The Forum: October 2-22, 2013

PROFESSOR TELLS OF EUROPEAN ADVENTURE

NINTENDO RELEASES 2DS FOR YOUNG GAMERS

SPORTSWRITING LEGEND VISITS LITTLE ROCK

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The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Student Newspaper

Eco-friendly water sources are sprouting on campus Jacob Ellerbee Executive Editor editor@ualr.edu

A new water filtration system, “EZH2O,” has been installed in the voluminous Donaghey Student Center to encourage students and faculty to use a portable water container and nullify fears of possibly drinking dirty water from a public water fountain.More... This is the second unit to be installed at UALR, with the other being located near housing.

The filtration system is made by Elkay, a manufacturing company that specializes in making water coolers, drinking fountains, sinks and now hydration water stations.

The UALR Committee on Sustainability purchased the hydration station to help students save money, help the environment and to have

freshly-filtered water.

Jim Carr, a professor in the Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering and the head of the Committee on Sustainability said he wanted to help eliminate plastic bottles being sent to land fills.

“Plastic bottles are not that much recyclable,” Carr said.

“Most of the time they don’t get in to the recycling bin, they get in the trash bin, and so they end up in the landfill.

Trying to remove that from the waste stream is one of the ideas behind [this initiative].”

The station, which has been retrofitted to a water fountain, provides real-time data that anyone can utilize.

Users of the hydration station are able to see if the water is being adequately filtered by quickly checking the filter status on the lefthand side of the unit. There

October 2 - October 22, 2013

are three small lights, using three different colors (green, yellow and red) to indicate if the filter needs to be changed or replaced.

The hydration station also provides data on the number of plastic water bottles that have been saved based on the output of water the hydration station has distributed.

Carr said he hopes for 200300 saved bottles per week from the hydration station in the DSC. The hydration station has been in use for about two months now and it’s already surpassed 1,000 saved plastic bottles.

The university already has plans in place to install more around the campus.

Students can expect to see the next hydration station to be installed in the fitness center in mid-to-late October.

Next up for the Committee on Sustainability is “Sustainability Day,” slated to occur in October.

Carr said the Committee on Sustainability would like to use “Sustainability Day” to reactivate the “Take Back the Tap” initiative, a program in which students pledge not to purchase bottled water and

The hydration station was just installed in the DSC. Photo by Jacob Ellerbee track how often they fill up a re-usable container over the course of several weeks.

In addition to bringing awareness to the new hydration station and kicking off the “Take Back the Tap” initiative, Carr said the committee plans to give away aluminum bottles to help encourage students to use the hydration station on “Sustainability Day.”

Scan this code to see how the hydration station works

Parking lot closed for landscaping declared an “easy target” Steven Savage

Staff Writer srsavage@ualr.edu

The gravel parking area on Fair Park between Lot 15 and North Hall has been closed since early September for landscaping purposes and to deter criminals from committing vehicular break-ins.

Debbie Gentry, associate dean of students and executive director of housing, said the area was not a designated UALR parking area and there had been several reports of car break-ins in the area. Gentry said, “That area is not fenced and is easily accessible to would-be thieves looking for an easy target with an easy escape route.”

In addition, Gentry said there was a dead tree scheduled to be removed from the area. To allow tree cutters to get to the area and prevent any damage to students’ vehicles, UALR Housing asked students to park in Lot 12 or 15. If any students park in the area, they will receive a ticket.

The lot remains closed off, even though the tree has been cut down. Andrijana Vukovich, director of capital planning with

facilities management, said the area was a vacant lot and not designed for students to park there.

She said she does not have any information on plans for the area at this moment.

“We are not closing off the area to make students walk further across campus,” detective of public safety Tonya Soule said.

“It is a safety measure to prevent more students from having their vehicles broken into. Anyone can get their car broken into, no matter where they are.”

According to police reports, at least three students have reported having their vehicle broken into since the beginning of the fall semester. Soule said one of the vehicles had a broken window, while the other two had no damage. She said that one of the owners had their property returned to them.

“We have increased our patrol since the break-ins,” Soule said.

“We are more cautious and if we see someone sitting in a parked car, we ask them if they live on campus and if their vehicle is registered to park on campus.”

Soule offered a few tips for students to prevent a break-in on their vehicle (see graphic at right).

Resident assistant Matt Quantz

Park your car out in the open, under lights Don’t park in a crowded, dark area because this gives suspects cover Make sure your doors are locked Don’t leave any money or valuable technology out for people to see

If you have a GPS bracket left in the window of your vehicle, take it down If you see people standing around or sitting in their vehicle, don’t put anything of value in the trunk. This lets potential suspects know where it is.

- Tonya Soule, detective of public safety at UALR said his vehicle was broken into while he was working a night shift. “DPS told me that they [the suspects] used a slim jim, opened my door, popped my hood as the alarm was going off, cut all the wires to my fuse box and batter-

ies, so the car alarm wouldn’t go off.”

Quantz said the suspects stole his radio, two 12 inch subwoofer speakers, a 1200 watt Kicker amp, and anything else worth money.

“The mechanic said the guys who

broke into my car had to be professionals because they cut all the right wires to prevent being shocked,” Quantz said. “A patrolman from DPS said that was the first professional job they had seen on campus.”

Deaf Awareness Week celebrated with signs Question and answer sessions, cultural lessons part of festivities Rachel Wright

Staff Writer rswright@ualr.edu

Index Opinions News Features Entertainment Sports

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Photo by Eliza Wilson

UALR’s Pokemon Club battles with their Nintendo 3DS systems during one of their many tournaments.

Deaf Awareness Week takes place nationwide the last week of September. First celebrated in 1958 by the World Federation of the Deaf, the week is meant to heighten public awareness about the culture and issues of deaf people.

Deaf Awareness Week at the UALR campus took place from Monday, September 23 through Friday, September 27.

The Sign Language Klub

hosted a table in the Donaghey Student Center to inform students about Deaf Awareness. The purpose of SLK is to allow people, specifically students, who are hearing, deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing to share a common interest in communication. At the table, SLK members showed people who walked by bits of sign language, have them spell their name in sign language for candy and allow them to sign up for SLK. Michael McMahon who is an Interpreting major, and a deaf

UALR will be closed Oct. 14 and 15 (Fall Break)

See Awareness, page 3

October 2 - 22, 2013

Opinions Staff Editorial

U.S. law protects people with disabilities from discrimination by public entities, but there are still cases when, through ignorance and prejudice, their civil rights are denied.

The Pea Ridge School District exemplified this bias when it banned three students from attending class until the students could prove their HIV status. When the district found that the mother of the students – siblings in foster care – was infected, its superintendent demanded that the children be tested. Although the students are back in class now, the action caused harm to both the children and the district.

The legality of the district’s decision is still being scrutinized. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits public schools from discriminating against students with disabilities, which are defined as physical or mental impairments. Because HIV weakens the immune system, it is included in this definition. By banning the students based on their potential disability, the district may have violated the act.

Although the Department of Human Services said the district is entitled to information about the students’ health, the Disability Rights Center of Arkansas has already condemned the release of their test results. It is possible that other civil rights groups will advocate on the children’s’ behalf. Therefore, the district may face a legal battle because of its discriminatory actions.

The district may also have to fight a public relations battle. The incident has already been spread across the Internet and has gained nation-wide attention.

Surely, the publicity will only harm the district’s reputation. It may even lower the opinions of parents who send their children to district schools. Some will certainly doubt the validity of the exclusion, and whether, if their children had a dis-

Illustration by Paige Mason

ability, the district would show the same prejudice.

In a letter to the children’s guardians, the district justified its actions by citing an Arkansas School Board Association policy that says children with communicable diseases should not attend class. Under that policy, however, HIV is not considered a communicable disease.

This is because HIV generally does not spread through casual contact one would find in a normal classroom. Unlike the flu, people can not catch HIV simply by sitting next to or even touching someone who is infected.

Therefore, banning the children from class is absolutely needless. These students were not excluded for the protection of other students, but to appease the

prejudices and misconceptions against HIV and people with the virus. It seems their ban was motivated by abhorrence and disgust, not good intentions.

Demanding test results was doubly needless because, even if the children tested positive, they would still be allowed to continue their education. Perhaps they should be tested to assess their health risks, but not so that the district can discriminate against them further. If the children were denied access to education because of a disability, it would demean the Americans with Disabilities Act. It would also force the foster parents to home-school the children or find another school for them to attend.

In addition, banning the children could also jeopardize their privacy rights.

If a few people knew about the ban, word could spread about the reason for it. The gossip could lead to rumors that the children are definitely infected, even if they are not.

If they suspect the children have HIV, teachers and students might bully or isolate the students. Many people still harbor prejudices, fears and misconceptions about HIV. The children should not be subjected to public ridicule simply because they might have a disability. They never asked for HIV, and do not have much control over their HIV status. Moreover, any derision they face could degrade the students’ mental health and self-esteem.

The ban effectively ostracized the children. Basically, it told them that they are not fit to go to school or participate in normal childhood activities. In an effort to protect apparently “normal” children, the district told the children they were abnormal and unacceptable. Alienating these students may have damaged their sense of self-worth.

Furthermore, banning the students set a bad example for everyone within the district. It sent the message to staff, parents and other students that people with HIV are different and must be isolated and avoided. This further spreads misconceptions about HIV, which is dangerous, because it could make people who have the virus face more prejudice and discrimination.

In reality, the only thing that differentiates people who are HIV-positive from those who are HIV-negative is the virus itself. Banning the students until they were tested showed a belief to the opposite - that somehow people with HIV do not deserve basic rights like education. If the students tested positive, they would be able to study, play and do everything else that children do. The question is whether they would have been allowed to.

How You See It Comments and Tweets from our readers on social media

Do you think school officials should decommission the Trojan Trolley?

Yes they should! I hardly see anyone on the trolley even when it’s raining. Mason you know what makes me feel “safer” is the emergency call stations they have posted everywhere, the trolley is more or less just a hassle.

Yes. You can never get it when you need it anyway.

Yup. Unless it is raining, I rarely see anyone on the trolley!

- Wendy Lyons

- Gwendolyn Thrower

- Kayla Johnson

Not with the number of criminal incidents on the campus last year caused by outsiders and the distance from Stabler to the Jack Stephens Ctr.

- Steven Wilson

Get rid of the fleet of gas powered and electric powered golf carts, to save money! UALR is not that big of a campus to have staff lead footing around campus weaving around and perhaps running over students. Or even better when they troll right behind you on a side walk. Buy the staff push carts, they can walk like everyone else!

- Mark Husley

If they quit buying up everything combined with tuition increasing every semester they wouldnt have to make budget cuts. They need to cut all the fees.

- Cammie Johnson

Yes, cut it. It is not cost-efficient based on the price of the contract and how it is used on our relatively small campus. The Trolley was not essential to begin with and, to me, was just a public relations response to the well-advertised crime of the area.

I ask the student body, do you feel safer on campus with the trolley?

Do you believe it has prevented robberies or assault on students?

- Mason Qualls

We want to Hear From You Managing Editor

Get in touch with The Forum on social media. Your comment/tweet may be printed in the next edition!

Facebook: comment on our posts that have links to our stories Twitter: tweet to @TheUALRForum, using the hashtag: #myUALRopinion

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Liz Fox

Executive Editor Jacob Ellerbee

Features Editor Sarah DeClerk

News Editor KenDrell Collins

Sports Editor Alton Young

Business Manager Jonathan Dick

Advertising Manager Steven Wells

Photography Editor Dallen Shields

Adviser Sonny Rhodes

Chief Graphic Designer Byron Buslig

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.

October 2 - 22, 2013

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News

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Student panel offers advice on dating, finding a mate Antonio Gayden Staff Writer @ualr.edu

Almost every day one can hear and read varying opinions about dating. Oftentimes, the answers depend on the person’s gender and sexuality. These ideas influence ones perception of reality and what attitudes to expect from his or her peers. Battle of the Sexes, an event hosted by the Student Services Success Initiative, allowed guys and girls to share thoughts about sensitive subjects. Moderators included SSSI Coordinator Amber Smith and colleague Chane Morrow. The panel discussion took place in the Student Services Center auditorium on Sept. 18.

Topics such as sex, relationships, cheating, and type preferences were discussed. Students entered the room and received a ticket num-

Photo by Antonio Gayden

ber. When the number was called the student could go on stage and join the six-person panel. Three males and three females went on at a time. The auditorium was almost entirely full , so students rotated

every 10 to 15 minutes.

The panel was diverse in terms of ideas and opinions. In a couple cases there were even dating couples on the stand at the same time.

Some questions were designed to extract from the panel the kind of things the speakers look for in a mate. The moderators asked, “Would you prefer a mate that had God-given facial features but couldn’t help their six year old niece with tracing letters? Or would you prefer a fairly intelligent and smart mate with below average or average looks?” The girl, who wants remain anonymous, said, “I can teach them a little something along the way but I need something to look at.” A respondent from the guy’s side said, “It’s really hard to stay in a relationship with someone who can’t hold a conversation even though they may be good to look.”

Another question was, “At this

point in your life would you prefer a faithful relationship with someone who made you wait before you get physical or someone who doesn’t make you wait.” With the answer that followed came maturity and reality and simply the way most people would think. “If a girl makes me wait I’ll like her more, it’s about time for me to settle down, now if I just get into it, and it’s just ok,” said junior Damien Watson.

The energy level in the room was high. The responses from the panel provoked many audience reactions. Oohs and aahs could be heard throughout the crowd, along with comments like “now how do you feel about that” and “they’re such a good couple.”

Spanish Club provides place to dance, dine and socialize Pauline Mothu

Staff Writer pxmothu@ualr.edu

While attending UALR, students can join many organizations and clubs. Depending on their interests, they may choose to join a science club, fraternity, sorority, or a language club such as the Spanish Club.

Andrew Deiser, associate professor in the Division of International and Second Languages, mentioned that the club has existed for a period of time. “However, students’ interest in it has waxed and waned over the years.” Due to the lack of interest, the Spanish Club stopped.

Fortunately, Founder/President Chloe Denton and Vice President KenDrell Collins decided to recreate it last year after their Spanish teacher told them about the previous existence of a Spanish club. According to Deaton, the club has become quite the success: they meet once a month at Riviera Maya, and they have registered many students on their listserve.

“Everyone can join,” Deaton said.

“Among the members, we have freshmen [and] students who want to improve their Spanish and/or learn more about the Hispanic culture, as well as native speakers.”

Deiser and Deaton agree that the idea behind the club “is to provide a venue for students to practice their Spanish outside of the classroom as well as participate in cultural events such as National Hispanic Month and UALR International Day Celebration.”

In the past the club has set up a display for International Day with typical dishes Awareness, continued from page 1 questions students had pertaining to Sign Language and deaf culture. Along with the table, the SLK hosted events such as a Silent Dinner at Boston’s on 3201 Bankhead Drive. At a Silent Dinner, participants cannot use their voice to communicate; they have to sign. “We like to call it ‘mouths shut, hands up’,” said SLK President, Angelina Hester, referring to the use of sign language instead of speaking. Another event coming up is “Sign a Song” on October 29 at the Stella Boyle Concert Hall. Performers will sign songs and poetry. The family friendly event is for the hearing and the deaf.

Deaf Awareness Week informed students on deaf culture. “Being deaf is not a disability, it is a way of life, a culture,” said Wesley Baltimore, the child of a deaf adult or CODA, whose mother lost her hearing at the age of three.

from Spanish-speaking countries.

This year, members of the Spanish Club participated in salsa dancing, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month held from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15. The month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Members will also participate to the International Celebration Week, held in November.

Moreover, members can volunteer for English as a second language to an elementary school that is a partner of the Spanish Club. Deiser plans to ask members to volunteer in October for free health clinic offered to the Latino community by the Mexican Consulate, located across the street from UALR on University Avenue.

“Being able to socialize with other students who are studying Spanish, like the Hispanic culture, or want to learn more about it, is what makes the club interesting. It’s always fun to be able share one’s passion with like-minded people”, Deiser said. It is indeed: being part of a language club considerably improves language skills, and members may learn things they don’t in class. It is also a great way to feel part of a community, as well as making friends.

For more information, students are encouraged to contact President Chloe Deaton, Associate Professor Andrew Deiser, or attend the club’s monthly meetings. They meet at Riviera Maya (located on Fair Park Blvd.) one Friday a month at 1 p.m.

Deaf Awareness Week answered assumptions people might have about the deaf community. Some people falsely assume that all deaf people are mute or use sign language. Just because a person is deaf, it does not mean they cannot communicate by speaking. Deaf culture has traditions, norms, values, and rules for social interaction like any other culture.

Students who want to learn more about American Sign Language, an interpreting major or an American Sign Language minor can visit the UALR website at www.ualr.edu/ba/ INAS. Sign Language Klub meetings are monthly on the fifth floor of Dickinson Hall, where the Sign Language Lab and the Interpreter Education Program are located. For information on SLK students can send an email to slkualr@ gmail.com or contact them on Facebook or Twitter.

NOW HIRING Contact Executive Editor Jacob Ellerbee at editor@ualr.edu for more information

Photo by Alton Young

Members of a mariachi band entertain students on the upper concourse of the Donaghey Student Center during Hispanic Heritage Month.

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News

October 2 - 22, 2013

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After 50 years, civil rights activists may still have a long way to go Alton Young

Editor AXYoung1@ualr.edu

The UALR Institute of Race and Ethnicity was among the sponsors of the 50 Years of Desegregation Celebration that took place in downtown Little Rock on Sept.21 at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The event began with the unveiling of the 50 year desegregation marker and throughout the program the 2013 Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage honorees were recognized. These 11 people were intimately involved in the desegregation process of Little Rock in 1963.

Among those honored was Ozell Sutton, the first African-American journalist to work for white-owned newspaper.

The festivities included contributions from UALR faculty members including: UALR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson and Institute on Race and Ethnicity director Michael R. Twyman, both of whom spoke at the event. Chancellor Anderson briefly spoke about the unequal treatment of ethnic minorities and how it is a remaining problem that the community must face.

“Denial doesn’t work.

Inaction won’t get the job done. You have to face it, to fix it,” the chancellor said while addressing the crowd.

Also on hand were History Department chair and Donaghey professor John A. Kirk and College of Business professor Rachida Parks, who, respectively hosted and participated in a panel titled Developing Future Leaders, which capped off the event.

Ozell Sutton was the only member of the 11 nominees to speak and it was the highlight the event.

“A man has nothing to say about when he is born, where he is born, to whom he is born, or even what color he is born. That was the gift of God. He may have nothing to say about

Hillary Perkins

when he dies, where he dies, or how he dies,” he said. “But that space in between those two periods belong to him and he has everything to say about what happens in that space.”

Sutton, a native of Gould, Arkansas, recalled buying a house on University Avenue in Little Rock when no one wanted to sell African Americans property in the area.

He told of the struggle and everyday trials of racism, harassment, and

““A man has nothing to say about when he is born, where he is born, to whom he is born, or even what color he is born. That was the gift of God. He may have nothing to say about when he dies, where he dies, or how he dies.”

-Jennifer Sibley, UALR crime prevention officer abuse that he and others faced in efforts to desegregate Little Rock. He retold the stories of marches and demonstrations and of the part he played in having Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. moved from a small city jail to the one in Birmingham, which was considerably safer for him.

Sutton expressed gratitude for the honor and while telling a handful of his stories of perseverance, his voice wavered only when his emotions got the best of him. After his address was done, he was asked about the progress of African Americans today. Ozell answered with the same determination that made him an integral part of the

Cyber bullying is a type of cyber crime, and can include anything from harassment and making threats to gossiping online about someone online about another person. The idea of cyber bullying mirrors to the idea of being bullied offline.

According to the legal act that established the crime of bullying, a person commits the offense of cyber bullying if he or she sends a message electronically to abuse or intimidate someone else, and if this crime has been very severe and done repeatedly.

Tonya Soule, a DPS detective, explained why people are being bullied over the Internet. “Most people choose cyber bullying because not only can it be done anonymously, but it can be spread through social media faster than

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Ask yourself whether or not the case is considered harassment. The victim can report spam as evidence for harassment.

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Ask if the victim has told the harasser to stop. If not, tell him or her to do so. If the victim has not contacted the harasser, that is another piece of evidence to harassment.

ONLINE at

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word of mouth,” Soule said.

The purpose of cyber bullying is to take revenge on a person.

Here are some guidelines about what to consider when a victim of cyber bullying makes a complaint: When a student has a problem with cyber bullying, there are also people on campus to talk to like the dean of students, the department of public safety or a pro-

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dents. IP addresses can be used to

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A detailed story of an incident can be useful. Make sure the victim has saved every message.

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stone, let us not forget that the day that white businesses opened up its doors to black customers was the day that many black businesses started to erode.”

Jackson, who earned degrees in Marketing and Public Relations at UALR, appreciates the contributions of Sutton and others and the hardships they faced during a time of unbelievable circumstances. “We celebrate today. We know what this means for us; for tomorrow, there is still much work to be done.”

For more information visit ualr.edu/ race-ethnicity and arkansascivilrightsheritage.org

Read more

Crime Prevention 1.

Staff Writer hdperkins@ualr.edu

desegregation of Little Rock.

“We’ve come a long way, but have a long way to go,” he said. “And we’re going to do that too.”

The thought that there is still work to be done by African-Americans is a sentiment also expressed by UALR alum Myron Jackson, a young entrepreneur who is the CEO of his own company – the design group. “As we celebrate this success and this mile-

fessor. If the bully happens to be in the same residence hall, it is a good idea to notify a resident assistant.

To overcome being the victim of cybercrime, students can also seek counseling.

“Social media network keep records of communication and screen shoot it,” said Richard Harper, assistant dean of stu-

trace evidence of cyber bullying.

The cybercrime policy falls un-

der the harassment policy. It can not only result in expulsion and suspension, but also legal prosecution. It is also considered a class B misdemeanor.

There are ways to prevent cyber

crimes. “Education and providing awareness to cyber bullying empowers students to let them know that they can stand up for themselves,” Harper said.

Students should also be careful with giving out their email addresses as well as sharing other personal information that could be used against them.

Another way to put an end to cyber bullying is by not responding to the messages the bullies send.

Illustration by Hunter Spence

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October 2 - 22, 2013

Features

Autumn brings oppurtunities to enjoy outdoor adventures Rachel Wright

staff writer rswright@ualr.edu

Fall is coming, and with the changing of the leaves comes the changing in activities. Barbecues turn into festive indoor dinners and swimming turns into hiking. Leaves are changing from bright greens to rich hues of red and yellow, and animals are gathering final provisions before winter sets in.

Arkansas is known as “The Natural State,” and hiking allows people to watch Mother Nature at work. Arkansas is full of parks with hundreds of hiking trails for all experience levels. Whatever a hiker’s experience level with a trail, he or she should always be prepared for the unexpected.

Here are a few tips to follow: Plan ahead. Before hiking a trail, pack a bag of supplies.

Use a strong and reliable traveling backpack that can hold all necessary supplies. Hikers should always pack plenty of water. This will reduce the chances of dehydration.

“The best way to prevent dehydration is to consciously drink water slowly over several hours before intense exercise,” according to information provided by the American Hiking Society. If the weather is hot or the hiker sweats profusely, water alone will not replace the salts the body sweats out, so be sure to pack sports drinks or salty snacks such as trail mix. Pack a snack even if you are going to be back before lunch time; it never hurts to be prepared.

Pack a first aid kit. You can get a travel-sized first aid kit with individually wrapped aspirin, ointment and antiseptic along with an emergency heat blanket, medical wrap, gauze and adhesive bandages at most drug stores and supermarkets. Pack

tools in case you need to start a small, contained fire, especially if you are hiking over night - but always have a way to extinguish the fire properly. You might not plan on staying overnight, but in the fall it starts to get dark around 6 p.m., so pack a flashlight and extra batteries.

Know where you are going. Map out your trail and stick to it. You can get a trail map at the park’s visitor center.

Never go hiking on your own; always take a friend. Take a compass (or make sure you have one downloaded on your smartphone) to get your bearings in case you are lost, and always let somebody know where you are going. Do not forget to pack a cell phone; for overnight or extended hikes a satellite phone might work better if you know service is limited where you are going.

An unexpected, but necessary hiking accessory to pack, is a trash bag. A trash bag can have many uses: holding water, insolation and water resistance for inclement weather, an emergency tent, or holding trash. Around fall time, you can get trash bags in bright colors such as florescent orange or green. If you are lost, the bright color will make it easier for searchers to find you.

Dress appropriately. Wear clothing fit for the climate.

With fall coming, the weather in Arkansas will start to get cooler. Lake Ouachita State Park Interpreter Susan Adkins recommended that hikers wear nylon, weather-resistant pants to repel water, sunlight and most bugs (take bug spray.)

Wear bright clothing so people can see you. It will soon be hunting season in Arkansas and though hunting in state parks is illegal, it does not mean

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Photo by Dallen Shields

A sign at a Pinnacle Mountain State Park trailhead reminds hikers that water is a necessity. poachers are not around or the hiking trails will not cross places where hunting is allowed. Neutral colors blend in with fall colors, and that can be an issue if you are lost or injured.

Also, take an insulated rain jacket.

Wear closed-toe shoes that have traction or a grip on the sole, and for difficult hikes wear hiking boots for ankle protection.

Though Mother Nature’s transition from summer to fall is beautiful, be wary of potential dangers. Know what harmful plants are present in the fall, such as poison ivy. Although the weather is getting cooler, snakes are still around. If you are hiking and a snake is in your path, let it cross; it has no interest in attacking you and will go on its way - just watch where you step.

The likelihood of encountering an animal such as a bear or bobcat is rare on frequently used hiking trails, but still possible. If you encounter a wild animal “don’t challenge it, don‘t run away, don’t block the exit [don’t corner it]; it’s not a predator that is out to kill people,” Adkins said.

Instead, she recommended that you continue on your way, but keep in mind it is there. Make lots of noise so you do not sneak up on and startle animals.

Be aware of your surroundings: boulders, trees, etc., and be wary of poorly marked trails.

“Being aware of your surroundings means taking out the ear buds” says Adkins, “enjoying the sounds of nature is part of the hiking experience.”

For more state park and hiking information, visit arkansasstateparks.com or visit a park office. Pinnacle Mountain State Park is less than a half-hour from the university and has an abundance of mapped-out trails. Parks in Conway, Hot Springs and DeGray Lake are all within an hour from Little Rock with numerous hiking adventures.

Free hiking and camping equipment is available for rent to all UALR students, faculty and staff. Equipment rentals are handled through Campus Recreation and they’ll even provide instruction on tent set-up, using the stove and more.

How social media could change the way we date dards,” said Jessica Johnson, a sophomore marketing major.

Staff Writer “I believe that social media has srsavage@ualr.edu caused practices such as speed dating and blind dates to become non-exisThe invention of the Internet, smart tent,” said Dustin King, a freshman phones and social media has seem- English major.

“Social media has caused people to ingly transformed the dating world investigate someone before they even and made traditional dating practices consider a blind date. They build up a thing of the past. The air of mystery surrounding a crush disappears when all these opinions of a person before all you have to do is look them up on- they even get to know them.”

Television shows like MTV’s “Catline.

Traditionally, if a man wanted to fish” are becoming popular as more “put his bid in” or date a woman, he people turn to social media to find a had to throw on his best clothes and mate. The premise of the show is to cologne, and then go out to meet her. allow people who fell in love through He had to make a memorable im- social media to meet in person. People pression and prove his value to the may spend months or years maintainwoman. He would take her on a few ing a committed relationship with dates, meet her parents, and start “go- someone they have never met outing steady.” Women would go through side the digital world. Viewers either similar efforts to ensure romantic suc- watch people meet their soul mates cess. for the first time or get their hearts In the 21st century, single people broken. Since the show has come out, are turning to social media such as people are wary Facebook, Twitter “Social media has caused of dating on social and Instagram to media for the folmeet that special people to investigate somelowing reasons: someone. An eyeone before they even consider Deception: It catching profile piccan be very hard a blind date.

They build up ture and a thoughtful message can go all these opinions of a person for people to dea long way when before they even get to know cipher good from negative.

Sometrying to make a first them.” times, people use impression.

Social other pictures to Dustin King, media allows a percreate fake proson to craft how othfreshman English major files, either to ers may view them. boost their selfA person can display esteem or get retheir best traits while venge on someone. Honest are people keeping their secrets in the dark.

Some may feel like it is a waste of mixed in with the dishonest. Also, dotime to go out to a bar, nightclub or mestically and internationally, people dating mixer just to get to know some- can create fake profiles to con people one when social media provides a vast into giving them material possessions. array of options that fit the profile of a Chemistry: There is no sense of partner they desire. It seems like the chemistry when a person is online. A “tech generation” spends more time person’s energy, body language, sound behind computer screens and cellular of voice and smell contribute to chemdevices than actually participating in istry. Without it, there may always be real world activities to foster new re- something missing. lationships.

Long-distance: That special someIt is seemingly easy to meet someone may live too far away. one online. All you need is a few mu“Before social media came along, I tual friends or their name. If someone used to meet women through friends, is interested in you, they can look social events and mutual hobbies,” through your profile and read about your interests and hobbies to deter- King said. “I met my current girlfriend mine if they might be interested in get- through mutual friends on Facebook. ting to know you better. A person can We talked for a few weeks, became refind out almost everything they want ally close friends and decided to meet to know from your profile without up. Once we got a chance to spend asking you a list of boring questions to time with one another, we built chemdecide whether or not you are worth istry and decided to start dating. We have been together for four years.” their time.

It seems that, social media is going To some people this takes away the fun and spontaneity of getting to to continue to push traditional dating know someone. “I think social media practices on the back burner. Perhaps is bad for the dating process because people want to know who they are it makes dating more competitive and dealing with before they decide to let it causes people to have higher stan- them into their world.

Steven Savage

Illustration courtesy of Byron Buslig.

Your news.

Your way.

ualr.edu/forum

6

Features

October 2 - 22, 2013

ualr.edu/forum

Pulitzer recipient tells students to follow dreams Mehr-Zahra Shah Staff Writer mbshah1@ualr.edu

Lisa Song, reporter at InsideClimateNews, walked up to the stage at the Clinton School, to talk about “The Dilbit Disaster” series she helped write, which won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. Song was dressed in a cobalt blue shirt with casual grey pants with her hair pulled back neatly. Her voice

Song

Photo courtesy of the Massachusets Institute of Technology

exuded her calm and simple style. As she stood behind the podium, her head barely reaching above the MacBook in front of her, her demure style gave way to confidence and insightfulness, and a riveting speech on one of the biggest oil spills that most people have never heard

of.

“She’s probably the youngest reporter ever to receive a Pulitzer Prize,” an audience member said. In fact, it was only a year after she started her career that she received the prestigious award.

Song received her undergraduate degree in earth sciences with a focus on the environment from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“I was always sort of vaguely interested in it [environmental science],” Song said. “It was either that or chemistry, and after I took organic chemistry and I decided not for me.” During her senior year, she realized she did not want to be a scientist.

“I was a bit impatient with spending eight hours a day in the lab,” she said, “but I knew I really liked to write.” It was then that she decided to get her Master’s degree in science writing from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“It was a good way to combine my interests in environmental science and writing,” she said.

Song came across InsideClimateNews, the nonprofit environmental news organization she reports for, in 2010 while she was browsing journalism.jobs.com. InsideClimateNews put out a call for freelancers who wanted to focus on a specific area in climate.

“I wrote them a letter and said, ‘I want to freelance for you, and am particularly interested in water quality issues,’” she said, and within a few months she was hired.

Song started writing three stories a month for them, and in 2011 she became the newest addition to their staff.

InsideClimateNews is a perfect fit for

her passion in a sense her dream job.

When asked who she would choose to work with if she could work with anyone in the world, she said she could not think of anyone besides her editor. “I just really like working where I am,” she said.

Song admitted that she was a bit nervous when she moved into science writing because after getting a science degree, it seemed like she was running away from science. InsideClimateNews, however, provided the perfect platform for her to do what she really wanted and use science as well. “I am lucky to work for InsideClimateNews because of the science background in me,” she said. “I like to be very meticulous and take my time and double and triple fact check everything and InsideClimate gives me the time to do just that.”

While describing her perfectionist personality, she pointed out that whether or not you are a scientist, you need time to analyze the context properly before you report on a topic anyway. Song did note that it is harder to report scientific events because a lot of people in the public do not understand the scientific research process, and “that means its sexier to report like that, but if it is not true then you can’t do that,” she said.

“You have to do it right so that scientists continue to trust you so you can report more stories in the future.”

Her advice to those writers is to “explain why the discovery is important even if it does not cure cancer or send us to the moon,” and she noted that sometimes it is worthwhile to say we are unsure where the topic will lead, but provide interesting questions that arise

from it. “Not every scientific discovery deserves a story,” she explained. “It just doesn’t happen this way.”

Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of Song is her prominence as a female science writer in a STEM field where female are continuously underrepresented.

When asked about the disparity, Song chuckled, saying, “I’m probably not the best person to talk to about this.” That is because her entire college and graduate education have been exceptions. Even in some fields such as physics and electrical engineering, where there are far fewer women represented even at MIT, she “happened to be in a dorm where many of them were females majoring in physics.”

To females who are interested in such fields, Song’s advice is: “you just have to do it; you have to do whatever gets you excited and whatever you are interested in.”

Song’s advice to college students is to “do what you are passionate about and do it well.” Do not be afraid to switch fields if you do not think you are doing the right thing, she advised. She herself is the perfect exemplar of her statement.

Song describes herself as “one of those people that when I really like something I get really obsessed with it, and if I don’t like it I grumble.” By pursuing a field she loves, she is able to interview fascinating people, work with an enthusiastic staff and share her findings with attentive audiences. Her very enthusiasm and passion for her field has awarded her with the most prestigious award in journalism, the Pulitzer Prize.

Campus resources help empower students to beat, banish bullying Hillary Perkins

Staff Writer hdperkins@ualr.edu

Many college students all over the country have experienced some type of bullying. Some children from grade school who were bullied ended up committing suicide, harming someone who bullied them or turning into bullies themselves. Bullying includes verbal abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse.

People may bully other people because of inner hurt. Sometimes, bullies have been bullied themselves. Because of this, they take their pain out on their victims. They feel that being a bully is the only way that people will be able to take them seriously.

People may be bullied because people are jealous of them or because they do not have enough confidence to stand up for themselves.

In college, students deal with different levels of bullying such as hazing, sexual violence, cyber bullying and harassment.

The victims usually suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, poor academic skills, lack of sleep and loss of appetite. “It can affect every aspect of your life if you don’t feel at ease,” said

Michael Kirk, the head counselor of the Counseling and Career Planning Department. Sometimes the victim will turn the violence on to those who have bullied them.

There are institutional repercussions behind bullying. The bullying policy falls under the harassment policy. If bullying is reported, action will be taken under the harassment policy. The consequences could result in suspension or expulsion.

There are also ways to put an end to bullying. When a student is being bullied on campus, he or she should report it to the Department of Public Services, Counseling and Career Planning Department and the dean of students.

UALR launched a program called the Green Dot Strategy in the spring of 2012.

The purpose of this program is to educate students how to help administrators on campus aware everyone about bullying and use different strategies to put an end to it.

“We try to empower our students to help us help them bring awareness,” said Richard Harper, the assistant dean of students.

The program consists of the 3D approach: direct, distract and delegate.

While the green dot is a positive symbol,

there are also red dots, which is a symbol of negative behavior.

The Green Dot is also consisted of three components: choose a time to have a voice; choose a vision to have the power to use that voice to take action; use that action to influence peers to have use their voices to take action as well.

“It shows many ways to prevent bul-

Illustration by Logan Sturgill

lying wherever you are,” said Kara Matthews-Brown, the diversity programs director.

There will be a documentary about bullying shown in the Donaghey Student Center leadership lounge on Oct. 3 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Get to Know Your SGA Rep: Meghan Petersen Name: Meghan Petersen

Classification: Junior

SGA Title:

Secretary

Favorite Home-Cooked Meal: Spaghetti and Meatballs

When I’m not working on SGA-related things, I like to....

I enjoy being outdoors and hanging out with friends. I also love to go to country music concerts and other entertainment events in Little Rock.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

I hope to go to pharmacy school at UAMS.

The hardest part of being a college student is...

Since I am also a member of the UALR Swimming and Diving Team as well as the Donaghey Scholars Program, I think the hardest part is managing your time in order to get everything done.

I ran for SGA Office because...

I wanted to become more involved with the University, and help make it a better place for all students who study here.

My biggest role model is:

My uncle, Jared Johnson, is my biggest role model. Born without the use of one of his legs, he has accomplished so much in his life. He has truly taught me the meaning of being the best you can be, even when it’s not easy.

One thing I’d like the UALR community to know about SGA is...

The SGA organization is one of the best ways to get involved with the entire campus of UALR. It is a great way to meet new people from all kinds of backgrounds and form connections for the future.

What is the best part of being involved in SGA? Knowing that you can make a positive influence that affects the University now and in the future.

ualr.edu/forum

October 2 - 22, 2013

Professor explores 18th century English estates Alexis Williams

Staff Writer aawillaims3@ualr.edu

Art professor Floyd Martin spent ten days in Norfolk County, England this September studying grand country homes and the artistic treasures housed within them.

Martin was privileged to stay in the historic Duke’s Head Hotel in King’s Lynn (a town in eastern England, part of Norfolk County). As part of Attingham Trust’s ten-day study abroad experience, Martin and 29 others explored the fine painting collections of historic country homes. He said he was the only person from Arkansas, and most others were museum curators, art collectors, or part of some historic building preservation group.

“The Attingham Trust,” Martin said, “was founded about sixty years ago to encourage the study of English country houses and their collections.”

He explained that the trust features

Martin

Photo courtesy of UALR

programs like his, in which they concentrate on one particular area of England. This particular study focused on the estates of Norfolk, because the paintings displayed in them this year will likely never again be displayed in their original home.

“There is a very grand house [in Norfolk] called Houghton Hall. It was built in the eighteenth-century by Sir Robert Walpole, who was the prime minister at the time,” the professor said. “He developed a very wonderful painting collection (c. 1730-40), but then he lost his position as prime minister in a change of government. So he had to move all of his stuff to his country house, and that is how this fabulous collection came to Houghton.”

“A couple of generations later, at the end of the eighteenth century, the family had incurred a lot of debt. So they decided to sell off most of their great painting collection to Catherine the Great of Russia, who was offering a very good price,” he said. “So then the Walpole paintings went to Russia, and there they stayed [for years]. But this year, there was a big loan back from Russia of many—but not all—of these paintings to Houghton, and they were displayed similarly to how they would have looked in 1740.”

The exhibit was still up as of Sep. 25, Martin said. “But it’s going to end in three weeks, and it’ll never happen again. The paintings will go back to Russia, and you can see them over there, but they’ll be in a different context. So seeing the paintings in context was the big draw.”

While Houghton Hall was the initial appeal of the trip, Martin said that other noblemen in the area around the same time built large country homes and stocked them with fine artwork as well. For some estates, those original collections still remain in their original homes. One such place is Holkham Hall.

“Holkham has a very fine painting collection,” Martin said. “That family never sold them, so they’re still more or less the way they were. So, those were probably the two most grand houses we saw, but we saw quite a few other grand Palladian estates to compete.”

“Thomas Coke, the guy that built Holkham, was a very famous Grand

Tourist. He went with an entourage and ended up staying for six years in Rome and Florence. So when he came back, he wanted to have his estate built like a Roman palace.”

The “Grand Tour” was considered a rite of passage for many years, in which upper-class European men took trips across the continent and explored the great Arts - literature, drama, and arts and architecture - of Antiquity and the Renaissance.

“After the estate owners have been on a Grand Tour, they all wanted their houses to have collections of ancient art, as well as paintings from the Renaissance and modern periods.”

Along with Houghton and Holkham, Martin’s group explored several other estates that were either owned privately or by the National Trust: Raynham Hall, Oxburgh Hall, Felbrigg Hall and Blickling Hall.

Constructed during the medieval era, Oxburgh Hall boasts a moat around its walls with a stone bridge to cross. “It was sort of rebuilt in the nineteenth century, when they got really excited about medieval things.”

There were other estates, including East Barsham Manor, Melton Constable Hall, Narford Hall and Sheringham Park.

“We got to a couple of places where the owners were very reluctant to have visitors, so it was very rare to get to see the inside,” Martin said. “What’s fun about a lot of these historical places is that you don’t go in saying, ‘Well, that was all built in the same time period.’ Some people will add a wing, or somebody will think, “This is getting too shabby,” so they’ll even tear down a part.”

although you could see timbering...”

Timbering is a construction choice to expose the wooden frames of a building, a practice characteristic of the Middle Ages.

What Martin found “fascinating” was that in the 1950s, an “eccentric” lady owned the Monk’s House, for which she cared dearly. But the town in which she lived wanted to knock down her house to lay a road, Martin said. “And she didn’t want that to happen. So she basically, by herself, got scaffolding and numbered every shingle, every piece of wood, and eventually the whole house was taken apart—almost like a puzzle—and then slowly reconstructed 100 miles away in this town that was on the seaside [Wells-Near-The-Sea], and that’s where we saw it. So it’s a very curious story of how this woman worked single-handedly [to complete her feat.]

But that was one of the oldest structures we saw.”

Though he could confess to no one favorite exhibit, Martin said that the one he felt most “entranced with” was Melton Hall. “This house was in very bad shape, and the owner couldn’t seem to find the funds to really fix it. But he took us up this great staircase that was full of scaffolding, and there was this wonderful plaster ceiling. Being able to see this house in close range was quite something. One hopes that it will survive.”

The art of the period revealed “common threads” about the mentality of the time. Martin said, “It would be hard to generalize, but the paintings certainly share that Grand Tour mentality, in which the owners wanted some kind of grand palace to house

Photo courtesy of Floyd Martin

The dining room of Holkam Hall was one of the many places Martin visited on his England tour.

The surrounding area featured other unique landmarks: the Duke’s Head Hotel and Custom House of King’s Lynn, the Great Hospital of Norwich, and the Monk’s House and Barn of Wells-Near-The-Sea. King’s Lynn, Martin said, was a more important city in the Middle Ages and Renaissance than it is now.

The local historian told them about the city’s underground wine cellars, as well as the townhouse-like buildings, and the Custom House.

“At the Custom House, merchants would show government agents a list of what was on their boats, and they would be taxed accordingly. But it’s a beautiful classical-style building that has survived,” Martin said.

The Monk’s House, actually a house and barn combined, carries with it a curious story. “Many of these medieval monks were pretty worldly by our standards,” Martin said. “The owner was apparently someone who had a certain amount of wealth [to afford construction of the house and barn.] The thing that was fascinating was not so much its medieval time,

Photo courtesy of Floyd Marti.

Blickling Hall was another stop on Martin’s tour of 17th and 18th century art and archetecture.

7 French Pressed

Features

works of art from Antiquity, as well as from Renaissance and Baroque Italy.”

He pointed out that the modern concept of art display varies vastly from 18th century attitudes. “We go to a museum, and everything is kind of isolated, and we focus on each one carefully. But they had paintings much closer, they thought about the arrangement of paintings, and composition and subject were more important than who did it.”

Therefore, Walpole arranged his Houghton paintings due to their similar figures or themes, Martin said. “I think in some way our elevation of individual paintings is a little foreign to the way they thought about it.”

Aspects of the Hougton house caught Martin’s attention as well.

“There were some interesting sculptures, but I think what was most eye-opening was that Walpole had devoted an entire room to an artist named Carlo Maratta, who today is considered pretty minor. But obviously [Walpole] thought he was very important.” Maratta’s 17th century painting of a pope clued Martin into the fact that maybe, “we might want to reevaluate the painter a bit; at least some of his work is very strong.”

Martin said he was most surprised at “being immersed” in seeing the paintings as they were originally displayed.

Learning of the opportunity to visit the estates was not difficult for the professor to do. His passion and specialty have been 18th and 19th century European art. “Since I’d done the program before, I stayed in touch with Attingham Trust. So when I saw the opportunity, I said ‘I’ve gotta do this!

It’ll never happen again, to have this collection like this.”

Though Martin was permitted to take photographs, he does not have any video from the trip. He hopes to give a lecture on his findings sometime in the spring semester. On the Forum’s website is a video of some of his photos.

Martin is working on his thirty-first year at UALR, where he teaches Creative Arts I and II, Art History Survey II and certain upper-level courses.

Life in America from the perspective of a French foriegn-exchange student

PAULINE MOTHU I noticed that many students at UALR work while going to college.

They often work as a Resident Assistant, in stores or in restaurants. I always wondered how these students managed to go to school and work, and how they were able to find time to study or simply see friends.

I figured it out when I first worked at the Ottenheimer Library last semester; I had 15 hours of classes and 16 hours of work. It was difficult at first, but I adapted and managed to have good grades.

This semester is a bit different: I have 16 hours in school, work 16 hours at the library (I close most of the time, which means I get off at 11 p.m.) and write for The Forum. Of course it is challenging sometimes, but I love working at these places and I need that many hours if I want to graduate early.

It is very different in France; most students do not work. I believe it is because tuition is a lot cheaper than in the U.S. (around $500-600 for the University of Orléans), but also because of the class schedule.

Students do not choose the classes they are taking, and for most majors they have around 30 hours a week sometimes it is more, sometimes it is less.

Moreover, every month the French government gives money to students whose parents do not earn a lot of money; they do not pay tuition either. This money can help pay for meals at the cafeterias or the rent, if the students do not live at home.

Some French students do work, but it is not like in the U.S., although they have similar jobs like working in clothing stores, restaurants, fast food and so on.

Since they cannot choose their class schedule, the university helps them by giving them special treatment. Indeed, students who work are encouraged to ask to be on a special list for their studies instead of being on the normal list. If they are accepted by the chair of the department, they can miss classes that are in conflict with their work schedule and they will also have a different final than normal students, since they won’t attend the class.

Even though they are allowed to not attend classes because of work, they are strongly encouraged to ask for notes from one of their classmates. This will help them prepare for the final and pass the class, since they will only receive one grade.

Things concerning work and school are surely different in the U.S .and in France. I think it is because French people and Americans have different mentalities. For instance, for most French people, being a student means going to school only, and focusing on having good grades.

According to the French, students don’t work during the school year, but they do during summer (either June, July and August if they passed all the finals -and find a job- or July and August if they did not).

I kind of like the American mentality about combining both school and work. I think working while at school teaches students to be more independent, and they learn early to take care of themselves, especially if they do not live at home. They learn to have a budget, to pay bills, to cook and so on.

Despite these advantages, I must admit that working and going to school at the same time can be difficult for some students though, and it may be seen in having lower grades.

I do not have this problem if I go to a French university, unless I do not study enough.

A bientôt pour de nouvelles aventures! (See you later for other adventures!)

8

Entertainment

October 2 - 22, 2013

ualr.edu/forum

Illustration by Byron Buslig

New Nintendo handheld fails as suitable, cheaper alternative Liz Fox

Managing Editor elfox@ualr.edu

As the Sony and Microsoft cage match wages on with the much-anticipated releases of the Playstation 4 and Xbox One, it’s become evident that Nintendo is on the verge of a stall. The company’s most recent venture, the Wii U, was released late last year to lukewarm reception, leaving Nintendo’s designers scrambling to hold over its devotees before releasing another major television-based console. It’s out of this need for speed that the videogame monolith brings the Nintendo 2DS, a handheld gaming system designed to introduce a younger audience to potential classics.

At first glance, the 2DS is guaranteed to raise some eyebrows (and maybe some pitchforks). In making the product, Nintendo decided to do away with

the hinge model - commonly known as the “clamshell” design - that enables the user to fold the system when its not in use. The company has instead opted for condensing the model by placing a chunk of plastic between the two screens, allowing the sleep/off feature to be activated through a separate side switch. In the age of thinner phones and sleeker interfaces, this is a huge disappointment for a consumer who doesn’t enjoy playing something with the feel of a toddler’s toy.

Despite this flaw, Nintendo does have a reason - albeit a weak one - for this change. The 3DS, which has made a mark on handheld gaming due to its use of 3D effects, is primarily used by gamers who are in their mid to late teens, leaving younger consumers to deal with a product (and the accompanying games) that might prove too difficult.

But the 2DS is designed for ages 7 and

older and offers a cheaper alternative for parents whose children can quickly demolish things. The reinforced design and selection of games were created to solve some of these problems and these solutions could provide a way for Nintendo to get back some of the market lost with the demise of the original Game Boy. Because the 2DS was designed as a cheaper alternative to its predecessor, much of the appeal surrounding the 3DS has been taken away through its hardware specs. The new model does not have the stereoscopic 3D gaming feature, using a single-display touchscreen instead of one that’s dual-layered. The cameras found on the 3DS, which are capable of taking 3D photos, have been retained and can be viewed on any DS system, but the speakers have been downgraded from stereo to mono, rendering the sound mediocre.

This isn’t to say Nintendo has neglected giving the product some minor advantages. The 2DS has slightly better battery life, giving its user up to 5.5 hours of play in a single charge. Another upside is the model’s backwards compatibility, which allows room for both 3DS, DS and DSi titles. The 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection has also been retained, leaving some room to browse online and connect with friends.

Unfortunately, the company’s desire to be economical in design does not outweigh the idea that the 2DS is stunted.

The system’s design is clunky and cheap, and the many faults found in the hardware are not worth saving an extra $100 for someone looking to play with some seriousness.

The Nintendo 2DS will be released Oct. 12 at the retail price of $129.99.

Food truck festival filling downtown mouths, hopes Main Street ignites with flavor from local cooks Jacob Kauffman

Staff Writer jskauffman@ualr.edu

Album art courtesy of Somewhat Damaged Records

The Naked and Famous escapes headlines with sophomore effort Liz Fox

Managing Editor elfox@ualr.edu

New Zealand electro-indie act The Naked and Famous is perhaps best known for a handful of singles off its first effort, 2010’s “Passive Me, Aggressive You.” “Young Blood,” a conveniently placed hit heard on a handful of television shows, could easily be ranked alongside fun.’s “We Are Young” and M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” on a list of all-time, feel-good jams. This bombastic first effort, whose other highlights include “No Way” and “Punching in a Dream,” made a lot of promises for the group’s sprouting fanbase; unfortunately “In Rolling Waves” falls flat and leaves many of those promises in pieces.

The album lacks considerable flavor when stripped down to specifics.

Its musical ebb and flow mirrors that of the Postal Service’s “Give Up” (2003), but these ups and downs have no Ben Gibbard substance to them. Despite being set to catchy, lush backdrops that could possibly make a grown man cry, “In Rolling Waves” has a heavy stench of fake melancholia attached to it. Some of it is charming, but most of it is sickly sentimental, with pangs of vague adolescent romance thrown in for (what seems like) just for kicks. The quick mood swing between “The Mess” - only one of two radio-friendly tracks - and “Grow Old” leaves the listener confused and irritated, the album only redeeming itself through the energy of “I Kill Giants” and the contradictory what-ifs and resolution of its finish.

Though the career of the Naked and Famous remains in its infancy, one conclusion can be drawn: the tenacity of “Passive Me, Aggressive You” overshadows the band’s current form. The sophomore release is always a tough album to make; there’s too much to prove and often too little to say, with fans scratching their heads at new strategies built from what could have been. The melancholy material found on “In Rolling Waves” is a Greek tragedy mask for the group, built from scraps of the classic comic… and it’s hardly a great-looking costume.

Some may ask why comparisons between albums must be made, and the answer is simple: the Naked and Famous has not matured enough as an act to separate its material into two epics. “Passive Me, Aggressive You” represents summer bonfires, casual sex, hard drugs, reckless abandon often found in typical youth experiment; “In Rolling Waves” merely illustrates a part two, the half-awake sequence of bad intercourse, hangovers and consequence. This is a reality no person likes to face, and no matter how much the band tries to don the facade with ornamental synthpop, the scene is still unbecoming and reeks of disappointment.

But as the album’s closer “A Small Reunion” indicates, there’s always a silver lining: the world spins madly on and glasses will always be raised. Here’s to me, here’s to you, here’s to the faces of our memories - we can only hope the verve of the Naked and the Famous’ former glory will catch on.

Thousands of people will be descending on Main Street in Little Rock to partake in the fare of 25 food trucks, multiple beer gardens, street performers, and live music on Saturday, Oct. 5. It’s all part of the third annual Main Street Food Truck Festival.

The increase in the number of food trucks and in the interest of foodie culture is a growing trend nationwide, garnering a good deal of customers. The number of food trucks throughout Little Rock is similarly increasing and culminates every October with the festival.

Sharon Priest, who is with an organization called the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, said the activity surrounding the festival in the past has made an impression in the minds of many denizens in the way they view downtown Little Rock.

“When we first started three years ago, there was not even a rumor of anything happening on Main Street and when people came down for that first food truck festival they saw a Main Street that had a lot of empty buildings and nothing going on,” said Priest.

“When they came last year, they came across a whole lot of construction fencing and this year it will be a combination of buildings that have been completed and have people both working and living in them. It’s been an evolution and fun to watch.”

Priest said she believes activities like the Food Truck Festival are successful and lasting for all parties involved.

“The impact is having people. It’s important for us that people get used to

coming back to Main Street. We feel that has been extremely successful. In terms of the vendors I think they are pleased or else they wouldn’t be coming back,” said Priest.

As far as the tastes of the festival, Priest said that just about any palette will find something to enjoy, “We’ve got everything from barbecue, ice cream, Asian food, Hungarian food, Mexican food, all kinds of things. We have new food trucks this year as well.”

The festival has drawn crowds of over 5,000 in the past. The inclusion of three beer gardens, street performers, six musical acts, and additional food trucks may attract even larger crowds this year. As of our deadline the music line-up has not been announced, but it’s likely to feature local music familiar to many bar patrons and fans of local music acts.

Attendees can enjoy the festival from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. between 3rd and 7th on Main Street to drink, browse, and revel in an afternoon of food and music.

This event is not just about funnel cakes and low-quality food. The food trucks at the festival offer highly reviewed dishes and some vendors that are successful enough to rival many traditional brick and mortar establishments.

While many of the food trucks are available year-round throughout Little Rock, the festival is a once a year occurrence. Some trucks do gather every Friday in September, but this event will be markedly different thanks to the live entertainment and to the influx of many more trucks.

Admission to the festival is free and should provide a fun afternoon of entertainment and sampling.

ualr.edu/forum

October 2 - 22, 2013

Entertainment

9

Eclectic band looks to become household ‘Name’ KenDrell Collins Editor kdcollins@ualr.edu

“Music is here. Real music.”

Those words, from the group known as the No Name Band, form the message it intends to spread to both the UALR campus and the city of Little Rock.

This neo-soul band consists of six UALR students with a wide range of musical talents, whose instruments are as diverse as the band itself. The group features keyboard players Korey Fells and Kennion Gulley, bassist Chris Young, drummer Jeremy Metcalf, saxophonist Jacques Courtney and viola player Jalen Davis.

These college sophomores, juniors and seniors have majors ranging from biology and nursing to music and criminal justice, but fate seems to have brought the musicians together. None of the members knew each other before coming to UALR, with the exception of two musicians. Some met through a mutual friend or a pick-up game at the gym, others at Guitar Center or through a simple conversation about music.

They all agreed, however, that it was their shared living space at West Hall

that solidified their bond.

In no time the guys realized they had the makings of band. Unable to settle on a fitting name, they decided it was best to wait for the right title to come to them.

In the meantime, they are referring to themselves as the No Name Band.

Their first performance was on Valentine’s Day 2013 at Pulaski Technical College. Since then, they’ve gone on to play local venues like Vino’s Brewpub and secured a spot as regulars at the 521 Southern Café. The band said one of its largest crowds was at this year’s Delta Sigma Theta Man of DSTinction competition, where nearly one hundred people were in attendance.

The group performs its own versions of popular songs like Kendrick Lamar’s “Poetic Justice” or “Love on Top” by Beyoncé. Since they currently operate without a vocalist, the saxophonist plays most of the lyrics -- or the ear candy.

“The bass and the drums are connected because they’re the rhythm section, they’re the driving force of what’s going on,” Gulley said. “Joc is just the sax player, he’s like the cherry on top.

He comes in and plays the melodies and the songs, depending upon whether we

have a lead vocalist at that time or not.

He might lead the song and then again he might just come in and accent.”

Although the group is fairly sizable, the players manage to connect seamlessly onstage.

“We are on-the-spot people,” Gulley said. “Fifty percent of the music we play is always on the spot. We don’t know what it’s going to be before we get there.

If you don’t know, you have to figure it out.”

The members said that their roots in church music are what helped them hone their improvisational skills. They can smoothly adjust when a singer instantly decides to switch keys. They also have the luxury of affording Fells’ talents as a classically trained musician who knows music theory.

“In my family, we make everybody start out playing classical music at like four or five,” Fells said. “I did learn that classical music was like the basis for all types of music.”

He can quickly identify the key a singer is in and use a number system to relay the message to the rest of the group.

“It’s like a way of communicating

with each other,” Fells said. “If I say one, everybody knows what to play.”

The number system ranges from one to seven, corresponding with the seven keys on a piano (C through B). Like a well-coordinated basketball squad, the other players know exactly what to do when a number is called. It also helps that they’ve all been playing music the majority of their lives.

One of the group’s goals is to bring a new attention to music.

“I don’t think people on a college campus really appreciate it,” Gulley said. “They kind of just want to hear what’s on the radio. We’re going to lure them in with those type of songs but just to kind of bring more of an awareness.”

They also want to make their music relatable to all age groups.

“To make something where you can have anywhere from a seven or eight year old to their entire family, up to their grandmother, in the same vehicle and they can listen to our music and all of them can enjoy it,” Young said.

Hear the No Name Band perform live at the 521 Southern Café on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m.

UALR GIRL: A COMIC STRIP BY PAIGE MASON

Actor’s directorial debut filled with more lectures than laughs Caleb Mitchell

Staff Writer cfmitchell@ualr.edu

Product brings deconstructive side to looming smartphone industry Javari Burnett

Staff Writer jtburnett@ualr.edu

With millions of electronic devices thrown out on a yearly basis, it’s clear many of them aren’t designed to last forever. This makes electronic waste one of the fastest-growing environmental hazards in the world. But now there’s a solution to this problem, a phone worth keeping that may change everything. This product is known as the PhoneBlok.

The PhoneBlok is comprised of detachable blocks, which are connected to a base that locks everything together into a solid machine. Signals are then transferred from the bloks to the base, giving the device its functionality. These bloks include basic operation components as well as cameras, memory and Wi-Fi. Who’s behind such a great idea?

This mastermind is non-other than Dave Hakkens, a designer and recent graduate of the Dutch Design Academy at Eindhoven. His goal is to stop all electronic pollution by creating a product that will stand the test of time.

“I love the connected world that we live in,” Hakkens writes on the PhoneBlok website. “it’s time to set up a universal modular platform that compa-

nies work on together.”

The convenience of PhoneBlok lies in its structure. A blok can be easily replaced if it breaks, and parts can be upgraded if the owner feels the phone is outdated. The device also adapts to its user through customization; photographers can choose from the sharp Nixon or fast Canon when they select a blok for heavy camera use. Or for the basic user, an excessive amount of storage and battery life with a big speaker would do just the trick.

All of these components can be purchased from what’s known as the BlokStore, a marketplace where a phone can be built. PhoneBloks can be developed to to suit your needs.

Because there’s no need for full upgrades, keeping the phone also means its owner can keep its accessories, including docks, covers and cables that would otherwise be replaced.

PhoneBloks is also built on an open platform, which companies work together to establish a product and package it for distributors. The devices will be dispatched later this month to international marketers, who will determine whether there is interest in the device. Comments from casual users can also be submitted on PhoneBlok’s website.

For more information, visit PhoneBloks.com.

“Inception.” “50/50.” “The Dark Knight Rises.” “Looper.” “Lincoln.” If you’ve followed movies at all over the past few years, you’ve probably heard of at least one of these titles and are familiar with one thing they all have in common: actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

While Gordon-Levitt has been acting for years (remember “Angels in the Outfield?”), in recent years the 32-yearold actor has been popping up everywhere from indie flicks to blockbuster smashes.

With his new movie, “Don Jon,” Gordon-Levitt not only stars in the leading role, but also serves as the writer and director of the R-rated “dramedy.” For a directorial debut, it’s not half bad –in fact, it’s actually pretty good, save for a few flaws that hold the film back from being something really great.

The movie, which follows the life of Jon, a young college student and porn addict from New Jersey, has been heavily advertised as a comedy film. But if you go into this expecting “Bridesmaids”-level laughs, you’re probably going to be disappointed.

Certainly “Don Jon” has its funny moments, but for the most part this is a drama intermingled with moments of hilarity.

The acting includes great performances from Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Tony Danza, Julianne Moore and Brie Larson, in addition to some humorous cameos from Anne Hatha-

way, Channing Tatum, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. But the main problem with “Don Jon” isn’t the acting or the cinematography or anything like that; it’s the story - arguably the most important part of any good movie. The plot progression is nearly non-existent and the already weak story slows down to an absolute crawl about midway through the film, making the relatively short 89 minute movie seem to drag on for much longer.

If “Don Jon” was filled with as many comedic moments as its advertising would have you believe, the lack of a decent story could be forgivable; instead, the film opts to go a more dramatic route, making it hard to overlook its lackluster plot.

Things really start to grind to a halt about halfway through “Don Jon,” at which point the movie becomes less comical and instead opts for beating viewers over the head with lessons of how pornography and shallow, meaningless sex can take a toll on one’s life.

Right before you can even fully process the sudden change in the film’s tone, it ends abruptly – and yet, I can’t say that I wasn’t ready for it to do so.

Despite these things, Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut is overall a solid film.

The characters and the situations are often just funny enough to stave off the sinking sensation of boredom that threatens to overtake the latter portion of the film, and several brilliant moments shine through with the brief hope that things will pick up; it’s just a shame “Don Jon” ends before it ever really has the chance to reach its full potential.

Photo courtesy of GQ Magazine Photo courtesy of PhoneBloks.com

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, best known for “3rd Rock from the Sun” and “(500) Days of Summer,” takes to the screen in a new way with his dramedy, “Don Jon.”

10

Entertainment

October 2 - 22, 2013

ualr.edu/forum

‘The Edge’ rocks Little Rock with station 10-year anniversary bash Jacob Ellerbee Executive Editor editor@ualr.edu

More than half a dozen bands converged at the Clear Channel Metroplex in Little Rock Sept. 20 to celebrate 100.3 The Edge’s tenth birthday.

All That Remains, the headlining band of the Edge’s “10 Year Bash,” preformed well past midnight and into the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Vocalist Phil Labonte spoke to The Forum before the bash and said the line-up of bands looked promising, specifically noting English metal band Asking Alexandria.

“We’ve played Little Rock a couple of times,” Labonte said. “We’ve gone out with Asking Alexandria before, we’re actually pretty good friends with those guys.”

Asking Alexandria was the second to last band to perform and put on a dazzling and raucous 9-song set. Four of the songs performed came from the band’s latest album, “From Death to Destiny,” which topped out at number five on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

The band saved their latest single, “Death of Me” as the last song of the set. Frontman Danny Worsnop put on a mystifying vocal performance as he was able to sing almost operatically at times, but utilized a commanding and menacing death-metal growl most of the time. The ability to channel your voice on both ends of the spectrum is truly impressive.

The band’s instrumentation was as equally impressive as Worsnop’s vocals, albeit not as memorable.

Labonte said he’s looking ahead to a fall tour, which features Asking Alexandria and Sevendust, as well as his own band.

Another memorable performance came from hard rock stalwarts, SOiL. The band is perhaps best known for its major label debut, “Scars” (2001).

The band recently welcomed back original vocalist Ryan McCombs to the fold, after he left the band and joined Drowning Pool. McCombs second stint with SOiL began in 2011.

The Forum sat down with SOiL before they hit the stage at the Clear Channel Metroplex.

The band members reminisced about some of the more memorable stops in Little Rock while on tour.

Adam Zadel, the band’s guitarist, said it has been about a decade since they were last in Little Rock.

“It must have been like ’03 or something when we were here,” Zadel said.

“Shinedown was just starting to pop and we were on tour with them. Crazy show, a couple thousand people were there - it was awesome.”

Bassist Tim King said he was surprised Zadel remembered anything from that show.

“We don’t remember a lot because we called it the “No Rest For the Liver” tour,” King quipped. “We’ve played Juanita’s a ton of times, too. It’s always a good little place. Great tacos.”

McCombs said his best memory of preforming in Little Rock was in 2009, when he was in Drowning Pool.

The band was played Edgefest 2009, which was memorably set in open field on a rainy day.

“Getting around backstage was horrible,” McCombs said, laughing.

While on stage for The Edge’s “10 Year Bash,” McCombs thanked the crowd for its unwavering support and for allowing him to do what he does: perform music for a living.

The crowd of about 2,000 saw memorable sets from Nonpoint, as well as Sick Puppies, the Australian 3-piece.

Alexa Tremmel, a sophomore student at UALR was in attendance of the show and found it to be an overall exciting night.

“I thought the concert was great! Sick Puppies were probably my favorite [performance],” Tremmel said. “Just getting to meet some of the band members was pretty legit.”

100.3 The Edge plays the active rock music format, which is music from mainstream hard rock and metal acts currently touring the globe. Additionally, every Sunday night, the station features music exclusively from Arkansas

Photo by Jacob Ellerbee

Junior Maddie Ferpotto and sophomore Alexa Tremel, each holding a Sick Puppies tour poster, were two of several UALR students who attended 100.3 The Edge’s “10 Year Bash” event Sept. 20.

Metallica roars back with live release, pleases fans Jacob Ellerbee Executive Editor editor@ualr.edu

It has been nearly half a decade since Metallica properly released an album and its latest offering is an electrifying live performance of the songs seen in the band’s first feature-length movie, “Metallica: Through the Never.”

If watching the IMAX, 3-D feature film gives you a front-row seat to a Metallica concert, then the album places you right on stage with vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo.

The band manages to submerge the arena in a raucous, clean and crisp sound, capturing auras usually only heard in a smaller venue, like a club or ballroom.

When the core of your band (Hetfield, Ulrich and Hammett) has been performing together since 1983, your chemistry is fortified and unwavering. Not many bands are able to achieve such a tight and refined sound unless they have been together for multiple decades (see: The Rolling Stones, Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith).

The album opens with the same song Metallica chooses to play before hitting the stage for every performance: an instrumental of Ennio Morricone’s “The Ecstasy of Gold.” This helps paint the setting for fans who have never seen Metallica perform live, offering the same exciting build-up that takes place before one of the biggest bands in the world explodes into the first song of the night.

The first track on the album is “Creeping Death,” which is kicked off to a roaring crowd that can be heard singing along to guitar riffs in various parts of the album.

Most of the songs on the album are performed a little bit faster, a little bit louder and a little bit more passionate than on the studio recordings.

Some of the more exciting points in this two-disc, 16-track set is “Fuel,” which is perhaps the most straight-forward and simplest song to sing along to, if so desired. The band really shines on this track, especially Hetfield, as he begins to command the crowd and lead them in chants and evoking thunderous responses.

Another high point is “One,” the sixth track. The opening sequence of the track (about a minute and a half) sounds like a war has broken out on the stage -- complete with distant gunfire, huge cannon-

like booms, crackling of machine guns and helicopters zooming overhead --which sounds incredible if listened to with headphones. As the war-like sounds cease and the crowd begins to cheer, a slow, single guitar intro from Hetfield quiets the crowd.

This slower track really shows off the dynamicism of the band. The track showcases the band’s attention to detail, playing slower, singular riffs, which gradually get faster as the song progresses. By mid-point, Ulrich is pummeling his drum hit with a double bass and the twin guitars are frantically hiccupping to mimic machine gun fire. Hammett then demonstrates why Rolling Stone magazine has named him the 11th greatest guitarist of all time as he belts out a blistering guitar solo.

Legendary songs like “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman” can be found on the second half of the album.

These songs sound so much richer, louder and energetic than the studio versions.

The album ends rather interestingly, with the band opting for “Orion,” an 8-minute instrumental song, played to an empty arena. The track features each band member showcasing their hall-of-fame skills; however, one has to wonder why they opted to perform it to an empty and quite arena.

Despite this minor blemish, the record is otherwise outstanding. For a band that’s members are between 48 and 50 years old, this album showcases incredible vocals from Hetfield. The 50-year-old frontman’s vocals have improved only with age. Ulrich’s drumming has yet to deteriorate. Hammett’s guitar prowess is profound in both technique and style. Trujillo, who arguably has the toughest task in playing bass lines from the late Cliff Burton and the championed Jason Newsted (as well as the lines he wrote for the band’s most recent studio album, “Death Magnetic”), does a terrific job.

“Through the Never” is a welcomed addition to the Metallica catalog. Some of Metallica’s most classic songs, although legendary, show their age if listened to on the radio or in your car. Recording technology has made stratospheric leaps and bounds since the 1980s and early 1990s, when Metallica’s classic songs were originally recorded.

Providing an album of some of the band’s most famous songs, performed at feverous speeds, with crystal-clear quality and welcomed dramatics is a treat for anyone.

Photo courtesy of Outta The Black

Musician Rowland S. Howard, best known for his work in The Birthday Party, is the spotlight of “Autoluminescent.”

Documentary about Australian guitarist hits Market Street Cinema Liz Fox

Managing Editor elfox@ualr.edu

In 1977 musician Rowland S. Howard was interviewed by the press about the rise of punk-influenced music in Australia. At 17 he had formed the Young Charlatans, a tenacious group rooted in mournful material that would achieve short-lived local fame. When asked by a reporter about what his band represents, Howard - his hair spiked, his smile demure - simply states The Young Charlatans are “much more about ideas” than anything else. It is in this fashion that filmmakers Richard Lowenstein and Lynn-Maree Milburn created “Autoluminescent,” a 2010 documentary about Howard that’s hitting Market Street Cinema this month.

Howard is perhaps best known for his collaborations with music icon Nick Cave, and it is safe to assume most Americans wouldn’t bat an eye at the mention of his name. But the late songwriter - who recently had an avenue named after him in his home country of Australia - is revered for his dissonant guitar work and lyrical contributions to the Birthday Party, Crime & the City Solution, and These Immortal Souls, all of which provided influence in the wake of the post-punk, alt-country and apocalyptic folk genres. But like most music documentaries, “Autoluminescent” aims to get beyond the version of Howard seen by many of his casual admirers.

At face value, Howard dons the garb of a morose type. His ashen, feminine face only furthers the sense of broken-

ness found in a number of his songs, many of which are about unrequited love or dreams gone unrealized. But while the late songwriter seems like a wilting flower in his most sensitive moments, the posthumous tales told by friends and former bandmates paint a picture of a stronger, talented individual - a persona no doubt felt by his fans, especially through last-call interviews and material from “Pop Crimes,” the album Howard completed shortly before his death.

One noted difference between the structure of “Autoluminescent” and other music documentaries is the persistence of narrative. Instead of throwing biography at the viewer for the sake of digestion, Lowenstein relies on first-person accounts and a collection of passages - most of which were written

by Howard himself - to piece the film together. There is no attempt to make the songwriter appear messianic or holy, as many anecdotes reveal a sometimes shallow and extremely particular individual. This humanity hardly detracts from his talent; in fact, it makes his presence seem all the more permanent.

“Autoluminescent’s” takeaway is original and rewarding: despite a lower-class life of failed romances, heroin addiction and friendship in turmoil, Howard stands as a tragic but resilient figure in post-punk history. The vices do not make the man; the man only sticks to them for comfort.

“Autoluminescent: Rowland S. Howard” will be shown Monday, Oct. 21 at Market Street Cinema as part of the GATHR Preview series.

ualr.edu/forum

Sports

October 2 - 22, 2013

Sportswriting legend speaks his mind, indulges fans Alton Young

Photo By Alton Young

Legendary sportswriter and reporter Frank Deford signs copies of his latest book for fans at the Embassy Suites hotel in Little Rock. tra, act in campus dramatics, sing in college musicals, write for the college newspaper, work for the college radio station - why do athletes get money, scholarships for their extracurricular work and those other talented students don’t?”

“Schools make sports seem more important than art, music, or literature, which serves to foster a more anti-intellectual atmosphere,” he said. He said that this is a problem that is present in high schools as well as colleges.

Deford recounted the time that he met then-president Bill Clinton, who didn’t know him, though first lady Hilary Clinton did. He also spoke of meeting and becoming friends with Bill Russell.

He mentioned writing a story about former University of Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson. He spoke of the importance of National Public Radio, which covers world and national news.

Deford is a commentator on a weekly radio show that airs Wednesdays on

NPR, which is carried by UALR’s station.

Deford also continues to appear on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

He also reflected on how in the United States, as opposed to other countries in which its fans may be passionate about only one sport, there are many sports that are popular. “In this country, we have four or five - baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and in some parts of the country, hockey,” he said.

Deford believes the professional sports leagues in the country are the place to see the best at their craft.

“The crowd may be huge, noisy, and may even be vulgar, but what you’re seeing is the best,” he said. “And that makes sport in one sense, in a very real sense, our most important art and that does matter.”

“We are so fragmented in society today…but sports have that curious way of bringing us together and making us find some unity. It’s truly a unifying element. Sports is really the lingua franca of the world today.”

Trojan golfer talks life, music at UALR Swedish Sun Belt champion anticipates stellar season with new teammates

Photo by Kezia Nanda

Kerstis, who earned the title of Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year in 2012, was also 2nd team All-SBC in 2012-2013.

Kezia Nanda

Contributing Writer kananda@ualr.edu

UALR Men’s golf player Alfred Kerstis’ performances have placed him in the top 10 in the Sun Belt Conference. In 2012, he was named the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year after ranking seventh with a 72.88 scoring average.

Kerstis’ accomplishment did not stop there. He received 2013 Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors after ranking the sixth in the conference with a 73.54 average. Kerstis started off as a soccer and floor hockey player as a child, but after injuries while playing

soccer, he decided to pursue golf.

“Golf kind of started when I was in fourth or fifth grade, there were good group of friends out in the golf course and I started taking interest in it,” said Kerstis, a junior majoring in Finance.

Kerstis said even though he is very proud of the Freshman of the Year award, he still strives to be better. “I’m trying to finish first in the Sun Belt Conference,” said Kerstis. He also spoke highly of his teammates and of his coach Jake Harrington.

“I believe we have a great chance coming to regionals, even nationals this year with the players we have,” said Kerstis. He (coach Harrington) does a very good job with preparing us for tournaments, how to think and play on the course. He knows what it takes to win the tournament.

As a Gothenburg, Sweden native, Kerstis said he likes the climate in Arkansas better, because he can play golf yearround here. In Sweden, he said, he cannot play during winter since their winter is too cold to be out on a golf course. He also appreciates the student athlete program in the United States that allows him to play golf and go to college.

“Here I am in America, given an opportunity to succeed and I’ll do everything in my power to make the school proud, to make my family proud, for my team and last, it will be for me,” Kerstis said sharing his outlook on life.

If there is a chance to play professionally, Kerstis will try to do so. He is a fan of Swedish professional golfer, Henrik Stenson who recently won the FedEx cup.

Playing team golf is different from playing a sport such as basketball, where success is decided by how well teammates work together. There is constant

competition among golf players, even on their own teams as they try to make it into limited available spots. Kerstis said UALR golfers play for five spots each conference.

“That’s kind of my problem with golf. In golf, we only compare our scores to each other, which will make us competitive against each other. It is something we have to learn to handle, because you still want to be supportive with each other, which right now we are, I feel like. We’re at the good state where we can compete at a high level,” Kerstis said.

Being student athletes keeps Kerstis and his teammates busy. They practice six to seven days a week, have three additional workouts per week, and have school and homework on top of that.

When there is a free time, Kerstis likes listening to music and singing in the car when no one is around.

Pronouncing Kerstis’ name in Swedish is not an easy task. He said the “K” sound is more of a “Sh” sound.

The men’s golf team will play in the Wolfpack Intercollegiate in N.C. on Oct 7-8.

Men’s golf coach brings confident message Alton Young

Sports Editor Axyoung1@ualr.edu

New Trojan Men’s Golf coach Jake Harrington is still getting settled into his office, but that isn’t stopping him from having very high expectations for his team this season.

“Our goal is to win every tournament we compete in,” he said. While the first year head coach conceded that it was a lofty goal, he believes that the team has the talent to be a “force to be reckoned with, here in the Sun Belt Conference.”

Harrington inherited a team that had nine top 10 finishes last season,

“Timeout” ALTON YOUNG

Sports Editor Axyoung1@ualr.edu

In a fundraiser for UALR’s radio stations, KLRE and KUAR, legendary sportswriter Frank Deford spoke to a very responsive audience that hung on his every word.

Deford served as the keynote speaker for the event at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock on Sept.19. Proceeds from the evening are expected to help upgrade aging audio equipment of UALR’s radio station. Deford, a prolific author, also participated in a book signing afterward.

The Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame member and six-time U.S. Sportswriter of the Year winner was introduced by Arkansas Democrat Gazette writer Rex Nelson.

Deford didn’t disappoint in delivering a message that was both timely and topical. His message - the corruption of college athletics. More specifically, his topic was the plight of amateur athletics in the big business of college sports.

Deford got the crowd on his side early with his opening remark, which he attributed to legendary coach Bobby Knight.‘The best time in a sportwriter’s life is the three years he spent in second grade.’

Deford discussed the importance that sports has within a community and that the worst thing that you could say about a city is that it was a “bad sports town”.

The tone turned more serious when he began to speak about what he called the “grossly hypocritical” athletic scholarship. “The football and basketball players are, as we know, for the most part, poor African American kids; they’re precisely the ones effectively acting as unpaid entertainers, ideally supposed to support the entire athletic budget,” he said.

“They must work on their sport yearround and for my money, they should get paid and get paid big.”

Deford expanded the speech to his thoughts on extracurricular activities other than athletics.

“Why do those students (athletes) get scholarships when the college men and women who play in the school orches-

11

including a season’s best 2nd place in Red Wolves Fall Classic. The Trojans returned several upperclassmen, including three seniors and four juniors.

The team began the new season with a 4th place finish in the Weibring Intercollegiate and competed in the HBU Husky International over the weekend.

According to the coach, the two early season tournaments serve an educational purpose for the team.

“We’re learning a lot about ourselves here in these first couple of tournaments of the year, but this is a team with the seniors and juniors on the team – that (has) the leadership to take this team to another level,” he said.

“As long as we keep putting ourselves

in position to win, that‘s what matters.”

Harrington spent the last six seasons in Phoenix coaching South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, where he won three conference championships. He relishes the chance to win on the Division I level here at UALR. “It’s a great opportunity for one, to come be a part a NCAA Division I program, but more so than that the city of Little Rock and the community here at UALR is a fantastic community,” he said.

“It’s a place that I wanted to be. It’s a place I felt comfortable. It’s a place that I feel we can build a very dominant program here.”

Their next tournament is the Wolfpack Intercollegiate in N.C. on Oct. 7-8.

Uh oh, guess what day it is?

Guess…what…day…it..is?

Nope, it’s not Hump day, or I guess it could be, depending on when you’re reading this. As I write, the NBA is opening its training camps around the country and if you know me even a little, you know that I love this game!

The NBA has been my favorite of the professional sports leagues for as long as I can remember. It may have something to do with the fact that I think I have a jump shot, or at least I thought I had one. I could have sworn I just had it around here somewhere. Hey! Anybody see where I put my jumper? Oh well. I thought I had one.

Anyway, I’ll have some other opportunity to talk about basketball when the season starts next month and when our own Trojan teams take the court in early November. But what I have to talk about right now is the revelation or rumor, or just plain lie that the NBA is going to let select players wear jerseys with their nicknames on them for a game or two this season. This will be pretty cool for players like King James (LeBron James-Miami Heat) or the Black Mamba (Kobe Bryant-L.A. Lakers), not so much for AK-47 (Andrei Kirilenko-Brooklyn Nets) – I bet he doesn’t get to wear that nickname.

Thank goodness Shaquille O’Neal is retired, they don’t make jerseys long enough for all of his self-given nicknames- The Big Aristotle, The Big Toe, and now Shaqcramento. What’s up with Shaq, who won championships with the Lakers and Heat, being a part of the new ownership of the Sacramento Kings or Sacramento “Queens” as he famously called them years ago? Does that seem right to you?

Opponents of the idea say young athletes don’t need to see their favorite players wearing their nicknames on their jerseys.

They say that it will only promote the me-first attitude and selfishness that can sometimes be found in sports. But if some kid isn’t passing the ball in practice, I’m thinking that it’s not because these NBA guys are wearing nicknames on their jerseys.

I think we should all lighten up and have some fun with it, because that is what the NBA is going for. (I’m conveniently ignoring the fact that NBA will make bundles of money from the sales of these jerseys, in what some would call a blatant cash-grab. Remember, I said we’re taking this lightly.)

I’m interested to see what name players like Dwayne Wade puts on his jersey. Will he be Flash from earlier in his career, or will he be the widely panned WOW (Way of Wade) from this past season, or perhaps he’ll want to be the number 3, which he adopted after winning his third championship? I’m not sure how that would work on a jersey that already has his number on it. It really doesn’t matter what he decides to go with; it’s just cool that he can do it, if only for a day.

In fact I have an idea, let’s all put our nicknames on the backs of our clothes for just one day. I want everyone to rock their family-given nicknames, or their nicknames from friends. Heck, I’ll even take pet names from a significant other. Just as long as no one wears He Hate Me on their back. That XFL classic is retired and reserved for the jersey nickname Hall of Fame that we’re going to start the day after we wear them.

I’m pretty sure ones like The Truth (Paul Pierce-Brooklyn Nets) is going right into the Hall, but if someone even thinks that some weird stuff like Honey Boo-Boo should make it in, then we have a problem. We have to have some standards, right?

So, what would your nickname jersey for a day say?

ualr.edu/forum

Sports

October 2 - 22, 2013

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Former UALR Athletes still playing today...

Alton Young

Sports Editor Axyoung1@ualr.edu

program has never won more than eight games in a single season before the 2012 season and we went 20-7 that year. I was awarded the MVP of the Grand Final (championship game). Highlight of my career for sure!

Forum: What has the experience of playing overseas been like?

Kim Sitzmann played for the Lady Trojan women’s basketball team from 2006 until 2010. The Forum recently caught up with her to ask a few questions.

Sitzmann: Playing overseas has been a dream come true! I love making friends all over the globe and getting to experience all the different cultures! It’s crazy different from place to place - Holland, Germany, and Australia.

Forum: What team are you currently playing for?

Forum: What did you learn while playing here at UALR that you still use now?

Sitzmann: I play for the Collie Crane Hire Southwest Slammers in Banbury, Western Australia. I’ve been there for two seasons. Just finished the second.

Sitzmann: Coach Foley taught me how to keep my mind open to endless opportunities. Don’t play the game like a robot. And how to play with your heart and leave it all on the court. If I’m going to keep playing professionally, then I’m going to give it my all!

Forum: How is the season going for you so far?

Sitzmann: We made it to the Semi-finals this year, after winning the championship the first season.

Forum: What is the most exciting thing to happen to you as a professional?

Sitzmann: Most exciting would definitely be winning the championship that first season. The Slammers women’s

12

Forum: What is your ultimate goal as a professional?

Sitzmann: My ultimate goal as a professional would be to keep climbing the ladder and maybe one day get to play in front of my friends and family on my home grounds.

Did you know?

Among the 10 current SBC schools, only UALR and UT-Arlington have no football program.

Swim team anxious to dive into new season C.j.waters

Staff writer CWWaters@ualr.edu

The UALR Swimming and Diving team will begin its 2013-2014 season on Sat., Oct. 12 when they travel to New Orleans to face Tulane.

This season the team has a 19-player roster that includes nine freshmen.

Head Coach Amy Burgess said that the freshmen signing class is very versatile.

The freshmen swimmers are mostly IMs (individual medley swimmers), distance swimmers, and middle distance swimmers.

“I am really excited that we got a great group of freshmen in this year - with nine freshmen and one transfer,” Burgess said. It’s really nice to have kind of a younger crowd that has a lot of excitement going on, because we’re really excited to see what they can do.

Coach Burgess’s goals for this season are to set more school records and to get in the mix of the NCAA Division I. “We got lots of competition this year. It’s going to be fun to kind of step it up a little bit and see what Division I is all about and get into that mix,”she said.

Though the roster is heavy with new additions, UALR also brings back some experience in the nine letterman swimmers return to the squad including three seniors: Holly and Hope Myers, Kara Raney, three juniors: Meghan Petersen, Alexis Stone, Samantha Thompson and three sophomores: Megan Scott, Natalie Swindle, and Valeriya Teplova.

Raney, who does sprint, freestyle, and backstroke events, holds two individual and three relay records for UALR. She has even higher expectations for this season and hopes to reset those records.

“Hopefully, since we’re in a new conference, I’m hoping to get top three or a medal,” she said.

Last March, Sophomore Diver Megan Scott made history at the NCAA Diving Regional Meet after finishing 45th overall in the one-meter springboard event with a total of 185.85.

The Swimming and Diving Team 2013-14 season schedule features six dual meets, four invitational meets, and an appearance in the Mo. Valley Conference Championships Feb. 13-15.

Associate director works his way to the top with Trojans Antonio gayden Staff Writer axgayden@ualr.edu

John Evans, Associate Director of Athletics for Facilties and Events for the UALR Trojans, has a love of sports that has helped fuel his steady climb behind the scenes.

A native of Irving, Texas, Evans began working at UALR in 2001 as Assistant Sports Information Director (SID) and has served as the Director of the Jack Stephens Center since 2004. As assistant SID at UALR, Evans was responsible for the promotion of the volleyball, women’s basketball, baseball, tennis and swimming programs. Evans was named to his current post in August of this year.

Evans oversees the daily operation of the Jack Stephens Center, home for UALR men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball teams. It features 12 luxury suites and houses the Department of Athletics’ administrative offices. Overseeing the Jack Stephens Center alone is a large task. With so many responsibilities the relationships that Evans has with his co-workers is extremely important. Being dependable and having the type of attitude that makes people love to work with you is a quality that one must possess in a position such as Evans.

“John is a great guy to work with.

He’s always willing to help” said Patrick Newton the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications. “Nobody works harder and cares more about this athletic department than he does.”

His supervision of the 5,600-seat Jack Stephens Center also includes the Legends Room, UALR academic learning center, weight room, sports therapy and hydrotherapy room and Derek Fisher Court.

Climbing the ladder in the workforce is something most people endure.

Something that more times than not the average worker will have to do. John’s journey hasn’t been different.

Before starting his tenure with UALR in May of 2001, Evans spent nine seasons as the assistant general manager for the Arkansas Travelers Baseball Club, the AA Texas League affiliate of the Anaheim Angels.

As assistant GM for the Travelers, Evans was responsible for the food and beverage operation at the old Ray Winder Field, along with merchandise sales, advertising sales, stadium operations and media/community relations.

Evans graduated from Texas Tech University in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional management. He was also a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Photo courtesy of Nelson Chenault

Senior Kara Raney will look to add to her historic career and help the team set new records.

SPORTS VOLLEY vs. ARK. STATE

OCT. 2 at 7 P.M. Jack Stephens Center

VOLLEY at ULM OCT. 4 at 7 P.M. Monroe, La.

SOCCER vs. S.Alabama OCT. 4 at 7 P.M. Coleman Sports & Rec.

TRACK at Fayetteville Oct. 5 Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival

VOLLEY at TROY OCT. 6 at 12 P.M. Troy, Ala.

SOCCER vs. TROY OCT. 6 at 1 P.M. Coleman Sports

GOLF (M) at Raleigh, N.C. OCT. 7-8 Wolfpack Inercollegiate

SOCCER at La.-Lafeyette OCT. 11 at 7 P.M. Lafeyette, La.

VOLLEY at UT-Arlington OCT. 11 at 7 P.M. Arlington, Texas

SWIM vs. Tulane

OCT. 12 at 9 A.M. New Orleans, La.

SCHEDULE VOLLEY at Texas State OCT. 13 at 1 P.M. San Marcos , Texas

SOCCER at ULM OCT. 13 at 1 P.M. Monroe, La.

GOLF (W) at Springfield, Mo.

OCT. 14-15 MSU/Payne Stewart Memorial.

VOLLEY vs.W.Kentucky

OCT. 18 at 7 P.M. Jack Stephens Center,

SOCCER vs. Georgia State

OCT. 18 at 7 P.M. Coleman Sports & Rec.

TRACK Rebsamen Golf Course

OCT. 19 at 10 A.M. UALR Invite

VOLLEY vs. Louisiana

OCT. 20 at 12 P.M Jack Stephens Center.

SOCCER vs.W.Kentucky

OCT. 20 at 1 P.M. Coleman Sports & Rec.

GOLF (W) at Murfreesboro,Tenn. Oct. 21-22 Blue Raider Invitational

GOLF (M) at Rustin, La.

Oct. 21-22 Jim Rivers Intercollegiate

Photo by Antonio Gayden

John Evans has served as Director of the Jack Stephens Center since 2004.