The Forum April/May 2023 Edition

THE FORUM

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Student Newspaper

April 2023

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UA LITTLE ROCK HOSTS OUT OF THE DARKNESS CAMPUS WALK

Sending a message of hope, students, faculty and other members of the community gathered on Sunday, Apr. 23, to participate in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Out of the Darkness Campus Walk.

Even in the rainy and gloomy weather, volunteers found joy in being able to spend time with one another. After the setting-up part was finished, the Metro Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) offered us pancakes, granola bars, juice and water. And so, the event began.

The hosts of the Campus Walk were the UA Little Counseling Services team. They did a wonderful job at advertising the event weeks, and even months, in advance.

As we waited for the walk to begin, they kept students entertained with fun games and good music. There were also booths set up with all the free things students could want: UA Little Rock water bottles, “Movement Monday” t-shirts, backpacks, portable chargers, etc.

Even though we were surrounded by familiar faces, friends from school and staff we often interact with, the atmosphere was heavier.

Everyone wore different colored beads to show who they were walking for – whether themselves or someone else. As I helped at the booth that handed out these beads and listened to students read aloud what the colors stood for, I couldn’t help but notice the array of emotions that passed across each face.

As the event unfolded, the sun finally made an appearance just before beginning the walk.

The weather itself even reflected how this event was a reminder of a new day, a new beginning.

We walked throughout the campus and along Coleman Creek;

it was very peaceful in the midst of a stressful time of year.

The walk also served as a reminder of the unity present among campus. Whether in the face of natural disaster or illness, our community never fails to show up. It was truly inspiring to see the number of volunteers present as they walked for suicide awareness.

The idea of the Campus Walk was introduced by AFSP. Their mission is to “save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.”

They do so by funding research, training clinicians and advocating for life-saving policies.

Not only do they focus on the education side of suicide prevention, but also on the community aspect. They connect friends and families of lost loved ones to support groups.

They started from nothing and yet created a movement that has reached “tens of thousands” of people.

Suicide is now, as the AFSP website states, “The third leading cause of death among young people age 15 to 24.”

Their program reaches out in support of those that have struggled, are actively struggling or lost a loved one to suicide.

To learn more about AFSP, find a chapter or hear real stories, visit their website at afsp.org.

If in a crisis, do not hesitate to call or text 988. If you know of someone who is struggling, do not dismiss their call for help, keep in touch with them and encourage them to seek supportive help. There are resources available on campus, such as the UA Little Rock Counseling Services.

BY VASTI HERNANDEZ

CHARLIE AND THE CSI FACULTY

Many times, as a nursing student, my peers and I joke about how we have plenty of experience practicing our skills…on a manikin.

But what many people may not know is that these manikins are more than just life-sized dolls.

UA Little Rock’s School of Nursing (SON) Center for Simulation Innovation (CSI) is home to highfidelity manikins that collect realtime information and simulate real-life scenarios.

Take Charlie for example, originally named CAE Aria by its manufacturer and the newest addition to the CSI lab.

The “birth” of Charlie was very significant in CSI. When renaming Charlie, SON faculty wanted current nursing students to have as much involvement as possible.

The naming contest began on social media, and resulted in over 30 name submissions. A survey was then sent to nursing students to choose from four gender-neutral names, as Charlie can be converted from a female to male manikin.

She also mimics many of the diseases, disorders and complications students will encounter in the hospital- or clinic-setting, and can even talk to students during a simulation (scenarios that reproduce clinical settings and situations).

Charlie is just a portion of what is involved during simulation as Joanna Hall, Director of Simulation and assistant professor, discussed the behind-the-scenes of the experience.

“We can only guarantee that you’ll get certain experiences to a certain degree in clinical,” she said.

“But we can guarantee that you get that down in simulation.”

Hall has witnessed just how much CSI has changed, from nursing instructors simulating manikin voices behind a curtain to now realtime data that provides feedback on what needs improvement.

SarahBeth Phillips, assistant professor and pediatric simulation faculty member, also joined in to discuss more about the simulation

experience.

“Our goal is to prepare our students for what the real world is gonna look like. So through simulation, we have the opportunity to put our students in the role as the nurse, not a nursing student.”

Through simulation, students are able to test their skills and knowledge with that safety piece in play.

“It’s a learning experience where the student was able to start at a point, look and say, ‘Okay I’m either going to do this or I’m going to do this,’ and have to make a judgment call, which we do all the time,” she explained.

Excitement and awe was definitely expressed by these professors as they reflected on their own experiences in simulation. It was only 10 years ago when the “piece of the instructor behind the curtain” was still in place.

Now, almost every nursing course has a high-fidelity manikin. Not only is the new tech exciting,

but Phillips cannot wait to see how much more it will add to the knowledge of each student that passes through.

“Having those different range of size manikins that produce and give the same assessment data is really going to change the way our students are learning.” Phillips explained that the information and research pulled from these manikins helps faculty “integrate or create scenarios to help our students fill those gaps.”

“To see how far we’ve come is really incredible,” said Hall. “Not only how far we’ve come in not even fifteen years and where we’re going.” The augmented reality and virtual reality components of these high-fidelity manikins are what she looks forward to seeing more of. The CSI environment also changes the game immensely. “There’s something really unique about what we have here.”

Faculty plays a major role in the CSI experience. Almost half of the associate degree faculty graduated from UA Little Rock’s SON. Since then, a simulation team has been curated from

willing, humble and approachable nurses and instructors. “We know the anxiousness that comes from stepping into that hospital setting at that very first clinical, doing those very first skills,” shared Phillips. “I want to set you up for success.”

Students enrolled in the Accelerated Traditional program this summer will be the first to meet Charlie.

After that, every student that takes the Pediatrics Nursing course will meet her. From shots, IVs, foley catheters and blood administration, students are sure to encounter something they will take with them as they step forward into the role of a nurse.

This new tech allows students to build on critical thinking skills and instructors to actively observe student performance, which then produces more detailed feedback. Our instructors are ready for what’s to come as more tech leads to more grants, more opportunities and more growth.

BY VASTI HERNANDEZ

NEW MANIKIN

Vasti Hernandez photos

OLD MANIKIN

Vasti Hernandez photos

DEVELOPING MARCH AS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES MONTH

As of March 9, 2023, at their quarterly meeting, the Arkansas Governor’s Council has officially announced March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

“The Council is working to strengthen the equity of Arkansans with Developmental Disabilities,” said Jonathan Taylor, executive director of the Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.

“Every year, we celebrate March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to garner support and raise awareness of the importance of creating an integrative and supportive

BETTER

community for all Arkansans.”

The Governor’s Council is a member of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. The National Council aims to aid people with Developmental Disabilities in receiving the resources they need to integrate and include themselves in their community.

In addition to this, they aim to help them become independent.

As stated by their website National Council’s role is to “Provide leadership, education and attention on national issues and policy affecting all people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), advocate to

Congress and federal government agencies on the public policy agenda that supports people with I/DD and federal regulations that govern the DD Councils, secure strong funding for the State DD Councils through the Congressional appropriations process, provide Technical Assistance to our member DD Council staff to ensure they properly support their Council for success.”

Arkansas’ Council wants much of the same. Their goal is to make sure individuals with Developmental Disabilities, as well as their families, are able to participate locally, work and live comfortably.

As stated by their website, Arkansas’ Council’s goals are “Increasing and strengthening self-advocacy participation across the state, supporting programs to identify and remove barriers to information, services and support, advocating for policy changes to increase competitive, integrated employment. developing and supporting coalitions and encouraging advocacy to keep policymakers informed about disability issues.”

Every March, Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities celebrate March as National Developmental Disabilities

Awareness Month. All Arkansans are encouraged to do the same by researching and sharing resources about the council as well as how individuals with and without Developmental Disabilities can work together to create united, more inclusive communities across the state.

If you want to learn more and/or share resources on Developmental Disabilities, and what these councils are doing to help, you can visit these links: https://gcdd. arkansas.gov/, https://nacdd.org/

BY VIVIAN ANGELES

OR WORSE? THE COST OF BEING UNHEALTHY

One of the biggest reasons Americans say that they eat unhealthily is because the cost of healthy foods is more than unhealthy foods.

While this is true in most cases, there are many more factors to consider when comparing the cost of being healthy versus the cost of being unhealthy, and it’s not just the cost of food that should be considered. Registered Dietician Nicolette Star Maggiolo recently published a study breaking down the cost of eating unhealthy and several medical issues often associated with eating unhealthily.

Unsurprisingly, type 2 diabetes is high on the list of medical

complications that can occur due to improper eating habits, but the cost of coping with type 2 diabetes is staggering.

With insurance, patients with type 2 diabetes pay about $280 per month on average for the medical supplies needed, including medicines, devices and supplies. According to this article, one in ten Americans has type 2 diabetes.

While genetics and other factors play a role in this figure, an unhealthy lifestyle and diet may pose the most significant risk.

The article also breaks down the cost of healthy and unhealthy meals, with monthly totals estimated at around $216 and

$199, respectively. The difference between the two may seem marginal, but the cost of the added medical expenses closes that deficit several times over.

Aside from the risk of type 2 diabetes, there are also “hidden” quality of life considerations in being unhealthy.

The article also cites a study that concluded healthier employees are less likely to miss work than those with unhealthy lifestyles.

Similarly, employees who practice more nutritious eating habits with their family members are less likely to take off from work to take care of sick family members.

The article also states that low

energy and productivity make it challenging to complete tasks and focus, leading to lower income and job satisfaction.

Other things to consider when weighing the costs of being unhealthy are seen in a study from the Center for Disease Control in 2019 that shows 30% to 50% of adults in Arkansas report little or no engagement in physical activity.

When combining the results of this study with poor eating habits, the health risks increase dramatically. The CDC also reported in 2021 that 36% to 40% of adults are considered obese.

Back to the article by Maggiolo, she says that “investing in a healthy

lifestyle can result in significant improvements, resulting in a more fulfilling, open, and satisfying life. Anyone can improve their physical and mental health by prioritizing health and wellness, which cannot be purchased. While the financial benefits of unhealthy living may appear appealing in the short term, they quickly add up and result in several additional costs, both financially and in terms of life quality.”

For the entire article, visit topnutritioncoaching.com/blog/ cost-being-unhealthy-2023; for source information from the CDC, visit cdc.gov/obesity/index.html.

BY JESSE CAIN

THE COST OF BEING UNHEALTHY Graphics via CDC & Top Nutrition Coaching

TWO UA LITTLE ROCK PROFESSORS WIN SUSTAIN THE ROCK AWARD

“We won’t be in our offices after class,” Dr. Rene Shroat-Lewis, a geology professor at UA Little Rock, decreed to her Science and Society II class. “We’ve got a shindig to attend.”

The shindig in question?

The Little Rock Sustainability Commissions annual Sustain the Rock award ceremony.

Each year, a multitude of educators, businesses, and nonprofit organizations are nominated for the award, but

only one may win in the following categories: individual, non-profit, small business, medium business, large business, educator, and city department/employee.

This year, Dr. Jessica Scott and Dr. Rene Shroat-Lewis won the award in the educator category for their course Science and Society II. The course is exclusively offered to Donaghey Scholars and has been co-taught by the professors for years.

In Science and Society II,

students delve into all aspects of the environment—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Starting with environmental theory, the class’s content eventually funnels down into what Little Rock can do to become a more sustainable city.

Students begin by writing an essay based upon Garret Hardin’s environmental theory in his essay “Tragedy of the Commons.”

Once they’ve understood the broader strokes of environmental theory, the students then narrow

their focus into Little Rock. Students have written letters to the mayor discussing what can be done to make Little Rock more sustainable, created group grant proposals for UA Little Rock’s sustainability committee (five of which have been funded) and a podcast series going over an environmental topic of their choice.

The class undoubtedly expands beyond the general rhetoric of environmentalism you would hear in a standard science course.

By delving into the nitty-gritty of environmentalism in Little Rock, the course offers an unforgettable hands-on experience to the students that take it each year.

BY SKYLAR BOONE

CONNECT LITTLE ROCK: A NEW COMMUNITY ORIENTED PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM

Connect Little Rock is a new public safety program that rolled out this year in the hopes of lowering Little Rock’s crime rate.

The program is an innovative yet controversial idea: an individual or business can register their security cameras with Connect Little Rock so that the Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) can access the video feed.

Understandably, this concept raises some privacy concerns. Though the program is fairly new, some people have voiced concerns

against the program such as how the LRPD is able to access an individual’s camera feed.

However, if one were to look more closely into how the program works, they would see that this program is no Orwellian 1984esque situation.

All of the security cameras registered with the program and connected to a device the program has named CORE are connected to a map the LRPD can look at. If a crime has occurred around a CORE-connected security camera,

the LRPD are able to contact the owner of the camera and request access to the video feed.

The owner of the camera is not obligated to hand over the video feed, however. It is completely consensual, the LRPD will not have access to the video feed if they are not given the OK to do so.

So no, the program is not creating a surveillance state within Little Rock. Instead, the program creates a network of existing security cameras and their owners around the city. It creates

a more streamlined method of communication between the LRPD and security cameras that could help the LRPD find perpetrators and lessen the crime in Little Rock.

Currently, only about 1,300 cameras are registered in the program. Without more cameras, the program will have a hard time getting up and running. In order to make this program a success, more people and businesses need to register into the system.

If you have any security cameras implemented into your home,

I urge you to participate in the program. Your security camera feed could help the LRPD track down perpetrators of crime. If you are interested in participating, the link to the Connect Little Rock website is as follows: connectlittlerock.org.

BY SKYLAR BOONE

SUSTAIN THE ROCK AWARD CEREMONY Photos provided

CRIME BEAT

Possible Hit and Run

On April 1, 2023, Officer Eric Woods was dispatched to Lot 15 about a possible hit and run. The caller was identified and Officer Woods met the student at Lot 15 where they had their car parked to assess the damage. The student filled out a statement stating they parked in Lot 15 all day, not noticing the damage until March 30th. According to Officer Woods’s narrative, the damage was to the driver’s side rear panel just to the left and above the tail light. Other than a light scratch and a possible paint transfer from another vehicle, no other damage was reported. Subsequently, the student parked their vehicle in a different spot. There is no further information at this time.

Vehicle Damage

On March 29th, 2023, a student came into the University Police Department to discuss property damage on their vehicle. The student called the University Police Department earlier that day saying that sometime between 12:20 pm and 1:10 pm on March 27th, 2023, the passenger rear window of the car had been shattered. The student stated that their car was parked in the metered lot. Suspecting the shattered window resulted from mowing in the area, Officer Joshua Webb informed the student that if they suspected the damage occurred in UALR jurisdiction then they would need to file a formal report.

At the police department, Officer Webb gathered all of the student’s information including photos of the damage and the bill for having their window replaced. Officer Webb informed the student that he would generate a report and investigate the incident. The student was given Officer Webb’s contact information and to call if any additional information came up regarding the incident.

Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Officer Angela R. Jones was dispatched to Lot 14 E-phone in regards to a student’s concerns about carbon monoxide build up

in their truck making them ill.

Officer Christopher Rodgers and Officer Jones made contact with the victim in Lot 14.

When they arrived the student began explaining their concerns about carbon monoxide in their car, truck, and home. The student refused the officers’ recommendation to call Emergency Medical Services. The student stated that they already went to the hospital for blood tests and their doctor about their concerns. They also purchased a carbon monoxide detector.

After officers confirmed the detector was turned on, they placed it in the vehicle with the truck turned on. The carbon monoxide detector did not go off. The student explained they began having symptoms before finals.

They were afraid their vehicle had been tampered with by a family member after having a confrontation with them recently. According to Officer Jones’ narrative, the student also reported their concerns to the Sheridan Police Department. Some of the symptoms the student has been experiencing include headaches, sensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, and difficulty sleeping. The victim’s dog also has been affected by this at their home and in both vehicles.

Officers Jones and Officer Rodgers encouraged the student to visit counseling services regarding his situation, which they declined. After doing a general wellness check of the victim they directed them to call the Police Department if they needed any further assistance. There is no further information at this time.

Criminal Trespass and Missing Property at Fribourgh Hall

On Monday, March 20, 2023, Officer Eric Woods and Assistant Chief Benjamin Rommel were dispatched to Fribourgh Hall about a possible trespass and missing property. Mr. Greg Tatera, the UALR Director of Facilities and Grounds was the one that made the call and stated that a custodian found in the custodial closet in room 514 a square bin with urine present inside of a garbage container.

Assistant Chief Rommel and

Officer Woods made their way up to room 514 by elevator. According to Officer Woods’s narrative, inside the storage locker behind the door to the room, they found clothes from an unknown person that appeared to belong to a male. There was also a three-foot garbage bin containing trash and inside of that bin was a clear rectangular bin filled with what appeared and smelled like urine. Director Tatera stated that the custodial worker is normally there Monday through Friday and it was a recent incident. Director Tatera would also take inventory of the room to determine what is missing.

IT Department vs. Arkansas Electric

On March 3, 2023, Officer Christopher Rodgers responded to a report of a missing router from the Donaghey Student Center. Once the officer arrived and made contact with the victim, they explained they worked for Arkansas Electric and are sponsoring and hosting an event in the aquatic center that needed a personal modem to connect properly to their system.

The victim informed Officer Rodgers that they placed the router on the ground, and plugged it into an outlet on the second floor in the east hallway above the pool. According to Officer Rodgers’ narrative, the victim stated he left the area and was aware of a connection to the router at 8:20 am and a drop in connection at 8:30 am.

After receiving this information, Officer Rodgers contacted Captain Aaron Birmingham about the situation including the location of the router and the time it went missing. Captain Birmingham was then able to look at the camera footage and pinpoint the item being taken.

The router was picked up by a UA Little Rock IT services employee. The employee informed the Department of Public Safety he had confiscated the router due to a violation of University Police and state law. The IT employee was informed of Officer Rodgers’ location and brought the router back so it could be returned to its owner. After returning the router

to the Arkansas Electric employee, they also explained the university’s policy regarding this matter. There is nothing further to report at this time.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact the University Police Department at 501-916-3400.

Stay pretty, stay safe, and have a lovely summer break, Forum Readers.

BY RIAN NEWMAN

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS DEAL TO ACQUIRE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX FALLS THROUGH

In January of 2023, the Arkansas Times broke the story that there were talks amongst the University of Arkansas System about acquiring the University of Phoenix, a primarily online college founded in 1979.

Upon the release of this news, UA System spokesperson Nate Hinkel said “The goal in exploring opportunities such as this is to advance the system’s mission of providing affordable, relevant education to a broad range of students and introducing the UA System to new educational markets.”

Amidst many questions from the public, the UA System board of Trustees met on April 19 to vote on the potential affiliation. That meeting resulted in a split 5-4 against acquiring the University of Phoenix with one member choosing to abstain. This vote, however, is non-binding and the deal could still potentially go through.

Arkansas Online reported some of those for the merger said it was time to acknowledge the decreasing enrollment of face-to-face students. Trustee Ted Dickey was quoted saying “If we’re not willing to disrupt our own business, someone else will,” comparing this deal to when Blockbuster declined to acquire Netflix.

Other trustees echoed Dickey’s opinion to merge in order to secure the future of the university system. Trustee Jeremy Wilson stated “this is a conversation about growth” and that “a healthy organism has to grow over time.” Wilson credited a “real funding issue” as his reasoning for supporting the acquisition.

Online enrollment has surged

in Arkansas with around 31% of Arkansas undergraduates enrolled exclusively in online only degrees, with an additional 42% of college students enrolled in some online courses according to US News.

Some of the dissenting trustees did not believe this push towards online education was urgent enough to ignore the potentially large troubles with merging with the online for-profit university. Trustees that disagreed cited the fact that the UA System would not have legal control over Phoenix. It would instead be operated through Transformative Education Services Inc., “wholly independent” of the UA System.

Trustee Morril Harriman voted against the merger with a “gutfeeling” and that “something just doesn’t sit right about this project to me.” That gut-feeling may have something to do with the University of Phoenix’s settlement with the Federal Trade Commission for $50 million.

This settlement was the result of a five year investigation into the deceptive advertising tactics by the university to target prospective students. This is combined with declining enrollment in recent years, a nearly 500,000 drop from their peak in 2010.

Despite the concerns surrounding the deal with Phoenix, some board members still stated that the estimated $20 million annual boost to the UA Systems finances is worth exploring.

President Donald Bobbitt does not need the board’s approval to move forwards with the deal. Bobbitt is quoted saying “we want the best – state-of-the-art – and if TES is able to offer that through Phoenix, we want first shot.”

BY KIRSTEN BOU

THE TROJAN ENGAGE APP: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO UA LITTLE ROCK’S NEWEST APP

The Trojan Engage App was created in February of 2022 to increase student experiences. Through this app you are able to chat with campus organizations, join groups and stay up to date with all the events happening on campus.

In order to access all this information students must simply login with their student login. Then there is instant access to the entire school’s newsfeed highlighting upcoming events, job or volunteer opportunities and even motivational words.

So far the groups you are able to find on the Trojan Engage

app are the Anthropology Club, Building Cultural Connections, Chancellors Leadership Corps, Human Resources Society, Student Affairs Diversity Initatives, Student Experience Center, Student Government Association and the general UALR department.

To join a group click “Groups” at the bottom menu, find your organization and click join. Some groups may require verification of membership to accept the invitation.

Students can also create a network with other students by “connecting” with individuals. As with other social networking apps,

connecting with a person will show you which groups they are a part of and any recent posts.

The events tab is comprehensive and allows you to register for upcoming events or notify the organizer that they are interested. You are also able to utilize the chat feature to direct message anyone with a UALR email address in app. Additional features include accessing BOSS and Blackboard, connecting with counseling and health services and checking your Trojan Express Dollars balance.

The Trojan Engage app produced by the Student Experience Center is well organized, user-friendly and

SODEXO TO HIRE STUDENTS

The UA Little Rock cafeteria on campus is looking to hire students looking for on-campus jobs that are fun and flexible with their school schedules.

The current listing open is for food service workers for the cafeteria. Students are not required to have previous experience but must have a high school diploma

or GED.

Pay rate is listed as up to $11/ hour and as part time.

To apply, go to https:// us.sodexo.com/careers , scroll down and select “search all jobs”, scroll to open jobs and type in “72204” to see the available listings for UALR.

For any questions about

has many practical applications for those who want to be more engaged on campus. It is also creates a unique opportunity for student organizations to reach Trojan students who may otherwise not be aware of their upcoming events.

Download the Trojan Engage App for Apple devices here: https:// apps.apple.com/tt/app/trojanengage/id1608832123.

BY KIRSTEN BOU

employment opportunities, email the dining department at UALRDining.USA@sodexo.com.

BY KIRSTEN BOU

NEW ARKANSAS BILL TO BAN DELTA 8-THC

According to KSLA News, two people died in March from a drug overdose by using synthetic marijuana. The Texarkana Police Department says that there have been at least seven overdose cases in March alone.

Following this string of overdoses in the Texarkana area, lawmakers in the state began pushing for a ban on these synthetic marijuana drugs. Congress introduced State Bill 358 which would aim to “minimize the risk of children getting their hands on the product” according to KARK.

This bill is supported by Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a foundation that claims to “educate the public and policy makers on the harms of marijuana commercialization and legalization.” The SAM website claims that they “hold federal, state, and local-level briefings across the country” on the issues

associated with the legalization of Marijuana products.

The bill was introduced to the Arkansas state senate, sponsored by Sen. Tyler Dees, R-Siloam Springs, who said the bill only seeks to ban specific synthetic drugs like the ones taken by those who have died from overdoses in Texarkana. These specific drugs include delta8, delta-9, delta-10, and delta-6a.

Those for the bill argue that these drugs have been targeted towards children and without the regulations, are easily attainable for those minors.

Dissenters of the bill credit accessible synthetic drugs as more sustainable alternatives to commercial pain-prevention prescriptions. Forbes quoted one mother who said “the products with the Delta-8” have aided her son with stage-4 cancer crediting the drug with “his gut starting to recover. The Gabapentin and Oxys

make him sick.”

Despite those who spoke on its benefits, Governor Sanders signed SB358 into law on April 25 to go into effect on August 1. With anticipation for this bill to be contested, Forbes stated that “If a judge orders the state to stop enforcing the law, then delta-8 products would still be permitted under certain conditions but with strict regulations.” This regulation is a $5,000 special license that must be obtained by those who wish to sell delta-8 related products.

BY KIRSTEN BOU

TROJAN ENGAGE Via Apple App Store

ARKANSAS IS 141 POINTS ABOVE THE AVERAGE SAT SCORE

SAT scores have dropped in recent years nationwide. In 2022, Best Colleges reported that scores are the lowest since the test changed in 2016.

Previously, the national average for the SAT was a 1060 in 2017, rose to its peak of 1068 in 2018 and is now at its lowest score average of 1050 in 2022.

Arkansas scores have maintained a higher than national average score of 1191, 141 points

above the national average. The University of Arkansas reports their students have an average score of 1210. This actually follows a decision made by the board of trustees for University of Arkansas, Fayetteville choosing to amend their application to be test-optional in May 2022.

BY KIRSTEN BOU

CLIFTON TO BE INTERIM DEAN FOR COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

On March 30, 2023, The University of Arkansas at Little Rock announced the new interim dean for the College of Business, Health and Human Services, will be Thomas Clifton effective July 1.

Dr. Clifton currently serves as the director of UA Little Rock School of Art and Design. Clifton has previous experience as the interim dean for the College of Arts, Letters and Sciences.

He will be taking over from Dr. Deborah Bladwin, who has served as interim dean for the college

since Dr. Braun’s departure in June 2022.

The college also announced in its news release that a national search for a permanent replacement will begin this fall.

BY KIRSTEN BOU

DISCOVER DISASTER RELIEF RESOURCES

Many Arkansans’ lives were turned upside down when the EF-3 tornado struck the Little Rock metro area on March 31, 2023. While coping with such a disaster is never easy, the federal government and the state of Arkansas have put together a host of resources for people affected by the storm.

First, an excellent place to start picking up the pieces of such a traumatic event is to contact the Red Cross. The Red Cross has programs in place to help victims of disasters get in touch with loved ones who are missing following a disaster and cope with things like the mental toll such an event can have on the psychological well-being of victims following a disaster.

In addition, the Red Cross has a comprehensive website with a wealth of information about moving forward after disaster strikes. More information about how the Red Cross can assist can be found at https://www.redcross. org/get-help/disaster-relief-andrecovery-services.html.

Arkansas has also set up a website with linked resources at https://governor.arkansas.gov/ help-arkansas/. This website links to federal and state resources, long-term and short-term housing, shelters and meals, and many other services available to those in need.

Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set up disaster recovery centers in central Arkansas for those needing assistance. These centers can benefit those with limited internet access and don’t know what to do. FEMA Centers are at the following locations:

Little Rock (Open 8:00 a.m.-6:00

p.m., Monday through Saturday and 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on Sunday) West Central Community Center

8616 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, AR 72204

North Little Rock (Open 8:00

a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on Sunday)

North Little Rock Community Center

2700 Willow Street, North Little Rock, AR 72114

Wynne (Open 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on Sunday)

Ridgeview Baptist Church 999 US Highway 64, Wynne, AR 72396

Jacksonville (Open 8:00 a.m.6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on Sunday) 1st United Methodist Church

308 W Main Street, Jacksonville, AR 72076

Sherwood (Open 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday) Wildwood Center & Medical Tower

2402 Wildwood Avenue, Sherwood, AR 72120

Additionally, FEMA assists individuals whose homes were destroyed or are otherwise uninhabitable. For FEMA disaster assistance, call 1-800-621-3362.

Shelters for those affected by the storm are set up at the following locations:

The State of Arkansas is partnering with the Red Cross to offer temporary housing to tornado victims. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS for more information.

The Arkansas REALTORS Association provides up to $1 million in grants to help those affected by the March 31 tornadoes

through the REALTORS Relief Fund. In addition, individuals can apply for up to $2,000 in quick turnaround funds to offset recovery costs, including house payments, rent, or hotel rooms

Little Rock:

Red Cross/Calvary Baptist Church: 5700 Cantrell Rd, Little Rock, 72207

Hall High School: 6700 H St, Little Rock, AR 72205

North Little Rock:

The Community Center: 2700 Willow St, North Little Rock, 72114

Jacksonville: First Baptist Church: 401 N 1st St, Jacksonville, 72076

Wynne:

Wynne Baptist Church: 1200 E Bridges Ave, Wynne, 72396

Harmony Health Clinic: 1920 Falls Blvd, Wynne, 72396

Red Cross/Wynne Assembly of God Church, 1900 North Killough Rd, Wynne 72396

U-Haul Disaster Relief Program is offering 30 days of free selfstorage for residents impacted by the storm:

U-Haul Moving & Storage at 65th St. and Geyer Springs

6501 Geyer Springs Road, Little Rock, AR 72209

(501) 569-5021

U-Haul Moving & Storage at Baseline Road

5518 Baseline Road, Little Rock, AR 72209

(501) 569-5026

U-Haul Moving & Storage at

Colonel Glenn

6300 Colonel Glenn, Little Rock, AR 72204

Meals are also being provided by the following organizations/at the following locations:

Central Arkansas:

Mercy Chefs (757) 292-4264

New Life Church – Greater Little Rock, 8000 Crystal Hill Road, North Little Rock, AR 72118

Wolf Street Center

1015 Louisiana St, Little Rock, AR 72202

TAG Church (11120 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, AR 72213) serves free lunches “drive-thru style” from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Monday –Thursday, April 3-6. Lunches can also be delivered to groups by contacting the church office at 501224-7329

City of Wynne Hot Food Locations:

ODell McCallum Center – 325 Magnolia St, Wynne, AR 72396 from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Grants Snack Shack – Union Valley Missionary Baptist Church, 703 F St., Wynne, AR 72396

Wynne Junior High Emergency managers and volunteers will give out hot meals at Wynne Junior High (849 Elridge Avenue) from 5:00 p.m. on April 1 until 7:00 p.m.

First Assembly of God Church (Red Cross locations)

1900 North Killough Road

Odell McCallum Center

325 Walnut Avenue

Food, water, general support

Operation BBQ Relief

Dixie Furniture parking lot on 1512 Falls Boulevard

Food and showers

This location indefinitely, according to the city McDonald’s offers hot meals: Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you or anyone you know needs assistance due to the devastation of this storm, please pass this information along.

BY JESSE CAIN

ENTERTAINMENT

DELICIOUS, AUTHENTIC AND CLOSE TO CAMPUS — MR. CHEN’S RESTAURANT REVIEW

Delicious, authentic, close to campus and affordable? That’s Mr. Chen’s Authentic Restaurant.

This restaurant is a combination of a restaurant and an Asian grocery store. When you first enter you can either go left to enter the store area or head right where the restaurant is.

Once you get to the restaurant you will be greeted by the staff and they will ask you if you’re here to dine in or out.

If you’re dining in you will be taken to a seat and handed a menu. Same process as usual. They will give you a menu and leave you to decide.

The food selection is good. They have appetizers like egg rolls, crab wontons and more. They offer cold plates, various forms of rice and noodles, soups, chicken vegetables, seafood and so much more.

I recommend the Curry Rice. It’s one of my favorites and while

you’re at it grab some crab wontons too.

There are so many options to choose from it can be overwhelming. That’s why I like their website. Through their website, you can look at everything they have to offer and take your time deciding.

While you look through the menu, you can already have a table reserved for you and your party so you won’t have to worry about whether there will be a table available or not! Then when you get there you can order and not feel embarrassed if you’re a slow orderer like I am.

Now the portions are pretty big. I tend to have enough food to get full the day of getting it and some for the day after. I test just with the main meal. If you add appetizers to that, I’m sure it could be more.

The price of the food isn’t anything too ridiculous. You won’t

pay $25 for chicken and rice. When I get Curry Rice I tend to pay about $13 for it and eat it for two days.

The prices here range from $1.50 for a spring roll to $17.95 for a seafood clay pot. Now I’ve personally never tried that but I bet it would be delicious seeing as how everything I have tried so far has been wonderful.

They also sell boba and slushies. I am a boba-obsessed fiend so I always get the Large Taro.

Though their boba options aren’t as large as some places, being only about four minutes away from UA Little Rock makes it worth the trip.

They do have the basics though like Matcha, Taro, Thai Tea and more. Now, unfortunately, you can’t purchase the boba on their website. You can only order it in person at their restaurant. You can order it to-go, though it’s not necessary to stay and eat or anything like that.

I will mention that if you do decide to go to Mr. Chens it’s not in the most convenient area.

Little Rock is one of the most dangerous cities in Arkansas. There tend to be homeless people around and for some reason, police are almost always there. Things always get weird at night. Earlier would be better.

The last con with Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Restaurant is their lack of desserts.

A shame really, but it’s good the restaurant is connected to a store. If you like sweets as much as I do, I HIGHLY recommend the Takoyaki.

It is a fish-shaped ice cream sandwich with different ice cream fillings. A favorite of mine is the matcha and red bean.

It is so remarkable that words can’t express it fully. They even have steam buns with different fillings inside too. They only come in a pack of 10 so you might want

to share them.

There are various kinds of mochi too! There is so much to see and look at both in the restaurant and the store. Everything is so interesting and nice to look at. If you’re looking for food, boba, ramen, interesting sweets or anything else, I highly recommend Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Restaurant.

BY ZYKEYAH EASTER

BLACKBERRY MARKET: A GEM IN ARGENTA

Great coffee shops are not accidental. They are skillfully curated. It takes a tremendous amount of intention to get the formula right.

Because we go to coffee shops for an experience, an atmosphere. Any restaurant faces a tall order when it comes to creating an atmosphere.

But coffee shops cannot compromise. Coffee shops are a bastion of contentment. A good one will invite you in for a cup of coffee—a great coffee shop will insist that you have another.

Coffee shops are that rare sanctuary where we dispense with the idea of turnover. It’s simply enough to sit and enjoy a drink by yourself or with friends without any other motives.

It’s a complete contradiction to how we exist daily, rushing between work and home. It’s a disruption to an unending cycle of busyness. To just sit with a cappuccino and watch traffic slip by lazily. How simple, how reassuring. It takes a tremendous amount

of work, awareness and passion to offer that experience to others. That is exactly what Blackberry Market in Argenta does with unusual grace.

I sat down with co-owner, Peter Loibner, to ask him what makes Blackberry so special. After all, Blackberry Market advertises very little.

Virtually all their traffic has been word of mouth. While it is difficult to hide as a restaurant in Argenta, Blackberry has an unusual amount of momentum already for only being open since December of 2022. What’s the secret?

My suspicion is that they are committed to doing the right things and doing them with contagious gladness.

Between Peter’s extensive background in coffee and his wife, Whitney Loibner’s, culinary talent, the Blackberry Market has a diverse menu that embodies their ‘fast-casual’ approach.

They offer a range of breakfast items, salads, and sandwiches, as well as sides and a healthy host of

bakery items.

My personal bakery item favorite is the Market bar, which is perhaps an unintentional ode to Almond Joys—a generous mix of coconut flakes, large chocolate chips and cranberries mixed on top of a graham cracker crust.

Peter mentioned to me that he felt the bakery was an important component to fill a need that he identified in Argenta.

The Blackberry Market salad is also a personal favorite of mine. A bed of fresh leafy greens sustains a refreshing mix of blackberries, goat cheese and delectable spiced pecans with a blackberry vinaigrette drizzled on top. I highly suggest pairing the salad with their rosemary lavender tea for a meal that feels like a mild Arkansan spring day on a plate.

Peter’s sister, Anna Davidson and her husband, Bob Davidson, opened the first Blackberry Market in the Chicago suburbs ten years ago.

It’s been Anna and Bob’s dream to bring Blackberry Market back

to North Little Rock where they grew up. Peter and Whitney are the catalyst that made that dream possible, fortunately for the rest of us in the community.

The space itself is of course worth mentioning. It is spacious, but spaciousness alone isn’t what makes the space special.

There are at least five different seating areas that I have been able to spot, each of them contain their own unique atmosphere and ambience.

The façade was restored by the landlord prior to Blackberry opening and hosts a couple of patio tables to watch the Argenta traffic flow by.

The front of the café offers tables for four with a beautiful grand window to look outside that creates the perfect setting for a group brunch accompanied by Blackberry’s own cocktails, such as the Blackberry Mule.

The back of the lower floor has diner-style booth seating that feels intimate, but not isolated. And the upper floor has a few couches for

more casual guests to sit down and enjoy a conversation, with a few tables for isolated study groups. (I’ve seen UA Little Rock students actually working on projects there at least a couple of times).

I believe what truly makes Blackberry so special is that it possesses versatility without sacrificing direction.

It is approachable and upbeat. The staff is always friendly and accommodating; you can always see Peter and Whitney always buzzing back and forth throughout the café but they are never too busy to greet familiar faces.

They’re open unusually late for a café too. Their hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. So what are you waiting for?

My final suggestion is finishing the rest of this month’s issue of the Forum with a cortado at what could be your new favorite coffee shop in Argenta.

BY BRYAN HERNANDEZ

BLACKBERRY MARKET Bryan Hernandez photos

TASTES FROM “EL SUR”

When you walk into a restaurant you’ve never been to and leave with a new go-to spot, there’s a need to share it with all your friends and family.

Having heard of the restaurant “El Sur,” I was always intrigued to try their wide selection of Honduran and Latin American inspired dishes.

A few of the menu items were familiar to me, so they immediately had to be put to the test. But before the food, the environment sets the tone for everything.

The restaurant has an open floor plan, despite being a smaller place. It’s located on 1214 Main St. here in Little Rock. Once you enter, you place your order (or ask the employees what they recommend) and sit wherever you’d like.

The natural lighting is perfect for this style of restaurant, as it gives it a more authentic feel. The food is also delivered to you quickly, which was a big plus.

While I was familiar with the different dishes, I wanted to know what the employees suggested, which is how I ended up with the “Yuca Frita” and “Con Todo” burrito.

The “Yuca Frita” is basically fried yuca (cassava) served with a side of ranch. It was delicious, and since the fries were more on the lighter side and the ranch more heavy, it was the perfect balance. The dish, as their website elsurstreetfoodco.com states, is a “folded flour tortilla with fried beans, Honduran cheese, cream, fried plantains, avocado, pickled onions and your choice of filling.”

Shortly after it was served, I poured their habanero sauce on top.

The burrito was amazing. I was almost speechless.

Just as the fried yuca and ranch struck a perfect balance, so too did the “Con Todo” burrito.

It may not sound too appetizing if you aren’t used

to sweet and savory dishes, but the fried plantain adds the perfect touch of sweetness and pairs well with savory sides.

It was also very filling, so I got to have the other half for dinner which was still just as good after a few hours.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Many of the items on the menu can be ordered as just a single item, so that way you can try the food without worrying about throwing out a whole plate.

The staff is very friendly and eager to share their recommendations. They were very attentive, and even offered to bring out more food at any time.

Afterwards, you can take a walk down Main St. and enjoy the beautiful (for the most part) spring weather.

BY VASTI HERNANDEZ

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: NYAH SCOTT

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is not just a school to get a degree from. It is more like a friend that pushes you to succeed and perform your best, and Nyah Scott proves this with her story.

Scott transferred to UALR during her sophomore year toward the end of the COVID-19 chaos in fall of 2021.

She has only experienced school under the COVID-19 terms from her past university.

As she first started classes here at UALR she saw the campus flourish from what lacked of student engagement due to the virus, to a school full of life.

She says UALR has a variety of many great professors, and they are what she will miss as she graduates, because they created the perfect learning environment for her.

“UALR offers so many opportunities for students and that is one big reason I decided to transfer here in 2021,” Scott says. Scott also says her favorite class at

UALR is “Intro to Phonetics.”

Scott is graduating this May 13 with a degree in Communication Science and Disorders and a minor in Psychology.

Scott has been a part of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and a peer mentor through student success initiative.

Scott decided to go into her degree field after watching a close relative with autism receive therapy. She felt inspired by her relatives’ success and wanted to do this for others.

Besides Nyah’s passion for helping others, she also loves interior design and fashion.

Having confidence is another important component in succeeding for Scott. She says keeping a healthy lifestyle and a passion for beauty helps bring out her own confidence and that “Having your own style brings out your confidence and self-worth. Fashion, makeup and style are elements of a personal expression.”

After graduating, Scott plans to

attend UAMS to pursue a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology.

Scott says she will leave UALR being thankful for the learning experience she gained from staff and students and will remember the positive impact the university placed on her.

She can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for her and is proud to be a future alumnus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

BY JOE SANTANA

CON TODO FROM EL SUR Vasti Hernandez photo

NYAH SCOTT Photo provided

PEER INTO PANDEMONIUM: A “DIABLO IV” FIRST LOOK

Blizzard Entertainment is known for its worldbuilding of epic proportions in online gaming.

Blizzard is responsible for titles such as the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, “World of Warcraft,” the real-time strategy title “StarCraft” and the dungeoncrawling, demon-smashing, loot-grabbing adventure known lovingly to fans as the “Diablo” franchise.

“Diablo” currently has four titles under its belt spanning nearly 30 years: “Diablo 1-3,” and the mobile title “Diablo: Immortal,” but just on the horizon is the heavily anticipated “Diablo 4” (D4).

But will D4 live up to the hype? Fans of the franchise were allowed to participate in an early access beta test and an open beta in March.

The primary purpose of the beta is to address gameplay and server issues to facilitate a smoother launch when D4 is released on June 6.

From the opening sequence cutscene of the beta test, D4 felt like a triple-A game and delivered on its promise of a deep, immersive story.

The story is rich and incredibly cinematic, with excellent voice acting and a dark, sinister tone that drives home the desperation the people of Sanctuary (the fictional place where the events

of the Diablo franchise occur) are experiencing during the events of D4.

Lilith, the antagonist of D4, is incredibly detailed; while her intentions are not made apparent in the beta, players can deduce that they can’t be good.

To put it mildly, she is a terrifyingly sinister antagonist, and her influence is felt in every part of the game, from the beggars on the street to the priests in the chapels.

All the cutscenes in the beta (Act I) effectively complemented the opening sequence.

They felt like they could easily be part of a feature film, which was unexpected for a beta test and was undoubtedly added purely as a fan service.

Fans of the franchise are familiar with the history and lore of Sanctuary.

Still, the beta test of D4 brought new life to the area, boasting indigenous creatures and demonic invaders for the player to encounter and slay for the first time in an open-world environment.

Unfortunately, true to the tradition of Diablo, it was easy for a player to find themselves overwhelmed as creatures and demons piled up and overpowered the user-created antagonist.

Of the six available character classes, I opted for the sorcerer.

The customization options for the character creation were exhausting and comprehensive.

Nearly every aspect of the character could be customized, just as most role-playing gamers have come to expect.

Players were allowed to create and customize up to ten characters during the D4 Beta, but I stuck with just one.

Once I got started playing the game, it was hard to put down. A couple of weeks after the beta, I received an email detailing my adventures, and I was surprised to learn that I had dedicated over 24 hours to playing the beta.

During that time, I managed to slay more than 15,000 monsters, complete 30 side quest lines and complete more than 30 dungeons.

Interestingly, that barely scratched the surface of what D4 promises to offer, as the beta only allowed access to the first area and its corresponding quest lines.

The quest lines were not just simple fetch quest lines as one would expect in such a large game.

Instead, each quest had small but significant details and lore attached to them, which added to the overall experience of the story, laying layer after layer of mythology explaining in-depth aspects of the game and its inhabitants.

Each character encountered

in the beta felt essential and had a shared piece of the game’s overall narrative.

The gameplay of D4 is selfpaced, with an open-world approach to the classic Diablo formula and some added gameplay mechanics that were undoubtedly nice to have, like a dedicated dodge button and the ability to reallocate ability points at any time.

Fans of the franchise know that historically, Diablo games have provided a wide range of different quest lines and things to do in the game, but D4 seems to have built on that concept and expanded it into thousands of small events, dungeons and side quests that rival other triple-A titles in the genre.

While the numbers I put up in the beta felt pretty impressive, many other players put up numbers that dwarfed mine in comparison.

The graphics were impressive for a fixed camera angle game, the cutscenes were cinema quality, and despite the internet-dependent playability, the game ran smoothly, even when I played it from the hotspot on my phone (which is rare for any game I have played on my laptop).

D4 will also be released on Xbox and PlayStation and is currently available for preorder. Set to release in early June, players who preorder can also

enjoy playing the game up to 4 days before the release date.

Finally, the best part!

Confirmed on April 20, Blizzard has announced that it will hold another open beta from May 12-14. Blizzard says this beta is a free server slam beta open to all players, and everyone is highly encouraged to participate.

Just as with the early access and the first open beta, players can explore and complete quests in the first zone, the fractured peaks.

In addition, the first world boss, Ashava the Pestilent, will also be available to contend with one day after the beta begins, appearing at 3-hour intervals starting on May 13 at 11 a.m. CST.

Special rewards will also be given to those who defeat Ashava during the server slam beta.

The goal of this beta is to flood the servers as much as possible to simulate release day, so Blizzard can make sure their servers are ready to handle the influx of players that day.

So, if this article interests you, check out the next beta starting on May 12 at 2 p.m. CST.

To learn more about the server slam beta, visit diablo4. blizzard.com/en-us/serverslam.

BY JESSE CAIN

OPEN BETA Graphics via Blizzard Entertainment

“BLACK ADAM” REVIEW: A MISS AND A MESS

“Black Adam” was pretty terrible in my opinion. It was one of the most awful movies I have ever seen. I love superheroes and villains in all their forms; from DC to Marvel to random Webtoons, I love it. There was even a Catgirl movie, and I thought that was pretty enjoyable. I swear I am not a harsh critic, but “Black Adam...”

This movie had the potential to be much better if they had changed a couple of aspects. The main character, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, did not really shine.

While The Rock is a talented actor, he was not the right choice to play Teth-Adam. I enjoyed a lot of his past movies, but this role was not suited to him.

The majority of the time, when I see a superhero movie it’s someone relatively unknown or not as popular. It tends to be someone who is finally getting a chance to show their acting abilities on a broader screen.

This time, it wasn’t the case – it was someone everyone knows. You know him as a

famous wrestler, actor or musician. He was already popular.

I’m not sure if DC was like “Yeah this movie is going to be a hit – we have Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson” or what, but it didn’t work.

His acting was mediocre, and honestly, I’m unsure if it was 100% his acting that threw me off. If you watch the movie, which I’m not sure if I want to recommend to you, you can see that he was doing his best. No matter how skilled the actor is, they can’t make up for a terrible story.

The story was a failure because they hinted at certain things and never gave us any information later. For instance, one of the main characters, Isis, has a necklace that her grandmother gave her.

She finds Adam and revives him. At a later point in the movie, you see that Adam’s wife has the same necklace. That leads the viewers to think that Isis might be a descendant of Adam’s, but we never really know for sure.

Then there’s the Justice Society. First off, Adam hasn’t done anything yet. The people of the fictional place in Kahndaq are oppressed and almost all of them are slaves.

Adam refused to help free the people because he is not a hero. A lot of stuff happens, but someone in between Adam kills the “bad guy,” and the Justice Society comes to stop him.

They do not try to free the people or stop all the terror happening around them. Instead, they just want to take all the powerful people and keep them in line. After the villain is killed, Adam says, “take me to jail then,” which they proceed to do.

He’s underwater, in chains and more. Then all of a sudden, there is this evil demon named Sabbac who appears.

With the Justice Society (ironic if you watch the movie) you have Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone.

One grows really big, one controls the wind, one can fly and see the fusion among other

things and one can fly and has a hammer thing. While they have nice powers, they can’t compete with a dark Shazam. They lost the fight and there was a fatality.

In the end, Adam somehow breaks out and saves the day. The fight between Sabbac and Adam was cool but only lasted 5-10 minutes. I wanted to see more. In the end, the Justice Society lets Adam go, saying that the world needs more heroes who are willing to get their hands dirty.

Adam says he isn’t a hero. Good, great. The end. No, it isn’t. The Justice Society then threatens him. Adam is like if you have a problem come get me. Then Superman appeared.

Now that is all the story. It wasn’t just terrible acting, but overall faulty cinematography. There were some scenes I was confused about and the way so much was given in such a short time was confusing.

I think they should have introduced Adam in another movie beforehand and then made this movie. They also

should have read the script and asked themselves....is this good? That could have helped.

“Black Adam” is part of the Shazam community. Just watch “Shazam!” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and forget this movie even exists unless you’re curious about it.

BY ZYKEYAH EASTER

BARKUS ON MAIN

BARKUS ON MAIN Jacobb Nichol photos

ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS GRAND OPENING

Echoes of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts’ 100-year history could be felt during the grand opening of the newly reimagined facility on April 22, 2023.

While the entryway still boasts its iconic pillars, the museum has experienced a three-and-a-halfyear update that includes new facilities, classrooms and features that have modernized an essential piece of Little Rock’s infrastructure.

New museum areas offer

gorgeous views of the courtyard in front of the museum, while spacious exhibit rooms display awe-inspiring artwork from around the world and throughout history.

The opening day could not have been more picture-perfect; the mild temperatures and sunny skies made the experience pleasant and bright.

Outdoor activities included various dining options as well as opportunities to take part in

creating art or taking pictures at one of the many photo ops littering the landscape.

The project, funded by a $155 million campaign that dwarfed its original $128 million goal, is the most significant effort for a cultural project in Arkansas history. With the city of Little Rock donating $31 million to the project, and other generous contributions from various donors, this massive budget helped make this dream a

reality.

Upon walking into the beautiful foyer, the intricate design of the building is mesmerizing; with a flowing roof and gorgeous pillars, the aesthetics are certainly befitting a facility designed to house fine art, as the building itself is a work of art. The project connected nine buildings, resulting in a 133,000 square foot building housing more than 14,000 permanent exhibits. The museum still features old

favorites in the galleries and new exhibitions explicitly created for the updated museum.

Regular museum hours begin on Tuesday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. While admission is free, patrons can reserve timed tickets to ensure entry on the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts website at arkmfa.org.

BY JESSE CAIN

AMFA GRAND OPENING Jesse Cain photos

APRIL IS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

Since 1987, the month of April has been recognized as Alcohol Awareness Month in an effort to curb excessive alcohol consumption and educate the public on the health consequences of drinking.

Many alcohol awareness programs during this month also seek to reduce the stigmatization of those suffering from alcohol use disorder, or alcoholism.

Alcohol abuse is prevalent in the United States and includes the practice of binge drinking. Binge drinking refers to drinking enough alcohol within a short amount of time to bring blood alcohol concentration to 0.08%.

For women, this occurs after approximately four drinks within two hours. For men, it’s five drinks

within two hours. According to a 2021 national survey, nearly 60 million Americans reported binge drinking within the previous month.

According to the survey, rates of binge drinking are increasing among older adults and decreasing in younger adults. Still, approximately 27% of college students in the survey reported binge drinking the previous month.

How does frequent binge drinking affect your health? In the short-term, binge drinking can lead to alcohol overdose, which can be fatal.

Some of the signs of alcohol overdose include confusion, vomiting, loss of consciousness, slowed breathing and low body temperature.

If you witness someone exhibiting these signs after drinking, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends calling 911 immediately.

While waiting for medical help, you should stay by the person’s side and roll them on their side if they are unconscious. This can save someone’s life by preventing them from choking on vomit.

The long-term consequences of regular binge drinking include a weakened immune system, liver disease, increased risk of various cancers and impaired cognitive function.

Teenagers, in particular, can suffer from memory and attention issues from excessive drinking while their brains are still developing.

Binge drinking is also associated with car crashes, homicide, sexual assault and sexually transmitted diseases.

Research has found that most sexual assaults on college campuses involve alcohol or some substance.

Additionally, a national survey found that college students who binge drank regularly performed worse academically and missed more classes compared to college students who did not binge drink.

Furthermore, in 2010, excessive drinking was estimated to cost the U.S. approximately $249 billion from reduced productivity, health care and other expenses.

Binge drinking can also lead to alcohol use disorder, which is a medical condition that involves the inability to stop alcohol use despite detrimental consequences in one’s

life.

Mayo Clinic suggests that if your alcohol use is causing significant problems in your daily life, then you may be suffering from alcohol use disorder. The 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 13% of college students were likely suffering from alcohol use disorder in the past year.

If you are struggling with alcohol use, consider reaching out to your doctor or the counseling services at UA Little Rock.

Enrolled students at UA Little Rock are eligible for 10 counseling sessions per year, and your counselor can help connect you to additional substance use resources in the community.

BY AHAD NADEEM

YOUNG DEMOCRATS CONVENTION

YOUNG DEMS CONFERENCE Adrian Rogers photos

CAMPUS GARDEN

UA LITTLE ROCK CAMPUS GARDEN Jacobb Nichol photos

UA LITTLE ROCK ART STUDENTS TAKE ON BENTONVILLE

On Apr. 15, around 40 art students, faculty and staff crowded into a charter bus at 7:30 in the morning. Their mission? To romp around Bentonville and see some art.

I’m being hyperbolic. Really, the trip was to visit the many art museums Bentonville offers. Namely, the iconic Crystal Bridges and its sister museum, The Momentary.

The trip was funded by the Windgate Foundation, the same organization that helped fund the Windgate Center of Art and Design on campus. The Windgate Foundation graciously paid for transportation and museum admission to Crystal Bridges temporary Diego Rivera’s America exhibit.

Their donation towards the trip was a part of an effort to make the arts more accessible to UALR art majors. A trip to Bentonville and back can be costly for a student— Hello gas prices!—so the Windgate Foundations funding of the trip was a big help to the many art students without access to proper transportation or funds to pay for gas or admission.

Crystal Bridges is an absolute behemoth of a museum, with the property spanning 120 acres of Ozarkian nature. Though the main museum, designed by the

world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, is its main appeal, there are a multitude of other things to see. There are a number of outdoor art pieces, trails, a library and even a house built by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright that museum goers can tour.

Although admission to the main museum is free, there are, of course, a plethora of other ways to spend your money there. The temporary exhibits can only be entered if you pay a fee and like any other museum, there are plenty of gift shops to go around.

The museum was pioneered by Alice Walton, heiress to the Walmart fortune. It is a non-profit organization that opened on November 11, 2011. The Crystal bridges permanent collection contains American art that spans five centuries, and the museum’s mission is to provide a broad range of American art from artists of different backgrounds and cultures.

The students had about three hours to walk around the museum. Though that may sound like quite a long time, one would realize it’s not once they enter the museum. There’s so much to see, from classical to contemporary art, that it felt like a race to see everything.

The next museum that the students visited was The

Momentary, a sister museum that opened its doors in 2020. Interestingly enough, it was a former decommissioned cheese factory but is now a multidisciplinary space for visual and performing artists.

Whereas Crystal Bridges is more honed into traditional art such as paintings, sculptures, drawings, etcetera, The Momentary is more focused on installation and performing arts. At the current moment, there were three exhibitions being held at The Momentary.

Yvette Mayorgas’ exhibition What a Time to Be will be displayed until Oct. 15, 2023. It is an absolute delight of painting, sculpture and confectionary techniques. Mayorga primarily uses acrylic piping to create overwhelmingly pink sculptures that are reminiscent of the intricate piping you’d see on an expensive birthday cake.

Her work primarily focuses upon nostalgia and the historical canon of art. Many of her pieces mirror the composition of seventeenthcentury rococo paintings and yet subverts them with her bright pink style depicting her family members.

The second exhibition, To breathe full and free: a declaration, a re-visioning, a correction (19º36’16.9”N 72º13’07.0’’W,

42º21’48.762’’N 71º1’59.628’’W, 36° 22′ 0.1848” N94° 12′ 8.64” W) by Firelei Baez, will also be staying at The Momentary until October 15th, 2023.

Baez’s exhibition is absolutely massive, massive walls precariously lean to the side, crumbling apart. The walls are painted in a rich indigo and white pattern reminiscent of West African indigo painting. Barnacles and rocks creep up the work surface, reaching up the tilted surface.

Above the walls is a canopy of Cobalt blue tarp with organic, tear drop-esque shapes adorning it. From there, the light shines down onto the walls, creating a flurry of light that dances around the exhibit. It is almost as if the viewer is underwater, examining the ruins of a lost civilization.

In To breathe full and free: a declaration, a re-visioning, a correction, Baez reimagined the archaeological site of the Sans-Souci Palace in Haiti. Baez discusses the cultural dialogue between Europe, Africa and the Americas in its crumbling walls and vivid paintings.

The next museum the students visited was the 21c Museum, Hotel and Restaurant. The museum section of the building has both indoor and outdoor art, sculptures, paintings, drawings and even a

short film.

The piece that many of the students congregated around and even took pictures in front of was The Garden by Portia Munson. It is a mixed-media installation that resembles a bedroom cluttered with various 70s, 80s and 90s ephemera.

Dresses are sewn together like a quilt and cascade from the ceiling. A mountain of stuffed rabbits crowd the bed. Faux flowers line the room, drooping out of their containers as if trying to escape.

The work is overwhelming to look at, to say the least. It is a flurry of pinks and florals. It provides a broad and telling range of products that are marketed towards women, made gaudy by their crowded placement.

It invites the viewer to dissect campitalism’s view of femininity, of how the world continues to create aggressively feminine products for women whilst annihilating the planet.

After a long day of art-viewing, the students, staff and faculty crowded back into the bus for a sleepy drive back to Little Rock. Though overwhelming due to the amount of art present in all three museums, it was undoubtedly an unforgettable learning experience.

BY SKYLAR BOONE

BRIDGES

CRYSTAL

Jacobb Nichol photos

EARTH DAY

ONLINE MINDFULNESS MOMENTS

UA Little Rock’s Counseling Services offers several regular events designed to help students to maintain their mental health. Among these are the Online Mindfulness Moments which are meditation sessions that happen twice a week.

These sessions last for half an hour and are held via Zoom. They are held at 9:00 AM on Monday and at 12:00 PM on Thursday.

No meditation experience is necessary in order to attend these sessions and they are free for all UA Little Rock students.

The 30-minute format for these meditation sessions makes them ideal for college students with busy

schedules. They are a quick bit of relaxation for the busy and stressed college student, especially as finals approach.

It is even more important to take advantage of mental health support programs as the end of the semester approaches. Meditation is a tried and true method for attending to your mental needs.

If you are feeling stressed about finals or anything else happening in your life, try attending one of these sessions or taking advantage of the other mental health services that UA Little Rock offers.

BY SABLE HAWKINS

Rian Newman & Adrian Rogers photos

FRINGE FESTIVAL VII

Last week, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Literary and Performing Arts held their seventh Fringe Festival.

The Fringe Festival is held every couple of years, and features work made by students.

It is sponsored by the Kerry Kennedy Aspiring Playwright Endowed Fund. Kerry Kennedy was a UA Little Rock alum that wrote plays, screenplays, short stories and was working on a novel at the time of her untimely death in 2006.

To honor her life and legacy, the Kerry Kennedy Aspiring Playwright Endowed Fund was created.

The theme of this Fringe Festival was “Truth to Power.” The festival featured works from students from diverse backgrounds speaking, writing, dancing and singing their truth to power.

There were so many students that entered their work into the festival that they had to do an A and B program, with the A program being shown on Tuesday and Thursday and the B program being shown on Wednesday and Friday. I was fortunate to get to see both programs.

Program A opened with a film that I directed, “The Truth About Big Cookie.”

It was written by and stars Reign Venture. It is about a young man who has been laid off from work, and is offered a too-good-to-betrue job at a cookie corporation.

He soon realizes that he is in over his head and works to get free.

Next up was Jerry Henderson III’s “Tracking Mask,” a play about a high school track student struggling to overcome her insecurity about becoming a content creator.

This play had a cool mix of live performance and pre-recorded elements.

Program A also featured a podcast installment called “Perception: The Murder Mystery Podcast.”

I had no idea how the directors, Lance Beckman and Adelia Coleman, were going to pull off a podcast in a theatre space, but it actually worked well.

There was a dorm room set in center stage and they put together a video that essentially served as subtitles. The visual elements made it easier to understand what was going on.

Next was a very powerful play by

Kia Pennington called “What If You Understood.”

In this play, Pennington explores what would happen if White people were minorities, and if heterosexuality was vilified.

It opens in a courtroom, where everyone is given a chance to speak for their rights, and ends with a powerful spoken word element that gave me chills.

After that, Lizzie Schaefer took the stage with her dance installation “News Flash.”

It was about depression, suicide and gun violence, with news clips from KATV & CBS News, and clips from “When Life Is Hard- Powerful Motivation Speech” by Ben Lionel Scott.

The next performance was Myles Mitchell’s play “Blast From the Past.”

I heard about the concept beforehand, and I must admit, I was a little wary about him being able to pull it off.

The play is about a boy who falls in love with another boy and after a devastating break-up, leaves town.

He comes back when his ex-boyfriend is kidnapped to save him. Mitchell and the cast definitely pulled it off. It was a touching story about loving who you love without shame, with an over-the-top villain that was entertaining to watch.

The last piece was a rap written and performed by La’Shundra Ha’Maschiah called “Diary of a Prophetess.” In it, she tells the story of finding God, and her family’s role in helping her to do so.

Program B opened with Makayla Allman’s capstone project “Delusions of Reference.”

The theme of the project was grief. For this dance installation piece, the audience was divided into four groups with an usher. This was so that everyone would have a different experience than the person next to them, to represent how people deal with grief differently.

There was a mix of live and pre-recorded elements and it was executed seemingly effortlessly.

Next, Stephen Glass performed a dance to “Sinner Man.”

He brought incredible energy to the stage and made complex moves look easy.

After he exited the stage, Fantacy Mason came in and performed her spoken word piece “Silenced.”

It is a very vulnerable piece about

growing up as a Black woman, and being told to “be quiet” because she is too “crazy, dramatic, ghetto, and you guessed it, loud!” She performed it beautifully.

After a quick costume change, Glass was back on stage again, performing “Concerto Six Twenty Two.”

This piece was much slower than the first one he did. Because each move was a little slowed down from before, you could see more of the precision he put into each move, and get more sense of the control he had over his body.

Pennington followed this piece with a spoken word piece she wrote called “Pride.”

In it, she lets the world know that she is proud to be who she is, and that societal expectations will not break her. It was truly inspirational.

During this, Glass changed costumes again and was back out on stage when Pennington finished. He performed “Pseudopodia,” which was different from the other

two pieces he performed.

In this piece, he mostly showed his skill in floorwork and tumbling. The three pieces he chose showed his range of skill in dance.

Ha’Mashiach took the stage next, with a piece that she wrote called “Thank God I Don’t Look Like What I’ve Be” that began as a vulnerable spoken word piece about her struggles in life, and ended with an uplifting rap about her journey through faith, and how she was saved by Christ. She did an amazing job performing, and her energy was definitely felt in the crowd.

Next to take the stage was Shalonda Michelle Nelson, who performed a piece she created called “Cancer I’m Not Afraid Of You.”

It had audio, video and live elements. She pre-recorded a beautiful spoken word piece about her fight against cancer, detailing her anger, fear and ultimately her bravery and strong will to live.

Along with the audio of her

TROJANFEST

spoken word piece, she played a video with pictures taken of her during her fight against cancer.

While these played, Nelson and other dancers performed a dance that could only be described as triumphant. Nelson’s piece was emotional and moving.

The last performer of Program B was Valerisse. She performed two songs. The first song was called “Everything,” which she wrote the lyrics to. The next was “Make It Real,” which was dedicated to her uncle who wrote the lyrics. She hit notes that brought down the house.

This show would not have been possible without the faculty and students running the show from behind the scenes.

I was very honored to get to be a part of this production and get to know the casts of each piece and the crew of the production. The end of Fringe was bittersweet, as it was the graduating seniors’ last show.

BY EMILY WELLS

Jacobb Nichol photos

UALR SUMMER SENDOFF

Emily Wells, Jacobb Nichol, and John Reed photos

A NIGHT WITH THE CHANCELLOR: THE UA LITTLE ROCK CHANCELLOR’S CONCERT

On April 13, 2023, the School of Literary and Performing Arts presented the Second Annual Chancellor’s Concert.

This concert is a collective presentation of the talents of the music program here at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

The first group to perform is the UA Little Rock Concert Choir. The group started with the song, “At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners,” a triumphant song that surely awakened the waiting audience. It was a powerful start to the concert.

After, the group performed “Modimo,” a lively South African song. Both of these songs had their debut at the Voces Omnes Concert earlier this semester, however, the artistic capability of the UA Little Rock Concert Choir will never fail to make a song feel like it is the first time you heard it.

Once again, Omar Delgado joined them on stage for percussion, adding to the lively atmosphere.

Vocalist Christian Waldron took the stage next with the song “Johanna” from the musical “Sweeney Todd.” Waldron filled the auditorium with his magnificent voice plus a vow to “Johanna” that one day she will be his. The song is romantic and filled with a yearning the baritone soloist captured perfectly.

Next in this concert lineup was a piano ensemble with Carmen Ramirez and Waldron on Piano I and Stephen Graham and Professor Leann Jones on Piano II.

They played “Fantasy on Themes” from Bizet’s “Carmen.” It was quite a charming piece. Full of drama and mischief, maybe even betrayal.

I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Naoki Hakutani about why he chose this particular piece.

He replied, “At the outset of each semester, we assess personnel and ability and come up with a plan. We also asked the students what pieces/composers they may be interested in and so we came up with a plan this semester to work on an exciting original work for four pianists (eight hands) based on Bizet’s Carmen. Each individual part is challenging so it takes quite a while to gain speed. We started

with very slow tempos at the beginning!”

As said in the title, this piece was simply a magical fantasy.

When asked what the creative process for this performance looked like he said, “At first, it’s not so creative because it takes the first month for the students to learn the notes. Even though everyone is eager to put it all together, each piece has its own growing pains and this semester was no different. Once each student has put enough practice on their own and they are able to play coherently at a slow tempo, we start to crank it up and find so many musical choices we need to consider - ultimately coming up with an interpretation that hopefully is effective.”

There is clear thoughtfulness and hard work put into these performances and it is amazing to see the end result.

Following the piano ensemble was soloist Analiese McKenzie. McKenzie is truly an impressive soprano and another Arkansas Intercollegiate Choir Representative and National Association of Teachers of Singing finalist. She sang “Take, O Take those Lips Away” by Amy Beach.

It was absolutely stunning. Her tone is pure and she has such beautiful vocal color. Her voice never ceases to amaze the audience.

In this next piece, we see a collaboration between the UA Little Rock Chamber Singers and the Flute Ensemble. It was a perfect combination. It sounded like the soundtrack of a Disney princess movie. You could not help but let the notes carry you. This performance was refreshing like a cool breeze on a warm spring day.

Next was pianist and Arkansas Intercollegiate Choir Representative Graham playing “Mazurka” in G minor, Op. 67 No. 2 and “Mazurka” in C major, Op. 67 No. 3 by Frederic Chopin.

The performance was simply stunning and Graham plays the piano with such passion and care for music.

The Jazz Ensemble took the stage next with a tune by David Mann, “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.”

Joined by singer Waldron, the piece was smooth, comforting and romantic. Kaleb Hatley also delivered a stunning trumpet solo.

The UA Little Rock Jazz Ensemble is an incredibly talented group of instrumentalists and you do not want to miss out on any of their performances in upcoming semesters.

After a short intermission, the Chamber Singers delighted us with their presence on stage. They started with the song “Hear My Prayer” which was a tearjerker.

It was an emotional song, a song of pleading. It was beautiful. Then, as the song came to a close, it seamlessly transitioned into their next piece, “Invictus.”

For this song, they are joined by cellist Joanna Klett. “Invictus” is a song with so much drama and darkness.

It is so complex and filled with a lot of emotions and a story that needs to be told. The Chamber Singers are an elite group of singers who have been placed as national semi-finalists in two categories.

One for The American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music in the college/university ensemble and conductor division for 2023.

The second category is The American Prize in Choral Performance in the college/ university divisions for 2023. The vocalists in all three choral ensembles not only outperform in school concerts and events, but at every competition they represent UA Little Rock at.

Kaitlyn Kendrick, an Arkansas Intercollegiate Choir Representative and National Association of Teachers of Singing finalist, graces us with her beautiful voice next. She sang, “L’huere exquise” from 7 Chansons grises.

Kendrick’s voice is soft and delicate which was perfect for this song. Her voice is like a meadow of flowers and she delivered yet outstanding performance.

Next was the UA Little Rock Percussion Ensemble led by Dr. Justin Bunting, the newly appointed Director of Instrumental Activities.

The performance was unique and filled with moving parts that all came together to create one delightful sound. Something interesting about this performance is that the members performing do not have a specialty in percussion.

In an interview I had with Dr. Bunting, I asked him what the creative process was like to

prepare for this performance. He answered, “The biggest challenge is not so much in programming repertoire for non-percussionists, but programming repertoire for non-Music majors if I do not know them already. I have students that I do not already know come in and discuss their musical background and maybe even go through some exercises on a snare drum or something so I can see how they read music and how their hands move. Most of the nonpercussionists in my ensembles are Music majors that have a wind instrument, piano or voice as their primary instrument. Additionally, the percussion studio is growing rapidly and so is the foundation of non-percussionist Music majors that have been in my ensembles for a number of semesters. Therefore, we have plenty of leaders and role models in the group.”

The percussionists performed on a marimba. While the marimba may seem like a simple instrument to play, it requires coordination and attention to detail to get the desired sound.

An extraordinary amount of detail went into this performance. Even with a variety of performers

from different groups from choir to band, they came together to create and perform beautiful music.

Next was Andrew Battie singing, “Sure on This Shining Night” from Four Songs, Op. 13. Battie is a skillful baritone who was able to fill a room with his voice and delivered an astonishing solo performance.

Battie was yet another Arkansas Intercollegiate Choir Representative and a National Association of Teachers of Singing finalist.

After an amazing performance from Battie was the UA Little Rock Women’s Choir. They began with the song “Vichten,” a lively and animated acapella piece written in a similar style to Acadian folk music. It is an exciting song to listen to and watch perform.

Dorian Izzo joined them to play the spoons, a unique addition to the performance. Their next song, “Sing, Wearing the Sky” was perfect.

Joined by Delgado for percussion accompaniment and Meredith Hicks on violin this performance was full of life. It was wonderful and made you feel like there were fairies flying about. It was an ethereal performance.

Last but certainly not least, the UA Little Rock Wind Ensemble ended the concert with Selections from “Porgy and Bess.”

The music would grow in volume combined with sudden and suspenseful stops. The song had a grandiose feel to it and was a great finish to a marvelous night of performances.

The UA Little Rock School of Literary and Performing Arts has a staff full of talented musicians and professors that help students achieve their goals. With their help, performances like these are able to happen.

One of them is Professor Jones, who is the collaborative pianist of the music program and played as accompaniment for a majority of the performances.

I had the pleasure of interviewing her about the work she does as a collaborative pianist, asking how she delivers flawless performances each time. She answered, “My goal with every performance is to bring as musical a presentation as I possibly can. I want the audience to experience the joy we feel on stage when collaborating as musicians. It’s definitely a joint effort between all the performers.

“I want the audience to experience the joy we feel on stage when collaborating as musicians. It’s definitely a joint effort between all performers. Sometimes mistakes happen, but we keep going!”

Sometimes mistakes happen, but we keep going!”

I followed by asking what her creative process looks like when working with such a wide variety of musical artists. She answered, “I spend a lot of time rehearsing with each soloist and group before a performance. But before meeting with the other performers, I take quite a bit of time working on my individual part, so that when we come together, it’s a seamless process.”

I then asked what her part is in doing all of this. She responded, “My favorite part is the variety of music selections the individual performers and groups present. It’s a great deal of fun and a challenge to play a modern musical theater piece followed by a Baroque style piece or perhaps a rhythmically challenging choral piece.”

Such passion and care for her craft are what make the staff and faculty of the School of Literary and Performing Arts stand out. With such a talented music program, reach and exposure are important. In an interview with Dr. Bunting, I asked him as Director of Instrumental Activities if he has any plans or hopes of making the Music Program more visible on campus.

His response was, “All those involved in creative endeavors (be it visual art, music, theater, poetry readings..) have discussions about how to maximize visibility, as well as interaction and participation in what we do. The Music Program’s growth began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. For a time, we could not have live performances. We, as a faculty, could not visit high school band

and choir rooms. Coming out of that period, we are able to think creatively about how to ‘get the word out’ even more about what we are doing in the Fine Arts Building and across the metro area.”

With the help and expertise of all the staff and faculty of the UA Little Rock School of Literary and Performing Arts, they were able to put together a remarkable show of performances.

Please continue to show love and support for the UA Little Rock School of Literary and Performing Arts by attending performances and sharing them on social media. The Music Program is ever-growing with more and more talented musicians joining every year. You do not want to miss out.

BY RIAN NEWMAN

ARIEL HUDSON SENIOR RECITAL REVIEW

Directly following the sixth and final recital attendance of the Spring semester in the Stella Boyle Concert Hall, Arielar Hudson granted me an interview to talk about her senior recital which was held the previous Monday on April 17th at 7:30pm.

We talked about all of her four years as a music major pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a vocal concentration and all of the other various activities she has been involved in as a student here at the University at Little Rock.

In this final recital of the semester she performed an excerpt from her senior recital performance which were Four Encore Songs entitled Tobacco, A Flea and a Fly, “Come, Come,” Said Tom’s Father and Song of the Open Road all by the African-American composer Florence Price (1887-1953).

Although I was not able to attend her senior recital which had 15 people in attendance including colleagues and faculty, I was provided the video and the program to view.

In the video Ariel was dressed in a beautiful sparkling sleeveless formal blue dress. She was accompanied on piano by Ms. Leann Jones.

RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORKS EXPO

Out of the ten pieces that she performed she said that Crucifixion by composer John Payne (19121961) was her favorite because she was able to relate to it as it was about her “Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

The first piece that she sung entitled “Fac Ut Porte” from Stabat Mater was the most difficult to sing as she had to make sure she stayed in tune while singing the melismas within it.

The program that she provided included the translations to all of the songs that she sang in a foreign language. The songs mentioned and all of the others sang can be viewed by clicking on this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r

eBFLBPoR014jKSwprAKwPy7ispRx 9cZ/view

Ariel, who is a mezzo-soprano, has been a vocal student of Professor Diane Kesling over the past four years and has also sang in UA at Little Rock’s concert,

women’s and chamber choirs, all while pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree as a first generation student.

She is a Mcnair Scholar, a Chancellor’s Leadership Corp Scholar, the former vice president of Zeta Phi Beta Xi Theta and has been a Student Ambassador for the past two years.

Just recently she placed third for her presentation at the Creative Writing Expo at Jack Stephens which was about high schoolers being ready for college in the Little Rock School District.

She will graduate on May 13, 2023 at the Jack Stephens Recreational Facility. Her future plans are to take a gap year to mentally prepare to get in the Master’s Program for a degree in Music Therapy and spend more time with her husband Caleb Montgomery, who she married last November. With all of her responsibilities and workload from school she shared that it’s been a trying time for them to spend quality time together.

She was also an assistant manager at Walgreens and had to resign from that position in order to finish well at school for this final semester. Her advice to other college students in their journey to a successful experience in college is to “keep up communications with your instructors and stay humble so that they can hold you accountable.”

BY VAL BELL

UA LITTLE ROCK CHAMBER CHOIR Rian Newman photo

Rian Newman photos

ARIEL HUDSON

Photo provided

FAURE’S REQUIEM: AN ELEVATION ABOVE EVERY DAY EXISTENCE

Gabriel Fauré once said, “For me, art, and especially music, exist to elevate us as far as possible above everyday existence.” On April 29, 2023, the UA Little Rock Choirs presented Fauré’s Requiem. It showcased each group’s growth and musical ability through the works of French composer Gabriel Fauré.

The concert starts with the Chamber Singers’ tenors and basses singing “Ave Maria”. It was a beautiful and warm welcome to the concert. The harmonies were beautiful and the organ, played by Colin MacKnight, added such gorgeous resonance to the piece. It was a wonderful introduction to the night that would be full of music.

UA Little Rock Women’s Choir follows after with the song, “Ave Verum.” Collaborative pianist Professor Leann Jones joins the women. The women’s voices were impeccably sweet and graceful. The sopranos sang such pure and effortless sounds combined with the altos’ rich sound making for beautiful melodious music.

The Women’s Choir’s next piece, “Tantum Ergo” included several soloists that exhibited the talents of the women in this choir. It was simply stunning. From the feathery sounds of the sopranos to the stable and resounding sounds of the altos, this piece was so beautifully done.

The next piece was “Tu es Petrus” sung by the Chamber Singers. This piece was so rich and

majestic and the harmonies were flawless. The song was a strong declaration sung with triumph.

This song featured a remarkable solo by Andrew Battie. There is so much to say about this performance from the way the group’s voices seemed to soar past the high ceilings of the cathedral to the bellowing sounds of the organ. It was simply wonderful.

Following “Tu es Petrus” was soloist Mya Little singing “Ici Bas.” Mya Little is a powerhouse and is able to procure full and stable sounds with ease. Every song she sings she embodies the character. In this one, she is someone that dreams of a relationship that lasts forever. She takes on the feelings, emotions, and thoughts the musician had when writing the piece. It is amazing to see such a visible and audible passion for music.

Vocalist Mya Little immerses herself in the song and you can’t help but to feel drawn into the song, waiting for her to sing the next note with anticipation. Overall, an outstanding solo from Mya Little.

The next piece is “Cantique de Jean Racine.” The song starts with an enchanting melody on the piano played by Professor Leann Jones, then the basses come in until eventually there is a chorus of singing that sounds like heaven on earth. This song is a prayer for grace. Each voice part shone in this song.

An important part of singing with a group is listening to each other. Being in tune, recognizing, and being present with the people around you is when you create beautiful music. As director Mason has told her students time and time again, “sing together, not just at the same time.”

Finally, the Concert Choir took the stage to sing “Fauré’s Requiem.” Historically, most Requiems were made for funeral masses and those that were sick and dying. This requiem is no different.

However, what separated Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem from others is his focus on deliverance, freedom and the eternal light of death rather than just focusing on the day of judgment, a common theme in other Requiems.

The first movement “Introit Kyrie” is an introduction to the Requiem. The organ resounded throughout the church. The choir’s voices were haunting and heavy. This first movement is an intense ongoing plea of making it to paradise.

“Offertory” is the second movement. You can think of this movement as a group of individual prayers. The sopranos, altos, tenors and basses are not always singing at the same time during this movement, which gives the illusion of multiple people praying at once, starting and stopping at distinct times.

The harmonies in this movement were perfect and so

layered. Christian Waldron sang the baritone solo for this piece. His voice was gentle, emotional, and thoughtful capturing the essence of the movement.

The third movement, “Sanctus” highlights the melodic and angelic voices of the sopranos and altos. The movement starts with the tender and sweet voices of the singers before moving into a triumphant call.

After the grandiose nature of the third movement, was the fourth movement “Pie Jesu” sung by soloist Kyndal Collins. Collins is an incredibly talented singer and her solo was delicate and clear, piercing through every corner of the cathedral.

After the outstanding solo was the fifth movement, “Agnus Dei.” This movement is interesting because it goes back and forth between a light airy sound from the tenors and basses and intense, resonant singing from the sopranos and altos.

It encapsulates the heaviness and weight of death, but also the hope of eternal rest, thus the lyrics, “Give them eternal rest, Lord, and may light perpetual shine upon them.”

Moving on to the sixth movement on this journey through Fauré’s Requiem, “Libera Me.” The movement begins with a splendid and rich solo from Waldron, before moving into an energetic and impassioned portion of the movement.

“Libera Me” is complex and is composed of many different emotions, such as anger, bitterness, fear and sadness that the UA Little Concert Choir was able to convey perfectly.

“In paradisum” is the seventh and final movement of the 35-minute composition and it truly is a brilliant ending to a wonderful night of singing.

This movement speaks about the gates of heaven being opened for those that have died and welcoming them into eternal paradise. It is a beautiful and simple invitation to rest.

The sopranos shined in this movement, their voices gracefully reaching such high notes. As the piece came to a close, the notes still ringing in the air, you can’t help but reflect on the tremendous night of singing you just experienced.

As always the UA Little Rock Choirs delivered remarkable performances. This concert was a beautiful finish to a wonderful year. If you would like to watch the full concert it is available on the Trinity Little Rock YouTube Channel. As always, show some love and support for the UA Little Rock Choirs by attending concerts and performances in the future.

BY RIAN NEWMAN

SENIORITIS: THE END OF YEAR SICKNESS

With graduation just around the corner, many students may be experiencing “senioritis:” a phenomenon that has been defined as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.”

These symptoms can look like missing deadlines, forgetting

assignments, not showing up to class, or a complete dismissal of work.

This can often look like laziness or a sudden on-set of a carefree attitude, but many scholars actually attribute this to an intense feeling of burnout. There are a multitude of external forces weighing on college seniors that are separate from school, such

as the intense search for a job in the nation’s highest competitive market coupled by a high rate of hiring freezes and layoffs.

To combat this late term burnout, or senioritis, there are a few ways to maintain a steady final few weeks. Most research has suggested to maintain focus on the end goal while also allowing yourself time to enjoy small

victories. US News suggests “it’s important to plan fun events throughout the semester” and to keep a “reasonable school worklife balance.” Other articles suggest to stay organized and find your motivation by maintaining the end goal in sight; graduation.

Regardless of how successful of a student you are, experiencing some form of senioritis is inevitable. It is

not a form of sudden laziness, but rather an indication that the end is in sight. Stay on top of your deadlines and finish your degree strong.

BY KIRSTEN BOU

MULTIPLE FORUM STAFF MEMBERS WIN AWARDS AT CONFERENCE

On April 14, 2023, the UA Little Rock Forum attended the 2023 Arkansas College Media Association annual banquet. The staff took 9 people, and was delighted to appear among the other Arkansas publications working in the world of college media.

The conference took place in Searcy at the ever-extravagant Harding University. The hosts were generous, providing breakfast, courtesy of Chick-fil-A with chicken biscuits and a selection of sauces and jams.

There were many great talks to attend as there were three

50-minute session times with multiple topics to pick from.

These featured names such as Jack Allen of Channel 7 here in Little Rock and CEO of Arkansas Podcast Collaborative CEO Ty King, as well as an Arkansas Business Publishing Group Panel, Griffin Media, freelance panels and more.

Following these wonderful presentations, the lunch provided had two non-vegan options and one vegan. It was a great time as many programs received high praise they returned to form still recovering from the pandemic.

The Forum left with our arms

loaded as we brought home 20 awards by the following staff members: Chloe McGehee, Bryan Hernandez, Skylar Boone, Emily Reynolds, Azalea Andrade, Maddie Becker, Joe Santana, Vivian Angeles, Andi Benbrook, Ahad Nadeem & Jacobb Nichol.

Leading the pack is truly a great leader by the name of Chloe McGehee who received Newspaper Editor of The Year for her work in growing The Forum. Photographer Jacobb Nichol also received third place for Photographer of The Year. The Forum also placed third overall in Newspaper General

Excellence.

The future is bright as many new faces have joined The Forum in 2023 and ACMA 2024 will be one for the ages.

BY JOHN REED

ACMA ANNUAL BANQUET Rian Newman photos

DRINK BEAT: COFFEE SHOPS

At this point in the world, coffee shops and cafes are basically a staple of student life, but not all coffee shops are created equal.

As a graduating senior with a caffeine addiction and a penchant for procrastinating in said cafes, I do deem myself an expert to speak on which to spend your time at and which to avoid.

For this review, I will be rating a majority of the local artisan coffee shops in the Little Rock metro area on their taste, price and perhaps most importantly, aesthetic. Each will be rated from 1 to 5, with 1 being awful and too expensive, for a total out of 15.

Disclaimer, taste is extremely subjective. Also this is just my opinion, everyone will see things differently, so if I do not love your favorite coffee shop, that does not mean it is not good for you, I just do not like it myself.

For my test, I will be rating each shop’s taste and price by a control drink: an iced mocha with oat milk. I will test all drinks against my own homemade iced mocha, which costs me approximately $3 to make and is a 3 on the taste scale.

Mylo’s

First up, we have Mylo Coffee Co. in Hillcrest. Now Mylo’s used to be my absolute favorite coffee shop to go to, but as many of us now know, the owners were not treating their workers how workers should be treated. Because of this, Mylo’s has significantly fallen down the scale.

As for price, an iced mocha with oat milk falls at $6.75 plus tax, which is really not too bad for these artisan coffee shops. It gets a for price.

Mylo’s aesthetic is a complicated rating. While I love the style of the inside with the exposed brick and huge windows overlooking beautiful Hillcrest, they have to lose points for two reasons. First, their treatment of workers is not very aesthetic at all. Next, prior to #Mylogate, there were never any open tables in the tiny cafe. This is less of a problem now, but size does matter here. For these reasons, Mylo’s gets a 2.5/5 for aesthetics, the biggest dock being for worker treatment.

Next, we have taste. Keeping in mind this is severely subjective, Mylo’s will get a 3 for taste. When it is good, it is so good, but when

it is bad, it is awful. I have had some incredible mochas here, but I have also had the oat milk be powdery and clumpy and too much chocolate. They get a 3 for being hit or miss.

Overall, Mylo’s gets a 9.5/15 total. Prior to the awful Instagram comments I read about this place and the expose about their worker’s rights, they were much higher, but I cannot give them more than a 10 for morality.

Fidel & Co.

Next we have Fidel & Co. in the up-and-coming East Village neighborhood. Fidel is likely to rate high for me. Fidel’s crowd is largely working professionals, and I feel like it is relatively untouched by the college crowd, something we have to change.

An iced mocha with oat milk at Fidel is $7 even, but if you bring your own cup, you get a discount. This is only a little higher than Mylo’s and some others in this list, so it gets a 3.75 for price.

As for the aesthetics of Fidel, I have to give it a 4/5. They are roasters, so it always smells delicious inside, and their signature orange color is not only comforting, but inspires me to work. They also have huge windows that open in good weather, and their tables are nice. They lose one point for size; it is a smaller shop, but I have only had table issues a couple of times.

Finally, Fidel is one of the highest rankings of taste on this list. Their iced mocha is delicious and there is a reason so many stores and restaurants use Fidel coffee; it is fantastic. They get a 5/5 for taste.

This gives Fidel & Co. a 12.75/15 in total, making them a hard one to beat going forward. It is a little farther away, but they are a sleeper pick. I highly recommend Fidel for any student.

Mugs

Mugs is a special case, because not unlike its sister shop, Mylo’s, they also had some issues with treating their workers correctly.

I know there have been a lot of improvements made in this regard, so they get a little pass. Mugs also has two locations, one in the Heights and one in Argenta.

I cannot really speak on the one in Argenta, as I have not been in a couple of years, but I did just

recently start going to Mugs in the Heights again as I have friends that work there (oops my bias is showing).

As for price, an iced mocha with oat milk is $6.91, so they get a 4/5 for being under $7 dollars. It’s pretty averagely priced.

As for taste, a couple of years ago, Mugs would have gotten a 1/5. I hated their coffee big time. But recently, and maybe it is because my friends are making the drinks, the coffee has been almost amazing. I am going to shockingly to me, give them a 4/5 for taste, especially their Mayan Mocha which has cayenne.

Aesthetically, Mugs is not my personal favorite, as there really is nowhere to hide on the inside, but I do love the plants in the window. 3/5.

In total, Mugs gets an 11/15 for their ranking, which is way higher than what it could have been. I think if the owners keep on this track of treating their employees better, then it could get even better. Let this be a lesson to all: when your workers are treated fairly, they do better work.

Blackberry Market

Blackberry Market in Argenta is the new kid on the block of these artisan coffee shops. In a new, huge venue in North Little Rock’s Argenta neighborhood, this coffee shop is really changing the scene. In terms of price, it is right on par with the rest of these shops. It is $7 for an iced mocha with oat milk, but they also have a large size of 24 ounces that is only $7.50, which bumps their price score up a little bit. Because of this, despite their 16 ounce being more expensive than Mylo’s, they still get a 4/5 for their 24 ounce price.

Blackberry has to get a 5/5 for aesthetics. If you have been there, you know it is huge so you can always find seating; they have an upstairs which is so nice and cool. They also decorated well and I love their shelves of artisan products and food that they sell. The bathroom is a little scary to find, but take it as an adventure.

As for taste, Blackberry gets a 3/5. I actually do not think their mocha is the best thing ever, but it is decently good and consistent. I do enjoy some of their other drinks, but that’s not what this rating is for.

In total, that gives Blackberry a

12/15, putting it near the top of the list. For me, Blackberry has a really nice vibe inside and I have only heard good things about it.

Nexus

Nexus Coffee and Creative is next on my list, and this place is a Little Rock staple. Started by a father-daughter duo, they grew so fast they expanded their space downtown into a vital part of the downtown Little Rock scene.

I do not have an exact price for an iced mocha with oat milk, but I know Nexus is near the most expensive, especially if you add food. I take into account that their rent and pay is probably higher than some of these other places. Because of this, Nexus gets a 2.5/5 for price.

As for taste, Nexus is a great average. 3/5. I really enjoy it if I am downtown or going inside to study, but I am not going out of my way to get their coffee.

Where Nexus really shines is their aesthetic. They get an easy 5/5. It’s decorated incredibly well and has huge windows that overlook downtown Little Rock, which is a great location. You can study there, have meetings, meet friends and work all in one place. There is plentiful seating and it is generally just a good vibe there.

All in all, Nexus gets a 10.5/15, which seems lower than I would think, but they really only shine in the aesthetic category, which as I said, is maybe the most important.

River City

Time for perhaps my most unpopular opinion of the article, I do not love River City the way I know so many of y’all do.

I think their price is super fair, one of the most fairly priced places, it is $5.50 for a large, so they get the best price score on this list with a 4.5/5. That’s about the cheapest price for a large coffee you can find outside of the home.

Taste is where River City falls very short for me. Despite their famous iced coffee cubes to avoid watering down your coffee, I find that happens anyways. I don’t love their mocha and I definitely don’t love the coffee ice cubes, but that’s the only thing I have ever tried so I am biased. Regardless 2.5/5.

Finally, River City is tiny. I don’t even want to go inside because everyone will just stare at you and

see you. Outside is a little nicer and I enjoy the 2-seater tables, but other than that, the inside is not great.3/5

In total, River City gets a 10/15. I will say this is the place I have been to the least amount, so I am no expert here. River City lovers do not come for me. I do love that they do coffee ice cubes, though: what a niche.

The Paranoid Android

The Paranoid Android is a sleeper pick that few people know about. Located inside the Technology Park in downtown Little Rock right off Main Street, this place has good coffee.

They are fairly priced, having a larger size only be around $6.50, so they get a 4/5 for price.

Their taste is not the best of all of these, but is actually pretty decent when they make it correctly. Because it is hit or miss, it gets a 3.75/5.

Finally, the aesthetic is actually pretty cool for my STEM readers. It’s all robot and tech-themed which is fun. They have chalkboards with cool art all around, and window sill seating which is fun. You can also go upstairs to the Tech Park seating, which is nice as well. It’s a 3.75/5 again for aesthetics.

In total, an 11.5/15, making this close to a lot of these more famous shops on the list. As I said, a sleeper pick.

Conclusion

This ranking is by no means allinclusive. I did not even mention food because it would have been too much to talk about (though Fidel has the best avocado toast ever).

Also, I want to give a special shoutout to Onyx Coffee in Rogers for giving me one of the worst mochas I have ever had despite being nationally award-winning and my boyfriend loving his drink.

As I have repeatedly stated in this article, this is just my opinion as a coffee addict. I get the same drink every single place I go, so my palette cannot be that trusted, but if you are an iced mocha person like me, this list should do you some good.

BY CHLOE MCGEHEE

TASTE OF LITTLE ROCK

Rian Newman photos

MYLO’S AND BLACKBERRY MARKET Chloe McGehee photos

A WEEKEND WAR: BASEBALL V. SIUE

Gary Hogan is open for Friday evening baseball as the Trojans look to avenge their in conference appearance after some tough losses to Eastern Illinois on the road. The first of 3 games after saw Jackson Wells starting on the mound. Wells showcased a great rhythm by holding the Cougars to just a single run despite 8 hits. This display was so dominant that Coach Curry kept him on the mound throughout all nine innings, which coincidentally was the same amount of strikeouts he tallied.

This unconscious performance would earn Wells the honor of being named the OVC’s pitcher of the week. On the other hand, the Trojans offense proved tenacious as they converted 7 hits into 2 runs courtesy of Ty Rhodes batting in Alex Seguine and a solo shot homer from Noah Brewer.

In game 2, Austin Stubber, took the mound and was welcomed with a solo home run from SIUE’s Brennan Orf, but the Trojans

worked back in the bottom frame to take a 3-1 lead with patient at bats leading to a walk and then a 2 RBI double from Tyler Williams.

Speaking of the senior center fielder, he displayed otherworldly speed and effort on the basepaths as he would single later in the game to tally 305 total bases in his career.

This achievement made him only the second Trojan to have 300+ bases, a record that has stood for over 22 years. The Cougars would collect 4 more runs including a 3 run homer bringing in Orf in the 5th, and then another 1 run blast in the following inning. While the Trojans found their fire, their opponents were just heating up and on a balmy Sunday afternoon, it would come to a boil.

The Trojans set out the red carpet for The Cougars by serving up 4 runs in the first inning and only allowing 2 as a response.

After two half innings of radiosilence from both sides, Little Rock seared Edwardsville with 6 runs in the 3rd inning.

ENJOYING THE RIDE: BASEBALL V. ULM

There gifts were from Nico Baumbach, Skylar Trevino, and Jake Wright with 3 consecutive home runs leaving many in the crowd salivating for a 7th inning mercy rule. While already having let blood seep into the water, SIUE would patch things up with a 5th inning grand slam stunning all of Gary Hogan’s attendees. They would add 4 more runs thereafter and fall short by 3 in the top of the 9th. Through utter domination, grit, and moments for the history books, SIUE fought a valiant effort, but couldn’t match the ferocity of the Little Rock Trojans.

A nice warm day in the capital city treated a packed Gary Hogan Field to a rollercoaster of a matchup. The Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe were looking to snap their two-game losing streak onset by Southern Alabama.

The Trojans returned home after a lengthy road trip where they escaped Baum-Walker stadium with a split of their 2 games against #5 Arkansas along with a single victory over Eastern Illinois in a 3 game series.

a double play. Noah Brewer struck one into the gap for a double and Graydon Martin would single to right to bring him home. Tyler Williams welcomed a new pitcher to the game with an RBI single pushing the lead to 2 runs.

BY JOHN REED

The offense in both of their prior series was on fire with 24 total runs prior to the early game thrashing they had prepared for the Warhawks. The action kicked off in the 2 inning with ULM loading the bases before being gifted a run via a walk from Camden Sargent. It was a grueling at bat before the count ran full and a fast ball went just above the zone. UALR would escape the top of the second before setting ULM on fire in the bottom frame. Skylar Trevino turned a 1-2 count into a first class flight out to center field and over the wall to tie the game. Ty Rhodes worked a full count walk to first before a ground ball to short would result in

UALR anchored down at the top of the next inning before adding gasoline when the inning flipped over. Ty Rhodes returned to the plate for a first pitch ambush over the wall in left field bringing in Nico Baumbach who reached on a single earlier. ULM would bring in their 3rd pitcher only to have Alex Seguine send a blooper to center field bringing in 2 more runs. At this point, everyone in Gary Hogan could all but taste a mercy rule that would never arrive. The next three innings were a stalemate with the Trojans breaking it in the 7th with a single run. ULM scraped 3 runs onto the board in the 9th before LR would force a flyout to secure the midweek victory ahead of their return to OVC play against SIUE just a couple days later. Two runs from the home squad proved useful as without them, the Warhawks would’ve caused more of a scare.

BY JOHN REED

UA LITTLE ROCK V. ULM & SIUE John Reed photos

LITTLE ROCK TWILIGHT

The UA Little Rock Trojans Outdoor Track and Field home meet was April 7, 2023 at the Coleman Sports Complex, and the team swept up awards, places and school records, garnering 20 gold medals throughout the two-day meet.

After a late start on the 7th, the team settled in and had a successful morning, followed by a Senior Day celebration of the graduating team members where they walked with their families across the field, had a biography read about them and were presented with an art print made from a photo of them in action.

Sophomore Landri Schreier claimed three gold medals with three marks in the top five in school history. Senior Troy McKnight

added two gold medals. During the women’s 4x100m relay, the relay team of Schreier, Gabby Ayiteyfio, Takia Palmer and Maliyah Holland posted the fifthfastest time in school history at 45.98 seconds.

Schreier then ran an 11.74 time in the 100m dash, the thirdfastest time in school history, and Freshman Palmer finished second with the ninth-fastest time in school history at 11.92. Junior Holland finished third with a time of 12.03.

McKnight ran a 10.34 in the 100m dash, gaining sixth place in the school record. TaVieon Neal finished second with a time of 10.43. McKnight then ran a 20.98 in the 200m dash to claim his second first place.

In the 800m, junior Nicholas Newby won the race at 1:52.88 while junior Andrew Payton finished second at 1:52.95. Sophomore Juan Garza won the 400m with a time of 48.51 and junior Spencer Cardinal ran a 3:59.28 and won the 1500m. The 4x400m relay team consisting of Frankie Grey, Teylen Patterson, Newby and Garza also won.

In the 400m hurdles, Tyler Moore won the race with a time of 53.23 while junior Cogan DeRousselle’s time of 14.47 placed him in second. Junior Alexia Allen won the 400m women’s hurdles with a time of 1:03.89.

Senior Johnathan Jones won the high jump at the Little Rock Invitational for the third consecutive year. Freshman Deshawn Roberts placed third in

school history with a second place finish in the high jump. Redshirt junior Jordan Wallace finished third and freshman Falon Short finished fourth.

Wallace also won the triple jump and Senior Ryan Curington won the long jump.

The Trojan women swept the podium in the long jump, led by Senior Jaelyn Tucker, who jumped 5.82m, while senior Bria Allen placed second and sophomore Kendall King placed third.

The team also swept the shot put as junior Janae Largins’ placed fourth in school history. Sophomore Aaliyah Mathis finished second. Sophomore Desmond Frazier won the men’s shot put.

Senior Brenna Harris won the javelin throw and also finished third in the high jump.

Sophomore Ludovica Polini won and set a new facility record in the pole vault. Senior Alison

Stephens won the discus throw. Junior Matilda Horton won and set the Coleman Sports Complex record in the 10,000m on the evening of the 6th with a time of 37:24.09.

Sophomore Allison Stirgall won the women’s hammer throw and recorded the third-best mark in school history.

In the men’s 10,000m, junior Aaron Soltmann finished second as his time of 32:27.83. Sophomore Joel Allen followed in third.

All in all, this was a great outing for the Trojans at our home meet. As the team travels to conference May 10-14, this meet surely gave them some confidence to move forward.

BY CHLOE MCGEHEE

THE DANCING NURSE-TO-BE NAMED STANLEY

Right before spring break I was granted an interview with another University of Arkansas at Little Rock Dance Team member by the name of Stanley Richardson.

If you are anything like me, you may be intrigued by her first name which is unique for a woman to have.

So of course, that was the first thing I inquired about. She informed me that her name was at first going to be Sydney, but her parents agreed on naming her after a character in a movie that was entitled “In This Our Life,” which was about two sisters named Stanley and Roy.

The story line in that movie is quite interesting and dramatic, but that is not what this article is about so feel free to Google it if obliged and you will see what I mean.

Richardson was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, and attended Mills High School.

After graduating from Mills, she took a break before starting college at UA Little Rock in the spring of 2019 where she started out double majoring in nursing and dance.

She unfortunately had to drop dance as one of her majors because of scheduling conflicts with the nursing program.

For example, clinical would be

an all day thing not allowing her to participate in activities required by the dance program.

Today, there is not a dance program at UA Little Rock, but Stanley has been a familiar face on the UA Little Rock Dance team at the basketball games, this being her fourth year.

You may also see her in the Donaghey Student Center where she has worked at the Ask Desk for the past two years doing workstudy.

When I asked her about her preference in dance styles she said that she liked modern dance, but for the most part “I just like to

SPOTLIGHT ON LADY TROJAN TIA HARVEY

When one thinks of Tia Harvey on the basketball court at Jack Stephens, most of the words that are synonymous with spunky may come to mind: courageous, energetic, fearless, high-spirited, peppy, active, alert, animated, bold, brave, eager, enthusiastic, fiery, gritty, gutsy (thank you dictionary. com) and tenacious.

She embodies all of these adjectives and more on the court as one of the Lady Trojans’ team leaders. Tia describes herself as “really loud, happy and joyful,

having to be the energy for my team”.

This season Harvey, a junior who hails from Saxy High School in Garland, Texas is looking forward to stepping fully into the role of leadership even more so in the Fall of 2023 as a Senior.

This past season has been one for the books with The UA at Little Rock Women’s Basketball Team taking the lead as champions in The Ohio Valley Conference during their very first year. Although they did not get to win the finals in

Indiana as champions, losing in a very close game to Tennessee Tech, Harvey predicts that they will be going to NCAA next year as champions.

To see the video from postgame and to hear what Harvey and her teammate Jayla and Coach Foley had to say about it click on this link. https://lrtrojans. com/news/2023/4/17/womensbasketball-trojans-in-the-prosupdate-april-17.aspx

Harvey who stands in height at 5’9, aptly playing the guard

move, I just want to dance.”

You never know how many multi-facets there are to a person until you just sit down and have a conversation with them.

Before sitting down with her for this interview, I was impressed by her professionalism which makes her stand out on the UA Little Rock Dance Team. It was a pleasure to get to know a little more about the dancing nurse-to-be named Stanley.

BY VAL BELL

position scored 10.0 points per game this season.

She is pursuing a degree in Communications here at UA at Little Rock and hopes to become an ESPN broadcaster.

She is proud of her coaches and her teammates who are leaving after playing such a stellar season this year as she envisions herself stepping up and becoming more developed as a team leader in the seasons to come.

She says that she may play an additional year due to the effects of COVID interrupting her college career in a sense. For more information on her stats, you can click on the following link. https://

lrtrojans.com/sports/womensbasketball/roster/tia-harvey/7046

BY VAL BELL

STANLEY RICHARDSON

Photo provided

TIA HARVEY

Photo provided

OPINION

LACK OF DIVERSITY IN LEADERSHIP LEAVES NAVY SAILORS OF COLOR STRANDED

I spent six years in the Navy as a SONAR Technician and was stationed on a destroyer in Washington state for five of those years.

I deployed with NATO forces in 2019 for seven months and returned January 2020. During my time in the Navy, I noticed a quietly dismissive attitude towards racial issues.

Most notably, following the murder of George Floyd, our crew was ordered not to attend any demonstrations with any representations of the Navy. We were told that we could speak with our leadership if we needed to process any mental health issues.

But, when it seemed there was a challenge to racial attitudes on our ship, it seemed that we were told that we were all the same family in the Navy and that was final.

Furthermore, I couldn’t help but notice that leadership in our crew did not reflect the quite the same demographics as lower enlisted members. But I did not think to research the demographics of the Navy until quite recently.

For readers who may be unfamiliar with the leadership structure, enlisted members make up the majority of the military workforce, and enlistments often require significantly less education demands.

Officers are offered ranks before assuming their commission, which lends a position of authority over enlisted personnel.

Higher ranks generally means higher pay, so officers are compensated at a higher rate than enlisted personnel.

The Navy may have a diverse workforce in terms of race,

ethnicity, and sometimes national origin. The ban during the previous presidential administration on transgender servicemembers has limited gender diversity. However, diversity in population does not always translate to equity, particularly with respect to race.

We can see this most evidently with respect to opportunities for leadership positions.

According to a report released by the Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity in 2016, white service members accounted for 79.2% of Naval officers of all ranks, a whopping 89% of senior officers (O7-O10) and almost 63.7% of senior enlisted leaders (E7-E9).

Their African American counterparts only accounted for 7.3% of Naval officers of all ranks, a dismal 5% of senior officers (O7-O10), and a more respectable 18.6% of senior enlisted leaders (E-9). Asian service members made up 4.8% of all Naval officers, only 3.7% of senior officers, and 7.4% senior enlisted.

Hispanic service members made up 7.5% of all Naval officers, 2.8% of senior officers, 13.1% of senior enlisted. (It should be noted that Hispanic is not a race-- it is an ethnicity but was included in the report as a reference).

This is reflected in almost any leadership position in the United States. However, the numbers do not stop there.

Because something more concerning happens when you look at the makeup of the most junior enlisted of the Navy in 2016.

The proportion of almost all races went in the opposite direction. White service members made up (significantly) less of

junior enlisted sailors, and all other races and ethnicities increased.

African American servicemembers accounted for 21% of junior enlisted (E1-E3); Asian sailors accounted for 4.9% of junior enlisted; and Hispanic sailors accounted for 16.6% of the makeup of junior ranks.

White sailors made up 59.1% of junior enlisted. That’s a 20.1% decrease from making up 79.2% of all Naval officers, a 29.9% decrease from making up 89% of senior officers (O7-O10), and 4.6% decrease from making up 63.7% of senior enlisted.

This is chilling to me for several reasons.

1) Opportunities are not fairly distributed in the Navy.

2) Junior enlisted are placed in danger more often than senior enlisted and officers. Does that feel like an assumption?

African American veterans of all branches make up 19% of disability claims and Hispanic American veterans make up 18% of disability claims, while white veterans make up 12% of disability claims, according to the Pew Research Center.

As a separate note, women of all branches make up 16% of disabled veterans, despite only making up 27% of the military.

According to research conducted by Armed Forces & Society, health indicators are higher for veterans who served as officers as opposed to junior enlisted.

3) Service in the military means more opportunities for many service members. But the military itself seems to reflect similar racial inequities to civilian life, despite often claiming to be blind to race.

This is a myth, as evidenced by the racial makeup of naval leadership.

4) Of course, leadership means power in decisionmaking. If decisions are made without diversity of input, service members of color will continue to be disregarded. Racism permeates the military; this is reflected anecdotally and in data.

How do we fix this? Well, it’s a toss-up. But here are a few of my suggestions:

1) Stop the school to military pipeline. Recruiters are often more likely to be accepted in or even invited to schools with lower funding, which almost always translates to schools with a higher population of students of color.

2) Reform the immigration system. Many service members of color join to gain citizenship or to help their family members gain a form of residence. Even after they join, citizenship is not guaranteed, but they must finish their service either way. It is not unusual for veterans to be deported.

3) Often becoming an officer requires a college degree. But it does not in all cases.

I say the following with certainty albeit admittedly based solely on my own observations: a college education does not equate to leadership skills or intelligence.

Allow enlisted members more pathways to commissioned leadership (officer positions) without a college degree.

Many enlisted members join the military because they need to make money to eat and feed their families today.

Not tomorrow or in four years— after a college education. During

my time in the Navy, I realized a trend that has rarely proved wrong: most people enlist because they are broke, lonely or desperate. The first reason is by far the most prevalent that I have found.

4) Address racism in the Navy with off-ship authority and accountability. Often discrimination cases are underreported for fear of reprisal or concern for disruption to operation.

A “color-blind” bureaucracy like the Navy will never be able to address racism because bureaucracy leaves little room for nuances, which I would argue is where racism lives.

For instance, black sailors are grossly overrepresented with the populations of the Navy that receives non-judicial punishments. While they only made up 19% of the Navy’s enlisted force in 2020, they comprised 29% of the population that received nonjudicial punishments.

This can also affect their ability to advance to leadership positions, further exacerbating the lack of representation in leadership.

Much needs to be done in the Navy before true equality exists for people of color, as well as women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Representation in leadership will not ensure equality, but representation is a start to begin to think critically about how our service members are treated in the Navy and the broader military.”

BY BRYAN HERNANDEZ

WHY IT WAS AND IS AN AWFUL IDEA TO ACQUIRE THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX

Yes, 20 million dollars in the bank sounds fantastic, especially when universities all over are facing lowering enrollment and retention rates. What I am sure did not sound so great was the outcry from students, faculty and staff who saw the deal as what it was: a money grab that would significantly harm the University of Arkansas’ system’s reputation.

Even more worrisome was the secrecy in which this proposal began and how everyone came to discover it through a breaking news story from the Arkansas Times.

The deal consisted of a proposal that suggested the University of Arkansas System-affiliated nonprofit, Transformative Educational Services (TES), acquire the University of Phoenix for 500 million dollars in exchange for providing University of Phoenix licensing rights that could lead to potential income to the UAS of 20 million dollars annually and potentially more if the university was sustainable, as I understand it.

Although the deal thankfully fell through by a vote of 5 to 4, with one abstention, and the system’s board rejected the resolution, this whole ordeal was worrisome for the future of the UAS, and UA System President Donald Bobbitt could still go through with the deal, which he was an outspoken proponent of.

In an open letter to President Bobbitt and the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees,

The UA Little Rock Faculty Senate urged them to reconsider the acquisition of the University of Phoenix.

They cited multiple reasons, including the University of Phoenix’s ability to shrink from almost half a million students to around 75,000 students in less than a decade, and that even the UA system traditional universities now offer online coursework and credentials and serve adult students, non-traditional students, returning students and military students, which are the services and demographics the University of Phoenix targeted.

They also cite that the University of Phoenix has a tainted reputation, which is true, as the university has a history of deceptive advertising and fraudulent practices, which led to many multi-million dollar lawsuits and settlements. The US Veterans Administration also stopped allowing veterans to use their GI Bill benefits at University of Phoenix until the university could make their requested changes, which they did. The claim of benefits being rejected was denied by University of Phoenix spokeswoman Andrea Smiley.

Furthermore, in Feb. 2022 George Burnett was hired as the university’s president. Burnett had previously led a now-defunct forprofit college which committed fraudulent practices.

The University of Arkansas Faculty Senate also came out strongly against the deal, also citing Phoenix’s poor reputation: “though

you acknowledge the “checkered past” of the University of Phoenix, we feel you are too quick to dismiss those problems as being in the past. We feel the reputation of Phoenix’s history will linger for years to come, and our campus is at the most risk for association with it. The University of Phoenix has proven itself, through strikingly low graduation and retention rates, to be unsuccessful at helping students reach their educational goals, anathema to what we do here on the Hill. As the flagship campus, the System brand is inextricably linked to the Razorbacks, to Old Main and the brand-defining world-class instruction that takes place on our campus every day. Phoenix’s well-documented history of dishonest and predatory practices with students resulting in poor educational experiences are the defining features of the University of Phoenix brand, in opposition to ours.”

Again, we see how Phoenix’s terrible reputation would work against everything the UA System is supposed to stand for. They also do not treat students how students should be treated.

On top of all of the reputation claims, UAS Trustee Kelly Eichler, who was outspokenly in support of the acquisition, was revealed to have a conflict on interest that directly went against the UAS Board of Trustee Policy 100.9 stating “A conflict of interest exists when a trustee has the opportunity to influence University actions, decisions, or contracting in ways

that could lead to improper personal or family gain or give improper advantage to the trustee or others.”

KNWA Fox24 claimed that the company Eichler’s husband works for stood to make $25,000 upon acquisition and at least $1.65 million once the deal was complete. I would say that is a clear conflict of interest, and Eichler was the abstention vote. Her abstention was the difference between a 5-to5 tie and the narrow loss for the proposal.

Perhaps the biggest reason this acquisition is painful for all UA System faculty and students is because each UA System school has been battling hard to make it through the pandemic and affect changes that benefit everybody. For the President and Board of Trustees to put money and effort outside of the system is a hurtful act.

The UALR Faculty Senate said it best: “We urge you to stop looking outward for the solution, and to start looking inward; invest your time and energy toward expanding access to courses and programs at the existing University of Arkansas campuses. Such efforts will provide sustainable benefits to Arkansans and offer much greater long-term value to the System and state than will be an affiliation with the muchtarnished University of Phoenix.”

This sentiment is repeated in the open letter from the UofA Faculty Senate: “As educational servants to the citizens of Arkansas, our tide can lift all boats when our citizenry

can see that access to world-class education need not flow through back door acquisitions of entities from Arizona but rather that world-class structures already exist in our state. These structures are taught and supported by Arkansas citizens, whose results are seen and felt in the very communities in which they live throughout the Natural State.”

Bobbitt led the push to purchase Phoenix and opened the voting meeting by asserting the arrangement was merely a licensing agreement that he had the authority to carry out, but that he would like the Board’s support.

Bobbitt did not offer a public statement after the vote, but spokesman, Nathan Hinkel, said the following: “Dr. Bobbitt has previously said it would be difficult to move forward without support from the Board for this project. That statement remains true, and he is certainly disappointed in the outcome of the meeting.”

Even the idea of this deal is worrisome to students and faculty alike, because these funds should and could be being put to our own existing system. If the UAS has 500 million dollars, that money should go to the campuses in Arkansas who are fighting the effects of the pandemic and who have a reputation of helping, not harming their students.

BY CHLOE MCGEHEE

CHAT GPT FROM A STUDENTS VIEW

Have you ever watched those horror Sci-Fi films where artificial intelligence takes over the world then suddenly humans become obsolete?

With the introduction of ChatGPT, an AI tool accessible to everyone that is able to plan out your meals for the week and write your essay homework, many are wondering if these films have predicted the future.

Many colleges and universities are nervous about what the implications of an accessible artificial intelligence tool may mean for the efficacy of student assignments. A survey done by Best Colleges reports that only about one third of students say their college has banned access to ChatGPT. This limitation, or outright ban, of ChatGPT comes after its artificial intelligence passed a graduate-level exam at universities in Minnesota and Pennsylvania as reported by US Today.

While many colleges are not explicitly banning the use of AI, some colleges have integrated software that was actually created by the inventors of ChatGPT, AI text classifier, to detect the use of artificial intelligence tools in student’s work. With all the panic surrounding ChatGPT from colleges and universities about

how students will use it to cheat on class assignments, what are the students saying about this new, robust tool?

A New York Times article, “What Students Are Saying About ChatGPT,” listed several reasons some students are against AI.

“Students worry we’ll lose our creativity and critical thinking skills if we rely on chatbots” and “some think AI has no place in education because it inhibits learning” are among students’ reasoning for not utilizing the new technology.

As for using ChatGPT for cheating, that same Best Colleges survey cites that 50% of students use Chat GPT in order to aid in the completion of assignments but infuse the content from A.I. with their own thoughts. In that same survey, nine out of ten students have only used ChatGPT out of pure curiosity or for personal projects.

ChatGPT certainly opens the door for unethical applications in school work. However, surveys done across many platforms and interviews with students across the nation prove that college students agree with their higher education that using it to complete assignments should be considered cheating. With an influx of companies utilizing the power of artificial intelligence such as

Microsoft, Google, Canva and even Adobe, it may in fact be beneficial for students to be educated not only on its ethical boundaries but also on its practical application. The rising of artificial intelligence does not have to be as scary as those Sci-Fi films if we learn how to work alongside it, learn what its limitations are and define the boundaries of usage.

BY KIRSTEN BOU

STAFF

The Forum is the official student newspaper at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The Forum is funded in part by the student activity fee. The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the staff and contributing writers and do not represent the official views of UALR. The Forum is published 7 times in each of the fall and spring semesters. The Forum editor can be reached at editor@ ualr.edu.

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