Arkansas Times - August 24, 2017 by Arkansas Times

CO Af LL te EG rP E ag GU e ID 20 E

NEWS + POLITICS + ENTERTAINMENT + FOOD / AUGUST 24, 2017 / ARKTIMES.COM

W H AT E V E R I T TA K E S M A R K M c L A RT Y F O R D

WILL DO THE DEAL

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES

MarkMcLartyFord.com

RIVERDALE 10 VIP CINEMA 2600 CANTRELL RD 5 0 1 . 2 9 6.9 955 | R I V E R DA LE1 0.CO M

ARKANSAS’S SOURCE FOR NEWS, POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT

ELECTRIC RECLINER SEATS AND RESERVED SEATING

201 East Markham Street, Suite 200 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

SHOW TIMES: FRI, AUG 25 – TUE, AUG 29

@ArkTimes

arktimes

arkansastimes

oldarktimes

youtube.com/c/arktimes

W: arktimes.com E: arktimes@arktimes.com

WE SPECIALIZE IN HUMAN CAPITAL ASAP offers staffing solutions to clients looking for a consistent and competent workforce. Our approach to staffing is much more than placement, it’s a partnership that thrives on mutually beneficial results. We are intimately connected with our clients and fully understand the industries we serve. Our goal is to create a mutually beneficial long-term relationship that results in increased profitability and employee loyalty.

WIND RIVER

R | 2:00 4:05 7:00 9:30

ANNABELLE: CREATION

BRIGSBY BEAR

R | 2:00 4:20 7:15 9:35

GLASS CASTLE

PG-13 | 2:00 4:15 7:00 9:20

PG-13 | 1:45 4:15 6:45 9:20

WHOSE STREETS R | 2:00 7:00 9:30

PG-13 | 1:45 4:00 6:45 9:15

STEP

R | 2:00 4:25 7:00 9:30

NR | 4:20

LOGAN LUCKY

DUNKIRK BIG SICK

ATOMIC BLONDE

PG-13 | 1:45 4:15 6:45 9:10

R | 1:45 4:15 7:00 9:30

HITMAN’S BODYGUARD

IT (2017) 9/7

R | 2:00 4:20 7:00 9:20

PUBLISHER Alan Leveritt EDITOR Lindsey Millar SENIOR EDITOR Max Brantley

10301 N. RODNEY PARHAM ROAD • 501-537-2727 • ASAPWORKSFORME.COM

R | 7:00 9:45

FULL FOOD MENU • SERVING BEER & WINE TICKETS & GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE ONLINE @ OUR WEBSITE LUXURY LEATHER ELECTRIC RECLINERS WITH TABLES IN ALL AUDITORIUMS • RESERVED SEATING TICKET KIOSK IN LOBBY FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE

MANAGING EDITOR Leslie Newell Peacock CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Mara Leveritt ASSOCIATE EDITOR David Koon, Jacob Rosenberg COPY EDITOR Jim Harris ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Stephanie Smittle CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mandy Keener EDITORIAL ART DIRECTOR Katie Hassell, Jason Ho PHOTOGRAPHER Brian Chilson DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY Jordan Little ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Mike Spain DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Phyllis A. Britton ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brooke Wallace,

why should I care that my hospital is nationally recognized? it means they exceed industry standards

Lee Major, Ashley Gill

I have more confidence in my treatment

ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER Roland R. Gladden ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Larissa Gudino

my family gets the best care in the state

IT DIRECTOR Robert Curfman

because together we’re better

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Anitra Hickman CONTROLLER Weldon Wilson BILLING/COLLECTIONS Linda Phillips OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTS PAYABLE Kelly Jones PRODUCTION MANAGER Ira Hocut (1954-2009)

association of alternative newsmedia

VOLUME 43, NUMBER 51 ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, 201 EAST MARKHAM STREET, SUITE 200, Little Rock, AR, 72201. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $74 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current singlecopy price is 75¢, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $2.50 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all single-copy orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.

FOR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE CALL: (501) 375-2985

CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock has been named the No. 1 hospital in Arkansas for 2017-18 by U.S. News & World Report. This is our fifth year in a row to receive this quality recognition. It is rewarding to know Arkansans put their confidence in us to meet their medical needs. For more about your health and our specialists, visit chistvincent.com

arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

COMMENT

More statues Confederate monuments, largely a legacy of Jim Crow hate, need not be destroyed to nullify their offensive power. They should be sited on private land or exhibited in museums as relics of a painful part of United States history. Here’s an (ironic) answer to the proponents of public display: FOR THE RECORD Let’s have Dahmer in bronze on the square/ And McVeigh. We should all be aware/ Of the fear and the hate/ Which, it seems, made us great./ John Wilkes Booth next to Lincoln sounds fair. Stuart Jay Silverman Hot Springs

From the web In response to the Aug. 18 Arkansas Blog post “Arkansas competes for auto plant” about Arkansas vying for a $1.6 billion auto plant, which often involves incentives doled out by the state: It’ll be like that old Monty Python Four Yorkshiremen sketch of a group of old men reminiscing about their early days, each seeking to one-up the others over hardships endured. “Oh yeah, Governor so-and-so? Well, I’ll have MY legislature make the workers PAY Toyota just to be able to have a job there and we’ll dump toxic waste into wetlands ourselves, just so the company doesn’t have to. So there!”

sas (death penalty state) and tried for extradition to North Carolina, the place where he killed his own brother, since that state has no death penalty. Amazingly detailed strategy for a crazy person.

In response to the Aug. 17 Arkansas Blog post “Arkansas Democratic Party calls for removal of Confederate monuments from public grounds:

You don’t want to talk much about any of that, do you? And there’s NO WAY you’d ever post photos of his victims, is there? Nah, let’s just focus on poor old crazy Jack and how unfair it all is. The only unfair aspect of this is that Jack Greene wasn’t executed 26 years ago. Semit Sasnakra

Serious question here to the governor and the rest of our elected leaders: If you do not wish to remove the statues that honor the Confederate dead because you feel they can be used as teachable moments, then why don’t you authorize some statues honoring the dead slaves that helped build this

country? If you are going after a teachable moment, shouldn’t the whole story be presented? Poison Apple I would rather see the Democratic Party of Arkansas demand a livable minimum wage than waste its time railing about Confederate statues. Confederate statues are benign. The hurt that Arkansas workers suffer because of economic inequality is active and brutal. The Democratic Party has forgotten the primary tenet of the FDR, HST and LBJ party, which was to provide a New Deal, a Fair Deal, and a Better Deal for the working man and woman. Bernie, start a new party. I will be with you. I will preach this as long as I am able to type. Plainjim

WE SPEAK SPANISH, DO YOU NEED HELP?

In response to the Aug. 16 Arkansas Blog post “Arkansas-linked Charlottesville marcher identified, apologizes to those misidentified” about Andrew Dodson, the man who wore an Arkansas Engineering shirt at the Charlottesville white supremacist rally. Dodson remarked, “How else am I going to figure out what these guys are about?”

Our sister paper El Latino is Arkansas’s only weekly – audited Spanish language newspaper. Arkansas has the second fastest growing Latino population in the country and smart businesses are targeting this market as they develop business relationships with these new consumers.

If he hasn’t figured it out by now, he never will. Kate

D N IDA

MU IS A CO G R AT ST R N U E s a s .c o m E D OZ rkan

L A V .e ll a ti n o a www

25 D

0 YO 2 E MA

ME OLU 7•V

N 17

• EDIC

IÓN

A five-minute Google search could have saved this dolt A LOT of trouble. Jen Chadbourne

tsallenarng

In response to the Aug. 21 Arkansas Blog post “Hutchinson’s office says he will set execution of Jack Gordon Greene, state has drugs”: As usual with the Arkansas Times, only the barest minimum of information on what a convicted murderer did that resulted in his presence on death row. I’ll say it for you: Jack Greene killed Turner Greene (MURDERED HIS OWN BROTHER) in North Carolina, and then went to Arkansas looking for his estranged girlfriend. He would have killed her, but he found Sidney Burnett (family friend of Jack Greene’s girlfriend) so he tortured, stabbed and fatally shot him. Then he went on the run to Oklahoma, where he was caught. Just for full transparency, let’s include the fact that he kidnapped his own 16-year-old niece, who somehow survived. Then, he resisted extradition to Arkan4

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

[Re Dodson quote “I just didn’t put two and two together. It was dumb.”] So says a member of the master race. AnnaHarrisonTerry

L! AL” A R T N E S C DO NATUR A S N A K AR EL “ESTA A S O D NI RE ¡BIENVREMACIÓN SOBPÁG. 4 INisFOa free publication available at E El U Latino A Í G 185 pickup locations in Central Arkansas.

NOS MEXICA ON LA YA NO S DE LOS ÍA MAYOR MENTADOS U INDOC PÁG. 13

AY: www.ellatinoarkansas.com RIAL D MEMO OS LATINOS D SOLDA IERON EN Facebook.com/ellatinoarkansas BAT AS COM AS GUERR L TODAS PÁG. 2

Pág OS.

Contact Luis Garcia today for more information! VEN E E D 201 E. Markham suite 200 • Little NALRock AR A M (501) 374-0853 • luis@arktimes.com SE

I DAR N E CAL

In response to the Aug. 21 Arkansas Blog post “Eclipse-o-rama underway”:

.e lla www

ka ti no ar

ns as.c

25 DE om •

It was pretty cool! The light did change some here in LR, and, as they said, tree leaves cast amazing crescent-shaped shadows on the ground. It seems to me the birds got quieter 9 in my yard, and still are pretty 1here quiet. If I’m still around for the next one in seven years, I’d really like to make the trek to the totality path. This was a good reminder that the universe is an amazing place, and that our politics and squabbles don’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things. I am grateful for that reminder. Kate

M AY O

20 17

$99

per trip

(INCLUDES LIVE MUSIC ON BUS, ADULT BEVERAGES, ROUND TRIP TRANSPORTATION TO EL DORADO & EVENT TICKET)

CENTRALARKANSASTICKETS.COM Murphyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art

6PM ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND 7:30PM THE XX AMBASSADORS 9PM ZZ TOP

4:30PM ASHLEY MCBRIDE 6PM CHASE BRYANT 7:30PM HUNTER HAYES 9PM BRAD PAISLEY arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

WEEK THAT WAS

Quote of the week “We will not stop. We will not hide in the shadows. Those at the top can choose to uproot this culture in the city government or they can remain tolerant of it. Either way, they’ve known for a long time and they are all culpable, in my opinion. Make options available for all of these people, or stop using the tax dollars that they also pay to try to run them off.” — Aaron Reddin of the homeless support organization The Van, responding to a report in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on a concerted effort by Little Rock City Hall and the Little Rock Police Department to force the homeless out of downtown, in part because of frequent complaints from the owner of a business near a downtown church that provides food to the homeless community.

A new death watch Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has notified Governor Hutchinson that death row inmate Jack Gordon Greene has exhausted all of his appeals. The governor plans to set an execution date, a spokesman said. A supply of midazolam, a sedative used in the state’s threedrug execution protocol, expired at 6

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

the end of April, but the Arkansas Department of Correction obtained a new supply of the drug on Aug. 4, according to a spokesman. The department paid $250 in cash for the drug. The pending expiration of the department’s earlier supply of the drug prompted Hutchinson to schedule eight executions in April, but only four men were killed by the state. Greene was convicted of the 1992 Johnson County murder of Sidney Burnett, who was beaten, stabbed, shot and mutilated. Greene’s lawyer, John C. Williams, an assistant federal public defender, said Green suffers from brain damage and mental illness. “He has long suffered from a fixed delusion that the Arkansas Department of Correction is conspiring with his attorneys to cover up injuries that he believes corrections officers have inflicted upon him. He complains that his spinal cord has been removed and his central nervous system has been destroyed. He believes he will be executed to cover up what he calls these ‘crimes against humanity.’ ”

First person charged in Power Ultra Lounge shooting The LRPD announced last week it had filed the first charges related to shots fired in the Power Ultra Lounge shootings July 1 that wounded 25. Kentrell “Dirt” Gwynn, 25, of Memphis, already jailed on a federal charge, was charged with 10 counts of aggravated assault because shell casings found at the scene matched tests of bullets fired from his gun. Gwynn was a bodyguard for the rapper, Ricky Hampton, known as Finese2Tymes, who was performing when the shooting started at the downtown club. He and Hampton were arrested the next day in Birmingham, Ala. Hampton has been charged with shooting at someone in a Forrest City club. Gwynn was charged with providing a gun to a felon, Hampton. Police said they are still seeking suspects in the case. It’s unknown if any witness has come forward to specifically identify those who fired guns that night in the crowded club. No charges have been filed specifically related to any of those wounded.

FBI investigates senator

Sen. Jake Files (R-Fort Smith) isn’t seeking re-election next year, and no wonder. Evidence mounts of legal troubles likely to occupy him for some time. First came a filing in civil court that showed his construction enterprises owed banks and the IRS and others more than $1.2 million. More ominous was an FBI affidavit filed Monday for a search warrant of Files’ records. It detailed allegedly fictitious bids to support a city application for state surplus money to go toward a construction project being handled by Files’ construction company. The affidavit said Files put more than $25,000 of the money to his own uses, not for the utility project to which it was supposed to go. The FBI agent who prepared the affidavit said the deposit of a cashier’s check Files received from the proceeds into a company account amounted to wire fraud. No one has been charged. Files dismissed the report as old news. Plus, perhaps ominously for others, he said he understood the FBI was looking into use of state surplus money by other legislators.

OPINION

Save the statues!

he Democratic Party of Arkansas has called for relocation of Confederate monuments from public places, such as courthouse squares and the Capitol lawn, to history museums or private grounds. My initial reactions was one of sympathy. But after recent events, I’ve reconsidered. Don’t touch those statues! Their symbolism is as important as defenders claim. My thinking: 1. The Civil War was fought to preserve slavery. 2. The Confederates were losers. 3. Most Confederate statuary was

erected about a half-century after the war as a public relations drive to create heroes out of losMAX ers and to inspire BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com the campaign to take rights from black people, including the vote. 4. A second wave of Confederate statue erection came in the 1960s, in response to the civil rights movement. 5. The Confederate flag has become a worldwide symbol for neo-Nazis, white supremacists, gun nuts and other losers.

Real history

rkansas is in the midst of a tranquil acknowledgment of some of its barbarous history and it is too bad that only a sentimental few, not all of us, are involved. The renewed ardor for the Confederacy, its battle flag and memorial statues and for those who led the revolt against the United States in 1860 seems to offer a chance. Let’s seize it.

The sponsors of all the Confederate celebrations like the ones at Charlottesville, Va., and at Hot Springs last weekend will not mind since they say that they are interested in preserving history, not worshiping traitors. Talk about history — let’s give people the real history. Maybe the Department of Arkansas Heritage could arrange memorial events at the statues in collaboration with the Confederate groups. Already, we are preparing for a round of celebrations at Little Rock Central High School on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the constitutional crisis created by Gov. Orval Faubus when, fearing defeat at the polls by one of two hotspur racists, sent the state militia to the school to stop nine black kids from going to class with whites. They won’t be erecting an equestrian statue of Faubus, but honoring the brave kids who lived through the grim year and set the course for ending educational blight for black kids throughout the land. Over in Phillips County, a movement called Remembering 2019 wants to quietly recognize the 100th anniversary of the 1919 massacre of hundreds of black

field hands and families to stop a revolt against ERNEST white control that DUMAS planters and some government officials said was in the offing after a few blacks met with a sharecropper union organizer at a little church near Elaine. Remembering 2019 wants to use the occasion to promote civic responsibility. Last month, the University of Mississippi Press published a book called “Black Boys Burning” that looks deeply into the 1959 fire at the Arkansas Negro Boys Industrial School at Wrightsville, where 21 boys burned to death in a ramshackle dormitory that had been locked for the night like an animal cage. A catastrophe at a white school would have caused horror, but at Wrightsville not much. Faubus was publicly sore and fired the black man in charge of the crude place that was cruelly called a school. Grif Stockley, whose books on Arkansas’s race history, including an account of the 1919 massacre, “Blood in Their Eyes,” broke a century of conspiratorial silence, researched the Wrightsville fire and wrote “Black Boys Burning.” Stockley filled in the huge gaps in our sparse reporting of the fire at the time. The tragedy was not a momentary lapse by some derelict employee, but the climax of an enduring tragedy. Reports from such quality-control agents as we had at the time warned of the horrible conditions at the school — putrid water and food, squa-

The Republican Party of Arkansas, from Governor Hutchinson on down, says we should preserve the Confederate memorials because they are an important part of our heritage. Heritage? They are rich symbols of Arkansas today. Vote suppression, limitation of human rights and segregation by class and race are regularly endorsed by official action in local and state government. So. Take down the statues? Hell, no. They tell the world about the values of modern-day Arkansas. My only complaint is that they aren’t adorned by a sufficient number of Confederate battle flags. I don’t think the Arkansas monuments are in great danger of assault, by the way. But just in case, I encourage modern-day Dixie Defenders to establish round-theclock pickets to be sure not a square inch

of the mass-produced flimsy statuary is harmed. Extremism in defense of the Lost Cause is no vice.

lor, crowding, safety hazards and horrible working conditions. The kids were not criminals but often truants, runaways and mentally retarded or abandoned kids. They had a singular purpose at Wrightsville: to tend the crops, which like the state prisons at the time were a source of pride because the income meant the state didn’t have to appropriate much money. None of that came to light, which meant Faubus and legislators who presumably had seen the reports and ignored them could feign anger at the poor men who didn’t get there in time to unlock the door or remove the bars from the window to let the boys out. “Black Boys Burning” won’t be a bestseller or even get a review. WordsWorth Books in the Heights has a few in stock. Wrightsville was another legacy of Jim Crow, the great era when Arkansas and the rest of the South finally wrested social institutions away from the Reconstructionists and instituted a new form of servitude that would be countenanced or overlooked by federal and state courts — segregation in every institution of society and government, lynching, denial or intimidation of voting rights, denial of jobs and economic advancement — literally everything. The flowering of Jim Crow in the 1890s, which reached its zenith in the Ku Klux Klan renaissance of the 1920s, accounts for nearly all the Confederate memorials, whether they honor a Confederate hero or simply memorialize the Confederate soldiers. No monuments recall the 180 dead and wounded black Union infantrymen who surrendered and were slaughtered at Poison Spring and their bodies mutilated, or the hundreds

who died in the 1919 slaughter in Phillips County, the 12 who were sentenced to die although none was proved to have harmed a soul, or the 65 convicted of second-degree murder on the same evidence. There are glimmerings of recognition. The Pulaski County Historical Society is contemplating a tiny monument at Ninth and Broadway to recall the horror of May 4, 1927, when a mob countenanced by the police and city fathers tortured John Carter, dragged him through the city and burned him on a huge pyre at that corner while people riddled his body with bullets and had their pictures taken with the burning corpse. A white woman claimed Carter hit her when she asked for directions. There are no heroes of that event to memorialize, unless you count J.N. and Fred Heiskell, the editors of the Arkansas Gazette, who printed a front-page editorial condemning the city for letting it happen. Maybe the chamber of commerce, which said it was bad for economic development. Stories behind all these monuments deserve airing and the Confederacy movement is the chance. The Hot Springs celebration should not only have paid tribute to the soldiers who fought to keep slavery but to the colorful events at exactly that site that the monument was to some extent celebrating. The statue was planned in 1907, when Jim Crow was finally achieved, but not dedicated until 1934. That revered ground was famous for two spectacles that occurred there, the joyful lynching of black men in 1913 and 1922. There are similar opportunities across the state. When will we get started?

MOURNING THE LOST CAUSE: Crystal Batson plays a grieving woman at Hot Springs.

Follow Arkansas Blog on Twitter: @ArkansasBlog

arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

Fake history

Please Join Us for the Third Anniversary Celebration & Fundraiser for Pridecorps: LGBT Youth Center Saturday, August 26, 5pm to 8pm at Boswell Mourot Fine Art 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd (501) 664-0030 Live Music & Hors d’oeuvres Sponsored by:

Donations welcome: POB 7378 Little Rock, AR 72217 • pridecorps.com

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

f your precious “Southern heritage” includes swastikas, you may as well quit reading right here. But odds are astronomically high that it doesn’t. The vast majority of Southerners are as repelled by those goons as everybody else. Rebel flags, in comparison, strike me as merely adolescent. Yee haw! Well, it’s time to grow up. If that annoys you, answer me this: Since when is Southern history strictly white history, anyway? Most of these Confederate monuments commemorate not so much the South’s glorious history of slavery and rebellion, but the bloody advent of Jim Crow laws between 1895 and 1925 or thereabouts. A time of “race riots” — i.e. black citizens massacred by white mobs across the region from Atlanta (1906) to Elaine (1919) to Tulsa (1921) — and of widespread lynching. A time when the Klan-glorifying epic “Birth of a Nation” (1915) was screened at the White House for President Woodrow Wilson. Ironically, rebel soldier statues were a Yankee industry. A factory in Connecticut manufactured the fool things by the hundreds and shipped them south to stand guard facing north on courthouse squares. A pointed reminder of exactly who was in charge. Specifically, the Ku Klux Klan. There was nothing subtle about it. Photographs of Charlottesville’s equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee being dedicated in 1924 show that many in attendance wore KKK regalia. Contrary to the art critic in the White House, the statue’s not being destroyed. Plans are to relocate the monument to a park on the outskirts of town — just as Confederate statues taken down at the University of Texas will be placed in a museum, where they belong. Latter-day Confederate sympathizers who feel the need to genuflect to Fake History can visit them there. (Fake horsemanship, too. I have a friend indignant about the bronze Gen. Lee’s cruelly overcranking the bridle, something the real Lee — an excellent rider — would surely never have done.) But make no mistake: Fake History it is. The treasured myth of the “Lost Cause” of freedom-loving patriots fighting bravely for self-determination and “states’ rights” can’t survive even a cursory reading of secessionist documents. Here’s Alexander Stephens, vice president of the Confederacy, arguing that its “cornerstone rests upon the great truth, that the Negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery — subordination to the superior race — is his natural and

normal condition. This, our new government, is the first in the history of the world based upon GENE this great physical, LYONS philosophical, and moral truth.” Nobody talks that way anymore except guys with swastikas. It’s no exaggeration to say that the virulent racism they preach was invented precisely to rationalize the evil of slavery. Nevertheless, that’s what the Civil War, the bloodiest tragedy in American history, was all about. Protecting and defending chattel slavery, a grotesque remnant of human history. There’s nothing to be gained by pretending otherwise. That said, I think there’s also no point in a struggle to tear down every half-forgotten Confederate memorial across the South. The war’s over and Jim Crow is gone; millions of Americans now living in the region have little interest in this aged feud. Besides, people have a right to their illusions. Writing in The Guardian, Lincoln biographer Sidney Blumenthal has a good idea. Instead of tearing monuments down, why not build new ones up? “States and localities,” he suggests “should establish commissions to build new monuments, statues and memorials, particularly across the South, to commemorate the heroes of the anti-slavery struggle, the unionists during the civil war, advocates for Reconstruction, foes of Jim Crow and champions of the civil rights movement.” An example of what he means can be found in Arkansas, where I live. Yes, the state Capitol grounds feature the traditional monument to Johnny Reb. But also a striking monument to the Little Rock Nine, a group sculpture depicting the brave African-American students who defied a segregationist mob to enter Little Rock Central High School in September 1957. People visit the memorial from far and near. To my knowledge nobody finds it controversial. Cemeteries, too, are appropriate places to memorialize the Union and Confederate dead. Meanwhile, if it’s history and heritage you want, visit Gettysburg, Vicksburg Memorial National Park, or Appomattox Courthouse, among many others. Carefully preserved Civil War battlefields are scattered across the South: real history, and solemn remembrance.

SEPTEMBER 11-27, 2015

The Pelosi problem

.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is one of the greatest congressional leaders in history. Her stewardship of the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 through a complicated Democratic caucus (with almost no Republican support) alone places her in the top tier of leaders. While her success on health care reform — seemingly now more permanent because of the Republican failure to repeal it last month — is the most noteworthy of her legislative victories, the first and only woman to serve as speaker has shown success on a variety of other issues, including the Obama stimulus package, financial regulatory reform, the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

However, as we move into the 2018 election cycle, for the good of her party and the ideals for which she has fought so effectively, it is time for Pelosi to announce she will not serve as speaker if the Democrats retake control of the House in 2018. As shown in the special election in Georgia’s 6th District this summer, attacking Pelosi remains a successful strategy, particularly in districts where Republican crossover remains essential for Democratic victories. There, in a flurry of direct mail pieces, Democrat Jon Ossoff was linked to “San Francisco liberal” Pelosi, who was portrayed as Ossoff’s puppet master or the face behind his mask. As confirmed by generic partisan surveys, Democratic control of the House is clearly achievable (and would be devastating for the Trump presidency because of the investigatory power that would come with it), but is only possible if the party picks up some seats in districts that — like Georgia’s 6th — veer slightly Republican. No D.C.-based political leader is perceived positively by Americans. However, while GOP Speaker Paul Ryan is more highly rated by the American public than “Republicans in Congress” generally, according to recent polls, Pelosi is decidedly more negatively perceived than her fellow Democrats. Why this particularly low showing by Pelosi? It’s a combination of factors: * Having been a party leader since 2002, Pelosi is most closely connected to the polarized political era in which we live, which Americans recognize as fundamentally flawed; * While Pelosi effectively framed her-

self as a “grandJAY mother” when BARTH becoming the first female speaker in 2007, it’s undeniable that bias toward her based on her sex is one component of her negative perception among some; * Finally, Pelosi represents the attitudes of her home district well. Across much of America, “San Francisco values” (a phrase that still carries with it more than a tinge of homophobia) is shorthand for a political worldview that is out of touch with the middle of America. None of these factors that drive Pelosi’s unpopularity is alterable. Together, they make her a cookie-cutter scare-tactic in competitive congressional districts across the country. Following the Democrats’ failure to gain significant ground in the House in 2016, Pelosi was challenged by Rep. Tim Ryan of northeast Ohio for minority leader. Pelosi defeated Ryan by about a 2-to-1 margin in the party’s caucus, but a number of members said off the record that they regretfully supported Pelosi against the backbencher Ryan. Even her most ardent defenders recognize that Pelosi is not the future of the party. One of Pelosi’s failures as a leader has been in her inability to foster a new generation of House leaders to take control of the body moving forward. Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, is a good tactician but lacks media savvy and is himself 78 years old. Thus, the clock has likely ticked out on the caucus to identify a new long-term leader in time for the midterms. One creative (and maybe fantastical) answer to this quandary: going outside the House for a symbolic leader to lead the 2018 Democratic campaign for the House and to serve as speaker if the Democrats take control of Congress while leaving day-to-day control of the House in the hands of an empowered majority leader (Hoyer). Such a move is constitutional, as the speaker of the House is not required to be a member of the body; it is also a short-term solution. That said, there is an individual who is a unifying force within the Democratic Party, with particular support in the Rust Belt and with decades of legislative experience. Might this be a role for former Vice President Joe Biden?

(501) 378-0405 | TheRep.org

BEER NIGHT

ARKANSAS REPERTORY THEATRE

ARKANSAS REPERTORY T H E AT R E

Come try a sampling before the show!

Sponsored By

Thursday, August 24, 2017 6 P.M. Sponsored by Arkansas Times and Lost Forty. Before the second preview of Opening Week, enjoy a complimentary beer tasting provided by Lost Forty Brewing.

BEER

NIGHT LOST FORTYAND ARKANSAS TIMES WITH

For tickets, call the Box Office at (501) 378-0405 or visit TheRep.org sponsored by

ARKANSAS TIMES

arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

PEARLS ABOUT SWINE

More preview

he Arkansas Razorbacks get put to a pretty difficult test Nov. 11, when the Hogs are dispatched down to Baton Rouge to gauge just how prepared they are to contain Derrius Guice. Last year, in Fayetteville and coming off a rout of eventual SEC East champ Florida, Arkansas was simply throttled by a Tigers team that was still stewing over losing badly to the Razorbacks in 2014 and 2015. The 38-10 fleecing was Guice’s coming-out party, as the understudy to Leonard Fournette got the chance to take over when the latter stud was derailed by an injury. Guice went for 252 rushing yards for a then-career-best mark (he had a schoolrecord 285 two weeks later in the season finale against Texas A&M) and Arkansas simply looked slow as he darted repeatedly into the second level. Accordingly, Rhoads’ focus will be clearly on snuffing out Guice, and on a rainy night in Death Valley he’ll get some help from the conditions at hand. This will, quite honestly, be the best defensive game Arkansas will have played since the consecutive shutouts of LSU and Ole Miss back in November 2014, and the Razorback defense was aided by wind and rain then, too. LSU’s smart but decidedly unspectacular quarterback, Danny Etling, will connect with Guice on a short touchdown out of the backfield early, then march the Tigers downfield for a field goal to give the hosts a 10-7 halftime lead. Allen’s first half struggles and a couple of bell-ringing hits will usher in Cole Kelley, who simply is not up to the task. Kelley hits his first three, short throws, but gets picked off on a downfield strike to Jared Cornelius that would have given the Hogs a narrow lead. The Tigers answer with another Etling touchdown pass, and the Hogs stall twice in the late third and early fourth quarter, settling for field goals. Desperate to stay within a possession, the Hogs ultimately cede the game when LSU barely punches home a field goal to cement an 11-point, hard-fought victory. LSU 24, Arkansas 13. The disappointment of a third competitive conference road loss aside, Arkansas takes some comfort in knowing the season will finish with back-to-back home games. The first one against Mississippi State has the Hogs struggling at the outset, as Bulldog quarterback Nick Fitzgerald does his best Dak Prescott impression early with a scoring strike to Don Gray and then an escape-act scramble up the near sideline for another touchdown. The Bulldogs have never excelled much inside the state’s borders, but having won in Little Rock in overtime in 2013 and then vanquishing the Hogs in that 2015 classic duel between Brandon

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

Allen and Prescott, they’re sensing a third straight road win in this series after taking an early 17-0 lead. Enos, of course, does not deviate from his game plan at all, and the Hog offense starts clicking midway through the second quarter courtesy of Devwah BEAU Whaley’s long WILCOX touchdown run and a quick scoring drive thereafter, made possible by Randy Ramsey’s fumble recovery off Agim’s sack of Fitzgerald. The 17-14 halftime deficit vanishes for good on the Hogs’ first possession after halftime, as Whaley again chews up yardage on a 10-play drive, with some help coming on T.J. Hammonds’ big gain on an end-around. The Bulldogs’ fight isn’t gone — Fitzgerald hooks up with his tight end to give Mississippi State one last reason to wave some phantom cowbells in the no-bell zone of Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Allen, however, is not to be denied in the fourth quarter, hitting 10 consecutive throws and making two of them (one to Cheyenne O’Grady and another to LaMichael Pettway) count for six. The win helps erase the dismal memory of Arkansas’s one-point defeat in the slugfest two years earlier, and has the Hogs in search of a ninth victory to end the year. Arkansas 35, Mississippi State 24. For that ninth win, Arkansas gets a shot at evening up the Battle Line (Lab-Created) Rivalry against Missouri. It would not only mark a five-season high for wins for Bielema if his Hogs can actually finish this one, but most importantly it would cleanse the palate after last year’s farce in Columbia, where Enos’ playsheet became suddenly stagnant and the Hog defense let a woeful Mizzou offense batter its way to 21 second-half points. But the Hogs are sharp from the start in 2017. Allen’s long strike to Cornelius puts the Hogs on the board three plays into the game, and this time the Razorbacks stay full-throttle all the way. Whaley’s 200-yard game on the ground is backed by great performances from Austin Cantrell, Pettway and Cornelius in the passing game. Arkansas’s defense barely has to exert much, as the Hog offense dominates so thoroughly in time of possession and first downs; but when called upon,GREE Santos Ramirez, Ryan Pulley, and Dwayne Eugene all force key turnovers. It ends as a rout, and Arkansas closes out what began as a critical campaign for its coach’s long-term future with a ninth victory, fifth in SEC play. Arkansas 38, Missouri 9.

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

Lameness of evil

e was the first to enter, and it memories. And, someone else said, was well before the others ar- “What would you do if they took away rived. He held an American flag your ancestors’ graves?” But, these poor against his shoulder and, without speaking, soldiers do not feel remembered much looking straight ahead, made sharp turns by all of this, do they? Why not a statue around the pen. Marching, over and over of the poor Confederate soldier, as one and over in a single route, he etched out the of my colleagues said, dying from dysenconfines of the free-speech zone. He spent tery in a field? Why not a statue of the hours walking not in a circle, but instead poor Confederate, as one of my friends

an elongated triangle around a tiny patch of grass surrounded by silver railing. It has been more than a century since the Civil War. He was totally alone.

said, dying as the aristocratic landowner stomps him down, makes him fight a war to stay poor? Why not a statue to the millions that died in slavery? How can anyone forget that these monu *** ments have nothing to do with history He was all in orange. And, hopping but everything to do with the creation around Hot Springs National Park, close of history. We know they were erected to the Confederate rally and the flags, during Jim Crow, in the 1890s and early he held out his iPad in front of him. He 1900s, to cement a specific, inaccurate, pointed it at people. One ear had a head- narrative of the Civil War that valorized phone in it, the other ear was free, and the people like Jefferson Davis and Stonewire attaching the headphones dangled wall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. This is in front of his orange shirt and reached their mark on our “history.” They are red down to his iPad; a black hat was on his herrings. It would be like if, years later, head. Like all of us he sweated, the tem- we put up a statue of Nixon and LBJ to perature hotter and the sun brighter than commemorate Vietnam veterans. It’s not in the previous overcast weeks. Nothing history, it’s a myth we want to believe, much happened for him, or for any of us so we don’t have to face a simple fact: there to “watch,” but seeing him stalk the The South was wrong. The lady in black grounds for an online right-wing blog, thought we lied. They took away her hoping for some injustice, made The chair, because her group’s permit did not Observer feel dirty. Who wants to be part include chairs, and she moved between of a group that hopes for bad things to the grass in the free-speech zone and a occur? The Observer knows that if you park bench behind it, drinking water. get a big enough crowd of people hoping for evil, someone will make that dream *** come true. Even if remembered in ill He said there were rumors of the terms, some just want to be remembered. Black Panther Party coming, 50 strong, all intending to open carry. He’d heard *** more supporters of Confederate monuA little kid was with his dad and he ments were coming. He’d heard it somehad a Confederate flag on a tiny wooden where, someone mentioned it. Rumors stick. The kid saw a sign with a word he and rumors. More people were comdid not know and the dad struggled to ing at 1 p.m. and then 2 p.m. and then 5 define it. p.m. and then ... . None of them showed up. They’d heard the rumors walking to *** go get water or going to the bathroom or The veiled lady wanted us to recall — going to grab lunch. to remember — the sons that had died for the Confederacy. She wore a heavy *** black dress on this hot day to mourn A speaker was supposed to come later, their death, she said, because we wanted around 6 p.m., but someone heard he got to take down the statues that were her held up in traffic.

11200 W. Markham 501-223-3120 www.colonialwineshop.com facebook.com/colonialwines

8/23–8/2

9/17

SCOTCH – WHISKEY – VODKA – GIN Glenlivet 12yo Single Malt Scotch Everyday $85.99 $72.97 Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey Everyday $49.99 $44.97 Tito’s Handmade Vodka Everyday $34.99 $29.99 Citadelle Artisanal Gin Everyday $43.99 $34.98

CONNOISSEUR SELECTION (750 mL) Jameson Irish Whiskey Everyday $26.99 $20.98 Knob Creek Rye Whiskey Everyday $35.99 $24.99 Herradura Silver Tequila Everyday $39.99 $29.98 Kahlua Coffee Liqueur Everyday $23.99 $17.98

1.5 LITER WINE SELECTION Meridian, Chardonnay & Cabernet Sauvignon Everyday $13.99 $10.98

Bell’Agio Rosso Dolce Lambrusco Everyday $11.99 $8.98

Toro Loco Superiore 2014 Tempranillo $7.98 Everyday $10.99

WINE SELECTION (750 mL) Stoller Family Reserve 2015 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Everyday $42.99 $32.98 Stoller Family Reserve 2015 Dundee Hills Chardonnay Everyday $31.99 $24.98 Chateau d’Esclans 2016 Whispering Angel Rosé Everyday $24.99 $19.98

Lolea No1 Red Sangria & No2 White Sangria Everyday $16.99 $12.99

Gamble Family Vineyards 2016 Napa Valley Rosé Everyday $20.49 $16.97

BEST LIQUOR STORE

3FOR THURSDAY – Purchase 3 or more of any 750ml spirits, receive 15% off *unless otherwise discounted or on sale. arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

Arkansas Reporter

THE

Massive backlog 11,000 requests for vital records unmet; should take 75 to 90 days to fill.

hen Sarah McKelvain of Springdale placed an online order in early February for copies of the birth certificates of everyone in her fiveperson family, she expected them to arrive in plenty of time for the family to obtain passports for a trip out of the country in mid-June. “I’ve ordered them for my kids to enroll in kindergarten before, and they usually sent them within a few days,” said McKelvain, explaining that the family needed new copies because the old ones had been misplaced. “I just expected that to be the experience.” It wasn’t. Because of a massive backlog at the Arkansas Department of Health, the order wasn’t processed and shipped until last week. The delay didn’t force the family to cancel the trip, but only because McKelvain’s father, who lives in Little Rock, had gone to the agency’s Little Rock office and place an in-person order that was processed the same day. Ironically, McKelvain had paid $20 extra for express delivery of her online order. “It seems kind of stupid because it came six months later,” she said. Thousands of others have had similar experiences. “Currently, we are 11,000 requests behind in processing requests for vital records,” Department of Health spokeswoman Marisha DiCarlo said in response to an inquiry from the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network. DiCarlo said the agency provides sameday processing to people who present their applications in person at its Little Rock office, and applications submitted through the mail are processed in four to six weeks — a typical time frame for this region, a survey conducted for this report has shown. But online requests are a different matter. “The backlog is primarily with these online orders, so they may still take longer,” DiCarlo said. 12

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

J.R. Davis, a spokesman for Governor Hutchinson, said in an interview that “the governor is aware of the problem, and the delays need to be addressed. It’s not the kind of customer service the state should provide.” “The Department of Health is working on this, the governor is working on this, and [ADH Director Dr. Nate] Smith is working on this diligently, and we hope the situation will be resolved in the near future,” Davis said. Online requests for vital records in Arkansas are made through VitalChek, a private company that has partnered with Arkansas and nearly every other state to handle such requests. DiCarlo did not estimate how long the Health Department is taking to process online applications, but the VitalChek website estimates the processing time for each state and U.S. territory where it does business. The average estimated processing time nationwide is 9 or 10 days, or slightly faster if the customer pays for express delivery. In contrast, Arkansas has an estimated processing time of 75-90 days without express delivery, or about double the estimated time of the second-slowest state, Rhode Island, where the processing time without express delivery is 30-45 days, according to VitalChek. With express delivery, Arkansas’s estimated processing time is 60-75 days, according to the company’s website. That’s far shorter than the six months McKelvain had to wait, but she said that back in February she didn’t even get a warning of a possible 75-day wait: At that time the company was estimating the state’s processing time at 17-21 days. Government websites of all the states surrounding Arkansas give estimates of the processing times for vital records, but as of Sunday the website of the Arkansas Department of Health offered no estimate, just an apology. “We sincerely apologize for the incon-

HANNAH CARPENTER

BY JOHN LYON ARKANSAS NONPROFIT NEWS NETWORK

NEXT-DAY SERVICE: That’s what Heath Carpenter got when he requested a birth certificate for one of his children in Florida. He could be waiting months for records on his Arkansas-born children.

venience to anyone who has had a delay in receiving their certificate. The number of requests we have received this year has significantly increased and we are addressing this increased volume with a limited number of staff,” a statement on the website read. The statement advised people to contact the agency by email at adh.vitalrecords@ arkansas.gov if they experience a delay in receiving a certificate. DiCarlo said the health department became aware of a backlog in the spring and at that time began monitoring progress toward reducing it. “When sufficient progress was not being made, we hired a consultant to identify the source of the backlog,” she said. “We have recognized how significant the backlog was in the past 90 days. We are taking steps to reduce the backlog of requests, and to streamline our process moving forward.” The consultant, Jerry Pack, is a former chief information officer for the agency. He was hired in June at $44.47 an hour and is expected to be on the job for about another 30 days. DiCarlo said Pack has identified inefficiencies, including points at which staff was required to enter information twice. She said the agency is redesigning its systems to allow staff to enter the information only once. Staffing has been an issue because of high turnover in the 14 positions responsible for issuing birth and death certificates. Over the past six months, the agency has averaged five vacancies a month in certificate processing. “These are entry-level positions that

typically have high turnover, since people often are moving on to higher-paying positions,” DiCarlo said. DiCarlo said the agency received permission to expedite its hiring process for its vital records office, which has a total of 42 positions, and as a result all of the positions are now filled. She also said a new state pay plan the legislature and Governor Hutchinson approved this year boosted the pay for the certificate-processing positions, which is expected to help with recruitment and retention. The ADH also has brought in workers from other areas of the agency, hired temporary workers and allowed staff to work overtime on the backlog. Since March, the agency has paid a little over $2,440 in overtime. The reason for the increase in requests is unknown. DiCarlo said officials have “wondered” whether it is related to the federal Real ID Act, which sets new standards for the identification needed to fly effective in January 2018, but she said the agency has been too busy working to reduce the backlog to investigate possible causes for the spike in applications. Cody McDonell, spokesman for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, said his agency has not seen requests for vital records jump this year compared to last year. “There are times of the year when it spikes” — including tax season and back-to-school time — “but we haven’t seen an abnormally large spike this year,” McDonell said. Heath Carpenter of Searcy inadvertently tested the comparative processing

Tune in to our “Week In Review” podcast each Friday. Available on iTunes & arktimes.com

times of Arkansas and Florida when he ordered birth certificates from both states about a month ago. “One of my children was born in Florida, the other three were born in Arkansas,” he said. “Somewhere along the way, moving or whatever, I couldn’t find three of the kids’ birth certificates, and I got online and ordered one from Florida. It was in my mailbox the next day.” Carpenter also requested birth certificates for two of his Arkansas-born children, but a month later he still has not received them. “If I had known that you could just drive to Little Rock and get it, I would have done it,” he said. “They charged me … more for the online option.” Also still waiting for birth certificates is Katie Ransom of Springdale, who became the legal guardian of her two former stepdaughters earlier this year. She paid for copies of the girls’ birth certificates, with express delivery, in mid-April. “Right now I don’t have anything to legally prove the identity of these children,” she said. “It’s extremely frustrating, and I feel quite ripped off, frankly, because I paid for [the certificates] up front.” Ransom said it seems strange that in the age of the internet the health department can only process orders quickly if they are placed in person in Little Rock. “If I can search marriage, birth and death records for the last 100 years online, then why in the world can some county clerk not get me a certified copy?” she said. Carpenter said the system is unfair to people who do not live in the central part of the state. “People who live in the Delta, Hope, who live anywhere else other than Little Rock, [many of them] poor people, they don’t have access to drive out to Little Rock for a birth certificate,” he said. DiCarlo said the health department is addressing that issue. The agency has accelerated a plan to allow people to make in-person requests for vital records at its local health units, and expects to make this service available at 12 units around the state in 30-60 days, she said. This reporting is courtesy of the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network, an independent, nonpartisan news project dedicated to producing journalism that matters to Arkansans.

THE

BIG PICTURE

Inconsequential News Quiz:

Too sweaty to burn edition

Play at home, if your retinas weren’t scorched too badly while viewing the partial eclipse. 1) Recently, the Arkansas Times identified a man photographed wearing an “Arkansas Engineering” T-shirt during a torch-lit white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. Even though he said he lost his job because of the march, why did he say he may participate in future demonstrations with neo-Nazis? A) “How else am I going to figure out what these guys are about?” B) “I need to lose a few pounds, and goose-stepping is really great cardio.” C) “I love the smell of Citronella and unwashed bro-dudes.” D) “If I can just get the armband for The White and Terrified Knights of the Yellow Stained Sheets, I’ll have the whole set.” 2) A protestor at a recent demonstration in Hot Springs around a Confederate monument was arrested by police while trying to burn a Confederate flag. Why wasn’t he successful in burning the flag? A) Saw some dog-doo on the sidewalk nearby, and thought of a more appropriate use for it. B) The Arkansas State Police killed his dragon with a scorpion bolt. C) He’d been wearing it as a bandana, and it was too sweaty to burn. D) His Chinese-made Trump Collection cigarette lighter wouldn’t light. 3) Speaking of the Hot Springs Confederate monument, installed in 1933, what is unique about it? A) Holds the Guinness record for “World’s Largest Participation Trophy.” B) The Confederate soldier on top of the monument is wearing assless chaps. C) Two black men, one in 1913 and another in 1922, were lynched by angry mobs on the spot where it stands. D) A bas relief sculpture on one side depicts Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee running down peaceful protestors with a horse-drawn buggy. 4) Patrick Forscher, a researcher at the University of Arkansas, helped conduct a survey designed to examine the psychology and attitudes of the “alt-right,” the white nationalists who participated in the torch-bearing marches in Charlottesville. What, according to a report by Vox, have been some of the researchers’ conclusions? A) They are significantly more likely to believe that the groups they disagree with are sub-human. B) They show a high degree of preference for authoritarian-style leaders. C) They show a “somewhat higher” level of psychopathy and narcissism than a control group. D) All of the above. 5) Students in the Little Rock School District didn’t get to directly view the partial solar eclipse on Aug. 21. Why, according to an announcement from a spokesperson, didn’t the kids get to go outside and view the eclipse? A) Hundreds are still recovering from last week’s eclipse practice session in which officials mistakenly announced that making pretend binoculars out of two toilet paper tubes would be protection enough. B) A recall had been issued on thousands of eclipse glasses handed out to LRSD teachers. C) An anti-Sharia Law passed by the Arkansas Legislature makes it illegal to look at anything crescent shaped other than bananas, croissants and Donald Trump’s shit-eating grin. D) The Walton Family Foundation found out the district had bought their eclipse glasses through Target, and commanded LRSD Superintendent Mike Poore to call off the eclipse.

ANSWERS: A, C, C, D, B

LISTEN UP

arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

BRIAN CHILSON

ON THE STATE CAPITOL GROUNDS: One of two Confederate monuments.

A moral question After Charlottesville, where do Arkansas Republicans stand on white supremacy and Trump’s failure to condemn it? BY LINDSEY MILLAR

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

n the night of Aug. 11, hundreds of torch-bearing white supremacists paraded across the lawn of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, chanting “blood and soil” and “Jews will not replace us.” The next morning, alongside militia members carrying automatic weapons, the group marched to Charlottesville’s Emancipation Park as part of a planned “Unite the Right” rally, ostensibly to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, for whom the park had been named until February, when the city council voted to rename it and sell the statue. Nazi and Confederate flags were prominent, as were former Ku Klux

Klan leader David Duke, white nationalist Richard Spencer and members of the neo-Confederate hate group the League of the South. At this gathering, one of the largest white supremacist events in U.S. modern history, no one was wearing hoods or bandanas. Fascists gave the Nazi salute for cameras. Marchers proudly talked about the superiority of the white race to journalists. They were, predictably, met by counter-protesters. Violence erupted and the police dispersed the crowds. In the early afternoon, a Dodge Challenger with an Ohio license plate barreled through a crowd of counter-protesters gathered

BRIAN CHILSON

on a downtown street, killing Heather Paul Ryan, Sen. Marco Rubio and Republican legislators embraced Trump’s Angie Maxwell, director of the Diane Heyer, 32, and injuring at least 19 others. even Trump’s own U.S. Marine Corps notion that “both sides” were to blame Blair Center of Southern Politics and The man charged for the crime, James commandant, Gen. Robert B. Neller. for the violence. Support for Confederate Society and Diane D. Blair associate Alex Fields Jr., has been connected with The Democratic Party of Arkansas monuments was nearly universal among professor of Southern Studies at the the neo-Nazi movement. called for the removal of all Confederate those surveyed, with Republicans often University of Arkansas, said some Even before Heyer was killed, monuments on public grounds, and citing the monuments as historical of the reticence to condemn Trump Governor Hutchinson strongly the Republican Party said there was reminders of a dark time, even though likely stemmed from the relatively rare condemned the racist rally, writing on no place in the Party “for people who most of Arkansas’s monuments were historical moment in which Republicans Twitter, “White supremacy has no place promote and condone racial hatred.” erected long after the Civil War and were find themselves. in America. When it turned violent in But the Arkansas Times wondered how clearly meant to celebrate the Lost Cause. “[Since the election of Herbert Hoover the [1980s], I prosecuted them as U.S. Trump’s moral failure resonated with The plaque on a prominent Confederate in 1928], there have only been six years Attorney,” referring to his prosecution individual Arkansas Republicans. So last soldiers monument on the grounds of prior to Trump’s administration when the of the Covenant, the Sword and the Arm week we surveyed every GOP legislator, the state Capitol reads, “ARKANSAS Republicans controlled the U.S. Senate, of the Lord, a white supremacist militia constitutional officer and member of REMEMBERS THE FAITHFULNESS U.S. House and the presidency. So it’s based in Marion County in the late 1970s the congressional delegation on how OF HER SONS AND COMMENDS a big moment for Republicans, and I’m and early ’80s. President Trump, however, they felt about Charlottesville, President THEIR EXAMPLE TO FUTURE sure it’s very frustrating to some to see it drew a moral equivalency to the white Trump’s response and Confederate GENERATIONS.” go down this path. I think it’s very hard in supremacists and the counter-protesters monuments. That number included two Even many Republicans who forcefully that moment to then criticize your party in a statement on Aug. 12. “We condemn in U.S. senators, four U.S. representatives, six denounced white supremacists often because the Republican Party has been the strongest possible terms this egregious constitutional officers, 26 state senators engaged in rhetorical gymnastics to waiting for a very long time to have that display of hatred, bigotry and violence and 76 state representatives. Of that 114, avoid calling out Trump for coddling kind of control. But it would make their on many sides — on many sides,” he said. 53 either responded to our questions racists. Governor Hutchinson told the party stronger in my opinion.” On Aug. 14, the president, State Sen. Joyce Elliott reading a prepared statement, (D-Little Rock), who along condemned the KKK, neowith Sen. Jim Hendren Nazis, white supremacists (R-Sulphur Springs) has and other hate groups by proposed a legislative name. But on Aug. 15, Trump subcommittee to study again blamed “both sides,” race relations, said she laying partial blame on a was disheartened by her group he called the “alt-left.” Republican colleagues’ “You had a group on one embrace of Trump’s rhetoric side and group on the other and refusal to call out the and they came at each other president in clear terms. with clubs — there is another “We are so reticent to face side, you can call them the left, hard issues head on. We will that came violently attacking talk about it in generic terms. the other group,” he said. But it’s kind of like if I go to “You had people that were the doctor for a diagnosis and very fine people on both sides. the doctor figures out what’s “Not all those people really ailing me, I don’t want were neo-Nazis, not all the doctor to come out and say, those people were white ‘It’s a serious issue, you do have supremacists. Many of those some problems, and I hope we people were there to protest can deal with your health issue, the taking down of the statue and we’ll all pull together.” If of Robert E. Lee. So this week, I don’t know what the actual it is Robert E Lee. I noticed issue is, I’m not going to deal that Stonewall Jackson is with it. That’s what I feel like coming down. I wonder, is we are doing now.” it George Washington next Maxwell said she week? And is it Thomas WHITE SUPREMACY ‘MUST BE REJECTED AT EVERY TURN’: Said Governor Hutchinson, but he failed to criticize Trump. understood the difficulty Jefferson the week after? You electors — and elected officials know, you really do have to ask — have in turning on a candidate yourself, where does it stop?” or made statements online or to other Times, “Every generation must affirm they supported. Even for someone who has never media that we included. See excerpts and live American values anew. Equal “If you were optimistic about Trump distinguished himself for his moral from those responses on page 18 and the opportunity and respect for all races is or believed a lot of the criticism was leadership, the president’s refusal to complete list at arktimes.com/GOPsurvey, fundamental to what is great about our unjustified or fake news, it’s hard to say, condemn avowed racists — Nazis! — and help us gather more responses from country. The whole concept of white ‘I’m super-disappointed in my candidate.’ seemed to suggest a political sin from your representatives; send their responses supremacy or neo-Nazi dogma must be But we have to constantly re-evaluate our which even Donald “I could stand in to lindseymillar@arktimes.com with the rejected at every turn.” But when asked public officials and see if they’re holding the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot subject line “GOP survey.” whether the response from Trump, who true to the things that we believe in and somebody and I wouldn’t lose any Few Republicans were willing to decidedly did not reject white supremacy, support. It’s not a universal loyalty vote. voters” Trump might not recover. The condemn Trump for drawing a moral was appropriate, Hutchinson said, in part, They work for you. Questioning them and denunciations, across both parties, came equivalency between white supremacists “I am grateful that he clearly denounced calling them out on things you don’t like quickly from the likes of House Speaker and counter-protesters. At least 10 white supremacy in very clear terms.” is our job as citizens.” arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

Lynchings hidden

In the history of the Hot Springs Confederate monument. BY GUY LANCASTER

The stone Confederate soldier stands with his hands gripping the barrel of a rifle whose butt rests on the ground by his foot, and he is equipped with a bedroll, canteen and bullet pouch. The sculpture is 6 feet high, set upon a base 12 feet high, so the soldier can easily overlook the plaza bounded by Central, Ouachita, Market, and Olive streets in downtown Hot Springs. This simple monument bears the years “1861–1865” on its north face, above the words “CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS.” The Hot Springs chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy began raising funds for the monument in 1907, but these efforts lagged until 1929, when the chapter received the promise of $1,000 from the statewide UDC, payable at $200 a year. In 1933, the city council passed an ordinance allowing the UDC to place the planned monument at what was then still called the CoMo Triangle, and the monument was formally dedicated on June 2, 1934. Hot Springs had actually been spared much of the direct violence of the Civil War. Worried that Little Rock might fall in 1862, Governor Henry Massie Rector briefly relocated state records there for just over two months, making Hot Springs the de facto Confederate state capital. While Hot Springs was never occupied by Union soldiers, a Feb. 4, 1864, skirmish is listed in the official records with an asterisk indicating that no substantial reports are on file, meaning it was likely the most minor of affairs. No doubt, local men served in Confederate units, though the Ouachita Mountains region, not being so invested in the institution of slavery as other parts of the state, also lent many men to the Union. These men may have seen violence, but their town escaped rather unscathed during the Civil War. However, during the early 20th century, Hot Springs twice erupted into the kind of violence that had its roots in the issues left unresolved by the Civil War, and both times, it happened right where that monument to Confederate soldiers stands today. Will Norman, a black man, was murdered there on June 19, 1913. Norman had worked as a servant for the family of C. Floyd Huff, a prominent man who had served as county judge from 1898 to 1900. After Huff’s daughter, Garland, was found stuffed in a closet with her head bashed 16

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

in, suspicion immediately fell upon Norman, and newspapers prominently claimed that little Garland had “battled off the advances of Will Norman” despite the fact that no one had witnessed the attack and the victim was never able to relay her story before dying later that day. According to the Arkansas Gazette, as news of the event quickly spread, “crowds began to gather, armed in open manner, and the woods were honeycombed with grim-visaged men,” numbering in the thousands, “determined to seek out and find the brute and silently acquiescing in a general scheme to make short work of him when he was found.” Two men found Norman outside of town, and upon their arrival at the jail, and a group of 500 men quickly surrounded their buggy and took Norman themselves. Judge Huff gave his boys permission to attend the lynching after they asked, “Father, may we go see that negro lynched, please?” At the intersection of Ouachita Avenue and

right in front of the resplendent CoMo Hotel that had been completed six years earlier and would have been filled with summer visitors. There, according to the Arkansas Democrat, “Harris was hoisted about 20 feet in the air while the great crowd yelled and cheered. He only lived a few minutes. The body was allowed to hang perhaps half an hour and then was let down. Negro undertakers came for the body, but the mob chased them away.” According to one eyewitness, Roswell Rigsby, Harris’ body was dragged behind a truck until being cut loose in front of a “negro mortuary.” Connelly’s body, however, achieved a more dignified rest. Hundreds attended his funeral at St. Luke’s Episcopal A DARK HISTORY: The Hot Springs Church. At Confederate monuHollywood ment was erected Cemetery, where 12 and 21 years after he was buried, lynchings took place stood about two in the same location. dozen hooded and robed members of the Ku Klux Klan, lining the path from the cemetery gates to the gravesite. They filed to the grave following the bugler’s playing of taps, placed a floral wreath, and kneeled in prayer before departing. In 1934, the lynching of Gilbert Harris was but a 12-year-old memory, while the lynching of Will Norman had happened only 21 years prior. Very likely, people in the crowd at the dedication of the Hot Springs Confederate Monument remembered the work of the mob in those two instances — and some may even have participated (3,000 to 4,000 men had reportedly participated in the hunt for Norman, which would have been a quarter of the town’s population at the time). Of course, people have typically been lynched in the same prominent public locations so useful for the installation of monuments, places with maximum visibility. However, what is relevant to the debate over the future of Confederate memorials is just how much history these monuments hide, and nowhere can this better be seen than in Hot Springs, where a stone Confederate soldier stands guard over the site of two lynchings, perhaps warning passersby to move on, not to investigate the real history of that plot of land. His very presence changes the story of the town in ways we cannot deny.

Central Avenue, Norman was hanged and his body riddled with bullets, after which it was cut down and burned. By the following day, people were picking through the ashes for bones to keep as souvenirs, and ashes were being gathered into matchboxes and sold. The next lynching in Hot Springs took place on Aug. 1, 1922. Gilbert Harris, nicknamed “Bunk” or “Punk,” had reportedly shot Maurice Connelly, a young businessman and nephew of the county judge, during a botched robbery attempt the previous evening. Harris was quickly arrested, and an armed mob soon surrounded the jail. At the news that Connelly had died, the mob grew angrier, its members openly discussing plans to lynch Harris. The mayor and local circuit judge promised a speedy trial and condemnation, but later that Dr. Guy Lancaster is the editor of morning, the mob broke into the jail “Bullets and Fire: Lynching and Authority and took Harris from police custody, in Arkansas, 1840–1950,” forthcoming dragging him to the CoMo Triangle, from the University of Arkansas Press.

Arkansas-linked Charlottesville marcher identified

Apologizes to those misidentified. BY JACOB ROSENBERG

The Arkansas Times has identified the man photographed wearing an “Arkansas Engineering” T-shirt at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., as Andrew M. Dodson, a former student at the University of Arkansas Engineering school. In a telephone interview with the Arkansas Times, Dodson apologized for the trouble he caused the state and, specifically, an engineering professor at the University of Arkansas who was misidentified as the person carrying a torch at a march on Aug. 12. The professor became the target of social media vitriol. Neo-Nazi Billy Roper of Stone County was also misidentified as Dodson. Roper alternately confirmed and denied that he was in Charlottesville. On Aug. 18, he joined a demonstration near a monument dedicated to Confederate soldiers in front of the White County Courthouse in Searcy wearing an Arkansas Engineering T-shirt similar to the one Dodson wore, according to The Bison, a Harding University newspaper. “There’s a couple of guys in Fayetteville that have been misidentified as me. ... It’s not those guys, it’s not them; it’s me,” Dodson said. “I’m so sorry, I would never want to hurt you and your family. If they want my T-shirt back, I’ll send it to them.” Dodson did not know personally the professor who was misidentified, who worked in a different branch of engineering than that studied by Dodson, but he did apologize to those with whom he studied for two years. He did not graduate from the university. “I learned so much from these [engineering] guys,” he said. “It breaks my heart that they’re going to think I’m a Nazi, or a KKK, or a white supremacist. “I did not put on that University of Arkansas shirt in order to represent them. It’s really like one of my favorite shirts and I was wearing it when I got on the plane,” Dodson said. “I just didn’t put two and two together. It was dumb.” Dodson, 33, is from South Carolina, and now lives in New England (he refused to give specific towns). He moved to Arkansas in 2009 “after the economy crashed” and last visited the state a few months ago for a wedding. Dodson moved to Arkansas originally to

work at a design firm, he says, and was to stop us from having our free speech. sent back to school by the firm to the Because I want to talk about the money University of Arkansas to acquire more that is corrupting our systems. skills, where he got the shirt. “I am not going to say that there He said he had participated in the wasn’t racism there. There was. And, campaign to elect Ron Paul president I also think it was on both sides,” he in 2008, the Occupy Movement said. “God bless Trump. He’s telling the and the Tea Party movement and, truth. I condemn racism on both sides.” after these experiences, went to Dodson said he was also the same Andrew Charlottesville because he wanted to Dodson who had been interviewed in “see who these alt-right people were.” an article for The Atlantic but claimed He knew they had been labeled racists that the article was inaccurate. He but, Dodson said, the media often said he was not a “racial realist,” as lied about Ron Paul and the Occupy the article described, but, instead, felt Movement. that the current conversation about “I found there was this group called race, especially the Black Lives Matter Identity Evropa and they were like, ‘We movement was instigating a “fake are not racist, we are identitarians.’ ... I conversation” that is “funded by this asked, ‘Is this going to be a thing where guy George Soros.” they’re doing whiteness [and white “It’s not even that they misquoted supremacy], swastikas and Sieg Heil?’ me. I think they just … the guy [in The And they said, ‘No, that’s not what we’re Atlantic] says I’m a racial realist. It was about.’ ” a lot of stuff going — it’s like there are Those elements w e r e people, like these Black Lives Matter p a r t o f t h e d e m o n s t r a t i o n . people — I’m not saying I’m anti Dodson claims that even during the black people. … But I think the things that they are saying are kind of fake news.” On James Alex Fields Jr., the man accused of driving his car through a crowd in Charlottesville, killing one 32-year-old woman and injuring 19 others, Dodson said, “Free speech was also a casualty ... I share their pain and suffering.” Dodson lost his job, he said, because of participation in the rally. When asked if now, after apologizing and realizing that Nazi flags, fascism and racism were part of the Charlottesville DODSON: Former University of Arkansas student regrets demonstration, he would wearing Arkansas Engineering T-shirt during white participate in future events, supremacist march. Dodson said that he may Friday night march he didn’t “see any still go. Nazi flags, just a bunch of guys in khakis “How else am I going to figure out and polos,” so he continued to participate. what these guys are about?” he said. He contends that the people who were Mark Rushing, assistant vice “Nazis and the KKK” were bused in. He chancellor of University Relations at also believes that counter-protesters the University of Arkansas, offered a were brought into Charlottesville by comment after the Times identified outside groups. Dodson. “I wonder if the same people “As we have said all along, the that bused in the Black Live Matters individual in question does not [movement] and the [Anti-Fascists] and represent the values of the College the Communists — are the same of Engineering or the University of people busing them in and the same Arkansas. This new information clears people busing in the Nazis and the KKK?” the name of our professor who was Dodson said. originally misidentified. The university He described the problem as people will continue to support and promote a “trying to instigate racial violence — diverse, welcoming and inclusive campus people on both sides — as an excuse and society.”

Arkansas Times joins project to document hate crimes BY LINDSEY MILLAR

Since President Trump’s election, reports of hate crimes and bias incidents have skyrocketed on social and traditional media. But as a state and country, we don’t do a good job tracking hate crimes and harassment. Federal law requires the FBI to ask state and local law enforcement agencies for reports of such incidents, but many agencies simply decline to turn over records. In Arkansas in 2015, for instance, among 279 participating agencies only four submitted records, producing a total of only five incident reports. A massive disparity exists between the 250,000 hate crimes that the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated occurred on average from 2004 until 2015, and the 5,850 that were reported to the FBI in 2015. Arkansas is also one of only five states without a hate crime law. Rep. Greg Leding (D-Fayetteville) and Sen. Joyce Elliott (D-Little Rock) co-sponsored a bill in the legislature earlier this year that would have created an enhanced sentence for a hate crime, but it failed to advance out of the House Judiciary Committee. To help address the deficiencies in reporting, the Arkansas Times has joined ProPublica’s “Documenting Hate” project. The nonprofit news organization is teaming up with newsrooms across the country to track hate incidents that might otherwise go unreported. The project aims to create a comprehensive database of where hate crimes are happening and what groups are being targeted. If you have an incident to report, find the “Documenting Hate” web form at arktimes.com/dochate. Information provided will not be shared with law enforcement or to anyone outside the group working on the project.

arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

‘CONTEMPTIBLE LITTLE MEN’: That’s what U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton called white supremacists.

In the wake of Charlottesville

The Arkansas GOP on racism, Trump’s response and monuments. What follows are excerpts from full responses that can be seen at arktimes.com/GOPsurvey. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION The following statements were sent after inquiry or taken from social media. None of Arkansas’s members of Congress allowed specific questions via email or phone.

recognition of the natural rights of all mankind and commitment to the defense of the rights of all Americans. These contemptible little men do not speak for what is just, noble, and best about America.

Sen. John Boozman (R) Statement on Charlottesville taken from Boozman’s Twitter (he did not respond to inquiry): The violence & hatred in #Charlottesville is unacceptable. Bigotry has no place in our society. We solve our problems by working together.

4th District Congressman Bruce Westerman (R) Statement on Charlottesville emailed to the Times on inquiry: Neo-Nazism and white supremacy are reprehensible belief systems that are steeped in hate and adorned with evil actions throughout history. The actions of people who ascribe to these belief systems are contrary to everything I’ve learned in my Christian faith and are an affront to basic morality and the underpinnings of America.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R) Statement on Charlottesville taken from Cotton’s website (he did not respond to inquiry): White supremacists who claim to “take America back” only betray their own ignorance of what makes America so special: our country’s founding

3rd District Congressman Steve Womack (R) Statement on Charlottesville emailed to the Times on inquiry: There is no place in America for bigotry or hatred of any kind. Groups that harbor this type of ideology — specifically people who associate

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

themselves with groups related to white supremacy, white nationalism, or neo-Nazism — are not only on the wrong side of history, but also at odds with the founding and sustaining maxim of our nation that all men are created equal. 2nd District Congressman French Hill (R) Statement on Charlottesville taken from Hill’s website (he did not respond to inquiry): During World War II, my fatherin-law helped to liberate Buchenwald concentration camp. He bore witness to Nazi terror — a terror that started with an ideology of hate and superiority based upon race and creed. He and so many other Americans and Allies fought against that ideology, which was an affront to American values and continues to have no place in our civil society. I reject, in the strongest terms possible, the speech of hate and bigotry of white supremacists and others. 1st District Congressman Rick Crawford (R)

Statement on Charlottesville taken from Crawford’s Twitter (he did not respond to inquiry): White supremacy ideology is totally incompatible with the dearest beliefs we hold as Americans. #Charlottesville ARKANSAS CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS Governor Hutchinson On Charlottesville: Every generation must affirm and live American values anew. Equal opportunity and respect for all races is fundamental to what is great about our country. The whole concept of white supremacy or neo-Nazi dogma must be rejected at every turn. After the Charlottesville violence I consistently spoke out against the racism and hatred and violence displayed before a national audience. On Trump’s response: I am grateful that he clearly denounced white supremacy in very clear terms. But this is a moment that we need our leaders to take every opportunity to educate this generation

about the pure evil of Nazism and to bring our country together. On Confederate monuments: We cannot change history, but we must learn from it. We should not start taking down monuments just because they remind us of an unpleasant past. Refusing to face our history by dismantling it is a mistake. We should use our historical markers as teaching opportunities to provide greater leadership for the future. Part of the legislation I signed to separate the holidays of Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert E. Lee was to use the history of the Civil War as a teaching opportunity for our students. Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin Did not respond to inquiry. The following comments were published on social media and in interviews with the Arkansas DemocratGazette. On Charlottesville: I think that leaders should be unequivocal in their denunciation of the type of white supremacists and racism and these sorts of things that we’ve been seeing. Clearly neo-Nazis and white supremacists are not fine people. Not by my definition. — Arkansas DemocratGazette, Aug. 18. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge Republican Attorneys General defend the rule of law — and equality under the law for all Americans. Those values are entirely at odds with the views of the white supremacists and neo-Nazis who spewed their hatred in Charlottesville this past weekend. They are cowards who have no place in American society. ... Let us not use these horrific displays as a tool to divide us but rather unite us against those who spew such evil. — Statement for the Republican Attorneys General Association, a group Rutledge leads. Auditor Andrea Lea On Charlottesville: No matter the name under which cowards gather, evil is evil and it has no place in the country I love. I believe all Americans have the opportunity to pursue happiness, regardless of creed or color. The events in Charlottesville are a direct attack on this pursuit and it should not be tolerated. Land Commissioner John Thurston (Has announced his candidacy for secretary of state). On Trump’s response: President Trump’s response is only

suitable or unsuitable by the observation or viewpoint of the individual’s perspective. Was his response enough for me? Yes, for now, but more should be said. On Confederate monuments: The Arkansas Democratic Party is grandstanding and continuing to play identity politics. Exploiting a tragic event in our nation for the purpose of political gain is almost as saddening as the event itself. The opinion of a monument is the same as one’s perspective of Trump’s response: It depends on one’s viewpoint. To one the monument is history, to another it is a dark past. I am hesitant to remove any monument, because we could find ourselves on a slippery slope; however, I am sensitive to the perspective of those who view the monuments as a symbol of oppression. … The Arkansas Democratic Party had over 140 years to take down all the monuments they wanted, but now they want to stir the race pot again, and again, and again. Democrats put the monuments up, then I suppose they can pass laws to take them down. I am so far past the Civil War. Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R-Little Rock) On Charlottesville: [The white nationalist march] was revolting. I don’t think [white supremacists] are increasing, but maybe they’re more vocal. On Trump’s response: I loved [Governor Hutchinson’s] immediate response. I don’t think it’s a time to be nuanced. [I think the actions of the Unite the Right in Charlottesville] should be condemned full-throatedly, unequivocally. I wish [Trump] had said less. Just condemned it. … I can’t divine what’s going through his mind. On Confederate monuments: I think it’s a fine line [the decision to remove Confederate symbols]. There are cannonballs on the lawn of the Capitol at South Carolina and that’s where the cannonballs were shot through. That’s historical and should be preserved. But if it inflames, there’s not place for it. It should be decided on a case by case basis scenario. … Certainly a Confederate flag flying over the Capitol dome is too much. Sen. Blake Johnson (R-Corning) On Charlottesville: It’s terrible that somebody would have that much hatred to run through a CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

425 West Capitol Ave. #300 Little Rock, AR 72201 501.375.3200 flakeandkelley.com

JENNIFER LIND

AREA MANAGER

3000 locations, 900 cities 120 countries 400 W. Capitol, Ste 1700 Little Rock

O +1501.374.4692 D +1501.492.3423 C +1501.502.4006

A DOG’S WORLD

Pet Resort

Luxury Boarding at affordable prices BOARDING • GROOMING • DAYCARE

10 Gated acres | Owner on premises

501-847-2639

4120 Springhill Rd. Bryant, AR 72019

www.adogsworld.net

26th

Hot Springs

JazzFest August 31st September 4th Thursday, August 31

Saturday, September 2

Friday, September 1

Jazz in the Streets

Jazz Night at The Ohio Club Classical & Jazz Blow Out!

Free Outdoor Concert

HSJazzSociety.org HSJazzSociety@gmail.com 501-627-2425 Sunday, September 3

St. Luke’s Jazz Mass Stardust Big Band Tea Dance Monday, September 4

Rhythm & Rocks Jazz arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway) Did not respond to inquiry. The following was taken from his Facebook account. In response to the state Democratic Party’s position on taking down Confederate monuments: Interesting. The Arkansas Democrat Party established segregation in Arkansas after Reconstruction ended. They crushed the new rights gained by former slaves in our state and maintained their death grip on our state with an unbeatable majority until 2012 when Republicans won their first majority in the legislature in 138 years. It is well known that Democrats primarily formed the KKK and kept it alive. Democrats and the infamous democrat governor Orval Faubus caused the 1957 Little Rock Central High School crisis by refusing to allow black students to attend. Terrible history. Terrible bunch of people. Why don’t the Arkansas Democrats just recommend to abolish themselves and do us all a favor for all the hell they have put our state through? Make it a clean sweep. — Facebook, Aug. 17. Sen. Terry Rice (R-Waldron) On Charlottesville: I think any violent people are a terrible thing, should not be tolerated. I deplore hate, I deplore violence. … Hate from anybody is not to be tolerated. But, just to not even see things covered by the general media that you see happen and then to see all in on one particular thing. … I think what I’m seeing out of the media is nitpicking and hand-wringing to one side of coverage. On Trump’s response: I think anybody who listened to his whole statement understands what he is saying. I’m not defending the way he handles statements, because it could’ve done better. … Everyone including myself who is an elected official is on notice [for better statements] … There are extremes both ways. I have just seen so one-sided news, that’s just, they can’t wait to pounce. Anybody from either side that’s got bats and weapons; they’ve got that to strike. … “I don’t think anybody should be giving homage to slavery or white supremacy or anything else. But, when 20

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

I heard Black Lives Matter talk about killing cops, it is deplorable. I wish I saw as much correction for that. Sen. David J. Sanders (R-Little Rock) On Charlottesville: I think it’s awful, I think it’s atrocious. What you see embodied in the altright and those folks is just wrong; it’s un-American. And for me as a practicing, as a Christian, to have any hint of racism, along any lines, runs contrary to the

Rep. Ken Bragg (R-Sheridan) On Charlottesville: I personally don’t support the extremist’s actions. I think it’s deplorable what happened. Sometime I wonder if, when we have demonstrations like that, it just creates more exposure for those extreme groups, when they get that kind of coverage and opposition groups come out to oppose them. It just seems to heighten the tension. But that’s part of our

it, but that was not what the main war was about. The Confederate flag and the Confederacy statues are part of my history. I was raised on that. North, South, we knew it all. It wasn’t that it was one-sided. But that’s part of my history. It would be no different than if you’ve got a statue of Martin Luther King somewhere. That’s history for Arkansas; it’s history for the U.S.A. But it has black history there. I don’t want to pull their black history down. I don’t want them pulling our history that we grew up with down either — not anybody, not just the blacks. It’s not just blacks trying to do that. It’s all that are trying to do it. … I am totally against changing our heritage. Rep. Charlotte Douglas (R-Alma) On Charlottesville: When I look at my county, and I see 700 kids that don’t have a home, and I see our high school kids are highest in the nation for opioid use, I just see better places for us to spend our efforts than battling with each other over whether a statue is important. Not that it is not an unimportant issue to some people. But at this point in my life, I see such pain and injury that needs immediate attention, and that’s not on the list.

BRIAN CHILSON

crowd of people like that. I support the right of citizens to assemble peaceably. I think there was confusion within the group that was protesting; I think there were two groups there protesting the removal. On Trump’s response: I’m sure he knows more about it than what I do.

RAPERT: Called for the Democratic Party of Arkansas to “abolish” itself on social media.

Gospel. On Trump’s response: I think when you see injustice — when you see the things that we’ve seen — I think it is imperative that all elected officials speak out in very clear and straightforward terms. To the extent that anyone has vacillated I don’t think that’s acceptable. That includes the president down to a state senator. … There is absolutely zero equivocation on my part: This has no place in Arkansas, no place in our country.

free speech. We have free speech rights, and we need to respect that. But we also need to consider the fact there’s results and consequences from those rights. Rep. Bruce Cozart (R-Hot Springs) On Confederate monuments: I think they should be left up. They’re part of our history. It doesn’t matter what side you believe in. The Civil War was not about slavery. It was about the North putting dominance over us, and stuff like that. Slavery was an issue of

Rep. Joe Farrer (R-Austin) On Charlottesville: As far as I know, we live in America, everybody has the right to protest. When you bring swastikas and neo Nazis, why? That was wrong. The other side: When you come in with violence — they had the right to protest and the other one comes in and causes trouble. I don’t understand what happened and why we can’t be tolerant of each other anymore. When did we lose that? Everybody has the right to an opinion. I have an opinion. You have an opinion. They may differ, but I’m not going to punch you in the mouth because our opinions differ. We lost that somewhere in America, and I don’t know where it went and when we lost it. It upsets me we can’t be tolerant of each other. It upsets me deeply. It was horrible what happened there. But both sides were guilty. On Trump: I think he did the right response. Both sides were wrong, like he said. He could’ve narrowed it down a little more. Why are neo-Nazis part of this? You know you’re going to have violence with that. Since World War II that’s been a bad thing. If the protest was what it was supposed to be— protesting taking a Robert E. Lee statute out—but when you start bringing the Aryan Nation in, you’re going to have problems. .. Robert E. Lee didn’t stand for that. .. Robert E. Lee didn’t stand for that.

EDUCATION . LIFESTYLE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com 24, 2017 1 ADVERTISING AUGUST SUPPLEMENT arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 21

PHOTO COURTESY UA LITTLE ROCK

COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

2 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 22 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 3 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 23

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

MESSAGE FROM THE DR. W. JOSEPH (JOEY) KING LYON COLLEGE

“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve as Lyon’s next president. From its founding on the frontier in 1872, Lyon has remained true to its mission. As it approaches its sesquicentennial, it has the potential to part of that process.”

“As the new chancellor for A-State, I dream of a time when every high school senior in the state of Arkansas knows that he or she has a place for them in northeast Arkansas. respected and their ideas matter, and that we all share the same goal of helping our students reach their highest aspirations. Most of all, I hope for a university community that truly believes that ‘Every Red Wolf Counts.’ ”

DR. EVELYN E. JORGENSON NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

“NorthWest Arkansas Community College seeks to empower lives, inspire learning, and strengthen community through accessible, throughout Benton andWashington 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.”

JASON L. MORRISON, ED.D.

DR. SANDRA MASSEY

DR. JOHN A. HOGAN

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY TECH

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY – NEWPORT

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

for Southern Arkansas University Tech. I started in January 2017 as the Chancellor of SAU Tech and have worked to motivate and phrase, Be Great! Be Tech! I am often asked what it means. The phrase encompasses all that I believe that we should strive for as individuals and as a college. Whatever you do, work hard to be the best at whatever it is at you are doing. To put those words into action, we have started new initiatives at SAU Tech that will impact the campus now and in the future. Basketball will return to the campus along with a co-ed cheer squad and pep band in fall 2018. New university transfers are in place and more on the way to help our students achieve their dream of a four-year degree. The development of a more cohesive relationship with our business & industry partners is underway to facilitate workforce training programs and job placement for our graduates. The new direction at SAU Tech is just beginning and I am excited to work towards the future with my SAU Tech team.” 24

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

24 AUGUST 24, 2017

AUGUST 24, 2017

“At Arkansas State University-Newport, we that lead to family-supporting wages in industry partnerships ensure the relevancy of our curriculum and allow our students to scheduling, and three campuses, students have the ability to create an individualized addition to programs for college-age students, and industry-recognized credentials that Our mission states that ASU-Newport will education that transforms the lives of our students, enriches our communities, and strengthens the regional economy.” Every day I see the mission of this institution alive, active, and transformational in the lives of our students as well as in the regional economies

ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

ARKANSAS TIMES

DR. MARGARET A. ELLIBEE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE

“UA - Pulaski Tech’s longstanding reputation for dedication to student achievement is a direct result of the dedication and profesto the student experience. UA-PTC’s students within themselves. Our job is to give them the tools to do it. Whether a student pursues a university-transfer degree or needs cutting edge technical training, it’s the personal touch

STEVE ROOK, ED.D.

COLLEGE OF THE OUACHITAS

“At NPC we guarantee the quality of our graduates. We value our partnerships with employers and universities. If an NPC graduate

“College of the Ouachitas is changing the lives of the residents of Hot Spring, Grant, Dallas, Saline, and Clark Counties. For almost 50 years, COTO has been committed to making

we will permit the student to retake those courses tuition free. We understand the cost of college is expensive. NPC kept tuition

ensures you have an opportunity to achieve your educational goals by providing programs and services designed for students who plan to seek immediate employment, transition to a new career or a four-year degree. Nowhere

per credit hour fee so students can better understand the costs. We have developed a plan to help prepare for the cost of education and provide an incentive to help students graduate on time. The NPC Tuition Guarantee freezes tuition for all continuously enrolled students until the completion of a degree to seamless transfer opportunities, 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.”

art technical programs with cutting edge technology to prepare you for today’s high tech world. For example, COTO has one of the largest 3-D print farms in the world and it is waiting for you. Visit us at One College Circle in Malvern or on the web at www.COTO. edu. At College of the Ouachitas you will discover a Higher Degree of You!”

DR. CHARLES POLLARD JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

“At JBU, our goal is for students to be change agents for good. We are pleased to be highly ranked by U.S. News, but our measure of success is when our graduates serve other people in ways that transform lives. From engineers providing sustainable water solutions in Guatemala, to teachers challenging at-risk academic program is built on intellectual rigor, practical application and integration of faith and learning. It is a program that encourages students to be Christ-like, seeking grace and truth, and engaging a broken world with compassion, insight, and love.”

DR. STEVE COLE, CHANCELLOR COSSATOT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

“We know you have choices in life-choices refuse for UA Cossatot to be an old and stale Our textbook program is really cool…gone are the days where your books cost more than small fee and many classroom materials are we have many technical options that will get a university college experience, enjoy the about another awesome year and hope to be

PRESIDENTS DR. ROBIN E. BOWEN ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

DR. ANDREW ROGERSON UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

“Every student counts at Arkansas Tech University. As a result, approximately 12,000 students have made the choice to pursue their academic goals as a member of our diverse community of learners. Recently developed

“As the newest chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, I’ve been impressed by

interactive media design, cybersecurity, logistics management, environmental science and business data analytics connect to in-demand careers. Engineering, nursing and pre-med biology are just some of the additional disciplines that help make us a statewide leader for STEM education. Begin your path to ATU at explore.atu.edu.”

We are committed to helping our students

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE

“For 140 years, Philander Smith College has been inspiring and educating the next generation of leaders who seek to enact change in our communities, state, nation and world. Our legacy of providing a quality liberal arts curriculum, with a focus on social justice, has withstood the test of time and asserted Philander as an educational pillar in Arkansas. Though a small, private institution, PSC dreams big. Our dreams include making education accessible to students who have a desire for knowledge and academic achievement. As we celebrate this great milestone in our history, we know our greatest assets It is with a student-centered approach to learning and a steadfast dedication to helping our scholars thrive that we continue to move FORWARD into the future.”

research, internship, community service, and employment opportunities. Our goal is to see students through to a timely graduation and ensure they have acquired the appropriate skill sets to make them career-ready. Come by for a visit and learn all about this great urban, metropolitan university.”

DR. PAUL B. BERAN, CHANCELLOR UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FORT SMITH

“As one of the best values in the state for a career-focused education, the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith prepares students for the next step in their lives through applied learning overseen by dedicated professors, a ship opportunities, and a unique bond with the community that allows them to do more with their education. Our students apply what they’ve learned in a variety of ways: they paint in international murals festivals, write and direct their own theatrical productions, intern with industry leaders and elected offrom community leaders and CEOs. Visit our beautiful campus and learn more about the

“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 vocational programs, and by a sense of community that encourages and inspires. The faculty, administration and all of our students.”

PRESIDENT GLEN JONES HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

“At Henderson State University, we believe in the potential of every person to become an in society. The university’s very foundation rests on its outstanding ability to educate from rural areas by harnessing the transformative power of higher education and making it available to any and all prospective students who desire to become educated. For 127 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.”

JUDY I. PILE, ED.D., CHANCELLOR

DR. HOUSTON DAVIS

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK

“BHCLR is a unique institution guided by the healthcare workforce needs in Arkansas. We erone-yearprograms,associatedegrees,and bachelor degrees through several university liations. Our outcomes in retention, board/ registry passage and graduate placement are competitive and are available on our website. in healthcare have a natural tendency to care for others, enjoy learning and challenge and exhibit professionalism in all areas of their growing and there are many avenues to an incredible career. Visit our website to learn more at www.bhclr.edu.”

DR. TREY BERRY

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

“At the University of Central Arkansas, we are committed to the success of our students and helping them reach their degree goals. We are proud of our vibrant and diverse student body that is excelling inside and outside of the classroom. UCA students are part of a dynamic and growing university that aims to set students up for success in their careers and lives after graduation. UCA was recently named the most beautiful campus in Arkansas by a national media outlet and when you combine that with some of the best faculty in the nation, you get a complete collegiate experience that is second to none. It is our goal that students will soon join the outstanding alumni of UCA who are making a huge difference as citizens of the world. Go Bears!”

2017 COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY GUIDE

DR. RODERICK L. SMOTHERS, SR.

. I am convinced that UA Little Rock is ideal for a student seeking

DR. COY GRACE

EAST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

University has experienced record enrollment cybersecurity, 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 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.”

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 25

arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

Major Trends

HIGHER EDUCATION RESPONDING TO CONSUMERS’ DEMAND FOR VALUE, MARKETABILITY ■ BY DWAIN HEBDA

rkansas’s colleges and universities are facing ever-increasing demand

in specific career goals. Those decisions might change throughout their academic for improved educational access, degree marketability and rapidlycareer, but generally speaking, students come with a greater desire to have a purchanging classroom modalities. With tuition continuing to creep pose for coming that leads to some kind upward, more students are viewing education as a direct means to an end. of job and career.” Beran said this not only speaks to the number and variety of curricula offered at a given school, “Student expectations of a college education are but has also challenged the educational modalities much different from the 1960s and ‘70s, when college within the classroom to better prepare students for education started to become significantly more attainthe realities of the working world. able and students went to higher education to discover “The learning dynamic today is that faculty are no and develop different areas of interest that may lead longer the only purveyor or absolute expert in their them to a career,” said Paul B. Beran, chancellor at the field,” he said. “Any student can use a handheld device University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. and get an answer to any question that arises in an “Students today are much more focused, parents are academic environment from a variety of sources. The more involved and students are much more interested

Henderson State University 6 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 26 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

professor’s role has changed from being a sole source of learning to a facilitator of learning, directing students to educational resources and introducing and guiding students to multiple sets of sources to reinforce the knowledge base of their individual discipline.” “The major trend in higher education in Arkansas is the emphasis on student graduation, therefore UA-PTC works hard to ensure that students succeed,” said Tim Jones, associate vice chancellor for public relations and marketing at the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College. “We seek to increase retention by offering convenient class scheduling, strengthening relationships between students and advisors and offering tutoring and other wrap-around services that diminish barriers to success.” Jones said colleges and universities have to remember they are in the service business, a fact that’s often lost in the shuffle. “Students today expect good service and convenience,”he said. “UA-PTC strives to provide both by giving personal attention and with small class sizes. The personal touch is what makes the biggest difference.” “We are seeing a focus from both students and parents on a clear pathway to careers and students want those pathways defined when they get to college,” agreed Dr. Brandie Benton, associate provost for enrollment services and admissions at Henderson State University. “To those ends, we are giving our students information about the wide variety of options they have for careers after they graduate. We are incorporating that into the discussions we have with students about academic programs from the very beginning.” At the same time, students are demanding better amenities and more activities to round out the academic side of the collegiate experience. This is particularly true as cost of attendance continues to rise. “As a university, we are investing in the facilities, support and organizations that will give our students a rich campus life,”Benton said.“We’ve also created a simple, easy-to-manage tuition calculator that allows prospective students

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 7 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 27

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

University of Central Arkansas

and their parents to see what makes Henderson State a great value.” The value proposition facing many institutions, large and small, often turns on technology, not only for ease in content delivery, but also to train students using the very tools they will be exposed to in their career. All while not taking one’s eye off the basics. “There is hardly a profession at this time that is not employing some level of technology and yet the incoming college student seems only to have knowledge of how to use the technology they are interested in, such as a gaming system, phone or tablet,” said Kimberly Coker, director of communications, public relations and grants for Southern Arkansas University Tech in Camden. “Much of the time, basic skillsets are missing such as the ability to type or to use software programs. “To be able to provide the student with the relevant skills by which to obtain a job after graduation or transfer in an ever-changing technological landscape is critical. Staying relevant ourselves, that being college faculty and staff, with technological advances and upgrading programs in a timely manner is already crucial but will become much more crucial in the next 10 years.” The desire on the part of students for an education that is relevant both from the content and the technological aspect is increasingly a consideration in the creation of new degrees.

OUR ADVICE? Check out all the usual universities your friends choose, but before you decide to spend 4 years and a lot of money, give yourself a few minutes at www.jbu.edu and see what you might be missing. We think you’ll be interested. WE’RE LOCATED IN BEAUTIFUL NORTHWEST ARKANSAS, ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING AREAS IN THE NATION.

8 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 28 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, for example, drew from a variety of industry trends and forecasts in the creation of its Master of Business Administration degree that will be available entirely online starting in the fall. The ATU Master of Business Administration degree was developed in conjunction with surveys of ATU College of Business alumni and employers. Information from those surveys was used to identify specific needs in the marketplace that could be addressed by the new program. The resulting degree consists of 10 three-hour courses pursuant to a degree that is focused on executive decision-making and is information analysis-oriented in nature. “Our research found that prospective MBA students are interested in a degree that will help them analyze business market situations using real-time or gathered business information and that employers appreciate the efficiencies created by online learning,” said Dr. Robin E. Bowen, ATU president. “With that information in hand, the College of Business, in conjunction with the Office of Academic Affairs and the Graduate College, developed an MBA program that will create new career opportunities for our students and a deeper, more prepared pool of leadership candidates for the business community

Many students are looking for a way to enter the workforce, gain a careerready degree or certification, and continue their education along the way. in Arkansas and beyond.” In many cases, paying attention to the dual needs of the student and the community has resulted in one or more centers of excellence. At the University of Central Arkansas, for instance, classes in the Colleges of Business, Education and Health and Behavioral Sciences are routinely filled to capacity. “UCA’s College of Business is currently home to more than 1,500 undergraduate students and more than 100 graduate students, all taught by about 70 faculty members, which gives students opportunities for hands-on experience in lots of different business fields,” said Chelsea Huckaby of UCA University Relations and Creative Services. “UCA also produces more undergraduate and graduate professionals in health and behavioral sciences than any other four-year institution in Arkansas. And, the College of Education at UCA is the premier program for educator preparation in Arkansas, as well as one of the largest programs in the state.” Such outcomes have paid off with increased enrollment and positioned UCA as a first choice among the state’s best and bright-

est. Applications for its Norbert O. Schedler Honors College this fall is predicted to be the largest and most competitive in the program’s 35-year history, with 90 new students with an average high school GPA of 4.12 and an average ACT score of 30. “The Honors College has become one of the most full-featured in the nation and provides students with enhanced education opportunities in a living/learning environment designed to develop citizen scholars,” Huckaby said. “Placing emphasis on students capable of authoring their own lives and leading social

change is a benefit to the community.” While some elements of higher learning focus on the prestige and accelerated academics of an Honors College, an equal if not greater amount build their programs on input from a particular industry they wish to serve. Two-year colleges have maintained a tradition of staying deeply invested not only in their students, but in the working world into which they propose to send them after graduation. “Many students are looking for a way to enter the workforce, gain a career-ready degree or certification, and continue their education

along the way,” said Jenn McDannold, enrollment coordinator at Baptist Health College in Little Rock. “We offer many options, including one-year certificate programs, two-year Associate of Applied Science degrees in nursing and occupational therapy assistant and even post-graduate options for students with bachelor degrees. Each program we offer utilizes hands-on techniques, multiple clinical site options and interactive and open access to professionals in their field of choice.” This level of engagement, along with a higher degree of flexibility in creating new

94% of graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation (that’s 13% better than the other colleges in the Southeast)

Lyon College is a selective undergraduate liberal arts college located in the foothills of the scenic Ozarks. Founded in 1872, we are one of the oldest colleges in Arkansas. Valued for our small class size, strong student-faculty interactions, and community atmosphere, Lyon has forged a singular identity by combining a deep commitment to outstanding liberal arts education with small town warmth. Anything is possible at Lyon—with the College’s award-winning faculty, Scottish heritage, outstanding outdoor adventure program, ample opportunities to study abroad, and unique honor and social codes, students have the freedom to take charge of their own future. Discover your future at lyon.edu.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 9 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 29

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

resembles the best retail operations, both in technology and recently reviewed student and employer needs and have sharpcurriculum, helps keep colleges such as Baptist Health College in customer service. ened our focus on four university learning goals. These goals on the forefront of emerging specialties. “We are certainly entering the time of the ‘on demand’ eduinclude effective communication, critical thinking, social and “As new health care needs emerge, Baptist Health College cation, where students can take courses when and how they civic responsibility and globalization. Little Rock is ready to continue to produce educational programs want,” said Emily Newling, director of institutional advance“Among A-State’s many high-impact learning opportunithat relate and assist those health care needs,” McDannold said. ment at University of Arkansas-Cossatot Community College ties that support our new university goals are undergraduate “Sleep technology, for instance, is a unique program offered at in Ashdown. research projects, team projects, student organizations, study Baptist Health College, a one-year certificate program with no “The days of solely operating 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. are over. abroad, internships and service learning.” college experience required.” Colleges will have to offer classes and hours that fit the consumer’s It doesn’t take a large university to foster such academic diverAnother small-college advantage is the level of connectedtimetable. Technology is so ingrained in ness in the community, which often our society that educational institutions results in working relationships with must use this to our advantage. Things local business that provide internsuch as Blackboard Collaborate, online ships, a major plus for today’s coloffice hours and online tutoring will be lege student. vital in the coming years.” “There is a growing emphasis on Newling said in addition to pedagogiproviding internships to students as cal considerations, colleges and univera way of receiving hands-on trainsities will have to adapt the content and ing and as a way of making industry focus of their curriculum as well. Cost connections that may assist them in and time required in the traditional colfinding employment upon gradulegiate model are no longer acceptable ation,” said Dr. Wade Derden, vice to today’s audiences. president for academic affairs for “For previous generations, college National Park College. “A number of was often a time of personal exploraour programs have added internships tion. Today we are noticing students to their curriculum and the college need a more directed path and guidance. is pursuing grant opportunities that Students value this direction and tend to would allow these internships to be be more engaged in their plan,” she said. paid. In fact, NPC was awarded a “We have also noticed a shift emerging Career Ready Internship Grant from with many students being interested in Great Lakes Community Foundation learning a quick and employable skill, allowing the college to provide 72 thus the boom in technical programs. paid internships through May of 2018.” Not all students want to be lawyers and Experts say student input repredoctors anymore.” sents a major trend in higher eduFinally, colleges are finding it increasingly cation, one that is already shaping important to teach soft skills to go along programs. with mastery of content. Presentation, writ“Students today expect more ing and speaking skills and work ethic are engaged learning opportunities Baptist Health College nursing students gain hands-on training using cutting edge medical equipment. every bit as important as textbook inforfrom colleges and universities, mation or lab work, yet what many students have in technical sity. Lyon College, a small liberal arts school in Batesville, prides including research, study abroad and community service,” said proficiency, they often lack correspondingly in professionalism. itself on excellence in traditional subjects while also affording Judy Williams, associate vice chancellor of communications “As more and more students come to college with concurstudents coursework they can’t find anywhere else, such as its and marketing for University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “Our rent and dual-enrollment credit, preparation beyond academnationally known Scottish Heritage Program. academic programs offer many chances for hands-on research ics becomes more critically important,” said Tricia Baar, dean of “A Lyon education fosters the critical, creative thought and whether in the lab or with a community study.” learning, director of Honors College at College of the Ouachitas ethical, spiritual growth that prepares students for fulfilling “We offer chances to study abroad, often funded or partially in Malvern. “In 2016, College of the Ouachitas redefined its personal and professional lives committed to lifelong learning funded by scholarships, and ample options in the capital city institutional student learning outcomes to include profesand across the globe for community service and engagement. sionalism along with communication, critical thinking and Personalized learning is a trend that is key to student success.” information literacy. Such areas as accountability, respect All of this doesn’t even begin to speak to the affordability and work ethic are topics of increased focus and assessment.” factor. As the cost of higher education continues to escalate, The need for instilling such skills was precisely the motivainstitutions have to work harder to justify the increases. tion behind the establishment of COTO’s Honors College pro“Students and parents of traditional students today have gram in 2013 which helps round out academically-advanced high expectations of affordability and value in higher educastudents’soft skills, ethical understanding and appreciation tion,” Williams said. “We are investing in resources that help for the wider world around them. Baar said as the time wineach student stay on a clearly communicated path to coldow required to earn a degree continues to narrow, such lege completion through prior learning assessment, customcompanion skills and aptitudes are an increasingly important and service,” said Eric Bork, associate vice president of marketized degree plans, faster feedback on academic performance, component of developing well-rounded members of society. ing and communications. “Lyon offers 15 majors leading to a coaching and mentoring. “Traditionally, community colleges are known for the many Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree and at a class “In addition, online teaching requires special training and ways in which they support academically underprepared sturatio of 14:1, ensures personalized attention for all students.” skills for faculty to deliver education in this format. Our univerdents. The addition of honors programming is one way that we “At the same time, Lyon has cultivated a Scottish Heritage sity provides special training in technology, curriculum develsupport and encourage students who come to us exceptionally Program, a program designed to teach, preserve and celebrate opment and course design to ensure that online students get well-prepared,” Baar said. Scottish arts and traditions in the United States. It has become quality instruction.” “Research indicates that the primary need identified by one of the most significant in the nation for students interested Dr. Lynita Cooksey, provost and vice chancellor for academic employers nationally, in all sectors, is better soft skills, those in developing and refining their skills in bagpiping, drumming affairs at Arkansas State University, detailed some of the ways qualities that are evident in reliable, professional employees. or Highland dancing.” the university has evolved to keep up with student expectaA student who graduates with an associate’s degree at age 19 College and universities are also finding that in order to be tions and the demands of the market. may be well-educated, but often lacks the life skills that come successful in this highly-competitive, highly value-conscious “As a student-centered university, we strive to provide with age.” ■ environment, they need to adopt a strategic model that more students the greatest opportunity to succeed,” she said. “We

Students today expect more engaged learning opportunities from colleges and universities, including research, study abroad and community service.

10 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 30 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

In Demand Careers

HEALTH CARE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, TRADES TOP LIST OF MOST IN-DEMAND CAREERS

graying population, the march of technology and a booming state economy are all contributing factors to this year’s most sought-after jobs. As in past years, degrees in the health care sector, current and emerging technologies and a myriad of trade roles are in high demand, offering graduates imme-

diate placement and solid starting salaries. ■ In particular, STEM graduates are finding their services in high demand, outpacing the general economy by more than 300 percent. Demand is expected to hold steady as it is projected more than 1.3 million STEM jobs to be added nationwide over the next five years. At its current pace, experts forecast nearly one-third of STEM jobs could go unfilled by 2020.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Arkansas State’s nursing program ranks high in the geographic region and covers a wide range of choices from associate to doctorate degrees. The online RN to BSN and a wide range of master’s programs are popular for career advancement while bedside nurses are in high demand. Rehabilitation therapies including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speechlanguage pathology and athletic training, in addition to dietetics, are excellent career choices to support health and wellness initiatives. ASU’s pre-professional programs were always a strength in STEM areas, but the partnership with New York Institute of Technology that brought the first osteopathic medical school to the heart of Arkansas State’s campus has had a particularly significant impact. With a BS to DO (Bachelor of Science to Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) school path, the school has begun to see an increase in the number of pre-med and higher ACT students. The school continues to see strong demand for business graduates. Some of the strongest areas of demand are accounting, marketing and computer and information technology. The College of Business at Arkansas State University recently implemented several initiatives designed to provide enhanced opportunities for our students. The Women’s Business Leadership Center (WBLC) reached over 1,000 students through the Leadership Program, FBLA, STEM, FYE and other conferences during the 2016-2017 academic year. The WBLC also hosted 25 speakers, provided nine scholarships and held a Women’s Business Leadership Conference that drew 625 attendees. Other recent initiatives include the Robert “Bob” Wood Sales Leadership Center, the Dawson Capital Markets Lab and the Center for Treasury and Financial Analytics.

a highly qualified workforce for both today’s and tomorrow’s high-tech agricultural industry. The school also supports a robust industrial maintenance division offering instruction in mechanical, electrical, fluid power, welding and software to enable them to troubleshoot, repair, install and maintain industrial manufacturing equipment in virtually any industrial environment.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

ing critical, timely input into program curriculum. As a result, students learn relevant skills and are ultimately job-ready upon program completion. Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation, for example, offers students scholarships to attend ASUN’s high voltage lineman technology program. This coursework prepares students to apply technical knowledge and skills to install, repair, service and maintain electrical power lines and supporting equipment. Other innovative programs include Northeast Arkansas Educating Agriculture Technology (EAT), designed to enhance the college’s agricultural associate degree program, developing

According to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, more students in the STEM fields earned their degree from Arkansas Tech University than any other institution of higher learning last year, a testament to the school’s curriculum and marketability of its degrees. A mere sampling of degree programs offered through ATU’s College of Natural and Health Sciences includes biology, chemistry, engineering physics, environmental science, fisheries and wildlife science, geology, nuclear physics and nursing. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences offers degrees in disciplines such as computer science, electrical engineering, emergency management, information technology and

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT

When ASU-Newport says its degrees meet the needs of today’s business, it’s not just a marketing slogan. The school has forged various partnerships to help ensure its curriculum leads graduates directly into the field of their choice where they can make an immediate impact. Many of the school’s partners sit on ASU-Newport advisory boards, particularly in technical fields, offer-

ASU-Newport students train in high-voltage technology, through a partnership with Arkansas Electric Cooperative. ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 11 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 31

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

mechanical engineering. Arkansas Tech offers ABET accredited programs in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. Last spring, a group of ATU engineering students received the honor of traveling to Detroit to participate in the Shell eco-Marathon Americas challenge. The team constructed a gasoline prototype vehicle named “The Wonder Car.” Also last year, Arkansas Tech began offering a Bachelor of Arts degree in game and interactive media design. A new computer lab has been constructed in Norman Hall, home of the Arkansas Tech Department of Art, to accommodate the needs of students. It features the latest in high-end graphic cards, software and a three-dimensional printer.

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK

One of the most in-demand degrees coming out of Baptist Health College continues to be surgical technology, which enjoys a 100 percent placement rate after graduation. Students enjoy a fast-track curriculum, which includes a one-year certificate program with no college courses needed to get into the career

examination process and Baptist ranked first out of the entire field. The school has also been recognized for highest program average among students sitting for the NMTCB exam, which allows students to work in any environment where radioactive materials are used for the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

COLLEGE OF THE OUACHITAS

The Practical and Registered nursing programs at College of the Ouachitas continue to be two of the college’s most in-demand programs of study. The 2016 Economic Security Report produced by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services and the Arkansas Research Center showed 2014 COTO LPN graduates who were employed full-time in 2015 earned an average of $36,417 while the COTO RN graduates earned an average of $50,322. Other highly sought-after degrees include computer information systems, criminal justice and registered nursing. These degrees provide graduates with many varied employment opportunities. With all communications and data storages being digital, the need for trained graduates to manage com-

policy processors. Also an option for students pursuing COTO’s business-focused coursework is the Associate of Science in Business degree, which offers a path to seamless transfer from COTO to a variety of four-year business degree programs in Arkansas. For students seeking enhanced engagement in humanitiesfocused general education courses, COTO offers an Honors College. Students accepted into the Honors College program enroll in designated classes which include a series of themed seminars and a student-chosen special topics elective. A dedicated scholarship is awarded, and transfer articulation agreements are in place with certain Arkansas universities to allow honors credits earned at COTO to be applied toward graduation from the four-year honors programs. COTO offers certificates and degrees in Mechatronics, which includes training in mechanical and electronic manufacturing and processes. Industry partners offer opportunities for internships to graduating students and new graduates, often resulting in permanent job placements. College of the Ouachitas professional truck driving course provides another in-demand credential.

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

College of the Ouachitas is known throughout the state for its nursing programs, both LPN and RN. of their choice. Students are introduced to surgery sites within their first month and the program maintains a very interactive, hands-on approach throughout. Nuclear medicine is another in-demand degree and Baptist’s program is among the best in the nation. These technologists work directly with patients and using radioactive materials visualize functioning organs, analyze biological specimens and administer treatment for certain diseases. A total of 808 students from 86 nuclear medicine technology programs around the country participated in the 2015

puter information and communication systems is greater than ever before. The nearby Ouachita River Corrections Unit as well as law enforcement agencies provide a constant demand for criminal justice graduates. State nursing shortages drive the need for licensed nurses. College of the Ouachitas offers Associate of Applied Science degrees in accounting, management, and office management. Employment growth is favorable in all three areas through 2024, with notable growth in openings for billing and posting clerks, food service managers, and insurance claims and

12 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 32 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

Business is the name of the game at Henderson State these days, with the introduction of several new courses of study in its School of Business and Teachers College. The school added a focus on entrepreneurship as a concentration area catering to students who want to establish their own businesses. The curriculum includes a Business Plan Battle of the Ravine where they pitch business ideas as a part of a competition to prepare them for the Governor’s Cup. Henderson State has also added programs in hospitality in order to serve the tourism and hospitality needs of businesses in the area. Included within that are several majors such as Bachelor of Business Administration, Hospitality Management Bachelor of Science, Hospitality Food Services, Bachelor of Science, Hospitality Tourism and Event Planning. Its Recreation degrees include Sport Management, Natural Resources Management and Leisure Services Management. Henderson State has academic programs in several STEM fields of study. Some growing disciplines include engineering, innovative media, nursing and aviation. Henderson States offers the state’s only four-year aviation program, which has seen the addition of drone certification in the past year to help students in other fields use the most modern technology. The demand for teachers in Arkansas remains strong and in this regard Henderson State’s program shines. The school is nationally ranked for teacher preparation and students often have jobs waiting for them upon graduation.

JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

John Brown University offers 41 majors, with top programs in business administration, graphic design, engineering, construction management, counseling, teacher education and nursing. Students put their knowledge into practice through real-world

experience, as well as competing against students nationally. This year JBU’s Enactus team took first out of over 200 teams at the Enactus United States National Exposition and will compete against 35 countries at the Enactus World Cup in London this September. Since 2012, JBU’s business teams have advanced to Reynolds Tri-State Governor’s Cup Business Plan Competition after placing in the top three at regionals. A JBU student also received the recognition of Season Long Novice National Champion at the International Public Debate Association’s National Tournament and Convention in March.

occupations and industries in Little Rock using local economic and workforce data: general finance, computer and information systems include healthcare, logistics and distribution and weatherization/green energy. To address the needs in many of these fields, Philander Smith College has developed the Workforce Innovation Strategic & Economic Public Private Partnerships (WISE P3) Program. WISE P3 has a specific focus on training in the areas of computer coding, STEM, health care, advanced manufacturing and finance. Training efforts will encompass

a mix of portable certifications, two-year and four-year technical and applied degree programs to meet the state’s workforce needs. Other current and emerging program initiatives include Arkansas Coding Academy (ACA), a “boot camp” that creates a pipeline of talent for IT and IT-related industries, including cyber security. The program’s IT Registered Apprenticeship is an 18-month apprenticeship with Metova Solutions, a provider of military-grade cyber security technologies. Other initiatives include STEM Camp, a year-round, hands-on weekend experience

for pre-collegiate students with focus on STEM subjects and a ecotoxicology certification program which provides students with basic skills and training necessary to secure baselevel jobs as lab technicians within environmental or ecotoxicology fields. It is the only program of this kind in the state of Arkansas. In addressing the demand for STEM fields of study, Philander Smith College has focused heavily on undergraduate research, ensuring PSC students are groomed to be competitive in obtaining internships, scholarships, fellowships and awards at regional, state and

LYON COLLEGE

Lyon College students continue to achieve levels of success unmatched at many colleges and universities. Almost 100 percent of prelaw students are accepted into law school and more than 90 percent of law school students who earn undergraduate degrees at Lyon are successful in completing their respective state bar exams on their first attempt. 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 and other prestigious institutions. Lyon students applying to professional programs such as pharmacy, dental school and physical therapy schools are accepted at rates far exceeding the national average.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The explosive growth in the northwest corner of the state has led to led to high demand for graduates in business, health professions and construction technology. NorthWest Arkansas Community College is meeting these needs with innovative and high-quality programs. Last year, the college began offering an associate degree in construction technology that has enjoyed strong support from the region’s business community and construction companies. Annual average salaries in the United States in this field are $56,000 for an assistant superintendent and $54,000 for an assistant project manager. The demand for students in STEM fields of study is excellent. One example at NWACC is the health information management program, which prepares students for entry level jobs in this key area. Health information technicians organize and manage health information data by ensuring its quality, accuracy, accessibility and security in both paper and electronic systems. NWACC’s program will offer courses in a hybrid format in the 2017-2018 academic year, meaning courses will have online and traditional classroom components. In fall 2018, the program will move to an online format that will enable more students across the state to enroll.

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE

The 2015 Little Rock Labor Market and Economic Report projects the following high growth

hsu.edu • @HendersonStateU ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 13 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 33

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

national levels. As PSC strengthens its culture of research, several graduates have been admitted into Ph.D. programs with full scholarships to institutions such as Princeton, UAMS, University of California at Riverside and the University of Kansas. Philander Smith College grads have also been placed into M.A. programs at top research institutions including Ohio State University, Virginia Commonwealth Biomedical Sciences and University of Missouri. Research mentors work closely with external organizations and programs to further develop experiential research opportunities for students. Program partnerships include the College’s Arkansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (ARK-LSAMP), the UNCF/Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship program and the 4+ 1 Health Services Agreement between PSC and UAMS.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS – FORT SMITH

The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith continues to produce graduates across a spectrum of the most in-demand fields. UAFS offers health care programs in dental hygiene, imaging sciences, nursing (BSN), practical nursing, radiography, and surgical technology as well as a Master degree in health care administration. In the health care field, the median salary can range from $60,000 for a diagnostic medical sonographer to $70,000 for a dental hygienist with an associate’s degree to $96,000 for a nurse practitioner with a master’s degree. Among the concentrations in Information Technology are programming, security, enterprise computing, and management of information systems. In this field, median salary can range from $80,000 for a computer system analysts to $86,000

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY TECH

Careers staying in high demand are nursing, driven by an aging population, and welders, who are in great demand for local industry specifically the oil and gas fields. To keep up with demand, the school’s nursing program is in the process of expanding its offerings to include an Associate of Nursing degree and a transition track for practical nurses to registered nurses. Welders who complete SAU Tech’s ninemonth Welding Academy curriculum routinely command $45 an hour wages with $100 a day per diem. Within STEM fields, the school distinguishes itself in the technology and engineering areas, specifically in the field of robotics technician, mechanical maintenance and computer information systems. The technical school partners with Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia to allow graduates of the Welding Academy to transfer and earn a Welding Engineering Technology degree.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

One consistently high-demand field since the recession in which UALR is an educational standout is engineering and construction, which employs more than 10 percent of the workforce. There is a critical shortage of engineering and construction professionals to fill a variety of rewarding design, managerial and supervisory roles in this multi-faceted, dynamic industry and that void is continuing to grow. UALR’s College of Engineering and Information Technology offers degrees in construction management, civil and construction engineering, architectural and construction engineering and environmental engineering. These fields offer excellent starting salaries and substantial opportunities for rapid advancement and pay increases with experience. Criminal justice is another standout among UALR’s 100 degree programs, offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D degrees. These lead to successful careers in government, education and state agencies. Another popular and alwaysgrowing field is nursing, and here again, UALR offers an array of degrees and specialties, conducted in a state-of-the-art facility. UALR’s College of Arts, Letters and Sciences covers a broad section of the traditional humanities core, from history to English to the sciences, mathematics and the arts. The university offers the state’s only dance performance major, graduates of which are performing in Italy, New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere. In 2018, the college’s new Windgate Center for Art + Design will offer students the opportunity to learn traditional craft practices and contemporary trends in the fields of ceramics, furniture, metals, jewelry or woodworking in brand new surroundings.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

From its entrepreneur program to its robust MBA curriculum, the University of Central Arkansas has developed a reputation for business education that is on par with any to be had in Arkansas, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - WALTON COLLEGE and superior to out-of-state institutions several OF BUSINESS times its size. Northwest Arkansas is home to some of the Business jobs are projected to grow eight percent largest companies in the world, including seven by 2024, led by positions in finance, accounting, Fortune 500 companies, and the demand for business administration and management. UCA graduates who are well-versed in information offers bachelor degrees in each of these key areas science, logistics, supply chains, traditional manas well as Master of Business Administration with agement and marketing is constant. All seven areas of concentration that include finance, health departments at the Walton College of Business care administration, information management – accounting, economics, finance, information and international business. systems, management, marketing and supply Accountants and auditors are in particular chain management – are recognized as outdemand due to the strong regulatory environstanding both in their scholarly research and ment. The CPA exam pass rates of UCA graduates the quality of students they graduate. are among the highest in the state, thanks to an Nearly 90 percent of Walton College gradueducational track that advances all the way to a ates have jobs lined up before graduation with Master of Accountancy degree. UCA insurance an average salary for an undergraduate busiand risk management majors are in equally high ness major close to $53,000. MBA graduates Health care professions are in high demand and require specialized training, such demand, enjoying nearly 100 percent job placeearn an average of over $67,000, and almost as that provided through University of Arkansas Fort Smith. ment after graduation. 90 percent of them land a job within three UCA offers specialized law classes for select business majors months of graduation. for an information security analyst. and MBA students. There are six courses in taxation taught by The regional shortage of workers in the information techThe university is also a leader in the humanities; degrees attorneys and CPAs. UCA’s debate and forensics organization nology sector has kept interest in computer engineering and include psychology, political science and social work, leading ranked third nationally in IPDA debate for the 2016-2017 seacomputer science brisk, with after-graduation placement rates to jobs such as psychologist, which features a median salary son and business majors can participate in Arkansas Student of about 91 percent. U of A graduates, particularly those who of more than $75,000 per year. The school’s Bachelor of Social Congress to learn about the legislative process. College of complete the university’s Master of Information Systems proWork is another new and fast-growing degree. Business students also have access to one of the most active gram, enjoy their pick of some of the largest and most prestiFinally, UAFS is a leader in the state in the trades, which is internship programs in Arkansas. gious companies in the world. These include General Motors, showing high demand and good pay across virtually all specialUCA also offers a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy, a career Hewlett Packard, Tyson Foods Inc., Atlas Technology Group, ties. Degrees include robotics, electronics engineering technolfield which is projected to enjoy more than 30 percent growth Walmart, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., HP, Symantec, Capital ogy, automotive technology, welding and computer graphic in the years to come. ■ One, Acxiom and Digital Intelligence Systems Inc. technology, among others. 14 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 34 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

What’s New On Campus ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Two new housing developments are opening this fall on the Arkansas State University campus, The Circle and Pack Place. The Circle is a four-building, 196-bed residential complex designed for graduate students and students at the NYIT School of Osteopathic Medicine at A-State. The University Board of Trustees last year approved naming the complex The Circle, and the buildings as Gaines Hall, Richmond Hall, Smith Hall and Strickland Hall, honoring the first four African American faculty members at A-State in recognition of their historic roles in campus desegregation. A second new housing complex, for undergraduates, is called Pack Place. Located along University Loop, south of Arkansas Hall, Pack Place will house up to 350 students. It also is opening for its first residents in the fall semester of 2017. Both projects are part of the university’s first public-private partnership with Zimmer Development Company to construct on-campus housing.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Arkansas Tech University will celebrate the opening of a new multi-sports complex on its Russellville campus in spring 2018. Home to the Arkansas Tech baseball, softball, tennis and golf programs’ indoor practice space, the $3.5 million center was built by Cline Construction Group of North Little Rock.

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

This year, Henderson State University completed the second phase of renovations on the former Caddo Cafeteria. This facility at the main entrance to campus will serve dual purposes when completed. It will be used as a one-stop student services center and a museum. The project will take approximately another two years to complete at a total cost of about $4 million. Within the Caddo Center, which was one of the first state college buildings in Arkansas equipped with air conditioning, the university will also house an exhibit hall and interpretation room to display Native American artifacts from the Joint Educational Consortium (JEC) Hodges Collection.

JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

John Brown University’s $125 million Campaign for the Next Century, ending on the university’s centennial in 2019, will help secure the university’s future with funding for endowed and annual scholarships, new facilities and renovations, endowment for academic excellence and program and operating support. Over $100 million of the funds have been given or pledged. Over 75 percent of JBU’s main campus buildings have been renovated or newly built since 2000. Last fall JBU’s Health Education Building, a 20,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, welcomed JBU’s first class of nursing students. The $5 million

The newly-opened Brightwater facility through NWACC offers state-of-the art classrooms and instruction in a broad range of culinary areas. renovation of JBU’s Walton Lifetime Health Complex (WLHC)’s was completed in the fall and offers expanded fitness areas, a new community entrance, new locker rooms, expansion of the HVAC system and new pool mechanical systems and decking. The renovation of Mayfield Residence Hall, the university’s historic women’s dormitory, is underway and expected to be completed by summer 2018. In April, JBU opened the first public futsal courts in Northwest Arkansas. The Outdoor Adventure Center, located in Sager Cabin, opened in the spring and offers rental outdoor equipment including bikes, kayaks and canoes to JBU students.

LYON COLLEGE

The Brown Chapel and Fine Arts Building on the Lyon College campus is currently closed to the public due to renovation. Built almost 60 years ago, the chapel suffers from decades of deferred maintenance. This summer, its auditorium will receive a facelift, including refurbished seating, new windows and shades, repainting and floor tiles. The exterior of the building will receive much-needed work on windows, columns, outer brick and drainage. When completed, Brown Chapel will provide a first-class facility for musical performances.

Renovation of the Morrow Academic Center (MAC) is also underway. The MAC, which offers free academic support services to all Lyon students, will receive a modern, open floor plan, special-use furniture, wall treatments, additional technology and a coffee bar. Combined, these elements will provide a space where students can seek academic assistance, study, and relax with friends over a hot cup of coffee.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

NWACC opened Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food in 2017. Brightwater is located in a former Tyson Foods building that has been transformed into the new 8th Street Market in the city’s Market District. More than 27,000 square feet of space in the market is dedicated to Brightwater. Through its unique holistic programming, Brightwater offers academic and career training in cuisine and the culinary arts, food systems and service, traditional and artisanal food crafts and entrepreneurial development. One of its four classroom kitchens was specifically designed around the study of the reduction of food waste. The project was made possible through grants provided by the Walton Family Foundation.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 15 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 35

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY

Two new residence halls are expected to come online for the 2017 fall semester. They include West Hall, a 23,750-square-foot residence hall housing around 90 students of SAU’s Leadership College and Residential College. Eichenberger Hall, a former skating rink, will be home to 54 students within its 17,328 square feet. The school’s new Engineering Building, a $1.4 million renovation, turned the former armory building into the new state-of-theart engineering facility neighboring the SAU Science Center, open for business last fall. Six labs were created along with three large class-

rooms and the motor pool has been converted to a machine shop for hands-on instruction and training. SAU’s new Alumni Center will be open for fall 2017 football season, with the first Mulegating and Mulerider football game set for September 9, 2017. The multipurpose structure is designed to build lasting connections among the Mulerider family and the surrounding community. The pavilion will extend from the former Welcome Center and will be able to accommodate a gathering of 250 people with indoor and outdoor areas. The College of Education’s Athletic Training

facility also opened last fall. The new state-ofthe-art athletic training facility is located inside the W.T. Watson Center. Its 2,500-square-foot footprint serves as a major upgrade for the athletic training program, which previously was housed out of a much smaller room in the Watson Center. In addition, the new Track and Field Complex and $1.3 million Dawson Field at the Mulerider Softball Complex were both christened in 2016. Also opened last year were two residence halls. Columbia Hall, open only to freshmen and Magnolia Hall open to upperclassmen, were completed late last summer.

5210 Grand Ave. Fort Smith, Arkansas 72913 UAFS.EDU 888-512-5466 16 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 36 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - FAYETTEVILLE

The University of Arkansas has poured substantial resources into campus improvements over the past five years. Renovations and additions completed this year include the 5,400-square-foot Discovery Hall renovation, adding needed classrooms and labs at a cost of $16.8 million. The swimming and diving facilities at the HPER Building have also been upgraded, at a cost of $920,000. A 20,900-square-foot renovation of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house has been completed, at a cost of $6.5 million as well as a $9.3 million, 34,500-square-foot sculpture studio with shops and offices. Other important projects are slated to be completed in the 2017-2018 school year, including a 4,000-square-foot, $3.1 million addition of lab space in the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT) building. Kimpel Hall will be expanded at a cost of $13.6 million, providing more space for classrooms, labs, offices and a student media studio. Finally, 5,500-square-foot renovation of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house is planned, costing $6.4 million. Other projects due to be completed within the next two years include expansion of the Pat Walker Student Health Center, building new sorority and fraternity houses and residence halls and the campus’ most prominent construction project, the Reynolds Stadium North End Zone addition, a $160 million project set to be completed in summer of 2018.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS – FORT SMITH

Last year, UAFS christened its Recreation and Wellness Center (RAWC). The facility offers expanded cardio and weight lifting areas, two basketball courts, a 35-foot rock climbing wall and a 15-foot bouldering wall, plus two large studio spaces where a variety of fitness classes are offered.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - LITTLE ROCK

There are two new buildings that will enhance growth of the UA Little Rock campus this academic year. The Windgate Center of Art + Design will house the Department of Art + Design in the College of Arts, Letters and Sciences. The project broke ground last fall and is expected to be completed at mid-term this year. The project, made possible by a $20.3 million grant award from the Windgate Charitable Foundation, will be designed to achieve a LEED Silver rating. eStem Charter High School will give high school students the option of completing college-level courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics without ever leaving the UA Little Rock campus. The $11.4 million school opened in time for the new academic year and was made possible by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.

training opportunities to individuals seeking new careers in information technology. The new academy is part of UCA’s Division of Outreach and Community Engagement. UCA partnered with Startup Junkie Consulting and the Central ArkansasVentureTeam to launch the Conductor, a public-private initiative aimed at driving entrepreneurship and innovation. UCA’s Conductor focuses on delivering mentoring, counseling, training, capital readiness and technical assistance to startups, small businesses and emerging investors in central Arkansas. Also last fall, UCA unveiled the Michael and Maria Norvell Nutrition Center, located in UCA’s

state-of-the-art weight training facility adjacent to the indoor practice center. The center features healthy meals, snacks and drinks to UCA’s 400 student athletes from all 18 varsity teams. Thanks to a $5-million gift from the Nabholz Charitable Foundation, the Nabholz Center for Healthcare Simulation opened in the Doyne Health Sciences Building in December 2016. Located on the second floor of the Doyne Health Sciences Building, it encompasses 1,341 square feet and provides students with up-todate simulation equipment. UCA celebrated the grand opening of Donaghey Hall, the mixed-use 67,500-square-

foot, four-story building at the intersection of Bruce Street and Donaghey Avenue. Four commercial businesses maintain the lower floor along with a “maker space” designated for students or community members to gather and share resources or work on projects. The upper floors provide 165 beds for upperclassmen. In January 2017, the Conway Corporation Center for Sciences opened. The project is an extension to the Lewis Science Center and includes a 50,000-square-foot-addition that provides state-of-the-art laboratories and scientific facilities for students and a 100-seat digital planetarium. ■

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Last summer, UCA announced the establishment of its new Arkansas Coding Academy (ACA), which provide turnkey education and

Scholarships & aid available Seamless transfer opportunities Half the cost of the average university

Students enjoy a mix of studying and social time visiting inside SAU residence hall.

np.edu ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 17 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 37

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

School-Life Balance T

he National College Health Assessment reported 30 percent of college students said they experienced enough stress to negatively affect academic performance and more than 85 percent experienced feeling overwhelmed, numbers that

have held steady since at least 2013. The NCHA also found 15.8 percent of students

Minds,theleadingorganization empowering students reported being diagnosed or treated for anxiety while 13.1 percent had been diagto speak openly about mental health in order nosed or treated for depression. ■ Arkansas colleges have responded to the growing to educate others and problem of stress on campus through a variety of outreach, campus organizations, encourage help-seeking. Fit Body, Fit Mind is the health services and recreation to help student manage the stress of college life. lesson taught through Red WOLF ( Wellness Opportunities and Life Fitness) Center. The alternative therARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY apy approach incorporates 20 minutes of discussion about Approximately 200 registered organizations are open to students stress management techniques followed by 30 to 40 minutes at Arkansas State University, appealing to a broad range of interof high intensity exercise. ests. One of the newer groups forming is POWER (Promoting Wolf Pact, a peer-educator group, is another new initiative Opportunity with Effective Recovery) a recovery community through which students will be nationally certified as peer program that will eventually include weekly support group educators through NASPA and will provide educational promeetings for those in recovery from any sort of addiction and grams and peer support. related social events. ASU provides numerous outreach class-based programs, Another new initiative for the year is the formation of Active

Henderson State University provides a number of clubs and organizations for students to get involved on campus. 18 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 38 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

primarily through First Year Experience classes, addressing issues including stress management, depression management, sexual assault prevention, alcohol use, motivation and decision making, choosing a major and others. The Campus Counseling Center provides individual and group counseling, monitored self-help and online-based treatment (TAO). One credit-hour courses on worry management, stress management and time management are all available through University College. ASU holds a Suicide Awareness week each year and two Depression and Anxiety Awareness weeks each year with inperson screenings available. Residence Life staff receives Red Wolves Pathway Training designed to help recognize signs of depression and potential suicidal thinking, how to talk to a student about possible suicidal ideation and how to get the student to the resources they need.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT

ASUN offers an intramural sports program to provide students opportunities for recreation and friendly competition. ASUN offers basketball, softball, volleyball, flag football, dodgeball and ping pong. By joining one of ASUN’s campus organizations, students take part in unique engagement opportunities to enhance leadership skills, build relationships with peers and engage networking experiences with local business and community leaders. Student organizations are the pulse of the learning community, spanning from professional to social, with a wide spectrum of activities to cultivate a student-centered environment while on campus. Organizations include the Minority Support group, which was established in an effort to better serve ASUN minority students’ needs. This organization also strives to provide support to minority students to help make transitioning into the ASUN campus environment an easy and convenient one. Phi Beta Lambda is a business organization with a mission to bring business and education together in a positive working

OUR CITY OUR TEAM

OUR UNIVERSITY

Join the Trojan family. Schedule your Discover day visit. Fridays: Oct. 13 or Nov. 3

ualr.edu/discover ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 19 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 39

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. PBL is designed to introduce and educate students about the business world through speakers, workshops, company visits, conferences and competitive events. The mission of Phi Theta Kappa, an exclusive international academic honor society, is to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and to provide opportunities for individual growth and development through participation in honors, leadership, service and fellowship programming. Physical Education Majors (PEM) Club is a campus organization made up of students who are or who are considering majoring in physical education. The focus is on providing opportunities for students to be involved in activities related to physical education and health including through several state and national organizations. ASUN’s Student Government Association (SGA) is dedicated to the service and betterment of the college and its surrounding community by fostering and exhibiting university spirit, respect and responsibility. SGA makes a commitment to encourage the student body to get involved in worthy projects and to serve the general welfare of the institution. SGA helps build leadership skills, develop friendships and networks and helps build a student’s resume or transfer application. The Student SurgicalTechnologist Organization fosters and exhibits university spirit, respect, responsibility and honoring the accepted practices of the career of Surgical Technologist.

Techionery help provide nutrition for students on the move. The Arkansas Tech University Health and Wellness Center will receive a new and expanded home in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center at the beginning of the 2017-18 academic year. The Health and Wellness Center provides educational services by serving as a health and medical resource for the university community. ATU Counseling Services provides a wide range of free and confidential counseling, consultation and outreach services to the Tech community. Each student may receive ten sessions per academic year. As part of orientation, each incoming freshman at Arkansas Tech University attends a seminar about how to access helpful resources on campus, meeting Bridge to Excellence faculty

and staff mentors, training on the computer systems and learn more about opportunities for student employment on campus. For four consecutive years, Arkansas Tech University has hosted one of the top 10 fund-raising Out of the Darkness suicide prevention walks in the United States. The 2017 ATU Out of the Darkness suicide prevention walk raised $19,104 to support programs and outreach by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. That show of support for suicide awareness carries through to other aspects of campus. Faculty, staff and students have the option to make an anonymous report to the ATU CARE Team if they know of a member of the university community who is considering suicide. Those seeking assistance will find licensed counselors ready to listen in the ATU Counseling Center.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

There are more than 130 registered student organizations at Arkansas Tech University representing a wide variety of academic, professional and social interests. Student Activities Board keeps the entertainment going throughout the school year with movie nights, appearances by comedians, bowling nights with the university president and additional social activities. WelcomeWeek is an annual series of events that helps orient new students and re-engage returning students, while at the end of each academic year, the Summer Send Off carnival provides amusement rides and favorite treats from the midway. Tech Fit provides a workout space and indoor walking track for Arkansas Tech University students, faculty and staff. Chartwells, food service provider at ATU, partners with members of the campus community to meet their specific dietary needs. Eleven cooking stations in the Chambers Cafeteria dining hall and the convenience of quick service options at Baswell

A student tackles the climbing wall in the University of Arkansas Fort Smith’s new wellness center.

20 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 40 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

The Charles D. Dunn Student Recreation Center, opened in 2009, is a hub of student activity and campus life. The facility features an elevated jogging and walking track, 12-foot climbing/ bouldering wall, state-of-the-art weight training, cardio and fitness equipment, three basketball and volleyball courts, an indoor soccer court, aerobics studio, two fullservice locker rooms and three student lounge areas. The Fitness and Wellness Program also offers numerous group fitness classes as well as personal training. Henderson offers more than 90 groups and organizations for student participation, including social fraternities and sororities, community service and social awareness organizations, departmental organizations, governing councils, honorary organizations, special interest groups, recreational sports organizations and spiritual/ religious organizations. Among the numerous activities on campus are various performances, sporting events and other activities to bring students together. Students can enjoy free movies throughout each semester. The Student Activities Board provides many of the current top films in a theater-type climate. Residence Life provides students living on campus with“Roommate Survival Skills” to assist them with common challenges. The University Counseling Center is available to help students with a variety of concerns, from loneliness and isolation to relationship issues and roommate difficulties. Professional counselors provide one-on-one consultation for students who require in-depth or definitive therapy. Group therapy is also available to provide peer support in times of need. The university health and counseling center staff speak to parents and students during Heart Start

Students at University of Arkansas Little Rock catch a nice breeze in between study sessions on campus. orientation sessions to bring attention to the high stress levels students can experience. They also distribute information about their services on campus and local resources. The staff speaks to freshman seminar classes and talks to RAs, PAs, GAs, faculty and staff about how to detect signs of student distress.

JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

JBU provides students with a variety of extracurricular activities, ministries and student services to help them connect with the campus and the community. Student government, internships, student-led ministries, the student newspaper and intramural sports teams are just a few of the ways to get involved. The Walton Lifetime Health Complex, recently renovated, provides our students, faculty, staff and the Siloam Springs community access to athletic facilities and equipment for exercise and activities. Through the student counseling center and student support services, JBU is committed to providing resources to help every student achieve success in academics as well as developing healthy emotional, physical and spiritual habits.

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

NPC has a well-equipped Wellness Center that is available for student use free of charge. There is a weight room, cardio equipment, workout space and fully-equipped gymnasium. On-campus food service is provided by a local provider who can accommodate special requests. NPC employs a part-time campus nurse. NPC has student groups, clubs and organizations. As part of a three-tiered shared governance structure, the NPC Student Government Association provides the student body an audience with college administration. Campus-wide student activities are hosted twice per semester. The college has a robust intramural program that includes basketball, volleyball, softball and flag football. In fall 2017, the college will begin its club sports ini-

tiative with men’s and women’s basketball. NPC employs a full time mental health professional whose services are available to students free of charge. Outside that structure, workshops are provided to students through grant programs and through the campus mental health professional. Every new student is enrolled in NPC Orientation and NPC has a Veteran Center for students transitioning, not from high school, but from military service.

involved on campus. The college supports a number of student organizations, housing, personal counseling and social events for students. SAU’s advisors, counselors and housing staff all work together to help meet the needs that arise when students are experiencing personal difficulties. Residence hall personnel and student life staff are trained to recognize the signs of student depression.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

University Recreation offers two facilities for student exercise and recreation. The Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building offers comprehensive fitness and recreational opportunities for all students, from club sports such as rugby, hockey and quidditch to intramural sports such as basketball, flag football and volleyball. Outdoor activities include rock-climbing, canoeing, kayaking and bicycling. The second facility is a smaller exercise-intensive center in the Arkansas Union with weights, elliptical bikes, treadmills and a workout studio. The Pat Walker Health Center is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and offers health care services to all students on campus, including wellness classes, psychological counseling, international travel consultations, nutrition consultations, orthopedics, women’s health, men’s health and immunizations, among other services. The Pat Walker Health Center’s counseling and psychological services department offers clinical consultations, group therapy and psychiatric services for a range of health concerns, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, among others. The University of Arkansas offers a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week mental crisis hotline. In addition, the U of A Cares team provides referrals to resources and support for anyone experiencing

NorthWest Arkansas Community College hosts a number of activities throughout the year to help students connect. Within the past year, NWACC also has added a hammock farm where students can study or relax. The college offers a game room in the student center and

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - WALTON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

The Pat Walker Health Center’s counseling and psychological services department offers clinical consultations, group therapy and psychiatric services for a range of health concerns.

such specialized support areas as a tutoring center, a math center, a writing center and a reading center. The Pauline Whitaker Library and Information Commons have been updated with modern furniture and areas for both quiet and group studies.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY TECH

SAU Tech has workout facilities and a gym. The college also provides numerous student activities to help students get

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 21 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 41

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

feelings of depression, hopelessness or being overwhelmed. The University of Arkansas has more than 380 registered student organizations and if a student can’t find an organization to their liking, they can start No. 381. University Programs, a volunteer student organization, plans more than 200 events annually for the campus community. The Center for Learning and Student Success offers academic coaching, supplemental instruction, tutoring and writing support, and the Mathematics Resource and Teaching Center offers similar types of help for students enrolled in math courses or other math-intensive courses.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - FORT SMITH

The University of Arkansas Fort Smith hosts a series of programs called Outdoor Adventures that allow students to experience a birding and wildlife hike, rafting and generally enjoy the natural beauty of Arkansas.

awareness/drug prevention, hazing prevention, depression, healthy habits, bullying stereotypes and safe Spring Break awareness. UAFS requires all new students to attend a New Student Orientation (NSO) that includes a parent orientation program. The University offers, through the Division of Student Affairs, an optional extended orientation camp called Cub Camp, an intense three-day freshman experience program, run by UAFS upperclassmen.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK

Being part of a residential community comes with many perks, from a greater chance at academic success through a living-learning community to social activities brimming with possibilities. Available to all UALR students are intramurals, Greek life, student organizations such as League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Ethics Bowl Team, Student Government

The university offers orientation sessions throughout the summer to welcome its newest members to the Trojan family. Orientation helps get students familiar with the campus and living arrangements, plus all campus programs. Students are encouraged to get involved in learning communities, study groups, church activities, social organizations and other clubs and organizations to help with their transition. The university’s fitness center and pool is supported by Campus Recreation, and is designed to enhance students’ quality of life. Campus Recreation offers approximately 30 group exercise classes, personal programming, personal training, incentive programs, personal assessments and CPR/First Aid classes during the academic year. The Trojan Trail, which circles the campus ambles down the Fouche Creek and is ideal for walking or running. UALR Counseling Services has clinically trained professionals who promote mental health and wellness within an individual, group or community format. Counselors help students overcome personal barriers and life’s stresses, as well as assist the student in exploring and accessing strengths and developing healthy and sustainable coping skills.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

School spirit is on ready display every time the University of Central Arkansas Bears take the field. The university also supports a robust intramurals program and a number of competitive sports clubs for student to enjoy. UAFS recently built a 48,000-square-foot Recreation and Wellness Center that offers expanded cardio and weightlifting areas, sports courts, a climbing wall and two large studio spaces. UAFS has over 100 registered student organizations and adds, on average, about 10 new organizations annually. During the 2015-2016 academic year, student organizations hosted over 300 different events and activities both on and off-campus. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) alone hosts over 100 student activities each year from movies to Season of Entertainment, an annual series of national touring shows and musical productions that are free to students. The Student Affairs Division’s #Umatter program addresses various topics each month, a sample of which include alcohol

Association, Colleges Against Cancer, Cyber Security Club and Pre-Law Society along with numerous honor societies and social groups. Students get in free to all Trojan basketball games as well as volleyball, baseball and soccer games. In addition, all UA Little Rock students can take advantage of free rides on central Arkansas’ public transit system, Rock Region Metro, including trolley rides in the downtown area. In addition to a variety of events, fairs and workshops held throughout the year, every student receives Student Health 101, a monthly newsletter packed with articles that address issues of school-life balance, stress management, depression and health issues. The university has a behavioral intervention team that meets to assess whether a student’s behavior warrants attention and needs appropriate intervention of some kind.

22 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 42 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

UCA offers many facilities and resources to help students attend to their physical, social and mental health and well-being. The UCA Counseling Center provides mental health counseling and other counseling services for all current UCA students as well as UCA faculty and staff. Accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services, the center’s staff consists of five counselors and psychologists. Online mental health screenings are available for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Counseling Center also offers personal counseling, couples counseling and group counseling. The HPER (Health, Physical Education and Recreation) Center provides students access to a 10,000-square-foot weight room, six-lane indoor lap pool, group exercise classrooms, hydration stations, basketball courts, racquetball courts, track and cardio room. Students also have access to the Student Health Center, which is located in the center of campus. The Women’s Health Clinic, located on the second floor, offers routine health exams including PAP smears, breast exams, pelvic exams, birth control, screening for sexually transmitted diseases and infections and various other women’s health needs. UCA has more than 200 registered student organizations to help students get involved. The Student Activities Board organizes free student activities on campus including movies, comedians, dance parties, educational speakers and concerts. The Student Orientation Staff (SOS) is a group of volunteer upperclassmen who volunteer more than 200 hours of work every summer to make transitioning to life on campus easier for incoming freshmen. SOS volunteers host Welcome Week, which lasts from freshman move-in day until the first day of classes. ■

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

LONG-ACTING REVERSIBLE CONTRACEPTION GIVES YOU CHOICES You’re making a lot of choices now – what classes to take, new friends, maybe even deciding on your career path. One of those choices, when to be a parent, could determine the path for the rest of your life. That’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor or school nurse to find out the best birth control option for you. Not having sex is the best method of birth control, but if you do choose to be sexually active, long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is the most reliable and effective birth control available. It’s easy, quick, safe and you don’t have to think about it. No birth control pills to remember, accessories to carry or waiting for protection. LARC methods: • Save money because you only pay for it every three to 10 years. Medicaid will pay for contraceptive methods prescribed by a doctor. • Are convenient because, once placed, you don’t have to think about it for three to 10 years, depending on type.Atrainedhealthcareprovidermust place and remove all LARC methods. • Are effective. LARC is more than 99 percent effective. Birth control pills, patch or ring have a failure rate of up to 20 percent among women under age 21. • Let you decide when you’re ready to start a family, choose the spacing and size of your family, and prevent health problems for you and your baby. An unplanned pregnancy could delay or end your dreams of an education and good job. All LARC methods are completely reversible. • Are safe for women of all ages, including those who have never been pregnant or had a miscarriage, abortion or sexually transmitted infection (STI). LARC methods include intrauterine devices (IUDs), both hormonal and non-hormonal, and implants. The implant is a tiny, thin rod placed under your skin that protects you for three years. IUDs are effective for three to 10 years. More than half of all pregnancies in women under age 20 are unplanned. The costs of an unplanned pregnancy are enormous in terms of both the mother’s and baby’s health. Teen mothers are more likely to have health problems such as anemia, high blood pressure, depression and diabetes. They are also more likely to experience abuse during pregnancy, live in poverty and contract a STI. Only 2 percent of teen moms finish college by age 30. Babies born to teen mothers are more likely to have low birth weight, be born pre-term or stillborn. They are more likely to have serious illnesses and lifelong health problems, live in poverty, have more behavioral

problems, do poorly in school and are more likely to drop out. You may have heard some myths about LARC or IUDs that are not true. It’s important to get the facts. When properly placed by a trained health care provider, they do not damage your health. In fact, the reverse is more likely to be true. It is healthier to delay pregnancy until after age 21, when the health risks are lower and there are fewer complications.

LARC methods cannot prevent STIs. Only condoms are effective in helping to prevent STIs, HIV and Zika virus. Always include wearing a condom along with any birth control method you choose. Reach your full potential. Complete your education, start your career and YOU decide when to start a family. LARC can give you the option to be emotionally and financially ready for motherhood, providing your future family the healthiest start in life.

Among all the information and new things to get used to during your first few months at college, you’ll probably hear or receive some information about LARC. Don’t throw it away, even if you’re currently not sexually active or even considering it. Your future could depend on it. For more information, visit afmc.org/LARC, or talk to your school’s student health services, your doctor or a local health department office. ■

EGE NOW. YOU’RE IN COLLEGE NOW. YOU’RE IN TO IT’S TIME TO IT’S TIME TO IT’S TIME TO IT’

ROLTAKE CONTROLTAK

FE!OF YOUR LIFE!OF The choice if and when to become pregnant is yours. Choosing the right birth control now can help you plan for your future. The most successful birth control is

long-acting and reversible contraception (LARC). Talk to your health care provider about choosing the method that is right for YOU.

For more information, visit afmc.org/larc to view our video and eBook.

THIS MATERIAL WAS PREPARED BY THE ARKANSAS FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL CARE INC. (AFMC) PURSUANT TO A CONTRACT WITH THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, DIVISION OF MEDICAL SERVICES. THE CONTENTS PRESENTED DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT ARKANSAS DHS POLICY. THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH TITLES VI AND VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 23 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 43

GUIDE TO TWO YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SCHOOL

CITY

PHONE

YEARS PUBLIC/PRIVATE

HRS/SEM

TUITION/SEM

HOUSING/SEM

TOTAL SEMESTER COST

ARKANSAS NORTHEASTERN COLLEGE

Blytheville

870-762-1020

2-year Public

$69/hr

N/A

$1,035 plus fees

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Beebe

501-882-3600

2-year Public

$98/hr

$2,590(double); $3,015 (single)(including meals)

$1,392 tuition/fees

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY MID-SOUTH

West Memphis

870-733-6722/866-733-6722

2-year Public

1-18

$92/hr (in-county); $112/hr (out-of-county/in-state); $152/hr (out-of-state)

N/A

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

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY AT MOUNTAIN HOME

Mountain Home

870-508-6100

2-year Public

$96/hr

N/A

$1,152 plus books & fees

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY AT NEWPORT

Newport

800-976-1676

2-year Public

$96/hr

N/A

$2,310 (plus books & fees)

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY OZARK

Ozark

479-667-2117

2-year Public

$1,830

Commuter Campus

$1,830 (plus books, fees and materials as applicable)

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK

Little Rock

501-202-6200/800-345-3046

2-year Private

Varies by program

No Campus Housing

Varies by program

BLACK RIVER TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Pocahontas

870-248-4000

2-year Public

$120/hr with fees, $92/hr without fees (Fall 2016)

N/A

Varies

COLLEGE OF THE OUACHITAS

Malvern

501-337-5000/800-337-0266

2-year Public

$1,395

N/A

$1,395 plus books & fees

COSSATOT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

De Queen

870-584-4471/800-844-4471

2-year Public

$71/hr (in-county)/$100/hr (non-resident)

N/A

$1500 or less

EAST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Forrest City

870-633-4480/877-797-EACC

2-year Public

$84/credit hr (in-county); $94/hr (out-of-county); $111/ hr (out-of-state)

N/A

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

Hot Springs

501-760-4159

2-year Public

$88/hr,$1,584maxin-district;$98/hr,$1,764maxout-of-district

N/A

Varies

NORTH ARKANSAS COLLEGE

Harrison

870-743-3000/800-679-6622

2-year Public

$1,020 (in-county)

N/A

NORTH WEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Bentonville

479-986-4000/800-995-6922

2-year Public

$1,125 in-district ($75/credit hr); $1,837.50 out-of-district ($122.50/credit hr)

N/A

$1,550 in-district, $2,260 out-of-district (tuition/fees/books) Varies

OZARKA COLLEGE

Melbourne

870-368-7371

2-year Public

12-15

$90/hr

N/A

PHILLIPS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Helena

870-338-6474

2-year Public

$1,050

N/A

$1,360

PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE

North Little Rock

501-812-2200

2-year Public

Varies

$130/credit hr

N/A

The average cost of tuition and basic fees for a full-time student taking 15 hours is $2,116 per semester.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS RICH MOUNTAIN

Mena

479-394-7622

2-year Public

$1,200

N/A

$1,200 plus fees & books

SHORTER COLLEGE

North Little Rock

501-374-6305

2-year Private

$2,052

N/A

$3000 including books

SOUTH ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

El Dorado

870-864-7142

2-year Public

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

N/A

Varies

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS COLLEGE

Pine Bluff

870-850-8605/888-SEARKTC

2-year Public

12-18

$94/hr

N/A

Varies

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY TECH

Camden

870-574-4500

2-year Public

$108/hr (in-state); $156/hr (out-of-state)

$1300/sem double (on-campus); $1400/sem double (off-campus]; $1850/sem single

Varies

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT BATESVILLE

Batesville

870-612-2000

2-year Public

$70/hr (in-district); $82.50/hr (out-of-district)

N/A

Varies

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT HOPE-TEXARKANA

Hope & Texarkana

870-777-5722

2-year Public

$66/credit hr (in-district); $74/hr (out-of-district)

N/A

$1,350(including textbooks)

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT MORRILTON

Morrilton

800-264-1094

2-year Public

$90/hr (in-district); $99/hr (in-state)

N/A

2000 including books

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. INFORMATION CURRENT AS OF AUGUST 2017.

24 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 44 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES

FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE % ON AID

SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE

REQUIRED EXAMS

APP DEADLINE FEE

CREDIT EXAM ACCEPTED

COMMENT

Open

86%

Apr. 1st Priority

ACT/ACCUPLACER

Open

AP/CLEP/Prior Learning

www.anc.edu

Priority dates June 1/Nov. 1/Mar. 31

54%

June 15th

ACT/ASSET/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

CLEP

ASU-Beebe has campus locations at Beebe, Heber Springs, Searcy, and the Little Rock Air Force Base. Bachelor and graduate degrees are available through Arkansas State University on the Beebe campus. For more information, view www.asub.edu.

Open

Approx. 94%

Nov. 1 (Spring); May 1 (Fall)

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT/ ACCUPLACER

Open

AP/CLEP/Prior Learning

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

Priority Consideration Deadline - June 1st

81%

Mar. 15

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT

Open/No Fee

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

May 1st for Fall, September 15th for Spring

87%

June 1st

ACT/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

Better. It’s why we exist. At ASU-Newport, we want our students to be successful, and in turn, make their lives better. Our three campus locations in Newport, Jonesboro, and Marked Tree are convenient for most students in Northeast Arkansas and provide multiple technical programs that give you the skills to be better. At ASU-Newport, be you…better. www.asun.edu

Open

76%

June 15 (Fall)/Nov. 15 (Spring)

ACT/SAT/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

See our website: www.atu.edu/ozark

May 1 / Oct 1

85%

June 1st/Dec. 1st

ACT/SAT

Varies By Program/No Fee

CLEP/AP

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!

Open

66%

Mar. 1st

ACT/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

Plan your future with Black River Tech. Explore your possibilities… Engage your mind… Earn your degre. www.blackrivertech.edu

Open

86%

May 1st/ Dec 1st

ACT/ASSET/SAT/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

College of the Ouachitas is an ideal place to begin your college career, receive training, hone up on specific skills, and quite frankly, better your life! www.coto.edu

Fall-May 1, Spring-Nov. 1, Summer-Apr. 15

80%

Apr. 1st

Not required

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

University of Arkansas Cossatot is a great place to start your career. With both technical and academic programs, there is something for everyone! Degrees included agriculture, occupational therapist assistant, nursing, industrial technology, welding, pipe welding, business, teaching, and more. www.cccua.edu

July 1st

73%

Apr. 15th

ACT/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

EACC offers students a variety of academic, technical, vocational, allied health, business and industry training, and non-credit programs. EACC has one of the lowest tuition rates in the state, and faculty and staff are committed to providing students with access to high quality and affordable education. www.eacc.edu

Open

68%

Open

ACT/COMPASS/SAT/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP/IB

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

Varies

60%

June 15th

ACT/COMPASS

Open

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 one of the lowest tuition rates in the state. For quality, value and convenience, think Northark first! www.northark.edu

July 1st

Approx. 48%

1-Mar

ACT/SAT

Open

AP/CLEP/DANTE

www.nwacc.edu

Priority deadline June 1

80%

Apr. 1st

ACT/ASSET/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

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

Call 870-338-6474.

75%

Call 870-338-6474.

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

www.pccua.edu

Fall-May 15, Spring-Oct. 15, Summer-Mar. 15

72%

Open

ACT/COMPASS

Open/No Fee

ACCUPLACER

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

July 1st

83%

Nov. 15 & Apr. 1st

ACT/SAT/COMPASS

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

A comprehensive community 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; and financial aid assistance. www.uarichmountain.edu

Open

95%

Open

ACT/SAT/COMPASS/ACCUPLACER

Open

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.edu

July 1st

60%

Mar. 1st Priority

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT/ ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

Where students come first. www.southark.edu

Apr. 15 priority

81%

Apr. 30th

ACT/COMPASS/ACCUPLACER

Open

AP/CLEP

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

Varies

70%

Mar. 1st

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT/ ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

CLEP

Southern Arkansas University Tech is a two-year comprehensive college emphasizing technical programs and is commited to providing quality educational programs. SAU Tech provides a quality, affordable college experience with its student housing and full student life program. www.sautech.edu

Open

Varies

Contact Financial Aid

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/SAT/ ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

Student Centered. Community Focused. www.uaccb.edu

Open

87%

Apr. 1st

ACT/COMPASS/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

UAHT offers the best value in higher education with affordable tuition and a low-cost textbook rental program. www.uacch.edu

July1(Fall);Nov1(Spring)Priority

68%

Nov. 1st/ Apr. 1st

ACT/ASSET/COMPASS/ACCUPLACER

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

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

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 25 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 45

GUIDE TO FOUR YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SCHOOL

CITY

PHONE

YEARS PUBLIC/PRIVATE

HRS/SEM

TUITION/SEM

HOUSING/SEM

TOTAL SEMESTER COST

ARKANSAS BAPTIST COLLEGE

Little Rock

501-420-1200

4-year Private

12-18

$4,380

$4,412 (double occupancy: 16 meals/week)

$9,033 (Tuition + room & board)

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Jonesboro

870-972-2100/1-800-382-3030(in-stateonly)

4-year Public

12(full-timeundergraduate)

$2,520 (in-state)

$4,270 (room & board)

$8,834

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Russellville

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

4-year Public

$4,440

starting at $2,996 (includes meals)

$7,436 (not including books)

CENTRAL BAPTIST COLLEGE

Conway

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

4-year Private

$7,125

$3,750

$11,625

CROWLEY’S RIDGE COLLEGE

Paragould

870-236-6901

4-year Private

12 or more

$5,250

$3,150 (includes meal plan)

$9,600 for boarding students

HARDING UNIVERSITY

Searcy

800-477-4407

4-year Private

$9,345

$3,447

$13,237

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

Arkadelphia

870-230-5028/800-228-7333

4-year Public

12-15

$2,652 (12 hrs)

$3,218 (room & board)

with fees, approx. $6,590.50

HENDRIX COLLEGE

Conway

501-450-1362/800-277-9017

4-year Private

4 courses/sem

$22,035 (including fees)

$5,963 (including meals)

$27,998

JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

Siloam Springs

877-528-4636/479-524-7454

4-year Private

12-18

$13,072

$4,520

$17,592

LYON COLLEGE

Batesville

870-307-7000/800-423-2542

4-year Private

12-17(includingtuitioncosts)

$13,550

$4,390 (for freshmen)

$18,060

OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

Arkadelphia

870-245-5110/800-DIAL-OBU

4-year Private

up to 18

$12,935 (including fees)

$3,815 (room & board)

$16,750

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE

Little Rock

501-370-5221

4-year Private

12-16

$5,902

1st/2nd-yr $2,596/upperclass suites $2,954; board/ sem $1,528; room reservation $235

$10,459

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY

Magnolia

870-235-4040

4-year Public

$3,420

$2,951

$7,124

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

Little Rock

800-482-8892

4-year Public

$4,467.75 (15 hrs)

$2,910 (including room & board)

$7,979.50 (est 15 hrs tuition/fees, rm/brd, books/supplies)

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT MONTICELLO

Monticello

870-460-1026/800-844-1826

4-year Public

$150/credit hr

$1,320-$2,260

$8,503 including campus room & board

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF

Pine Bluff

870-575-8000

4-year Public

$2,454 (AY 2017-18)

$3,836 (20 meals)

$7,540 (based on 15 hrs/sem)

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Fayetteville

479-575-5346/800-377-8632

4-year Public

$4,531 (including fees)

$5,352 (room & board)

$9,883

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Conway

501-450-5000

4-year Public

$4,262

$3,124

$7,521

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT FORT SMITH

Fort Smith

479-788-7120/888-512-5466

4-year Public

$166.30/credit hr (in-state); $461/credit hr(out-of-state)

$2,423/sem + meal plan

Varies

UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS

Clarksville

479-979-1227/800-264-8636

4-year Private

12-17

$11,875

$3,550

$15,425 (not including books or fees)

WILLIAMS BAPTIST COLLEGE

Walnut Ridge

800-722-4434/870-759-4120

4-year Private

12-17

$8,100

$3,800/$560 general fees

$12,460

• One of the Lowest Tuition Rates in the State • Various Academic, Technical, Vocational and Allied Health Programs • Core Classes Transfer to Other Arkansas Public Universities • Admissions Assistance, Financial Aid, and Career Counseling Available!

Visit Sam M. Walton College of Business

26 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 46 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

www.eacc.edu for more information. 1-877-797-EACC

FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE % ON AID

SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE

REQUIRED EXAMS

APP DEADLINE FEE

CREDIT EXAM ACCEPTED

COMMENT

June 30th

97%

None

ACT/SAT/ACCUPLACER

Open Enrollment

CLEP

Home of the Buffaloes! BE SEEN. BE HEARD!

June 30th

77%

Feb. 1st

ACT/ASSET/SAT

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

AP/CLEP

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

Open

78%

Nov. 15 Priority, Feb. 15 Final

ACT/SAT

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

Find your path to ATU at explore.atu.edu

July 30st

83%

Dec. 10th First Priority

ACT/SAT

1st Day of Classes

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

Open

80%

Aug. 1st

ACT/SAT

Aug. 1

CLEP/AP

CRC feels like home! If you would like to set up a visit, contact Chris Hughes at chughes@crc.edu or call 870-236-6901. You can get more information at www.crc.edu.

Aug. 1st

95%

Aug. 1st

ACT/SAT

Open/$50

AP/CLEP/IB

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

March 1 Priority

90%

June 1 Priority

ACT/SAT

None

AP/CLEP

Connecting academic aspirations to career opportunities. hsu.edu

Mar. 1 Priority

100%

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

ACT/SAT

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

AP/IB

Featured in Loren Pope’s book, Colleges That Change Lives, Hendrix is recognized nationally for academic quality, innovation, and value. Students complete hands-on learning experiences through our Odyssey Program, which offers grants for projects like internships, international study, undergraduate research, and service. www.hendrix.edu

Feb. 15 Priority

90%

Feb 15 Priority

ACT/SAT

Rolling/$25

AP/CLEP/IB

John Brown University, a private Christian university founded in Northwest Arkansas in 1919, serves over 2,600 students from 37 nations and 40 states 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

Rolling,butpriorityconsideration by Feb. 1st

99%

Rolling, but priority consideration by Mar. 1st

ACT/SAT

Rolling/$25

AP/IB

More than 90% of Lyon graduates who apply to law school or medical school are accepted. Winner of 14 Arkansas Professor of the Year Awards. www.lyon.edu

June 1st

97%

Jan. 31st Priority

ACT/SAT

Open/No Application Fee

AP/CLEP

Ouachita: Invested in you. www.obu.edu

Mar. 1st

98%

Rolling Deadline

ACT/SAT

Open/$25

AP/CLEP/IB

Philander Forward. www.philander.edu

June 1st

86%

Mar. 1st

ACT/SAT

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

More and more students are saying “I chose SAU” because of SAU’s affordability, culture of caring, and list of high-quality and unique degree programs. www.saumag.edu

Mar. 1 Priority

70%

Dec. 1st Priority, Feb. 1st Final

ACT/SAT

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

AP/CLEP/PEP/Regents College Exams

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

Rolling

83%

Mar. 1st Priority

ACT/ASSET/SAT/COMPASS/ACCUPLACER (for placement)

Rolling/No Fee - Except for international applicants

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

Rolling Basis

90%

Mar. 1st/ April 1st

ACT/SAT

Open

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

Mar. 1st

65%

Feb. 1st (Freshmen), Apr. 1st (transfers)

ACT/SAT

Aug. 1

AP/CLEP/IB

See our website: www.uark.edu

Open

84%

Feb. 15th

ACT/SAT

None

AP/CLEP/IB

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

June 15th

96%

Nov. 15

ACT/COMPASS/SAT

Open/No Fee

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

Feb. 1 Priority

98%

May 1st Priority

ACT/SAT/IB

May 1st Priority

AP/CLEP

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

May 1st

97%

Priority 1: Nov 1; Priority 2: Jan. 1; Priority 3: Mar. 1

ACT/SAT

Open/No Fee

AP/CLEP

www.williamsbaptistcollege.com

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 27 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 47

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

Two-Year Schools A

TWO-YEAR SCHOOLS PROVIDE LOWER COST, FASTER TRACK OPTIONS

rkansas’s two-year colleges are an affordable alternative to four-year schools from both a monetary and time investment perspective. Two-year schools are also incredibly flexible in their scheduling

fer opportunities which allow students to transfer credits toward a Bachelor’s degree. “In addition, we believe we have the interest. ■ Which makes the recent decline in enrollment, not just in strongest Associate of Science in Nursing Arkansas, but for two-year schools nationwide, all the more puzzling. program in the state. A recent poll of our nursing graduates since 2011 revealed that 90 percent of them are currently employed as nurses. Of “There are a number of variables affecting this enrollment those who are not, most were pursuing further degrees. Only trend, such as a better economy with lower unemployment,” two were not working, both voluntarily.” said Dr. Wade Derden, vice president for academic affairs at Nursing, as well as careers in the trades and other skilled National Park College in Hot Springs. “This trend results in fields, have long been in demand in Arkansas and elsewhere fewer non-traditional students and aggressive recruitment around the country and it is in these fields that two-year schools and scholarship opportunities from four-year universities who have traditionally shined. have been suffering from lost market share in the past decade “Two-year colleges are nationally recognized as the go-to as community colleges have proliferated.” place for people to learn technical skills that are highly valued “Additionally, changes in federal financial aid regulations, like by tech companies and manufacturers,” said Kimberly Coker, the removal of summer Pell Grants, have negatively affected director of communications, public relations and grants for enrollments. Enrollments have only grown in states like Tennessee, Southern Arkansas University Tech in Camden. “National attenwhich have adopted the ‘free’ public college model.” tion created by people like Mike Rowe has set the two-year Despite these challenges, Derden said, Arkansas’community college apart as a place that people can be prepared in a short colleges continue to do an excellent job of generally educating amount of time to do honest work that provides a living wage students, leading to higher overall success rates for graduates and in many cases a high-paying wage.” who come from an ever-widening range of backgrounds and demographic groups. “In the past, non-traditional students over 24 years old were the majority of our student body,” Derden said. “However, in recent years, traditional 18 to 19-year-old recent high school graduates have grown in numbers.” Derden said his college provides some unique incentives to lure and retain students including holding the line on tuition, which is $88 per credit hour and has not seen an increase in the past two years. Secondly, National Park College offers a guarantee on its curriculum; if any graduate feels they were not adequately prepared for the demands of the workforce, they can retake classes for free. And there’s more. “Our transfer degrees are our best-kept secret,”Derden said.“Last year we added 27 new degrees that transfer as 2+2s to our four-year partners. A 2+2 transfer degree means that students taking the approved sequence of courses can transfer directly into their four-year college as a junior with no loss of credit. We also have developed specific Associate of Applied Science transBaptist health nursing students get hands on learning.

and some even allow students to tailor a degree to a specific career

28 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 48 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

Many of these jobs are not your grandfather’s trades as industries from fabrication to logging have increasingly transitioned to advanced manufacturing processes. These companies rely heavily on robotics and other computer-driven equipment to be successful and require an equally sophisticated means of training course of study. “SAU Tech is known for its advanced manufacturing degrees which includes automation and robotics, mechanical maintenance, production technician and welding,” Coker said. “SAU Tech’s residency in the Highland Industrial Park has created a strong link to the defense industries located there, including Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control, Aerojet Rocketdyne, General Dynamics, Spectra, Esterline and more. In fact, our partnership with Lockheed Martin is resulting in the development of a new training program centered around x-ray technology called Non-Destructive Testing or NDT.” Despite the complex nature of this training, Coker said the fast classroom-to-workforce timetable SAU Teach operates is a point of differentiation and a popular attribute for students. “Our short-term programs such as the Welding Academy and practical nursing allow students to obtain skills to go to work in solid career areas within nine to 10 months,” she said. “This creates a space for the student who is unable or unwilling to commit to a long-term program or traditional education to obtain certifications and start an in-demand career path.” These elements combine to provide the opportunity for a college experience to populations that have traditionally found such achievement difficult. More than 80 percent of the SAU Tech student body represents first-generation and/or low income students with an average age of around 23 and dropping. Two-year schools also cater to students by providing a very hands-on learning experience; in some courses this is not just helpful, it’s the only way to learn. “Baptist Health College in Little Rock offers nine unique healthcare programs specializing in direct and indirect patient care,” said Jenn McDannold, enrollment coordinator. “Our programs offer a high number of clinical hours within each program, making it very hands-on and interactive. Graduated students find they are career-ready, with plenty of interac-

The trucking program at ASU-Newport includes both driver and technician training. tion with employers along the way and the opportunity to see many options within their chosen field.” Like a lot of two-year schools, Baptist Health College leverages resources from other institutions, specifically Baptist Hospital, to provide learning environments the school couldn’t provide on its own. “We work closely with the Baptist Health medical centers in Arkansas to ensure each of our nursing programs is needed and valued in health care,” McDannel said. “With additional access to central Arkansas medical centers and other health care facilities, students can get into their career sooner and with great placement rates for jobs in their chosen field.” “We pride ourself as a very hands-on college. We want students to be prepared for their careers by providing a high level of clinical hours, as well a diverse number of clinical sites.” While nursing and trade careers are the first thing many people think of when they think of a two-year education, there’s also a surprisingly diverse curriculum to be found.

“Special classes in applied farming, seasonal cooking, and the art of fermentation are among the many one-of-a-kind classes that can be found at Brightwater. Simply put, our goal is to provide world-class training for individuals, students and professionals at any point on their journey into the world of food.” Brightwater is an example of innovative thinking grounded in the realities of market demand, particularly in northwest Arkansas, a region of the state that has experienced explosive growth. Building programs around local and area hiring needs not only makes sense, but is the foundation by which two year schools have always operated. “NWACC has developed its staff and faculty and forged strategic partnerships to provide world-class training designed to close performance gaps and increase overall productivity and efficiency,” Miller said. “Our retail and supplier education focuses on the unique community in northwest Arkansas, which is home to Walmart Stores Inc. We offer different specific focuses within this program, includ-

We customize our programs to the needs of local industries and teach our students the skills they need to start a career that will provide family supporting wages. NorthWest Community College in Bentonville, for instance, just opened a new culinary arts center that not only promises to transform the campus, but the region. “In 2017, NWACC opened Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food, in which the culinary arts program uses an inquiry-based approach to prepare students to be culinary professionals,”said Debbie Miller, communications specialist. “In addition to artisanal food, pastry and baking, culinary arts and beverage management, Brightwater offers courses with a focus on culinary nutrition, food waste reduction and food security.

ing the Certified Retail Analyst program and continuing education for the retailer and supplier community.” With low student-teacher ratios and tuition rates well below most four-year schools, twoyear institutions make earning a college degree more attainable than ever. NWACC’s ratio of 19:1 and $75 per credit hour for in-district students, is one example. Arkansas State Newport’s is even leaner with a student-teacher ratio of 17:1, which Jeremy Shirley, director of marketing and communications, called a distinct competitive advantage for many students. “At ASUN, our vision is to be the driving

nwacc.edu 479.986.4000 | ONE COLLEGE DRIVE, BENTONVILLE, AR 72712

CHECK OUT OUR VIRTUAL TOUR AT nwacc.edu/tour ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 29 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 49

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

force that revitalizes the Delta and restores the American Dream in the communities we serve,” he said. “In order to achieve that vision, we customize our programs to the needs of local industries and teach our students the skills they need to start a career that will provide family-supporting wages.” Taking its cue from local industries, ASU Newport tailors programs to meet the needs of today’s workforce. Curriculum and training equipment are state of the art, especially in the areas of high voltage lineman, diesel technology, nursing, agriculture technology, surgical technology, welding and advanced manufacturing programs. “There is a tremendous focus on career and technical education by two year colleges. It is supported by employers who are unable to hire train workers fast enough,” Shirley said. “ASU-Newport’s programs are actively involved with industry partners to provide us with advice, speak to our programs, judge student competitions and more.” In fact, over the past three years alone, College of the Ouachitas students enjoy a safe and secure campus. the school’s corporate partners have conis the dynamic manner in which they get in step with the state’s tributed more than $350,000 in scholarships and equipment economic development agenda by honing in on the specific valued at over $175,000 to ensure advanced training and creneeds of their communities, area and statewide. Dr. Steve Rook, ate stellar employees. This public-private partnership is crucial president of College of the Ouachitas said the arc of his institufor advancing the mission of the university and has resulted tion’s programs are inextricably connected to the needs of the in programs that are unmatched in the state, such as ASUN’s marketplace and as such, is constantly evolving. commercial driver training program. “Gov. Hutchinson has made it a priority of his administration “The commercial driver training program features a driver to get people more technical training and so we work hard to training course located on the retired runways of an air base,” meet those needs of our business and industry partners,” he Shirley said.“It provides our diesel technology students the ability said. “Our factories and plants need more short-term training to work on active, over-the-road trucks that need maintenance and process technology, in fact, this is a trend statewide and and repair. This gives them the ability to experience problems nationally.” that can occur with over-the-road trucking and learn the best Rook also said two-year schools are also more responsive to techniques to diagnose and repair these modern trucks.” changes in the demographic of the state, particularly among “New to ASU-Newport this year is our Agriculture Technology minority students and the state’s emerging immigrant popuprogram, the only one of its kind in Arkansas. It provides lations for whom a four-year degree takes too long, costs too hands-on experience in the field with a mobile precision ag much and often doesn’t dovetail cleanly into the job market. lab, GPS, GIS, various farm management software and guided “Our best-kept secret is how much we care about our stutractor systems.” dents’ success and how technologically advanced we are with Perhaps the most compelling argument for two-year schools

30 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 50 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

robotics, 3D printing and simulators in nursing and truck driving,” Rook said. “Faculty and staff go the extra mile to make sure students succeed.” Among COTO’s student population, average age 27 and most hailing from Hot Spring, Saline, Grant, Dallas and Clark counties, a full one-quarter are nonwhite and 53 percent are first-generation college students. “We strive to help non-traditional students who want or need to make a career change to build a better life for their families,” Rook said. “We take great pride in serving our students’unique needs and challenges. We are an open admissions institution and it is our mission to help those that may be underprepared or have been separated from higher education for a period of time.” Two-year schools are also known for their affordability and nowhere is this more in focus that at Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas in DeQueen. The school maintains a textbook rental program where a $30 fee replaces spending hundreds to purchase books. “Affordability is what drives most students to UA Cossatot,”said Emily Newlin, director of institutional advancement. “Whether it is the need for training that will lead to a career faster than a four-year degree or tuition and fees that total $1,500 or less a semester, our students know that UAC is the place to begin their training.” The school, which is known for its nursing programs (LPN and RN), welding curriculum and the only NCCER certified pipe welding program in the state, offers other cost-savings as well, such as paid internships with Tyson Foods through its industrial technology program. “What surprises our students the most is how affordable college can be and how family-like our campuses are,” Newlin said. “On the first day of classes, if a student asks where a class is located, a staff person is likely to walk them around and get them acquainted. That doesn’t happen on larger college campuses. They are also surprised that we don’t offer student loans. We hope to see every one of our students leave UA Cossatot debt-free.” ■

bhclr.edu

Apply online at

bhclr.edu

Applications Due June 1 and December 1 Classes begin in January and July

For additional information please call 501-202-6200 or 1-800-345-3046.

NURSING

Practical Nursing

A two semester program for students leading to a diploma in practical nursing. No college prerequisites required!

An allied health specialty that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. No college prerequisites required!

HISTOTECHNOLOGY

NUCLEAR MEDICINE TECHNOLOGY RADIOGRAPHY

b hclr.ed u

@ B H CL R

Sleep Technology Applications Due April 15 Classes begin in July

M EDIC A L L A B O R ATO RY SCIENCE O CCU PATIO N A L T H ER A PY A SSISTA N T

SLEEP TECHNOLOGY

SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY

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.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 31 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 51

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

Campus News ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

This fall, Arkansas State opens its American-style residential campus in Mexico with the first students enrolled at A-State Campus Queretaro. The $100 million campus welcomes its first students on Sept. 4, with a dedication ceremony set for Sept. 24. Arkansas State was designated as the national repository for DNA related to America’s most endangered species, the red wolf. A-State partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Endangered Wolf Center in St. Louis to create projects to help save the species, which is also ASU’s mascot. Arkansas State opened four new residential living areas, named for the four African American professors and administrators who broke the color line at ASU in the early 1970s. They include Dr. Wilbert Gaines who taught at A-State from 19722005; the late Dr. Mossie Richmond who served from 1973199; Dr. Herman Strickland, who served from 1972-2008 and Dr. C. Calvin Smith, the first African-American faculty member at Arkansas State, who taught from 1970-2002. A-State is the only predominantly white university in Arkansas with multiple

buildings named to honor African Americans. Red Wolves athletics continue to enjoy success. Not only has the football team taken five conference championships in the past six years, the only Football Bowl Subdivision program to do so, Red Wolves club sports were national champions in club softball and national runners-up in club rugby.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT

Arkansas State University-Newport has been ranked as the top two-year college in Arkansas by BestColleges.com. Since its establishment as a stand-alone campus in 2001, ASU-Newport has shown significant growth and expansion, adding its Marked Tree and Jonesboro campus locations in 2008. In 2009, the college topped 2,000 in enrollment. In 2015, it celebrated “2,500 Strong” and continues to set enrollment records. Arkansas State University-Newport students earned 17 medals at the recent Arkansas SkillsUSA competition in Hot Springs. Competing against other community colleges, the following students earned medals in cosmetology, energy control technology, welding, automotive service technology, collision

repair and refinishing technology, advanced manufacturing, computer and networking technology and hospitality services. Gold medalists represented ASUN this summer at the National SkillsUSA competition. Following a comprehensive review process, ASUN has received accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Regional accreditation validates the quality of an institution as a whole and evaluates multiple individual aspects that include academic offerings, governance and administration, mission, finances and resources as well as overall college sustainability. ASU-Newport sent approximately 20 students to the local shelter in Pocahontas to assist with donations and patient care in the wake of recent flooding. In addition to patient care and donation management, the students took time to help organize the shelter to better serve the public. ASU-Newport’s Hospitality Services students assisted with meal prep, delivered food to volunteers and volunteered at the flood location in Pocahontas. Ten additional students in the Energy Control Technology program and their instructor traveled to Randolph County to clean HVAC systems affected by flood water.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Two new degrees coming to Arkansas Tech University in fall 2017 will assist society in fighting what is both a current and ever-increasing threat: online crime. Arkansas Tech’s new Bachelor of Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees in cybersecurity were developed by the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Department of Computer and Information Science. According to the Herjavec Group, online crime resulted in $3 trillion in costs in 2015, a number expected to grow to $6 trillion by 2021. ATU is offering a new opportunity for those who have completed an Associate of Applied Science degree to take the next step in their education, an online Bachelor of Applied Science degree beginning with the fall 2017 semester. Associate of Applied Science graduates entering the Bachelor of Applied Science degree program may transfer 54 hours of credit. Students will complete an additional 66 hours in pursuit of the bachelor’s degree, including 26 hours of required general education courses and 40 hours of upper division hours.

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

Cosmetology is another popular program at ASU-Newport. 32 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 52 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

Henderson State University was named No. 27 among southern colleges and universities in the 2016 Best Bang for the Buck rankings by Washington Monthly. The school was also named one of the top universities in the country for helping undergraduate students make the move to graduate school. U.S. News and World Report ranked Henderson State fifth in the United States for the percentage of students who pursue an advanced degree within a year of attaining their undergraduate degrees. The school has also added degrees to its hospitality program within the School of Business and Teachers College.

GO WHERE THE

YOUR FIRST CHOICE.

t the University of Central Arkansas, we’re not the biggest – or the ellent acade mic most expensive. What we are is committed to providing excellent academic es that shapee programs, diverse opportunities and enrichment experiences ardest thing g your future. Our campus is beautiful. And convenient. In fact, the hardest about choosing UCA is waiting to move in. Visit GoUCA.com to get started. started 2nd highest undergraduate enrollment* 2nd highest GPA and ACT scores Named one of the “Best Regional Universities in the South” by U.S. News & World Report

Go here. Go anywhere. *On-campus enrollment in Arkansas

17:1 student-to-faculty o-faculty ratio More than 150 programs 90% job placement ment in select programs ams

GoUCA.com ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUID GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST ST 24, 2 2017 33 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 53

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

They include Bachelor of Business Administration, Hospitality Management which will provide basic business management and effective communication skills applied in a range of hospitality management contexts. Bachelor of Science, Hospitality Food Services and Bachelor of Science, Hospitality Tourism and Event Planning are geared toward providing students with a strong foundation of business and life skills in high demand in the tourism industry. Three new bachelor degrees under the heading Recreation -- Sport Management, Natural Resources Management and Leisure Services Management -- seek to help translate the love of recreation, sports and our natural resources into a career.

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

A new chapter in the school’s history dawns this fall with the introduction of the college’s expanded roster of club sports. The Nighthawks men’s and women’s basketball teams will begin a competitive travel schedule in November with games against Crowley’s Ridge College, Champion College, Williams Baptist College and Central Baptist College among others. Home games will be held at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs. The team will compete in the NIRSA (formerly the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association) Collegiate Club regional tournament next spring. Dean of Enrollment, Jason Hudnell will serve as the team’s

Interactive Media and Marketing Emphasis; Computer Science, BA with a 5th year option for a MS; English, BA-Writing Option; Marketing with three options, Media, Sales and Retailing (BBA); and Sports Management, BS, including three options in Athletic Administration, Coaching and Sports Information.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-COSSATOT

Several exciting changes and additions are on the horizon for UA-Cossatot. In addition to the current campuses in Ashdown, Nashville and DeQueen, the school will soon expand to a fourth campus in Lockesburg. That location is expected to be open for classes by the 2018 fall semester. At its existing campuses, UA-Cossatot has taken steps to make higher education more streamlined and affordable than ever. The school has waived application and transcript request fees and has moved all classes to open educational resources, meaning students no longer have to rent textbooks. Students can accelerate their degree process by starting UA-Cossatot courses in high school, if they choose. Also, two summer academic terms will be offered starting in 2018, providing students yet another way to reduce the time it takes to earn a degree. The college’s administrators have also worked hard to hold the line on tuition. In fact, students receiving the Pell Grant or Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship rarely pay anything out of pocket.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - WALTON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Recreation helps students blow off steam, as shown here on the SAU Tech campus.

JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

In May, JBU signed a memorandum of understanding with Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) to facilitate a seamless transfer of courses from NWACC to JBU. JBU also changed the name of its Degree Completion Program to JBU Online in order to reflect the university’s commitment to providing quality Christian higher education options to students in Arkansas and beyond as they complete their college degree.

LYON COLLEGE

Dr. Joseph“Joey”King has succeeded Donald Weatherman as the college’s 18th president. As executive director of the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education, King helped nearly 140 liberal arts colleges integrate inquiry, pedagogy and technology to become more strategic and innovative. Lyon College will introduce its new Honors Fellows Program this fall. The Honors program is a rigorous course of study designed to provide highly-skilled, motivated students the opportunity to study, hone their research skills and exchange ideas in a challenging and supportive academic environment. Fellows enjoy a distinctive learner-directed environment, funding for travel abroad, faculty mentoring and tailored classes that fit both the college’s mission and their aspirations. Students at Lyon can now pursue a French major in addition to the already existing minor. The major, which will add a broader range of French language, culture, grammar, literature and language courses to the Lyon curriculum, will augment the college’s growing selection of studies in the romance languages.

first coach; Bob Kissire will serve as the men’s assistant coach and Tennille Johnson will serve as the women’s assistant coach. Research from the Recreational Sports Journal published by NIRSA has shown that students who are involved in campus activities, particularly athletics, are more likely to be successful and complete their studies. Sports are also tied to increased academic performance and retention rates.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY

Volunteer efforts at Southern Arkansas University have again earned the school a spot on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. SAU has been selected to the President’s Honor Roll or Honor Roll with Distinction from 2008 to the present. In 2012 and 2013, SAU was on the coveted “Distinguished” list – the only university in Arkansas each time. For the 2015 awards, which were released last September, SAU was joined on the Distinction list by only one other Arkansas university – Harding University. SAU was honored in three of the four Honor Roll categories–Education, Economic and Institutional Commitment to Service. SAU athletics are coming off a decorated year. The Mulerider Baseball team was the regular-season champion in the Great American Conference (GAC) for the fourth time in the six-year history of the league. For the first time in GAC history, the Male and Female Athletes of the Year were from the same school as SAU’s Maddie Dow and Trevor Rucker took home top honors. SAU has introduced new courses of study across multiple academic disciplines. They include Art and Design, BFA-

34 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 54 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

The University of Arkansas is categorized among the top two percent of research institutions in the country. Over the years, its student researchers have received 128 National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships. U of A has enjoyed two straight decades of record annual enrollment numbers, the latest puts student headcount at 27,194. U of A boasts 66 Fulbright scholars, 52 Goldwater scholars, 44 Gates Millennium scholars, 21 Truman scholars and 10 Rhodes scholars. The latest economic impact survey indicates the University of Arkansas has an economic impact in excess of $1.2 billion on the state. The Arkansas Research and Technology Park, managed by the U of A, contributes $55 million of that and has helped three dozen promising tech firms get started. These firms have created nearly 350 jobs that each pay an average annual salary of $80,000. The University of Arkansas athletic program is at the forefront of defining success in the Southeastern Conference and around the nation. For the eighth time in 10 years, Arkansas finished among the Top 25 of the Learfield Directors’ Cup, finishing No. 20 and ranking second among schools with 19 sports or fewer. Of Arkansas’ 19 sport programs, 16 advanced to NCAA postseason play, making the Razorbacks one of only 10 programs in the nation to advance teams to the NCAA postseason in baseball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field. Arkansas won five SEC Championships last year, including their third-straight SEC Triple Crown by women’s track and field. Arkansas was the SEC runner-up in outdoor track and field while the Razorback baseball, men’s basketball and soccer teams all advanced to their respective SEC Tournament Championship games. Eighteen Razorbacks or alumni competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, winning two gold medals and two silver medals. University of Arkansas athletes have won 10 gold, seven silver and four bronze medals since 1948.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH

UAFS conferred its first master’s degrees in health care administration, the result of establishing the graduate level program two years ago. Julia Matthew of Fort Smith, administrative assistant at Radiologists, P.A. in Fort Smith; Amanda Waterbury of Van Buren, a tax compliance specialist at Baldor Electric Co.; and Matthew Stevens of Searcy, executive director for Brookdale

Chenal Heights in Little Rock, all received master’s degrees after completing the coursework in the five-semester program, which is offered completely online. The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith was recently ranked the most affordable four-year university campus in Arkansas. Out of the more than 20 brick-and-mortar universities offering baccalaureate degrees in the state, UAFS ranked lowest in tuition and fees at $3,467.50 per semester for the 2017-2018 school year. This is approximately $640 lower than the average tuition and fees at other public Arkansas universities. Dr. Paul B. Beran, UAFS chancellor, said the combination of cost and placements rates for graduates made UAFS, “a true value.”

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK

UALR has been recognized for one of the country’s best online information technology programs, according to an independent digital publication. College Choice recently released its list of the “35 Best Online Master’s in Information Technology Degrees for 2017.” UA-Little Rock, the only Arkansas school included in the ranking, was No. 27 in the nation. For the sixth time in seven years, the Bowen School of Law was ranked in the top 25 law school writing programs by U.S. News and World Report. It also ranked for the last six years as a Best Value Law School by the National Jurist. UALR’s Center for Integrative Technology is a another nationally recognized program and accelerates innovations into practical applications for society by offering researchers, facilities, tools and instrumentation to the community. Trojans athletics continue to enjoy success both on the court and in the classroom. In March, the Little Rock Trojans men’s basketball team won the Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament championships before upsetting Purdue in the first round of the Division I NCAA Tournament. In baseball, Cameron Knight and Cory Malcom were each

selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2017 MLB Draft. Academically, Little Rock’s athletic teams finished the 2016 fall semester with a combined semester grade point average of 3.2 and a combined cumulative GPA of 3.26, the best showing ever. Through a partnership involving the Department of Criminal Justice and the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Youth Services and the Pulaski County Juvenile Crime Prevention Coalition, UALR students will mentor young offenders as they transition out of residential facilities and back into their communities. Dr. Tusty ten Bensel, associate professor of criminal justice, and Kilby Raptopoulos, professional instructor of criminal justice and a former criminal probation officer, are leading the mentoring program. The pilot program will consist of five to 10 students the first year.

also ranked UCA a No. 2 in the nation for Best Schools Offering Graduate Programs in Physical Therapy. UCA was ranked No. 2 nationally for affordability by greatvalluecolleges.net. The UCA STEM Institute received grant funding for 2016-2017 totaling $359,547. One of the grants, a $57,780 grant from the U.S. Department of Education, was funded by the federal No Child Left Behind Act and flowed through the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE). The Department of Exercise and Sport Science will offer Executive Master of Arts in Sport

Management in a completely online format. The degree aims to enhance the knowledge base of sport management through an online learning environment. The first class will be accepted for the fall semester 2017. In April 2017, UCA welcomed its first Latina sorority, Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. (SIA). The organization inducted four new members to the UCA colony. The university also welcomed its first Latino fraternity in December 2016, Phi Iota Alpha. That group initiated six members and hosted a new member presentation in February 2017. ■

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

UCA welcomed a new president in November as Dr. Houston D. Davis was named the 11th president by the UCA Board of Trustees. Davis joined UCA from Kennesaw State University where he served as interim president. Davis has also served as the executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at the University System of Georgia and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. President Davis’ investiture will be October 26, 2017 on the UCA campus. The UCA Sugar Bears women’s basketball team accomplished a second straight Southland Conference tournament championship and repeat berth in the NCAA Tournament. The team also boasted a Southland regular season championship, 26 wins, two Southland All-Conference selections, two Southland All-Defensive Team players and the Southland Conference Coach of the Year. In 2016, UCA’s physical therapy program was ranked third in the nation among top graduate schools by graduateprograms.com, which

The picturesque UALR campus, close to the heart of Little Rock ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 35 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 55

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

Your City ARKADELPHIA

Home to: Henderson State University Population: 10,700 Nestled in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, Arkadelphia has many opportunities for outdoor recreation. There is also no shortage of cultural activities, performances and athletic competitions. 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. Arkadelphia is only 30 minutes from Hot Springs. The town has many dining options that welcome college students. Arkadelphia is also an Amtrak stop.

ASHDOWN

Home to: Cossatot Community College Population: 4,700 Originally known as Turkey Flats, Ashdown lies among rich, fertile land, ideal for growing cotton, soybeans, rice, corn, wheat, and other crops. Its greatest industry is timber. Ashdown is located between two rivers—the Little River and the Red River -- which provide ample outdoor beauty to enjoy. The development of Millwood Lake in 1966 was a major boost to

Ashdown’s industrial growth. Nekoosa Paper Mill was built in Ashdown in 1968, primarily because of Ashdown’s accessibility to waterways. The mill was sold to Georgia-Pacific Industries in 1991 and sold again to Domtar Industries in 2001. Domtar Industries remains a major employer. The 110-year old courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the centerpiece of the charming downtown area. Other attractions include two museums - the Two Rivers Museum and the Hunter/Coulter Museum. Millwood Lake and Millwood State Park are known for their trophy fishing contests, camping sites and sports facilities, such as a country club, golf course and swimming pool.

BATESVILLE

Home to: Lyon College Population: 10,250 Located in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains on the beautiful White River, the community provides a safe and welcoming setting for Lyon College and its students. The oldest surviving city in the state, Batesville boasts three National Register Historic Districts and is home to an award-winning, regionally focused history museum. Other amenities include two art galleries in the downtown area, several antique stores, an active symphony

league and a community theater group. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy abundant opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, camping, caving, rock climbing, water skiing, scenic photography, fishing and hunting.

BENTONVILLE

Home to: NorthWest Arkansas Community College Population: 40,170 (Nearly 500,000 in northwest Arkansas corridor) Located in the fastest-growing region of the state, Bentonville and the nearby communities of Rogers, Fayetteville and Springdale have produced a unique environment. The influx of people from other parts of the country has created a diverse cultural population, thanks to the presence of several major corporate headquarters including Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt. The natural beauty of the region is outstanding and miles of trails connecting the various communities helps the hiker or mountain biker get out and enjoy them up close. Off the trail, visit Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, take in a concert at Walmart AMP pavilion, cheer the Razorback football team during home games or catch an Arkansas Naturals baseball game. In addition to the main campus in Bentonville, NWACC offers courses at the Washington County Center and The Jones Center for Families in Springdale, the Regional Technology Center in Fayetteville, The Center for Nonprofits in Rogers, Farmington High School and online. More than 1,000 high school students took concurrent classes for college credit last fall semester.

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM

CAMDEN

Downtown Batesville 36 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 56 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

Home to: Southern Arkansas University Technical Population: 12,000 History runs deep in Camden, dubbed the “Queen City”, which according to legend was the site of an encampment by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. Other landmarks of a more recent nature include the McCollum-Chidester House Museum, built in 1847 by local merchant Peter McCollum. It served as the headquarters of the Chidester Stage Line in 1858, served as a Civil War headquarters and was featured in the television mini-series North and South. Oakland Cemetery, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is the largest Confederate cemetery in the area. In September, the BPW Barn Sale is held at the Old Tate Barn, constructed in the 1880s. Just to the west of Camden are Poison Spring State Park and White Oak Lake State Park offering outdoor recreation opportunities. Also of interest is the 1913 Missouri Pacific Railroad depot, which was restored in 1995. Every spring, the Camden Daffodil Festival features tours of gardens, historic homes and a log cabin village.

CONWAY

Home to: University of Central Arkansas Population: 59,000 Conway is home to a beautiful and historic downtown community as well as a vibrant arts community that pro-

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM

vides a plethora of free and ticketed events throughout the year. With walking trails, art galleries, a multitude of dining and shopping venues and local theaters, Conway offers activities for every unique individual. Among the many attractions are Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, the state’s only professional Shakespeare Company; Blackbird Academy of Arts, a not-for-profit arts education center offering programs and performances for children and adults and Reynolds Performance Hall, a 1,200-seat, state-of-the-art theatre on the UCA campus presenting performing arts programming to the entire central Arkansas community. As for community events, don’t miss the one-and-only Toad Suck Daze, home of the “The World Championship Toad Races” part of the largest free-admission family festival in the state. The festival attracts 160,000 over three days for food, music, a fun run and various other events.

The small-town feel of Bentonville belies the corporate energy of Wal-Mart’s International Headquarters located near the heart of the city.

FORT SMITH

FAYETTEVILLE

Home to: University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Population: 87,000 Despite a population of almost 90,000, Fort Smith retains it small-town charm and atmosphere with abundant natural scenery and plenty of attractions. Parks, trails, festivals, free events, shopping, dining and entertainment options are all within reach, as are abundant opportunities for student internships and employment after graduation. The city of Fort Smith,

Home to: The University of Arkansas- Walton School Of Business Population: 74,000 You’re never at a loss of something to do in Fayetteville. For a taste of the outdoors, check out one of the city’s 40 parks, including the newest, a regional sports park at Mount Kessler. The city’s trail system includes about 30 miles of paved trail and 20 miles of single-track mountain bike and hiking trails. Within an hour’s drive are Devil’s Den State Park, Lake Wedington Recreational Area, Beaver Lake, the Buffalo National River and the Ozark Highlands Trail. Closer to campus, check out George’s Majestic Lounge for live music or Fayetteville Farmers Market open on the town square three days per week. And of, course campus activities abound from Razorback athletics, arts and culture, music and recreation. The Northwest Arkansas region is home to many Fortune 500 companies, such as Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt Transport Services, which provide strong collaboration in research for U of A professors and wide opportunities for students who want to pursue internships. U of A’s service-learning program is integrated with coursework and sends students out into the global community to put their coursework into action while the campus Volunteer Action Center involves students in dozens of projects that help local residents.

local organizations and UAFS work together in numerous ways that enhance quality of place and further economic development. Through its Center for Business and Professional Development and a number of ad hoc programs, UAFS provides technical and professional training to targeted groups in the workforce to close the skills gap in high-demand disciplines such as medical billing, commercial driving and industrial maintenance. The Babb Center for Student Professional Development acts as a conduit for students to network and find employment with local companies. The center helps students develop professional skills and provides networking opportunities with partner companies, including Walmart, ArcBest, Tyson and J.B. Hunt.

HOT SPRINGS

Home of: National Park College Population: 35,680 Hot Springs is a vibrant arts and tourism community with something to do every weekend. The city’s event calendar is always full of fun things such as music festivals, poetry slams, concerts, art galleries and award-winning restaurants throughout the year. Hot Springs is large enough to have great shopping and restaurants, but small enough to feel like a cozy community. NPC has a great relationship with the community and maintains a unique agreement with the city’s sports leagues that allows student intramural teams to play in the city leagues.

Home to: East Arkansas Community College Population: 15,000 Named in honor of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest, Forrest City is the only such-named city in the world spelled with two Rs. Agriculture drives the local economy and unlike other communities in the Arkansas Delta, Forrest City’s population continues to grow. Recreational attractions in the area include Village Creek State Park and the L’Anguille and St. Francis rivers, which are popular local fishing streams. Several structures in Forrest City are included on the National Register of Historic Places; one, the Rush-Gates Home, is the site of the St. Francis County Museum. Forrest City is also located less than an hour’s drive from Memphis and it’s many entertainment, dining and shopping attractions.

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM

FORREST CITY

World Peace Ball at the Fayetteville Town Center ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 37 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 57

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

music venues, dining, and community events headlines entertainment options. Free options abound such as outdoor movies, jazz concerts and the nearby Arkansas Arts Center. Near the River Market runs the Arkansas River Trail System where walkers, cyclists and joggers take advantage of the scenic, 15.6-mile loop from the Clinton Presidential Bridge via North Little Rock to the Big Dam Bridge and back. Pinnacle Mountain or a relaxing float down the Maumelle River await nearby. The professional possibilities are nearly endless thanks to the presence of Acxiom, Caterpiller Inc., Windstream, Arkansas governmental offices, Southwest Power Pool, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Heifer International, just to name a few.

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM

MAGNOLIA

River Market District in downtown Little Rock Local industry partners are extremely supportive of the college’s events and programs, often donating time and resources to help with events, like the Young Manufacturers Camp, Kid’s College, candidate forumsand dozens of scholarships. Garland County has many employment opportunities in health care, education, tourism and hospitality. NPC Career Services hosts many employers on campus throughout the year as well as at the annual Job Fair in the spring. Employers network with students and alumni to connect them to employment opportunities. Many employers also speak to classes and serve on campus advisory boards.

LITTLE ROCK

Home to: University of Arkansas Little Rock, Philander Smith College, Baptist Health College Population: 731,600 (greater Little Rock/North Little Rock metro) Kiplinger’s magazine put Little Rock atop the list of Top 10 places to live in the U.S., and as the state’s capital city, Little Rock offers all the expected benefits of a metropolitan center including access to cultural, business, government and historically significant resources and attractions. The famed River Market District, one of the top spots for live

Home to: Arkansas State University Population: 71,550 Jonesboro’s Parks and Recreation Department manages 20 parks that total just over 900 acres. With dozens of athletic fields, water features, community centers, recreation programs and events, the Parks Department offers something for nearly everyone. Downtown Jonesboro is a beautiful district with an amazing culture and a historic past. The music lover and patron of the visual and performing arts will want to check out The Forum community theater or The Foundation of Arts for lessons in dance, art, and theater. The city’s state-of-the-art performance facility, The Fowler Center, is hosts more than a dozen professional performances each year and is home to the Arkansas State University Theater Department.

MALVERN

Home to: College of the Ouachitas Population: 10,000 Established in the 1870s as a railway station, Malvern has come to be known as the “Brick Capital of the World.” Abundant clay deposits in the area, especially in nearby Perla, made the location ideal for production of brick. Among the earliest plants was the Atchison Brick Company, which began operation early in the 1890s, just in the nick of time as it turned out. When fires in 1896 and 1897 destroyed virtually all of downtown Malvern, the city rebuilt the business district with all-brick structures. Not surprisingly, summertime’s Brickfest is a highlight of the community calendar. Malvern is developing a whitewater park on the river, which attracts paddlers from throughout Arkansas and surrounding states. Malvern’s most famous residents include Academy Award–winning screenwriter, actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton, who graduated from Malvern High School, and screenwriter, novelist and producer Tom Epperson, a lifelong friend and collaborator with Thornton ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM

JONESBORO

Home to: Southern Arkansas University Population: 12,000 “Hometown”and“community”are commonly used to describe Southern Arkansas University and Magnolia. Many incoming students and their families say they chose SAU because of the caring atmosphere and the close-knit community that makes both the school and the town safe, caring, and familylike. Centrally located to both outdoor activities and urban attractions in Texarkana, El Dorado, Shreveport, and Little Rock, much of what makes Magnolia special involves shared events with the university starting with the annual Blue and Gold Day at the Magnolia square that draws thousands to welcome the Mulerider students back to town. Magnolia has also embraced a growing community involvement organization started at SAU in 2014 called Making Magnolia Blossom (MMB). MMB brings together campus and community members to volunteer together at cleanup and economic improvement events each year. Another major annual event is Celebration of Lights where the entire community comes together for a Christmas meal, caroling, singing, games for children, pictures with Santa, snow globes for everyone and a train for children to ride.

Downtown Magnolia Mural

38 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 58 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

NEWPORT

Home to: Southern Arkansas University - Newport Population: 8,000 Newport is located approximately 90 miles northeast of Little Rock and 50 miles southwest of Jonesboro. Located along the White River, the community offers a plethora of activities for the outdoor enthusiast to enjoy, including hunting, fishing and boating. History buffs will want to check out Jacksonport State Park and the Jackson Memorial Museum of Funeral Service. Learn more about the history of Newport’s pearling industry at Pearls Unique. Thanks to its rich history, Newport is home to 10 listings on the National Register of Historic Places, including the county courthouse, the Iron Mountain Depot and the county jail, as well as the Newport Bridge that spans the White River.

Home to: University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College Population: 62,300 As a first-class, urban playground, North Little Rock draws people of all ages, interests and lifestyles with its small-town atmosphere and large-city offerings. With quality entertainment, great restaurants, attractions, shopping, beautiful scenery and hospitality-focused hotels, North Little Rock offers something unexpected around every corner. The historic Argenta District on the city’s original main street offers bars, restaurants and a growing brewpub scene, as well as Farmer’s Markets and arts and entertainment in a one-of-akind setting. Nearby, catch a show at Verizon Arena or spend an evening at Dickey Stephens Park to cheer on the hometown Arkansas Travelers. Other points of interest throughout the city’s neighborhoods include the unique shops in Park Hill, the gardens at the Old Mill, shopping at McCain Mall and the largest park in the area, Burns Park offering everything from walking and jogging to softball and soccer fields, tennis courts, horseback riding and even a skateboard park.

RUSSELLVILLE

Home to: Arkansas Tech University Population: 27,900 “Welcoming” is the first word that comes to many people’s minds when describing Russellville, a friendly place that is large enough to offer the amenities of modern life and small enough to maintain a sense of community. Outdoor recreation is king here, including Lake Dardanelle State Park, Mount Nebo State Park, Bona Dea Trails and numerous other venues within a short drive of campus affording students the chance to connect with nature through biking, climbing, fishing and hiking. The university enjoys tremendous support from area communities. One of the most visible signs of this is “Paint the Town Green and Gold,” which is a shared venture between ATU and the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce, which has its own committee dedicated to promoting the school. The week-long event welcomes new and returning Arkansas Tech students to Russellville while encouraging members of the community to show their support for the institution.

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM

NORTH LITTLE ROCK

Pulaski Tech Campus is close to Historic Argenta in downtown North Little Rock, a thriving arts and entertainment district. dential area. John Brown University recently established an art gallery and the Sager Creek Arts Center continues to exhibit art and host plays and workshops in its historic building. The Siloam Springs Museum preserves the objects, photographs, and documents of Siloam Springs’ history. Thanks to the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce and Main

Street Siloam Springs, the city’s core is thriving with 94 percent of downtown building occupied. In 2015, 12,000 people attended 80 Main Street events including the Farmer’s Market, Girls Night Out Series, Beyond the Farm Series, Farm to Table Dinner and Holiday Open House. Local volunteers also logged more than 1,200 hours toward downtown development. ■

Home to: John Brown University Population: 15,000 “Siloam” refers to the healing waters of the Pool of Siloam in the New Testament and health seekers were once important to Siloam Springs’ economy. The town is known for the beauty of the parks lining Sager Creek and for the diversity of its industries. Simmons Foods, a poultry processor, became a major employer in town when it built a plant and headquarters there; as of 2011 it has approximately 1,200 employees in Siloam Springs. There are now two National Register Historic Districts within the city limits, downtown and Carl’s Addition, which is a resi-

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM

SILOAM SPRINGS

Siloam Springs is known for its picturesque downtown district and city parks. ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 39 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 59

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

Digital Education A

bout 5.4 million students, or one in four, took at least one distance education course during the fall of 2012, according to the National Center for Education Statistics and usage has been growing ever since. Almost

in-class courses. Students can communicate electronically with a million students are enrolled exclusively in distance education courses at their instructor and other students to engage in the course private, for-profit institutions, 35 percent of all students enrolled solely online. content from anywhere in Arkansas’ colleges and universities have invested heavily in online options the world. Online courses are equivalent to the courses taken to meet current and future demand, as illustrated on the following pages. on the campuses of ASUN, but without the barriers of time or distance. This allows students to learn from anywhere while ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY keeping up with a busy lifestyle. Arkansas State is the leader in online education for the state Many online courses are completely online, while others of Arkansas. As one of the first into the field, A-State has both require the student to be on campus physically at certain the largest enrollment and the most experience of all in-state times during the semester to complete items such as tests, universities. Starting in 2008, A-State’s online enrollment has projects or labs (hybrid courses). Offerings include Associate grown to over 4,000 students. In 2017, A-State earned US News of Arts coursework in business, business operations, business & World Report’s top 10 national ranking for its online MBA technology, criminal justice, education, general studies and program, the second year in a row, and maintains several other natural sciences. highly ranked online programs. Recently renewed as an Apple Distinguished Program, Arkansas State’s usage of iPad technology in the First-Year ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY Experience courses established A-State as a regional leader. All As of fall 2016, there were 629 students enrolled in the Arkansas course materials are provided to first-year students on the iPad Tech College of eTech, the university’s online learning unit. Of platform. A-State’s new chancellor, Dr. Kelly Damphousse, brings those, 60 percent were age 30 or older. The school offers online a renewed emphasis on digital course materials, utilizing costefficient open source textbooks. As the first public university in the region to offer Social Media Management, Arkansas State took one of its regional leadership areas -- media and communications -- and recognized the shift into new digital platforms. Along with developing online programs to mirror on-campus degrees and courses, A-State is launching a new digital workspace for students. This joins the recently established Delta Digital News Service, a multimedia journalism laboratory, in providing opportunities to unite core program strengths with new technology.

Almost a million students are enrolled exclusively in distance education courses at private, for-profit institutions.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT

ASU-Newport offers online courses to facilitate learning for students who may not be located on a campus where they can take traditional 40 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 60 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

study pursuant to certificates in advising, business technology, dyslexia therapist K-12, special education K-12, law enforcement, office support specialist, online teaching and professional leadership. In addition. ATU offers associate’s degrees in business technology, early childhood education, general education and logistics management. The school also offers six bachelor’s degrees, including applied sciences, emergency management, history, professional studies, marketing and management and RN to BSN. A surprising number of master’s and specialists degrees are also available, studying business administration, TESOL, college student personnel, educational leadership (also available as a specialist degree), emergency management and homeland security, nursing administration and special education K-12. The learning may be done online, but the support behind the curriculum is decidedly hands-on. Dedicated academic advisors who deal specifically with online students on a daily basis help guide ATU students through the online process from application for admission through graduation day.

COLLEGE OF THE OUACHITAS

College of the Ouachitas offers Associate of Arts transfer and Early Childhood Education degrees entirely online. A considerable portion of other degree programs, such as criminal justice, may also be earned online. The college first offered online courses 19 years ago, in Spring 1998, with 24 students in four courses. Spring 2017 saw 278 students enrolled in 42 distance classes; 103 of those students enrolled exclusively online. Online courses offer scheduling flexibility that appeal to students managing jobs and family while earning a degree. Many of these students, but certainly not all, are considered non-traditional, aged 24 or older. At least 40 percent of COTO students take one or more online course each semester. In 2016, COTO established the Office of Distance Education, which works in conjunction with Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to ensure that all online students have the necessary resources to succeed. More than 95 percent of online courses are taught by

faculty employed full-time by COTO or by adjunct faculty who have taught for COTO for at least five years. COTO has made substantial investment in state-of-the-art classrooms and labs in its Center for Applied Science Technology. Students in the Mechatronics program gain training and handson experience with robotics equipment currently used by industry across the state and nation. Faculty from across all departments have used equipment in the 3D print lab in conjunction with other classroom projects and assignments for rapid prototyping, artifact modeling and process applications. Students in COTO’s Professional Truck Driving Program learn and practice in Arkansas’s only Mobile Truck Driving Simulator. All general education, nursing and applied science classrooms are equipped with smart technology, enabling integration of online and digital resources into any class at any time. Nursing students also practice clinical procedures on highfidelity simulation mannequins, affording them the opportunity to experience scenarios that would not necessarily be available in the clinical setting with live patient such as and other lifethreatening conditions. The newly-renovated Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning provides a resource-rich environment for faculty training and serves as a studio for lecture-capture recording to accommodate distance classes and preserve instruction from classroom presentations. The center is staffed during regular campus hours to allow faculty to access equipment and support as needed.

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

found only in much larger four-year institutions. Among these tools are web-enhanced, blended and fully online class, the latter of which requires students to come to campus only for proctored exams or labs. All online coursework is provided via the learning management system Blackboard. The online learning options, which are utilized by students age 18 to 60+, offer several advantages over classroom-only instruction. Web-enhanced classes provide more interaction and support for students and allows the instructor to respond to student needs as they arise rather than having to wait until the next class period. All faculty are required to have a Blackboard presence; at a minimum the syllabus, grades, attendance and a link to library resources must be provided for every course in Blackboard. As time and trends have advanced, National Park College has developed an innovative Blackboard Student Training program that is required for all students to complete prior to starting courses at the college. In addition, a student-friendly

course template has been developed that creates a uniform environment for all students across campus.

JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE

With more than a decade’s experience with online learning, National Park College offers digital learning options usually

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY

Digital options at SAU go beyond content delivery. The school’s mySAU portal also provides a central point of contact for providing campus announcements and service information. With the portal, students have access to their accounts and academic information, while the university website saumag.edu provides links to a variety of campus departments and information. A variety of academic resources are available online including the campus Tutoring Center which offers tutoring to online students by phone five days a week. The SAU Writing Center offers face-to-face hours and online support for students while Magale Library’s Online and Distance Student Resources and Services webpage provides access to electronic journals, news-

35 percent of all students enrolled solely online.

Almost every Henderson State student encounters e-learning in some form or fashion during their collegiate experience, ranging from simple handouts or resources placed in a storage location, similar to Dropbox or Google drive, to a full course offered in Bb Learn with resources like social media outlets, videos and even learning games. E-learning first started at Henderson in 1996 and has evolved over the years to today where several of the school’s graduate programs are fully online. Technology in general is widespread in Henderson coursework. NVivo is used in the Criminal Justice Department for the analysis of qualitative data. Simulators are utilized in Aviation and the School of Nursing. Even the arts are high-tech, with a unique piano lab that enables the instructor to listen to any one, or all ten, of the student digital pianos at any given time. Students can also be paired through the headsets at a touch of the button. Courses not only utilize technology, they sometimes focuses on the evolution of the technology itself. Last year, Henderson offered a gamification and game-based learning course which delved into current pedagogical trends and technologies available now and into the future.

John Brown University’s online programs are a flexible means for working adults to earn a degree. Online courses offer students the convenience of access to quality academic course material and instruction, while learning in the strudent’s preferred location and environment. JBU offers online bachelor’s degree programs in business administration, liberal arts, management, accounting and psychology, as well as master’s degree programs in leadership and ethics (MBA), international business (MBA), collaborative design (MFA), leadership and ethics (MS) and higher education (MA). JBU also offers various online courses in graduate counseling, as well as undergraduate courses.

and careers in criminal justice. Courses in the online program emphasize critical and creative thought as well as effective communication skills through research, evaluation and service to the community.

NWACC offers distance learning options including an accelerated online associate of arts transfer degree program. Several degrees in business management also are available in a blended structure that provides 95 percent of the instruction online. Students in those programs must complete an internship to go with the online content.

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE

Philander Smith College offers an online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program that emphasizes the context of crime, research and social justice considerations. The online Bachelor of Science program is the institution’s first fully online program and includes the same courses that on-campus students take to meet degree requirements. This affords individuals access to interdisciplinary courses that prepare them to be professional leaders and develop the needed skills for graduate studies

papers, books and other materials. Magale also provides online instructional video tutorials on how to get started researching, locating and using resources. SAU currently has 13 fully online degrees, utilized largely by graduate and non-traditional students. The university takes steps to help students develop skills to successful learn online through an Online Student Primer. It also supports Blackboard Orientation which gives students the opportunity to test drive an online course before taking a real online course. Using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, students and professors can to meet online in real time making students feel like they’re together in the same classroom. The user-friendly program enables shared educational opportunities such as group projects, outside speakers and virtual office hours and allows online students to focus on interaction rather than technology.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY TECH

Distance and e-learning are familiar terms at SAU Tech; online options have been available for almost 20 years making the school one of the first colleges in Arkansas to deliver online

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 41 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 61

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

education. Several degrees are offered completely online, overseen by Quality Matters standards. Content is delivered using a learning platform called Brightspace (DL2) and supported by a dedicated technical staff that helps faculty and students with any issues they many have using the platform. Students are required to take a short course to orient them with Brightspace prior to starting their first online class.

to a general extension division in the 1930s and that tradition continues in the digital age of today. In just three years between 2013 and 2016, overall online users grew from 1,216 to 2,746 across 30 bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral degree programs, completely or primarily online, as well as certificate and licensure programs.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-WALTON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Like many institutions, UAFS’ originaly online learners were working adults seeking a degree or refresher courses or students who often couldn’t get to campus during the day. Others lived in elsewhere in the state, or had attended community college but did not have easy access to a four-year college or university in order to acquire a baccalaureate degree. Today, as more and more students work the full online and hybrid options have become more popular with all students. This has grown the online offering to include 171 online and 60 hybrid courses in fall 2016 with a total enrollment of 5,307, and 178 online and 76 hybrid courses in spring 2017 with a total enrollment of 5,939. UAFS also offers five undergraduate programs of study and one master’s program fully online.

General Business is the broadest major in Walton School of Business where students can obtain an online Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, offered by the Department of Management. This online program provides the student exposure to all facets of the business process. Maximum flexibility is retained by the student, while at the same time, careful use of general and junior/senior business electives allows the student to concentrate additional coursework in one or more selected functional areas. The Walton College Online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree is intended to provide students the opportunity to enroll in a four-year degree program online.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH

Arkansas’ colleges and universities have invested heavily in online options to meet current and future demand.

digital stream flow velocity meters are in use in the Physical Sciences Department.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK

UALR’s commitment to robust online learning options has resulted in a nationally recognized program that reaches learners via more than 450 online courses every semester. Online options offer cost effective, and in some cases faster, path to a degree. The university is a designated Military Friendly® School, a designation awarded by Victory Media, a leader in connecting the military and civilian worlds. Military students do not pay an application fee, a benefit that applies to active duty, National Guard, reserve and honorably separated veterans. UA Little Rock is also an Air University Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative (AU-ABC) partner and is part of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges. The primary support system within eLearning is the Office of Scholarly Technology and Resources (STaR). Online students benefit from not only being able to receive support online, but if they prefer they can call or visit STaR for training as well. UALR holds an Academy for Online Teaching Excellence, an opportunity for faculty to learn details of technology, design, and share ideas and venture to innovative areas within their discipline. UALR’s e-learning program continuously adds new online certificate and degree programs as well as examining new technologies to benefit the university. The university communicates and partners with eLearning counterparts regularly to share ideas and collaborate. The ongoing development of eLearning and STaR staff is essential to helping ensure online efforts are supportable.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE More than half of UA-PTC students take at least one online class in any given semester. The school offers all-online Associate of Arts degrees and have for many years. Virtually all students can benefit from the convenience of distance learning. Online students have access to the same tutoring and library resources as in-person students.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

In addition, the online degree affords students who have completed an Associate’s Degree in Business or those who are near completion of their business degree, the option to complete a B.S.B.A. with a major in General Business. Online students are full-fledged members of the University of Arkansas, which is consistently ranked among the nation’s top public research universities and best values. Students who study online take courses from the same academic departments that offer degree programs on the Fayetteville campus, and have access to the same academic resources and support including U of A libraries, tutoring and tech support. As the state’s flagship land grant university, the U of A has always explored ways to extend its reach to students. Correspondence courses launched in the 1910s gave way

UAFS offered its first online course in 2000 and in the 17 years since, various academic departments have found myriad ways to make learning more immersive and engaging. At the same time, technology in general has mushroomed on the UAFS campus; in virtually every department cutting edge applications may be found. A small sampling of these applications includes two fully energized x-ray rooms equipped with computed radiography and a Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) in the radiography program and self-contained laparoscopic simulator in the surgical technology program. Virtual and augmented reality and multiple 3D printers are at work in the College of Applied Sciences, while GPS handheld units, digital topographical maps, digital water quality monitoring equipment and

42 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 62 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

UCA Online was launched in 2015 to provide a holistic approach to quality course design while encouraging an enriched teaching and learning experience for students and faculty. Drawing from experience in the e-learning space, UCA’s online curriculum is based on best practices and research in the field of distance education. UCA offers five online undergraduate completion degrees, 18 online graduate degrees, five online post-Master’s certificates, one online Educational Specialist degree, and one doctoral degree. More than 1,200 students are enrolled in UCA’s online graduate and undergraduate programs. Online programs and courses at UCA maintain the same level of quality and rigor as their face-to-face counterparts. The goal of UCA Online is to provide the same high quality academic experience received by traditional UCA students. Online courses are designed, developed, and taught by the same faculty who teach on-campus courses. What’s more, UCA is committed to providing the instructional, administrative, financial, technological and student services support as resident students in the classroom. One way that UCA provides support beyond the physical boundaries of the campus is through online technology that allows faculty, staff or on-campus brick and mortar resources to connect with students using real-time video conferencing which also allows files and applications to be shared and provides a virtual whiteboard for interaction. ■

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

Financial aid experts say know your options, start early V

irtually every college or university has financial aid funds available to help students afford the high cost of a college education. As Victor Luckerson wrote for TIME Magazine Online, adhering to a few simple rules can help you maximize your aid package.

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

1. FILE EARLY — A growing number of schools award funds on a first-come, first

serve basis, so get your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form completed as soon as possible. Even though you’re well ahead of tax filing, you can estimate some information from pay stubs and last year’s taxes. Just be sure to go back and amend the FAFSA after you file your income taxes.

2. FILL OUT THE FORM COMPLETELY — Mistakes on your FAFSA can substantially delay processing. One common mistake is leaving non-applicable spaces blank so be sure to write “0” to avoid problems.

3. READ THE FINE PRINT — Most financial aid packages are a mixture of grants,

loans and sometimes work-study. Be sure you understand exactly what they’re offering or you might unwittingly burden yourself with unexpected debt. Also, be sure you know the requirements for renewing your award

ASU provides financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants and work study. Most scholarships at A-State require a certain GPA and ACT score for entering freshman. In addition, many scholarships are privately funded and often require special circumstances, such as designation for an upper-level major. Need-based aid consists of federal programs with eligibility determined through completing the FAFSA. This includes the Pell Grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. Federal Student work-study and student loans are considered self-help programs in that a student will need to work or repay loan funds. There are scholarships available for all types of merit or performance such as music, band, athletics, theatre, engineering, leadership, community service and many others. Students should search databases such as Fund my Future or Fast Web.com to find scholarships that they may meet the qualifications to receive.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

All Arkansas Tech University freshmen academic scholarships for the Russellville campus are awarded on a competitive basis. Amounts vary from $10,000 per year for graduating high school seniors with a composite ACT score of 30 to 36 (new SAT score of 1390-1600) and 3.25 cumulative grade point average to $1,000 per year for graduating seniors with a composite ACT score of 21 or 22 (new SAT score of 1060-1120) and 3.25 cumulative grade point average. The application for undergraduate admission serves as the scholarship application. There is not a separate scholarship application to complete, however, an early admission status

(usually a combination of minimum hours per semester and GPA) and follow those rules to the letter.

4. FILE NO MATTER WHAT — While it’s true that families whose income is above

a certain threshold don’t get qualify for certain types of aid, we live in uncertain times. If you don’t fill out a FAFSA in your first year, you will find it harder to get financial aid in subsequent years. Filling it out as a freshman leaves your options open in case of the unforeseen.

5. EXPLAIN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES — Legitimate life issues such as the loss of a job or high medical bills have a major impact on a family’s finances and should be brought to the financial aid department’s attention. Summarize relevant information in a supplementary letter, preferably from a third party or with other documentation, and submit it to the school of your choice.

is required. An early admission file includes an application for undergraduate admission, current high school transcript with a qualifying GPA and ACT/SAT exam score and immunization records documenting two MMR vaccinations. Scholarship opportunities also exist for transfer students, graduate students and students at ATU-Ozark Campus, as are athletic scholarships and music fellowships that are offered to students with a particular talent in those areas. In addition, each ATU student who qualifies for the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant receives a $1,000 per semester award.

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK

Offering state and federal financial aid options, as well as local scholarships, Baptist Health College’s financial aid options are as

varied as the student body. The school supports its own scholarship program, Baptist Health Foundation Scholarships, open to all students. Applications is available through the Financial Aid office or by visiting financialaid@bhclr.edu.

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

More than 90 percent of students receive some form of financial aid at Henderson, broken into a number of merit-based awards. These include the Distinguished Freshman Scholarship, providing a renewable $11,000 and $1,000 housing credit awarded to freshman with 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA and ACT between 31 and 36. The Presidential Scholarship renewable award provides $500 in housing credit and either $9,000 or $9,500 for students that meet GPA requirements of 3.25 to 3.5 and ACT scores between 28 and 36. The University Centurium Scholarship provides $6,500 or $7,000 renewable award based on a high school GPA between 3.25 to 3.5 and an ACT between 25 and 27. The Red and Gray Scholarship provides a renewable award of either $3,500 or $4,000, with a high school GPA between 3.0 and 3.25 plus an ACT score of at least 23. The Reddie Achievement Scholarship provides a renewable $2,500 for students with a 2.5 to 2.99 high school GPA and ACT scores of at least 20. A Transfer Scholarship awards either $4,000 or $4,500 to students transferring from a community college or four-year university, based on GPA and at least 24 transferable hours. Other financial assistance is available on a student-by-student basis for aptitude in athletics, the arts, ROTC or through the

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 43 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 63

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

Teacher’s College. The Henderson State University Foundation also offers scholarships for some students, largely based on need.

JOHN BROWN UNIVERSITY

The cost of a JBU education is an investment in the future; students invest four years of their lives in an experience that will shape them and influence who they are going to be personally and professionally. JBU’s Financial Aid staff has the expertise and servant attitude to help students afford JBU whenever possible. Application starts with a completed FAFSA form, available at www.jbu.edu. Last year JBU awarded more than $14 million in scholarships and grants to assist 90 percent of full-time students. Financial aid awards are made beginning in mid-February for those who have completed admission and financial aid application requirements.

LYON COLLEGE

Lyon College boasts a generous scholarship program that provides financial support for 99 percent of the student body. Scholarships offered include the Brown, Anderson and West scholarships, Honors Day and Scottish Heritage scholarships, Honors Fellowship and various fine arts, transfer student and athletic scholarships. Financial aid staff are also available to assist students with completing the FAFSA, which is required for those seeking to qualify for federal grants.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY TECH

Pell Grants, institutional scholarships based on ACT or Accuplacer, foundation scholarships, ArFutures, and Arkansas Challenge Scholarship are all examples of financial aid available to SAU Tech students. ACT and Accuplacer scores translate into merit-based institutional scholarships. In addition, some special talent scholarships exist, such as for choral students. A new scholars program will also provide students with a scholarship as well.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-WALTON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

The University of Arkansas disbursed nearly $43 million in institutional scholarships and funding during the 2016-2017 academic year, offering a wide variety of scholarship programs for students, including new freshman scholarships, transfer student scholarships, currently enrolled student scholarships, military scholarships and special ability or academic departmental scholarships. The majority of scholarship funding is merit-based and competitively awarded; roughly 65 percent of the student body receives aid in some form. Currently, the University of Arkansas has some needbased scholarships, but they are limited. The campus recently launched the Advance Arkansas scholarship initiative to create campus-wide undergraduate scholarship endowments to support students from Arkansas who exhibit financial need, a record of academic success, and civil engagement or community leadership. The University of Arkansas was awarded over $2.8 million in federal work-study money during the 2016-2017 academic year. Ninety-three campus offices and 10 off-campus community service organizations employed work-study students during the 2016-2017 academic year. The University of Arkansas also employs about 3,700 part-time students in regular (nonwork-study) positions.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - LITTLE ROCK

The Office of Financial Aid guides students through various sources of assistance. Aid is awarded and eligible to be renewed to students as long as they continue to meet the eligibility criteria. Students should fill out the FAFSA by visiting fafsa.gov as soon as possible. The university also offers payment plans so that any balance due may be broken up into smaller, more manageable monthly amounts over a semester.

Often, though not always, scholarship awards are based on standardized test scores. For example, the Chancellor’s Academic Distinction Scholarship requires a minimum ACT score of 30 (1330 SAT), plus 3.5 GPA, and results in $10,000 per academic year. Lower scores and GPAs can still result in some funding to offset college expenses; visit ualr.edu/scholarships/academic for complete details. Those looking for scholarship opportunities can now apply for several different types of UA-Little Rock scholarships by submitting a single application. In this manner, applicants will be considered for all awards for which they may be eligible. These include general private scholarships (funded by individuals for a specific purpose), Alumni Association scholarships or departmental scholarships.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS-PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE

UA-Pulaski Tech provides a range of financial aid options to assist students in completing their education. Among them is the Chancellor’s Scholarship, providing an estimated $9,300 waiver of tuition and fees renewable over four semesters. Eligible candidates must have graduated from an accredited Arkansas high school in the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College service area of Pulaski, Faulkner, Lonoke or Saline counties, enroll at UA-PTC the fall semester immediately following high school and meet minimum score requirements on the ACT, COMPASS or ACCUPLACER exams. The school’s GED Scholarship provides waiver of tuition and fees up to $7,865, renewable for up to 60 credit hours. Eligible applicants are first-time college students living in the UA-Pulaski Tech service area who have enrolled at the school within a year of receiving their GED and who have attained minimum scores on the GED exam. The College Career Scholarship covers tuition and fees, is renewable for up to four semesters and is awarded to high school seniors who have actively participated in career-oriented activities while in high school.These include technical education, ProStart culinary classes or other career-directed programs. Applicants must have a 2.5 high school GPA and be a resident in UA-Pulaski Tech’s service area.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

About 91 percent of UCA students receive some sort of financial assistance. During the 2016-2017 academic year, students received over $110 million in financial assistance. UCA has a number of institutional (merit and performance) and privately funded (merit, needbased, performance) scholarships available for entering and continuing students. Information regarding these and other scholarships may be found at http://uca.edu/scholarships/ or http:// uca.edu/foundation/foundation-scholarships/. Merit-based aid programs are based on academic performance while need-based programs are based on financial need and may have some type of academic component. Merit-based scholarships at UCA are competitive and awarded based on available funding. UCA has several need-based assistance programs for students including Assistance Program for Students With Exceptional Circumstances

44 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 64 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

(APSEC), a scholarship program that supports students who exhibit exceptional financial need and/or extraordinary academic excellence and who do not qualify for, or receive, other institutional scholarships or financial aid sufficient to attend the university or continue their education. The Student Success Challenge is a program designed for Pell-eligible entering freshmen who participate in a number of success workshops designed to enhance academic skills and performance. Students who complete the challenge receive a one-time $250 scholarship for the next term of enrollment. UCA also has several emergency assistance programs available for students who find themselves with a one-time emergency need. Funding is made available through private grants and donations. ■

ATTENTION JUNIORS AND SENIORS COLLEGE GUIDE 2 017

LE ROCK

. LIFESTYLE

PHOT TO O COUR RTE TES ESY UA-LITT

E D U C AT I O N

CHECK OUT THE WEB VERSION OF ARKANSAS TIMES 2017 COLLEGE GUIDE AT ADV ERT ISIN

G SUPPLE ME NT

COLLE GE

GU IDE ww w.a rkt AD VEime RTs.c ISIom

NGAUG SUUST PP24, LE

201 ME7NT 21

WWW.ARKTIMES.COM

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 45 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 65

THE COLLEGE GUIDE 2017

Philander Smith College F

ounded in 1877 as Walden Seminary, Philander Smith College is the first historically black, four-year college in Arkansas, the first historically black college to be accredited by a regional accrediting institution and the first attempt west of the Mississippi River to make education available to freedmen. Re-named in honor of a generous patron, Philander Smith College was chartered as a four-year college on March 3, 1883. Philander Smith soon established a reputation for innovation. Unlike similar schools popping up at the time, PSC resisted a national trend of educating African Americans only in “practical” subjects such as carpentry or agriculture, choosing instead to include courses in journalism and advertising composition with vocational classes. In the late 1880s and the 1890s, the college offered courses in Greek, Latin, algebra, and natural philosophy. Moral and religious education, including prayer meetings and Bible studies, was required. Tuition was free for pre-ministerial students and a dollar a month for everyone else. Through changing times, Philander Smith College has continued to grow and remain relevant. Successful capital campaigns have brought new buildings and the astute leadership of its line of presidents have kept the school connected in the wider Little Rock community. The school offers degrees in nearly 20 majors across five academic divisions and the office of continuing study. Notable graduates of Philander Smith include Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. surgeon general; Rev. James H. Cone, professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York; Lottie Shackelford, Little Rock’s first woman mayor; and professional athletes Elijah Pitts and Hubert “Geese” Ausbie. ■

Philander Smith College has developed educational resources with prestigious colleges and universities across the country.

S E S R NU 20 16 E D I GU

CONSIDERING A CAREER IN HEALTHCARE? How about being a nurse!!! Check out Arkansas Times annual Nurses Guide published on September 21. Information on hospitals, colleges and options for a nursing career in Arkansas.

LE M ENT TO

ARKANSAS TIMES

AN ADVE RT

ISING SU PP

AS T TO ARKANS G SUPPLEMEN ADVERTISIN

46 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 66 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES

TIMES

•

DE 2016 NURSES GUI

•1

ENROLL TODAY AND CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THE

BETTER.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT COLLEGE GUIDE www.arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 47 arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017 67

48 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSAS TIMES COLLEGE GUIDE ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 68 AUGUST 24, 2017 ARKANSASâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;TIMES

Rep. Jack Fortner (R-Yellville) On Confederate monuments: I would not [be in favor of removing or relocating Confederate monuments]. I would never support burning books either. Whether I agree with them or not. I think history is what keeps us from repeating awful things. I can understand how someone might be offended by that. Those statutes were put up a long time ago, and they’re a part of history. Would I want to put one up today? No, I wouldn’t. And I don’t think anyone would erect one today.

with violent acts, it would have held them civilly liable for damages. … That did not make it out of committee. On Trump’s response: I don’t feel compelled or obligated to explain the comments of others.

Rep. Joe Jett (R-Success) On Charlottesville: I don’t know about [the strength of] the white supremacy movement. … There are a lot of news organizations that call themselves news organizations where they’re really entertainment, and it stirs Rep. Mickey Gates (R-Hot Springs) up a lot of this stuff and gets people On Trump: worked up. From what I saw, it was measured. I think we need open and honest Often times, there are conflicts because discussion [about race and other areas of one group. Sometimes there’s conflicts of contention]. When people try to speak, on both sides. Just like an argument, they get shouted down. It’s time for the sometimes there’s an argument where mainstream to stand up and shout, tell one person is being yelled at. Sometimes people to get involved. … there’s an argument where two people My grandfather served in [World are yelling at each other. You have that War II], people bled and died. And all of many people in a group, you may have one a sudden people are sticking up for these person that’s the instigator. But oftentimes [supremacist] fools. if you have somebody else on the other side On Trump’s response: challenging or whatever else that can make I think the Black Lives Matter matters worse. Generally in that type of [movement, which some are equating element, it goes so emotional that rational with the counterprotest] was born out people sometimes loose their rationality of people getting shot … and for the life and sad things happen like that. of me I don’t know how anybody can On Trump: mainstream or rationalize [Nazis]. The I’m a supporter of President Trump Nazis killed millions of people. I don’t and have been since he filed. I realize that get where those groups are equal. I’m he’s an imperfect individual just like Kim disappointed in [President Trump’s] Hendren is … as we all are. I’m under the response. It’s dumbing it down. … I heard conviction that there was only one perfect the president say there were good folks man who ever lived … Jesus Christ. … on [the Unite the Right] side. If they were President Trump as did President Obama hanging around with Nazis, and they were … and President Clinton — none of those good, they were not intelligent. They were guys did not make mistakes. … We need pretty dumb, in my book. to love each other enough and care about [Heather Heyer] was an innocent each other enough to forgive people. Is bystander. I just can’t equalize that group he ever going to please everybody that with the Nazi group. I think some of disagrees with him? No… But I think he’s these folks [who see equal blame on both working hard, and I appreciate that— sides] are just trying to rationalize. … It’s somebody that’s working hard. a dangerous place for our society to be. … On Confederate monuments: Rep. Kim Hammer (R-Benton) I voted for the separation [of the On Charlottesville: Martin Luther King Jr./Robert E. Lee I do not condone any expression of holiday]. I feel like anything divisive violence in order to advance what you may enough to bring people [out] to get see as a view on the matter. Regardless killed like that lady [Heyer] killed up in of whatever title, group name, whatever Virginia … . flag you are flying under, if your intent At the end of the day, I understand is to advance violence toward other people say that’s [Confederate symbols] members of humanity you are worthy their heritage, but I’d like to think maybe of being condemned. I tried to run a piece if people understood history, [they’d of legislation [HB 1578] that would have understand] it’s not their heritage. dealt with this matter. We in our district, I’d like to leave [removal of symbols] I think I can say, we are not appreciative, up to individual towns. … [But] it comes nor do we want [people] that come from back to the state to make a decision, I’m outside and bring their fight to our area. always going to err on the side of less [The bill] would have held entities that divisiveness. I want to see people come bus people in, if they have been identified together.

Help us get a comment

Ask these elected officials, who did not respond to the Arkansas Times’ queries, their opinion on the violence in Charlottesville, Trump’s response to white supremacy and whether Confederate monuments should be removed. Email answers to lindseymillar@ arktimes.com with the subject “GOP survey.” Follow our progress at arktimes.com/GOPsurvey. Secretary of State Mark Martin

Rep. Les Eaves (R-Searcy) Rep. Jon Eubanks (R-Paris)

Treasurer Dennis Milligan Rep. Charlene Fite (R-Van Buren) Sen. Cecile Bledsoe (R-Rogers) Sen. Ronald Caldwell (R-Wynne)

House Speaker Jeremy Gillam (R-Judsonia) Rep. Justin Gonzales (R-Okolona)

Sen. Alan Clark (R-Lonsdale) Rep. Ken Henderson (R-Russellville) Sen. Linda Collins-Smith (R-Pocahontas) Rep. David Hillman (R-Alymra) Sen. Lance Eads (R-Springdale) Rep. Grant Hodges (R-Rogers) Sen. Jake Files (R-Fort Smith) Rep. Mike Holcomb (R-Pine Bluff) Sen. Scott Flippo (R-Bull Shoals) Rep. Lane Jean (R-Magnolia) Sen. Jim Hendren (R-Sulphur Springs) Rep. Jack Ladyman (R-Jonesboro) Sen. Jimmy Hickey Jr. (R-Texarkana) Rep. Austin McCollum (R-Bentonville) Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest) Rep. Ron McNair (R-Alpena) Sen. Bill Sample (R-Hot Springs) Rep. John Maddox (R-Mena) Sen. Greg Standridge (R-Russellville) Rep. Andy Mayberry (R-Hensley) Sen. David Wallace (R-Leachville) Rep. Stephen Meeks (R-Greenbrier) Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot) Rep. Josh Miller (R-Heber Springs) Rep. Sonia Eubanks Barker (R-Smackover)

Rep. Clint Penzo (R-Springdale)

Rep. Justin Boyd (R-Fort Smith)

Rep. Mathew W. Pitsch (R-Fort Smith)

Rep. David Branscum (R-Marshall)

Rep. Matthew J. Shepherd (R-El Dorado)

Rep. Sarah Capp (R-Ozark)

Rep. James J. Sorvillo (R-Little Rock)

Rep. Frances Cavenaugh (R-Walnut Ridge)

Rep. James Sturch (R-Batesville) Rep. Dan Sullivan (R-Jonesboro)

Rep. Carol Dalby (R-Texarkana) Rep. Dwight Tosh (R-Jonesboro) Rep. Andy Davis (R-Little Rock) Rep. DeAnn Vaught (R-Horatio) Rep. Gary Deffenbaugh (R-Van Buren) Rep. Jeff Wardlaw (R-Hermitage) Rep. Jana Della Rosa (R-Rogers) Rep. Les Warren (R-Hot Springs) Rep. Jim Dotson (R-Bentonville) Rep. Jeff Williams (R-Springdale) Rep. Dan Douglas (R-Bentonville) Rep. Carlton Wing (R-North Little Rock) Rep. Trevor Drown (R-Dover) Rep. Richard Womack (R-Arkadelphia) arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

Arts Entertainment AND

Turning to the deaf

ADDING VERISIMILITUDE: Christopher Tester, as John Singer.

‘The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter’ opens at The Rep. BY LAELA ZAIDI

arson McCullers’s 1940 novel “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” is a masterful Southern gothic that explores the lives of a unique set of outcasts who turn to one individual who will listen to their hopes and heartaches — a deaf man named John Singer. The Arkansas Repertory Theatre will debut its 2017-18 season with the stage adaption of McCullers’ novel with casting that director John MillerStephany believes will provide audiences a more empathetic window into the lives of its characters: deaf actors will perform the roles of the play’s two 22

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

deaf characters. New York-based actors Christopher Tester and J.W. Guido have been cast, Tester as Singer and Guido as Singer’s friend, Spiros Antonapoulos. Advertising for the production makes the point that the hearing world misunderstands the deaf world: It shows Singer holding up a card that says, “I am deaf but I read lips and understand what is said to me. Please do not shout.” Tester, of New York, who is an American Sign Language interpreter as well as an actor, said the Singer role offers an empowered depiction of deafness.

“Most people see deafness as ‘poor deaf guy, poor deaf person who can’t talk, who can’t hear, who can’t, can’t, can’t function in the world,’ ” Tester said. “John Singer is very independent, he has a very good job, he makes good money, and he gives money to the other characters. ... And all of these other characters come to rely on John Singer financially, emotionally.” With the recent violence in Charlottesville spurred by a white nation-

alist protest, Miller-Stephany believes the production offers an urgent theme. “It seems to me right now that there is a great deal of focus on demonizing the other,” Miller-Stephany says. “Whether the other is an immigrant, whether the other is someone who belongs to a different religion, whether the other is someone who does not belong to your political party. ... [It] is profoundly unhealthy for society, and this particular play tells the story of a group of people who are marginalized for one reason or another.” The play, adapted for the stage by Rebecca Gilman and Miller-Stephany’s debut production, takes place in a Depression-era mill town in rural Georgia. It opens with a brief focus on the friendship between Singer and Antonapoulos, who have served as each other’s sole companions for many years. When Antonapoulos is sent to a distant insane asylum, Singer is forced into self-reliance. Singer acquaints himself with four different individuals in his community: Biff Brannon, a recently widowed owner of a cafe where the protagonist frequently dines; Jake Blount, an alcoholic laborer activist and socialist; Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland, a frustrated yet optimistic black physician; and Mick Kelly, a rebellious teenager who dreams of escaping poverty to become a professional musician one day. Singer becomes an anchor for each of these personalities through his willingness to empathize with their perspectives and in offering companGOOD LISTENER: Singer (Tester) hears out Biff Brannon (Gregory Myhre) over a beer.

A&E NEWS The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival upped its audience lure this year with the announcement that acclaimed documentary and narrative filmmaker Werner Herzog will be at the event, scheduled to run Oct. 6-15 at the Arlington Hotel. No word yet on whether Herzog will bring a film to screen or his involvement in any other events, but when the auteur who directed such flicks as “Grizzly Man,” “Nosferatu the Vampyre,” “Encounters at the End of the World” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” comes to town, film buffs take notice. First it was Glen Campbell. Now another light of Arkansas music has gone out: Sonny Burgess, who died Aug. 18 in Little Rock. He was 88. A rockabilly pioneer who found a bit of fame as one of the stars in Sam Phillips’ Sun Records firmament alongside Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley, Burgess scored minor hits with the raucous tunes “Red Headed Woman” and “We Wanna Boogie” in 1956. After the golden age of Rockabilly, Burgess largely fell into obscurity, briefly becoming a traveling salesman in the lean years. His career got a cur-

ionship through intimate moments of kindness and support. Through Singer, the characters break out of their solitary existences and find a human savior. The paradox, however, is that Singer, separated from his dear friend Antonapoulos, feels equally uncertain about his future without the one confidant who could truly understand his life as a deaf individual. McCullers, who wrote many works that shined a light on oppressed voices in Southern communities, achieved literary sensation upon publishing “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,” her first novel, at age 23. The play’s investigation into political and cultural divisions, as well as its depiction of both the solitary and interconnected nature of human relationships, may resonate with the audience. But “The Heart” is far from heart-warming, nor does it offer any roadmap to reconciling conflicts. But that, Miller-Stephany said, is what makes it an “elevating” piece of art. “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,” runs Wednesdays through Sundays through Sept. 10. Curtain is 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; there will be additional 2 p.m. matinees on Sundays. Tickets are $75. Complimentary beer from Lost Forty will be served at Beer Night with Lost Forty and the Arkansas Times at 6 p.m. before the Aug. 24 preview. Performances on Aug. 25, Aug. 30, Sept. 1, Sept. 6, Sept. 7 and Sept. 10 will be ASL intepreted. A three-course meal is set for 6 p.m. Aug. 25, opening night, at The Rep Secondstage at 601 Main St.; tickets are $75. A champagne reception follows. Performance tickets range from $15 for students (an hour before curtain) to $48. To purchase, go to therep.org or call the box office at 501-378-0405.

tain call for a second act in the 1990s, though, when his music was rediscovered by fans. He eventually recorded two new albums, was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and toured with his original band, The Pacers, for most of the rest of his life. Goodnight, Sonny. Thanks for the memories. Little Rock author Trenton Lee Stewart, who wrote the successful “Mysterious Benedict Society” series of books, is teaming up with other graduates of the famous University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop to raise money for a new small press focused on Midwestern authors. A gofundme.com page has already raised more than half the $10,000 goal to start Maintenance Ends Press, an imprint of the small publisher Ice Cube Press. “I fully agree with the Maintenance Ends credo,” Stewart says on the page, “which in a sense allows the works of the Midwest to define and redefine the meaning of place, the Midwest … and the universe of being where it resides.” More info at gofundme.com/mainendspress.

JOIN FOR EASTER JoinUS Us for HappyBRUNCH Hour Monday through Friday • 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Enjoy Regional Brunch Specials, Live Music, Bloody Mary and Mimosa Specials THANKS FOR VOTING US BEST BUSINESS LUNCH!

CacheRestaurant | 425 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock | 501-850-0265 | cachelittlerock.com | CacheLittleRock Brunch served every Saturday and Sunday 10am - 2pm Follow Rock Candy on Twitter: @RockCandies

arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

“I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR” STARTED WITH “I DO.” Before Bill and Hillary ever took an oath for public office, they took an oath to each other at their home in Fayetteville. Now called the Clinton House Museum, you can even see a replica of Hillary’s wedding dress. Now with FREE admission, see where their life in public service began. Then, enjoy the sights and sounds of the entertainment capital of Northwest Arkansas.

Clintonhousemuseum.org

LITTLE ROCK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

VISIT DINELR.COM FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

THE FINAL WEEK! (Aug 28-Month’s End): RIVER MARKET’S OTTENHEIMER MARKET HALL 400 President Clinton Ave

Ottenheimer Market Hall is located in the heart of the River Market District along the Arkansas River. Home to an international food court, it is the perfect place for breakfast and lunch. With so many delicious options, there is something for everyone. Explore the River Market today!

ANY MENU ITEM WHEN YOU MENTION LR RESTAURANT 10% OFF MONTH AT ANY OF THESE FINE ESTABLISHMENTS BANGKOK THAI

374-5105 CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!

BEA BLESSED BAKERY 372-1555 CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!

BIG ON TOKYO

375-6200 CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!

CASA MANANA

372-6637 CASAMANANAMEXICANFOOD.COM 24

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

GARDEN SQUARE CAFE 244-2622

THE INDIAN FEAST 476-4007 THEINDIANFEAST.COM

JAY’S PIZZA

374-5297 CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!

KATMANDU MOMO

351-4169 CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!

MASON’S GRILL

376-3354 FACEBOOK.COM/MASONSGRILL.LR

MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE 372-1662 CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!

OLD MILL BREAD & FLOUR CO 350-2144 OLDMILLBREAD.COM

RIVERSHORE EATERY 244-2326 CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!

n me

le u M

rn e v

It’s the Party to the Party! On October 7th Ride the Arkansas Times Blues Bus to the King Biscuit Blues Festival! It’s the Biscuit, Baby! And we can’t wait! King Biscuit turns 32 and we are going to see Government Mule!

King Biscuit

E H T S E ' T TH I $109 PER TICKET O T

INCLUDES: Transportation provided by Cline Tours (let’s go in style y’all), Entrance to the Blues Festival, Lunch at the Hollywood Café, Live Music on board the bus by Bill “Bluesboy” Jagitsch, and adult beverages.

Tickets available on centralarkansastickets.com BUS TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED BY CLINE BUS TOURS.

sa n a rk A the iscuit e Rid ing B eK h t to A

h t 30 ging e h brin for t s e're . 10 ' t I d w 0ct an n us oi

M j Ta109 $

arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

THE

TO-DO

LIST

BY DAVID KOON, LINDSEY MILLAR, LESLIE NEWELLL PEACOCK, JACOB ROSENBERG, STEPHANIE SMITTLE

THURSDAY 8/24

ANDREW BRYANT, YOUNG VALLEY 9:00 p.m. White Water Tavern.

You might know Andrew Bryant from Water Liars, in which he works with Justin Kinkel-Schuster to evoke some great slow and nostalgic songs that make for perfect “I just got dumped music.” Water Liars produce some rocking stuff, too (the band’s song “Ray Charles Dream” is particularly fun), but people do not talk about it as much. The band was named after a story in Barry Hannah’s “Airships,” so maybe some of the literary cred gets their more calm stuff played. But, in Bryant’s solo work — and especially his last album, “This Is the Life,” which came out in

2015 — I am drawn to his astute combination of these listen to the songs for a week or two, enjoying a new two impulses, slow and fast, which can bounce off album, and forget to hear the stories he tells. The best each other in a single song. Each piece is less likely example is “Friendly Cops,” which has a great hook to be “rocking” or “dramatic” as a total; instead, they — that just makes me, at least, want to dance — comhave one piece of the orchestration hold calm while bined with an almost spoken, funny story. “When I another builds momentum. Driving riffs on songs like came home, all my friends, had become cops ... again.” “Losing My Shit” never break open completely into a I find that pause, and the word “again,” hilarious. I jam while Bryant sings almost calmly, and a probing didn’t notice it until the 10th listen or so. Bryant will and slow guitar on “Do What You Love” does not be joined by Young Valley, a twangy band that evokes melt into sappiness but continues with a rock-like a bit of Jason Isbell’s more rollicking stuff. Should push forward. Bryant seems like he is standing behind be a great show, with some live energy but, also, a lot with his singing, in the background, and letting his of depth. Perfect for the misanthrope listening to all voice slide into the music. And that means you can the words and the frenetic just wanting to move. JR

THURSDAY 8/24-SUNDAY 8/27

FAYETTEVILLE ROOTS FESTIVAL

Various times. Downtown Fayetteville. Various prices.

There’s going to be a lot of things you can do if you go up to the Fayetteville Roots Festival, so pace yourself. The five-day music, film, food and any-other-activity-you-can-think-of festival has events planned for most days from 8 a.m. until past midnight (the festival started Wednesday). The website includes a “Culinary Lineup” — like you would see at music festivals, but I guess they did this for food, too — which includes chefs from all over the country and world serving up dishes. And probably most notable are some big-draw music acts: The Wood Brothers (Thursday and Friday), Iron and Wine (Saturday), Rodney Crowell (Sunday). So, go to that if you can get a ticket; several days are already sold out. My chief advice is to use the very well-designed schedule on the website, which lets you filter for “free” events both in Bentonville and Fayetteville. Without even spending any money you can go see a Wendell Berry documentary including a Q&A with Nick Offerman, from “Parks and Recreation” and also a producer of the movie, and Laura Dunn, the director; a bunch of cooking classes and tasting events (free food!); and, on Sunday, two different events where musicians sing a bunch of Guy Clark songs. And, if you did grab a ticket in time, here’s some stuff I’d make sure to catch: Blind Boy Paxton is sort of a throwback to the 1920s who plays banjo and guitar in character as an old-time musician in the tradition of blues legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson. This could be off-putting if Paxton were not excellent, which allows his work to

AUGUST 17, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

DOING OLD TIME RIGHT: Blind Boy Baxton plays the Fayetteville Roots Festival.

take on not a hooky but a theatrical quality. As The New York Times wrote, “If you’re an American musician and want to claim lineage to Blind Blake or Uncle Dave Macon and perform as if not much happened after 1940, nothing’s stopping you. That’s what artifice is for. If you’re good enough, everything else falls into place.” Paxton’s show will be Saturday from 1:45 p.m. to 2:35 p.m. Another hidden gem is Mandolin Orange. The duo has been a local favorite in North Carolina for years, but has recently

begun to break through more nationally. It’s bluegrass and folk — with the now popular, even mainstream, atmospheric calm that it brings — but it’s got a bit more of the soloing mandolin and the lyrics dipping into Southern history and brings a lot more actual “root” than a lot of similar “roots” groups offer. And, perhaps most importantly, they are phenomenal musicians live. They are playing Friday from 11 p.m. to midnight at the George’s Majestic-New Belgium Brewing Stage. JR

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 8/24 The Clinton School of Public Service hosts a panel discussion with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre on its upcoming production of “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” at Sturgis Hall, noon, free but reservations suggested. Singer/ songwriter and one-man-band Mike Hosty, of Hosty Duo renown, returns to Stickyz, 9 p.m. $5. Comedian Jason Russell goes for laughs at The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., $8-$12. CAPYAC brings its massive dance party (advertised as “P-Funk meets Daft Punk”) to Maxine’s in Hot Springs, 9 p.m., free. The Arkansas Travelers take on the Ttulsa Drillers at Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $7-$13. Feast on the twang of The Creek Rocks, hailing from Springfield, Mo., at Four Quarter Bar, 6 p.m. Local party band legends Tragikly White headline at Cajun’s Wharf, 9 p.m.

FRIDAY 8/25 ‘A GHOST STORY’: The critically acclaimed film plays Saturday at CALS’ Ron Robinson Theater as part of the Arkansas Cinema Society’s kick-off event. Director David Lowery will discuss the film with Jeff Nichols following the screening.

THURSDAY 8/24 - SATURDAY 8/26

ARKANSAS CINEMA SOCIETY’S ‘PREMIERE’

Various times. CALS’ Ron Robinson Theater. $35 per film.

The Arkansas Cinema Society, the new film nonprofit co-founded by Arkansas filmmakers Jeff Nichols and Kathryn Tucker, made good on its promise to kick off yearround programming with big names. For its first event, ACS has pulled in Adam Driver, famous for playing the bad guy in the new “Star Wars” and as a regular on HBO’s “Girls,” and David Lowery, the critically acclaimed indie director behind “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” and “A Ghost Story” who also helmed Disney’s “reimagining” of “Pete’s Dragon” and is slated to shoot a new live-action version of “Peter Pan.” Plus, the ACS will also screen “Patti Cake$,” a Sundance hit that seems poised to cross over. Each film will be followed by a Q&A with Nichols, and there are parties every night, which are free to that day’s ticketholders. The showings of two Driver films, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and Jim Jarmusch’s “Paterson,” are both sold out, but as of Tuesday, tickets remained for “Patti Cake$” (6:30 p.m. Thursday) and “Pete’s Dragon” (2 p.m. Saturday) and “A Ghost Story” (7 p.m. Saturday). LM

FRIDAY 8/25

COLOUR DESIGN

9 p.m. White Water Tavern.

Listen, I’m about as metal as Aunt Bee. And I don’t know a 10th of what I used to know about the current state of local music, thanks to a confluence of parenthood, overwork and a downright hateful aversion to hangovers. But I know this and say it in all sincerity: Colour Design has moved, thrilled and challenged me more than any other Little Rock band since I was a teenager sneaking out of town and into Vino’s. They work in a brilliant (in every sense of the word) interplay of post-rock, shoegaze and post-hardcore that can draw comparisons to Deafheaven, the San Francisco act whose incredible “Sunbather” was one of the most celebrated albums of 2013. But I’ll say it: Colour Design is more immediate, and more muscular, and maybe even straight up better than those critical darlings from The Bay. After spending all of 2016 pouring over Colour Design’s album, “be still“ (available on Bandcamp), from afar while living in Texas, and then, in Arkansas, totally failing in every attempt to catch one of their shows, I caught them by dumb luck at the bottom of a bill early one Tuesday night in April at the White Water Tavern. The ribbons of pedal-heavy guitar interplay wrapping around the no-nonsense rhythm section were bracing enough live, but when singer Shawn Hood took his place in the crowd and transported himself to a laser-focused place of defiant determination — the very howling sound of right now — I caught a long-absent tremor in my chest that ripped me away from any pedestal of music-veteran distance and nailed me back where music, at its most extraordinary, should put you. I could go on. They play with Vagitarius and Junk Bomb. Highly recommended. JT

Memphis native K. Michelle, charting an R&B path that would make her this generation’s Mary J. Blige, comes to Robinson Center Music Hall, 8 p.m. $65-$75. Michelle is famous for singing big ballads and for reality TV. She’s starred in VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop” and three seasons of “K. Michelle: My Life.” New Orleans rapper Mystikal was supposed to be the opener, but he was arrested on rape charges. Oakland rap legend Too $hort fills in. Vesperteen, the solo project of Colin Rigsby, formerly of House of Heroes, brings big pop-rock hooks to Stickyz, 9 p.m., $12. The Travs continue their homestand against the Tulsa Drillers with Pyro in the Park II, billed as the “Travs biggest fireworks show ever,” 7:10 p.m., $7-$13. The Trey Hawkins Band of Hamburg performs soulful country rock at Revolution, 9:30 p.m., $5 (with a Cody Jinks wristband) or $7 without. Dikki Du and The Zydeco Krewe, who specialize in accordion-heavy jams made for dancing, play Maxine’s in Hot Springs, 9 p.m., $7. The Crumbs, a threepiece Arkansas folk act, plays Four Quarter, 10 p.m. Let the synths set you free with the ambient yet driving work of The Flashbulb and the more local lord of electronica, Groovecluster, King’s Live Music in Conway, 8:30 p.m., $5.

SATURDAY 8/26 Led Zeppelin cover band Zoso returns to Revolution, 9:30 p.m. The

Follow Rock Candy on Twitter: @RockCandies

arktimes.com AUGUST 17, 2017

THE

TO-DO

LIST

BYBY DAVID KOON, LINDSEY MILLAR, LESLIE NEWELLL PEACOCK, JACOB ROSENBERG, STEPHANIE SMITTLE STEPHANIE SMITTLE

FRIDAY 8/25

CODY JINKS

7 p.m. First Security Amphitheater. $38.

Mainstream country music has really gone in the crapper in recent years, cranking out one bro-rockish ode to short-shorts, jacked-up trucks, dirt roads and drinking beer on a tailgate in the pale moonlight after another, so close in tempo, cord and choice of image that somebody

on YouTube famously made a mash-up of six country songs that, once cut together, formed a tune that could be a likely hit on any “hot country” station in the South. No, seriously. Go look it up. There are still some outlaw warriors cruising the country back roads, though, including Texas-born singer/songwriter Cody Jinks, coming this week to Little Rock for a show under the stars at First Security Amphitheater. The

former frontman of a slash metal band called Unchecked Aggression, Jinks’ sound these days is much more Merle than Metallica, with hits like “I’m Not the Devil” that would fit right in on any honky-tonk jukebox circa 1975. Southeast Arkansas singer-songwriter Ward Davis, himself an outlaw country devotee, opens for Jinks. DK

“Gunned Down” is a documentary created by Frontline filmmaker Michael Kirk about the political evolution of the gun rights group, one of the nation’s most powerful lobbies and the reason why the U.S. is a country where a nutcase can go into a primary school and riddle the children with bullets. Moms Demand Action-AR has taken on the thankless job of lobbying for gun control at the Arkansas Legislature. Chil-

dren will also decorate gun locks at the library for future distribution by the group and the chapter, one of three in Arkansas, will also give a brief overview of its projects, which this summer have included hosting Wear Orange events on Gun Violence Awareness Day, working with Arkansas Stop the Violence to remember victims of gun violence and handing out gun locks. LNP

SATURDAY 8/26

MOMS DEMAND ACTION MOVIE SCREENING AND GUN LOCK DECORATING

2-4 p.m. Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library. Free.

The Little Rock chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense has planned an afternoon at the Children’s Library for a screening of the movie “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA.”

SATURDAY 8/26

RODNEY CROWELL

8 p.m. South on Main. $30-$42.

CROWELL: Kicks off the Oxford American 2017-18 Concert Series.

Jay-Z isn’t the only master of his genre steering this year’s conversation toward self-reflection and ego death. “I Don’t Care Anymore,” the highlight of Rodney Crowell’s new album, sees the 67-year old Americana icon calling out his younger self and, literally, dressing

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES

him down. He sings, “I used to pull my britches up with just one thing in mind/Make the girls believe that I’m the last one of my kind/Silver-toe tips on my boots and a mullet head of hair/Designed to walk into the room and make somebody stare/But I don’t care anymore.” The minor-key fingerpicking may sound like a dirge but really those lines are too hilarious to be mournful and — in a record section that’s always been deeply concerned about appearance or, perversely and inversely, the appearance of not being concerned — it’s too familiar to be foreign. It’s no coincidence that the character he’s roasting is wearing the same clothes as Crowell himself did, on the cover of his greatest and most successful album, 1988’s monumental “Diamonds & Dirt.” He told Rolling Stone that he wrote the song after that album fell off his shelf and he recoiled at the sight of himself on the cover. He takes that self-criticism one self-reflexive step further with a sly visual rhyme happening on the cover of “Close Ties,” his celebrated new album. Whereas the cover of “Diamonds & Dirt” is presented like a frame in a camera roll with Crowell between the perforations that line the edge of film stock (one of the grodiest ’80s album art tropes), “Close Ties” sees the songwriter beside a strip of dressing room lights that echo back to that 1988 album cover that flaunted, in his words, that “insecure little shit.” Here, Crowell is brilliantly using visuals to underscore his stories about there now being light where the holes used to be. It’s a fantastic album and this, the first show of the Oxford American 2017-18 Concert Series, is sure to be an amazing night. Good luck getting tickets, though. It’s all but guaranteed to sell out. JT

IN BRIEF

QC: CW: CD: AD:

Trim: 2.125" x 5.5" Bleed: none"

BEN FOLDS

8 p.m. Robinson Performance Hall. $25-$106.

It’s hard to talk about this guy without keeping an anchor in the ’70s. In 1995, Ben Folds Five (a trio) hit the radio with “Brick,” probably the biggest and most intimate mega-hit song about abortion since “Landslide.” Through the next few years, Folds became the most successful piano pop artist since Elton John, planted the seeds for a resolutely cult following that still thrives two decades later, and continued posting songs to the Billboard charts that were just as concerned with the interior life but now with a hell of a lot more cheek, sardonic melancholy and dirty words: For my money, the choice to open a jaunty song with, “Well, I thought about the Army/ Dad said ‘Son, you’re fuckin’ high,’

” is a perfect diamond of songwriting. Lazy listeners could lead one to deride Folds, with his church camp sincerity and resolutely white boy humor, as a dismissible and punchable holdover from the cringier moments of ’90s pop. Me, I think he’ll earn a seat beside Randy Newman in the halls of hilarious, introspective and, at times, melodically brilliant songwriters. And he’s still gaining momentum. Folds was just named the first-ever artistic advisor for the Kennedy Center’s National Symphony Orchestra so, hi haters. This tour, the Paper Airplanes Request Tour, is exactly what it advertises — the audience is going to write requests on paper, fold it into airplanes, and launch them at the stage. Ambulances will be on site for any and all poked-out eyes in case your tears don’t deflect the pointy paper darts. JT

SATURDAY 8/26

LIP SYNC BATTLE

7 p.m. Robinson Center Music Hall. $22.

Lip-syncing has a long and semi-notorious history in music. Gather round, children as grandpa thrills you with tales of Milli Vanilli, two black dudes from Munich who sounded like Arnold Schwarzenegger during interviews, but somehow gained the singing voices of angels the minute their lips came within five inches of a microphone. As it turned out, those voices, through the magic of audiotape, actually

MONDAY 8/28

Brand: Bud Light Iconic Item #: PBL2017086

TUESDAY 8/29

The Little Roy and Lizzy Show bring gospel, bluegrass and acoustic music to the Collins Theatre in Jonesboro, 7 p.m., $5 suggested donation.

PO:

MUST INITIAL FOR APPROVAL

RANDY NEWMAN’S HEIR: Ben Folds comes to Robinson Performance Hall.

Job/Order #: 294001 Operator: cs

PM:

Closing Date: 4/14/17

Publication: Arkansas Times

WE DON’T JUST BREW BEER, WE BREW BEER FOR FRIENDS.

AE:

Live: 1.875" x 5.25"

always enjoyable pysch-Western cover band The Frontier Circus PRINT shares a bill with Tres Millaje at White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $7. Birdtalker plays a bit of moody indie-folk at Stickyz, 9 pm, $1217. Troy Campbell of the music collaborative House of Songs in Bentonville, director Laura Dunn and co-producer Nick Offerman will moderate a panel discussion after the premiere screening of the documentary “Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry,” noon, Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville (also 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.) Soulful, smooth, and dance-worthy Tyler Kinchen & The Right Pieces play King’s Live Music of Conway with opening act Tate Smith, 8:30 p.m., $5. Cajun heroes Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krew come to Four Quarter Bar, 10 p.m.

TUESDAY 8/29 One should usually avoid being invited to an event called “Smackdown Live” — you could be about to get beaten to a pulp. But, in this case, you get to just watch. WWE’s main event — featuring an epic tag team match between Randy Orton and A.J. Styles partnering to face Jinder Mahal and Kevin Owens — begins at 6:45 p.m., Verizon Arena, $18-$103. Michigan rapper Prozak, who releases music on Tech N9ne’s Strange Music label, comes to Revolution, 9:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY 8/30 belonged to several other, much more talented people. The lip-syncers set to hit the stage Saturday at Robinson Center, however, will be using their mouth mimicry powers for good, not evil, raising money for Make-A-Wish Mid-South, which does so much to help children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Presented by the Optimist Club of Greater Little Rock, with KTHV’s Craig O’Neill on deck as emcee and a host of local celebrities and athletes providing the lip-sync duties, it’s sure to be a fun time. DK

Becky Straw, the co-founder and CEO of The Adventure Project, a nonprofit that works like a venture capital firm in developing countries to fund entrepreneurial activity around improving water, health, the environment and more, speaks at the Clinton School of Public Service’s Sturgis Hall, noon, free but reservations requested.

Tweet shop LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES

Follow Rock Candy on Twitter: @RockCandies

arktimes.com AUGUST 24, 2017

The Arkansas Times, in partnership with First Security Bank, will honor its fourth class of Women Entrepreneurs this October, and we want to know who you believe should be in the spotlight. Here’s what to keep in mind: • Your nominee must be a woman who started her own business or took over a business and is still the owner/operator. • She must be an Arkansan. • She must be in business currently and have at least one year in business by the time of your nomination. • We welcome nominees who are LGBTQ.

• She must fit in one of these industry categories: food, professions (teachers, doctors, attorneys, financial advisors, etc.), nontraditional, retail and design, and two new categories - trailblazers (women who do not have their own business but have led their profession to success – pastors, teachers, CEOs, writers, etc.), and those women entrepreneurs outside of Pulaski County.

NOMINEES WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 Submit your nominee and her contact information to Kelly Jones, kelly@arktimes.com, and we will announce our honorees in September. A panel of judges will determine the finalists, and they will be announced by industries in the following issues:

OCTOBER 5, 12, 19, AND 26

PAST HONOREES: WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS CLASS OF 2016 COMMUNITY BUSINESS Heather Smith Mary Jo Siikkema Javonne Jordan Lindsey Gray Bernice Osei-Danquah Lisa Marshall Rene Hooper Collin McReynolds

PROFESSIONAL & DESIGN Sarah Catherine Gutierrez Erin Eason Brittany Sanders Amy Milholland Gina Radke Kristi Dannelley Amy Denton Mary Nash

TRAILBLAZERS Sarah Anne Vestal Maggie Young Erma Jackson Jan Ham Berlinda Helms Nicole Hart Mireya Reith Supha Xayprasith-Mays

ARTS & EDUCATION Tina McCord Helen Scott and Cindy Scott Huisman Kristy Carter Vicki Farrell Nicole Winstead Bess Heisler Ginty Shamim Okolloh Kathryn Tucker

A luncheon hosted by First Security Bank is planned.

First Security Bank and The Arkansas Times are not affiliated 30

AUGUST 24, 2017

ARKANSAS TIMES