The Forum Jan. 16, 2013

The quick path to graduation

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Top 10 songs of 2012

Trojans continue winning ways

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Volume LXXXV Number VIII

News in a

FLASH

The University will be closed Monday, Jan. 21, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The U.S. federal holiday, which is celebrated the third Monday of January each year, marks the birthday of the late African-American clergyman and civil-rights leader born in Atlanta Jan. 15, 1929.

The Clinton School of Public Service will host “’Gee’s Bend,’ a panel discussion with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre,” at noon Thursday, Jan. 24. During the event, cast and crew members will discuss the production, which tells the story of a women’s sewing circle in Gee’s Bend, Ala., whose members discover a new passion for quilting. For more information, call (501) 683-5239 or email public programs@clintonschool. uasys.edu.

The application deadline for Paint the Town Maroon is Wednesday, Jan. 30. Applications can be found at the front desk in Donaghey Student Center room 201.

Erik Malmberg, currently coordinator of student development and leadership programs at Texas State University, has been hired as the new assistant dean of student services at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law. Malmberg is slated to assume the position Feb. 20.

Three long-time UALR professors — Bruce Plopper, School of Mass Communication; Zabelle Stodola, English Department; and Art English, Political Science Department — retired at the close of the fall 2012 semester.

Fenton Adams, former interim dean of the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law (1981- 82 and 198991), died Dec. 13, at age 90. Adams, a resident of Alabama, was a long-time Bowen professor before becoming an administrator.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Suicide attempts on rise; officials respond Administrator: Reports of self-harm reach 40-year high during fall ‘12 semester Cameron Moix News Editor

An increase in reports of suicidal behavior during the fall semester at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has led to attention and proposed action by university administration, according to officials.

Donaldson said there were more reports related to students “with suicidal ideations” during the fall 2012 semester than any other he has seen throughout his 40-year career at UALR. “That was a red flag for me,” he said, because those behaviors are typically more common during the university’s spring semester.

“We have had reports of students in distress with suicidal ideations,” said Charles Donaldson, vice chancellor for educational, student services and student life, “but what we’re experiencing is happen-

ing nationwide, at colleges and universities, and particularly campuses where you have oncampus housing.”

Debbie Gentry, executive director of student housing, said she saw an increased number of reports related to “discussion of self harm or actual attempt at self harm” last semester.

“In fall, there were more of those reports than I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” she said in reference to her 21-year career at UALR. “I would consider it an anomaly.”

Gentry said there are a variety of societal issues affecting the mental health of college students at UALR and elsewhere in the country. Among the issues she mentioned were the economy, politics and finances.

“The university is a microcosm of society, and everything that’s happening out there happens in the college environment

as well,” Donaldson said, “and what we’re seeing as a nation, as a world ... there’s a lot more stress and we’re all having to deal with it — and that’s true for students who are coming to us.”

In a recent American College Counseling Association study, nearly three-fourths of 228 counselors reported increased crises among college students in the past five years. Another 42 percent of study participants reported an increase in self-injury, and 24 percent an increase in eating disorders.

Donaldson said students report to the his office, as well as others in Student Services, for a variety of mental and emotional issues. UALR also has a number of military veterans, who sometimes suffer from such conditions as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Donaldson said.

Donaldson said that when he saw the rise in incidents at

UALR and looked at some of the national statistics, he got the UALR Behavior Intervention Team together and discussed ways to address these problems with “the appropriate services and intervention for our students.”

“It’s nothing unique to UALR,” Gentry said. “The same things happen elsewhere on campuses nationwide, so it isn’t anything unique. But there are a lot of factors affecting people’s mental health right now.”

The UALR Behavioral Intervention Team has started enacting measures in an attempt to be more proactive in the fight against suicidal self-endangering behavior. UBIT deals with individuals after an incident has occurred or if he or she has exhibited concerning behavior, but Donaldson said that he

See SUICIDE, page 4

Winter storm inflicts minimal damage to campus Cameron Moix News Editor

While the winter-weather system that swept into Arkansas Christmas Day left many without power and debris strewn across the state, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus received minimal storm damage, according to university officials.

The winter storm, which entered central Arkansas from the northwest early Dec. 25, never directly caused the university to lose power and created mostly just cosmetic damage, said officials from the department of facilities management.

Only a small section of the campus lost power, which resulted from Entergy Arkansas Inc. repairing nearby lines, according to Dave Millay, associate vice chancellor of facilities management. Entergy, the state’s largest electrical utility, dealt with the task of restoring power to about 265,000 customers in the state throughout and following the winter holidays, according to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.

“When they came to a place where they had to make a re-

The winter storm that hit central Arkansas Christmas Day left the the UALR campus littered with snow, ice, tree limbds, and a collapsed awning at the Printing Services in shambles. Photo courtesy of Sandra Vail pair, they’d have to briefly shut a part of the campus down,” said Michael Seamon, facilities management’s assistant director of operations. “That happened, I think, four different times, but only briefly each time.”

Millay said that his primary concern was the well-being of residents in on-campus student housing, some of whom remained in their dorms through the holiday break. He said that the winter storm was not nearly

Incoming speaker discusses session GOP leader credited with ability to work across the aisle

Patrick Lindsey Staff Writer

The newly elected speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives, Rep. Davy Carter, RCabot, discussed key political issues facing the state Friday, Jan. 11, at an event at Little Rock’s Clinton School of Public Service.

In the packed main room of Sturgis Hall, Dean Skip Rutherford introduced Carter as the first Republican speaker since Reconstruction, when Charles A. Tankersley last held the position in 1871. Carter Carter began his service as speaker Monday, Jan. 14.

Rutherford noted Carter’s “ability to build effective coalitions on both sides of the aisle” and praised Carter’s appreciation of “respecting where he both came from and where he now lives.”

Among the topics discussed

by the speaker were his background, the influence of current Gov. Mike Beebe and the nature of contemporary economic issues at the national level that affect Arkansas’ state budget.

Carter stressed the importance of Medicaid expansion at the federal level and its impact on Arkansas politics, saying, “what we do regarding Medicaid, like it or not, affects what we do going forward.”

Carter assured members of the audience that any legislation potentially passed by the Arkansas congress will be “rigorously debated” and incorporate all viewpoints. “We are all committed to not allowing cuts to Medicaid during the next two years.”

Carter continued by expressing eagerness at beginning a new term as House speaker, saying, “Arkansas is open for business, and I want you to hold me accountable.”

Displaying comfort in transparency and an interest in pragmatic politics, Carter referred to his upbringing as a crucial factor shaping this personal outlook.

“My family, my roots, being god-fearing. Each of these make me proud to come from the Del-

ta,” he said.

Carter not only credited the parochial values of Arkansans as explanations for state economic success, but also praised Arkansas’ diversity as a citizenry as indispensable.

“Only because of our economic, and social, diversity has Arkansas weathered the economic problems at the national level,” he said. “We have a $300 million surplus after a fully funded budget. This is remarkable.”

In addition to serving as House Speaker, Carter will maintain his post on the Revenue and Taxation Committee as well as the Insurance and Commerce Committee. Carter represents District 48, encompassing Cabot and surrounding parts of Lonoke County.

Prior to entering Arkansas politics, Carter was a banker and attorney. Carter is a graduate of the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law where he also served as a member of the Law Review. Prior to law school, Carter attended Louisiana State University’s Graduate School of Banking and Arkansas State University, where he majored in corporate finance.

as damaging as the ice storm that ravaged much of the state, including the campus, in January 2001, just months after he came to work at UALR.

See STORM, page 4

Campus resident, employee flees scene after crash, according to DPS Jennifer Ellis

Executive Editor

A housing maintenance worker and Staff Senate member’s vehicle was towed after having been reported Dec. 22, leaving the scene of an accident on University Avenue, according to a police report.

The Little Rock Police Department notified UALR police of a hit-and-run accident, which resulted in injury, involving a silver 2007 Jeep Wrangler belonging to Harry Murdock, 33, who resides at UALR’s University Village, the report said.

Christina Cordell, a witness at the scene of the accident, told officers she was following Murdock back from Senor Tequila’s and that Tracy Collier, University Village director and student development

See ACCIDENT, page 4

Wednesday, January 16, 2012

Opinions

Ask questions

Staff Editorial

Sarah De Clerk Features Editor

Illustration by Sarah De Clerk

Signing of bill breaks promise of change The Forum President Obama, who won his first election by promising change, began his second term with more of the same. By signing the National Defense Authorization Act, Obama has chosen to carry on the legacy left by the Bush Administration. The NDAA is a yearly bill that determines military spending and policies. Obama’s public reservations with some of the policies included in the

bill did not, however, stop him from signing the act.

Obama has been an outspoken opponent of Guantanamo Bay and, in 2008, he promised to close the facility forever.

Last year, Obama threatened to veto the NDAA because it contained language that would make it difficult to release Guantanamo Bay prisoners.

Regardless of his promises, Obama signed the bill peacefully.

In addition, the NDAA gives

the government the power to detain American citizens indefinitely. People suspected of terrorism can be jailed without a trial until the government decides to release them.

If that seems unconstitutional, it is; article 1, section 9 of the Constitution guarantees a fair and speedy trial.

Obama has promised not to suspend habeas corpus, but then again, he also promised to shut down Guantanamo Bay. His pledge is meant to appease

Control vs. ban: There IS a difference Frankly, my dear GEOFFREY BARA I wouldn’t say that I’ve “had enough” of the conversation surrounding gun control. It’s a conversation that is both prudent and overdue. So, no, we haven’t had enough of it, but I think we’ve had too much of the wrong kind of conversation, and that is very frustrating.

To begin with, it’s important that people recognize the difference between gun control and banning all guns. Yes, it’s true that most versions of gun control include the banning of assault weapons, but even proponents of gun possession should agree that anyone not looking to commit a crime would not need something with “assault” in the name. No one needs an assault rifle to shoot a deer or protect a home.

That being said, gun control is regulation, not removal, of guns in America. That’s the most important point that needs to be communicated: regulating is not banning. I hear too often, especially here in Arkansas, that “no one’s going to take our guns!” Relax. No one wants to.

What’s being suggested is

that guns should be regulated in much the same way that driver’s licenses are regulated. Certain pre-existing medical conditions can cause one to be prohibited from driving. Driver’s licenses need to be renewed periodically, to prove that one still knows how to drive properly. It should be so with guns, too.

These are solid, logical arguments, and every argument I have ever heard against them has been nonsensical and blatantly combative. I have been told that these regulations would be so expensive that in order to fund them, taxes would have to be raised for the general public.

That’s folly; in the same way that cigarettes became more expensive for smokers and no one else, so too should guns and ammunition become more expensive to gun owners and no one else.

New taxes should be levied on the purchase of both guns and ammunition to pay for these increased regulations. I have heard that this is unfair, because most gun owners are law-abiding citizens with good heads on their shoulders. That’s true, and my only responses to that argument are (A) life isn’t fair, and (B) I don’t commit murders but I still pay the salaries of police officers, judges, public defenders and such, and you don’t see me whining about it.

And let’s not forget that old

constituents, but has no legal power. Obama does not actually face any consequences if he decides to invoke that privilege. His actions, or lack there of, puts American citizens in danger of being unlawfully imprisoned by their own government.

Obama’s choice is a reminder that it is action, and not words, that matter most. Will Obama’s actions fit his progressive image? Judging by the NDAA, it seems unlikely.

Questions are important, so ask them. Never be afraid to ask questions and never be afraid of the answers that your questions may bring.

If you find yourself at a loss in any of your classes, ask for clarification. Read the material you are given and, if the answer is not there, ask your instructor.

Good instructors will not chastise you for your questions; they will respect you for having the guts to ask. How can any student be expected to succeed if their questions go unanswered?

Of course, be prudent. Don’t be inappropriate or rude. Don’t speak out of turn. If you don’t have time to find your answers right away, write them down and find out later. Politeness and persistence go a long way when searching for the truth.

Ask questions throughout your life, not just in class. Keep your eyes open. Observant minds are filled with questions. Why are construction workers tearing up the street? How old is that building?

What is its history? Who controls the air conditioning? Go find out.

The answers may astonish you.

Questions are self-replicating.

The more answers you get, the more questions they bring. That is the glorious thing about life – it is full of never-ending questions.

Live your life with eternal questions, and you will never be bored.

There is no better way to broaden your mind than to ask questions.

Ask questions persistently, relentlessly and tenaciously. Ask the questions no one else wants to ask, but everyone wants to know.

Ask tirelessly, and do not stop for anyone or any reason. Never fear questions, because no answer can be worse than living oblivious to reality.

Questions are empowering.

Their answers allow you to understand the true reality of things.

By understanding reality, you have the power to take action and change it. This is our check on the powers that be. This is how we will build a greater existence. Question it, question it forever.

Letter to the Editor

gem: “criminals will get the guns anyway, so why bother with new laws?” By this logic, all laws should be repealed, because “people break them anyway.”

The other bit that’s driving me insane is that many people, the National Rifle Association in particular, are trying to put the blame squarely on the shoulders of mental illness. True, guns without “crazy people” wielding them do not shoot people, but likewise, someone confronted with a gunless “crazy person” does not get shot. What needs to be recognized is that this isn’t an either-or proposition.

We can address the deficiencies in the health care system, particularly with regard to mental health, AND the lack of gun control. We, as a society, don’t need to choose. We can do both at once.

The most disturbing thing about the NRA, if it isn’t their total lack of touch with reality, has to be their foul attitude.

I have seen too many posters, internet graphics and the like proclaiming that the media is out to get them, just like it is every few years (read: every time there’s a horrific gun-related tragedy) and they’ll “win again.” I’m sorry if it bothers you to hear it, NRA and supporters, but as long as we’re living in the developed country that is ranked highest in gun murders, nobody wins.

Arkansas, like all the states in this great union, is unique. We are very independent-minded and believe in the well-being of our neighbors. I viewed Ricky Harris’s article, “Arkansas Lags Behind, As Usual,” as distasteful.

Harris’s statements painted Arkansans as uneducated, uncaring, pro-gun “from my cold dead hands” screaming, right-wing radical hillbillies. Such imagery of our people was extremely uncalled for and truly lacked reasoning. He apparently walks blindly in life as he strolls through the streets of Arkansas.

We are mad at this current administration and our current legislative body in Little Rock. My county for example, Stone, was predominantly Good Ole Boy Democrats until 2010.

The citizens of Stone and those of the surrounding area suffered major losses in jobs, business and the hope that the President promised.

I can remember the Mom & Pop stores on Main Street in Mountain View closing down and the new stores struggling to stay afloat in the President’s “inherited” economy. In 2010, our people headed to the polls and broke away from their “grandfather’s party” and voted republican down the ticket for the first time. Because of this administration we have become, as Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller envisioned, a two-party state.

Arkansans are not simple minded, nor clueless. We are aware of the atrocities and lies of this administration. We, along with the

rest of America, woke up after 2008. Yes, the Republicans did not win this November, but the proof is in the pudding, or, in this case, the numbers. On Election Day, we witnessed a percentage change in all 50 states and a party conversion in North Carolina and Indiana.

In Ohio, Virginia and Florida you could almost cut the tension with a knife, it was so close. In 2008, these states carried a safe margin for Obama; this year came down to the points. In Florida, for example, Obama led by 0.7 percent, unlike in 2008 where he held a 2 percent lead. So if these Southern Blue states have good common sense, why did 2 percent of these sensible voters switch sides? It might be because they are tired of the broken promises, or, from Harris’s standpoint, these people who voted for Obama in 2008 became overnight racists.

Now, on the subject of medical marijuana, Arkansans were split 51-49 against. Arkansans do care about the well-being of the extremely ill, but this is the 21st century. We have prescription drugs on the market that will do just as well for individuals, without the high. In addition, when our governor and coalitions of qualified medical doctors oppose the proposition, more people tend to listen to them, rather than inspirational speakers.

Darren Ray Waddles Freshman political science major

Letters to the Editor The Forum welcomes letters to the editor on any subject as well as comments on our news coverage and editorial position.

Letters must include the author’s name, classification, major or position and a contact telephone number for confirmation.

Letters are subject to editing to meet space limitations.

Please limit letter to 500 words or less.

The staff will not alter the meaning of the letter, but will correct spelling and punctuation and edit to conform to Associated Press and news style.

All letters are subject to publication. The editor has the right to reject any letter especially those letters that are libelous,

News Editor Cameron Moix

Executive Editor Jennifer Ellis

Features Editor Sarah De Clerk

Managing Editor Ricky Harris

Sports Editor Jacob Ellerbee

Business Manager Holden Raines

Adviser Sonny Rhodes

Advertising Manager Steven Wells

Entertainment Editor Liz Fox

obscene or incoherent.

Letters should be sent to editor@ualr.edu or

University of Arkansas at Little Rock 201J Donaghey Student Center 2801 S. University Ave. Little Rock, AR 72204

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; members of the UALR community are allowed one copy per edition. When available, additional copies may be purchased for $1.25 by contacting The Forum’s business manager. Newspaper theft is a crime. Anyone who violates the single copy rule may be subject to civil and/or criminal prosecution and/or university discipline. The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the staff and contributing writers and do not represent the official views of UALR. Students enrolled in MCOM 3320 and other reporting classes sometimes serve as contributing writers for The Forum. Advertising inquiries should be referred to The Forum’s advertising office at 501-569-3319. The Forum is published 7 times in each of the fall and spring semesters, and once in the summer. The Forum’s executive editor can be reached at 501-569-3265. All material published in this newspaper is copyrighted.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2012

Back to school, and home again

Campus residents return to their rooms Tuesday, Jan. 15, after campus closed at 10:45 a.m. due to inclement weather. Photo by Cameron Moix

Galleries update with new exhibits Hillary Perkins

Contributing Writer

UALR’s Department of Art began hosting new exhibitions this month, and more are scheduled to begin in February, in the Fine Arts building’s three permanent art galleries.

The galleries will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Gallery I now houses an exhibition titled “Collecting Prints (1997-2012): Works from the UALR Permanent Collection,” which will run until March 11. “Collecting Prints” celebrates the art of Professor Win Bruhl who is soon retiring after 15 years as the department chair.

Gallery II is currently exhibiting “Surface Space (Sundial Face),” a collection of paintings by Taimur Cleary, an artist in residence at UALR. These works are based on landscaping, light, the weather, memory and more.

Cleary was professor at Columbus College Art and Design in Ohio and was also an assistant professor of art in Lahore, Pakistan. This exhibition will run until Feb. 8.

ACCIDENT, continued from page 1 specialist, was in the vehicle with Murdock.

According to the report, the witness told police, when she stopped at the light on University Avenue and 32nd Street, she saw Murdock’s Jeep in the bushes and another vehicle overturned in Popeye’s parking lot.

Then, the Jeep fled the scene, so she waited with the overturned vehicle

Exhibitions by Sandy Simon and Robert Brady will also soon be included in gallery II. The exhibition for these two artists will be from Feb. 23, through April 3. The two artists specialize in pottery works, and Simon owns a ceramics gallery in Berkley, Calif.

The “Scholarship Exhibition” will be housed in Gallery III from Jan. 21 to Feb. 7, and will include works from art students who have received scholarships to study at UALR this academic year. An exhibition titled “John Harlan Norris: Occupants” will also be included in Gallery III from Feb. 12 to March 21, and will include portraits the artist said are based on everyday life.

“We all experience moments in which the roles in our daily lives come to define us in powerful ways,” Norris said in a news release. “In the pursuit of prosperity, leisure, social status and personal meaning, we often assume identities that both define and fail to define us. My current body of work explores the possibilities and limitations of our daily occupations at a time in which we frequently change jobs, balance multiple roles and cannot easily delineate between private and public life.” until police came.

Officers found the alleged vehicle belonging to Murdock at University Village in front of Coleman Court building 1 with several people standing beside it.

UALR police went to the apartments of Murdock and Collier, but they did not respond. The officers contacted the University Village courtesy officer who contacted Collier, who said she did not know where Murdock was.

Police Beat Fake $20 found in till A worker in the Donaghey Student Center Fitness and Aquatic Center reported finding a specious looking $20 in the cash register when she opened the morning of Dec. 11, according to a police report.

The report states Kenya Brown told police that when she opened her till at about 6 a.m. that morning she noticed the bill appeared to be counterfeit and promptly notified her boss, who she said advised her to contact police.

Brown turned the bill over to police, who questioned her. The report states she told police she did not know who brought in the bill and when she set up her register the day before it had not been there.

TV reported stolen from West Hall residence A student reported Jan. 10, a burglary had occurred at his

West Hall residence sometime over winter break.

The victim told police a television valued at $150 had been taken from his room, but he did not know who might have taken it, as no one else had a key to his room.

Alarms in residence halls Twice during UALR’s winter break, officers from DPS responded to active fire alarms in student housing, but found no fire.

About 11:30 p.m. Dec. 28, officers and personell from the Little Rock Fire Department responded to an alarm sounding at East Hall, but found no smoke or fire. Then again, on Jan. 4, personnel from both DPS and the LRFD responded to sounding fire alarms after a student in North Hall left a hot dog on the stove that started to smoke. Firefighters cleared the smoke and reset the system.

News

3

4 News Race and ethnicity institute searches for director, chancellor names interim

Wednesday, January 16, 2012

Tatsiana Karaliova Contributing Writer

Priscilla McChristian, chief of staff in the Chancellor’s Office, was appointed interim director of the UALR Institute on Race and Ethnicity on Dec. 20, following the departure of inaugural Director Adjoa A. Aiyetoro, who has returned to her job as a full-time law professor at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law, where she is focusing her efforts on a major research project on issues of racial disparity in the Arkansas criminal justice system.

“I am really proud to take on this role,” McChristian said. “We’ll keep the train on the tracks until the new director will be hired."

The university contracted Academic Search Inc., a national search firm, to look for the new director and plans to hire someone by July.

McChristian joined UALR in 2008 as special assistant to Chancellor Joel Anderson and was later appointed his chief of staff. McChristian said that one of the most gratifying parts of her career at UALR has been working with Anderson to develop and launch the Institute on Race and Ethnicity and that her ap-

SUICIDE, continued from page 1 wants to “complete the loop.”

“Obviously there has been a shift in behaviors, and we need to prepare ourselves for it,” Donaldson added. “We can’t wait, we don’t want to wait, until there has been a crisis situation. So we’ve spent the past few weeks ... putting together information that we can roll out this spring semester that will help the campus professionals better deal with students and signs of distress,” he said.

The Department of Educational, Student Services and Student Life is currently in the final stages of producing informational literature such as brochures and advertisements designed to educate faculty, students and staff in assisting distressed individuals.

Two of the handouts that Donaldson said the campus population can expect

STORM, continued from page 1 “We were out here for a solid week, from daylight to dark, cutting trees and cleaning up,” Seamon said about the 2001 storm.

The majority of the damage caused by this season’s storm affected ornamental trees and shrubberies, Millay said. Four large pine trees fell in different spots on campus, one of which fell near the Southwest entrance to campus, blocking the road. So Seamon drove from his home in Saline County to clear the road and prepare the Department of Public Safety’s police vehicles for the ice- and snow-covered roadways.

Sandra Vail, director of facilities management, said that UALR grounds crews have filled six 40-yard construction dumpsters with debris from the cleanup. The only structural damage on campus was to the canopy and surrounding section of wall at the Print Services facility, which collapsed from the weight of snow, and to the roof of the now defunct greenhouse located behind the geology building, which collapsed after a snow-laden tree limb fell from above. Vail estimated repairs for the Print Services facility to be about $4,500, but she said

pointment as interim director is an honor.

“Priscilla McChristian helped turn the concept of this institute into reality by giving energy and direction to the initiative during the planning year leading up to the institute’s establishment," An- McChristian derson said in a news release. "She also gave voice to it in the case statement that secured foundation support for launching it."

McChristian said, “We are going to carry on with the ongoing programs and there maybe some new things down the road that we would want to take advantage of.”

For example, the institute is scheduled to host a reception Feb. 20, in UALR’s new Student Services Center following a lecture by civil-rights legend and scholar Robert L. Green, which will be in the facility’s auditorium. Green was invited to speak by Psychology Department Chair Robert F. Morgan.

Major projects by the institute this

year include the 10th Annual Racial Attitudes Conference on March 28. During the event, the results of the 10th Annual Racial Attitudes in Pulaski County Survey by the UALR Institute of Government will be discussed. The focus of this year’s survey was “Crime and Punishment in Arkansas.”

Another important project is the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail, which honors little-known civil-rights activists from Little Rock and Arkansas.

“This year, the idea is to recognize business leaders from the early 1960s who worked together, both black and white, to desegregate downtown,” McChristian said. Department of History Chair John A. Kirk is heading up the project.

Members of the organization would like to form a core group of student volunteers, or ambassadors, that will be trained and ready to help the institute host events and the like. Another idea that has been discussed lately is to establish a grant program for faculty and students to support research projects related to racial and ethnic justice.

“It’s important to get more students engaged with the institute,” McChristian said.

to see this spring are titled “Students in Distress: A Guide for Faculty, Staff and Students” and “First Responders Contact List.” The materials are designed to help individuals identify signs of distress, communicate with troubled students, intervene or assist in emergency situations and contact the appropriate party to help the distressed individual.

“We will blanket the campus with information that will make us all buy into the opportunities and challenges that we see here,” Donaldson said, and put our total campus in a position to better intervene and help our students.”

He said that UALR Chancellor Joel Anderson has approved the initiative and he is confident he will gain the remaining support needed to make the project “the total package.”

Gentry said, “the more we can be prepared to address the issues and prevent a possible situation ... then that’s what

we want to do. Intervene as quickly as possible and plug people into the best resources to get them back on track.”

John MacPhee, executive director of the Jed Foundation, said in a Bloomberg interview that depression and anxiety are by far the most prevalent mental health problems students confront. According to MacPhee, the second-leading cause of death among college students is suicide. He said that suicide accounts for about 1,100 student deaths in the United States each year, second only to accidents such as accidental overdoses and drunk driving wrecks, many of which may be related to depression or anxiety.

“It’s concerning to parents and teachers and administrators and staff,” Gentry said. “I mean, no one wants to lose a student. So we just want to do whatever we can to intervene as soon as possible and get them the best resources we can to try to get them healthy.”

there are currently no plans to repair the greenhouse, “because it was not in ‘working condition’ even prior to the snow storm damage.”

“We were very fortunate that everything that fell, fell away from anything of real importance,” Vail said. “We didn’t lose any roofs or windows or walls or cars.”

The administrators said that all of the repair and cleanup work was done in-house, without having to bring in “the snow crew.”

The winter weather system that laid waste to much of the state formed in the southern Plains region and resulted in freezing rain and up to 15 inches of snow on Christmas day, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

“I was very surprised with what damage we had, that it wasn’t on a greater scale than it was,” Seamon said. “We’re lucky we didn’t have any sort of flooding in any of the buildings.”

Three people were reported dead due to the winter weather, according to state reports.

Charles Donaldson, vice chancellor for educational, student services and student life, said he is promoting purchase of a generator to power the residence halls for such instances.

ualr.edu/forum

Search for DPS director enters interview stage Sarah De Clerk Features Editor

The Department of Public Safety plans to hire a new director by the end of January, ending a search that began after the resignation of former Chief Brad King last fall, according to university officials.

The committee in charge of hiring the new director has selected five finalists from a group of 50 applicants, said Robert Adams, vice chancellor for finance and administration. The finalists will soon visit UALR to participate in official interviews, which will be open to faculty, staff and students.

“Because it’s such an important position to the campus, I want folks to have the option to see who we’re looking at," Adams said.

Candidates will be interviewed in the Student Services Center auditorium from 1 to 2 p.m. on the date of his visit: John Blackmon, trooper first class with the Arkansas State Police, will visit the campus Jan. 17; Terence Calloway, director of public safety for Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., will visit Jan. 22; Edward L. Smith, director of the Collegiate Officer Program at East Central University in Ida, Okla., will visit Jan. 24; Gary Dennis, director of Police and Public Safety at Northwest Arkansas University, will visit Jan. 28; Duane Carcum Sr., chief of university police at Xavier University in New Orleans, will visit Jan. 29.

Requirements for the position include a bachelor’s degree, five years of law enforcement experience and a knowledge of budget management, Adams said. He also said that he is looking for someone who has experience managing a university department.

University police work has special considerations that differentiate it from city and state police jobs, Adams said. “Hopefully we’ll find somebody good,” he said.

Several pine trees fell on campus as a result of the winter storm that hit Arkansas on Dec. 25. The university landscape lost four large pines and dozens of smaller plants and trees, officals said. Photo courtesy of Sandra Vail

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Beebe appoints alum as new Heritage Department director Liz Fox

Entertainment Editor

UALR and William H. Bowen School of Law alumna Martha Miller will serve as the new director for the Little Rock-based Arkansas Department of Heritage, Gov. Mike Beebe announced Jan. 4.

Miller, 60, will replace former ADH Director Cathie Matthews, who held the position for 15 years before retiring late last year. In addition to being a self-employed attorney, lobbyist and board member for the Little Rock Interfaith Hospitality Network and Audubon Arkansas, the state office of the National Audubon Society, she previously served as deputy director for the Department of Arkansas Heritage Museums.

“Martha is a lifelong Arkansan who has strong experience within the department and with state government,” Beebe said in press release. “Promoting her from her position as deputy director was an easy and sensible decision in light of Cathie Matthews’ retirement.”

The Department of Heritage was established in 1975 and consists of seven

“Martha is a lifelong Arkansan who has strong experience within the department and with state government.”

- Gov. Mike Beebe

divisions: four museums and three heritage resource agencies. The governmental organization has overseen many of the state’s artistic and cultural institutions, including the Arkansas Arts Council, the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and the Old State House Museum. According to its website, the department’s mission is “to identify Arkansas’ heritage and enhance the quality of life by the discovery, preservation, and presentation of the state’s cultural, historic and natural resources.”

Her father, John Miller, was also a well-known presence on Arkansas's political stage, serving as a "long-time leader of the state House of Representatives," according to the Arkansas Times.

ualr.edu/forum

Campus Life

Wednesday, January 16, 2012

5

Deadline for Homecoming crown-seekers approaches

Where’s It At?

Jennifer Ellis

Executive Editor

Students enjoy free food at the Welcome Back Bash put on by the Office of Campus Life in the Upper Concourse of the Donaghey Student Center on Monday, Jan. 14. Photos by Jennifer Ellis

If so, let us know!

BACK

Email rrharris@ualr.edu or visit The Forum office with your answer & win a prize!

WEEK

?

Regina Lewis and Brittany Mitchell, both junior psychology majors, embrace as they spot each other at the Welcome Back Bash hosted Monday, Jan. 14, by the Office of Campus Life.

January 17th “That Tune” Game 7 p.m.

DSC A,B, & C

Inauguration Viewing 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Trojan Grill

Carlita Edward, senior American Sign Language interpreting major, and Merissa Griffin, senior interpreter education program major, join in the festivities on the first day of the spring semester.

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21st

WELCOME

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Do you know what this is a picture of?

22nd Cake & Punch Celebration

11 a.m.

DSC Upper Concourse

23rd & 24th Blue Jean Clothing Drive 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

DSC Solicitation Area

30th Social Event Policies on Campus

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

DSC Leadership Lounge

Krystal Goins, sophomore nursing major, sits for a caricature drawn by artist Jim Tindall at the Welcome Back Bash put on by the Office of Campus Life in the Upper Concourse on Monday, Jan. 14.

Jean drive planned to observe MLK Week Patrick Lindsey Staff Writer

Do you have a non-academic event that you want posted on this calendar?

If so, email rrharris@ualr.edu

Homecoming is still months away, but UALR’s registered student organizations and athletic teams have until Wednesday, Jan. 30, to nominate a candidate for homecoming queen.

To be eligible, nominees must be full-time students, currently enrolled in 12 hours, in good standing, have at least a 2.5 GPA and have completed 30 hours at the university.

Once students have secured their organizations’ nomination, they can pick up an application packet at the Office of Campus Life in the Donaghey Student Center.

Brittany Mathews, student development specialist in charge of the Homecoming Week events, said she hopes to increase the number of nominees to more than 12 this year getting more people involved.

“I think student organizations should nominate someone because we have a very, very, very wide variety of student organizations,” Mathews said. “And I think them nominating people really promotes their organization and it get’s their name out as well.”

Besides, Mathews, who was a member of two homecoming courts in college herself, said, “It’s fun.”

After the court has been named, student voting will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 26-27, in Diamond Area of the Donaghey Student Center.

Homecoming Week beginning Monday, Feb. 25 will include the annual Cardboard Boat Regatta, a Mardi Gras party and other events culminating with the Homecoming game against Arkansas State University at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the Jack Stephens Center. The homecoming queen will be announced at half time. The women play ASU earlier that day at 4:30 p.m.

The Office of Campus Life’s Diversity Programs will celebrate Martin Luther King Day by hosting, a Blue Jean Clothing Drive to benefit Our House, a Little rock shelter for the working homeless, on Monday, Jan. 21, through Thursday, Jan. 24.

Students can participate by bringing pairs of jeans and attending any of the four events held throughout the week beginning with a viewing of the presidential inauguration 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at the Trojan Grill, located just west of the University Commons building.

On Tuesday, students can enjoy refreshments and fellowship while celebrating King’s legacy in the Donaghey Student Center Upper Concourse. The gathering will commence at 11 a.m.

Wednesday and Thursday, the Blue Jean Clothing Drive will continue in the DSC solicitation area from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kara Matthews, diversity programs coordinator, said she would urge students to attend each day, particularly the final two which she referred to as “our highlight days.”

Students who donate a pair of jeans to the drive will receive a free T-shirt honoring

King.

With Black History Month to follow the conclusion of events in honor of King, Matthews said she is proud of UALR’s display of appreciation for not only one of the country’s most celebrated figures, but the broader richness of Black History as well.

“I think we do a wonderful job of recognition,” Matthews said. “With the inauguration scheduled to take place on the same day, as well as the many different programs UALR has been affiliated with in conjunction with the MLK commission, there’s a great tradition of diversity that goes back.”

News.

Photos.

Now.

The UALR Forum

6

Features

That damned Ellis kid

Wednesday, January 16, 2012

ualr.edu/forum

Strategies to ensure a timely graduation

David Ellis

Cheese Puff Double Slice Kids get up early on Saturday without provocation, threats or coercion because it’s the only day of the week without obligation. It’s a day for breakfast cereal, cartoons and afternoon excursions outdoors with friends.

It’s also a day for mischief.

My brother Joe and I got up particularly early to watch our favorite Saturday morning cartoons. My folks were usually so exhausted from the week that Saturday was their day to catch up on all the sleep they missed.

This made it easy to pilfer the kitchen cabinets.

After a bowl of cereal and a couple of hours of “Thundarr the Barbarian,” “Space Ghost” and “Scooby Doo,” our appetites would return and the search would be on for something other than cereal, something we knew Mom would usually object to.

One particular morning, the thing that caught our fancy was a giant, family-size bag of cheese puffs. These cheese puffs came in a bag so large that one would expect it to contain about 17 pounds of dry dog food. They probably had the same nutritional value as dog food, but they tasted so good that we didn’t care.

The first obstacle was to obtain the bag, which was on top of the refrigerator. Here is a tip for all you parents and future parents – that refrigerator trick only works while your child is unable to climb. Do not underestimate kids; they lack impulse control and will do what ever it takes to get what they want especially when you are not around. Trust me. I speak from experience. I earned my title.

Getting the bag was as simple as moving a kitchen chair close enough to enable access to the counter top. Phase one of mission completed, we sat on the couch and set about to reaching phase two, which was opening the bag to get to the cheese puffs. This proved more difficult than we had anticipated. Both my brother and I took turns attempting to wrench open the bag. When that didn’t work, we tried a team approach, each of us grabbing a side of the bag and pulling with all our strength. We struggled and strained, but to no avail.

I came up with the idea to cut the bag open. I ran into the kitchen, opened the utensil drawer and grabbed the first knife available. It was an old butcher’s knife my dad would take hunting and used to dress out his game. It was in a hand-made leather sheath.

I unsheathed the knife as if I were a knight drawing his sword on a field of combat, ready to become a hero to my brother. I instructed him to hold one side of the bag as I held the other and pull it tight so as to facilitate a quick, single, bag-opening slice. I drew back my right hand, knife at the ready, and began to count so as not to startle my brother with the violence of my cut.

It took a few seconds to realize that we had done no damage whatsoever to the bag, but as blood came out of both of our fingers we observed that I had succeeded in opening a deep gash in each. We grabbed our eviscerated fingers and ran to my parent’s bedroom for help. I think we scared my dad out of 10 years of life when we came busting into his room screaming and gushing blood everywhere.

After determining that the cuts were not deep enough to need stitching, Pop cleaned and dressed our wounds while trying to simultaneously reassure my mom we were not going to bleed to death. I had expected a beating for sure, but none came. Pop just told me being cut for my stupidity and having my little brother mad at me for cutting him was punishment enough.

From the Cheese Puff Double Slice, I gleaned two pretty good lessons, which have saved my bacon a few times. Just because you can doesn’t always mean you should; and there’s nothing wrong with aggressively pursuing what you want in life, as long as you use the proper tools and methods. If you don’t, you could end up hurting yourself and possibly someone else.

Sarah De Clerk Features Editor

Theoretically, a student can earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, but first-time entering students at UALR take an average of 7.3 years to graduate, according to the Office of Institutional Research.

Taking more than four years to earn a degree can hinder students who need help paying for school because academic scholarships are not renewable after four years, said Stephanie Conrad, private scholarship coordinator. Students receiving federal financial aid must show progress toward a degree, and can lose their aid after 180 hours under the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. Students who reach that limit can apply for private scholarships, most of which do not cover full tuition, Conrad said.

Fortunately, students can save time and credit hours in a number of ways: 1. It is crucial for students to keep in touch with their advisers, said Daryl Rice, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. UALR students must be advised to register, but they do not always stick to the plan their adviser laid out. “Don’t go and change your schedule on a whim afterward,” Rice said, cautioning that classes selected without advisement

could count as nothing but wasted hours.

2. Students can plan for graduation sooner by declaring their majors early.

“The sooner they can fix on a particular objective, the better off they’ll be,” Rice said. Preferably, students should declare their major after freshman year or after taking 30 to 45 hours, he said. But At the absolute latest, students should declare their major after 60 hours.

Concentrating on their majors early on can ensure that students take classes that count toward their majors.

For example, students can avoid unnecessary general education courses by choosing the core courses that are required by their major.

3. Students should align their interests with their abilities when choosing a major. A medical student who dislikes math and science will surely have a difficult time, Rice said. But picking a single major out of the more than 50 choices offered at UALR can be understandably overwhelming. So Rice suggested students narrow their choices by taking the career assessment testing offered by Career Services.

4. Taking certain classes right away can keep students from running into trouble later. Students who need remedial classes should take them right away, Rice advised. “Get on them,” he

said. Students are more likely to drop out the longer they spend on those courses. Also, students who loathe math may not take college algebra until their senior year, he observed, and added that it is better to take it early on; students do not get any better at math by waiting. In addition, Rice said he advises students in sequenced courses, such as foreign languages, “Don’t sit out for a semester. If you sit out, you’ll struggle when you get to the second level.”

5. Students can save time and hours by being smart about dropping classes. Before students drop a class, they should talk to their instructors, Rice said; they may be doing better in the course than they assume.

Also, students should talk to their academic adviser, to see how the drop will affect their overall plan for graduation, and their financial aid adviser, to make sure that they will still have enough hours to be eligible for aid. Additionally, Rice suggested students check to see when the course will be offered again, because it might not be available the next semester. Sometimes, students will drop a class because they have a low, but passing, grade. Each retake adds to the number of hours a student has attempted.

Although students should strive for the highest grade they can make, sometimes

it is best to “eat the C” and move on, Rice said. If a student must drop a class because of an overwhelming course load, they should try to drop an elective so it will be easier to make up the requirement, he said.

Although these suggestions are aimed at students who entered UALR as firsttime freshmen, transfer students can also benefit from reducing the number of hours they take to graduate.

Although most lower-level courses from accredited, instate colleges are automatically transferable under the Arkansas Course Transfer System, upper-level courses require review, Rice said. He warned students against taking lower-level community college courses that will not count toward their degrees at UALR. To prevent this, he said, UALR has been working with two-year institutions to help students match the courses they are taking there with their degree plans at UALR. Students taking supplemental courses outside of UALR should check with their adviser for transferability.

Following these strategies can help students limit the number of classes that they have to take to graduate. “The whole strategy is to avoid wasted hours,” Rice said. If students are smart about college, they can make every credit count.

Efforts underway to reopen field trip destination Sarah De Clerk Features Editor

There is a planetarium in a circular room tucked away in Fribourgh Hall. About 100 theater chairs circle the room. At one time, the seats held visitors who tilted back to gaze up at the 40-foot diameter dome, but not today.

The projector, the room’s centerpiece, covers the dome in images of space. It is blue and big – at least 10 feet tall and four feet across. It was installed in the 1970s and resembles a giant dumbbell on an axis. It holds a single light, now stuck in a midway position, which bathes the room in an orange glow.

That is just one of various problems; visitors cannot see the stars with the light on.

The planetarium has been completely closed for two years, said Marc Seigar, associate professor of astrophysics with the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The projector has never been functional in his six years at UALR, he said.

In his office, Seigar flips through catalogs for planetarium projectors. It might be possible to repair the projector, he said, but it would be best to buy a new one. But at between $100,000 and $200,000, the cost seems astronomical.

The department is trying to raise the money in various ways. The ecommerce program with the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information recently launched a blog containing pictures of the planetarium at ualrplanetarium. wordpress.com to raise awareness about the planetarium.

Seigar said he hopes the site will encourage individual donations, but the money could also come from a federal grant. Once funds are raised, the planetarium could be operational within months, he said.

With a digital projector, the planetarium could be used as an educational resource, Seigar said.

The current projector depicts the stars as

“If we can get students interested in science at an early age and maintain that interest, then they might go to college and study science.”

- Marc Seigar

“little dots,” he explained. A digital planetarium would allow astronomy students to see what the constellations look like from different solar systems and to peer into distant nebulas. Microbiology students could also use the planetarium to study the structure of cells.

“Actually seeing things always helps when trying to understand concepts,” Seigar said.

In addition, the planetarium could generate interest in the sciences, Seigar said. If reopened, schools could bring their students to the planetarium on field trips.

“It’s a great recruitment tool,” Seigar said. “If we can get students interested in science at an early age and maintain that interest, then they might go to college and study science.”

Seigar said he would like to see the planetarium build up to having weekly shows. By opening the planetarium to the public and selling tickets to shows, the planetarium could generate revenue, which could be used to hire a planetarium director.

“It pays for itself,” he said.

People often call Seigar to ask about the planetarium and he said he hopes that, if reopened, the planetarium would bring attention to the department. “I think it would be good for the university,” he said.

Until the planetarium has enough funding, however, it serves as a storage room, and its seats are filled with boxes of files instead of visitors.

ualr.edu/forum

Entertainment

Wednesday, January 16, 2012

The road ahead

7

2013 in entertainment Liz Fox

Entertainment Editor

Last year was fraught with media missteps. Images, videos and websites were subjected to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which prompted an intimidating outcry regarding First Amendment rights.

Popularity increased tenfold for streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, resulting in a battle for the lowering of royalty costs. Even the film industry, which continued to shell out blue-filtered, effectsdriven blockbusters, suffered a backlash when the Aurora and Sandy Hook massacres hit close to home.

But the year did bring some

good things: an impeccable Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘“The Dark Knight Rises;” an entertaining beef between Amanda Palmer and indie curmudgeon Steve Albini; comebacks from The Shins, Fiona Apple and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, just to name a few. Amidst all the drama, there were still releases and celebrity stories that made it all worthwhile, and it is these forms of entertainment that bring us to 2013.

From what’s been made known, this year will be a strange one full of hits and misses. “Iron Man 3,” “Scary Movie 5,” and “The Wolverine” may usher in another slew of mediocre film sequels, only to be combated by the ambitious

“Evil Dead” reboot and Baz Luhrmann’s racy adaptation of “The Great Gatsby.”

Lo-fi stars Guided by Voices will release yet another album – their fourth in two years – and Thom Yorke’s supergroup, Atoms for Peace, will put out their debut in February, thereby satisfying any Radiohead fans who were disappointed with “The King of Limbs.”

Even videogames, whose technology is advancing more with every minor development, will see brainless rehashing with new segments added to the “Metal Gear Solid,” “Tomb Raider” and “Resident Evil” franchises.

More importantly, the evolution of media, and the debate

surrounding it, will become more heated. Digital music heavily outsold physical CDs in 2012, and the widespread use of iPads has paved the way for reading digital content in new ways.

Facebook posts and 140-character statements of intent have replaced public relations, and music-streaming websites have allowed any hipster with a Casio to record a soundscape masterpiece and promote it as Pitchfork’s next big thing.

The universality of the internet and continually advancing technology have passionate advocates and naysayers. If 2013 is as fast-paced as the first two years of the decade, the two sides will only continue to battle

it out via wall post battles, blog stories and comment feeds.

At any rate, the world is changing. But while technology seems to keep moving forward, the state of entertainment – movies, music, television, videogames – is completely stagnant.

Our society has fed franchises for decades and with the exception of a few standouts every year, the bulk of industry figures don’t have anything new to say or offer. While niche markets remain in their own worlds due to our pick-and-choose method of information, there’s still hope 2013 will be the year things start to truly evolve and that some gaps, whether they exist between people or genres, will begin to close.

'Django Unchained' adds western to Tarantino's catalog David Ellis

Movie Review

Staff Writer

The western-film genre undergoes a makeover in Quentin Tarantino’s latest offering, "Django Unchained." Written and directed by Tarantino, the film follows his formula of offensive language, gratuitous violence and token nudity. The only divergences from the recipe are the cowboy storyline and the absence of samurai swords.

Django (Jamie Foxx) is a slave who is freed from captivity by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a dentist-turnedbounty-hunter who later recruits and trains Django to assist him in his bounty-hunting endeavors. During their adventures, the two men become friends and Schultz ultimately agrees to help Django free his wife from the clutches of evil plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

This film boasted top-notch actors, and didn't disappoint in that regard. Samuel L. Jackson delivers an excellent performance in his supporting role as Stephen, Candie's head servant.

The storyline was interesting and thought-provoking. Quentin Tarantino also has his token

cameo and dies in one of the most outrageous ways possible.

"Django" will not disappoint true Tarantino fans. It has all of his normal ingredients: dialogue, dialogue, dialogue and the bloodbath. It also has all the shock value that his followers have come to expect from the man who brought us such cult classics as "Pulp Fiction," "Reservoir Dogs," and "Kill Bill."

But the movie was also a little disappointing. The use of the N-word was rampant in the dialogue, grossly overusing any artistic license. This is period picture and the story takes place in the pre-Civil War era; however, it is doubtful the word was used half as much as this movie portrays. Not only was the dialogue offensive, but there were some scenes that should have been written better or cut entirely.

Some elements were particularly disturbing. Toward the middle of the movie, an African-American man was

Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx), left, is a slave who seeks to free his wife from the plantation of slave owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the film “Django Unchained.” Photo courtesy of unchainedmovie.com savagely ripped apart by a pack of rabid dogs for trying to defy his master. Another scene depicts "snipping," a practice used by plantation owners that involves castration of disobedient slaves. This torture scene did nothing to move the story,

and while Jamie Foxx’s junk is impressive, who really wants to see that?

Overall, "Django Unchained" does not completely fail as a work of entertainment. It's a good movie that serves as a continuation of Tarantino’s

mission to bring back elements of the 1970s in all its gritty glory, larger-than-life characters and justice-driven endings. The film is reminiscent of the gunslinger movies of old -- Jamie Foxx is no Clint Eastwood, but it works.

YEAR IN REVIEW

by Matt Johnson, Contributing Writer The songs are listed in no particular order. Condensing the list to 10 presents enough difficulty, breaking them down any further would simply wring every last drop of joy out of the entire process.

1

Tame Impala - "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"

Never has unrequited love sounded this sweet. Bathed in reverb, lead singer Kevin Parker's lilting vocals weave a tale as old as time; boy loves girl, girl doesn't know boy exists. You always hope someone loves you as much as you love them, but in the end, you never really know.

This song details the next step; somewhere inside, you know they don't feel the same, but you're in denial. It's an utterly helpless feeling, and it's never sounded better.

2

Gotye - “Somebody That I Used To Know”

Rarely does a song you can’t escape announce itself with less fanfare. An intro of lightly-strummed guitar gives way to a tip-toeing xylophone before Walter de Backer, otherwise known as Gotye, begins to spin his yarn.

Surprise - it’s about a relationship.

He begins by reminiscing about the high points; the hyperbole-laced moments of clarity that arise in any relationship. The real emotion lies in the chorus. His vocals strain ever-so-slightly as he reaches for the notes. “You didn’t have to cut me out,” he sings, “make out like it never happened and that we were nothing.” It’s a beautiful example of the duality of relationships and how perspective is everything.

3

Sara Bareilles - “Once Upon Another Time”

The striking of a match, followed by the crackle of a lit candle, bring us into the world

that Bareilles has created here.

What follows is a beautiful ode to the loss of innocence that naturally occurs with the accumulation of years, an endless drive, with death as the final destination. Bareilles’ vocals are flawless. Smoky and silky, they rise and fall, almost without effort. Near the end of the song, when she harmonizes with herself, the song floats off into the ether, lost forever. “Deciding nothing’s good in dying,” she sings. “So I would just keep on driving, because I was free.”

4

Hot Water Music - “Drag My Body”

This album might have never happened. After splitting on good terms in 2005, one of the band’s singers, Chuck Ragan, pursued a solo career. The rest of the band continued on before going on a hiatus that eventually became permanent.

Fast-forward seven years and you have “Exister”, the band’s first fulllength album in eight years. “Body” speaks to those who’ve had enough.

The downtrodden who’ve lost their way. “I’m hardly feeling human anymore, enough to drag my body from the floor,” he sings in the chorus. It asks the proverbial question, regardless of form or language; is it better to have loved and lost or never loved at all? Basically, adulthood is calling. Will you answer?

5

The Lumineers - “Ho Hey”

The best songs are always about love. Yeah, there’s jealousy and anger, but those are ancillary emotions. Necessary, yes, but only in the service of one thing: Love. So, on “Ho Hey”, what did the Lumineers do? They wrote a song about unrequited love, and put a unique call-and-response twist on it, sprinkled in a chorus that sounds

like a cross between twee and folk and they made it all their own. The chorus is the perfect summation of all the feelings. Simple, and to the point. “I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweetheart,” he rationalizes. Growing up is hard to do, but seldom is it this catchy.

6

Japandroids - “The Nights of Wine and Roses”

Fireworks greet you and prepare you for the celebration to come. The Canadian duo, consisting of Brian King on guitar and lead vocals with David Prowse on drums, are ready for whatever life brings. “Long lit up tonight and still drinking, don’t we have anything to live for,” King sings in the first verse. “Well, of course we do, but until they come true, we’re still drinking.” The trip isn’t about the destination. In this case, it’s about having as much fun along the way as is humanly possible. All this is featured against a backdrop of ragged rock n’ roll.

Rollicking drums hold up ringing guitars that turn crunchy in the chorus. Overall, you have as much fun listening to the song as they have IN the song. Isn’t that what’s all about anyway?

7

Best Coast - “The Only Place”

Another song about California and how awesome it is. Big deal, right? It’s an ode to California, but it’s about home, in whatever form it takes and wherever it may be. Cosentino’s vocals are simultaneously substantive and fragile. They soar in the chorus as she extolls the virtues of California life. “Why would you live anywhere else,” she asks. “We’ve got the ocean, got the babes, got the sun, we’ve got the waves / this is the only place for me. Home, wherever it is,

sounds like a great place.”

8

fun. - “We Are Young”

9

Hot Chip - “Look At Where We Are”

When you’re alone in the car, this is the chorus you shout at the top of your lungs, not really caring if the person next to you at the light thinks you’re crazy or not. “Young” is the sound of a generation trying to get its bearings, figuring out it doesn’t exactly like where the ship is heading, but figuring WTF, let’s ride it out.

What can I say about Hot Chip? You never know quite what to expect from the British quintet, but you can bet it will be earnest. And fun. With this song, we’re concentrating more on the ‘earnest’ and less on the ‘fun’. It’s a beautifully stark, modern love song for our time. They cleverly play with the lyrics in the first verse as lead singer Alexis Taylor uses mining terms as metaphors, hinting at a deeper and more concrete message.

Hot Chip are in the midst of a string of very solid albums and it’s always fun to hear what they will come up with next.

10

Bloc Party - “Kettling”

“Kettling” recalls the band’s debut album with its sense of urgency. Ostensibly about the London riots in 2011, at least on the surface, it’s more about the winds of change that are blowing. Not only will the revolution be televised, it will be streamed for your viewing convenience. The older generations have given it the old college try, it’s time for the youth to take the mantle.

And if the older generation doesn’t feel like letting it go, these kids might just take it.

8

ualr.edu/forum

Wednesday, January 16, 2012

Horoscopes Capricorn

Taylor Hoffard

Cancer

December 22 - January 20

You have many exciting ideas this semester, Cancer and just don’t know how to execute them properly. You are very hesitant to take chances, so this semester, give your ideas a chance. You never know unless you try.

Happy Birthday, Capricorn! Thinking about your financial goals for this spring semester will present you with many opportunities. Being a natural-born go-getter, this should be a no-brainer for you.

Aquarius

Leo

January 21 - February 19

Virgo

February 20 - March 20

Libra

March 21 - April 20

You are very assertive, Aries, and some people may get offended or intimidated by your assertiveness. It may come off as wanting to fight with a disagreeing party. This semester, instead of getting hot and bothered when your point isn’t getting across, take a back seat and listen to others; you may be surprised at your new realizations.

Taurus

September 24 - October 23

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure has a true meaning to you, Libra. Keep your wisdom in tact this semester, and you will fly by the next few months. You may figure that your wisdom makes you a force to be reckoned with, but it makes you easier to be ignored.

Scorpio

April 21 - May 21

This semester, you may need to find an even line between your lover, and your friend. Make time for yourself without feeling guilty like you usually do; you’re not being selfish by saying you need time to yourself. Also, address matters right away, instead of waiting. Nip it in the bud.

Gemini

August 23 - September 23

You may feel very restless this semester, Virgo. You are used to always being laid-back, and may fear that your feeling of restlessness is a danger zone. This semester, continue to adapt to other people by assisting others; this is one of your best qualities. Take advantage of the many volunteer services Little Rock has to offer.

You tend to seek help in unhealthy and unsafe ways without realizing it, Pisces. It is very difficult for you to adapt emotionally to new things. Try to seek healthier ways of tending to your stresses; you will find a more blissful semester after taking this initiative.

Aries

July 23 - August 22

Is someone accusing you of being overly emotional, Leo? You know your beliefs, and stress them to the people around you. You are practical, yet emotional about issues, but you may make students around you uncomfortable. This semester, examine your peers before using such exaggerated tendencies of speaking your opinion.

This semester is going to be challenging for you, Aquarius.

Not just physically, but educationally and spiritually. Place yourself in a positive place and you will find these obstacles easier to overcome, but don’t cling to your routines like you usually do.

Pisces

June 22 - July 22

October 24 - November 22

A student in your classes may seem like they overreact a lot, Scorpio. But this student may have something lying underneath the surface that is screaming for your attention.

But, be careful not to cling to emotional attachments.

Sagittarius

May 22 - June 21

You are starting to see the deceptions in the personalities of your peers, Gemini. But before you become suspicious, offer the benefit of the doubt. Not everyone is out to get you, and this semester, look at your professors with positive outlooks instead of finding the negatives. Even if the professor ends up being a rotten apple, you still know that you handled the person with a positive view.

November 23 - December 21

If you approach tests this semester with fear and vulnerability, you will probably not succeed, Sagittarius. This semester, approach tests and assignments with positivity and a belief in yourself and talents you possess. This will make your adaptability skill shoot through the roof.

Trojan man goes to college

Jessica Kelly

Crossword Across 1- Rub vigorously 6- Floor coverings 10- Scottish Gaelic 14- ___ luck!

15- Dies ___ 16- Alcoholic drink of fermented honey 17- Actor Ryan 18- Germinated grain used in brewing 19- How sweet ___!

20- Pocketknife 23- Zany 27- Royal 28- Seed cover 29- Decorative ivy 34- That is to say...

36- Rice-___ 37- Feather scarf 40- In spite of 43- Hesitant sounds 44- Distinguishing characteristic 45- Country bumpkin 46- 28th president of the U.S. 48- Vintner’s prefix 49- Pong maker 53- Of little width 55- Dizzy 60- Potpourri 61- Quattro maker 62- Vows 67- Gripped 68- 1982 Disney film 69- Tartan 70- Space 71- Slugger Sammy 72- Foot bones Down 1- ___-pitch softball 2- Jailbird 3- Numbered hwy.

4- Born in the ___

5- Light wood 6- Actress Rogers 7- I smell ___!

8- Apply powder to oneself 9- Adam’s third son 10- Author Zola 11- Label anew 12- You ___ mouthful!

13- Car bomb?

21- FDR program 22- Intellectual 23- Lobster state 24- Defense covering 25- Eats to a plan 26- Talon 30- 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby 31- Upbeat, in music 32- Numbers game 33- One ___ million 35- Stupid person 37- Member of a motorcycle gang 38- Bridge bid, briefly 39- Beaming 41- Part of TNT 42- Entrance 47- Vane dir.

49- Hawaiian greeting 50- Floor worker 51- Quick and nimble 52- Role for Valerie 54- Take as one’s own 56- Panama and bowler 57- Markka replacement 58- Bustles; 59- Actress Merrill 63- According to 64- Sailor 65- “___ and hers” 66- Star Wars letters

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

14

15

16

17

18

19

20 23

24

25

21

29 35

40

30

31

32

41

51

39

64

65

66

45 47

52

53 57

58

48 54

55

56

60

61

62

67

68

69

70

71

72

View answers at ualr.edu/forum

38

42

44

50

37

33

36

46 49

13

27

28

43

12

22

26

34

11

59 63

Puzzle courtesy of bestcrosswords.com

ualr.edu/forum

Sports

Wednesday, January 16, 2012

9

Trojans improve to 10-1 at the Jack Matt Johnson

Contributing Writer

The Trojans defeated the Golden Panthers of Florida International 88-76 on Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Jack Stephens Center.

With the victory, UALR improves its home record to 10-1 on the season.

The Trojans had one of their best offensive efforts of the year, shooting 14-for22 in the first half, while limiting FIU to just 9-of-25 field goals.

UALR trailed by a point, 15-16, at the 12:37 mark before reeling off a 16-0 run over the next four minutes. This saw the Trojans lead climb 31-16 at the 8:20 mark.

Junior forward Michael Javes had one of his best games as a Trojan, finishing with 15 points on 5-of7 shooting from the floor.

Sophomore forward Will Neighbour also finished with 15 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.

Javes’ performance didn’t go unnoticed by Shields.

“I thought he was very aggressive at the rim,” he said.

“I thought Will did an excellent job of finding him and I thought he played with a lot of confidence tonight.”

With freshman point guard John Gillon sidelined with an injury, freshman Josh Hagins started his fourth consecutive game and finished with 10 points and seven assists.

“I thought our guys did a very good job of moving the basketball,” Shields said.

UALR finished with 21 assists, totaling a season-best in that statistic. The Trojans ended the game by shooting

“You’ve got a group of guys that don’t care who gets the credit. They all want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”

- Head Coach Steve Shields

59.2-percent from the field, one of the best shooting performances all season for a team that includes seven freshman players.

The Trojans had 15 turnovers in the first half, but took better care of the ball in the second, finishing with 21 turnovers for the game.

Shields was impressed by the selfless nature of his team.

“You’ve got a group of guys that don’t care who gets the credit,” he said.

“They all want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”

As for what he thinks of his team at this point in the season, Shields acknowledges there’s always room to improve.

“We’ve got to keep an edge about us,” he said.

“We’ve got to stay hungry.”

A three-pointer by sophomore guard Ben Dillard pushed the Trojan lead to 20 early in the second half and the Golden Panthers were never able to close the gap.

The Trojans will hit the road for games against Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky before returning home to take on Florida Atlantic on Thursday, Jan. 24, at the Jack Stephens Center.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Lady Trojans trail FIU in 55-53 loss CJ Waters

Assistant Editor

The Lady Trojans fell short to Florida International University in a 55-53 loss Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Jack Stephens Center, leaving the team with four losses in the last five games.

UALR couldn’t stop the performance of FIU’s Jerica Coley, who leads the Sun Belt Conference in scoring at 23.8 points per game. She finished with a game-high 37 points, leading the Golden Panthers to victory. Other players on the FIU roster scored no more than six points each in the game.

The Lady Trojans jumped out to an early 4-2 lead, which would be their only lead of the first half, with 18:32 remaining at the half. But FIU went on a 15-5 run to lead 17-9 over UALR. At the 6:05 mark, Taylor Ford hit a lay up to cut the margin to nine, 2415.

UALR fought to trail FIU within seven points before halftime.

After trailing 32-25 at halftime, the Lady Trojans started the second half with an 8-4 run cutting FIU’s lead to one point, making the score 34-33.

Janette Merriex hit her second three pointer to tie the game at 36 with 14:22 to go in the game.

Coley scored FIU’s next ten points to put her team back in the lead, 4642.

With FIU leading the game by three points (52-49), a foul by a Florida International player and a technical foul from the FIU head coach sent Taylor Gault, who finished with 23 points, to the free-throw line.

Gault hit all five free throws to put UALR in its first lead of the second half (53-52).

With less than one minute remaining in the game, Coley sealed the game for FIU with a jump shot and a free throw to claim the victory against UALR. FIU is now 4-3 in the SBC. The Lady Trojans were 15-for-18 (83 percent) from the free throw line.

The team also won the rebounding battle 37-28.

Carolee Dillard was in doublefigures with a career-high 10 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Merriex fouled out of the game with 10 points.

The Lady Trojans are now 4-4 in Sun Belt Conference play and 10-6 on the season.

The team will travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to face Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16.

Freshman Kemy Osse goes for a layup during first-half action of the Trojan’s 88-76 victory over FIU. Osse finished with eight points. Photo by EMJ Fotografi

Soccer kick starts new year with fresh coach Jacob Ellerbee Sports Editor

After a dismal 2012 season, women’s soccer returned from winter break to new leadership with head coach Adrian Blewitt, who officially started Jan. 3, replacing former head coach Freddy Delgado, according to the director of athletics.

Delgado finished his career at UALR with a 33-61-4 record over the course of five seasons. Delgado’s best season came in 2010 when the Trojans went 7-12-1.

Blewitt hails from Grimsby, England, an old fishing port located along the eastern coast of the country. He was recruited to play soccer for Lock Haven University in central Pennsylvania and arrived in the United States in 1990. Over the course of his career as a student-athlete at Lock Haven, Blewitt became a four-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection and the league’s most valuable defensive player.

Blewitt aspired to become a fulltime soccer coach after seeing the difference from coaching at home in England.

“We don’t have positions like this that are full-time in England,” Blewitt said. “At the advanced-educational level, you’re a teacher first and then you get somebody to kind of volunteer their time or, you know, coach a soccer team for peanuts,” Blewitt joked.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education in 1994, Blewitt pursued a master’s degree in liberal arts while working as an assistant coach at his alma mater.

Blewitt received his first head coaching position in 1997 from the then-named Methodist College (now Methodist University) in Fayetteville, N.C. He coached the men’s soccer team until 2001 and accumulated 34 wins during his time with the NCAA Division III school.

His next head coaching position was at Lees-McRae College, an NCAA Division II school in Banner Elk, N.C., where he coached the men’s soccer team from 2002-04 and led the Bobcats to a 43-17-1 record.

After the 2004 season, Blewitt moved across the state to Hickory, where he became the men’s head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University, an NCAA Division II school. He coached the men for two years and was then approached by the athletic director to see if he would be interested in coaching the women’s team as well.

Blewitt agreed and for two seasons split time between coaching the men’s team, coaching the women’s team and helping his wife, Tami, care for their newborn daughter, JoElle. At this

point, Blewitt realized something had to give and met with the athletic director.

“It just wasn’t the right situation for the programs,” Blewitt said. “You know, one coach, who is kind of sharing his time and maybe not putting Blewitt enough time into one of the programs.”

With that, Blewitt decided to fully invest his attention into the women’s soccer program.

“I think I shocked a lot of people when I said that because a lot of people thought I was a men’s coach and definitely not a women’s coach,” Blewitt said. “Ever since then, I’ve been

“We don’t have positions like this that are full-time in England.

At the advanced-educational level you’re a teacher first and then you get somebody to kind of volunteer their time or, you know, coach a soccer team for peanuts.

- Coach Adrian Blewitt

coaching the women and loving it.”

During his time at Lenoir-Rhyne, Blewitt led the men to a 54-23-4 record in four seasons and led the women to a 70-28-7 record in five seasons. His best season as head coach of the men’s team came in 2006, when he led the Bears to a 19-1-1 record and a fifth spot in the national rankings. His best season as head coach of the women’s team came in 2010, in which he led the Bears to a 19-2-2 record and helped the team advance to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.

In July 2012, Blewitt received an offer to become an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, an NCAA Division I school. He took the job and worked under Steve Nugent, head coach of the Spartans, for the 2012 season.

At the end of UNCG’s season, Blewitt said he missed being a head coach and running his own program. He noticed UALR had a head coaching vacancy.

He was aware of the program’s recent struggles, but said he has overcome that obstacle throughout his entire coaching career.

“I knew that obviously the [UALR

soccer] program had struggled for quite a long time, but you know, this is the fourth program that I’ve taken over where the program has been bottom-of-the-conference when I got there.”

Blewitt said the fact that UALR’s soccer program is fully funded with 14 full scholarships and the school plays in a Division I conference made this an attractive job.

Blewitt says he is already hard at work rebuilding the program.

“The recruiting process started about five minutes after I accepted the position,” Blewitt joked. “Pretty much over the whole holiday I spent [time] at soccer tournaments recruiting, trying to make sure we’re bringing in some really good players straight away for this season, if we can.”

Blewitt says the biggest struggle has been the timing of his hire. He said he never got a chance to meet any of the players or see them compete because the hiring was announced Dec. 12, and students were preparing to go home for the winter break.

“The first priority, with the kind of the month layoff over the break, was to really get a go with recruiting and obviously try and get eight or nine players in here for the fall, so we actually have a decent-size squad of 23 or 24 players, as well as trying to bring in some good talent, too.”

Blewitt says he is looking forward to getting things established by providing a structure with the current roster and getting them motivated about the fresh start that is about to take place.

“I’ve inherited this position and it’s the same as other positions I’ve taken over in previous years and I’ve quickly turned those programs around into winning conference championships,” Blewitt said, adding, “the last two, I’ve taken to top-ten finishes in the nation.”

Blewitt said he hopes this inspires and motivates his players, but they have to be the ones who believe it can happen in Little Rock.

More Sports

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