The Forum September 2019 Edition

Sept ‘19 The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Student Newspaper

Edition

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Also in this issue:

UA Little Rock student named forbes 30 under 30 scholar - Page 6

Meet your new SGA board members - Page 8

first batch of student spotlights - Page 10

New UA Little Rock Chancellor

Dr. Christina Drale more on page 4

find out how to win a $10 amazon gift card - page 19

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SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

STAFF

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STAFF

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR JORDAN WOODSON

NEWS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR

MARIA ROMERO HARRISON HUDSON

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

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SONNY RHODES The Forum is the official student newspaper at UA Little Rock. It is published monthly from the newspaper office in the Donaghey Student Center Room 116. Any UA Little Rock student is welcome to be a staff member.

Opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the staff and contributing writers and do not represent the official views of UA Little Rock.

Any inquiries should be directed to the Forum’s executive editor, Jordan Woodson, at editor@ualr.edu.

The Forum welcomes letters to the editor on any subjects as well as comments on our news coverage and editorial positions.

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University of Arkansas at Little Rock 116 Donaghey Student Center 2801 S. University Ave. Little Rock, Ark. 72204

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UA Little Rock’s 1st female chancellor Drale takes over after Rogerson’s departure city and the entire state,” Bobbitt said.

Rogerson has been with the University for three years. Although Rogerson is no longer chancellor, he will remain at the university as faculty until retirement. According to a press release, he will retire on Aug 31, 2020.

“I appreciate the supportive reception I’ve gotten so far on campus and in the community, and I look forward to helping make this institution all it can be.” - Dr. Christina Drale

By Precious Scott and Oksana Durkee Christina Drale has been named the new UA Little Rock chancellor following the resignation of Andrew Rogerson on Sept.

1, becoming UA Little Rock’s first woman chancellor.

Drale was nominated by UA System President Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt and originally served as acting chancellor before officially being given the full job after the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees unanimously voted in

approval of her. Once she agreed to this position, UA Little Rock’s communications department released an email to students and faculty on Sept. 12 in regards to the situation.

“I’m very pleased to have been given the confidence and support from Dr. Bobbitt and the Trustees to help guide UA Little Rock into a new era of improvement in many areas on campus,” Drale said. “This is a tremendous opportunity to bring the campus and the community together and work with our students, faculty,

staff and alumni to move UA Little Rock forward in the most efficient and effective ways possible. I appreciate the supportive reception I’ve gotten so far on campus and in the community, and I look forward to helping make this institution all it can be.”

According to the press release, Drale has served as UA Little Rock interim executive vice chancellor and provost at UA Little Rock since October 2018. Drale has been working at UA Little Rock since 2006 and previously served

as associate vice chancellor for faculty relations and administration. She attended the University of California, San Diego where she achieved a doctorate in sociology, a Master of Arts in sociology, and a Bachelor of Arts in communications.

“Dr. Drale is widely respected on campus and is equipped with the necessary skillset to guide UA Little Rock through the challenges it currently faces and help solidify its unique standing as a comprehensive metropolitan university serving our capital

While Rogerson has been at UA Little Rock, there has been some challenges that he has faced. Such challenges include retention and decrease of student enrollment, budget crises and issues with the eStem High School activity on the campus.

“Dr. Rogerson came into the position with challenges that were left from the previous administration,” Larry Dicus, former interim President of Student Government Association, said.

“He did his best throughout his time and alleviated some issues that the students faced during his time.”

University of Arkansas system spokesman Nate Hinkel confirmed that, Rogerson will continue to receive his chancellor’s salary, which is $350,000, for his remaining time at UA Little Rock.

He will be the most paid faculty on the University.

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Wolf steps down as CLC Program Coordinator Graduate Assistant takes over responsibilities

By Oksana Durkee Former UA Little Rock Chancellor’s Leadership Corps (CLC) Program Coordinator, Amber Wolf, stepped down in August 2019 and graduate assistant Becca Davis took over her responsibilities.

Becca Davis has always made the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps (CLC) scholarship program a big part of her college experience. Starting out as a freshman scholar, she moved up into a student leader position that she maintained until she graduated.

After graduation, she was offered the Graduate assistant position.

Little did she know, she would soon have more responsibility than she realized.

“I believe I am qualified for this position because I am empathetic, able to relate to the students and leaders, and have good leadership and communication skills,” Davis said.

Davis has not taken Wolf’s position completely, but will be taking over some of Wolf’s responsibilities such as overseeing the Trojan Food Pantry, the Career Closet and the CLC program as a whole after Wolf accepted a position with UA Pulaski Tech as the Director of College Studies.

“In this role, I will be developing and overseeing the college’s First Year Experience department,” Wolf said. “By accepting this position, I will be able to be with (my son) more and, with him starting kindergarten, he is growing up so quickly.”

Davis graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in ASL/English Interpretation and is currently getting her Masters in Higher Education with a focus in Student Affairs with an expected graduation date of spring 2020. She has been part of CLC since freshman year when she became one of the first out of state students to be accepted into the program.

“I am most excited to get more hands-on experience than I got last year as Amber’s right-hand man,” she said. “Now I’m getting more experience doing it myself.

I’m interacting more directly

with the freshmen and developing deeper relationships through our class with them.”

Davis considers getting this position her greatest accomplishment so far in her life. Her biggest fear with this position is not being enough, but the people around her have helped her overcome that.

“Already I feel at home with my students and my leaders,” she said. “They haven’t felt any panic from me taking over, or questioning my ability to do this. I get so much encouragement from the student leaders. If they come in and see me even a little stressed, they tell me ‘you’re doing great, I’m so proud of you!’”

With her new responsibilities with CLC, Davis said she will keep the program mostly the same as it was under Wolf’s leadership, but will make a few small changes.

“The leadership structure has been revamped a little,” she said.

“I’m excited to get the program more involved with student organizations on campus. I want to see CLC scholars with leadership positions on campus and I know I have amazing student leaders in my corner.”

Davis is more than excited to continue the legacy of CLC here on campus as it has impacted her life tremendously, changing her from the shy freshman to the leader she is today.

“I was a leader before, but I never actively took charge until the CLC program forced me out of my shell and out of my comfort zone,” she said. “CLC has made me more independent and confident in who I am.”

With years under the guidance and leadership of Wolf, Davis now considers her not only as a mentor and a huge inspiration in her life, but also a close friend.

“I’ve talked to Amber every single day since school started,” she said. “If I need anything, she’s there and she answers me within minutes no matter if I need help with school, work or my personal life. She helps me with anything.”

Wolf herself has said that Becca was the one and only perfect person to take over her job

due to her experience with CLC and her natural leader abilities.

“Becca as the perfect person to hand CLC to,” Wolf said. “She has been a part of CLC for nearly six years making her the only choice in my opinion. Becca genuinely cares about the success of the students and that is essential in Higher Education. Becca is the ideal leader and I know she can take the success of the program to the next level.”

Aside from Wolf, Davis also has her parents back home in Rockwall, Texas as a support system that helped shape her into the person she is today.

“My parents always encouraged me to not settle and do more and reach farther,” Davis said. “Growing up, I knew their expectations of me and they’ve been checking in on me every day since I started college here at UA Little Rock.”

With her time here as a UA Little Rock student not far away from a close, Davis’s dream job is to one day become the head of an interpreter education program similar to the one here at UA Little Rock.

“From now until graduation, I want to take every opportunity I can to grow as a leader, an individual, and a scholar,” Davis said.

“I’ve learned that you can learn from anyone and everyone. I’m beyond excited to be working with so many amazing students.”

Photo Rebecca Davis

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With this honorary recognition, Stovall, along with the other scholars selected, will be able to attend the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit for free, which is an event taking place from Oct 27 - 30 in Detroit that allows students to network with a variety of industries and includes guest speakers which includes people like Serena Williams and the Chief Marketing Officer of Tinder.

“The opportunity to see all the other successful entrepreneurs and to network and be among people who are successful has made this the opportunity of a lifetime,” Stovall said.

Originally, Stovall was hesitant to apply, questioning if it was even worth it, but a friend from back home in Texas, Corey Trimble, who also got on the list, urged him to.

“I just told them my story when I came across Forex,” Stovall said. “I started in July and I told them my story about how successful I was in that due to my mentors and they enjoyed it and awarded me this recognization.”

“The springboards for my success is CLC along with along with my mentors just constantly giving me information I could use to utilize for the betterment of my self, like becoming a leader.”

- Jared Stovall

Photo: Benjamin Krain / Office of Communications

Stovall named Forbes 30 Under 30 Scholar

By Jordan Woodson UA Little Rock senior, Jared Stovall, has been named one of only 30 students chosen nation wide as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Scholar, a first for UA Little Rock students.

The Forbes 30 Under 30

Scholar list is a yearly list published by Forbes magazine that recognizes 600 business and industry figures under the age of 30 across the United States and Canada that have made great achievements in their field of work. Each list is separated into 20 different categories, with 30 people in each.

“The list features 600 trail

blazers in 20 industries,” Forbes’ website says. “Choosing these honorees among thousands of nominees is long and daunting, a three-layer process that relies on the knowledge and authority of our wide-reaching community, skilled reporters and expert judges. The final product: a collection of bold risk-takers putting a new twist on the old

Forex is short for the “Foreign Exchange” market where people can exchange foreign currencies, such as turning the U.S. Dollar into the Japanese Yen. Stovall is a Forex trader at DFW Trade House back home in Texas, where he mentors multiple people interested in getting into trading and helps create strategies to maximize profits and limit losses.

“Everyone is taught to go to school, get a nine-to-five job and then retire when they’re about 55-60,” Stovall said. “But if I can implement entrepreneurship skills in somebody else, they can be mentored by me, see what

I’m doing and grow. They won’t have to constantly work a nineto-five because most people are living paycheck-to-paycheck and that can relieve the pay-check-topaycheck drama.”

Even after Stovall applied, he still questioned if he would even get it due to the fact that it took two weeks to announce.

“I was telling Corey ‘Man, see?

I knew I shouldn’t have applied,” he said. “But, hey, patience is the key and I waited for two weeks and got accepted. I was real excited.”

Somebody that never questioned Stovall was Chancellor Leadership Corp (CLC) Graduate Assistant Rebecca Davis.

“I heard that he applied when he was selected, so it was a huge ‘Oh my goodness congratulations! You applied? That’s so great!’” She said. “It was a lot of emotions all at once whenever we found out. I wouldn’t have any doubt at all if he would be selected.”

Stovall, a CLC scholar and a second year Student Leader in the program, credits both CLC and UA Little Rock for his success.

“The springboards for my success is CLC along with along with my mentors just constantly giving me information I could use to utilize for the betterment of my self, like becoming a leader,” he said. “I wasn’t a leader at first when I arrived here at UA Little Rock, but I became one because it was excepted of me.”

With only a month until the summit, Stovall has his eyes set on the future even beyond this opportunity.

“My goal is to keep going and keep introducing people to trade and allow them to become financial free just like me,” he said.

“That’s my whole goal because I realize that trading is nice and it’s very profitable, but what’s the point in having all the money in the world if I’m not helping others?”

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SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

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Mosaic Templars Exhibit To Feature Racist Memorabilia people arguing for fairer wages.

Then governor, Charles Hilliam Brough, was told the group was leading a revolt against white people. Brough gathered troops from Camp Pike, which led to the persecution of several AfricanAmericans. The Equal Justice Initiative has identified 230 African-Americans who were murdered.

“Our first and foremost job as a museum is to educate people. I myself am a firm believer that to be an informed citizen you have

to be informed. Part of that information is understanding where we’ve come from as a country but also as part of a state,” Shutt said.

According to Shutt, educating the public of Arkansas’s history of racism can help end future hateful acts.

The exhibit will be displayed at the MTCC until Nov. 30.

Admission is free.

[Story originally published at KUAR]

Micro Moon marks beginning of fall

By Alex Ball

Christina Shutt, executive director of the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, with some of the artifacts featured in the “Hateful Things” exhibit. Photo by Kelly Connelly

By Kelly Connelly / KUAR The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock will open its newest exhibit, “Hateful Things.”

It features what is considered to be racist memorabilia that has been collected by Dr. David Pilgrim, the founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich.

He has spent a lifetime researching, collecting, and understanding racist objects.

Standing inside the exhibit space, MTCC Executive Director Christina Shutt said viewing these items collectively makes a powerful statement.

“We know from these objects and from Dr. Pilgrim’s research that it’s not a one-time thing. This has been a long history that goes back over 100 years. These items are still being made today,” Shutt said.

When visitors see the exhibit, Shutt says they can expect to see signs, photographs and other items from throughout history that convey the culture of hate and intolerance. The collection includes signs that display derogatory language towards African-

Americans, signs with confederate flags, a Ghettopoly game board – based on the traditional game Monopoly – and several iconic images that depict racism.

Shutt says the culture of hate that these objects perpetuate is upsetting.

“I do this work everyday and I still find these images disturbing. I think that is part of what we want people to understand,” Shutt said.

A reception is scheduled at the MTCC to begin Thursday at 5:30 p.m. to commemorate the “Hateful Things” exhibit. Dr. Pilgrim will be at the event to explain how racist memorabilia came into existence, the purpose of these objects, and how they were used in society.

Dr. Linda Holzer from University of Arkansas at Little Rock will perform “Fantasie Negre” at the reception. This piece is believed to be a tribute to Elaine Massacre victims written

by Little Rock composer Florence Price.

“I really hope that people walk out of this exhibit inspired and encouraged, but also challenged to confront racist images when they see them. We really want to challenge people, encourage peo-

ple, and help people understand that we don’t have to live in a world that’s like this. We can create something better,” Shutt said.

When asked what piece from the “Hateful Things” exhibit resonated with her the most, Shutt gestured to a picture of AfricanAmerican children. In the picture, the children are shown sitting or standing. Underneath them is a piece of an alligator and the words “alligator bait.”

“As a mother myself, I am really struck by that, by the idea that our children will be seen as alligator bait. I think that it is one of those pieces that makes it real and brings it home to people.

None of our children should be seen that way.”

Shutt says that normalizing these types of images is how otherness is established.

“If you are constantly surrounded by thinking of black people as others, as less than, as not your equal, then you are more likely to not feel the weight of the destruction of a community.”

Shutt says that these types of beliefs are what led to the Elaine Massacre. On Sept. 30, 1919, shots were fired at a group of black

Shimmering against the thin glass panes of the Donaghey Student Center, the full moon gleams throughout the campus of UA Little Rock. A chilled gust of wind signals the setting of the sun as an eerie blanket of bright light rests on the windows of the dorm halls. It wasn’t just that it was a full moon or the 50th anniversary of Scooby-Doo, it was also Friday the 13th.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon landing on Friday the 13th won’t happen again until the year 2049. The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is named The Harvest Moon--furthering the chilling reality of a full moon on Friday the 13th. While the appearance of a full moon on Friday the 13th is few and far between, what’s even more interesting is that one of America’s most beloved mystery series, Scooby-Doo, had its 50th anniversary.

“Like most things, any time there were some astronomical phenomena [our ancestors] couldn’t explain, they almost always attributed some supernatural power to it,” UA Little Rock’s Director of Astronomy, Dr. Tony Hall said.

Even though the alignment of these three events is quite explicable, it’s hard to not feel a slight sense of intention behind what is actually just coincidental. Even though several full moons come and go as the months trail on, internet culture can’t help but

speculate the causes and effects of a full moon on Friday the 13th.

“When the full moon is at its brightest, of course, that is the most impressive,” Hall said. “Of course that’s the one that will catch your attention.”

While the full moon is typically the largest form we see it in, this Harvest Moon displayed a different variation of its pattern. Adding to the rarity of the event, the moon appeared to be quite smaller than it usually does in its fullness.

“It’s also a micro moon, which happens when the full moon is at the point in the moon’s orbit where it’s at its greatest distance from Earth, called apogee,” Huffington Post’s Jenna Amatulli said. “At its apogee, the full moon will appear 14 percent smaller to people on Earth than when the moon is at its closest, making it a micro moon.”

In spite of the spooky connotations, this exclusive night sky is only bound to happen every 500 years (WRAL). You might not have had the chance to catch a peek of this once-in-a-lifetime moon, but its passing marks the beginning of a new fall to enjoy.

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Get to know your SGA members the University’s administration and their student body (through liaisons such as SGA). Students invest all of themselves into this university when they enroll, whether it be for 15 hours or 3.

Every student on our campus deserves to feel as involved, supported, cared about, and able to grow in an environment they are proud of. I joined SGA to be a part of the amazing group of student leaders who have really moved mountains lately for the betterment of our University and our educations. It was very obvious to me that I needed to be involved in an organization full of people ready to create and facilitate meaningful change”.

Senator Turner Hudson

By Christina Turner President Katie Zakrzewski:

Zakrzewski is from North Little Rock, AR and currently a senior majoring in Criminal Justice and Anthropology. When asked about “what do you plan to have happen while in your position?”, she stated [she] “wants to see a drastic increase in campus life, along with an increase in club involvement. I want to establish a more efficient system of communication here on campus to eliminate many of the frustrations that students experience”. A super fun fact about our president is that she can “spear throw, I can juggle, and I play the ukulele”. Let’s welcome and congratulate Katie on being the 2019-2020 school year president.

Vice President Brittany Fugate

Fugate is from Woodlawn, AR and majoring in History. Fugate has Hozier after a concert which

a cool fun fact to know. When asked, what do you hope to see happen while in your position, Fugate stated, “I hope to see more student life, and more positive opinions about UA Little Rock across the board’.

Senator Cheyenne Philpot:

Philpot is from Bauxite, AR and a current Biology and Anthropology major. While serving in her position, she wants to “work with our recruitment team and help increase enrollment”. When asked, “what do you hope to see happen, she stated that, “she wants to see more recycle bins in more places and being emptied in a timely manner”.

Senator Tracy Cook:

Cook is a native from Little Rock, AR majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies. As a current Post-Baccalaureate student, Cook reasoning for joining SGA is that “I plan to push

the importance of cataloging and publishing student works. I hope to see UA Little Rock gain an identity with the communities inside Little Rock, as community involvement will increase attendance and visitors for events. I joined the SGA to gain my own identity with students in CALS, an introduction of Tracy Cook you could say”.

Senator at Large Claire Mitchell

Mitchell is also a native from Little Rock, AR and currently majoring in Political Science, minor Professional & Technical writing. A fun fact that Mitchell wants you to know about her is that “Brian Gregory was my inspiration for joining SGA. His dedication and passion inspired and motivated me to be more involved”. Mitchell joined SGA because “I will be focused on campus-wide student issues and concerns, specifically spearheading an agenda that promotes transparency and trust within

Hudson is from Mayflower Arkansas and majoring in Mechanical Systems Engineering.

He is excited to be a taking his major classes and learning more.

Hudson joined because “I hope to help develop more of a student life on campus and see more student involvement in activities and all around campus. I joined SGA because I believe they can be one of the most valuable places on campus if you are looking to make an impact”.

Senator Joshua Merriweather Merriweather is from Memphis, TN and majoring in Business Management.

Merriweather decided to be a part of SGA because “hope to see the student body and work together as one to make the University a better place. I joined SGA to be a voice for those who don’t have one”.

Senator Azita Hakkak

Hakkak was born and raised in Little Rock, AR and currently majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies that requires three minors, which are Applied communication, Writing, and Nonprofit. Hakkak joined SGA because, “I would like to improve our campus for people with disability to have better access around the university and making sure it is up to date. I also like to try to bring back trollies for various weather conditions.

I also like to make sure our recycling is done properly and try not to substitute many things by recyclable item or items made with recyclable material. I joined SGA, because I want to be part of the solution to make our university a better place for everyone, including people with disability.

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SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

New cafeteria provides students with a space to grow

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SenatoratLargeDestinyColeman

Coleman is from Forrest City, Arkansas and a current major in Social Work Minor Health and Exercise Science. Coleman reasoning for joining SGA is to “I plan to represent my University to the best of my ability during my time. I hope to listen to the student body’s complaints, concerns, and opinions and also bring them to the SGA meetings for deliberation. I joined SGA to be more involved at UA Little Rock and to make a difference and changes on campus that others may be unable to do”.

Senator Christina Turner

Turner is from North Little Rock, majoring in Mass communications, mass media emphasis.

She just started an outreach program with her best friend that serves the community by givingback to the homeless and mentoring middle and high school students and are looking for more members to join them. She joined SGA to be more involved in campus activities and to get other students more active, especially those who aren’t the traditional student.

Senator Joshua Johnson

Johnson is from Little Rock, AR majoring in Business Management. While serving as senator, Johnson “desires to get more students opinions on ideas to make this campus a better place. I joined SGA because I wanted to have a voice on campus and contribute to UALR in a positive way”.

NOT FEATURED:

Senator Ty Collins Senator Molly Edwards Senator Lavu Patel Senator Madison Kilby Senator Kevin Davidson Senator-at-Large Landon DeKay

New cafeterria design. Photo By Miriam Battles

By Alex Ball Centered at the heart of campus, the new and improved Trojan Café serves not only as a fresh addition to the architectural portfolio at UA Little Rock but as a hub for students, faculty and guests to intermingle and share a safe, enriching space.

The concept of a renovated Trojan Café began in July 2017, under the provision of the Area General Manager, Douglas Britt.

“As part of our proposal that was put together for the university, [we wanted] to bring up the quality of the facilities, make it a more desirable place--especially from a recruiting and retention point of view--and we wanted to provide a portion of our capital and expertise,” Britt said. “We wanted to come in and redesign the space to be more user-friendly and enjoyable for [the stu-

dents.”

Throughout the duration of the project, there were deviations from the original vision of the cafeteria. “[The blueprint] morphed a few different times as we were trying to cater to our needs,” Britt said. “We needed additional storage for the University [staff] and the students needed a larger meeting space. As we moved toward an All-You-Care-To-Eat program, we had to do some structural changes to the facility to make it work.”

While the labor of the project’s construction was ironed out

by Britt and his team, the ongoing perfection of the Trojan Cafe belongs to each sect at the university.

“The thing about these types of projects is, you have to take suggestions and direction from all of your end-users,” Britt said.

“You need to understand what people want by having these conversations about what are the things our constituents need.”

Britt doesn’t want to stop the improvement of Campus Dining now that the facility is finished; he still has a broader and more inclusive vision for the UA Little Rock.

“We’re putting together a dining committee that is going to have representatives from our international students, resident students, commuter students and the faculty and staff, so that we can get together a couple of times during the semester. That input is extremely important to us because that helps us to serve you better.”

Alongside the structural advantages of the new café, Britt implemented a new attitude for the staff to enhance the spirit of the atmosphere.

“In my personal opinion, ‘customer’ is a dirty word,” Britt said. “‘Customer’ is very impersonal.

A customer pays for a service, but it wasn’t anything exceptional. If you had your mom or your grandmother come to your house, you’d want to make sure it was clean, you’d want them to enjoy the food, to want to come back. I’ve tried to create a guest

experience for our students. If we treat people the way we would treat guests in our own homes, then the level of service is inherently going to go up. People are going to feel good about being in the space.”

New cafeterria seating. Photo By Miriam Battles

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SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

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Leading in the light

By Alex Ball On the surface, balancing the responsibilities as a member of several of the most important boards in Central Arkansas all while serving as the Arkansas Chapter for Moms Demand Action and Assistant Director for the Donaghey Scholars Program seems like an overwhelming, impossible situation, but for fulltime mom Dr. Jessica R. Scott, these facets enable her to lead her community toward success.

Dr. Scott’s position on the Mayor’s taskforce for Public Safety, the Arkansas Zoological Foundation Board, SAVE10, Board for Just Communities of Arkansas and the Emerge Arkansas Advisory Board allows her to improve her city. As a member of the Arkansas Zoological

Foundations Board, Scott aims to maintain an exceptional atmosphere at the Little Rock Zoo. “We are responsible for fundraising for the zoo, and supporting projects that will allow the zoo to better serve the Central Arkansas community,” Scott said. “The zoo is the number one attraction in the state of Arkansas by far, and it serves the entire community; from the children to the grandparents that visited as kids, and everybody in the middle. It is our job to make our zoo world-class.”

Similar to the rest of her involvement, the Little Rock Zoo is one of Scott’s passions.

She sought to find an avenue to become involved in and set out to make an impact.

“I grew up going to the zoo,” Scott said. “I’m a mother, so supporting organizations that sup-

Scott said. “She was involved in our church, she was involved with civic organizations, and she volunteered at the library. As a teacher, she was that teacher who always had food in her desk to make sure that her kids were taken care of. I really learned from that example that communities support people; no one does anything by themselves, and that we are part of this bigger system that allows people to improve their lives.”

After spending some time away from Little Rock, Scott returned with an enthusiasm for furthering the city.

“I think for me, when I found myself settling back here in Little Rock after going away to graduate school, I knew that I wanted to invest in my community in all of the ways that I felt like I could,” Scott said. “The things I do are all intimately connected to issues that I care about or issues that relate to the work that I do.”

Even though Scott has a drive for civil services that started when she was younger, she considers everyone in Little Rock to be capable of her type of work.

“The message that I try to send to my students, to the people I work with, [or anyone] in the community is, it can feel difficult and it can feel discouraging to try to make change in a city that is struggling, but the reality is here, we can make a real difference, and that’s why I say people need to dig in and take that first step,” Scott said. “Getting involved is easier than you think.

We’re always looking for people to jump in and take these things on, so there really should be no trepidation for people to get involved.”

Scott understands why some members of the community hesitate to join these organizations, which is why Scott has a set of recommendations on how to get started.

“First and foremost, you need to recognize your own value to the community,” Scott said.

“What I hear the most is, ‘I really admire the work that you’re doing, I wish I could do that but I

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Student Spotlight

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Jessica R. Scott port kids is very important to me. As someone who has studied biological anthropology, doing something that supports people learning to love wildlife and conserve our natural resources is also very important to me.”

Not only does Scott aim to set Arkansas aside as an attractive state, she looks to provide for its constituents in a long term sense.

“SAVE10 is a new organization that is actually launching next month on 10/10 and it was founded by Sarah Catherine Gutierrez who started Aptus Financial Services here in Little Rock,” Scott said. “Sarah Catherine is an expert financial planner and her vision [for SAVE10] comes from the recognition that women do not tend to be encouraged to save for retirement in the same way that young men do, culturally. We still have this fatherson investment culture and that same thing doesn’t often apply to women and so what we see is that men tend to have more accumulated wealth than women, even women who have worked their whole lives.”

While Scott may not have been the Founder, she still values the overall financial stability of the women in Arkansas.

“I’m one of the founders, although Sarah Catherine has really done the hard work, to start this movement in Arkansas to educate women, particularly young women about beginning to save,” Scott said.

As a professor at UA Little Rock, Scott is especially passionate about young women learning how to save.

“It’s really important to me, because I work with college students, to be involved in some things are going to help them better plan for their financial futures,” Scott said.

Scott accredits a large portion of her passion for the community to her grandmother, as she was an example of a passionate, local leader.

“I was raised by my grandmother, and she was a teacher and one of those women that were involved in everything,”

SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

don’t have [those types of] skills,’ and the answer is we need everybody at the table. The only way a city can move forward and solve problems is by bringing everyone to the table because otherwise, we’re only hearing one small group of voices. It’s about recognizing that everybody can contribute in different ways.”

Despite the common difference of opinions that many citizens hold, Scott believes that the livelihood of the community depends on everyone’s participation.

“With a lot of the work that I do, I work with people who see the world differently than I do, who believe in different solutions to our problems,” Scott said. “[However], we all have shared values. We all want our community to be safer, our kids to get a world-class education and to have more opportunities than we had. We want a city that is clean, that functions well, and we all want to have the opportunity to [succeed]. We all share these values, and that’s a great place to start--even if we don’t come to the same conclusion. I think working together as part of a community with a lot of different voices broadens our own world views and helps us get closer to solutions that are actually better for the community.”

Alongside this, Scott holds a special confidence in the educated residents of Little Rock, because she believes they benefit the most from the city.

“Communities live and die and certainly succeed and fail based on the investment of their members,” Scott said. “All of us as educated people have benefitted from this community. And with that comes some responsibility to give back and strengthen this community.”

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During her weekends, Connelly said that she spends her time exploring the next new place. Taking photographs of her adventures and sharing them on her social media is a way that Connelly keeps her memories of outdoor adventures.

“I think one thing about me that is unique is that I am an avid outspoken person for the outdoors,” Connelly said about herself.

As the interview started to come to an end, Connelly laid down her arm, there in her sister’s handwriting, was a tattoo of a song lyric that completely embodies her as a person:

“Perspective is a lovely hand to hold.”

-Relient K

Write & Travel Kelly Connelly

By Miriam Battles If there is one person who is eager to dive headfirst into doing assignments, it is Kelly Connelly.

Connelly is a senior at UA Little Rock and when I asked her about her plans after college, she didn’t have a set answer. Instead, she had multiple interests in what she wanted to pursue. One of her main aspirations is to build a career in travel journalism.

She recently delved into travel journalism as an assignment during her junior year in her Multimedia Reporting course.

She wrote four articles on the outdoors of Arkansas. Not only does she write about nature in her well-written articles, but she also loves to enjoy nature during her free time.

As the conversation flowed, she suggested we go to the library to finish up the conversation.

Once settled at an isolated

table in the back of the library, we instantly dove deeper into her experiences with her favorite hobby: experiencing the outdoors.

With a smile on her face filled with excitement, she briefly explained how she got into enjoying the outdoors. Connelly got involved with nature as a child when her family took her on camping trips. She admits that she didn’t like the thought of camping starting out, but she eventually started to appreciate it more.

Now that Connelly is older, she enjoys hiking more than camping. In her free time, she enjoys finding new places to hike around Arkansas with her boyfriend, Bruce Chandler.

“We love going to different places and trying new foods,” Chandler said. “We just really enjoy seeing new sites, road trips; just anything involving outdoors.”

The lyrics are from Connelly’s favorite band and it explains that in any difficult situation you may go through, you have to remember that it’s just a small part of life. She explains that you have to keep everything in perspective and to remember what really matters to you. She uses this as a reminder when she goes through hard circumstances throughout her life.

Determined- a perfect word to describe Connelly.

“She achieved her goals because of her determination. In social situations, music, learning in college and work situations,” said Nikki Connelly, Kelly’s mother. “If she wants something, she goes for it.”

Meanwhile, Connelly is putting her reporting skills to work through an internship with KUAR, 89.1 FM, UA Little Rock’s NPR-affiliate radio station.

“I was so nervous at first, but after working with the news staff, I know how to write news stories and use different software programs.” Connelly said.

Connelly is expected to graduate from UA-Little Rock in Spring 2020. Incorporating her hobbies with her profession is something that Connelly dreams about doing after graduation.

Life’s ride-or-dies Chantia Green

By Jordan Woodson Chantia Green, a self-described goofy and outgoing individual.

She calls herself charismatic and says she’s not too shy to say how she feels. All of these characteristics she uses to describe herself are very much accurate whenever you sit down and have a conversation with her, but it makes you wonder how did Chantia become Chantia and who in her life influenced her to become the woman she is today?

Most people call themselves lucky if they live in a two-parent household; mom, dad, two and a half kids, a dog and a white picket fence. Chantia on the other hand didn’t grow up with that life. For the majority of her life, it was just her and her mother living in the same house in North Little Rock.

Her father wasn’t there much, so her mother took hold of the task to take up both parental roles.

“I always say that a mother and daughter relationship is a lot crazier than a two-parent household, or even a daughter-father relationship,” Chantia said. “Two women in a house together for umpteen years is, like, insane, especially if you guys are so much alike.”

Chantia describes her mother as her “ride-or-die,” meaning it’s

her and her mother until the end. Having spent almost all their lives alone together, their bond couldn’t be more inseparable, almost like sisters.

“We love each other but we butt heads a lot,” she said. “When you are around someone as much as my mother and I are, you work each other’s nerves.”

Chantia’s uncle, Delaney Phillips, is a logistics officer in the Army, living in Detroit and also a UA Little Rock Mass Communications alumni. While her uncle didn’t influence her to go down the career path of journalism, choosing that path has bonded the two to an even deeper level.

“Us both being journalism majors gives us an extra topic to talk about on the phone,” Chantia said. “He tells me about his time at UA Little Rock, the professors he’s had and gives me advice to help me through college.”

With both her mother and uncle by her side, Chantia strives to join the military just like her uncle and one day use her degree in journalism and charismatic persona to become an on-air personality. So, while she didn’t have what most people would call an “ideal” upbringing, Chantia wouldn’t trade it for the world.

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SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

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Windgate Center hosts 2 art collections

Pairing Collections: Contemporary Art in the 1980s. Photo By Chloe McGehee

By Chloe McGehee UALR’s Department of Art and Design is hosting two art exhibitions from Aug. 16 to Sept. 29; one from Iranian-American artist Meena Khalili, and another a pairing collection piecing together the Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates and Woodyard Corporate Art Collection and the UA Little Rock Permanent Collection.

Khalili’s series, “New in LOU, Drawn Daily,” outlines Khalili’s transfer to Louisville, Kentucky where she created 365 pieces of art to reflect the spirit of each day in the city for a year. The collection is composed of sketchbook and journal drawings, larger sketches and collage pieces. The use of collage throughout the collection was very prominent, as Khalili claims it represents not only her collection, but Louisville and other cities like it as well.

“The city of Louisville is a living organism behaving similarly to most other small-to-mid-sized cities across America,” Khalili said. “The city itself is a collage

of sounds, images, billboards, historic sites and churches.”

Since Khalili created one piece each day, she created an Instagram account, (@thedrawndaily), as a method of accountability, where she posted each new piece. The exhibit truly does showcase the uniqueness of Louisville, all through the lens of someone who had never seen the city before, allowing residents to see their city from a completely new viewpoint.

“The city of Louisville is a living organism behaving similarly to most other small-to-midsized cities across America.” - Meena Khalili The other exhibit being shown

New in the LOU, Drawn Daily by Meena Khalili. Photo By Chloe McGehee

New in the LOU, Drawn Daily by Meena Khalili. Photo By Chloe McGehee

Pairing Collections: Contemporary Art in the 1980s. Photo By Chloe McGehee

New in the LOU, Drawn Daily by Meena Khalili. Photo By Chloe McGehee

New in the LOU, Drawn Daily by Meena Khalili. Photo By Chloe McGehee

in the Windgate Center is Pairing Collections: Contemporary Art in 1980s Arkansas. The Brad Cushman gallery is showcasing Pairing Collections, which combines a private collection with UA Little Rock’s Permanent Collection to showcase a decade of the expanding art community in Arkansas: the 1980s.

Some of the pieces being showcased were bought from UA Little Rock faculty and students, and remain in the Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates and Woodyard Corporate Art Collection since their purchase in the 1980s. Cushman hopes that by showcasing this collection, the importance of art patronage and appreciation will be recognized.

Some highlights of both collections are pictured. Both collections will remain in the Windgate Center for Art and Design until September 29, with Khalili’s collection in the Small Gallery and Pairing Collections in the Brad Cushman Gallery.

For more of her work, Follow Meena Khalili’s Instagram!!!

New in the LOU, Drawn Daily by Meena Khalili. Photo By Chloe McGehee Pairing Collections. Photo By Chloe McGehee

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Zakrzewski to start weekly talent show in signing up for a slot, or to get more information, you can email Katie Zakrzewski at kczakrzewski@ualr.edu. You can also contact any member of SGA and they will be able to help.

“I’m most excited to showcase the diversity of talent and ability we have here at UA Little Rock’s campus.”

-Katie Zakrzewski

SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

Student Experience: BBQ at Bailey’s 2019

By Rodricka Blanks

New SGA President, Katie Zakrzewski. Photo By Dane Bartel

By Oksane Durkee Katie Zakrzewski, the new SGA president, is putting together a student life entertainment series to give students an opportunity to showcase their talents.

The name of the series is not yet confirmed as Zakrzewski is still thinking of names for it, but she does have some in mind.

“I have been toying with calling it ‘Trojans Talent’ or ‘Trojans Have Talent’ and that will be discussed at the next SGA meeting,” Zakrzewski said.

This entertainment series will be an opportunity for all students, staff and faculty to come together and showcase their talents.

“This impacts all people on campus, because everybody has been talking about how there isn’t enough student life and one of the biggest complaints I get is how there isn’t anything to do on campus,” she said. “I have a super-easy screening process and as long as you are good at what you do, I will slot you for a date.”

According to Zakrzewski, the expected start date will in about a month, but an exact date has not been released as of yet.

“I was trying to do this by myself, which was incredibly hard to do,” she said. “Once we have our first SGA meeting, I will create a subcommittee where people can focus on making this happen.”

One of the biggest complaints Zakrzewski has received from students has been that there is nothing to do on nights or

weekends for on campus student life.

“We hope to eliminate both of those problems by hosting this event tentatively on Friday nights around 7:00,” she said.

Having done smallscale talent shows before, Zakrzewski feels she is up for this challenge.

“I think it’s cool how the people that you work so closely with have these hidden talents you didn’t know about before doing the talent show,” she said.

“I’m most excited to showcase the diversity of talent

and ability we have here at UA Little Rock’s campus.”

One of the fears Zakrzewski expressed is that there will be a low turnout or the acts presented will not be of much interest to the people who show up.

“I’m honestly looking for anything that the students feel is worthy to be performed in front of other people,” she said.

Acts like music, drag shows, comedy and dance are accepted as well as many others. If interested

Thursday, September 5th, the Bailey Alumni Center held their annual BBQ at Bailey from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. It was catered by Whole Hog Cafe and Community Bakery.

I didn’t get to experience last year so I thought it would be interesting, plus it’s free lunch.

When I arrived at the Bailey Alumni Center at 1:27 pm the line was already extremely long.

I honestly thought about turning back but walking across the school had already took the breath out of me.

A few seconds later the line started to move, so I decided to stay. It was 1:50pm when I had my plate of food finally. I got a pulled pork sandwich, drizzled it with barbecue sauce, potato salad on the side, and a sugar cookie.

I’m not a fan of potato salad, which honestly, I hate it, but Whole Hogs potato salad was extremely different than most.

It was very tasty. The barbecue sauce was good as well and it helped bring the sandwich to life, because who wants a dry sandwich, definitely not me.

All in all, it was a nice experience, minus the long line and sweating. I recommend going early next year because the August heat is no joke, but then again, I’m sure you know that well.

Reach 13,000’s first event of the semester

By Miriam Battles The Chancellor’s Leadership Corps (CLC) program hosted its first Reach 13,000 event of the semester- Constitution Day. This was one of the four major events that CLC will host this school year.

Reach 13,000 is a campus-wide event whose main goal is to collect 13,000 non-perishables and other items that can be donated to the university’s food pantry as well as the 12 St. Clinic.

Constitution Day was a collaborative event of raising donations and informing students about the Constitution. There were voter registrations and handouts about the Constitution set up at the donation table. Students were informed about the constitution and encouraged to register to vote.

Because of campus events like these, students, faculty and staff have access to resources whenever they’re in need. Reach 13,000 has positively impacted the people who have used the services of the university’s food pantry.

“Reach 13,000 is a great way to show the campus that we can all pull together and do something amazing,” said Rebecca Davis, the Interim Program Coordinator.

The motto this year is to go above and beyond. Even though the goal is to collect 13,000 can goods, Davis wants to push the campus to collect 15,000 items.

If the goal is met, this will be the tenth year in a row they have reached it.

Not only is CLC actively making a change in food insecurity on campus, but it also is structured to positively impact the students around the campus.

“Thirty minutes ago this girl walked up to me and said I don’t know if you remember me from two years ago but what you did [for] me changed my life. I’m on a better path,” said Kajal Desai, a CLC Leader.

These are the words of a mentee who was under the mentorship of Desai. Desai expressed that being a scholar in the CLC program opens doors for people who may not have great opportunities. She said that being a part of CLC is a life-changing experience.

The other Reach 13,000 events

are the ninth annual battle of the talents, dodgeball tournament and a kickball tournament. The battle of the talents will be held on Nov. 7 and the other events will be held next semester.

Most Items Needed: - Personal Hygiene products - Canned tuna - Canned chicken - Boxed meals - Rice - Pasta/Mac-n-Cheese - Canned potatoes - Jelly - Canned fruit - Canned pasta sauce - Canned soups - Cereals - Bottled Water - Children’s books - Children’s coloring books - Crayons/Markers

Bollywood Film Festival History Department to host annual festival

By Chloe McGehee U A L i t t l e Ro c k ’ s H i s to r y Department is hosting a B o l l y w o o d Fa l l F i l m Fe s t i v a l i n c o n j u n c t i o n with the History 4390 class. Titled “Introduction to India and Pakistan: Re l i g i o n , Fo o d a n d F i l m , ” t h e f e s t i va l w i l l i n c l u d e three movies, all screened

in Stabler Hall 601 at 7 p. m . T h e f i l m “ 1 9 4 7 ” i s screening Oct. 8, “Mughalezam” o n N o v. 1 2 a n d o n N o v. 1 9 , “A m a r, A k b a r, A n t h o n y, ” will screen as the final m o v i e . Fo r m o r e d e t a i l s , visit the UALR History Department’s Instagram o r c o n t a c t D r. A n d r e w Amstutz and D r.

Jess P o r t e r.

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Movie Reviews SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

Executive Editor: Jordan Woodson is great. Skarsgård is back to his old, creepy tricks, making this franchise what it is. However, despite how great he is, it is Bill Hader that completely steals the show. While he does add a lot of the same humor that Finn Wolfhard did with the character in the first (Hader being a comedian and all), he also brings

a lot of emotion and heart that we’ve never really seen out of him before.

Overall, “It: Chapter 2” does have its problems mainly having to do with the length, but from the cast to the overall directing, it’s still solid and makes a really great five-hour double feature with the first.

Yes, J.Lo does deserve an Oscar nom for ‘Hustlers’

Photo Warner Bros.

‘It Chapter 2’ is scarier, weirder and… longer… down the film by making

“It: Chapter 2” is the sequel to the 2017 film and is once again directed by Andy Muschiette and written by Gary Dauberman. This film picks up 27 years after the events of the first as Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) is back in Derry to terrorize the citizens. Feeling this is their last shot to put a stop to all of this, Mike (Isaiah Mustafa) gathers up the Losers Club to return and hopefully put a stop to it all.

This film doesn’t quite live up to the first (I LOVED the first), but it’s still solid enough and a good time for Stephen King and horror fans. The major problems this film suffers from is the writing and directing, odd since it’s the same writing and directing team from the first movie. The writing and directing together weigh

it way longer than it needs to be.

There are scenes that could’ve been shortened or removed completely and not affected the movie at all. Another thing that adds to the length is the insane amount of exposition. It also could’ve been edited down to help make the film be a little bit shorter.

That being said, “It: Chapter 2” still has A LOT to love. First off is the cast. Before I even get into how great they are acting and chemistry wise, I want to get into the casting in general.

Every single “older” actor looks amazingly similar to their younger counterpart, so much so that it’s unbelievable the casting team could find them. As for how they are acting as a whole, everyone

Photo STX Entertainment “Hustlers” is written and directed by Lorene Scafaria and is based on a 2015 New York magazine article entitled “The Hustlers at Scores.” In the film, Crazy Rich Asians‘s Constance Wu plays Destiny, an ex-stripper that falls under hard times after the recession of ’08. Needing money to take care of her daugh-

ter, she returns to stripping where she runs into an old friend (Jennifer Lopez) who recruits her and other strippers into a con scheme in order to trick wealthy Wall Street workers into giving them tons of cold-hard cash.

It’s been said in countless reviews that Lopez’s peformance is worthy of a Best Supporting

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Actress Oscar nomination, and this review is no different.

I wouldn’t go as far to say she deserves an all out win, but some type of recognition for what she does here is definitely necessarily, especially since the A-lister has yet to get any type of nomination in her over 30 years of acting, this film being by far her best performance ever.

Lopez isn’t the only standout, however, as nearly every single woman shines, including the ones with smaller roles. Wu gives a MUCH better performance than her arguably robotic role in last year’s Crazy Rich Asians. Cardi B is really only in the first act, but even with her small role, she gives a memorable performance (even if she is just basically playing herself). Riverdale‘s Lili Reinhart is probably the weakest of all the women, but she’s good enough that she doesn’t anchor down the entire film.

Scafaria does a great job directing this movie. The camerawork and the overall vision of the film elevates the movie in a huge way. The lighting and colors used throughout the movie also help it stand out from other stripper movies like Magic Mike or other all female-heist movies like Ocean’s 8 or Widows (although I still think Widows is an overall better film).

If I were to say any negatives about the movie, I would say the second act is nowhere near as good as the first and the third. The second act gets a little repetitive as you see the women drug and then rob the wealthy men over and over again. I wish they could’ve sped through that a little more and then focused more time on some less developed characters like Palmer’s or Reinhart’s.

Overall, “Hustlers” is another solid all-female heist movie after last year’s Widows with Scafaria’s directing and J.Lo’s performance being the best things about it, the latter being worthy of Oscar consideration.

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As for the acting, while previous standout Haig is no longer there to be said standout, it allows for the other actors to take center stage, in particular Moon Zombie’s Baby. Moon Zombie is by far the best in the entire movie and I’d say has elevated her performance from the previous two films. She is essentially the star of the movie, taking the spotlight from the other two men who, while still good in their roles, don’t compare to Moon Zombie’s on screen dominance.

SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION Overall, “Three From Hell” could’ve definitely been better had certain events highlighted in this review not unfortunately taken place. While Zombie’s writing mistakes can be forgive to an extent, it still hinders the overall product.

Read More of Jordan’s Reviews on His Offical Website:

‘Ad Astra’ is an emotionally beautiful must see on the biggest screen possible

Photo Lionsgate

Rob Zombie’s ‘Three From Hell’ is hindered by its off screen problems

“Three From Hell” is written and directed by cult-horror favorite Rob Zombie and is the sequel to “House of 1000 Corpses” and “Devil’s Rejects.” In this final installment in the trilogy, two of the three members of the infamous serial killers of Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) and Otis B. Driftwood (Bill Moseley) go on a murderous rampage after escaping from prison alongside Otis’s brother, Winslow Foxworth “Foxy” Coltrane (Richard Brake).

While the movie is not terrible, certain off screen drama has definitely hindered the overall film, particularly in the writing department. The off screen drama I am referring to is Sid Haig’s, actor of fan-favorite Captain Spaulding, physical health. During production of the film, Haig was hospitalized and couldn’t continue in the role, so Zombie was forced to rewrite the entire script to take out Haig’s character early on.

The last minute rewrites are definitely noticeable in the film.

Not only is Spaulding’s exit from the script rushed, but the

introduction of his replacement, Brake’s character, is rushed as well and we’re not given as much time to get to know him by the time he’s thrust into the story. There’s also a clown that randomly shows up during a home invasion that makes zero sense and adds nothing to the overall story. It feels like that because Spaulding couldn’t be in the story, Zombie felt like he needed to add a clown somehow.

Without the clown, five minutes could’ve been easily shaved off of the already over two hour runtime.

These rewrites seriously hinder the first act, as it’s easily to worst and least interesting part of the entire movie. It takes far too long to get Baby out of prison and reconnected with the two men. After this, however, the film, while extremely repetitive to the previous two movies, seriously starts picking up with the excitement and intensity gory scenes, something that is a staple for Rob Zombie fans. Zombie commits to his unique directing style which I’m sure will definitely please his fan base.

Photo Twentieth Century Fox “Ad Astra” is written and directed by James Gray, writer and director of 2016’s “Lost City of Z”, and stars Brad Pitt as Roy McBride, an emotionally-closed off astronaut living in the near future. When strange electrical surges threaten life on Earth, Roy must go on a search for his father who has been lost in space for decades, where he discovers both shocking secrets and himself.

Ad Astra is latin for “to the stars” which is fitting because this movie goes to the stars and beyond. There really isn’t enough good things I can say about this

incredibly well put together film. The movie is paced perfectly and while it may feel too slow to some audiences, for me it was like eating a chocolate cake, so savory and so deliciously good that you don’t want it to end.

I said in my “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” review that Brad Pitt deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance, but he downright deserves a full fledge Oscar for what he does here. Pitt doesn’t have that many speaking lines, mostly narration, so most of his performance relies solely on his facial emotions and man

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does he pull it off. Speaking of the narration, this movie’s narration is on the level of “American Psycho”, a movie in which I love.

This film has tremendous world-building, which is credit to both Gray’s writing and directing. Gray subtly shows the audience all the differences that Pitt’s near future has compared to our present day world. It sets up the world without having to have the characters explain what’s so different about it, something a lot of dystopian-future movies tend to fall into the trap of doing.

While Gray does a phenomenal job directing this movie, his work isn’t even the best part. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who has done the cinematography for movies such as “Her,” “Dunkirk,” and “Interstellar,” does some of his best work in this movie, which says A LOT when looking at the three films I listed. Composer Max Richter, who helped with the score for the film “Arrival”, has a score that is 100% deserving of an Oscar win. It’s so hypnotic and eerie, which perfectly fits the tone of this space odyssey, putting you in a state of almost meditation.

Now don’t get me wrong when I say “meditation,” there are still plenty of action scenes for the modern audience to enjoy, but this film also isn’t an “action movie,” it’s much more complex and grounded than that. This film perfectly balances the exciting moments with the more slowpaced, introspective moments.

While everything I highlighted above is absolutely stellar, this film would not be what it is without its visual effects. The visual effects team, which includes people that have worked on films such as “Guardians of the Galaxy”, “Black Panther”, and this year’s Godzilla movie, craft a breathtakingly beautiful depiction of deep space. They do such a phenomenal job that you honestly feel transported to every inch of space Pitt’s character travels to.

“Ad Astra” is a near-perfect movie that I can’t recommend enough and a film that absolutely is required to see in theaters and definitely on the biggest screen you can possibly find.

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SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

University District Development Corporation Holds First Annual Event

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By Miriam Battles After 11 years of being incorporated, the University District Development Corporation (UDCC) held their first event of the semester- Dancin’ in the District. The University Plaza parking lot filled with lively locals from the area.

People that attended Dancin’ in the District had the chance to enjoy the fun with music, food, trucks, line dancing and raffle prizes, all while learning about the UDCC and their services.

The UDDC is a nonprofit organization whose main goal is to strengthen the University District neighborhoods and improve the quality of life in the University District, which surrounds UA- Little Rock.

“Our unofficial motto is that we build homes and health in the heart of the city,” said Lynn Foster, a board member of the UDCC. This event was held to bring awareness to the UDCC and their mission after they suffered from population lost between the last two population censuses. Locals went from station to station to learn about the different organizations that partner with the University District. Some of the organizations include the University District Neighborhoods Association, UALittle Rock and other nonprofit organizations that serve the University District.

“We’re here, but our building is just kind of behind the campus,” another board member said. “We just want everyone to know that we’re here and what services we have to offer to the community.”

The University District building is located in the University Plaza across from Big Lots. To find out more information about the UDDC, visit their website-

“Trojan Man” By Ivan Henley

“Campus Critters” Story By Ivan Henley // Art By Ashish Bhakta

http://www.uddclittlerock.org/.

“Coffee Break” By Andrea Benbrook

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on an assist from Smocovich, but Tulsa proved too much in a 3-1 decision. The Golden Hurricane dominated possession, recording 20 shots to the Trojans’ three.

Senior Doro Greulich scored her first goal of the season late in a 2-1 home loss to Missouri State on Sept. 1, and LR was blanked 4-0 at TCU on Sept. 5. Again, the Trojans lacked control on offense, trailing 21-4 in shots and 9-0 on corner kicks. LR produced two shots on goal, compared to the Horned Frogs’ six.

Trojan Golf compete in first match of the season

By C0nnor Goodson

Cross Country men running in the UCA Challenge. Photo by Benjamin Krain / Office of Communications

Cross Country start the season off with mixed results

By Jordan Woodson Both the Little Rock (LR) men’s and women’s cross country have had two meets so far this season, the City Auto Memphis Twilight Classic back on Aug 31 and the UCA Cross Country Challenge back on Sept 7. While the first meet was an okay start for the team, they really brought it home with the UCA Challenge.

CITY AUTO MEMPHIS TWILIGHT CLASSIC - Aug 31 LR men’s and women’s cross country opened the season with 7th and 9th place finishes, respectively, at the City Auto Memphis Twilight Classic on in late August.

Sophomore Carter Reynolds paced the LR men with a personal best time of 21:07.45, good for 18th overall. Fellow sophomore Ricardo Banks also posted a personal best of 21:36.02 (36th overall), while

freshman Colby Swecker had a solid debut only seven positions behind Reynolds with a time of 21:24.22.

Junior Vianney Sanchez placed 53rd overall with a time of 19:48.14 to lead the Trojan women. Freshmen Ariana Garcia and Jordan Edwards impressed in their debut race for the Trojans, claiming the 59th and 60th overall spots. With a time of 19:57.55, Garcia finished only a few tenths of a second ahead of Edwards (19:57.79).

The Trojan men posted an average time of 21:37.97 in the 4 mile run, placing 7th out of 12 teams. The LR women finished 9th out 14 schools with a 20:20.57 average in the 5k race.

Unlike most cross country meets, the Memphis Twilight Classic had bizarre start times of 9:20 p.m. for the women and 10:00 p.m. for the men.

UAB claimed the women’s title, while Middle Tennessee

State claimed each of the top four individual finishes to win the men’s event.

UCA CROSS COUNTRY CHALLENGE - Sept 7 Both LR men’s and women’s cross country finished in 2nd place at the Central Arkansas Cross Country Challenge in Conway earlier this month, only trailing the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in both races.

Freshman Ariana Garcia placed 8th out of 92 racers overall with a time of 15:38.5 in the 4k run, with junior Vianney Sanchez right behind in 9th (15:42.6). Not too far behind those two were freshman Jordan Edwards in 12th place overall (15:55.5) and senior Hunter Paul in 18th place (16:08.2).

Underclassmen athletes finished on top in the men’s race as well. Sophomore Carter Reynolds placed 9th of 105

racers with a time of 19:34.0 in the 6k run. Freshman Colby Swecker was only 10 seconds behind Reynolds in 11th place with a time of 19:44.9.

Sophomore Ricardo Banks and junior Jarred O’Connor also placed in the top 20 with 16th and 17th place finishes, respectively, and times of 20:07.2 and 20:09.3, only 2 seconds away from each other.

Both the Trojan men and women had four athletes place in the top 20 overall, helping lead LR to a solid second place finish for both teams. UCA took first place in both events, including the entire top five women finishers, leading to an average time of 14:56 as opposed to LR’s 16:07. In the men’s race, UCA had an average time of 19:23 compared to LR’s 20:02.

Ten teams competed for the women while 13 comprised the men’s field.

The 2019-2020 Little Rock Trojan golf season has officially begun as both men and women finish their first events. The men opened with a strong fifth place finish at the Lone Star Invitational in San Antonio, Texas. Meanwhile, the women finished tied for 14th at the USA Intercollegiate in Mobile, Alabama.

The Little Rock men saw Aaron Amos pace the team as their top individual performer. The junior finished tied for 18th overall, going 5 over 221 for the weekend.

Sophomore Anton Alders and senior Danial Durisic each finished tied for 26 th overall to help the Trojans secure a top-five team standing.

Sophomore Devon Whitaker was the only Trojan competing as an individual and tied for 34th overall with a 12-over 228.

Next up for the Trojan men is a return trip to Texas for the 2019 Trinity Forest Invitational. The event will be hosted by SMU and take place at the Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, Texas.

For the women, it was a consistent outing in Mobile.

All five Trojans finished within four strokes of one another. The weekend was led by sophomores Malena Austerslaatt and Tilde Bocker, both posting a 12-over 228.

At the beginning of the day 3, the Trojan women were firmly in 13th place. However, they fell one spot after going 16-over 304 for the final 18 holes. They ended the day and event tied with Lamar for 14th overall.

SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION The Trojans looked sure of a win against UCA on Sept. 8, with goals from Young and sophomore Natalee Geren supporting a 2-1 advantage into the final minute, but the Bears’ Bridget Mansour connected for a last-gasp goal to force a 2-2 draw

Trojan midfielder Astros Luckas has a study concentration in action against UCA. Photo by Christopher Banks.

Trojan Soccer off to a shaky start

By Harrison Hudson Little Rock (LR) women’s soccer struggled to find an offensive rhythm but steadily improved through its first month of play, standing at 3-5-3 (0-1-1 Sun Belt) as of Sept. 23.

In his second year as head coach, Mark Foster is trying to keep the momentum going from last year’s squad that finished 13-5-4 (7-2-1 Sun Belt) and made the NCAA tournament. But three of 2018’s top four scorers were lost to graduation, and this year’s Trojan side includes thirteen true freshmen and just three each of seniors and juniors.

Conference-wide, the Trojans rank second to last in goals per game (one), with a total of 10 goals scored this season on 97 shots. A pair of freshmen, Julia Edholm (3 goals) and Mari Young (2) lead LR in scoring. Morgan

Smocovich paces the Trojans with five assists and 14 shots.

LR has kept it tidy on the defensive side, with a league-high four shutouts, three of which came with redshirt freshman Julia Curatolo in goal. A transfer from Southern Miss, Curatolo has started in all but one game and holds a .745 save percentage. The Trojans’ opponents have a .124 shot percentage, outscoring LR by eight goals.

After opening the season with a 6-0 thumping at the hands of No. 20 Memphis, in which the Trojans only mustered 3 shots the entire game, LR battled UT Martin to a scoreless tie on the road.

On Aug. 28, Edholm scored the Trojans’ first goal of the season and the LR defense only allowed one shot on goal (saved by Curatolo) in a home-opening 1-0 win against Grambling State. Two days later, Edholm struck again

Little Rock (LR) volleyball has struggled through the early part of the season, recording only two victories in a possible 12. Having spent most of the season competing in tournaments, the Trojans enter Sun Belt Conference play on Friday in a slump.

LR started the season at the Arkansas Classic, losing to Montana State and Northwestern State in straight sets.

The tournament, however, offered a historic matchup for the Trojans, the first regular season meeting against the in-state rival Arkansas Razorbacks. LR maintained a competitive edge against the opposition, but failed to notch a set victory in the loss.

The following week, LR competed in the Oral Roberts Classic.

Like the previous tournament, the Trojans lost in straight sets to Illinois State, Air Force, and Oral Roberts.

LR’s most successful tournament came the following weekend in the UCA Invitational. LR opened the weekend with two matches in Conway against Ole Miss and Oral Roberts. In the opening match, LR failed to gain any momentum against SEC opponents Ole Miss and lost in straight sets.

Later that afternoon, however, the Trojans won their first match against Oral Roberts, edging the Golden Eagles 3-2 in a five-set thriller.

In the final match of the tournament, LR played at the Jack Stephens Center, taking on Central Arkansas (UCA) in the first contest of the Governor’s I-40

October Schedule WOMEN GOLF: 10/1 - 10/2: Columbia, Mo. 10/7=10/8: Glenceo, Ala. 10/14-10/15: Jonesboro, Ark. 10/27-10/29: Hot Springs, Ark. MEN GOLF: 10/6-10/8: Carrollton, Texas 10/21-10/22: Little Rock, Ark.

LR volleyball needs a fresh slate

By Kolton Rutherford

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Showdown. Despite conceding a set to the Sugar Bears, LR controlled the match from the outset, handling UCA 3-1.

The Trojans failed to build off the success of the UCA Invitational in Martin, Tenn., the following week. LR competed in the Skyhawk Invitational against Mercer, Evansville, and UT-Martin, only notching two set victories in three straight losses.

This weekend, LR will serve off Sun Belt play with away matches against Troy and South Alabama.

Despite their early struggles, the Trojans will hope the conference schedule is a new slate on a disappointing start to the season.

VOLLEYBALL: 10/4: Little Rock, Ark. 10/5: Little Rock, Ark. 10/11: Little Rock, Ark. 10/12: Little Rock, Ark. 10/19: Little Rock, Ark. 10/25: Lafayette, La. 10/26: Monroe, La. SOCCER: 10/4: Little Rock, Ark .

10/11: Little Rock, Ark. 10/13: Little Rock, Ark. 10/17: Troy, Ala. 10/20: Mobile, Ala. 10/27: Jonesboro, Ark. CROSS COUNTRY: 10/5: Fayetteville, Ark. 10/19: Little Rock, Ark. SWIM: 10/5: Fayetteville, Ark. 10/19: Little Rock, Ark. 10/26: Little Rock, Ark.

Gordani name Defensive Player of the Week

By Frederick Weatherspoon After leading the Trojans to a Governor’s I-40 Showdown win over Central Arkansas and the first Little Rock win over UCA since 2007, senior Diana Gordani has been named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Giordani posted a career-high 31 digs in Little Rock’s 3-2 win over Oral Roberts a day before leading all players with 18 digs in the 3-1 win over UCA. Senior newcomer. Anna Hulbert won two titles with the

Little Rock’s Women’s Basketball Team. However, Hulbert decided to gain a fresh start and a new chapter and joined the Volleyball team her Senior year.

When asked why she wanted to switch sports on the court her response was, “I felt like a joke in Basketball” she then admitted, “I fell out of love with Basketball and even my parents knew I wasn’t happy.”

Hulburt is now in her final season of collegiate eligibility and has decided to switch things up on the court.

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SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

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Queens of the sea

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SEPTEMBER 2019 EDITION

23

Meet UA Little Rock’s first wrestling team

Swimming & Diving host annual ‘Sprint and Prom Queen’

Noah Aziere (Jr.)

Drake Barbee (Fr.)

Joseph Bianchi (Fr.)

Paul Bianchi (Jr.)

Tyler Brennan (Fr.)

Aidan Campbell (Fr.)

Jayden Carson (Fr.)

Jaylen Carson (Fr.)

Gunner Cash (Jr.)

Marcus Castillo (Fr.)

Jose Champagne (Jr.)

Trent Dooley (Fr.)

Will Edgar (Fr.)

Steve Elwell (Fr.)

Dylan Johnson (Jr.)

Cash Jones (Fr.)

Hasan Krigger (Jr.)

Tommy Lisher (Jr.)

Matthew Muller (Fr.)

Kyle Prewitt (Fr.)

Braeden Redlin (Fr.)

Korbin Riedel (Fr.)

Miles Santiago (Fr.)

Tristan Tadeo (Fr.)

Jake Turner (Fr.)

Conner Ward (Fr.)

LR Swimming and Diving pose for a group photo in their prom dresses . Photo Courtest of Amy Burgess

By Jordan Woodson Little Rock (LR) swimming and diving held their annual “Sprint Queen & Prom Queen” event on Sept 20 and 21 to prepare for the upcoming season.

Sprint Queen & Prom Queen is an event LR’s swimming and diving team host every year in replace of two weekend practices where the girls compete in a series of events in scrimmagestyle in order to be crown Sprint Queen, Prom Queen or Queen of Queen. To add a little bit of fun to the early morning practice, every year the girls come dressed up in prom dresses they buy from second-hand stores.

“I think we started the tradition about 9 years ago,” Amy Burgess, LR’s head swimming and diving coach, said. “We were

looking for a fun way to race and challenge the team before our competition season started.

It gives us a look at where the team is at and challenges them physically and mentally.”

The girls are divided into two teams, one being the Maroon team and the other being the Silver team. On Friday the girls compete for the title of Sprint Queen where they compete in a short distance race of the 50 yards of each of the four strokes (Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle) as well as the 100 yard Individual Medley (IM), which is a non-stop race of 25 yards of each stroke.

“We have the swim it short course yards, our traditional pool length,” Burgess said. “Then we have them repeat it Long Course Meters, adding a fun element of climbing over the bulkhead

mid pool and through lane ropes placed in the opposite direction at the far end of the pool.”

After each event, the times are recorded and the girl with that fastest time in total is crowned Sprint Queen with actual crowns that are passed down every year that each winner writes their name on. This year, freshman Anna Grom was crown Sprint Queen.

“This is my first year at UALR and I can already say that I saw so many special qualities in each girl,” Grom said. “Everyone did so good and put all their effort in every race! We all have our strengths and my favorite is definitely sprinting and explosiveness.”

On Saturday, the girls race to be crown Prom Queen, which is the distance equivalent to the Sprint Queen. Instead of 50 yards

of each stroke and a 100 yard IM, the girls race non-stop in the high school swimming event order (200 Free, 200IM, 50 Free, 100 Fly, 100 Free, 500 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast), totaling to almost a mile worth of constant swimming.

“It is a marathon of swimming and challenges the team mentally more than anything,” Burgess said.

This year, sophomore Lea Zengerling won Prom Queen for the second year in a row and also set a new record in the Prom Queen event.

Last year, the team added the Queen of Queen crown, which crowns the individual that placed the highest overall between both the Sprint Queen and the Prom Queen races. This year, sophomore Carolyn Godwin and freshman Asmalia Redzuan tied and were both crown Queen of

Queen.

“It was a great bonding experience,” Redzuan said. “I got to know my teammates better and we cheered for each other. This created a friendly competition for me.”

This year LR’s swimming and diving added 12 new freshmen to their roster so this event was a completely new experience for nearly half the girls competing.

“This year, with our large group of incoming class, it was a great opportunity to see how they would preform under a little pressure,” Burgess said. “It was a fun couple of days and we plan to continue the traditional in future years.”

The team begins their new season with their first meet on Sept 27 in Denton, Texas against North Texas.

Photos by Nelson Chenault

Let’s take a look around campus begining with Cooper Fountain. Photo By Shakayla Zoss

Coleman Creek. Photo By Dane Bartel

AFTER CLASS...

CLOWN. new customers save 10 off a purchase of 50 or more with valid ualr student or staff id Commons Clock Tower. Photo By Miriam Battles

Campus architecture. Photo By Tierra McCleary

1121 S Bowman Rd C7, Little Rock, AR 72211 Game Goblins

@gamegoblins 501-224-4263 Half masked flags in honor of 9/11. Photo By Renea Goodard