.

EcoFest is a highly interactive and educational community event designed to explore ways to experience and enjoy nature while learning how to practice good stewardship of the environment. Activities include the Conway Cardboard Car Derby, a kite show, a butterfly release, geocaching, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment and interactive exhibits set up by local organizations.

Reynolds Performance Hall, a 1,200-seat, state-of-the-art theatre, develops and presents performing arts programming to the entire Central Arkansas community through UCA Public Appearances, a division of UCA’s College of Fine Arts and Communication. Performances for the 2015-2016 season include “Wynonna & the Big Noise,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Bill Nye, “An Evening with Sinbad,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Saturday Night Fever.”

Toad Suck Daze, the largest freeadmission family festival in the state and one of the most anticipated events in Conway, starts the first weekend in May for three days and attracts more than 160,000 people to downtown Conway.

PROVIDING LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCES THROUGH EDUCATION

Ozarka College is a comprehensive technical/community college, with locations in Fulton, Izard, Sharp and Stone counties. The college offers 32 associate degrees, technical certificates and certificates of proficiency, as well as workforce training, continuing education and adult basic education.

1-800-821-4335 www.ozarka.edu Campus Locations Melbourne, Ash Flat, Mammoth Spring and Mountain View

FAYETTEVILLE

University of Arkansas

Shakespeare company, brings to Conway professional performers from around the country and provides opportunities for local performers as well. AST produces a selection of the Bard’s plays, along with other productions, during its annual summer festival. The company operates under the aegis of the University of Central Arkansas

Fayetteville is consistently ranked among the country’s finest college towns, with Livability. com recently rated Fayetteville fourth in their national rankings.

The University of Arkansas campus also provides quick access to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, as well as a range of the best outdoor amenities and hiking trails in the state, including Fayetteville’s Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, Devil’s Den State Park, the Ozark Highlands Trail, and the Buffalo National River. the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

The areas surrounding Arkansas State University’s Jonesboro campus provide opportunities for dining, shopping and outdoor recreation.

FORREST CITY

FORT SMITH

The EACC Fine Arts Center, conveniently located of Interstate 40, is an important component of the cultural landscape of Eastern Arkansas.

Since the center’s opening in April 2010, patrons and visitors have discovered a unique facility designed to meet the diverse needs of both the performing arts and the community.

Village Creek State Park, located 13 miles from EACC’s campus, offers a 27-hole championship Andy Dye signature golf course, camping facilities, hiking and horseback trails, fishing lakes, and cabins. There are 75 picnic areas, eight tennis courts, softball fields, a visitors information center, and many other facilities for outdoor enjoyment. The rolling terrain of Crowley’s Ridge, including dramatic elevation changes, makes for challenging play at The Ridges at Village Creek outstanding public golf course.

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith offers a caring campus in the friendly city of Fort Smith, population 86,209, where all the makings of a well-rounded student experience are within easy reach.

• Outdoor life: Parks, trails and water recreation are all within the city limits, nestled between the Arkansas River and the Ouachita Mountains.

• Local events: Celebrate culture, music and people at festivals and other free events downtown and throughout the city.

• Shopping, dining and entertainment: Shopping centers, ethnic restaurants, movies and live entertainment are a walk or short ride away.

East Arkansas Community College

42

University of Arkansas – Fort Smith

HEBER SPRINGS

Arkansas State University – Heber Springs

The ASU-Heber Springs campus is located near beautiful Greers Ferry Lake and the Little Red River, allow-

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

ing for fishing, swimming, camping, hiking and other outdoor activities.

The campus itself is located at the base of scenic Sugarloaf Mountain and has a walking trail all the way to the top showing spectacular views.

JONESBORO

Arkansas State University

Starting with Red Wolf Boulevard, Jonesboro combines the college town spirit with the amenities of Arkansas’ fourth largest city. Jonesboro’s downtown restoration brings back to life a vibrant section of town filled with restaurants and retail, while the Hilltop area east of A-State’s campus continues to expand. Located adjacent to Crowley’s Ridge, Jonesboro also features some of the best mountain biking trails at Craighead Forest Park.

LITTLE ROCK

University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Pulaski Technical College, The Iron Yard, Philander Smith College and Baptist Health College Little

Rock

Home to the greatest concentration of colleges and technical schools in the state, Little Rock is a major destination for those interested in pursuing a post-high school education. It’s no wonder Little Rock is a popular choice: it’s been voted the “best place to live” in 2013 by Kiplinger’s magazine. Little Rock is the capital city, the center of government, commerce, culture, health care, and nonprofit organizations in Arkansas.

The metropolitan area offers the benefits of a presidential library, access to legislative sessions, and an abundance of restaurants and cultural events.

SEARCY

Arkansas State University – Searcy

The ASU-Searcy campus is located in Searcy, which is the county seat of White County and has a population around 24,000. Searcy is a college town and offers students opportunities for shopping, dining and recreational fun.

WHERE I FOR WHEN I

TEACH Choosing UCA was one of the first decisions of my adult life. So far, it’s also become one of the best. Not only am I a part of a nationally recognized education program with one of the highest job placement rates in the state, I also get to be a part of an active campus that puts its students front and center. There’s no place I’d rather be.

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the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

43

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

Safety on Campus

The safety of every person on campus is a top priority at the University of Arkansas.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY – BEEBE

Regarded as one of the safest campuses in Arkansas, Arkansas State University - Beebe has a university police department on its Beebe, Heber Springs and Searcy campuses. The police officers are fully certified and authorized to protect the person and property of students and the university community. State University.Com listed ASU-Beebe as the safest college in the U.S. for several years, based on

44

the college’s Clery Act reporting.

In 2014, ASU-Beebe implemented a new emergency mobile alert system to notify students and employees of any emergency situation or inclement weather conditions. The alerts are delivered by several methods, including phone calls, text messaging, email messaging, social media, website notification, loud speaker announcements and classroom computer screen takeover. The local media are also notified in the event of an emergency. Security

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

awareness and crime prevention programs are conducted by the university police throughout the year.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

The installation of emergency call stations, pedestrian safety gates and more lighting are visible examples of the security enhancements that Arkansas Tech University has put in place in recent years, but perhaps even more important are the trained profession-

als who help Tech students stay safe.

The Arkansas Tech Department of Public Safety is on duty around the clock. Tech Safety Transport is an outreach program that provides students, faculty and staff with peace of mind by, upon request, dispatching a public safety employee to walk with them to their destination on campus after dark.

In addition, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to register with the Arkansas Tech Campus Emergency and Outreach Notification

about student safety and training faculty and staff to be proactive to prevent unsafe situations.

safety report and other safety-related policies are available on the college’s website.

dents and a security guard.

EAST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

The safety of every person on campus is a top priority at the University of Arkansas. The U of A’s nationally accredited University of Arkansas Police Department is on duty all day, every day. The RazALERT messaging system can send emergency notices to every student, faculty and staff member on campus in a matter of minutes.

From campus lighting to emergency phone kiosks, from U of A emergency cell phone apps to the Safe Ride program, the University of Arkansas is constantly looking for innovative ways to make the campus a safe and secure environment.

Through a partnership with the county sheriff’s office, a sheriff’s office substation is located on the East Arkansas Community College (EACC) campus. The partnership has enhanced visibility of trained officers on EACC’s campus and provides for additional licensed, armed, trained security who are available at various times and can assist/lead if a security issue arises on campus.

In addition, EACC offers an emergency alert text messaging service, known as eaccALERT, to registered students, faculty and staff.

This optional service is used only to announce critical alerts such as a campus emergency, an unscheduled college closing or inclement weather.

The eaccALERT text messaging service is just one of the methods the college uses to communicate emergency information to students, faculty, and staff. EACC continues to use a variety of communication methods as appropriate, including email, class announcements, telephone system alerts, announcements via the Vaccaro Clock Tower and alert beacons installed in each building on campus.

New and enhanced security cameras have also been placed in locations throughout the campus.

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

(CEON) system. CEON is available to communicate with members of the campus community should a lifethreatening situation arise.

COSSATOT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

UA Cossatot provides security officers on all three of its campuses, which are located in De Queen, Nashville and Ashdown. These officers are diligent

Henderson has implemented several safety measures on campus, including: • 10 outdoor emergency call phones across the campus • Outdoor warning notification system/siren that uses prerecorded messages to alert the campus • Rave Alert emergency mass notification system for sending text messages and emails • Reddie Rides -- golf carts used to safely transport students during the evening hours

LYON COLLEGE

Safety officers are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week at Lyon College. Information about the College’s crisis plan and procedures, the annual

National Park College (NPC) takes the safety and security of its students, faculty and staff seriously. NPC has a conscientious maintenance department that keeps the college looking its best, as well as safe from potential hazards. In addition, NPC has a security office with well-trained personnel that constantly patrol the campus.

Also, NPC has a permanent security resource officer from the Garland County Sheriff’s Department who is on campus as an extension of the Sheriff’s Department with the authority to act on threats to the campus, keeping it safe and secure.

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE

Philander Smith College recently hired Anita Phillips, a 14-year veteran college police chief, as its new chief of security. Phillips has developed and implemented procedures to enhance safety and security, including increased campus lighting, hiring more security staff, an anonymous tip line, and regular safety seminars. She is responsible for helping to establish a partnership with the Little Rock Police Department to forge an enhanced and reciprocal relationship between campus safety officials and the city police force.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY

Southern Arkansas University (SAU) has a friendly and professional university police department (UPD), which is active and visible across campus. The SAU UPD has a number of campus safety programs, such as the Adopt-a-Cop program, which works in conjunction with SAU university housing.

THE IRON YARD

Located in the heart of Little Rock’s River Market area, The Iron Yard is in the center of a safe and popular arts and entertainment district, where many of the neighboring businesses are open late and on weekends.

The building where The Iron Yard is located also has extra security features, such as exclusive access for stu-

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS – FORT SMITH

The university’s 170-acre campus – distinguished by the centerpiece Bell Tower overlooking an expansive, treelined green – has been recognized as one of the cleanest, safest and most beautiful campuses in the nation. Some of those honors include: • Tree Campus USA University designation – Arbor Day Foundation • Floral Displays Champion – America in Bloom • Best Maintained Campus in the Nation – Professional Grounds Management Society The university also has a welltrained, highly visible university police provide campus safety services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, campus safety officials have instituted a system that delivers timely safety alerts given in compliance with the Clery Act.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Department of Public Safety is dedicated to providing a full range of law enforcement services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. UALR promotes a variety of activities to educate the campus community about safety, including Campus Safety Week each year. Other safety programs range from bicycle police patrol throughout campus; emergency notifications; a safety escort service; emergency telephones throughout campus; outdoor

the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

45

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

The ABCs of ACTs Bryan Redditt, Huntington and SATs ByLearning Center

Security measures at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff include continuous monitoring through video cameras and campus police officers.

lighting on pathways, parking, and streets; and free shuttle services. A new security substation is being built right next to the East and West residence halls for added safety.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff campus is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by video cameras and several university police officers. All of the dormitories are equipped with card-only entry while university police cruisers can be seen patrolling the campus at all times.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Division of Outreach and Community Engagement recently hosted a free workshop titled RESPOND-I-BILITY that addressed ways individuals should respond when encountering law enforcement officers. The vision of RESPONDI-BILITY is to raise awareness and show how each citizen (“I”) has the ability to respond responsibly when engaging with all officers of the

46

law. The presentation is designed to address cultural and social etiquette skills for all Americans when encountering officers of the law.

The UCA Police Department and the Student Government Association teamed up to promote pedestrian safety through the Brake for Bears campaign. Volunteers and UCA police officers encouraged safety awareness throughout the day at various crosswalks around campus by distributing pedestrian safety information and official Brake for Bears t-shirts. Pedestrian safety is a major campus concern, and this important campaign helps deter accidents in the crosswalks.

This spring, faculty and staff at the UCA planned a week of safety-related activities to prepare students for their time away from the university during Spring Break. The week of activities, Safe Spring Break 2015, took place prior to students leaving campus. The events consisted of several activities designed to provide educational information to students in order to encourage responsible decision-making and prevent or reduce the risks involved in the college spring break experience.

AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

Huntington Learning Center offers programs to help students prepare for the ACT and the SAT exams.

L

ong before college applications are filled out and campuses are toured, high school students will take at least one college-level admissions test. The ACT and SAT exams are the gold standard by which most colleges and universities measure incoming students’ academic skills. These tests are also often a deciding factor when it comes to financial aid and scholarships.

With so much riding on these tests, it’s no wonder some students have exam anxiety. But with preparation and practice, students can achieve their best test scores. Huntington Learning Center offers an exam-prep program that has recently helped three students achieve perfect scores on the ACT. Here are some tips for preparing for college-admission exams.

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Use the websites.

The ACT and SAT websites are good sources of information.

Each site, for example, uses a “one question per day” option that students can use to get familiar with sample test material well in advance of testing day.

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Avoid comparing scores with your peers.

Naturally, you want to know how your exam scores compare with those of your friends and classmates. Comparing scores is a mistake for two reasons: a higher score may lead to unwarranted confidence; a lower score to diminished confidence.

•

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Seek out professional guidance.

A learning center like Huntington can provide one-onone instruction to help students identify trouble spots and focus on improvements.

Plan to take the ACT and SAT tests multiple times.

Very often, a student’s first exam doesn’t indicate his or her true knowledge; rather, it reflects nervousness or lack of preparation. Colleges consider your aid or admission requests based on the highest score, so you can take the exams as many times as your budget and schedule allow.

To learn more about Huntington Learning Center’s exam-prep program, visit HuntingtonHelps.com or call 501223-2299.

the college issue • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES AUGUST 20, 2015

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THE COLLEGE ISSUE 2015

Learn to code in Little Rock.

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AUGUST 20, 2015 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • the college issue

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE, CONT. everyone’s happy. That’s not true.” When asked what Kurrus could do to take the district in the right direction, Springer replied, “Recommend to the state Board of Education to put the [local] board back, and let us do what we were elected to do.”

To Springer and other takeover opponents — including Jim Ross and John Walker — the state saw LRSD governance as broken exactly because political power was vested in the hands of an AfricanAmerican majority (bolstered by a white ally in Ross). When Springer and Ross won election in October 2014, they argue, the local board gained a majority that for the first time would truly prioritize equity. They feel they were on the brink of delivering real change in the district: Among other things, the local board approved a plan to move forward with construction of a school in West Little Rock, contingent upon simultaneous construction of a school in the city’s largely black and Latino Southwest quadrant. Then, less than a week later, local control was dissolved by the state board.

The local board’s plans should be treated with the same skepticism as the state’s — for example, the facilities proposal would have required voters to approve a millage increase, a very long shot — but it’s also impossible to know what the elected body actually might have accomplished if it hadn’t been removed.

From the perspective of Springer, Ross and Walker, the takeover was a racially motivated affront to democracy.

But there are also those in Little Rock who fully opposed the takeover yet feel that advocates of public education now must deal with the reality of the situation — and that means working with Baker Kurrus, one way or the other.

“It’s hard to honor sometimes that a decision was made that was not defensible,” Joyce Elliott said. “But the purpose of the Civic Advisory Committee is not to rehash why and how the district was to be taken over. I can understand it’s frustrating, but the purpose is to give the best advice possible to the person who’s the superintendent.” At the same time, she said, the CAC should hold the superintendent accountable as much as they’re able. “They should be very vocal about the big questions.”

BRIAN CHILSON

dents in the LRSD’s three West Little Rock elementary schools (Terry, Fulbright and Roberts) leave LRSD in sixth grade — presumably departing for private and charter schools. The loss of those students deprives the district of needed funds. Districtwide, the percentage of kids leaving between fifth and sixth grade is 24 percent, he said. To Newton, that’s clear evidence that parents on the west side of the city have been neglected by the LRSD and have no acceptable options for middle and high school.

The operative word there is “acceptable.” Much of West Little Rock is zoned for Henderson Middle School, one of the academically distressed campuses.

It also happens to be 94 percent black and Latino, and 89 percent of its students come from low-income homes. Although Central and Parkview, the district’s two high-performing high schools, are filled beyond capacity, its three high schools in academic distress are not. That leads back to familiar, acrimonious chicken-andegg debates about race, class, fear and flight: Are middle-class parents choosing not to send their kids to Henderson because it’s a failing school? Or is Henderson failing because it’s been spurned by the middle class of the city, which is largely (although certainly no longer uniformly) white?

Rep. John Walker (D-Little Rock), the civil rights attorney who has for decades fought legal battles on behalf of AfricanAmerican children in Pulaski County, sees any investment in a new West Little Rock secondary school as carving out an enclave for more affluent families at the expense of the poor. He rejects the idea that LRSD must necessarily find a way to attract and retain the middle- to upperclass families that have left the district over the decades.

“You don’t really need them,” he said.

“I’d like to have them come, but … why should black kids give up their rights to equal protection in an effort to appease white people who don’t want to be around us? … You have more white kids [residing] in the LRSD than you have black kids. If they all came [to LRSD schools], they’d be able to have a middle-class majority … but they want to be a dominant majority.”

“When West Little Rock is vilified as white flight,” Newton said, “you’re cutting off the very people who are predisposed to be in public education, who want to be in the district, who are hungry for public education. They’re demonized as something they are not. That’s no way to build a community. That’s no way to build a district.”

Walker also had harsh words for Kur-

LOBBYING FOR CHANGE: Gary Newton pushes for a West Little Rock school.

rus. “Remember, he was on the [Little Rock] school board until 2010. Now, the state board in its takeover talked about the ‘generations of failure’ and the responsibility of the board during this time. And then … to turn the situation around, they get somebody who was partly responsible for the problem.

“The primary thing that Baker was concerned about then was building schools in West Little Rock and seeing to it that parts of Central and … other schools in the west … remained viable and attractive to that part of the population that was ‘easiest to educate.’ … And you know what that means; it’s a euphemism for race.”

However, Kurrus seemed cautious about immediate investment in a new West Little Rock school when asked by the Times.

“Yes, it needs to be considered, but only in the context of a larger plan,” he said.

“We have facilities needs all over this school district — hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of needs — and I don’t think you do anything based on email campaigns or the arguments of upset people. We need to come up with plans of actions that make sense for everyone and satisfy the needs of the community as a whole.”

DAMAGED TRUST

Keenly aware of the need to build trust within the community, Kurrus is also actively seeking guidance from the Civic Advisory Committee, a citizens group established by the state board to provide a forum for community input post-takeover.

The superintendent has asked the CAC to weigh in on several weighty questions facing the district, including the potential closure of some elementary school buildings and a proposed redrawing of district lines within Pulaski County. Either of these moves would significantly change the face of the district.

In theory, the CAC is intended to act as something like a school-board-in-waiting — but with no formal authority, its role is unclear. The group seems divided between those who want to cooperate with Kurrus in his outreach to the community, and those who feel his state-sanctioned authority is illegitimate.

“I think it’s promising that we have been asked to go out in our communities, to get feedback about the goals and questions we’re addressing, and to come back and give our advice,” said Dionne Jackson, one of the committee co-chairs. A resident of West Little Rock, she’s also a former LRSD teacher, a graduate of Hall and a parent of a student in the district. “Personally, for me, it’s about owning the fact that the LRSD is more than one section of Little Rock. It’s not my zone against an East Little Rock zone. It’s about us thinking what’s best for this district.”

Joy Springer, who was the Zone 1 representative on the LRSD board before its dissolution and now sits on the CAC, is not so sanguine.

“If we’re not going to be taken seriously in our recommendations, why is there a committee in the first place?” she asked.

“Right now, I don’t think anybody knows where LRSD is going. … The state Department of Education wants everyone to think that everything’s fine. That

CONTINUED ON PAGE 78 www.arktimes.com

AUGUST 20, 2015

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BOSTON’S RESTAURANT & SPORTS BAR

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valid with any other discount. (LD) 3201 Bankhead Dr. 235-2000 Bostons.com

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614-6682 CafeBossaNova.com

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COMMUNITY BAKERY

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CRAZEE’S CAFÉ

Buy any Crazee’s dinner, get second of equal or less value 50% off. (D)

7626 Cantrell Rd. 221-9696 CrazeesCafe.net 66

AUGUST 20, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

207 N. University Ave., Suite 130 280-0407 CantinaLaredo.com

COPELAND’S

Your choice of spinach and artichoke dip, fried pickles, Al’s Cajun popcorn shrimp, bayou broccoli, or onion-mumm appetizer halfprice with entrée purchase. (LD) 2602 S. Shackleford Rd. 312-1616 copelandsrestaurantlittlerock.com

DAMGOODE PIES

Free bread sticks when you buy any 14” signature pie. (LD)

6706 Cantrell Rd. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd.

500 Pres. Clinton Ave. 10720 N. Rodney Parham Rd. 664-2239 DGPies.com

ANOTHER ROUND PUB

Half-price “lil” engineer meals. Donating 1% of Restaurant Month sales to Potluck and Easter Seals Arkansas charities. (LD) 6813 Cantrell Rd. 975-7401 All-AboardRestaurant.com

Free slice of cheesecake with purchase of 14” pizza. (LD) 10912 Colonel Glenn Rd.

$7.95 ultimate two person nachos. $11.95 salsa, cheese dip and guac with chips. $6.95 black bean burger sliders (no meat). Daily drink specials are offered. (LD) 12111 West Markham 313-2612 AnotherRoundPub.com

A.W. LIN’S

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BEST IMPRESSIONS RESTAURANT 10% off daily special. Pimento cheeseburger with bacon. (L) 501 E. 9th St. 907-5946 BestImpressionsRestaurant.com

Buy one sushi special, get second one of equal or lesser value for half-price. (LD) 17717 Chenal Pkwy., Ste. 101 821-5398 AWLins.com

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Pleasant Ridge Town Center 11525 Cantrell Rd., 228-0444 BarLouieAmerica.com

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$1 off dinner and a drink. Mon and Fri only. (L) 301 N. Shackleford Rd., Ste. E-1 224-9500 BobbysCountryCookin.com

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CAFÉ @ HEIFER

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CAPERS

$30 Prix Fixe 3-course restaurant month menu. (LD) 14502 Cantrell Rd. 868-7600 CapersRestaurant.com

COPPER GRILL

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DAVE’S PLACE

Turkey apple and bacon on Woodstock bread with sriracha Mayo $7. (L) 210 Center St. 372-3283 DavesPlaceRestaurant.com

Turkey bacon avocado sandwich, side of chips and canned soda $7.75. (L)

120 River Market Blvd.

918-3091 CALS.org/about/locations/cox.aspx

Buy one entrée, get one free.

Free dessert with entrée purchase and Equal or lesser value. (LD) a special bar snack with drink pur201 S. Shackelford Rd. chase during happy hour 4-6pm. (D) 223-3000 425 Pres. Clinton Ave. CrownePlazaLittleRock.com 850-0265 CacheLittleRock.com CAMP DAVID RESTAURANT CAJUN’S WHARF (HOLIDAY INN PRESIDENTIAL) $33 Prix Fixe 3-course restaurant Buy two entrées, get an appetizer month menu. (LD) for half-price. Dine in only. (BLD) 2400 Cantrell Rd. 600 I-30 and 6th St. 375-5351 975-CAMP(2267) CajunsWharf.com HIPresidential.com/Dining/campdavidrestaurant

CAPITOL SMOKEHOUSE & GRILL

10% off any plate lunch. (L) 915 W. Capitol Ave. 372-4227 CapitolSmokehouseAndGrill.com

CORKY’S RIBS & BBQ

$1 off Cajun shrimp dinner. (LD) 12005 Westhaven Dr. 954-7427(RIBS) CorkysBBQ.com/location/littlerock

DEMPSEY BAKERY

Free sugar cookie with lunch purchase. (L) 323 S. Cross St. 375-2257 DempseyBakery.com

CIAO BACI

Early Bird Special: Three-course dinner for $25 from 5-7pm – will change weekly. (D) 605 N. Beechwood St. 603-0238 CiaoBaci.org

COTIJA’S MEXICAN GRILL

Free small cheese dip with the purchase of an entrée. (L) 406 S. Louisiana St. 371-0733 Find us on Facebook

DIANE’S GOURMET

Buy three casseroles and get one free, same size and price. (L) 11121 N. Rodney Parham Rd. 224-2639 Dianes-Gourmet.com

DOE’S EAT PLACE

One free dessert with steak purchase. Limited to one per table. (LD) 1023 W. Markham St. 376-1195 DoesEatPlace.net

FRANKE’S CAFETERIA

Purchase one entrée, receive a small salad or one vegetable for free. (LD) Market Place Shopping Center 11121 N. Rodney Parham, 225-4487 Regions Center Building 400 Broadway • 372-1919 FrankesCafeteria.com

IRIANA’S PIZZA

15% off any whole pizza (LD).

201 E. Markham St. 374-3656 IrianasPizza.com

LAS PALMAS III

Buy one combo #1-15 and get one of equal or lesser value at 25% off. (LD) 10402 Stagecoach Rd. 455-8500 LasPalmasArkansas.com

LOST FORTY BREWING

Dry Goods Week, Mon-Thurs - $2 off merch item of your choice with purchase of beer snack. Must say “Savor the City” to redeem your offer. Limit one per day, one offer per guest. (LD) 501 Byrd St. 319-7275 Facebook.com/Lost40Beer

DOUBLETREE PLAZA BAR & EMBASSY SUITES ATHLETIC GRILLE CLUB BAR & GRILL

Crab Cake Sandwich. Seared jumbo lump crab meat and our Cajun spiced rémoulade on a brioche bun $10. (L) 1023 W. Markham St., 372-4371 Doubletree3.Hilton.com

GARDEN SMOOTHIE

Half-off fresh fruit smoothie with the purchase of sandwich or wrap. (L) 400 Pres. Clinton Ave. River Market Ottenheimer Hall

244-9964

J. GUMBO’S

Cajun wrap, chips and fountain drink $7. Reg. $9.35. (LD) 12911 Cantrell Rd. 916-9635 JGumbos.com

LAYLA’S GYROS AND PIZZERIA Gyro sandwich, french fries and drink $7.50. (LD)

6100 Stones Dr., 868-8226 9501 N. Rodney Parham, 227-7272 LaylasGyro.com

MEXICO CHIQUITO

Two drinks, one appetizer, two entrées $15.99. (LD) 13924 Cantrell Rd. 217-0700 MexicoChiquito.net

THE PANTRY & PANTRY CREST PAXTON’S PIZZA

15% off your total bill. Alcohol, tax and gratuity not included. Just say “Restaurant Month”. (LD WLR location) (D Hillcrest location) 722 N. Palm St., 725-4945 11401 N. Rodney Parham Rd., 353-1875 LittlerockPantry.com

Medium Pepperoni $2 off. $9.24 + tax. (LD) 13420 Otter Creek Pkwy.

455-4242 Facebook.com/OCPizza

RADUNO BRICK OVEN & BARROOM

RED MANGO SMOOTHIE & JUICE BAR

Half price eggplant caponata appetizer. (LD) 1318 Main St. 374-7476 RadunoLR.com

SKY MODERN JAPANESE

All appetizers half-price. (LD) 11525 Cantrell Rd. 224-4300 SkyLittleRock.com

$1 off yogurt and smoothies.

(BLD) 5621 Kavanaugh Blvd.

663-2500 RedMangoUSA.com

SLICK’S SANDWICH SHOP

Biscuits and gravy 99¢. Cookies: two for $1. (BL) 101 E Capitol Ave., Ste 116 375-3420 SlicksMenu.com

THE SOUTHERN GOURMASIAN STAR OF INDIA

Free cookie with purchase of entrée. (L) Three-course prix fixe $25. (D) 219 W. Capitol Ave. 313-5645 TheSouthernGourmasian.com

TRACY CAKES

Buy three cupcakes, get one free.

(LD) 10301 N. Rodney Parham Rd. 227-4243 TracyCakesAR.com

Your choice of a free dessert with purchase of the Tavern Burger.

11301 Financial Centre Pkwy.

312-9000 ext. 2033

GREEN LEAF GRILL

Southern 600. Try one of our southern 600 calorie options, get super fruit fresca for free. (L) 601 S. Gaines St. 818-0166

JACKIE’S MOBILE CAFÉ

15% off any fish dinner. Excludes one piece fish. (LD) 838-6167 facebook.com/JackiesMobileCafe

FLYING FISH

Hot boiled shrimp 1 lb. $16.99.

(LD) 511 Pres. Clinton Ave. 375-3474 FlyingFishInThe.net

HEIGHTS TACO & TAMALE CO. HILLCREST ARTISAN MEATS

One order of three tamales free with your purchase of an order of six tamales 2:30-5:30pm.

5805 Kavanaugh Blvd.

313-4848

KILWINS

Buy one slice of fudge get one of equal or lesser value free.

415 Pres. Clinton Ave. 379-9865 Kilwins.com

LITTLE GREEK RESTAURANT THE LOBLOLLY CREAMERY (INSIDE GREEN CORNER STORE & SODA FOUNTAIN) Purchase our summer combo: one small waffle cone + any handcrafted soda, limeade or lemonade and get 50¢ off. (AD) 1423 S. Main St., 374-1111 LoblollyCreamery.com

Buy any salad, pita, or platter and receive a second one at halfprice. Equal or lesser value. (LD) Pleasant Ridge Town Center 11525 Cantrell Rd. #905 223-5300 LittleGreekRestaurant.com

MIDTOWN BILLIARDS

Maggie’s turkey salad sandwich weekend special $5.50 during happy hour, Sat & Sun 3-8pm. (LD) 1316 Main St. 372-9990 MidTownAR.com

OLD MILL BREAD

Free Bakery Cookie with the purchase of a sandwich. (BLD) 12111 W. Markham, Ste. 366 228-4677 OldMillBread.com

$1 off any sandwich purchase.

(LD) 2807 Kavanaugh Blvd., Ste. B 671-6328 Facebook.com/HillcrestArtisanMeats

LARRY’S PIZZA DOWNTOWN

50¢ oven-roasted wings. Offered in Naked, Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ, Sweet Red Chili or Teriyaki. Choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing. Dine-in or carry-out. Six wings minimum order, no maximum limit. (LD) 1122 S. Center St., 372-6004 LarrysPizzaOfArkansas.com

LOCAL LIME

Ceviche Cool Down, Mon-Thurs - $2 off Ahi Ceviche with entrée purchase.

Must say “Savor the City” to redeem your offer. (LD) 17815 Chenal Pkwy.

448-2226 LocalLimeTaco.com

THE OYSTER BAR

$2 off one lb. shrimp. $1 off half lb. shrimp. (LD) 3003 W. Markham St. 666-7100 LROysterBar.com

PONCHITOS MEXICAN GRILL POTBELLY SANDWICH SHOP THE PURPLE COW

Purchase two entrées and receive free queso. (LD) 10901 N Rodney Parham Rd. 246-5282 Facebook.com/PonchitosMexicanGrill

THE ROOT CAFÉ

Free cookie with sandwich purchase. (LD) 314 S. University Ave., Ste 160 660-4441 PotBelly.com

ROSALIA’S FAMILY BAKERY

Weekday Breakfast Special: 20% off your breakfast entrée. Available Tues-Fri, 7-11 am. (B) 1500 S Main St. 414-0423 TheRootCafe.com

Get a free Sonho with any $10 purchase (before tax). Limit one per purchase. (BLD) 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd.

719-7035 CafeBossaNova.com/Rosalias-Bakery

SO RESTAURANT – BAR

SONNY WILLIAMS STEAK ROOM

Special Chef’s Menu: Threecourse, $45 per person, new menu each week.

3610 Kavanaugh Blvd.

663-1464 SoRestaurantBar.com

Sonny’s Frog Legs with Citrus Butter appetizer for $12.50. (D) 500 Pres. Clinton Ave., Ste. 100 324-2999 SonnyWilliamsSteakRoom.com

15% off dinner entrée. (D) 301 N. Shackleford Rd., Ste. C4 227-9900 LRStarOfIndia.com

See special “Savor” menu for great deals on both sushi and entrées. (LD) 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd. • 663-9888 11211 Cantrell Rd., #120 • 954-7866 SushiCafeRocks.com

SUSHI CAFÉ

SWEET SOUL Free cookie with purchase of Southern Classic Plate. (L) 400 Pres. Clinton Ave., River Market Ottenheimer Hall 374-7685 LittleRockSweetSoul.com

TRIO’S RESTAURANT

THE VEG

WASABI BAR & GRILL

Half-off desserts with entrée purchase. (LD) Half-off selected special Restaurant Month wines by the bottle. (D) Specials are for dine-in only.

8201 Cantrell Rd., Ste. 100 221-3330 TriosRestaurant.com

THE FOLD

Free queso with purchase of three taco plate. (LD) 3501 Old Cantrell Rd. 916-9706 TheFoldLR.com

Veggie burger for $5. Code word Herbie Hancock. (L) 400 Pres. Clinton Ave. River Market Ottenheimer Hall

838-3634 Facebook.com/TheVegLR

15% off two entrées. (L) 101 Main St. 374-0777

Free kid’s meal with adult entrée purchase. (LD) 8026 Cantrell Rd., 221-3555 11602 Chenal Pkwy., 224-4433 PurpleCowLR.com

SANTO COYOTE

10% off any food purchase. (LD) 11610 Pleasant Ridge Rd. # 110 225-1300 Santo-Coyote.com

SOUTH ON MAIN

Free appetizer with purchase of two entrées (Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm). (L). Buy one bar snack, get one for half-price during social hour (Tues-Sat, 4-6pm).

1304 Main St. 244-9660 SouthOnMain.com

TAZIKI’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFÉ

Say the phrase “Happy seven year anniversary Taziki’s” and receive 10% off. (LD) 12800 Chenal Pkwy., 225-1829 8200 Cantrell Rd., 227-8291 TazikisCafe.com

ZAZA

Put An Egg On It - add an egg to any pizza for free or $1.50 off any salad. Must say “Savor the City” to redeem your offer.

Limit one per day, one offer per guest. (LD) 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd.

661-9292 ZazaPizzaAndSalad.com www.arktimes.com

AUGUST 20, 2015

67

Arts Entertainment AND

ORGANIZED A Q&A with Alvin Fielder

A

BY WILL STEPHENSON

lvin Fielder is a legendary jazz drummer from Meridian, Miss., who has performed in bands over the years with Sun Ra, Eddie Harris, Muhal Richard Abrams, Fred Anderson and Roscoe Mitchell.

He was one of the original members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, the pioneering Chicago avant-garde organization that the New York Times has called “one of this country’s great engines of experimental art.” In the 1960s, he returned to Mississippi to help desegregate schools (as part of the federally funded Emergency School Assistance Program) and to take over his father’s drug store. He retired from his career as a pharmacist in 2010, and will be 80 years old this year, though, as he told me, “I feel 35, and I play like I’m 35.”

Fielder will participate in a free panel discussion at South on Main entitled “Jazz: Integrated Art in Segregated America,” at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24. University of Central Arkansas professor Jackie Lamar will lead the panel, which will also include musicians Irene Crutchfield, Bill Huntington and London Branch. After the discussion, at 8 p.m., Fielder and his group (which features Branch, Huntington and Little Rock pianist Chris Parker) will perform. Parker, Fielder says, is “one of the best piano players

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ARKANSAS TIMES

down South, an exceptional pianist and a very underrated musician,” and Huntington “is just beautiful — Bill was one of the first modern bass players in New Orleans.” Tickets are $10.

I spoke to Fielder on the phone last week about his time in Sun Ra’s Arkestra, the future of jazz and more.

You started out playing pop music — R&B and gospel and blues.

Most of us did back then. I enjoyed R&B, too – it was very different back then. And, in fact, most of the R&B musicians were jazz musicians, going back to the ’40s and ’50s. When you think of John Coltrane even, Coltrane went through the same thing. I’d venture to say 90 percent of the great jazz musicians who are 60 or older probably went through rhythm and blues bands. Even Max Roach played in a so-called R&B band. I think he played in Louis Jordan’s band. He took Shadow Wilson’s place for a while; Max said that was the hardest job he ever worked.

It was a good learning ground, and really prepared me to be a steady drummer. Most people think of me as avant-garde, but basically I’m a bebop drummer. I started playing avantgarde music when I got to Chicago, with the AACM [Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians].

Why was the AACM started, and

what did it accomplish?

The AACM was a group of musicians that weren’t working regularly.

Some of the guys were very talented players, but we couldn’t find much work. We wanted to play a new kind of music, too. We wanted to explore and to play our own music. We didn’t play Charlie Parker’s music or Dizzy’s or Bud Powell’s. It was all original. It could be any type of music, but it had to be ours. We were able to put together various groups — various combines — and play each week.

Sometimes there weren’t many people, sometimes there were a lot. But it was a movement. And the AACM has been together longer than any musical organization I can think of, it’s been 50 years.

A lot of other musicians criticized us. Some musicians we invited turned us down. We were searching for a newer music, separate from bebop, which is still about the most complicated American music there is. The AACM really made musicians think in a different way. It was a creative music, a new music. We weren’t as aggressive in our playing as New York musicians, but we were using instruments that we made ourselves, and things like that. People called it freedom, but it was organized freedom. People called it chaotic, but it was organized chaos.

And the main thing is, no matter what it was, it swung.

Tell me about playing with Sun Ra. Ah, Sun Ra. I had gotten to Chicago and was working with a tenor player from the west side named John Tinsley. We played a dance on Easter Sunday, and John used Sun Ra on piano — that was the first time I met him. We started talking and he found out I was from Mississippi and he said, “Man, I bet you’re a good shuffle drummer.”

He was playing straight piano at the time, a very, very good pianist. Knew all the standards and played just like a normal pianist would play. He invited me to his rehearsal — all these guys were there, John Gilmore and Hobart Dotson. And I got the job. Sometimes he used one drummer, sometimes he used two, a couple of times he used three. It was a good learning experience. Are you familiar with Sun Ra’s album “Jazz in Silhouette”? That was the group I was in. It was a regular, straight group — let’s say it was a cross between Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. We were playing some “out” stuff, but not much.

In “A Power Stronger than Itself,” a book about the AACM, you’re quoted as saying you didn’t make much money with Sun Ra, but, “As I look back, I should have been

ROCK CANDY Check out the Times’ A&E blog arktimes.com

A&E NEWS MARK YOUR CALENDARS: STEVIE Wonder will stop at North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena on his fall “Songs in the Key of Life” tour at 8 p.m. Nov. 5.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Aug. 29 and will range in price from $39.50 to $129.50. Order online at ticketmaster. com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

D CHAOS paying him.”

Right! The experience and the knowledge that Sun Ra had was incredible. Musical knowledge, but also learning to live as a person, in the artistic world. When you played with him, it was an adventure into learning something new. Learning new rules and regulations. He used to tell me I needed to loosen up more. I used to go

by Sun Ra’s apartment all the time. He lived in a small apartment with a piano, boxes of music, and we would have dinner together. He was a vegetarian.

And we would just talk about various things. He never talked over my head, but he was a brilliant guy. A genius. I considered him like a big brother. He was an exceptional artist.

You were later active in school desegregation in Mississippi.

Yes, I worked in the Nixon administration, with the Emergency School Assistance Program (ESAP). I moved back to Mississippi in ’68 and became one of the 15 members of this group — all the Southern states had one. We were in charge of integrating the schools and, if the government was going to support them financially, we were in charge of that. We would go over every school district’s desegregation efforts — we were the investigators and had final say-so as to whether they received federal money. Out of

82 counties, maybe 20 or 25 got the money. And through that I was able to deal with the National Endowment for the Arts and get money to bring down a whole lot of musicians from New York and Chicago. Everybody came down through those grants.

Has it been frustrating to see that this is still such a problem?

It’s not as bad, it’s just different. It’s changed. I don’t know what you would call it, but it’s nothing like it was in the ’60s, believe me. It was socioeconomics, and it was attitudes back then. I saw attitudes really change in about 1971 in Mississippi, totally. It was an about-face.

It’s been often pointed out that there are fewer young jazz musicians today than ever before. Do you worry about the genre’s future?

Things change. When I was getting started, you didn’t have jazz programs in schools. The learning process was all private study with someone older than you, more experienced. And just practice. But when you think about it, you’ve only really had 10, maybe 15 innovators in the history of jazz. Right?

Sure, if you say so.

No, no, no, think about it. You had Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gil-

lespie, Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane. And in between you had great players, but they weren’t innovators. If you notice, there’s been no innovation since virtually the ’50s.

You haven’t seen a drum innovator since Max Roach. This music used to change every 20 years. It changed with the problems we had in America — WWI, WWII, the civil rights movement. Most of the younger musicians today are playing off the bebop thing still.

Take Thelonious Monk, though.

Nobody has been more important in terms of writing jazz compositions, except maybe Duke Ellington. He was one of my favorite musicians, and his compositions are still challenges. I saw a well-known player doing some Monk tunes recently, and pardon the expression — the shit sounded corny.

Monk didn’t appreciate anybody playing his compositions, except maybe Bud Powell. Even Miles Davis’ version of “Round Midnight” — they played it with the wrong changes. And if you notice, very few people played his songs until he died. There was a blindfold test Monk did with DownBeat Magazine back in the ’60s. They played him a version someone else did of one of his tunes. And Monk said, “Look, man, I got to go to the bathroom.”

THE ARKANSAS STATE FAIR, TO BE held Oct. 9-18, has announced its musical headliners for this year’s event: Montgomery Gentry, Eddie Money, Silk, Styx, Toni! Tony! Tone’!, Pop Evil, Grand Funk Railroad, Joe Diffie and Naughty By Nature. All concerts are free with gate admission, but premium seating can be reserved at the fairgrounds box office or online (arkansasstatefair.com) beginning Aug. 21.

ASHLEY MUSIC STORE, A LONGTIME institution in Harrison, announced on Facebook last week that it would be closing its doors in September after 70 years in business. Founder Hugh Ashley, a former state representative and mayor of Harrison — as well as a successful songwriter who penned records for Bill Monroe, Porter Wagoner, Brenda Lee, Jim Reeves and Dinah Shore — passed away in 2008.

Ashley’s daughter Robin explained the store’s closing in a Facebook note passed on by a reader: “It is with tremendous sadness that I tell you, after nearly 70 years, Ashley Music Store will soon be closing its doors. The end of a long and beautiful era that started when mom and dad first opened the Harrison store in 1946, the same year they were married. My sisters and I are so incredibly proud that our family business has been a source of musical inspiration to so many. Our mom and dad left an amazing legacy of love, opportunity, and integrity.” (For more on Ashley, read our feature obit linked on Rock Candy at www.arktimes.com. The full Facebook post is there as well.)

www.arktimes.com

AUGUST 20, 2015

69

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY LINDSEY MILLAR, LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK AND WILL STEPHENSON

THURSDAY 8/20-SUNDAY 8/23

RINGLING BROTHERS AND BARNUM & BAILEY Various times. Verizon Arena. $21-$51.

The circus is in town this weekend. It’s an exciting thing, but for many of us it also arrives under a kind of dark cloud representing its eerie vaudeville roots, its decades of horror movie associations and its vague intimations of exploitation. Dire predictions have followed the circus since at least the 1950s, when Ringling Brothers abandoned tents (“the big top”) for indoor arenas.

“A magical era had passed forever,” Life magazine reported. When the company was sold in the late 1960s, the mandate was to become more family-oriented. The freak show was dropped, for instance. In more recent years, there have been accusations of animal cruelty. (The crew now tours with a full-time veterinary staff, and animals receive daily examinations.) It’s a little different now, in other words, but also much the same: There will be clowns and jugglers and unicyclists, and you can win a painting done by an elephant. The ringmaster these days is a man named Andre McClain, whose father founded a rodeo in the ’80s. McClain learned the ropes there (literally: he did mostly rope tricks). In a recent interview, he talked about reaching out to the circus to take his act to the next level, and working his way up the ladder until he ran the place. “It’s a city on wheels,” McClain said. “It’s so funny. I still sometimes sit here in my luxurious train car and I’m amazed. I think, ‘Am I really getting paid for this? ’ ” WS

THURSDAY 8/20-SUNDAY 8/23

‘DOGFIGHT’

7 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. The Studio Theater. $15-$20.

ARKANSAS TIMES PRESENTS: This month's screening is the classic documentary "Hands on a Hard Body," 7 p.m. Thursday, $5.

THURSDAY 8/20

‘HANDS ON A HARD BODY’

7 p.m. Ron Robinson Theater. $5.

This month’s Arkansas Times Film Series screening is “Hands on a Hard Body,” the 1997 documentary about the contestants of the annual Longview, Texas, competition to see who can keep their hands on a pickup truck the longest. The Oxford American put the film on its essential Southern documentary list, and Quentin Tarantino, who commissioned a new 35mm print so he could screen it at his L.A. theater, has called it one of his favorite documenta70

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ARKANSAS TIMES

ries of all time. Says the New York Times: “This is accomplished documentary making, finding universal lessons in determination, struggle, planning, persistence and the relationship of mind and body. The experience turns out to be simultaneously primal and complex.” And the Village Voice: “Scrappy, likable, and immensely absorbing, S.R. Bindler’s chronicle of the “Hands on a Hard Body” contest (typically a four-to-five-day marathon) exploits the towering absurdity and unlikely intensity of its subject matter, without ever succumbing to yokel-Americana condescension.” LM

The musical “Dogfight,” adapted for the stage from a 1991 movie starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor, takes place on the eve of a signal event that knocked the scales from our Camelot-vision of America: The assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963. Three young Marines are about to ship out and decide on their final night to play a cruel game: to compete to find the ugliest girl to bring to a “dogfight” and win a pot of money. They’re young, they’re foolish and they have no idea of the real dogfight ahead of them in Southeast Asia. One of them gets lucky: The waitress he enlists for his date teaches him about love. The cast includes Bridget Davis, James Norris, Xavier Jones, Ethan Patterson, Chase Cundall, Rachel Caffey, Hayley Coughlin, Brooke Melton, Jennifer Restum and Georgeann Burbank. The musical is not for children. LNP

IN BRIEF

FRIDAY 8/21

THIRD FRIDAY ARGENTA ARTWALK

5-8 p.m., downtown North Little Rock galleries.

The hot weather seems to have broken just in time for North Little Rock’s after-hours gallery stroll, which this Friday features illustrations and dogthemed and abstract art at galleries within walking distance of each other.

The “Dog Days” exhibit at Mugs Cafe, 515 Main St., features canine-themed paintings, drawings and prints by Fran

Austin, Tanya Hollifield and Debilynn Fendley. (The exhibit name refers to the time of year, we guess, not the town’s old nickname, though several Argenta events have turned that old slander on its head by celebrating man’s best friend.)

The Thea Foundation, 401 Main St., is exhibiting illustrations by Sally Nixon in a show that’s part of its Art Department series, featuring works by emerging professionals. Greg Thompson Fine Art, 429 Main St., continues its show “Southern Abstraction,” featuring work by Dusti Bonge, Ida Kohlmeyer, Andrew Bucci,

Wolf Kahn, Sammy Peters, Robyn Horn, James Hendricks, Pinkney Herbert and Gay Bechtelheimer (through Sept. 12).

There’s more Southern abstraction at the Laman Library Argenta Branch gallery, 420 Main St., which is partnering with Boswell-Mourot Fine Art to host the exhibition “Windows Within: The Art of Elizabeth Weber.” Off the beaten path but always worth the detour is Art Connection, 204 E. Fourth St., where the teen members of the arts-related leadership program exhibit their work.

LNP

SATURDAY 8/22

‘ROAR’

8 p.m. Ron Robinson Theater. $5.

MAN OF STEEL: Hank Williams Jr. performs at the Walmart AMP 7:30 p.m. Saturday, $40.

SATURDAY 8/22

HANK WILLIAMS JR.

7:30 p.m. Walmart AMP, Rogers. $40.

In 1975, Hank Williams Jr. slipped off a mountain in Montana called Ajax Peak and fell 500 feet to the rocks below. The only son of country legend Hank Williams — who died when Junior was 3, and who had once sung “My son calls another man daddy/He’ll ne’er know my name nor my face” — Williams Jr. had enacted the ultimate Freudian fantasy in attaching himself to his father’s legacy and very explicitly stepping into his role. His first recording, in 1964, was one of his dad’s, the surprisingly upbeat “Long Gone Lonesome Blues.” That same year he lent his vocals to the Hank Williams biopic, “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” literally displacing his father’s voice. He became his father, or tried to. We’ve become so

used to his presence in music that the poignant strangeness of these gestures has been lost — his closest cultural analogues in this respect are probably Dale Earnhardt Jr. and George W. Bush.

Men who never rejected their upbringings, who decided their fathers had it right and that they’d like to have it the same way. In photographs of the younger Williams Jr., the resemblance to his father is striking (the cover of his album “Country Shadows” is downright ghostly). But then came the accident in Montana. The fall was severe, near-fatal, disfiguring. To hide his scars, Williams Jr. grew a beard. A beard he would never shave — it became the centerpiece of a new persona, one he’d outline on later songs like “Man of Steel.”

“I kinda toughed up and learned not to feel,” he sang on that song. “They started calling me the man of steel.” WS

Alfred Hitchcock “discovered” Tippi Hedren in a commercial for a long-sincedefunct diet drink called Sego, which came on television one morning while he was watching “The Today Show.” She had something, he thought, and so he cast her in “The Birds” — in hindsight, one of the director’s strangest and bleakest films. “She displayed jaunty assuredness, pertness, an attractive throw of the head,” he later said of her performance. In the mid-’70s, the actress began to find Hitchcock “too possessive and too demanding” (and too lecherous), which led to a falling out. Her next big role, however, was a return to the animal epic format of her breakthrough: the long-forgotten 1981 thriller “Roar,” at once a disaster film and a disastrous one. Costarring hundreds of lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs, the film resulted in an unusually large number of injuries on the part of the production team, inspiring one of the great advertising taglines in movies: “No animals were harmed in the making of this movie,” the slogan went. “70 members of the cast and crew were.” The cinematographer was scalped by a lion (and received 220 stitches). Co-star Noel Marshall was clawed by a cheetah and attacked so repeatedly that he developed gangrene. Hedren herself fractured a leg, badly wounded her head, was bucked by an elephant and bitten in the neck by a lion. The film bombed fantastically. Hedren later wrote that she’d hoped it would “show the possibilities of human-big cat relationships,” which it presumably did: The actress went on to start a successful big cat sanctuary 40 miles outside of Los Angeles. WS

THURSDAY 8/20 Comedian John Wesley Austin is at the Loony Bin at 7:30 p.m., $7 (and at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $10). Bill Mize performs at The Joint as part of the venue’s Argenta Arts Acoustic Music Series, 7:30 p.m., $20. Destroyer of Light plays at Vino’s with God Hunter, Apothecary and Construction of Light, 8 p.m. Post-punk cowboys The Frontier Circus (above) play at the White Water Tavern with Steve Howell and The Mighty Men, 9:30 p.m., $5.

FRIDAY 8/21 Singer-songwriters and Arkansas natives Barrett Baber and Adam Hambrick perform at Stickyz, 9 p.m., $10. Nashville punk band Diarrhea Planet returns to Revolution with locals Bombay Harambee and Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. Big Silver, fronted by Little Rock’s Isaac Alexander, performs at White Water, 9:30 p.m. Sway hosts Gaga Ball, a night of live music and drag performances featuring Rhiannon Cortez and more, with opening acts at 9 p.m. and the ball at 11:30 p.m.

SATURDAY 8/22 Before the screening of “Roar,” the Ron Robinson Theater will show the classic, psychedelic, kid-friendly wish-fulfillment epic “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” 2 p.m., $5. “Richard III: A Crown of Roses, A Crown of Thorns,” a new opera, with libretto and music by Karen Griebling, plays at Christ Episcopal Church, 7:30 p.m., free. Mulehead performs at White Water Tavern at 9 p.m.

Local indie-pop group Canopy Climbers performs at Juanita’s at 9 p.m., $8. The Death of Michael Goodrich plays at Vino’s with John McIntryre and Gentleman Firesnake and Brian Nahlen, Vino’s, 8 p.m. Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat are at Stickyz with Steve Hester and Deja Voodoo, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of.

WENDESDAY 8/2 Girish Shambu, the influential film blogger, critic and historian, will give a lecture, “The Practice of Cinephilia,” at Hendrix College’s Mills B, 4:15 p.m. North Carolina metal group He Is Legend plays at Revolution with Sleepwave, 8:30 p.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. Joey Kneiser and Kelly Smith of Glossary perform at White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. www.arktimes.com

AUGUST 20, 2015

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AFTER DARK All events are in the Greater Little Rock area unless otherwise noted. To place an event in the Arkansas Times calendar, please email the listing and all pertinent information, including date, time, location, price and contact information, to calendar@arktimes.com.

THURSDAY, AUG. 20

MUSIC

Ace’s Wild (headliner), Parker Francis (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

Arkansas River Blues Society Thursday Jam. Revolution, 7 p.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/ new.

Bill Mize. The Joint, 7:30 p.m., $20. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

Chris Long. Kent Walker Artisan Cheese, 6 p.m. 1515 E. 4th St. 501-301-4963. www.kentwalkercheese.com.

Destroyer of Light, God Hunter, Apothecary, Construction of Light. Vino’s, 8 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

The Frontier Circus, Steve Howell and the Mighty Men. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

“Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m.

Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Open Jam. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994.

RockUsaurus. Senor Tequila, 7-9 p.m. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-224-5505.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com.

COMEDY

John Wesley Austin. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $7. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-2285555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Antique/Boutique Walk. Shopping and live entertainment. Downtown Hot Springs, third Thursday of every month, 4 p.m., free. 100 Central Ave., Hot Springs.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Verizon Arena, $21-$51. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com.

FILM

Arkansas Times Film Series: “Hands on a Hard Body.” Ron Robinson Theater, 7 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ ron-robinson-theater.aspx.

POETRY

POETluck. Literary salon and potluck. The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow, third Thursday of every 72

AUGUST 20, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

NASHVILLE CATS: Punk band Diarrhea Planet returns to Revolution with locals Bombay Harambee and Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth at 9 p.m. Friday, $10 adv., $12 day of. month, 6 p.m. 515 Spring St., Eureka Springs.

479-253-7444.

FRIDAY, AUG. 21

MUSIC

All In Fridays. Club Elevations. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317.

Barrett Baber, Adam Hambrick. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $10. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com.

Big Silver. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Diarrhea Planet, Bombay Harambee, Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/ new.

Efren G and the Earthtones. Kent Walker Artisan Cheese, 7 p.m. 1515 E. 4th St. 501-301-4963. www.kentwalkercheese.com.

Gaga Ball. Featuring Rhiannon Cortez and more.

Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Route 66. Agora Conference and Special Event Center, 6:30 p.m., $5. 705 E. Siebenmorgan, Conway.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com.

Third Degree. Cajun’s Wharf, 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Upscale Friday. IV Corners, 7 p.m. 824 W. Capitol Ave.

COMEDY

“HOGNADO!” An original production by The

Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

John Wesley Austin. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

Contra Dance. Park Hill Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m., $5. 3520 JFK Blvd., NLR. arkansascountrydance.org.

“Salsa Night.” Begins with a one-hour salsa lesson. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

Fantastic Friday. Literary and music event, refreshments included. For reservations, call 479-968-2452 or email artscenter@centurytel. net. River Valley Arts Center, Every third Friday, 7 p.m., $10 suggested donation. 1001 E. B St., Russellville. 479-968-2452. www.arvartscenter.org.

LGBTQ/SGL weekly meeting. Diverse Youth for Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and straight ally youth and young adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 501-2449690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. LGBTQ/ SGL Youth and Young Adult Group, 6:30 p.m.

800 Scott St. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Verizon Arena, through Aug. 23, $21-$51. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com.

SATURDAY, AUG. 22

MUSIC

Al White. Kent Walker Artisan Cheese, 4 p.m. 1515 E. 4th St. 501-301-4963. www.kentwalkercheese.com.

Canopy Climbers. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com.

The Death of Michael Goodrich, John McIntyre and Gentleman Firesnake, Brian Nahlen.

Vino’s, 8 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www. vinosbrewpub.com.

Hank Williams Jr., 38 Special, Whiskey Myers.

Walmart AMP, 7:30 p.m., $41. 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. 479-443-5600. www.arkansasmusicpavilion.com.

Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat, Steve Hester and Deja Voodoo. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com.

Katie Johnson. Patio Stage. Juanita’s, 6 p.m., free. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

K.I.S.S. Saturdays. Featuring DJ Silky Slim. Dress code enforced. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana.

501-492-9802.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Mulehead. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Pickin’ Porch. Bring your instrument. All ages welcome. Faulkner County Library, 9:30 a.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org.

QAR (headliner), Greg Madden (happy hour).

Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

“Richard III: A Crown of Roses, A Crown of Thorns.” A new local opera, with libretto and music by Karen Griebling. Christ Episcopal Church, 7:30 p.m., free. 509 Scott St. 501-3752342.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com.

COMEDY

“HOGNADO!” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

John Wesley Austin. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell and Cedar Hill Roads.

Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Historic Neighborhoods Tour. Bike tour of historic neighborhoods includes bike, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 9 a.m., $8-$28. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001.

Little Rock Farmers’ Market. River Market pavilions, 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info.

Pork & Bourbon Tour. Bike tour includes bicycle, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 11:30 a.m., $35-$45. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Verizon Arena, through Aug. 23, $21-$51. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com.

FILM

“Roar.” Ron Robinson Theater, 8 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ron-rob-

inson-theater.aspx.

“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Ron Robinson Theater, 2 p.m., $5. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ron-robinsontheater.aspx.

BENEFITS

Pancake Fundraiser. Benefit for Alzheimer’s Arkansas. Applebee’s (West LR), 8 a.m. 12110 Chenal Parkway. 501-954-8444. www.applebees.com.

SUNDAY, AUG. 23

MUSIC

Advocate of Ruin, All is at an End. Vino’s, 7 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road.

501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

EVENTS

Artist for Recovery. A secular recovery group for people with addictions. Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 10 a.m. 1601 S. Louisiana.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Verizon Arena, $21-$51. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com.

MONDAY, AUG. 24

MUSIC

Alvin Fielder Quartet. South on Main, 8 p.m., $5.

1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Monday Night Jazz. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

On An On, Dosh and Eliot Sumner. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8:30 p.m., $8 adv., $10 day of. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com.

Open Mic. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 8 p.m. 320 W. 7th St. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

EVENTS

“Jazz: Integrated Art in Segregated America.”

A panel on jazz featuring bassist Bill Huntington, drummer Alvin Fielder, singer Irene Crutchfield, bassist London Branch and Dr. Jackie Lamar, Professor of Saxophone at University of Central Arkansas. South on Main, 6 p.m. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com.

TUESDAY, AUG. 25

MUSIC

Gemini Syndrome. Juanita’s, 8 p.m., $10. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com.

Jeff Ling. Khalil’s Pub, 6 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu.

Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Music Jam. Hosted by Elliott Griffen and Joseph Fuller. The Joint, 8-11 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

Open Turntables with Mike Poe. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton.

Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

COMEDY

Stand-Up Tuesday. Hosted by Adam Hogg. The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

DANCE

“Latin Night.” Juanita’s, 7:30 p.m., $7. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd. com/stores/littlerock.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 26

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com.

Drageoke with Chi Chi Valdez. Sway. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

He Is Legend, Sleepwave. Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www.rumbarevolution.com/new.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Joey Kneiser and Kelly Smith (of Glossary).

White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Marcella & Her Lovers. South on Main, 7:30 p.m., free. 1304 Main St. 501-244-9660. southonmain.com.

Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $7. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

DANCE

Little Rock Bop Club. Beginning dance lessons for ages 10 and older. Singles welcome. Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 7 p.m., $4 for members, $7 for guests. 12th and Cleveland streets. 501-350-4712. www.littlerockbopclub.

POETRY

Wednesday Night Poetry. 21-and-older show.

Maxine’s, 7 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909. maxineslive.com/shows. html.

ARTS

THEATER

“Hairspray.” Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through Aug. 29: Sun., 11 a.m.; Tue.-Sun., 6 p.m., $34$36. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-562-3131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com.

NEW GALLERY EXHIBITS, EVENTS New shows in bold-face ARGENTA BRANCH LIBRARY GALLERY, 420 Main St.: “Windows Within: The Art of Elizabeth Weber,” reception 5-8 p.m. Aug. 21, Argenta ArtWalk, show through Sept. 11. 6640030.

ART CONNECTION, 204 E. Fourth St.: Artwork by teen members of leadership program, reception 5-8 p.m. Aug. 21, Argenta ArtWalk. 3197905.

ART GROUP GALLERY. 11525 Cantrell Road: Paintings by Doug Gorrell, Aug. 20-23, reception 5:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 20. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.Sat., 1-6 p.m. Sun. 501-690-2193.

GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Southern Abstraction,” work by Dusti Bongé, Ida Kohlmeyer, Andrew Bucci, Wolf Kahn, Sammy Peters, Robyn Horn, James Hendricks, Pinkney Herbert and Gay Bechtelheimer, through Sept. 12, reception 5-8 p.m. Aug. 21, Argenta ArtWalk. 664-2787.

L&L BECK ART GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Impersonating the Impressionists,” through August, free giclee drawing 7 p.m. Aug. 20.

660-4006.

LAMAN LIBRARY ARGENTA BRANCH, 420 Main St.: “Windows Within: The Art of Elizabeth Weber,” opens with reception 5-8 p.m.

Aug. 21, Argenta ArtWalk, show through Sept. 11. 665-0030.

MUGS CAFE, 515 Main St., NLR: “Dog Days,” dog art by Tanya Holifield, Debilynn Fendley and Fran Austin, reception 5-8 p.m. Aug. 21, Argenta ArtWalk. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 960-9524.

THEA FOUNDATION, 401 Main St., NLR: Illustrations by Sally Nixon, part of The Art Department series, through August, reception 5-8 p.m. Aug. 21, Argenta ArtWalk. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. 379-9512.

BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, One Museum Way: “Jamie Wyeth,” retrospective of the artist’s career over 60 years from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through Oct. 5; “Warhol’s Nature,” from the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, through Oct. 5, $4; “Spotlight Lecture: Nature Material and Andy Warhol,” by Michael McClure, 7 p.m. Aug. 21; “American Encounters: The Simple Pleasures of Still Life,” 10 still-life paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries from the High Museum, the Terra Foundation, the Louvre and the Crystal Bridges collection, through Sept. 14; “Fish Stories: Early Images of American Game Fish,” 20 color plates based on the original watercolors by sporting artist Samuel Kilbourne, through Sept. 21; American masterworks spanning four centuries. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Thu.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed., Fri.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun., closed Tue. 479418-5700.

FIVE CHOREOGRAPHERS–

ONE WINNER!

PRESENTS

WORKS FROM OUR 2015 CHOREOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

AUGUST 22, 7 PM UALR CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

FOR TICKETS

BALLETARKANSAS.ORG 5 0 1 .2 2 3 .5 1 5 0 www.arktimes.com

AUGUST 20, 2015

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Dining

Information in our restaurant capsules reflects the opinions of the newspaper staff and its reviewers. The newspaper accepts no advertising or other considerations in exchange for reviews, which are conducted anonymously. We invite the opinions of readers who think we are in error.

B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner $ Inexpensive (under $8/person) $$ Moderate ($8-$20/person) $$$ Expensive (over $20/person) CC Accepts credit cards

BELLY UP Check out the Times’ food blog, Eat Arkansas arktimes.com

WHAT’S COOKIN’

EJ’s Eats and Drinks

RESTAURANT DELIVERY SERVICE Chef Shuttle continues its march across the state with an expanded presence in Northwest Arkansas. The company announced Aug. 12 that it would extend delivery services to Farmington, Fayetteville and Springdale, with around a dozen restaurants participating so far.

As part of Little Rock Restaurant Month, Chef Shuttle is offering free delivery to Little Rock-area diners who use the code “RestMonth” when ordering.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA-BASED brewpub chain BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse has announced that its second Arkansas location will open Aug. 24 in McCain Mall. The new restaurant will join BJ’s location at 2624 S. Shackleford Road, and hours will be 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The brewpub serves up an eclectic menu of deep-dish pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and more along with a selection of signature house brews. Call 501-502-0300 or check bjsrestaurants.com for more details.

DINING CAPSULES

AMERICAN

APPLE SPICE JUNCTION A chain sandwich and salad spot with sit-down lunch space and a vibrant box lunch catering business. With a wide range of options and quick service. Order online via applespice.com. 2000 S. University Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-663-7008. L Mon.-Fri. (10 a.m.-3 p.m.).

BONEFISH GRILL A half-dozen or more types of fresh fish filets are offered daily at this upscale chain. 11525 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$$.

501-228-0356. D Mon.-Fri., LD Sat-Sun. BUFFALO WILD WINGS A sports bar on steroids with numerous humongous TVs and a menu full of thirst-inducing items. The wings, which can be slathered with one of 14 sauces, are the starring attraction and will undoubtedly have fans. 14800 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-868-5279. LD daily.

BY THE GLASS A broad but not ridiculously large wine list is studded with interesting, diverse selections, and prices are uniformly reasonable. The food focus is on high-end items that pair well with wine — olives, hummus, cheese, bread, and some meats and sausages.

Happy hour daily from 4-6 p.m. 5713 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-663-9463.

D Mon.-Sat. CAPITOL BISTRO Serving breakfast and lunch items, including quiche, sandwiches, coffees and the like. 1401 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-371-9575. BL Mon.-Fri. CRAZEE’S COOL CAFE Good burgers, daily plate specials and bar food amid pool tables and TVs. 7626 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. 74

AUGUST 20, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

523 Center St. 666-3700 www.ejslittlerock.com

QUICK BITE EJ’s has a great weekday happy hour with a relatively small but loyal gang of regulars. Drink prices are even better than usual, and the late afternoon light makes it a pleasant place to hang out.

HOURS 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sunday.

OTHER INFO Full bar, all credit cards accepted.

TRYING BRUNCH: EJ’s Benedict Florentine Toasted English muffin topped with bacon, tomato, spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise.

Mostly loving EJ’s Despite brunch bummer, we’re sold.

W

e love many things about EJ’s.

First, we admire its commitment to downtown eating and drinking as more than just a lunchtime pursuit. At Sixth and Center streets, EJ’s is not near the River Market hustle and bustle, but it still offers happy hour and dinner hours on weekdays, a fullday opportunity on Saturday and 10 am. to 2 p.m. Sunday brunch hours.

Second, the staff is friendly and the place has a pleasant, low-key vibe, even when its 25 tables are packed — as they are most weekday lunches.

Third, the menu is large and has something for almost everyone, most notably its collection of huge sandwiches and baskets of crunchy, not greasy, homemade potato chips.

The fact we love EJ’s is why we regret to say our most recent Sunday brunch there was disappointing. The yolks of the poached eggs on the Irish Benedict ($8.95), which subs corned beef hash for

Canadian bacon, were hard-boiled. We should have sent the dish back, but we almost never do that. A friend had the full order of corned beef hash ($8.95), and the fried egg atop his bounteous mix of salty, diced corned beef and cubed potatoes was past medium instead of over easy as ordered, and that compromised the egg’s intended role in the dish.

There are lunch-menu items available at brunch, including soup. The beer cheese offering ($3.95 for a cup, $5.25 for a bowl) was thick and flavorful, but the experience was almost like eating cheese dip with a spoon.

EJ’s gives you a quarter of a whole homemade quiche with a nice mix of fresh fruit for $8.95, a good deal, but its quiche is different in texture than most.

It’s thicker and denser with more cheese and is less eggy.

There were some brunch high points, and let’s start with the highest: the mimosa deal. EJ’s provides a bottle of

Wycliff sparkling wine and a carafe of orange juice for $9, meaning each standard-size mimosa checks in at less than $2. Try finding that deal anywhere else.

We also really enjoyed the biscuits and gravy ($6.95), which fills a standard dinner plate with two dense homemade biscuits split and topped with plenty of tasty, sausage-rich gravy; the accompanying cheese grits are indeed grits with cheese folded in vs. the cheese grits casserole many places serve and which we prefer.

The California turkey ($8.50 with chips) features plenty of good deli turkey topped with avocado, Monterey Jack, sprouts, lettuce, tomato and cream cheese. It brought us back around to what we first loved about EJ’s: those fabulous sandwiches.

And that experience sent us back for lunch a few days later. Our pepper jack chicken soup was creamy and the spicy pepper jack flavor really came through.

There were just as many potato hunks as chicken hunks, and it was a hearty, filling soup. The large Philly cheese steak ($9.95 with chips) was easily enough for two. Fact is, no Philly outside the Northeast U.S. stands up well compared to the original, but this is a decent representation — plentiful tender ribeye topped with a mixture of sauteed onions and red bell peppers with a slice of provolone.

But it was a bit dry and could have used more cheese and onions/peppers to goo things up a bit.

But know this: One bummer brunch won’t launch us from the EJ’s brunch bandwagon’s ejector seat. No matter how the eggs turn out next time, the $9 mimosa hookup is foolproof.

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. $-$$. 501-221-9696. LD Mon.-Sat. DOE’S EAT PLACE A skid-row dive turned power brokers’ watering hole with huge steaks, great tamales and broiled shrimp, and killer burgers at lunch. 1023 W. Markham St. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-1195. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. FLYING FISH The fried seafood is fresh and crunchy and there are plenty of raw, boiled and grilled offerings, too. The hamburgers are a hit, too. It’s counter service; wander on through the screen door and you’ll find a slick team of cooks and servers doing a creditable job of serving big crowds. 511 President Clinton Ave. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-375-3474. LD daily.

GREEN LEAF GRILL Cafeteria on the ground floor of the Blue Cross-Blue Shield building has healthy entrees. 601 S. Gaines. No alcohol, CC. 501-378-2521.

HOMER’S Great vegetables, huge yeast rolls and killer cobblers. Follow the mobs. 2001 E. Roosevelt Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$.

501-374-1400. BL Mon.-Fri. 9700 N Rodney Parham. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-224-6637. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. J. GUMBO’S Fast-casual Cajun fare served, primarily, in a bowl. Better than expected. 12911 Cantrell Road. Beer, all CC. $-$$. 501-916-9635.

LD daily.

K. HALL AND SONS Neighborhood grocery store with excellent lunch counter. The cheeseburger is hard to beat. 1900 Wright Ave. No alcohol, CC. $. 501-372-1513. BLD Mon.-Sat. (closes at 6 p.m.), BL Sun. LOBLOLLY CREAMERY Small batch artisan ice cream and sweet treats company that operates a soda fountain inside The Green Corner Store.

1423 Main St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-3969609. LD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. LULAV A MODERN EATERY Bistro-style menu of American favorites broken down by expensive to affordable plates, and strong wine list, also group-priced to your liking. Great filet.

Don’t miss the chicken and waffles. 220 W. 6th St. Full bar, CC. $$$. 501-374-5100. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. NEXT BISTRO AND BAR Live music, on the outdoor patio in nice weather, bar with specialty drinks like cheesecake shots, strawberry fizz martinis. No cover. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501-663-6398.

PANERA BREAD This bakery/cafe serves freshly-baked breads, bagels and pastries every morning as well as a full line of espresso beverages. Panera also offers a full menu of sandwiches, hand-tossed salads and hearty soups. 314 S. University. 501-664-6878. BLD daily. 11525 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-227-0222. BLD daily. 1050 Ellis Ave. Conway. 501-764-1623 10701 Kanis Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-954-7773. BLD daily.

RACK’UM SPORTS BAR AND GRILL 2817 Cantrell Road. 501-603-0066.

SANDY’S HOMEPLACE CAFE Specializing in home-style buffet, with two meats and seven vegetables to choose from. It’s all-you-can-eat.

1710 E 15th St. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-3753216. L Mon.-Fri. SHORTY SMALL’S Land of big, juicy burgers, massive cheese logs, smoky barbecue platters and the signature onion loaf. 11100 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-224-3344.

LD daily.

STAGECOACH GROCERY AND DELI Fine po’ boys and muffalettas — and cheap. 6024 Stagecoach Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$.

501-455-7676. BLD Mon.-Fri., BL Sat.-Sun. WHICH WICH AT CHENAL Sandwiches in three sizes, plus cookies and milkshakes, online

or faxed (501-312-9435) ordering available.

Also at 2607 McCain Blvd., 501-771-9424, fax 501-771-4329. 12800 Chenal Parkway, Suite 10.

No alcohol. 312-9424.

ASIAN

A.W. LIN’S ASIAN CUISINE Excellent pan-Asian with wonderful service. 17717 Chenal Parkway H101. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-5398. LD daily.

HANAROO SUSHI BAR One of the few spots in downtown Little Rock to serve sushi. With an expansive menu, featuring largely Japanese fare.

Try the popular Tuna Tatari bento box. 205 W. Capitol Ave. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-3017900. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat. NEW CHINA A burgeoning line of massive buffets, with hibachi grill, sushi, mounds of Chinese food and soft serve ice cream. 4617 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-753-8988.

LD daily. 2104 Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-764-1888. LD Mon.-Sun.

BARBECUE

CHIP’S BARBECUE Tasty, if a little pricey, barbecue piled high on sandwiches generously doused with the original tangy sauce or one of five other sauces. Better known for the incredible family recipe pies and cheesecakes, which come tall and wide. 9801 W. Markham St. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-225-4346. LD Mon.-Sat.

CATFISH

SWEET SOUL Southern classics by the proprietors of the late, great Haystack Cafe in Ferndale: Chicken fried steak (just about perfect), catfish, collards, cornbread, blackeyed peas and fried chicken. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, all CC. 501-374-7685.

L Mon.-Fri.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

ANATOLIA RESTAURANT Middle of the road Mediterranean fare. 315 N. Bowman Road. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-219-9090. LD Mon.-Sat. LAYLA’S GYROS AND PIZZERIA Delicious Mediterranean fare — gyros, falafel, shawarma,

THE EVERYDAY SOMMELIER Your friendly neighborhood wine shop. #theeverydaysommelier

RAMEY RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2012 ELSEWHERE $39.99 - SPECIAL $29.99 The 2012 Chardonnay Russian River reveals beautiful notes of wet pebbles, white peach, delicate pineapple and caramelized citrus. Medium to fullbodied and pure, it is a delicious back to school wine at a great price.

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BEST LIQUOR STORE Rahling Road @ Chenal Parkway • 501.821.4669 • olooneys@aristotle.net • www.olooneys.com

kabobs, hummus and babaganush — that has a devoted following. All meat is slaughtered according to Islamic dietary law. 9501 N Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$.

501-227-7272. LD daily (close 5 p.m. on Sun.) 6100 Stones Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$.

501-868-8226. LD Mon.-Sat. MYLO COFFEE CO. Bakery with a vast assortment of hand-made pastries, house roasted coffee and an ice cream counter. Soups and sandwiches, too. 2715 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-747-1880. BLD Tue.-Sun.

ITALIAN

CAFE PREGO Dependable entrees of pasta, pork, seafood, steak and the like, plus great sauces, fresh mixed greens and delicious dressings, crisp-crunchy-cold gazpacho and tempting desserts in a comfy bistro setting. Little Rock standard for 18 years. 5510 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5355. LD Mon.- Fri, D Sat. MELLOW MUSHROOM Popular high-end pizza chain. 16103 Chenal Pkwy. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-379-9157. LD daily.

ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL A chain restaurant with a large menu of pasta, chicken, beef, fish, unusual dishes like Italian nachos, and special dishes with a corporate bent. 11100 W Markham St. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-2213150. LD daily.

LATINO

BAJA GRILL Food truck turned brick-and-mortar taco joint that serves a unique Mexi-Cali style menu full of tacos, burritos and quesadillas.

5923 Kavanaugh Blvd. CC. $-$$. 501-722-8920.

LD Mon.-Sat. COTIJA’S A branch off the famed La Hacienda family tree downtown, with a massive menu of tasty lunch and dinner specials, the familiar white cheese dip and sweet red and fieryhot green salsas, and friendly service. 406 S. Louisiana St. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-244-0733.

L Mon.-Fri. EL CHICO Hearty, standard Mexican served in huge portions. 8409 Interstate 30. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-562-3762. LD daily.

FONDA MEXICAN CUISINE Authentic Mex in a neighborhood not known for that. The guisado (Mexican stew) is excellent. 400 N. Bowman Road. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-3134120. LD Tue.-Sun. HEIGHTS TACO & TAMALE CO. Throwback Southern-style tamales, taco plates, enchiladas and more, all doused with a generous helping of cheese and chili. Hits just the right balance between nostalgia and fresh flavors.

5805 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, all CC. $-$$.

501-313-4848. LD daily.

LOS TORITOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT Mexican fare in East End. 1022 Angel Court.

No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-261-7823. LD daily.

RIVIERIA MAYA Tasty, cheap Mexican food.

Try the Enchiladas con Chorizo. Lunch special fajitas are fantastic. 801 Fair Park Blvd. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 663-4800. LD daily.

SENOR TEQUILA Cheap, serviceable Tex-Mex, and maybe the best margarita in town. 2000 S. University Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-6604413. LD daily.

TAQUERIA KARINA AND CAFE A real Mexican neighborhood cantina from the owners, to freshly baked pan dulce, to Mexicanbottled Cokes, to first-rate guacamole, to inexpensive tacos, burritos, quesadillas and a broad selection of Mexican-style seafood. 5309 W. 65th St. Beer, No CC. $. 501-562-3951. BLD daily. www.arktimes.com

AUGUST 20, 2015

75

MOVIE REVIEW

FULL ON SLEAZEBALL MODE: Kevin Bacon in “Cop Car.”

‘Cop Car’ stars kids, isn’t for kids A Kevin Bacon vehicle

BY DAVID KOON

S

o there you are, summer winding down, trying to find a movie you can take the kiddies to, when you see the description of a film called “Cop Car.” The following is an actual synopsis found online: “A pair of 10-year-olds find an abandoned cop car in a field. When they take it for a joyride, it seems like they could kill themselves at any moment. But things only get worse when the small town sheriff goes looking for his missing car.

The kids find themselves in the center of a deadly game of cat-and-mouse they don’t understand, and the only way out is to go as fast as their cop car can take them.”

“That,” you might say, “sounds like perfect family viewing! Two loveable scamps on a vehicular romp with a bumbling Buford T. Justice in hot pursuit!” Sure, it’s got the word “deadly” in there. But it’s two 10-year-olds driving a 3,500-pound police cruiser. That’s deadly, right?

So off to the movies you and your kids will go, where you’ll find, instead, an R-rated murderfest in which Kevin Bacon, in full-on sleazeball, stainedundershirt, pornstache mode, relentlessly pursues said loveable scamps to (SPOILER ALERT) a Hamlet-esque slaughter in which nearly everybody in the movie ends up dead, including a cow.

Didn’t see that one coming, did ya?

All that said, unless you wander into this thing expecting some googlyeye anthropomorphic-automobile eye candy starring a sedan named Officer Buick, you’ll likely find “Cop Car” to be at least a somewhat compelling film, featuring an interesting collision of childhood innocence and all-too-adult depravity.

It’s a movie that — like everything from “Stand By Me” to “Night of the Hunter” to “Mud” — understands that childhood is often about the process of learning that summer doesn’t last forever, and neither

do we.

James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford star as Travis and Harrison, respectively, two 10-year-olds who have lit out for the territories from their lessthan-ideal homes, trekking across the ugliest part of Colorado toward God knows what end (while we never know exactly what they’re running from, the fact that nobody ever apparently alerts the cops to the fact that they’re missing for over 24 hours probably tells you something).

In a tree line at the edge of the windswept prairie wastes, they come upon a sheriff’s cruiser parked in the middle of all that nothing. It’s only after they’ve found the keys under the sun visor, figured out the wide pedal and the long skinny one, and taken off that we see why the car was there, by way of a (somewhat clumsily executed) flashback: Sheriff Kretzer (Kevin Bacon), calmly stripping out of his duty uniform before rolling a dead body out of the trunk and dragging it into the bushes. What Kretzer DIDN’T remove from the trunk, and why it’s there, sets him off in pursuit of the two boys, with the sheriff desperately trying to find them and the car before his department does.

The issue with kid-centric movies, other than most of them being saccharine enough to cause cancer in rats, is that many filmmakers clearly don’t get the psychology of kids, especially those on the cusp of puberty. Kids may be playful and imaginative, but they’re not small, very stupid, slightly insane adults who exist in some kind of dreamlike, nearhallucinatory twilight between reality and imagination. While a lot of filmmakers wind up depicting kids that way, the best films understand that once a child reaches a certain age — an age that isn’t as old as you might think — he or she knows that there is a time to play and a

time to be serious.

Travis and Harrison seem to fall into the “small, stupid, slightly insane adult” pitfall fairly often early on in the film.

As the tension and danger rises, however, their characters both pick up a nice edge of maturity, and that’s very welcome. They’re rough as actors, but surprisingly good, especially Wellford. Too, they play well off of Bacon, who avoids the “Scumbag Cop” stereotype so well that he actually manages evoke a little sympathy at times.

Overall, “Cop Car,” while not a per-

fect film, was a surprising one. If nothing else, it shows the power of a simple, MacGuffin-led storyline in which everybody wants the same object and some are willing to kill to get it. Too, it shows that a movie about kids doesn’t have to be about mermaids and unicorns and shit. As much as some adults try to protect them from the harsher facets of life, kids live right alongside us in the cold, hard world.

Often, they’re forced to deal with cold, hard problems. It’s good that at least some of cinema reflects that reality.

DUMAS, CONT. when Obamacare kicked in and poor workers in half the states, including Arkansas, gained medical help through Medicaid. In the first two quarters of this year alone, 202,486 left disability rolls.

The year 2034 is now the date Social Security retirement fund will be exhausted and Social Security payments will have to be reduced or new taxes levied. But we have been there before, in 1982. President Reagan proposed slashing benefits for early retirees, but the Senate voted 96 to 1 against him. Then Reagan rode to the rescue with a big package of tax increases. His statement at the 1983 bill signing resounds across time:

“This bill demonstrates for all time our nation’s ironclad commitment to Social Security.”

All it takes is another Reagan, or another Eisenhower.

Remember Ike’s lecture to his brother Edgar, who had complained that the first Republican president since Hoover had not vindicated his party and dismantled Social Security: “Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history.” Those who seek to do that, Ike said, are few and “stupid.”

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AUGUST 20, 2015

ARKANSAS TIMES

stylesheet

by

SEPTEMBER EDITION

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77

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE, CONT. Bill Kopsky, an LRSD parent and the executive director of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, a grassroots progressive lobbying group, agreed. (Kopsky is also an occasional columnist for the Times.)

Though he believes the takeover was wrong, he said, “I think that if the public school community remains divided and sort of disenchanted, then that makes room for people … who have a set of ideologically driven strategies. … The only way to push back against privatization is to make public education work.

“It’s true that school policy in this district has been controlled by an elite few

for a very long time, and that elite few have not served the district well. We do have more segregation now, and we have neighborhoods that have been abandoned.

That’s the kind of thing that raises distrust.

But most of the parents I talk to — they don’t care about who’s in control of what.

They want a good education for their kids.

“If you get enough people of good will to buy in, if you get to rank-and-file people in the city, I think you can work past all of those problems. … There are too many players on the field to see this as a zerosum game.”

PEARLS ABOUT SWINE, CONT.

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Take a piece of home with you as you go off to school with this one-of-a-kind custom, stamped charm. Whether it is your school name, sorority, home town or your monogram, Brandy with Bella Vita Jewelry has you covered! There are lots of new fall arrivals too, so be sure to shop the boutique for all of your back to school accessory needs. *Customization available BELLA VITA JEWELRY 523 South Louisiana St, Suite 175 (inside Historic Lafayette Building) 479.200.1824 bellavitajewelry.net

festive atmosphere at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, and after the Hogs break off two long scoring plays in the opening quarter (Allen to Jeremy Sprinkle for six, and Alex Collins going to the house on the next play from scrimmage), it essentially becomes a very early party for the home squad. Allen gets the Crip Hall Award after an abbreviated but highly productive half of football in which he throws for 200-plus yards and

three touchdowns, and Arkansas ends a rugged fall slate at 7-1, 3-1, and in the proverbial driver’s seat for the division crown if it can bust through a pretty vicious November. Hogs 56, Skyhawks 17.

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ARKANSAS TIMES

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