The Forum: September 4- 17, 2013

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The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Student Newspaper

September 4 - 17, 2013

DPS: e-cigarettes can be smoked on campus KenDrell Collins Editor kdcollins@ualr.edu

“UALR is a smoke free campus.”

One can often see these words scroll across the electronic message board when entering campus from South University Avenue.

Campus Policy 219.9 states that smoking is regulated on all UALR campus locations under Arkansas Act 462. However, nothing is mentioned about electronic cigarettes.

The e-cigarettes are often battery powered or rechargeable inhalers used to replace the traditional tobacco-enhanced smoking. Although similar in appearance to normal cigarettes, e-cigarettess produce no smoke. Instead, liquid nicotine is heated and released as vapor. Cartridges using only flavored vapor are also commonly in use.

Blu, an e-cigarette trademark of Lorillard Technologies, offers several flavored

packs, which include: Classic Tobacco, Magnificent Menthol and a variety pack.

According to bluecigs.com, “On average, each individual cartridge supplies enough nicotine and premium flavoring to accommodate approximately 250 puffs."

Health effects of inhaling vapor from e-cigarettess are still ambiguous. The Food and Drug Administration has not even evaluated some products, like Blu. UALR Crime Prevention officer Jennifer Sibley, said some companies are now claiming e-cigarettes contain formalde-

hyde, a known carcinogenic.

Sibley, who once worked at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, said its campus is completely tobacco free. They do not allow e-cigarettes.

Sibley's colleagues on the U of A campus told her that the maneuver to take away ecigarettes has caused a bit of upheaval since some students attempt to quit tobacco use by using e-cigs.

“It’s always a mild form of nicotine. It’s never as heavy as a cigarette but you can graduate down to where there is no nicotine in them. You can buy them with zero nicotine. So for us to say, ‘you know, well, it’s got nicotine,' You don’t know.”

Sibley, crediting The Forum’s investigation of the issue, said her officers are now being briefed on the matter and have been told that ecigarettes are in fact legal on campus.

“They might ask if it’s a cigarette, but when they find out it's not, they’re not going to do anything,” said Sibley.

Students also weighed in on the conversation online via the UALR Forum Facebook page, when asked how they would feel if a fellow student or professor smoked an e-cigarette during class.

The Forum found, based on student responses, that most students said they would not

“They might ask if it’s a cigarette, but when they find out it’s not, they’re not going to do anything.”

-Jennifer Sibley, UALR crime prevention officer

mind if someone began smoke an e-cigarette during class.

“I don’t smoke but it does nothing to harm the environment or any person,” said Mat Bohannan.

“I feel that smoking e-cigarettes in class wouldn't physically harm anyone, but I would find it slightly distracting and rude,” said Amy Long.

“I wouldn’t mind, I have way too much other stuff to do to be distracted by an e-cigarette. It’s only water vapor, no harm,” said Kayla Johsnon.

Sayra Crandal said she would have a problem if some-

See Smoking, page 3

Decreased enrollment, budget reductions place dark cloud over UALR Jacob Ellerbee Executive Editor Editor@ualr.edu

Chancellor Joel E. Anderson has announced immediate budget reductions in advance of receiving the final enrollment numbers for the semester.

In an email addressed to the campus community, Anderson said, “UALR is facing a significant reduction in enrollment this fall as compared with last year, larger than we anticipated a few weeks ago.”

Final numbers are expected to show a decline of 3 to 4 percent in tuition revenue, equating to about a $3 million loss for the university, according to the chancellor’s email.

However, the budget reductions will likely go unnoticed to students, according to Bob Adams, the vice chancellor of

finance and administration at UALR. “Anything that students see are going to be minimal. We’re trying to address this early in the year, not at the end of the year when things may have been much more difficult to deal with,” Adams said.

Adams relayed information from Anderson, which included reassurance that some programs and departments will not receive budget cuts. He specifically cited the Information and Technology department and the Department of Public Safety as most likely exemptions to the impending cuts.

“We’ll be working on [the reductions] as we go through the year -- to look at what we need to do in the way of sustaining a recurring budget in the future," Adams said.

The budget reduction announcement is being made on

the heels of already announced tuition and fee hikes for the new school year.

The overall cost is up 3.5 percent for UALR students from a year ago. This includes, in addition to other increases, a 3.3 percent increase in tuition and a 4.2 percent increase in fees, according to Adams.

Adams said increases are capped every year in a collaborative effort between Anderson, the state university system office, trustees, the vice chancellors and the budget officers.

This year, Adams said, “the board put a 3.5 percent limitation on overall mandatory cost to students.” The fees that get adopted are in place for a full academic year, staying in effect for the fall, spring and summer semesters. Tuition and fee increases may be equal to or less than what the board approves.

Photo by Dallen Shields

The court at the Jack Stephens Center is getting a $15,000 face lift.

For more on this story, flip to page 12.

Bike patrol brings increased safety to UALR Hunter Spence Staff Writer

hsspence@ualr.edu

The Department of Public Safety has decided to once again enact a bike patrol squadron.

Index Opinions News Features Entertainment Sports

2 3-4 5-7 8-10 11-12

Photo by Hunter Spence

UALR has reinstated its campus bike patrol squadron, in an effort by new police chief Ed Smith to boost safety at UALR.

Bike patrolling fosters a oneon-one relationship with the students and allows policemen to be seen more frequently.

Having bicycle policemen prevents many crimes, specifically thefts because bikes are faster than foot and more capable of getting through tight spaces, whereas a car cannot.

Aside from the lower number of crimes, the main increase of public safety will come from the quicker response time. For instance, if there was an emergency outside the DSC, a bike patrolman could respond faster due to their proximity.

If the situation was called in, the call has to undergo far more steps before it reaches the campus policemen. Because UALR is an open campus, anyone can walk in but will be more hesitant because the officers are closer and able to respond quicker. The only disadvantage that is apparent to bicycles is commuting in inclement weather. It is not possible for bicycles to trudge through snow, ice, or a flash flood.

Also, the metal bike poses an

electrocution risk during thunderstorms. On an average day, a bike is more effective than a car. The Department of Public Safety has made more improvements, other than the program, such as: new uniforms, new bikes, and four freshly trained officers.

The new officers underwent a two-day, sixteen-hour intensive course that taught various mounts, dismounts, techniques, and more led by Lieutenant Lewis, an officer with extensive experience in bike patrol.

He has been on patrol since 1996 and became an instructor in 2001. He was trained

by Little Rock Police Department, from which he took the training and started the program at UALR. One technique in particular involves switching one’s weight when going up and down stairs. They also had to learn how to maneuver through traffic and large crowds. The training for bicycle officers is more than meets the eye.

See Bikes, page 4

September 4 - 17, 2013

Opinions Arkansas lottery scholarship needs permanent fix Staff Editorial

Arkansas ranks near the bottom in college graduation rates with a 38 percent graduation rate, well below the 53 percent national average. In 2010, the Arkansas Higher Education Department Director Jim Purcell attributed lack of money and academic preparation as part of the problem. Purcell acknowledged that scholarships such as the Arkansas Lottery Scholarship would help.

The Arkansas Lottery Scholarship, introduced during the 2010 school year, has already gone through significant changes within just three years. In 2010, students awarded the Lottery Scholarship, received $5,000 a year if they attended a four-year college and $2,500 if they attended a twoyear college. In 2011, the amount dropped to $4,500 (four-year college) and $2,250 (two-year college) for the upcoming recipients.

While reducing the scholarship amount curbed the problem for a year, this year the scholarship amount dropped again. This time, an even bigger change. Students attending college, regardless if it's a four-year or two-year institution, would receive $2,000 for the incoming freshman year.

The amount would increase by $1,000 in each upcoming year.

Speaking about the change scholarship amount, ADHE Executive Director Shane Broad-

way said, “The General Assembly didn't have much choice. They would have to reduce award amounts in the regular session in order to maintain the viability of this scholarship program in the long term.”

However at the rate the scholarship is changing, will there really be any viability of this scholarship in the long term? While reducing the scholarship in 2011 tackled the funding problem for that year, this short-term solution caused the scholarship funding problem to rear its ugly head again just the next year.

The Arkansas Lottery scholarship is not the only one that has succumbed to dwindling reserve funds. Just this year there was talk that the Governor Distinguished Scholarship would be awarded to just 100 students instead of the previous 300 due to the dwindling fund reserves.

However, due to the outpour by many upcoming freshmen, the scholarship now relies upon General Revenue money and no longer succumbs to the decreasing fund balances.

Arkansas lawmakers acknowledge the importance of students attending college time and time again, but only 17 percent of General Revenue funds in 2012 were allocated to higher education.

One possible solution to this problem is to generate funds through modest taxation.

Rudy Fichtenbaum, president of the American Association of University Professors, in his paper “Financial Speculation Tax,” discusses proposing a moderate tax on trades in stocks and bonds or other financial trading mechanisms.

He predicts that such a tax could yield between $265 billion and $354 billion each year. This type of taxation is not a new idea.

Illustration by Logan Sturgill

In fact, the United States used this taxing method from 1914 to 1966.

If, however, the Arkansas Government wants to provide financial assistance to college students without increasing taxes, it will have to sort out and eliminate the redundancies within its own system in order to devote funding to this important cause.

How You See It Comments and Tweets from our readers

Facebook I think it has a lot to do with all of the above. Look at tuition in the last two years. We saw increases in tuition for the sake of new buildings, redundant in purpose. Benefits to the students were negligible at best, the only improvement to parking was a trolley. These increases were University increase. If the government has decreased it's aid based on UALR's very high student retention rate, that shouldn't be passed on to us.

- Alia Hatcher-Moore 3..the College.. Im unaware of any federal or state representatives at the board meetings when tuition hikes are proposed & voted on.

Who do you place the blame on for the increasing cost of a college education?

1,2, & 3. The blame lies mostly with the government. Almost all of college expenses are paid for from state and federal funds, or federal loans that are later paid by the student. There is basically no upper limit to the amount colleges can charge because the money will always be there for students in the form of scholarships or loans. Thus, colleges have no incentive to control costs. The students really don't either, because having an abstract amount of loan debt doesn't actually translate into anything meaningful to the student until they actually have to start repaying.

1. Federal Government 2. State Government 3. College/University 4. Economy 5. Other

3. They are buying up everything and we are paying for.

- Cammie Johnson

3. Unneeded costs like the Trojan Trolley add to already excessive tuition/fees

- Tyler Wilton Moses

- Dylan Jacobs

- Pri Bennett

How would you feel if a fellow student or professor smoked an e-cigarette during class?

It shouldn’t disturb anyone; doesn’t set off alarms either.

The asthmatics will of course disagree but steam is, as far as I know, harmless.

I feel that smoking e-cigarettes in class wouldn’t physically harm anyone, but I would find it slightly distracting and rude.

- Mason Qualls

- Amy Long

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

**Those who comment/tweet on our stories will be eligible for giveaways.**

Liz Fox

It would not matter to me if my professors or fellow students smoked e-cigarettes in class because it is not causing me any harm. E-cigarettes are no more or less harmful than the air I breathe.

I wouldn’t mind. I have way too much other stuff to do to be distracted by an e cigarette. It’s only water vapor, no harm.

- Tonisha Brown

- Kayla Johnson

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.

3

News

September 4 - 17, 2013

ualr.edu/forum

Summer preparatory course offers chance to eliminate remedial courses Steven Savage

Staff Writer srsavage@ualr.edu

The UALR student services success initiatives program offered an academically intense, three-week residential program for minorities to eliminate remedial courses in math, English, and writing with its Summer Bridge Program from July 14 through Aug. 3.

The Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy served as a way to help minority students improve ACT scores and college preparation.

Darryl McGee, assistant vice chancellor for educational, student services and student life, worked to oversee the program and bring it to life.

McGee said “The program took away the concerns students had about taking the remedial courses in order to maintain their scholarships. It took away their concerns about if they were smart enough to be here.”

McGee said he saw a problem and decided to help create a solution to offset the problem.

“I see a common problem where students will spend many years trying to graduate and still have not passed remedial math. The majority of those students, in turn, drop out.”

Director of UALR testing services Brad Patterson and SSSI Coordinator Amber Smith helped initiate the program. According to Smith, 44 students started the program and 43 completed.

“Students came in with ACT scores less than 21 and we utilized the COMPASS test to help boost those scores,” she said.

“Students used that score to bypass elementary algebra and some tested into trigonometry.”

Some of the statistics of the students’ progress included: • 11 students eligible for honors composition • Average composition scores went up 18 points

• • • •

Average math scores went up 20 points 88% bypassed developmental math 79% bypassed developmental composition 50% of those required bypassed developmental reading

According to Smith, the average math ACT gain was six points. She said this is the first year the program has been implemented and the goal is to get bigger and better. Her hope is to get more students through the program as they progress.

“I’m not going to be happy until I get 102 percent, so there’s always work to be done to improve," Smith said.

According to the SSSI website, Summer Bridge students were able to enroll in up to two 3-credit hour courses such as: developmental college courses in reading, English or math; introductorylevel college courses in math; and/or a speech communication course.

Students had the chance to participate in seminars such as: college learning strategies, Kuder Career Assessment, and financial/economic literacy workshops.

According to Smith, study sessions were based on teams with their mentor tutors. Mentors were responsible for getting their students through the program successfully.

Harold Brown had the opportunity to participate as a mentor and said he learned quite a bit from the students.

Brown said the students displayed such a “commitment to success,” that he was infected with the same spirit.

“The program came with its challenges, but they continued to persist and succeeded.” he said.

Brown said that even though he felt like he made a difference in the students’ lives, they made an even bigger one in his life.

“They encouraged me to continue down the teaching path. I'm deeply hon-

Photo by Taylor Sills

The Summer Bridge Program, a three-week course developed by Student Services, helped students prepare with tips on improving test scores and getting into college. ored to be part of that,” Brown said.

Smith said, “While we increase students’ knowledge academically, they increase their connection with the university and create relationships that would last beyond the Summer Bridge Program.”

Smith added that students talked about defining success as gaining the confidence and the passion to learn. She said “the learner” was turned on in the children.

“I remember coming back to West Hall to find papers spread out throughout the basement floor because students were studying.” She said she saw that the students asked to be tested and challenged.

At the end of the program, there was an award ceremony in which students received a medallion for their hard work.

Some of the students even offered their opinion of the academy.

Participant Brea Lambert said the program was a great tool to use to get a refresher or clarity on things they may have missed in high school.

“This program has much value be-

cause it helps students understand concepts they have forgotten or did not understand in high school. The program also helps save students money by eliminating remedial courses.”

Adriane Martin, also a participant said, “This program means a lot to me because it gave me a second chance to show what I can do in both math and English. I have improved from this program and had fun at the same time. I definitely recommend this program to incoming college freshman students looking to improve.”

Smith said the program was successful, in part by collaborating with faculty and staff all over campus.

“The best thing from an administrative perspective was the collaboration across the campus,” Smith said. “This was a good opportunity for staff, faculty, and administration to collaborate for student success. It allowed a rare opportunity for them to pull ideas together for the program.”

University hosts first-ever Suicide Prevention Week Sarah DeClerk

Editor sedeclerk@ualr.edu

UALR will host its first suicide prevention week Sept. 9 through 13 to raise awareness about suicide and other mental health problems.

Amy Muse, a student development specialist with counseling and career planning services, said she hopes to destigmatize mental health.

“We want to show people who are struggling that it’s okay and that there is help available,” she said.

The week will kick off noon Monday with the chancellor’s proclamation and a ribbon cutting ceremony in the DSC mall area.

On Tuesday, there will be a booth in the mall area from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the residence halls. Items will be given away and a “creativity station,” where students can decorate bags with messages to help those who are struggling and memorialize anyone they may have lost, Muse said.

The Gallery of Hope art contest will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the DSC upper concourse. Skylar Whitaker, a sophomore sociology major and founder of the UALR Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said works will include “anything to express the idea of hope and strength.”

Submissions can come from any student, staff member or faculty member at the university. Categories include visual, written and performance art related to the theme: hope and strength in surviving and preventing suicide.

Volunteers will judge submissions based on relevance and creativity. It is a creative, not technical, contest, Muse said. Every entry will win a prize, like gift certificates for food and car washes. The best in show will be awarded a glass trophy, pictured on the Gallery of Hope flyers.

A memorial walk from the mall area to the Cooper Fountain and back will take place 7:30 p.m. Thursday. By then, the bags from the cre-

Smoking, continued from page 1 one began smoking an e-cigarette in class, adding that it'd be "too distracting.”

“E-cigarettes are no more or less harmful than the air I breathe,” said Tonisha Brown.

While there are mixed perceptions about smoking on campus, cigarettes seem to be here to stay for the foreseeable future.

In an e-mail reminder about the policy on August 29, Director of Communications Judy Williams, told UALR

Illustration by Byron Buslig

ativity station will decorate a display wall where all can see them.

“It’s going to be pretty powerful, I think,” Muse said.

A suicide prevention workshop will take place in counseling services noon Friday, followed by an open house. The workshop will teach people how to help someone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts, and the open house will let people know where counseling services is located and what is available there, Muse said.

“We’re going to talk about how it’s okay to ask someone if they’re suicidal,” she said. “People think asking them will put the idea in their head, but the research just doesn’t support that. Being open and blunt is the best way to go about that.”

Muse added that they would also cover warning signs and referral services on campus.

Signup sheets for the UALR Foundation for Suicide Prevention will also be available. Whitaker started the foundation after reading a Forum article about high rates of suicidal ideation at UALR, he said.

After finding there was no suicide prevention group on campus, he started one in spring 2013. The organization is based on the idea that “suicide is not a dirty word.”

He added that he hopes to make suicide prevention week an annual event.

Develop the leadership skills needed to boost your career with an MBA from UALR.

ualr.edu/ForumMBA coLLege of BUsiness

University of ArkAnsAs At LittLe rock employees that a smoking cessation program is available to students, faculty and staff.

“You can sign up for a web-based support program that provides regular communications and monthly cessation classes.”

In come cases, when medical prescriptions are needed, the campus can provide up to half of the costs. This amount covers 12 weeks of smoking cessation therapy.

Your news.

Your way.

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4

News

September 4 - 17, 2013

SGA sets sights on campus unification, involvement KenDrell Collins Editor kdcollins@ualr.edu

The student government association, under the leadership of President Lauren McNeaill and Vice-President Trey Gibeault, intends to bring improvements to UALR. For some students, the SGA may seem like just another organization on campus, but McNeaill said it is one in which everyone should play a part. “We represent the student body on administrative committees,” she said. “We try to increase student satisfaction, make sure we are providing student needs, whatever that may be.”

In an interview with McNeaill and her team, she explained that the new administration has four primary goals: 1. Better equip SGA members for service 2. Create a more unified campus community and promote safety 3. Promote student involvement and satisfaction with campus activities and services 4. Build community awareness and spirit through community service and philanthropy Steps have already been taken to ensure that all SGA members are ready to serve. The SGA hosted an overnight retreat over the summer at West Hall in which members underwent leadership workshops.

According to McNeaill, it will also host parliamentary procedure workshops so that the members will be more familiar with the in and outs of SGA protocol.

In an effort to unify the campus, the SGA plans to institute a President’s Council. The council will include representatives from all student organizations on campus.

“We’re looking at hopefully, ideally, about 50 representatives,” said McNeaill. “[Instituting] that will be to increase communication lines across organizations and also so that we make some collective efforts on some interests that we all have in common anyway.”

The SGA has once again received requests that hours at the Ottenheimer Library be extended. The hope is, McNeaill said, to make the hours more conducive to student’s study preferences. Currently,

Photo by KenDrell Collins

The newly elected 2013-2014 SGA adminstartion is pictured above. From left to right: Carlos Sepulveda, Trey Gibeault, Lauren McNeaill, Brett Clark and Meghan Petersen. the library closes at 11 p.m. during the week and at 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

“For the average college student that is in class during the day, works at night and gets home to nosy roommates at ten o’clock, it’s not going to be enough,” McNeaill said.

However, after speaking with those who oversee such decision, McNeaill was told that there is not enough student demand to make the change. She said she will need the help of students if the change is to take place.

McNeaill is most excited about the SGA achieving its final goal of building community awareness and philanthropy. The administration looks to host the university’s first 5k run, in which proceeds will go to a charity. The specific charity and date have not yet been decided. “It would be a themed 5K so that we can build up school spirit,” McNeaill said.

The secretary, Meghan Petersen, is a source of communication for all officers. Students can contact her in order to get their message relayed to the SGA members. Carlos Sepulveda, the chief of staff and media liaison, is in charge of the SGA budget and contact with media

sources. In light of past strains between the SGA and the The Forum, he and the team expressed their desire to maintain a strong relationship with The Forum.

Gibeault is the leader of the SGA Senate. The SGA hopes to increase voter turnout by changing campaign restrictions by passing new legislation in the Senate. Last year, only a small percent of the student population participated.

“The college of business students, there is no reason for them to come down there,” said Gibeault. “They have all their classes, food and parking over there.”

“Some people are commuters and it may be hard for them to get there at that certain time,” added Petersen.

The SGA says the solution to low voter turnout may be online voting. Even though it poses some tough challenges, the SGA anticipates implementation will boost voter participation.

All SGA meetings are open to the public. Students who wish to voice an opinion at a particular meeting should send an e-mail notifying the SGA that they would like to be on the agenda. It meets bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. in room 201A of the SGA office. The next meeting will be Sept. 11.

Go to ualr.edu/sga to learn more about student government.

ualr.edu/forum Bikes, continued from page 1 Adding these new, more mobile officers will bring more protection presence to the center of campus. Students can benefit from these additions the most by having a more familiar relationship with the officers. Most times, civilians cannot or will not interact with a car-based cop because they don’t look approachable.

Chief Officer Ed Smith made this program his top priority because it would create “community oriented” officers.

These officers are just as powerful and carry the same jurisdiction as car cops, but feel a little more accessible.

Lieutenant Lewis said, “Students can always come up to us with questions or just to talk; it doesn’t even have to be about enforcement.”

This statement creates an image of a friendly, familiar policeman. Chief Ed Smith used a motto from Sir Robert Peel, named the father of modern policing, that states, “The people are the police, and the police are the people.”

As for another benefit, Smith feels that more community-oriented officers will create a learning opportunity for students faulting in minor infractions.

Here at the university, the DPS can approach the situations with understanding and teaching rather than worse consequences in the city’s hands.

Finally, the officers wouldn’t be here without the students so they play a vital role in our campus family. They offer protection and a helping hand to all of us here at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Project expected to soften electricty bill

Crime Prevention

Alton Young

Editor AXYoung1@ualr.edu

The value of a minute Kezia Nanda

Contributing Writer kananda@ualr.edu

If you want your car to get stolen or broken into, it's rather easy. First, do not lock your car so a thief can easily get in to your car without being suspicious. Second, park your car in a fully occupied parking lot so a thief can hide and squat between cars after stealing valuables from your car.

Third, choose the darkest spot to park so a thief will not be seen by a policeman. Last, have your laptop visible in your car.

Car-related theft happens more often than you can imagine. An Allstate Insurance spokesman once told ABC News' Good Morning America that the No.1 property crime is vehicle theft.

UALR Detective Sharon Houlette said she has seen a lot of cases in her 18 years at UALR. “Years ago, within four months, we had 11 cases of cars being broken into on campus,” she said. Houlette added, some of the cases did not involve a forced entry, meaning that most likely the cars were not locked.

When asked randomly on campus,

only 75 percent of UALR students actually spend a few seconds making sure they do not have anything out of plain sight in their cars. Some said they quickly put things in their trunks or just bring them in their backpacks. A junior majoring in Biology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Spencer Briggs, said she does it to keep her car from being broken into.

Sophomore Awendell Gordon, majoring in Sports Management, said he stays careful because he overheard some people talking about car-related thefts that happened on campus.

The other 25 percent, however, said they usually just walk away to class without checking if they leave anything visible in their cars. Some claimed it is because they do not have anything expensive in their cars. But UALR Crime Prevention Officer Jennifer Sibley said, even things as worthless as a few quarters or GPS brackets can attract thieves to search your car for more. his year UALR is implementing a lot more patrols and taking the crime prevention matter more seriously.

Officer Sibley said this year is the first year the university has a full-time Crime Prevention Officer.

Even when there are more officers patrolling around campus on bikes, cars and foot, it is still smart to spend a minute making sure you will not be the next victim.

Make sure you keep everything in the trunk if you do not want to bring them with you. Making sure all the doors are locked is also important because some car doors will not lock automatically as well as others. Officer Sibley said when a thief tries to open your doors and they are all locked, he or she will most likely go to another car.

One UAL student, who requested anonymity, said she is scared to park on campus after 6 p.m.

Officer Sibley said in the evening, try to park as close as possible to a street light because the brighter the area is, the less likely a thief will break into your car.

Implementing these tips can save you hundreds of dollars from buying a new laptop, books, repairing the damages of your car and, in some cases, from buying a new car.

Illustration by Logan Sturgill

The inconvenience is only beginning and will last for a while, but the benefits will last for decades.

Any student who parks in the open lot near Campus Safety, experienced a little bit of a detour in their normal path to class when the sidewalk was briefly blocked.

The detours have only just begun and will continue for months. The campus is in the beginning stages of a longterm project that will change the way the school uses power.

According to Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management David Millay, “it’s going to be a very disruptive process over the next two years.”

“We’re embarking on a large project, about a $30 million project overall, and it’s roughly split into two pieces; one is energy efficiency and the other is generation of emergency power,” Millay said.

The completion of the project will also allow the school to save money on power. “It would be around a 30-35 percent reduction in the rate we pay, per kilowatt hour, “ Millay said.

The project will provide emergency power for every building on campus.

“In the wintertime, when we have that snowstorm or the ice storm and the power goes out, we can keep our residence halls running just like normal.

We can keep our dining facilities running. We can have classes,” he said.

The emergency power will also benefit research labs. “Having emergency backup power allows us to have those research efforts uninterrupted.”

Part of the project will require all the campus buildings to be connected and this process will likely cause the most disruption. “They’ll be a lot of excavation, installing piping (underground) that will allow us to connect all the buildings into one loop,” Millay said.

“So that’ll be a pretty disruptive period; we’ll do it in phases and we’ll do it with a lot of communication up front.”

The project should take about 24 months and there will be times when streets and walkways will have to be shut down, possibly for weeks at a time.

The plan is to work with the Communication office to provide instructions to students to alleviate some of the necessary intrusion.

The end result should interest any green-conscious students, according to Millay. “We will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by something in the order of 35 percent annually,” Millay said.

“UALR is not only playing a role, but taking the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our carbon footprint. It’s tremendously, socially responsible,” he said.

Some members of the Facilities staff referred to the project as Millay’s “baby” and he attested to that sentiment. “I have been working on this project almost since I came to UALR thirteen years ago; it’s been a project that we’ve brought forward over the course of many years,” he said.

As for the benefits to those students unconcerned with campus sustainability, “Every dollar we can save has an impact on reducing overall costs and that reduces the pressure on tuition and things like that,” he said.

ualr.edu/forum

5

Features

September 4-17, 2013

Student publishes novel using crowd-funding site

Alexis Williams

Staff Writer AAWilliams3@ualr.edu

Marcus Gray, a senior double major in speech communications and professional and technical writing, recently raised more than $3,500 to publish his book through the increasingly-popular crowd-funding website called Kickstarter.

Gray said that his entrance into the writing world was not one of formative inspiration. In fact, his title as author is not much older than his title as UALR student.

In summer 2011, Gray joined his speech communication adviser, Julien Mirivel, on a week-long study abroad trip to Paris. He said he understood the reason for trip to France’s capital was not to study the language.

“We were just there to study the culture, and see what we thought about the culture (this is what you see; how does it make you feel?). There were no right or wrong answers. And we had to journal a whole lot,” he said.

“As I was [writing in my journal], I sort of ‘caught the bug.’ Especially since I was a missionary, I’ve always liked language—what you can do with words.”

He did not stick to journaling for long, however.

“I do like the process of reflecting and processing reality [in a journal] and then spitting it out on a page in a pure, unadulterated truth,” Gray said. “And while that’s cool and fun, I’m a big extrovert, so I didn’t feel like I was sharing enough with it.”

Once he returned from Paris, Gray said it was this mentality and hsi conviction that his normal life was too boring that let him pursue different forms of writing. “I was like, ‘Maybe I should just write something and see where that goes,’ and here I am now. The idea of writing these personal feelings in a medium to where it can go to other people

and maybe mean something to them - or maybe not - that just felt more appealing,” he added.

Before Gray decided to follow the writing path, he had intended to earn a Ph.D. in speech communication and pursue a career as a professor. Recently, he said a Ph. D. may not be feasible, but he still intends to go to graduate school for writing.

The young writer did not want to take the time to be published through traditional methods, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

“I knew early on that I just didn’t have the patience to go through the mainstream avenues of finding an agent, being published, etc. I wanted something immediate,” he said.

“I just don’t feel like I have it in me for the long haul to send countless queries to agents and editors and get rejected 90 percent of the time—which is what every writer has to do, if they want to get published [by the traditional route]. So I discovered self-publishing. While you have to market it yourself, I just liked the idea of getting my work out there and building a fan base.”

However, he insisted that he wanted to present a quality piece of work. “I didn’t want my work to be crap. I’m in love with everything I write, so I need someone objective to tell me what’s wrong, what’s right, and what could be better. So I knew that I would need to consult with a professional editor—one that I couldn’t afford.”

His luck changed when he took a persuasive writing course with Joe Williams.

“The last project we had in the class was to do a mock Kickstarter project.

So -- I can get money for a project that I want, that’s creative and personal? -Yeah, sure! So within two weeks, I had it done. Like, I made the Kickstarter project. I didn’t do a mock one.”

Crowd-funding websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo provide an avenue of revenue for aspiring authors, artists and designers—basically anyone bursting with a creative idea but without the funds to make it a reality.

The novel that Marcus Gray raised the money to have soon published is, “Son of the Solace”. The premise of the novel bares a coming-of-age theme common among Gray’s most cherished works.

“I really like coming-of-age books like Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and Stephen King’s The Body—books about kids growing up. I think that we’re all sort of going through those phases [common in coming-of-age tales] all at once.”

Gray said that these changes and moments of insight are not bound to only

Have an idea, but no capital? Try Kickstarter.

KenDrell Collins Editor kdcollins@ualr.edu

Do you have a creative idea for a project but not enough money to get it off the ground? Kickstarter is a funding platform designed to bring an ambitious, original project into fruition.

Since its takeoff more than four years ago on April 19, 2009, the corporation has helped fund over 45,000 projects with more than $700 million in pledges, the Kickstarter website said. According to Kickstarter, it funded about 10 percent of the films at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. “Incident in New Baghdad,” a documentary directed by James Spione, is one of two Kickstarter projects to be nominated for an Oscar, it said.

Kickstarter said it welcomes projects both small and great. The creator only has to meet two major guidelines, the first of which is to insure that the project is in fact a “project.”

“A project is something with a clear end, like making an album, a film or a new game,” Kickstarter.com said. “A project will adolescence; but, they often continue into adulthood.

“I wanted to write a book about someone who’s going through a similar life-changing event and the truths and the conclusions they come to while having these moments. But I’m a big fantasy and sci-fi reader, and I’ve always been enthralled with vampires.”

For these reasons, Gray was determined to feature those elements in his first novel.

The author explains that his book is about a grad student who wakes up one day and he cannot remember the night before, but he is a vampire. The protagonist must continue on with his life and adapt to this new change.

“I guess in some ways it reflects my own experiences in college, because I didn’t necessarily come from a pious background, but that was a path that I chose to take when I was an older teenager.”

“So whenever I started taking classes [in college], it made me seriously question the views and values that I’d held for all these years. And the main character also had certain views his whole life, but one day, he wakes up and he’s a blood-raging monster. As the novel progresses, he figures out means to be human by becoming a monster.”

Those who think “Son of the Solace” will be one of those novels featuring a three-way love triangle between a mortal, a werewolf and a vampire can put

eventually be completed, and something will be produced as a result.”

Secondly, the project must fit into one of the Kickstarter categories: art, comics, dance, design, fashion, film, food, games music, photography, publishing, technology and theater.

Once the project is selected, the creator must build a page and shoot a video in which the creator explains the reason for the project, why others should support it and the reward that will be given to those who pitch in money.

Kickstarter allows all project creators to set their own deadline and funding goals.

Those who like the project, called backers, agree to pledge a certain amount of money to help fund it.

When, or if, the goal is reached in time, the backer’s credit cards will be charged for the amount. Kickstarter gets a 5 percent cut of the funds from all successful projects.

However, there is one catch. If 100 percent of the project-funding goal is not met by the deadline, the project does not get funded.

Kickstarter says 44 percent of all its projects have achieved their funding goals. those those worries away.

“It’s not a love story,” Gray said.

“That doesn’t make it better or worse, but definitely different from the mainstream vampire novels.”

Gray’s writing style is marked by his straightforward approach and relatable material. This is also his favorite style to read.

“I just find it refreshing to read an honest opinion. The more genuine the writing, the more it resonates with me.

I think one of the marks of a good writer is when you read something and you say, ‘Hey, me too! I didn’t know anybody felt that way.’”

Now Gray continues to write. “I’ve got a few projects. I am 80 pages into the sequel. Whether it’s profitable as a career or not, I see myself doing this for a very long time. Instead of playing tennis, or whatever other people do,” he said.

The writer made a point to stress the accessibility of his feat: “Anyone can do it. You don’t need to feel brilliant or ‘intellectually certified’ to write a book.

You can just use avenues like [Kickstarter] to share your dream with the world,” Gray said.

“If anyone takes anything from the success of my project, I hope it is not, “Wow, this kid’s great! He’s a smart author.” They should just remember, “He’s an average Joe like me, who was able to make things happen.”

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6

Features SGA sets sights on student unification, involvement KenDrell Collins Editor kdcollins@ualr.edu

The student government association, under the leadership of President Lauren McNeaill and Vice-President Trey Gibeault, intends to bring improvements to UALR. For some students, the SGA may seem like just another organization on campus, but McNeaill said it is one in which everyone should play a part.

“We represent the student body on administrative committees,” she said. “We try to increase student satisfaction, make sure we are providing student needs, whatever that may be.”

In an interview with McNeaill and her team, she explained that the new administration has four primary goals: 1) Better equip SGA members for service 2) Create a more unified campus community and promote safety 3) Promote student involvement and satisfaction with campus activities and services 4) Build community awareness and spirit through community service and philanthropy Steps have already been taken to ensure that all SGA members are ready to serve. The SGA hosted an overnight retreat over the summer at West Hall in which members underwent leadership workshops.

According to McNeaill, it will also host parliamentary procedure workshops so that the members will be more familiar with the in and outs of SGA protocol.

In an effort to unify the campus, the SGA plans to institute a President’s Council. The council will include representatives from all student organizations on campus.

“We’re looking at hopefully, ideally, about 50 representatives,” said McNeaill. “[Instituting] that will be to increase communication lines across organizations and also so that we make some collective efforts on some interests that we all have in common anyway.”

The SGA has once again received requests that hours at the Ottenheimer Library be extended. The hope is, McNeaill said, to make the hours more conducive to student’s study preferences. Currently, the library closes at 11 p.m. during the week and at 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

“For the average college student that is in class during the day, works at night and gets

September 4-17, 2013

home to nosy roommates at ten o’clock, it’s not going to be enough,” McNeaill said.

However, after speaking with those who oversee such decision, McNeaill was told that there is not enough student demand to make the change. She said she will need the help of students if the change is to take place.

McNeaill is most excited about the SGA achieving its final goal of building community awareness and philanthropy.

The administration looks to host the university’s first 5k run, in which proceeds will go to a charity. The specific charity and date have not yet been decided. “It would be a themed 5K so that we can build up school spirit,” McNeaill said.

The secretary, Meghan Petersen, is a source of communication for all officers. Students can contact her in order to get their message relayed to the SGA members. Carlos Sepulveda, the chief of staff and media liaison, is in charge of the SGA budget and contact with media sources. In light of past strains between the SGA and the The Forum, he and the team expressed their desire to maintain a strong relationship with The Forum.

Gibeault is the leader of the SGA Senate. The SGA hopes to increase voter turnout by changing campaign restrictions by passing new legislation in the Senate. Last year, only a small percent of the student population participated. “The college of business students, there is no reason for them to come down there,” said Gibeault. “They have all their classes, food and parking over there.”

“Some people are commuters and it may be hard for them to get there at that certain time,” added Petersen.

The SGA says the solution to low voter turnout may be online voting. Even though it poses some tough challenges, the SGA anticipates implementation will boost voter participation.

All SGA meetings are open to the public. Students who wish to voice an opinion at a particular meeting should send an e-mail notifying the SGA that they would like to be on the agenda. It meets bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. in room 201A of the SGA office. The next meeting will be Sept. 11.

Go to ualr.edu/sga to learn more about student government.

ualr.edu/forum

Photo by Alton Young

Professor tells story behind the story Alton Young

Editor axyoung1@ualr.edu

He teaches the material with an undeniable passion and an assured familiarity.

This teacher recounts the stories told by African-American authors almost as if he had been there himself.

It should be noted that the teacher himself is not AfricanAmerican. He is, in fact, a European-American with Italian and French ancestry. He is a white man teaching a black subject,but there is no one that does it as well or as passionately as he does, according to his students.

James Levernier has taught at UALR for over 35 years, but for a little over a decade now, he has taught or helped to teach a class on African-American literature.

“He is such an interesting teacher, and he knows his subjects so well and has a passion for it,” said Carla Smith, a senior English major who took his class last summer.

“I think that it should be a requirement,” said Scott Bollen, a senior biology and English major. “How is Shakespeare any more important than Nat Turner is to current day English majors?”

Levernier has the respect of both students and faculty, being one of only a few teachers to win the Bailey Teaching Award as well as the Faculty Excellence Award for teaching.

Levernier starting teaching African-American Literature as a joint venture with former history professor Leroy Williams, who retired in 2011 and is African-American. Levernier took over as sole teacher of the class after one semester of

teaching with Williams. Levernier credits Williams with helping guide him through the first years of the class.

“Listening to Dr. Williams, as an African-American professor, talk about African-American history provided me with a whole education that I hadn’t had and opened up a whole new way of thinking and teaching that I hadn’t understood,” he said. “I’m greatly indebted to him for teaching me how to teach.”

After initially being hesitant to teach the subject, Levernier found out that if he had the interest and willingness to learn about the material, he should be able to teach the material.

One of the biggest surprises for him was the open reception of African-American students as he attempted to learn about and teach the material.

“I think that students recognized that I went at it with a sense of awe and respect,” he said.

Levernier’s passion for literature started at an early age.

“I’ve always loved to read, and I’ve especially loved to read American literature, because it’s about us and about who we are,” he said. “I was trained, though, in a very traditional way - in a traditional canon and I didn’t realize that there was a lot more to American literature than the writers and ideas that I was being taught.

I was given, in essence, a very Eurocentric view of American Literature,” Levernier said.

Levernier grew up near Chicago and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marquette University and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

“This school (UALR) had just become a state university and it was growing and it was a great,

great opportunity to develop as a teacher and scholar,” he said.

When he was asked to teach African-American literature 10 years ago, it changed everything. “It changed the way that I read and taught about America,” he said. “I begin to see that there was a story behind the story of America that I hadn’t been taught, and that the writers who told that story were heroic people of tremendous genius, who were in fact telling the real story of America,” he said.

Among those authors are Olaudah Equiano, Phylis Wheatley, Francis E.W. Harper and Henry Louis Gates to name a few covered in the class. When Levernier was only teaching what was in the “canon,” stories such as those of aforementioned Nat Turner went untold, but today the professor sees things differently.

“Now I see that teaching this literature is the most important thing that I’ve ever done, as an educator.”

Indeed, the professor has made African-American literature his passion, having written many essays and discovered many documents on the works of poet Phylis Wheatley for himself and becoming a foremost authority on her. He is scheduled to speak about Wheatley at a Yale University conference next month and two years ago he spoke in London.

Smith said the class was an eye-opening experience. “I may have read some of the material, but I don’t know that I would have really found that story behind the story that he helped us to find in there,” he said. In addition to African-American literature, Levernier also teaches standard American literature and is involved with the McNair program.

Get To Know Your SGA Rep Carlos Hernan Sepulveda

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

Classification:

I’m really into running, so that’s usually an important part of my day. I enjoy grabbing dinner or drinks with friends and try to shop as much as I can.

Name:

Senior

SGA Title: Chief of Staff

Favorite Home-Cooked Meal: Chilean barbeque with rice and a good salad

I Ran For SGA Office because...

Actually, I didn’t run. About week after Lauren and Trey won the election last semester, they emailed me and asked if I would like to take the position. I didn’t think about it twice and signed up.

My biggest role model is: I’d have to say Steve Jobs in real life and Chris Traeger from “Parks and Rec” as my fictional role model

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

I’m in the process of studying for the LSAT, so law school could definitely be on the horizon. I’m considering some other grad school options, but I definitely want to stay in school for a little bit longer.

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

Right now, I think it’s important to let the university know that we exist. SGA voter turnouts are usually quite low and just from talking to students around campus, I get the feeling that a small number of them know about SGA. One of my main goals this year is to increase student involvment.

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

Staying focused.

It’s really easy to relax and put things off, but sooner or later they come back to haunt you. It’s essential to find that perfect balance of fun and responsiblity.

What is the best part of being involved in the SGA? I love being able to serve as a representative for the school.

I’ve always enjoyed being in leadership positions, so this is an ideal situation for me. Having an office isn’t too bad either!

ualr.edu/forum

September 4-17, 2013

Features

Arkansans tackle trash in Great Arkansas Cleanup

7

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

PAULINE MOTHU

Sarah DeClerk

Editor sedeclerk@ualr.edu

Tired of trash? Volunteers across the state will do their part to scour their communities during the Great Arkansas Cleanup, an annual litter reduction campaign lasting Sept. 8 to Oct. 31.

“We want to encourage communities in the state to express their civic pride and make their communities better,” said Elizabeth Philpott, UALR alumna and volunteer services coordinator with Keep Arkansas Beautiful.

Because the commission only has three full-time staff members, it relies on volunteer groups. For the Great Arkansas Cleanup, they work with organizations of all kinds, including scouts, schools, government organizations and individual members of the community.

The cleanup, created in 1969 by Carl Garner from Tumbling Shoals, is spon-

sored by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, Keep Arkansas Beautiful and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.

Guidelines and supplies are given to organizations, but the communities control the event.

Philpott said she empowers organizers to recruit volunteers and promote their cleanups.

“We do want people cleaning what matters to them,” she added. “People know their communities better than we do,” Philpott said.

“They know the trouble spots and illegal dumps.”

For example: when people dump their junk in an abandoned lot instead of paying to dispose of it properly at a landfill, an illegal dump is born.

During the cleanup, landfills will waive their fees so that volunteers can clear out illegal dumps without pay-

NOW HIRING for the

ing, Philpott said.

Volunteers also clean up trash thrown from moving vehicles. “The number one thing that’s littered is cigarette butts,” Philpott said.

Other commonly littered items include fast food containers and drink cans and bottles.

Volunteers should avoid “trucker bombs,” bottles of urine thrown to the road by truckers who do not stop to use the restroom, Philpott said. Abandoned bathroom items are also seemingly not a rarity.

“It’s so bizarre – any time there’s a creek cleanup, I feel like they always find a toilet,” she said.

Although the commission provides gloves, volunteers should use their best judgment concerning safety,.

Safety tips are available on the commission’s website and include picking a safe location, supervising children and contacting the authori-

Illustration by Paige Mason.

ties if volunteers find illegal items.

Also included on the website are registration forms and a calendar of existing events, one of which is the Picking on Litter Cleanup at Pinnacle Mountain. The Cleanup gathers volunteers to clean in the morning with live music and a cookout in the afternoon.

Philpott said she has worked with groups from UALR and assisted with cleanup projects like the Coleman Creek Cleanup.

“We’re really interested in working with UALR. I’m an alumna and I love UALR’s campus. I have a sense of ownership in it because I went to school here,” she said. “I think it’s great. I think anything that creates awareness is great. A lot of people working together for a common goal is amazing. That’s why we do what we do.”

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

Fall Semester Stressed-out students can take back control of their lives Hillary Perkins

Contributing Writer

One thousand students nationwide commit suicide every year because of stress, said Mike Kirk, the Director of counseling and career planning services.

Stress is a part of everyday life in college. Some students know how to cope, but some do not. Between working, taking care of families, budgeting money, personal problems and going to school, it stretches students’ resources. Stress differs from person to person.

When dealing with stress, students have to understand how the stress is beginning to affect them and identify the problem.

“As soon as it’s affecting

their lives and happiness, they should seek intervention,” said Aresh Assadi, student development specialist.

The signs of psychological stress include changes in behavior and appearance, changes in academic performance, thinking about harming oneself or someone else, and signs of drug or alcohol abuse.

Health services screen clients under stress for depression and anxiety. Marie Sandusky, Director of health services, said 10 percent of these clients have some signs of depression and anxiety in which stress could be the cause.

“It’s important for students to recognize their emotions and be able to express their emotions appropriately,” Sandusky said.

There are four T’s students must follow to manage stress: take control, take care of your body, take care of your mind and time management. Finding the tools that work for you is the first step of taking control.Several of these tools can be found in Student Health 101, a publication from health services.

One tool it explained was backdating. When doing school projects, speeches or studying for a test, students must set a time ahead to get plenty done in time. The first step in backdating is to divide assignments into separate parts and set up deadlines for each part.

Students should take control of their finances, as well as their mind, body and work schedule. There are different

ways of how to track finances.

Student Health 101 also offered several tips on budgeting, avoiding overspending and setting financial goals.

Kognito, an interactive online simulation, can provide training for managing stress and assisting those who are struggling. It trains participants to identify people in distress, discuss their struggle with them and refer them to resources that can help them get on track. More information about Kognito, including log-in information, is available on the dean of students webpage.

Kirk said that students can manage their stress with a little planning and foresight. “Once they have a strategy to manage stress, they know how to handle it,” he said.

Even though classes started two or three weeks ago, we all are still adjusting to our schedules and classes. I personally don’t have to change classes this semester, but I remember I had to drop and add some during my first semester at UALR. I was confused and surprised to be able to do so, because students cannot do that in France.

“How do class schedules work there?,” you may wonder.

It is quite simple. French students get their class schedule when they register during summer, and it cannot change. Let me tell you how it was for me so that you can have a better understanding of the French educational system.

After I graduated from high school, I registered as an English major in college. I knew my class schedule before I started classes. I believe I had around 20 hours a week and around 2 hours of study at home everyday. Students are required to take these classes every semester.

With this kind of system, students have the same classmates for at least three years, which is nice. They cannot drop a class because it is too difficult or because they don’t like it. I was thus, very surprised (and happy), to see that I could drop a class and take another one instead when I first came to UALR. Besides the schedule system, the classroom is also organized differently in France. We do not have individual tables like here in the U.S.; ours are rectangular and 2 students sit next to each other.

The first time I came inside an American classroom, I was so surprised - it was exactly like in the movies - and I still wonder how students manage to have space with these small tables. You can put down your book, notebook and pen - that’s it! In a French classroom, you can spread out your school supplies (or at least put your arms on the table), especially when you have no one sitting next to you.

Moreover, most of the classrooms here have computers available, and I think this is good for both students and teachers. We do not have computers in the classrooms at my French university. Every lecture is based on the teacher’s notes.

The other major difference I noticed when I first came here is that American students behave differently in class than French students. Let me explain. For instance, many students drink or eat in class; some even go out to take a phone call during the lecture!

They also talk without raising their hands. It is my third year at UALR, and I’m still not used to this kind of behavior in class. I had the same surprise when it came time to take an in-class test. Let me tell you a story so that you can understand what I mean by this last sentence.

During a test last semester - I can’t remember which class it was, though - the teacher left the classroom for several minutes, and no one moved in the class! All the students kept writing as if the teacher was there.

It surprised me because in my French university, students would try to get answers if the teacher wasn’t in the room - but this would never happen!

When it first happened, I thought it was because the students in the classroom were all serious, but this happened several times and resulted in the same behavior.

Studying at UALR allows me and other international students to discover another educational system.

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

8

Entertainment

September 4-17, 2013

ualr.edu/forum

UALR band banking on karma to bring good fortune Tonio Gayden

Staff Writer Axgayden@ualr.edu

Scores of creative minds inhabit UALR, but many of them fall through the cracks of the unknown, unless they're your friends.

Dear Karma is working diligently to make sure that doesn't happen.

They are a locally founded band in Little Rock, featuring current UALR students. The group plays metalcore, a sub-genre of heavy metal, and incorporates blues and punk elements into their massive sound.

Dear Karma is composed of Jamison Grandy (drums), Jeremy Grandison (vocals), Devin Parker (lead guitar), Matt Taylor (2nd guitar) and Matt Garvey (bass).

Music is more than a feeling, Taylor

said. He credits music as having the ability to alter the way you think and to shift your mood.

“My goal is to inspire the next generation in their love of music” Taylor said.

After hearing their music, they accomplish just that. Dear Karma's style is different, but will most likely satiate their audience lyrically and through precise instrumentation.

The band of five individuals share a common goal.

"We wish to test the limitations of our music writing and bring passion to every song we make.”

There's a lot that goes into making music and making an album. From the writing of the songs, to beats and production, the toughest variable in this equation is keeping the band together.

With the different personalities and opinions from each member, it can be hard to function and keep everyone satisfied.

But the band members said they have what it takes to make it through

the adversity.

“We've gone through some hard times and we've made some tough choices to get to where we are today,” Jamison said. “But one day, we hope to look back and be able to say we have made our albums, we have made it to the top of music and entertainment, and we have played some of the biggest shows and festivals the country has to offer."

By no means will it be easy but with the will they have and determination their future is bright. It starts with building a fan base, and what better scenario than UALR's backyard?

Dear Karma is currently in the process of recording their debut album and the band members expect it to be released sometime this fall.

The band has already started to make headway on accomplishing their goals. The group has an upcoming show on October 20th at the Downtown Music Hall.

The gig is for Project Independent, an event in which the area's top metal bands perform during a live HD webcast for a chance to receive signing offers from a variety of entertainment service groups. Dear Karma is scheduled to perform at 10:15 p.m.

The band members said they hope UALR students are able to go out and support the local talent.

Meetings

Tuesdays

5:00 - 6:00 p.m. • DSC 201A

Are you a student at UALR? Are you a musician or do you have a band? Get in touch with us by emailing the Executive Editor at editor@ualr.edu.

Anyone who is interested in being a member of UPC is welcome to attend these meetings! If you cannot attend these meetings and are still interested in being a member, please contact Emily Cox (ebcox@ualr.edu) or one of the UPC Executive Committee members, Lucia Okaro (flokaro@ualr. edu), Kenneth Jackson (krjackson@ualr. edu), or Vernon Wilson (vxwilson@ualr. edu) to find out how you can join!

Oxford American brings classic southern fare to Main Street Rachel Wright

Staff Writer rswright@ualr.edu

When entering the recently opened restaurant South on Main, owned by chef Matt Bell, the casual murmur of the afternoon lunch crowd was a breath of fresh air.

Where September 28th hits the road!

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Taking in the sights of the dining area, tables were arranged in an orderly fashion at a comfortable capacity. On the left side is a grand piano on a low stage, and directly across the restaurant on the right hand wall was the bar, and separating the bar from the dining area was a median wall with old fashioned typewriters perched on top.

While studying the menu I noticed an unusual selection of food: Hot Chicken Liver salad, Catfish Hoppin' John, and Rabbit Boudin. I soon realized this was not going to be an average burger-andfries lunch. Studying the menu carefully, I looked for a safe choice - something I knew I would like - but also searched for something I thought would be a more daring choice.

The waiter came back and presented us our drinks in blue mason jars - a novel idea. After receiving his recommendations, my lunch partner and I decided to try the Catfish Hoppin John served with tasso, pickled tomatoes, and fried okra. The dish sounded wonderfully southern, and our food was presented in a timely fashion.

It was not what I expected. Instead of a large amount of food piled on the plate, there was a perfectly portioned baked catfish steak on top of ham and

beans, tasso garnished with rice pudding, lightly pickled cherry tomatoes cut in half with fried okra. Presentation was a success, but what about taste?

The fish had a flavorful mix of seasoning, but a slight gamey aftertaste, which is common in catfish. The tasso and beans added a sweet meaty flavor to the mix, with a thick brown sauce, and small chunks of ham. The rice was like a pudding only not sweet, meant to be mixed with the tasso. The pickled tomatoes had a light vinegar taste, allowing a refreshing pause between flavors.

What surprised me the most had to be the fried okra. When okra is not prepared correctly it can be slimy, flavorless or both. The fried okra at South on Main was none of the above. Fried in a battered mix, it had a delicious crunch that gave no question to freshness.

South on Main is open for lunch Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and for dinner Tuesday-Saturday 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted, but reservations are recommended to guarantee seating.

The restaurant also features live music, with tickets available for purchase through Metrotix.com

Artists set to perform at South on Main: · Dave Anderson - September 5th · Bobby Rush - October 11th · Pokey LaFarge - October 12th · Rosanne Cash - November 23rd

ualr.edu/forum

September 4-17, 2013

Entertainment

Crocodiles attempt to bear their teeth with new release Liz Fox

Managing Editor elfox@ualr.edu

One of the most irritating things about hipster-oriented hype is how much current bands derive their sounds from their predecessors.

Editors, an English band with two or three albums under its belt, is commonly referred to as “Boy Division” due to their unoriginality.

Pitchfork bands often sound like Sonic Youth knockoffs messing around in parents’ basements, and the folk-pop has the feel of early Belle & Sebastian with little meaning.

Crocodiles, a noise-based act formed in 2008, is still one of these artists. But some metamorphosis (albeit only a smidge) comes through in “Crimes of Passion,” released late last month on French Kiss Records.

Without a doubt, my biggest beef with Crocodiles is they mold their image around Scottish pioneers The Jesus & Mary Chain.

Comprised primarily of Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell, the California act brought a derivative, lackluster sound to the indie scene with their debut album, “Summer of Hate.”

Their second and third albums were built around the same vibe, all the way down to the duo’s teased hair and sunglasses, making for another overhyped, disappointing concoction.

While “Crimes of Passion” only expands the group’s horizons by an inch or two, the album isn’t a complete waste. “Cockroach” may sound like any number of tracks pulled from the Chain’s “Automatic”-era, but Crocodiles comes into their own with the sonic fun of tracks like “Un Chant d’Amour,” a lullaby that pulls the group away from their summertime blues.

The first half of the album is fun in all its fuzzy glory, with unpolished sounds weaving their way around potential summer anthems.

But by the end the listener finds it tiresome, a repetitive and pretentious testament to the scene in which the group involves itself.

The post-punk sounds so often emulated by Crocodiles and other bands of the era is what disrupts the potential for a cohesive, original work.

The band’s only hope rests on the shoulders of its evolution. Despite their derivative nature, all members show a considerable degree of talent.

The vocals, rhythms and casual nature of the group give it a certain youthful appeal, and there’s a slew of prospects found in those preceding noise-rock albums.

But, as with most indie acts, it remains to be seen whether Crocodiles will be forced to swim the same river as those so set on producing the same sounds as their predecessors.

9

Photo by Dallen Shields

UALR students participated in “Green Dot Amazing Race,” the final event of Trojan Daze 2013 on Aug. 23. The Green Dot program promotes creating a safe campus environment.

Trojan sports, now.

In print or online.

ualr.edu/ forum Photo by Dallen Shields

UALR police officers used the fitness center in the Donaghey Student Center on Aug. 29 to demonstrate self-defense techniques students can use to keep away would-be attackers.

New student organization brings Magic to campus Liz Fox

Managing Editor elfox@ualr.edu

From its humble beginnings into the present, the world of geekery has been somewhat divided. These splits are not only dictated by fandom (say, Star Wars versus Star Trek) but also by practice. Some prefer to go it alone and delve into the escapist route, but others thrive on the prospects of interaction and fellowship. The latter, according to its members, is what drives the UALR Magic Club, a new student organization devoted to the study and competition of “Magic: The Gathering.”

“Magic: The Gathering” is a popular trading card game that represents battles between “planeswalkers” (wizards) and their opponents. It is known as a pioneer of the genre, drawing heavily upon influences from “Dungeons & Dragons,” Tolkien mythology and fantasy novels.

Tournaments range from casual to professional, with champions playing for thousands of dollars in cash or primo prizes, rendering the game extremely competitive for its talented players.

The club’s origins began with Anime-PWN, a student organization that thrives on anime, manga and other parts of geek culture.

Many of the Magic Club’s members started off in Anime-PWN, participating in tournaments on and off campus. As a freshman, Christian Potts was approached by members of Anime-PWN to

Logo courtesy of Wizards of the Coast

start a formal Magic Club. After consulting with friend and future vice president David Ray, the club formally became a registered student organization in February 2013.

Since its inception, the club has grown from 28 to more than 50 members. Fliers are plastered onto the walls of the Engineering & Information Technology building, where the club occasionally meets on the second floor.

The room is filled with members who bring their own decks and dish them out into play, colorful cards covering the otherwise bland tables. There’s a mood of excitement in the air, and this is what most players and fans of the game thrive upon.

“Going out and finding these groups that played amongst each other was a big deal because we’d go to four or five places and immediately we’d have almost twenty people,” Potts said. “We’d put up fliers everywhere and I’d walk up hallways and see people

playing sometimes, or people would approach us when we were playing here.”

The club is planning for a number of events during the fall semester, including the Sept. 21 release of the coveted THEROS deck. Potts also advises members to participate in Magic: The Gathering Appreciation Day, a day in late September when devout gamers can receive a free pack of cards from retailers. The organization’s store of choice is Game Goblins, located in West Little Rock, which often hosts local tournaments and supplies products for a number of other, similar games.

Instead of retaining niche membership, Potts said he and his fellow officers aim for a degree of outreach. Last year the club hosted an off-campus event in conjunction with Anime-PWN, which was a major success for both organizations. Potts said he hopes to continue this type of collaboration and also forge a

new alliance with the Pokemon Club, another club that formed only a few months ago.

“I think it would bring a lot of people out of their rooms, so to speak,” Potts said. “We’re going to meet with them once a month just to see what they’re doing and where we’re going.”

But the big picture, Potts says, is reaching out to the campus community. Fellowship and competition are essential components of “Magic: The Gathering,” and those are qualities the club will continue to draw upon.

“As far as the community goes, we wouldn’t have been able to do this if it wasn’t for that aspect,” he said. “The club blew up in a really great way, and we hope to keep bringing in freshman and teaching people.”

More information about the Magic Club can be found by emailing Christian Potts at ctp1208@gmail.com. Meeting locations and times have yet to be determined.

10

Entertainment

September 4-17, 2013

ualr.edu/forum

Google product offers refreshing alternative to more expensive items C.J. Waters

Staff Writer cwwaters@ualr.edu

Last month, Google launched the new Google Chromecast device for smartphones, tablets, and PCs. The Chromecast dongle, shaped much like a USB thumb drive, is designed to take content from devices such as iPhone, iPad, Android and stream them wirelessly on a television.

It works only when the Google device is plugged into an HDMI port of a TV and connects to your home Internet using Wi-fi connection. After the process is complete, the TV screen should read "Ready to cast," which means videos are now ready to be beamed from Android, iPhone, iPad, or Google's Chrome Web

browser on a computer.

This can be an especially convenient device for college students, who seem to be utilizing popular streaming services such as YouTube, Netflix and Google Play Movies.

For students who have a smartphone or Android-powered device, you can stream content from Netflix on your device to your tv, as long as the Chromecast device is plugged in to your TV's HDMI port.

While the device is similar to Apple TV, users are "getting much of the same AirPlay-like functionality for $64 less than Apple's device," according to Business Insider.

The Google Chromecast dongle was released in August and retails at around $35.

Photo by Jacob Ellerbee

The Chromecast dongle is smaller than an average deck of playing cards. Google’s latest device allows users to transform an HDMI-enabled television into a ‘smart tv.”

New series brings action and nuance of 'Titanic' proportions Liz Fox

Managing Editor elfox@ualr.edu

Photo by Jacob Ellerbee

Students, alumni, faculty and staff gathered at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center Aug. 22 to take part in the annual back-to-school event, “Burgers at Bailey.”

In the age of Tumblr and torrents, international media reigns supreme.

For nerds, this means getting hands on things that might have only been available on bootlegged video-cassettes in the 1990s. Exports from Japan have been particularly popular, with anime becoming more mainstream while it remained underground in previous decades. While Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim” programming is partially to blame for this development, some stories manage to absorb an array of viewers on their own, and “Attack on Titan” is such a series.

“Attack on Titan,” like so much anime before it, does indeed toy with the versatile trope of youths saving the world from destruction. The first few episodes bear extreme similarity to “Neon Genesis Evangelion”: giant, antagonistic creatures with no discernible origin; the weight of salvation placed on several young adults; a sense of political, social and emotional anarchy; and finally, humanity confining itself within the walls of a futuristic fortress. But the series evolves into its own in later episodes, drawing interest through emotive explorations not seen in many characters of any saga.

Like most apocalyptic sci-fi, “Attack on Titan” features a number of plot points that prove to be disturbing on different levels. Among them is a complex connection between adoptive siblings Eren and Misaka, who embark on a remotely incestuous relationship throughout the first season. Misaka, a stoic soldier who played victim to human trafficking in a previous lifetime, has a dog-like loyalty and urge to protect her younger brother, to which Eren responds with a powerful, stubborn naivete. While it’s unlikely the writers will guide the characters into a blatant affair, the tension will undoubtedly make good material for devout Fanfiction.net

contributors.

Perhaps what makes the series so unsettling is a concept that reads ludicrous on paper: giants devouring people. The fabled idea has been explored through a number of dark fairy tales, but “Attack on Titan” gives the concept new light.

The Titans, a race of humanoids with disproportionate limbs and no sense of morality, are a questionable bunch that act as if eating screaming human beings is similar to a midday stroll. Their apparent passiveness - in addition to their creepy smiles - makes for a gut-wrenching reaction, but the creatures’ mysterious origins draw in viewers to explore more of the story.

One of few drawbacks about this particular saga is its pace. The original manga, as in most cases, is known for riding fast while also remaining on the comprehensive side. But the anime adaptation takes longer to go from the initial Titan attack to the present day, covered in three to five episodes while only spanning one volume of the manga.

While most novels are condensed into a feature-length film, television adaptations require more time, which sometimes seems unnecessary and annoying to impatient fans.

But overall the series fully plays up to its international hype. “Attack on Titan” is currently the number-one franchise in Japan and has already brought a wealth of attention stateside. It’s very possible it will join the ranks of “Death Note” and “Bleach” as being the number-one brotime show to watch on a drunk Saturday night. But there’s also leeway for more introspective fans who crave a good story, which results in versatile complexity that’s hard to find in any saga.

Subtitled versions of “Attack on Titan” can currently be streamed via Hulu and Crunchyroll. A home-video release and live-action movie have been also been planned for 2014.

UALR GIRL: A COMIC STRIP BY PAIGE MASON

THE FORUM IS LOOKING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS! If interested, contact our Executive Editor at editor@ualr.edu!

11

Sports Begic prepared for record-breaking season at UALR “Timeout”

ualr.edu/forum

TONIO Gayden

Staff Writer Axgayden@ualr.edu

Making shots is nothing new to UALR volleyball player and 2013 Sun Belt Conference Pre-Season player of the year Edina Begic. She’s been making shots since she was 8 years old and playing basketball in school. Now the 6’2 junior outside hitter is making shots on the volleyball court.

With Begic, a junior, being just nine kills away from making program history with 1,000 kills, most people wouldn’t think that volleyball was not her sport of choice growing up in Sarajevo, BosniaHerzegovina. Begic started off playing basketball in school, and it wasn’t until she moved that volleyball became part of her future.

“At my new school it was the only sport they offered,” Begic said Change is sometimes inevitable and hard. It can either make you a stronger person or a weaker person both mentally and physically.

From learning a new sport to making a move to the United States, she also learned a new definition of hard work and what being a team is all about.

Meeting new people can be difficult, but for Begic, the team made it easy for her and she adapted very well.

“The difference is huge. I feel the team is more together [in the U.S.].

You have to work harder and practices are harder than back home. You have more opportunities here,” Begic said about her transition to the United States.

If one thing in her life is for sure, it’s

September 4 - 17, 2013

her work ethic and leadership. Belgic led the entire nation in kills and points for the 2012 season and you could see why in her practice efforts. Just by walking through the halls of the practice facility, you can hear Begic’s voice above anyone else’s.

“I need to work harder for my team, because, me as a captain, I need to talk more to help the team,” Begic said.

Like LeBron James hitting trick shots in practice, Begic seems to be able to do the same.

During a lull in practice, she threw the ball in the air and set (hit) it in a basket full of overflowing volleyballs perfectly. There are just certain talents great players possess and, as her resume indicates, Begic is a great player.

Speaking of LeBron James, a free throw to him is like a serve to Begic.

Just as he spent valuable time working on that part of his game, she spends hers working on her serve. A serve, just like a free throw, could be the deciding factor to winning or losing. Seeing the court better is one of her main focuses.

Her volleyball IQ is another focus area of hers. She wants to become smarter and more proficient as game situations occur and change, and to be wise in her decisions. You can place a check mark next to “understands the game” for Begic.

All athletes have a certain music genre or song that puts them into their pre-game mood; Begic said she prefers something uptempo and hyper. It helps place her in a mindset that will give her attitude a boost. Attitude is what Begic will be using to help initiate the new

ALTON YOUNG

season for herself and her team as she expects a successful season and hopefully another player of the year award.

She looks to join Tanja Radovic (4.11 k/s, 1997-2000) as the only UALR volleyball player to average more than four kills per set.

Begics career resume is an impressive one: 4.50 kills per set, 991 kills, 76 aces, 2013 per-season player of the year, 2012 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, All-Sun Belt First Team 2012, 2011 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, and All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team in 2011.

Begic’s statistics will stand the test of time and she still has her senior season ahead of her.

“Whatever you believe you can achieve,” Begic said.

With an attitude, work ethic and skill set like Begic’s, it’s likely the journey to a historic season will be an easier one.

Photo by Nelson Chenault

Ariel Galletti, a junior-level soccer star, cites her father as one of her biggest influences in sports because of his motivation.

Ariel Galletti ready to kick soccer balls, win games Steven Savage

Staff Writer srsavage@ualr.edu

Parents can be one of the strongest influences on an athletes’ life. Junior Ariel Galletti remembers the times her father taught her various sports before she played midfield for the UALR Trojan soccer team.

“I remember watching these kids kicking a ball and thinking to myself, I could kick the crap out of a ball," she said. “So I told my dad to sign me up and the rest is history.”

Galletti, recently named to the Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference First Team, has been the leading scorer for the Trojans for the past two seasons.

“For the cherry on top, I would like to be leading scorer for the third year straight, but that’s not as important as long as our team wins!” she said.

The Trojans are starting the 2013 season on a 2-0 win streak. In the match against the UAPB Lions on Aug. 27, Galletti scored her first goal of the season.

She contributed two assists for the Trojans in their first match, a 6-1 victory against Southern.

She said, “So far, I think we are doing very well. We have won two games in a row and that hasn't happened since 2002!”

Galletti said head coach Adrian Blewitt is a good guy and she can't wait to see what more he brings. In addition, she believes the team dynamic has shift-

ed a lot.

“It's so much better now,” she said.

“I love all my teammates and would take a ball to the head for them. I think that with this new team, success is just around the corner.”

Former coach Freddy Delgado contacted Galletti after seeing her play at a college showcase in Texas. Since she has been at UALR, Galletti has been a key player on the team.

As a freshman, she played in 19 games and made four starts in 2011. She also scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 overtime victory against LouisianaLafeyette. In 2012, she started in 16 of 18 games of her sophomore year. She put 18 of 32 shots on target for a .562 shotson-goal percentage. Her 18 shots on goal were a team high as well. Overall, she led the team with 13 points on five goals and three assists. She was the first UALR player to win the Sun Belt Player of the Week award since the 2009 season.

“My main focus this year would be to win more games plain and simple,” she said. “If we’re able to make it to the conference tournament then I will be very happy.”

Galletti was born in Miami, Florida.

She is the daughter of Jeneva Townsend and Richard Galletti. At the age of 2, her family moved to California where she was raised in the “The Valley” also known as Los Angeles. The California native said she played baseball, basketball, and golf before getting into soccer.

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"I always played sports as a kid," she said. "My father taught my brother and everything."

Galletti said the strongest influences in her life are her parents.

She said, “I have seen what they have done and what they haven't done. I have learned not only from their examples, but their mistakes as well.”

She is studying marketing and advertising and contemplates law school after graduation, to become a sports agent. In addition, she has interests in working in the entertainment industry, specifically product placement. When she is not working hard in the classroom or on the field, Galletti enjoys hanging out with friends, working out, and finding time to relax.

“If I'm not running on the field I'm running somewhere else,” she said.

There is this song stuck in my head and I can’t get it out.

“Football on your phone!” If you haven’t seen the commercial featuring Peyton and Eli Manning, you should watch it. Or maybe you shouldn’t, because then you would be like me, forever lost in the funky beat. It’s actually pretty terrible, but it’s one of those "It's so bad, it’s good" things.

But what the song really reminds me of, is that it’s that time of year again. Yep, time to get your boys (or girls) together, grab a few beverages and snacks, gather around a screen of your choice, and… play fantasy football?

That’s right, fantasy football.

While real football players, from high school to professional, are kicking off their seasons this month, fantasy owners are celebrating (or cursing) their draft picks.

According to a story from the Huffington Post, fantasy football now has about 24.3 million players, generating $1 billion annually. However, the time spent playing fantasy football is costing employers roughly $6.5 billion dollars in lost production time. If we add that to the money lost during the annual NCAA March Madness tournament, all of us could buy our own tropical islands.

Fantasy football was started, in earnest, by Oakland Raider affiliates Wilfred “Bill” Winkenbach and Bill Tunnell, along with journalist Scotty Starling in a New York hotel room in 1962 or 1963, depending on which version of the story you believe.

Apparently, playing it was supposed to give the football analysts and experts a deeper involvement with and understanding of the statistics involved in the game, but I really think there was some boredom involved somewhere in there too.

The game spread slowly, at first, but in the past few years with the help of free online leagues, quick access to stats, and with fanatic fans becoming even more fanatical (as if that were possible), it has spread throughout the country.

For those that don't know, the premise of fantasy football revolves around drafting players by position, just like in they do in the annual NFL draft. You keep the players you draft, or you can even initiate trades or release a player.

The way you earn points is based on how the athletes perform in the actual game.

There are several different ways to play and leagues to play in and they all have their own set of rules. There are too many to explain here, but I don’t have to explain the level of popularity. Even your grandma may be watching to see how many touchdowns Tom Brady throws. And here you thought she was just watching these guys because they wear such tight pants! I was hoping to see Brady’s supermodel wife on camera myself though, so who am I to judge?

As the game has grown, I’ve noticed a growing number of fantasy owners who, while almost obsessive followers of the game, don’t seem to even LIKE the actual sport of football! I think there’s even a line about it in that old Alanis Morissette song “Ironic”. Don’t you think? Well, maybe not, seeing how this is actually ironic, or is it psychotic? I always get those two mixed up. Maybe irony is the one-half of a game suspension that Johnny “Football” served in Texas A&M's first regular season game. No, I’m pretty sure that was just plain stupid.

What I do know, is that playing most types of fantasy football takes up quite a lot of time. I have tried to get involved in several leagues only to find out that I wasn’t nearly dedicated enough to keep up with my drafted players. It would be easy for me to find other things to do with my time, if I didn’t care for the sport at all.

Here at UALR, we miss out on having a real gridiron team to care about and cheer on, but that doesn’t mean we can’t live out our fantasy of having a team.

12

Sports

August 22- September 3, 2013

ualr.edu/forum

UALR’s Jack Stephens Center undergoing slight makeover C.J. Waters

Editor CWWaters@ualr.edu

The Jack Stephens Center arena floor is getting a slight make-over, featuring new logos, line changes and waxing. The $15,000 project is expected to be complete during the first or second week of September.

John Evans, the associate director of athletics for facilities and events, said the court must be completely dry for at least one week before teams can use it again.

"If something goes wrong, then it [the court re-opening] gets pushed back a little back. The whole thing should take about three weeks from start to finish," Evans said.

The Jack Stephens Center floor has been repainted rather frequently, over the last few years.

"This is the third time in eight years. Normally, they tell you about once every 10 years to do it," Evans said.

The last make-over for the court game two years ago, when there were two three-point lines, and workers sanded the floor and removed the extra three point line.

Under normal circumstances, the floor would be repainted once every eight years. Evans said the reason for the third floor change was due to the change of the Sun Belt Conference logo this season.

Jack Stephens' last name (Stephens) was on the court the very first time that the floor was painted. When he passed away, his first name (Jack) was added on the court.

"The only way to do it, to make it look right, was to sand the court down and to eliminate the old logo," Evans said.

The new Sun Belt Conference logo has 12 long, curvy triangular arrows placed in a circular motion (mimicking an image of a sun) with "Sun Belt Conference" written under it. Four of the arrows on the top and bottom are orange, and the two other arrows on the sides are blue.

Part of the process of refinishing the floor included waxing.

"What they did, the process was they came and sanded it down so you didn't see any line." The floor was also taped and painted maroon. The new Sun Belt Conference logos will be added on to the floor. The logos will be painted as well. After the completion of the logos, coats of wax will be placed on the floor and will have to dry.

Teams won't be able to practice for another week, after the floor is officially completed.

The cost of the repainting is about $15,000, Evans said.

"The cost to do sand and repaint is about $15,000. The years that we don't sand it down, they'll just screen [it], where they take a very slight layer off and kind of scratch the floor up. Then they'll put a new coat of finish on it and that's about $15,000 dollars."

The $15,000 was included in the budget for the Jack Stephens Center.

"It's in the budget. It's something we have to plan ahead for," Evans said.

Women's golf ready to tee off on new season

Photo courtesy of UALR Athletics

Junior Katie Reed and her teammates are ready to begin another season. The team will represent the Sun Belt Conference when they travel to play in the Golf Week Challenge Sept. 23-25.

Showcase: Former UALR Athletes Still In Action

SPORTS SCHEDULE SEPT. 6-7

VOLLEYBALL

HOUSTON, TX

UALR VS. LSU RICE INVITATIONAL

SEPT. 6

SOCCER

UALR VS. UKMC

7 P.M., HOME

SOCCER

SEPT. 8 1 P.M., HOME

UALR VS. MISSOURI STATE

SEPT. 13-14

VOLLEYBALL

LAS CRUCES, N.M.

NEW MEXICO STATE TOURNAMENT

SEPT. 13

SOCCER

7 P.M., HOME

UALR VS. LOUISIANA TECH

SEPT. 15-16

GOLF (M)

NORMAL, ILL.

D.A. WEBRING INTERCOLLEGIATE

Alton Young

Editor Axyoung1@ualr.edu

The UALR Women’s golf team brings a completely international roster into the 2013 season with players from Sweden, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, and France.

Coach Bridgett Norwood has the perennial goal of making it to the Regional Championship, while facing the added challenge of getting four new players adjusted to the school and to the team.

“The goal that you have for your team each year is to make it to the NCAA Regional Championship, but first things first: we’ve got to play well in our tournaments that are upcoming,” Norwood said. “I have practically a whole new team this year, so we’re all still in the learning process.”

“I have two girls that returned and four girls that are new, so we’re just now on our honeymoon, so to speak,” Norwood said.

Leading the team will be those two returning players: senior Katie Reid, a criminal justice major, and junior Sofia Berglund, a psychology major. Both players were named to the Women’s Golf Coaches AllAmerican Scholars team this summer for maintaining 3.5 grade point averages this past school year.

Coach Norwood expects leadership from the two UALR veterans and she spoke on Berglund. “She has been that way, a leader,”

Norwood said.

“She went home for the summer and her game has improved tremendously and I expect her to lead the team this fall in scoring because she’s worked real hard,” she said. “She’ll be a tremendous asset to the team.”

The coach also spoke highly of Reid, a native of Scotland. “She’s also worked hard on her game and has made a great deal of improvement,” Norwood said.

The coach said all four new players will be able to contribute right away, adding that they all have something unique to bring to the table. “I will have very high expectations out of all four of them,” Norwood said.

The team will look to add to their one first-place finish from a season ago. They also have the opportunity to showcase their talent in a big tournament. UALR is the lone SBC team invited to the Golf Week Conference Challenge, which is sponsored

by Golf Weekly magazine.

“They invite one team out of each conference to participate and they invited us this year,” said Norwood. “It’s real exciting for us to be able to do that this year and a great honor to be invited.”

The Golf Week Challenge will be held Sept. 23-25 in Colorado. The team was scheduled to open the season with the Jackson State Invitational in Alabama earlier this week.

Alton Young

Editor Axyoung1@ualr.edu

Former UALR pitcher Tyler Buckley was drafted in the 27th round of the 2013 MLB Draft and is currently in the minor league, where he was named an All-Star.

Buckley appeared in 19 games for the Trojans last season as a senior and had three saves. The Forum caught up with Buckley to ask him a few questions: Forum: Tyler, who do you play for right now?

Tyler Buckley

Buckley: “The Williamsport Crosscutters, they’re the (minor league) affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.”

Forum: What was the draft experience like and how did you find out that you were drafted?

Buckley: “My whole family was in the living room watching the draft tracker on MLB.com for three days, really. The last day, in the 27th round, we just all kind of found out together. My phone just went off and everyone that I’ve ever met in my life texted me or called me within ten minutes of each other.”

Forum: What has changed for you, since becoming a professional player?

Buckley:

“Well, everything

Photo courtesy of Williamsport Cutters

is just really on your own. Back in college, there’s someone just watching your every move. Now, you kind of decide your fate and the business now. That’s probably one of my biggest changes.”

Forum: After being drafted, what is the most exciting thing that has happened to you so far?

Buckley: “We had mental meetings my senior year every Wednesday night leading up to the season. (We) talked about how to keep yourself in the game mentally and not check out when something bad happens. It’s really helped me out at this level.”

Forum: goals?

What are your long term

Buckley: “Well, probably the AllStar game. It’s a big privilege to play with the top people in the league.”

Buckley: “To make it to the big leagues, that’s the biggest goal of most of the guys here.”

Forum: What would you say that you learned while playing at UALR that helped you the most?

As of Aug. 29, Buckley has pitched in 10 games for the Williamsport Cutters this season and has a ERA of 2.81.