THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER
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WEDNESDAY
FEBRUARY 10, 2016 Volume 110 — Issue 4
ucaecho.net 4 TODAY’S FORECAST CONWAY
Opinion:
Sports:
Entertainment:
Columns: Gover n ment needs to revive the extinct moderate
Basketball: Sugar Bears take ninth consecutive win after facing off with New Orleans
T.V. Show: ‘Chelsea Does’ comedy uses humor to address tough issues
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SAFA, reserve funds granted to programs
Nice and sunny
54/30 4 THE NEWSDESK FROM THE EDITOR
by Erica Nicolas
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Assistant News Editor
North Korea launches rocket causing emergency meeting A rocket launched last Sunday from North Korea may be a cover for a program to develop intercontinental ballistic missile technology. North Korea still launched the rocket carrying a satellite after being advised by Washington not to do so. An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was requested by the United States, South Korea and Japan.
Hundreds in danger after Tainwan earthquake
photo by Makenzie Evans
[Left] Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally on Feb. 3 in Barton Coliseum in Little Rock. [Right] A protester is taken out of the Barton Coliseum by security during the Donald Trump rally. About a dozen protesters were escorted out by guards during the rally.
Trump rally brings supporters, riots to Little Rock “Politicians are nothing but a bunch of dishonest cookies,” - Presidential candidate Donald Trump
by Erica Nicolas Assistant News Editor
An earthquake in Tainan, Taiwan leveled a 17-story apartment building Saturday with 117 people trapped inside according to authorities. More than 200 people were rescued from destroyed buildings and another 60 people were hospitalized. The earthquake caused around 121,672 homes and businesses to lose power.
N AT I O N A L
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump visited Arkansans at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock on Feb. 3, 2016. The rally resulted in a record-
The Denver Broncos took the win from the Carolina Panthers by 24-10. The game was held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Performers Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Beyoncé brought the crowd to their feet during the
UCA staff members recently commented on the possibility of starting a merger discussion, after a study by the legislature started to explore merger options. This all comes after Representative Mark Lowery started a discussion in the Arkansas Legislature. According to Aziza Musa of ArkansasOnline, Representative Lowery drafted a bill that would bring UCA into the Arkansas State University System. He never filed the bill, but instead broadened the idea into a discussion about looking into higher education mergers across the state. Studies into mergers are now being done by the Legislative Task Force to Study the Realignment of Higher Education, headed by Senator Jane English and Representative Lowery.
vehicle on Highway 65 Arkansas State Police reported the death of Jonathan Witt, 29, who was killed upon being struck by a vehicle north of Conway on U.S. Highway 65. Witt stepped into the path of a vehicle going northbound before midnight Saturday.
Little Rock affected by Dole recall from Kroger stores A possible contamination of Listeria in Dole products across the United States are being recalled from Kroger stores. Recalled products include Baby Kale, Italian Blend, Hearts Romaine, Caesar Salad Kit, Just Lettuce, Spring Mix and Shredded Lettuce.
4 WHAT’S AHEAD IN OUR NEXT ISSUE The Echo will follow the Board of Trustees meeting at 10 a.m. Feb. 12 in the Board of Trustees Conference Room in Wingo Hall.
Staff Writer
Dr. Steven Runge, the Executive Vice President and Provost of UCA, said the University has not considered a merger. “From my perspective, we’ve been around for 109 years. We’ve provided tremendous service to the state of Arkansas and the students that we give educational opportunities to and it’s not anything that we have ever explored. We’re quite proud of our university. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, and we have not considered it. We feel strongly that we’re doing a good job,” Dr. Runge said. He also wanted to emphasize that the Board of Trustees is very important with discussions of this nature. “I have not had any conversation with our Board of
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4Opinion
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CONCERT
by Maggie McNeary Online Editor
Panic! At the Disco will perform in the Farris Center at UCA on April 10 for the Student Activities Board (SAB) spring concert. The band will be accompanied by an opening act that will be announced closer to the concert date. The two acts together will cost SAB $81,000. SAB’s budget comes from the Student Activity Fee that all students pay when they register for classes. SAB Music Chair Emilia Barrick, a junior, said SAB has been looking for a musical act since the beginning of the spring semester. We worked with our middling agent to see what acts were available in our date and price range,” she said. “Panic! was one of our top options so we decided to pursue them. We just got confirmation from our agent today.”
Barrick said SAB tries to bring in artists who are popular with students. “We try and base our programming off of the student selection survey that we send out every semester,” she said. “This gives us a good gauge in terms of what students want to see on our campus.” SAB members and students were excited about the concert. “I am incredibly excited for them to be coming,” Barrick said. “I was a fan a long time ago. Their new album recently came out and it’s great.” “Seeing Panic! At The Disco play at UCA would be so wild. I’ve been a fan for almost 10 years,” graduate student Maria Rhodes said. Tickets will cost $15 for students and $20 for the general public. They will go on sale in early March and be available at the Reynolds Box Office and the Student Center Concierge Desk.
President selection process involves trustee appointed advisory committee
by Jordan Johnson Opinion Editor
As UCA prepares to say goodbye to President Courtway, discussions about the selection process for the university’s next president will start this month. The selection process for the university’s president is outlined in Board Policy 202. The process starts with the creation of a search advisory committee appointed by the Board of Trustees. The committee will be made up of faculty, staff, student, administrator, alumni and community representatives. These representatives will be nominated by their respective groups. The chair of the search committee then submits his recommendations to the Board of Trustees, who make the final
appointment decision. Benjamin Rowley, president of the Faculty Senate said that faculty who have been at the university for a long time and have been involved in its functions are likely to be considered for appointment to the committee. “The chair of the committee is probably going to look pretty thoroughly at the faculty who have that good working knowledge and good institutional memory, because they’ve been here long enough to know when things go bad and when things have gone right,” Rowley said. Upon receiving and processing applications from interested and nominated parties, the chair of the committee will send those applications to the committee, which will review them. Christina Madsen, Associate VP for Communications, Public
Contact Us: 2
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A P P L I C AT I O N S
Index: 4Police Beat 4People of UCA
said. “It’s not a party vs party thing, it’s humanity vs. inhumanity. This country would not be what it is without immigrants.” Fillman said that it was unfair
Representative Mark Lowery Panic! At the Disco plans starts discussion on merging UCA campus performance
by Brody Arnold
Conway man killed by
hours before his arrival. Protester Lexy Fillman, 23, voiced her disapproval for the potential president. “I’m protesting Trump based on his racism, sexism and xenophobia. To show people that it won’t be tolerated,” Fillman
PROSPECTS
Broncos win 24-10 at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara
LOCAL
breaking crowd of 11,500 people, according to Barton Coliseum general manager Ralph Shoptaw. The record was previously held by ZZ Top since 1974. Protesters lined the streets holding signs and chanting their opinions against the candidate
The Student Government Association allocated a total of $10,380.09 to different organizations during their meeting Feb. 8. A total of $3,880.09 was allocated by the SGA from the emergency Student Activity Fee Allocation to UCA’s Anime and Manga Club, Judah Charale, Conway AcroBears, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Human Resources Club. The motion passed 39-2. SGA allocated no more than $5,500 from SGA’s reserve to attend the Coference of Student Government Associations at Texas A&M University. The money will cover food, gas during the travel, hotel fees and conference expenses. The motion passed 34-1 and six abstained. SGA President Zach Carter said, “It [COSGA] helps us with our institutional development here at SGA. We come back with books of ideas to figure out what to bring back to UCA.” COSGA allows UCA senators to converse with fellow senators from around the country and be introduced to new concepts to better the campus for students. Another $1,000 was allocated from the account held with the UCA foundation to support the UCA Day of Giving. The Day of Giving provides emergency scholarships to students. The motion passed unanimously. Dr. Tammy Rogers discussed goals for the Strategic Planning Task Force over the next five years that include retention and graduation rates, status of students after graduation, new opportunities for students and coordination across the whole institution to ensure success. “We want alumns to be ready when they hit the job market,” Dr. Rogers said. SPTF wants students to succeed so programs are hoped to be created so SPTF is working on making smarter decisions for the university with the $5,000 in strategic reserve per student each year. The SGA office will be closed at 2 p.m. Feb. 12 due to IT work on the printer and computers.
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Relations and Marketing, said that previous presidential searches have yielded a “wide variety” of candidates from both in and out of the state. “To be a university president right now you have to be a superman or a superwoman- you have to be so good on so many levels at so many different things,” Rowley said. “We would definitely want someone who understands how to run a business because some aspects of what we do are very businesslike,” Rowley said. “But then at the same time, we also have to have someone who understands what the university setting is like, because there are definitely some areas of what we do that are very much not businesslike and are very academically related.” In addition to those two
requisites, Rowley said that the president should have some political savvy in order to effectively advocate the interests of the university to the state legislature and the governor. The committee is an integral part of the entire process. After preliminary screening, it chooses those applicants which they determine to be “semi-finalists.” After a series of screening procedures, the committee will choose up to six candidates to invite for an on-campus interview, according to Section F of Board Policy 202. After the round of on-campus interviews, the committee will submit a list of at least four finalists to the board, according to Board Policy 202. The board may then conduct interviews with finalist candidates and will appoint the president
Social:
“based on the recommendations of the committee.” According to Rowley, an important part of the search process is the option to hire a search consultant or firm to assist in finding candidate for the position. which is outlined in Board Policy 202, Section 3D. Rowley said that using such consultants would help protect applicants from having to publicly announce their application from the beginning, which is a matter often not made public. “Some people who would make great candidates may be in jobs already and they may want to put themselves into the application process, but they might not necessarily want the people at their current job to know that they’re doing so,” Rowley said.
Inside: Single dorms overcharge
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NEWS ucaecho.net R E C O G N I Z AT I O N
ADVISING
Graduation Application due date moved to help prepare by Des’ree Dallmann Staff Writer
The Office of the Registrar ensures students have met all graduation requirements in advance by setting an early graduation application deadline, Graduation Coordinator Amanda Smallwood said. A recently updated policy requires students to submit their graduation applications roughly a year before their projected graduation date. This means if students are planning on graduating in May 2017, they are expected to complete and submit their applications on or before Feb. 12, 2016. “This is so students can be aware of what is required to graduate. So basically students can know in advance whether they meet those requirements or not,” Smallwood said. The graduation application process is a way for advisors and the registrar to audit a student’s classes and check if he has met the state requirements and the degree requirements allowing him to graduate. “The application is really just the first step of the graduation process,” Smallwood said. After being submitted, a student’s application goes through the student’s full-time advisor for the first audit and then it goes to Smallwood for the final audit. According to the Academic Advising webpage, after the student submits the application his full-time advisor will audit him and then will call him in to discuss the application. The student will receive an advisor based on his major/minor
department and whether it has a full-time advisor or not. Athletes’ applications will go to the Athletic Department. “I don’t agree with having to turn the applications in so early. Things change quickly in college and sometimes people can’t predict when they are going to graduate,” junior Rashawn Fells said. If students are not sure when they will graduate, the Office of the Registrar urges them to apply anyway if there is a possibility that they might graduate within the next year, Smallwood said. The process can give the student an estimation of when he will graduate. However, if students are unsure, then they are also encouraged to speak with their advisors about their current hours and standing. “If students miss the deadline students should still apply; missing the deadline just means the student will not have as good of a turnaround time as he would have if he applied before deadline,” Smallwood said. After the deadline advisors will be busy with advising freshman and sophomore students for fall and summer registration, according to UCA’s Academic Advising Webpage. As a result, meetings pertaining to graduation applications will be delayed. Students anticipating graduating in May 2017 or later can find the graduation application at the top of UCA’s Advising webpage. “It’s a simple process. If you can make it through college you can fill out the application,” Fells said.
photo by Lauren Swaim
99 students are inducted into the Who’s Who program at the Farris Center, Feb. 6. The event took place during the halftime of the Men’s Basketball game against the New Orleans Privateers.
Who’s Who program’s got 99 problems, but a leader ain’t one by Amanda Nettles Staff Writer
Each year UCA recognizes student leaders through the Who’s Who program. According to the UCA website the program was founded in 1934 and is deliberated by about 2,000 schools throughout the United States along with the District of Columbia. It is an extreme achievement and recognition for students across the nation. According to the Who’s Who Among Students website, specific schools make selections for the Who’s Who program each fall. Different nominating committees
are produced comprised of faculty members, administration and student body to nominate qualified upperclassmen for the program. The student leaders are recognized during halftime at the Who’s Who basketball game. The UCA Bears played the New Orleans Privateers. The Bears kept a strong lead throughout the entire game. By halftime the score was 58-33. The Bears defeated the Privateers with a final score of 112-77. Junior Callie Donaldson said, “The Bears played an exciting game tonight. The stands were full and the crowd was so excited to see the Bears win.”
For the 2015-2016 year UCA had a total of 99 student leaders recognized for Who’s Who. The student leaders were recognized at halftime and given a small plaque. The Farris Center was packed with various families, Greek organizations, students, and band members. Senior Nikki Wipplinger said, “I felt so honored and humbled to be a Who’s Who recipient because it is a prestigious award. UCA has given me leadership skills, friendships, incredible faculty members, incredible opportunities, honors and awards that I can cherish forever.” Senior Emily Kibler said, “It was
such an honor to be named a who’s who recipient. It was such a great way to end my senior year and I’m so thankful that I got recognized for my academic achievement and involvement.” Kibler said, “I have gained so much through UCA, and I’m so thankful for the professors and leaders that have poured into me over the last four years. Through my involvement in various organizations like Alpha Sigma Alpha, Student Orientation Staff, and other clubs and ministries, I have learned valuable life lessons, developed my leadership skills, met incredible people, and made life-long friendships.”
UNIVERSE
Physics, Astronomy professor hosts night sky simulation in Lewis Science Center planetarium by Des’ree Dallman Staff Writer
Physics and Astronomy professor, Scott Austin, gave a tour of the night sky in a simulation of the stars at 7 p.m. Feb. 3 in the Lewis Science Center. “It is basically a tour of the night sky and then we fly the audience through the Universe,” Austin said. Students and families gathered in the planetarium chairs surrounding a splitz 512 projector (according to the event information) facing up into a
30-foot diameter dome. The projection of the stars onto the dome made them appear 3-D in exactly the right simulated position and some brighter than others. The chairs tilted back so the audience could look up into the dome and observe as Austin drew out the different constellations in the stars. For most of the showing the room remained completely dark with only the stars illuminating the room. Austin walked the audience through the stages of the sky from
noon of Feb. 3 to later that night at first to 9 p.m. and then 10 p.m. He pointed out the position of the sun as the day passed and then discussed the different stars and alignments. The audience watched as the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the sky got darker and the stars brighter. Austin then took the audience out of the city view of the stars to what the stars would look like from a near-by forest. The simulation flew the audience through the universe and revealed the many different galaxies in a postage stamp size
portion of the universe. The showing ended with educational videos on star clusters such as Laniakea, which is a super cluster and home to the Milky Way. There were also short videos on the universe. “This gives students the opportunity to learn things about astronomy and science,” Austin said. “The show is really cool,” said junior and physics and math major, Garrott Granholm, “You would not be able to see any of this just looking outside. This allows you to really get a close look.”
“It is a 3-D depiction of the stars. I wish more young people would come because it is so educational and so interesting,” Granholm said. Austin said despite usually holding the showings every month his next showing will not be until August because the planetarium will be moving to the new wing, which is currently under construction. Until then Austin suggests that students attend the observatories he holds in the Lewis Science Center. According to the events page
on UCA’s website the planetarium showings are usually held every month to give updates on astronomical events. Instead the public can attend the observatory, which features a Meade 14-inch aperture LX200R GPS telescope to get the astronomical updates and observe the stars until the showings are open again. According to the Observatory tab they are open to the public every third Wednesday of the month. The next observatory will be Feb. 17 according to the schedule.
THE STRUGGLE
LIFECYCLE
Commander Crabb embarks on 545 mile bike ride Stage management theater courses scarcely offered by Makenzie Evans Staff Writer
Jeremy Crabb, UCA Operations Support and Compliance Commander, will embark on his second AIDS/LifeCycle ride in June. The 545-mile ride will begin in San Francisco on June 5 and end in Los Angeles on June 11. Crabb first saw an ad for the ride in 2006 when he was on a subway in San Francisco. “I just knew I wanted to do that,” Crabb said. He was drawn to the cause of the ride and the physically challenging aspect. He first rode in the AIDS/Life Cycle event in 2013. During that first ride he initially thought “What am I doing here?” But as the ride went on his passion for the organization only deepened. “It’s one of the most important things I’ve ever done,” Crabb said. The AIDS/LifeCycle ride is the product of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles
LGBT Center. Their goal for this event is to “improve the health and wellbeing of people who are living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS and to prevent new HIV infections.” “It’s not about cycling anymore. It’s about making a difference in people’s lives. I want to help make an impact to help people and fight HIV,” Crabb said. The Los Angeles LGBT Center advocates for homeless teens in the area, which is one of the reasons Crabb supports the organization. “You don’t have to be LGBT to receive help from the Center,” Crabb said. He got to see the organization at work firsthand in 2013. Crabb said they have impacted so many individuals and their families and are nationally recognized for their work in research, education, and advocacy. “It really touched my heart,” he said. Crabb stresses that it is important to publicly advocate for these organizations to help people.
“We as a community need to stand up and support, without prejudice, those who are affected by HIV and AIDS. Crabb’s participation in the upcoming ride is his way of increasing awareness, fighting stigma, and supporting research and education. Crabb said his support system in preparation for the ride has been amazing. From his coworkers to friends and family, everyone constantly encourages him to work toward his goal of completing the ride. Another important part of Crabb’s job when he registers for the race is to raise money for the organization. Each participant is required to raise a minimum of $3,000. “My goal is to raise $5,000,” Crabb said. Donations are welcome from anyone and can be made through tiny.cc/jcrabb and for more information visit www. aidslifecycle.org. Jeremy Crabb works for UCAPD and can be contacted by calling them or walking into the building for more information.
by Mary Kate Mansfield Staff Writer
Some say the theater is a sacred place and should never be desecrated. The University of Central Arkansas theater department is no different and offers many opportunities to students that include not only acting and behind the scenes experience but classroom studies as well due to the co-curricular nature of the program. The mission statement for UCA theater found on the UCA theater website states, “UCA theater engages the student in diverse experiences that emphasize the artistic process, self-evaluation and the connection of academic rigor to realized production.” The theater department also says in many cases that most students graduate from the theater program as well-rounded individuals and students. However after talking to students in the theater program, specifically the stage management variety, the impression was given that due to the size of the
department the course offerings on stage management were less than desirable. Also found on the theatre website was a course-description of the stage management class that is said to be only offered in the spring on even years. Given the infrequency of the class some theatre and stage management majors have been unable to take the only course in stage management UCA offers at all. This class could be crucial to a theatre major’s background because as one student, junior, Collin Fowler defined it, “Stage managers are the backbone of a show. We are the main communicators between actor, designer, and crew. We make sure everything runs smoothly and calmly, and we handle the situation if anything were to arise that could be destructive.” With the lack of classes in stage management the people of the theater have only previous experience and other classes to rely on for guidance in this very important and highly necessary role within the production.
Despite the small department and having only one stage management class students involved in this department feel they are doing the best they can given the resources they have. Sophomore Morgan Stephens said, “They do a pretty good job. It is definitely set up so that to be well rounded, you have to take the initiative, but the resources are available to do almost anything in the theatre world. The only thing I would change is they don’t offer a stage management class very often, so I’d love to have that more often.” The theater department gives students the opportunity to be well rounded which many people are able to take advantage of but the offering of the crucial stage management class, among other classes, more often would help the students of the theatre at UCA to better themselves academically and professionally. While many students will have experience with stage management from high school the experience might be limited to the high school’s abilities financially and the teacher’s knowledge.
Police Beat The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports by Assistant News Editor Jennifer Buckley.
Drunk non-student drives over round-a-bout on Bruce St.
Stoned non-student arrested on warrant when pulled over
Student’s car towed after leaving Student with medical history hazard lights on for over hour sent to hospital after seizure
A UCA officer observed a truck, driven by nonstudent Chad Carr, carelessly driving while drunk on Jan. 30. Carr swerved and hit the divider at the intersection of Bruce St. and Farris Rd. and then drove straight over the top of the round-a-bout. The officer who stopped him says that his eyes were red, watery and glassy and Carr smelled strongly of alcohol. Carr was taken to jail for a DWI.
On Feb. 1 UCAPD pulled non-student Justin Kirk over for expired tags. Kirk also did not have a driver’s license and was not able to provide proof of insurance. The officer noticed the smell of marijuana coming form the car and was then notified that Kirk had a warrant out for his arrest. Small bags of marijuana were found in Kirk’s pocket and car; he was then arrested and taken to jail.
Student Kenneth Bullard parked his car and left it with the hazard lights on for over an hour and a half. UCAPD contacted Bullard and asked him to move his car. After Bullard did not show up to move his car, he was contacted again and given five minutes to move his car. Once Bullard did not show up, Pro-Auto was notified to move the car and Bullard was given a campus citation.
Student Taylor Jones had a seizure on Feb. 3 around 3 p.m. in Arkansas Hall. Jones’ friend contacted UCAPD and once they arrived they were informed that Jones has a history of seizures. Jones was lying on the floor with her feet elevated but was later taken to Conway Regional Health Center.
3/ February 10, 2016
NEWS ucaecho.net DEAD
Theater Department opens spring semester with thoughtful play by Malachi Thornton Assistant Sports Editor
The University of Central Arkansas Theatre Department is gearing up for the first of their spring shows beginning with “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” a play by Sarah Ruhl which premieres Feb. 11 and 12 as well as Feb. 18 and 19 in Snow Fine-Arts Center. The play is being guestdirected by University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton director Jim Harris. “What Sarah Ruhl tries to do with this show is challenge the idea that the more connected you are in this world, the more disconnected you are texting with friends, facebooking, instagramming, snapchatting?” Harris said.
“I think what she tries to do is to challenge an audience to live in the moment a little bit more.” This dark comedy is centered on an unsuspecting woman, Jean, who while enjoying her lunch is one day interrupted by a phone ringing across the café and a man who doesn’t bother to answer. She later discovers the man is suffering from rigor mortis, realizing the man is no longer alive she answers his phone and becomes the oracle to the intimacies of his life. The play attacks the paradoxical idea that having a cell phone gives one the ability to unite as well as unite. For this play having a cell phone means wherever one is present one is also currently absent. The play’s central theme centers on human beings naturally being full of surprises and those surprises often being
unfinished. “Hopefully the people who come and watch the play will become a lot more conscious of their face to face relationships vs the ones they have through their cell phones,” stage manager Morgan Stephens said. This play actually first premiered at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and was nominated for seven Helen Hayes awards then later premiered off Broadway with the lead role of Jean being played by Mary Louise Parker who many may know from the popular Showtime series “Weeds.” The intent of Harris is that after seeing this show the audience will more often consider the effects of instantaneous communication on their day to day moments. Tickets are $10 to the general
STUDENTS SAY
public and free to the UCA Community of students, faculty, and alumni. Tickets will be required because they are limited. Reservations can also be made by calling (501)450-3265 or by visiting UCA Ticket Central which can be located in the Reynold’s Performance Hall box office. More information can be found online at www.uca. edu/theatre or by contacting Melissa Kordsmeier the UCA Theatre Business Manager at mkordsmeier@uca.edu or by calling (501)450-5092. The program’s focus is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators, and communicators. More information about the UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication visit www.uca. edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
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What’s your
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story by Jennifer Buckley photos by Lauren Swaim
P L AY
Alpha Psi Omega hosts devised theater puppet slam performance by Elizabeth Sandoval Contributor
UCA’s Alpha Psi Omega held “Peace, Love, and Refugee,” a puppet slam about the struggles refugees face, on Feb. 6 at UCA Downtown.The puppet slam consisted of three performances: Hansel and Gretel, The Girl Who Flew, and Pulling the Strings. Each performance was based off a fairytale. The performances are based off fairy tales originating from
a workshop with April GentrySutterfield’s devised theater workshop. Devised theater is work done by starting off with an idea, fairytale, and developing on the idea with a group of people. The inspiration for the puppet slam is a combination of Katie Campbell’s puppetry workshop and Sutterfield. Students started thinking of ideas for the performances during workshop. Jordan Daniels, UCA’s Alpha Psi Omega President, said forming a script was stressful because they were afraid that the points would
Trump:
Protestors gathered outside the Coliseum, Fair Grounds; some kicked out 4 Continued from page 1 to separate families and close the border to Muslims and refugees based on the actions of a few. Trump’s appearance, after an almost two-hour delay due to an emergency landing in Nashville, resulted in the discussion of issues such as repealing Obamacare, destroying ISIS, job-stealing China, gun control, common core and building a wall. “What are we going to do at the border, folks? Build a wall,” Trump said. Supporters screamed “Mexico” when Trump asked who would pay for the wall that would prevent illegal immigrants from coming into the United States. Many protesters inside the arena were hurried out by officials for being disruptive. One protester that was forced to leave the rally was 19-year-old Charlie Mellinger. “I don’t like that he is so full of hate and thinks that people that aren’t from this country should be kicked out,” Mellinger said. “I don’t like that he contradicts himself and the inequality he’s trying to spread.” Mellinger said that he would make the United States a more equal place. He held up peace signs while he was escorted from the building. Trump supporters cheered when he said he would get rid of Obamacare, gun-free zones
not come across. Sydney Stoner, Alpha Psi Omega member, said that they learned that they don’t need a script but just to go with an idea. Kordsmier suggested the refugee theme to the Alpha Psi Omega because it was something that was applicable and relevant. “With the terrorist attacks in paris, and the discussion that was going on, not just nationally but worldwide about should we take in refugees. Or should we close our borders. How do we provide
aid? It seemed like a very relevant topic,” said Kordsmier. “Everyone liked it and we just decided to run with it,” said Daniels. The puppet slam was inspired with a mixture of themes surrounding ‘refugee’ and a blog named Humans of New York. “This guy goes all over the world. He did a refugee series and he would photograph refugees and their families. And tell their stories through these photographs,” said Daniels.
Junior Brad Luther
Junior Cheyenne Wittig
“I like Football because I enjoy listening to the band.“
“The guys volleyball team because I have a friend on the team.”
Freshman Anthony Humphrey
Sophomore Christen Danner
“I love the football team because their teams are so lively and they did really good this year.”
“My favorite sports team is the football team becaus I’m in the marching band so if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t get to do what I like to do.”
Merger:
Discussions on merging UCA purely hypothetical, decisions far in future 4 Continued from page 1
and common core education because they are “disasters.” “Without education, you don’t have the American dream,” Trump said. “I want education to be local, with love. No more common core.” Trump said that the Iran Deal is also a disaster and we have to take care of ISIS and be done with it. Due to what has happened in the Middle East, he said, “We’re living in medieval times in terms of violence and horror.” Annabelle McNeill, 17, a junior at Russellville High School said, “I want to see if he stands with what he says now about some of his policies like the immigration policy and antiIslamic remarks.” A Trump rally would not be complete without pointed remarks about his opponents. He commented on Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s win in the Iowa caucus and blamed Cruz for Obamacare since he supported the appointment of Justice John Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump stated that politicians are “really, really dishonest” and “a bunch of dishonest cookies.” Trump said he skipped the previous GOP debate because “they weren’t treating me properly.” The next republican debate will be Feb. 13 in South Carolina at 8 p.m. CT.
Trustees about anything related to a merger with another institution. That’s one of the things everyone has to understand, the Board of Trustees makes these kinds of decisions. They’re the final authority on a lot of things for the University. Dr. Benjamin Rowley, Associate Professor, had an open mindset when talking about merger discussions. “I think ideas in general should always be up for discussion. I think this idea may be a good one, but it may also be a bad one. Right now, there are a lot of moving pieces and “what ifs” in the idea. It’s probably too early to say whether it’s a good idea or a bad one as of yet. We need to firm up what some of the options and outcomes are before we decide if it’d be good or bad for both UCA and higher education in the state. But talking about things and getting feedback from people affected, students, faculty, staff and parents, would be essential for drafting a plan like this. It could be disastrous if the affected groups aren’t consulted, which is the easier part, and listened to, which is the harder part,” he said. Dr. Rowley also wanted to make sure everyone knows everything is hypothetical. “I want to re-emphasize first that everything I am describing is in the “what if” category. None of this has been implemented, and just about everything on this idea is up in the air and yet to be determined. To my knowledge, this is just an idea being tossed around right now, not a formalized plan moving forward,” he said. Dr. Rowley also talked about
the possible advantages and disadvantages of a merger. “Again, probably too early to tell for sure. In an idealized situation, we’d see reduction in administration positions needed, which would result in salary savings. There would also be a greater ease for students wanting to shift from one school to another within the state, as they’d all be part of the same system. You might see a more unified and standardized tuition and fee structure from school to school,” he said. “But therein also lie some of the drawbacks. How do you equalize compensation for faculty and staff at the different institutions? If we’re all part of the same system, it isn’t fair to pay two people with identical job requirements and descriptions quite different salaries. Could bringing people up in salary end up costing the new system more in the end, rather than less? It’s highly unlikely you’d be bringing a bunch of peoples’ salaries down rather than up. Could a more unified and standardized tuition and fee schedule end up causing big increases at some of the state schools? Ones that are currently on the lower end of the scale in tuition? Would that be fair to the students and parents of students at those schools?” asked Dr. Rowley. “Right now, I think it could be a good idea, or a bad idea. We just don’t know enough yet about what might actually be proposed in a bill. We’ll have to wait and see,
Junior Angel McDaniel
Junior Ashley Hale
“My favorite is the football team because because that’s what I bonded with my dad over when I was younger, and I’m really proud of how our team carries themselves.”
“I’ve always been a fan of soccer mostly because the guys are friendly and easy to talk to.”
SPOTLIGHT
PEOPLE OF UCA Anish Gilani by Waid Rainey Staff Writer
photo by Waid Rainey
Sophomore Anish Gilani overcomes the struggle of being a transfer student in a foreign country everyday. Gilani moved to America from India in April 2014.
It is hard to imagine moving 8,000 miles away from home in order to go to school. Well, that is exactly what many University of Central Arkansas students like Computer Science’s student, Anish Gilani, are doing. Not even 21 years old yet Gilani is sitting in class this morning on the opposite side of the globe from home. His journey to UCA began in April 2014. In India, college is treated not as a separate education but merely a continuation of school from the 11th grade much as we go from
elementary to middle school and high school. At a young age, Gilani discovered a passion for computers. When he got introduced to coding in an elementary class, he decided to pursue a career in Computer Software. In 11th grade, Gilani found himself at a major crossroads in his life. He had to make a decision; stay in India with his family, or go to the United States where he could afford an education. Choosing the latter he began taking classes to prepare for the SAT and TOEFL (test of English as a foreign Language).
For him to apply for school in the United States had to take and pass the exams. In order to take the courses to prepare for the tests he rode a bus from his hometown of Nanded almost 180 miles to neighboring town, Hyderabad, where he shared a room with three others during the three months it took to complete his courses. Gilani has family in Memphis who met him at the airport when he arrived into the United States. Gilani has a cousin that lives in Russellville who speaking to brought him to Arkansas where he applied at UCA and is now studying Computer Science and is an RA in Conway Hall.
Opinion
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4
The Voice
February 10, 2016
Political differences shouldn’t be divisive
The Echo Staff
Single-occupant options too expensive for little reason
Joe Kramer Editor
Morgan Embry News Editor
Erica Nicolas
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Jennifer Buckley Assistant News Editor
Jordan Johnson Opinion Editor
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Malachi Thornton Assistant Sports Editor
Kayla McCullough Entertainment Editor
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Lauren Swaim
If you’ve already paid tuition and housing fees, and you decide you don’t want a roommate, UCA Housing gives you the option of having a dorm room to yourself, at a whopping fee of $825. This is an awful lot of money to pay with only three months left of school. Housing calls this fee a “single room upcharge” and it is only offered in the spring, depending on the demand for housing. This “upcharge” goes on top of your initial housing deposit and housing fee, and it boosts the entire price of the room. This price also depends on the dorm you live in, but $825 is the standard and cheapest price for the majority of dorms on campus. This fee covers the cost of room and board charges for a single room. From what I understand, it’s the cost of water, electricity and maintenance for the room. Single rooms can be a bit of an issue, since UCA Housing would rather have empty rooms than single occupant rooms. At the end of rehousing in late February you’ll be required to fix the single room issue. If you’re like me, and your roommate left at semester, you have three options: find a roommate, have a roommate assigned or pay the fee. It’s hard to hear “get a roommate or pay $825” when you only have a few days’ notice. This
happened to me. I was only given a week notice before I was to be assigned a random roommate, so I decided to find a roommate. Luckily for me, my friend had just moved into the single room next to me. Unluckily for her, that meant moving twice in one week. She thought, as did I, that since there were other single rooms on our floor, that there was a low demand for roommates. No one had even told her when she moved that she must pay or have a roommate. We found out only a few days later. So we decided that she would bunk with me, after she again went through by Caroline the paperwork to get a key Bivens and again move all her Staff Writer belongings. Neither of us were willing to spend the outrageous amount of $825. I don’t understand how $825 only covers the amenities. In a single room wouldn’t you use less water and less electricity? Am I paying extra for some invisible roommate? How many people actually need housing so late in the year? I still have so many questions as to why this fee is so expensive and why the expense is necessary. If you aren’t willing to pay a huge sum either, then I wish you luck in finding a roommate or liking the roommate you have been assigned. The “single upcharge fee” is too expensive and there isn’t enough reason for it.
Politics need more moderates, less extreme candidates
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Where did we go wrong? This political election isn’t even about politics anymore. It’s about grandstanding, it’s about sweeping declarations and it’s about impossible promises. Even of the moderate candidates, there’s no real agenda other than “elect me!” Now to be fair, that last part is hardly new. For the past couple of decades that I’m aware of, every candidate has to some degree or another just pandered to the masses and made false claims and guarantees in order to appeal to the average American. And for a lot of them, it’s worked. Obama for instance, undeniably one of the coolest Presidents we’ve ever had, but did he deliver on the change that was his platform? Not so much. Now that’s not really his fault, in all fairness. There’s been an exorbitant amount of gridlock within Congress in recent years, but still I ask you, how could we have gone so wrong? Trump isn’t a political figurehead, he’s a business and now multimedia icon. Sanders has stood in political office, but he’s little more than a “socialist hippy,” and his promises will by and large go undelivered like Obama’s in all likelihood. And the other frontrunner, Clinton? Even if you can ignore the allegations of cheating in the most recent caucus, she’s the worst of the lot, an actual politician. She knows politicians, is friends with them, plots with them and talks like them. She’s got an influential name and a lot of practice at this.
She’s going to spout off any and every single thing she can think of to get on the ballot. We have as our potential candidates extreme opposite ends of every political spectrum we could ask for, and as a result the media claims we’ve never been more polarized as a country. But what I’ve heard and all I’ve seen suggests actually the complete opposite. For the first time in our recent history, the majority of Americans are begging for a moderate voice, but the only ones to be found are quietly in the background, if they’re there at all. Of our sad, minimally desirable presidential candidate pool, I of course have my favorite. But still I hold no faith in them to deliver what they say they want for our country. It will be nothing short of a miracle if any of these candidates can do even a part of what they’re offering By Logan Miller us. Staff Writer And the idea that several of them could successfully keep their promises is actually terrifying. Looking at you and your proposed wall, Trump. So where does this leave us? With unanswered questions and fear for our future. But that’s not a reason not to vote. I take it as all the more reason to get out there and get the candidate I want on the ballot, and then to get them in office. That’s all I can do, and the rest is going to have to be up to the next president. Who knows, maybe whoever’s elected next will be able to turn our country around so that we can finally stop asking where we went wrong.
Maleka Momand, Business Manager
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Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Little Rock last week drew thousands of Arkansans from across the state. And as much as we would all like to pretend that most of them were just there for the spectacle, the reality is that Trump’s message resonates with at least some of our population. It is important to remember that Trump supporters are not Trump, and that jumping to conclusions about them does much more harm than good for everyone involved. Of course, most college-aged adults are not Trump supporters; younger people, even in the south, tend to be much more liberal than their older counterparts. Trump’s rally means very little for most of those students, who perhaps found it marginally interesting or terrifying that he came to the state but who have no intention of giving him the time of day. Most politically active students already know who they want to vote for and who represents their interests best, and for most of them, that isn’t Trump. The problem is that individuals are often so confident in their opinion regarding who would make the best president that they tend to regard the opposition as less than, and this is true of all sides of the political spectrum. Democrats tend to characterize Republicans as ignorant, while Republicans characterize Democrats as elitist. These characterizations don’t just stop at the candidate running on the opposite side; they bleed over into how we see individuals on a daily basis. This is where the bipartisan divide in the United States is truly a threat. There are plenty of criticisms that one could lobby against Trump’s platform, and to do so would be responsible. Challenging candidates on issues is fundamental to a functioning democracy. The reality is that Trump as president would do very little to help the average Arkansan, but his message somehow convinces some that that doesn’t matter. Those who support Trump may be misguided and may indeed be ignorant, but more importantly, they are being actively misled. It isn’t an accident that Arkansas, which has one of the highest poverty rates in the country, is represented almost across the board by Republicans who believe in personal responsibility over welfare or state aid. It is almost always those who would benefit most from liberal policies that support the ultraconservative. Conservatives in this country have been cultivating a voice for decades that seems to have found a home in Trump. Rhetoric wins elections. As long as Republicans are the party of freedom, liberty and God, if only in name, a large portion of the population will continue to vote for them, often against their own interests. The solution isn’t to yell and shout about how bigoted republicans are for supporting someone like Trump. Telling people that their beliefs are invalid is the best way to ensure that they never listen to you again on any issue. Unfortunately, in this climate of us against them, explaining to individuals why their beliefs are misguided or incorrect doesn’t work very well either. We need to hold the right wing of the Republican party responsible for the divisive language they employ to garner support from often poor white people. In addition, we need to start bridging the gap between the Right and the Left. Though ideologically the two will never meet, it makes no sense for there to be such vitriol between two people whose only distinction is the way that they vote. The bipartisan divide is destroying our country, both by being inefficient and by dividing neighbors and entire cultures over issues that are misrepresented from the beginning.
The Echo is printed weekly at the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway, Ark. Decisions about content are made by the student editors. The views published are not necessarily those of the University of Central Arkansas. All material is subject to respective copyrights.
The solution isn’t to yell and shout about how bigoted republicans are for supporting someone like Trump.
ucaecho.net
OPINION
February 10, 2016
Pharmaceutical mogul’s actions mischaracterized Martin Shkreli is being hoisted from a rope discussed, like how pharmaceutical companies around his neck by popular news outlets for being can create monopolies and how they are also guilty of over pricing their products but get away with it “an evil man.” Shkreli, a 32-year-old with an estimated because they do it over the course of a few months net worth of $100 million and owner of a instead of one night. He also likes to point out that this extra pharmaceutical company, decided to buy the drug income he is making is going towards research Daraprim. He then changed the price overnight from and development to improve the drug Daraprim, $13.50 a pill to $750 a pill. Daraprim is given to which is a helpful drug, but one that has not been patients with HIV to combat toxoplasmosis, which improved upon since the early nineties and makes many people fall ill. is fatal for those with the virus. Another thing that sets his ‘evil’ pharmaceutical Now, keep in mind this price change is only a company apart from the others which are rarely price change for the American drug market. Therefore, including those who don’t even if at all criticized, is that his company spends know they have HIV, this price change only affects roughly 60 percent of their income on research and development for new and better ways to combat 0.38 percent of the American population. The news and social media in general, however, diseases and infections. In contrast, the are making it seem like this majority of pharmaceutical man is killing millions with companies only spend this price change. about 15-20 percent of In reality, this price their income on Research & change has affected no Development. one with insurance who Of course that leaves is getting the medication by Johnathan more money for those now (or will need to get it Woodson pharmaceutical companies in the future). Assistant Opinion Editor to pay themselves better. This means that only However, this is not the five to six thousand something his interviews on people without insurance news channels are allowing with HIV are actually paying the price change, but a man causing the him to vocalize, so he took to YouTube and more death of some five to six thousand, the number or less played the part of a ‘troll’ to garner attention Martin Shkreli has said in many interviews, would from people who stick only to things inside their culture. be reason to hate the man no doubt. He bought the Wu-Tang Clan album that only Martin and his company should not be hated, though. As they have stated, and proven during has one copy in existence for $2 million, he started Martin’s court hearing for seven counts of fraud streaming himself playing League of Legends on on Feb. 5, they will give Daraprim to anyone who Twitch and he started giving chess strategies and is uninsured and cannot afford the medicine for business tips on YouTube. All of these ‘stunts’ made people aware of free because only they will be affected by the price him, and even though he would occasionally play change. However, this man and his company are being the ‘evil bond villain’, as Shkreli puts it, he did it toted around as being the only pharmaceutical all to gather a large audience to watch his moves carefully. company to ever increase the price of a drug. Recently when pitted against the U.S. Congress Obviously this is not the case, but Martin’s company is the first to raise the price of a pill by being tried for fraud, he kept quiet the whole 5000 percent overnight. This rise in price has a hearing until immediately after, when he tweeted genius reason in it, however, it made him and his how ignorant they all are. He has in a period of four short months made it company instantly famous. The controversy has given him a platform to apparent to more people than ever before just how critique and point out flaws that clearly need to be broken our health care system is with monopolies on drugs and how easy it is for pharmaceutical fixed in American’s health insurance system. He critiques that often go unnoticed despite companies to have free reign. Now by no means is this man a saint. I do not being arguably some of the major factors as to why our health system is considered one of the worst in even know if would say a good man. However, this man is now making this issue a first world countries. These issues are, thanks to him, now being major priority in the current political campaign.
Courtesy of usatoday.com
Beyonce on stage at the Superbowl Halftime Show on Sunday, Feb. 7 in Santa Clara, Cal;. Beyonce’s fame and respect comes from her consistent self-respect, her natural beauty and her range of vocal talents.
Beyonce’s beauty stems from self-respect, real talent Super Bowl 50 took place this past Sunday, a hard time keeping myself together anytime I with superstar Beyoncé commanding the halftime hear “If I Were a Boy” or “Halo,” she knows that show. her confident tracks like “Crazy in Love,” “Single The act featured Queen Bey herself and an Ladies” and “Run the World (Girls)” are what has assortment of female dancers marching across the solidified her fame in the music industry. field, and ended with Beyoncé joining Bruno Mars Her music often is laced with a feminist themeand Coldplay’s front man, Chris Martian, for a brief one that is not overbearing, but simply is a message stint on stage. that projects confidence in her female identity. Aside from the alleged mishap where Beyoncé Compared to rap songs that constantly objectify caught herself from falling, the performance was women and their bodies, Beyoncé produces music flawless. She upstaged Coldplay and Mars, but who that is sexy, but with lyrics that still respect herself didn’t expect that to happen? and her fellow females. This is the singer’s second Super Bowl I don’t know anyone who outright does not like performance, and like every other time Beyoncé Beyoncé; there might be some debate whether or turns on the microphone, she shuts down the not the singer is overrated, but to me she is the real house, or in this case an entire football stadium. deal. It is her essence of class that draws me to the Why is Beyoncé performer. so compelling? She is In a time where flashy beautiful, rich and married and outrageous will land to one of the most powerful people on reality TV shows men in the music industry; and record deals, she uses however, her key asset is her talent to propel her not her looks, but how she work. by Kayla conducts her life. It helps that the singer McCullough Beyoncé’s life is prime is naturally beautiful, but Entertainment Editor example of balance. she is just as beautiful bare She is commanding, yet faced as she is glammed up vulnerable. at the Grammys. She offers the perfect balance between keeping I am just as compelled to watch how she her fans immersed in her creative work, but guards produces an album or a piece of work, what she is her personal life pretty fiercely. influenced by and how she formulated these ideas, Her marriage to rap-god Jay-Z does not define as I am enjoying the finished product. her as a person, as she is able to remain her own This is a reflection of a true artist: a performer entity. The singer knows what she believes in and who can draw in their fans with their process and her work is a reflection of her thoughtful nature. not just some catchy pop song. As far as her music goes, the singer has stuck to She garnered her title as Queen Bey through what she is good at, upbeat pop songs. years of hard work, and I am one fan who cannot While she has dabbled in ballads, I still have wait to see what else she does with her reign.
encyclopediaofarkansas.net
Thompson Hall at the University of Arkansas campus in Conway, Arkansas. The Arkansas legislature is discussing the possibility of merging UCA with other university systems in the state.
University consolidation deserves open-minded thought The recent discussion that has buzzed around price that doesn’t eliminate UCA from a student’s the subject of higher education in Arkansas is one financial options. that has been coming down the pike for years now. Larger states such as California, when faced with Since Representative Mark Lowery started a budget cuts, did a lot of educational consolidation. discussion in the Arkansas Legislature regarding This allowed them to retain the number of consolidation of UCA within the Arkansas higher schools they had while spreading the money out so education system, there has been skepticism as to best serve everyone. regarding his motives. While we might not be at the level of struggle There has also been serious thought into that California and other states have seen over the following the suit of many other states faced with past 20 years, there is a need to be forward-thinking. slashed higher education budgets. We should at least entertain the idea of a Lowrey is a former employee of the University of merger, whether it be us joining the Arkansas State Central Arkansas and some believe that his motives University system or University of Arkansas system, in opening the discussion to the legislature are less or whether it be us absorbing other smaller colleges than innocent in conception. that could use a hand Lowrey, now the head of financially. the Legislative Task Force to UCA administrators Study Realignment of Higher seem wary of the idea Education alongside Senator of being absorbed, but I Jane English, has gotten the urge everyone entering ball rolling. this discussion to keep an by Joe Kramer While this might be open mind and look at the Editor concerning to some, there is a possibility of us turning benefit to opening discussion. into a flagship school like Yes, the University of University of Arkansas at Central Arkansas has been Fayetteville and Arkansas around for over a century. It has operated both in State University at Jonesboro. good and bad times and has educated generation Though the dialogue might just be getting upon generation of students. underway, there is a benefit to entertaining all It is safe to say that the university has proven options. itself self-sufficient and resilient. There is no Though Lowrey might have one idea of merging argument there. UCA into the ASU system, the outcome may go a This reality will most likely result in there being number of ways. no real changes to the status quo. Though we are entering a time of transition Despite this, there is always a need for dialogue presidentially at UCA with Tom Courtway stepping when it comes to education and the advancement down from the presidency, I think Provost Runge as of higher education. well as our Board of Trustees and other committee As the state faces the probability of the higher heads will do a solid job of making UCA’s voice loud education budget being cut further, there is a need and clear in the discussion leading UCA to a bright to make sure that each university is able to serve its future, no matter the outcome of this particular students to the best of its abilities, as well as for a decision.
Courtesy of medicinenet.com
A mosquito bites its host, possibly spreading the Zika Virus. Mosquitos have long been known to be vectors of diseases such as West Nile and Malaria and have recently been blamed for the outbreak of Zika in Brazil.
Zika Virus a growing global hreat with no clear solutions The Zika virus, which was previously a minor had recently visited Venezuela, says the Centers for disease, is now affecting millions around the world. Disease Control. Zika is spread through the bite of a mosquito The most common Zika symptoms include and quietly infects its victim, sometimes leaving fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis. them fully paralyzed. About one in five who are infected with the For most people, however, the disease is only disease become ill, but rarely die from it, according mild and flu-like. to the Centers for Disease Control. This once minor disease has recently spread There is no vaccine for Zika but it may be rapidly through the Americas because it is remedied with antihistamines, fluids and rest. uncommon and not many are able to fight off the To prevent catching Zika, cdc.gov suggests disease. people to wear insect repellant, stay in airIn May of 2015, Zika made its first appearance conditioned places or screened in areas, and wear in South America. By the long-sleeved shirts. end of the year, nearly a Since the disease has also million had been affected been sexually transmitted, by it. it is also advised to practice Zika is most dangerous safe sex. to pregnant women Since Zika is a disease because it has been linked that often takes place in a by Jennifer Buckley to a birth defect called person’s bloodstream, it can Assistant News Editor microcephaly, but not stay in the body for a long proven to be the cause. period of time, even without This birth defect has any symptoms. caused thousands of Anyone who has recently infants to be born with visited or is planning to travel abnormally small brains, which lead to many other out of the country is advised to be cautious of this disabilities and ultimately a shorter lifespan. disease. Many women in largely affected areas have With little or no way to combat the disease, the been advised to not become pregnant until 2018. Brazilian government has deployed troops to spray This advice might seem ludicrous to the public. for mosquitoes as a first step. With birthrates on the rise across South and With the 2016 Olympics due to kick off this Central America over the past 20 years, this would summer, it is questionable whether the games will seem an almost impossible solution. attract the crowds of previous olympic cities. Zika is most commonly found in South There must be a solution found before the American and African countries although the games begin or else the threat of the Zika Virus disease has recently been transmitted through spreading becomes a worldwide concern. sexual contact in the U.S. For more information about Zika virus disease, The first case in North America was reported in Texas and was contracted from their partner who visit cdc.gov.
Entertainment
6
February 10, 2016
New This Week Movies
Feb. 12 — Deadpool (R), directed by Tim Miller, starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano and Brianna Hildebrand. Feb. 12 — How to Be Single (R), directed by Christian Ditter ,starring Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, Leslie Mann, Jason Mantzoukas, Anders Holm, Nicholas Braun and Jake Lacy. Feb. 12— Touched with Fire (R), directed Paul Dalio, starring Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Christine Lahti, Griffin Dunne, Bruce Altman, Maryann Urbano and Alex Manette. Feb. 12— Zoolander 2 (PG-13), directed by Ben Stiller, starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Billy Zane, Penélope Cruz, Justin Bieber, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christine Taylor, Cyrus Arnold, Olivia Munn and Kanye West.
Music Feb. 11 — Waves - Kanye West Feb. 12— My Wild West - Lissie Feb. 12 —Life Screams- Lacey Sturm Feb. 12 — Wynonna & The Big Noise - Wynonna & The Big Noise
Netflix Feb. 13— The Face of Love (2014), directed by Arie Posin, starring Annette Bening, Ed Harris and Robin Williams. Feb. 15— Open Season (2006), directed by Jill Culton, Roger Allers and Anthony Stacchi, starring Ashton Kutcher, Martin Lawrence and Debra Messing. Feb. 17 —Atonement (2007), directed byJoe Wright, starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Brenda Blethyn.
New Netflix documentary tackles marriage, racism, drugs by Julia Kramer
spends traveling to culturally rich parts of Los Angeles with comedian and friend Loni Love—including Venezuelan and Korean neighborhoods—where she talked to locals about their experiences with racism and cultural preservation. She also takes a trip south to a Confederate rally to talk to locals. She interviews both African Americans and white residents of the town, and their reactions to the rally. Even these sections are filled with her quick wit and brash humor, allowing a large theme to be made tackled in a blunt way. The series definitely saved the most entertaining episode for last—drugs. The episode begins with her and some friends eating at a restaurant in LA where pot is cooked into the food and they all discuss their experiences with drugs with slowly getting baked. Handler not only discusses her own experiences with drugs—friends thinking she’s had a problem when she was just experimenting—but she also talks to former drug addicts, experiments with Ambien and Adderall under the supervision of a neuroscientist friend and even takes a trip to Peru with two friends to try Ayahuasca. The episode is filled with Handler’s classic humor, blunt discussion of her love of drugs as a mind-opener to her therapist and friends, one gnarly trip to Peru to try the local drug used as cultural ritual and takes a sometimes taboo subject and tackles it head-on, calling attention to how common drugs actually are in local and global cultures. This documentary series is one to definitely watch if you’re a fan of Handler, brash comedy or watching people being pushed out of their comfort zones. You’ll find yourself thinking “holy shit, did she just say that?” and then laughing so hard your muscles hurt because no one should be surprised by anything Handler says or does at this point. “Chelsea Does” is a Netflix original production and can be found on any Netflix carrying device.
Online Editor
Silicon Valley, marriage, racism and drugs are four topics comedian and writer Chelsea Handler tackled head-on in her new Netflix documentary series “Chelsea Does”. The documentary series is comprised of four 74-minute episodes that focus on the topic at hand. Dinner with friends, interviews, travel and Handler’s classic, blunt and crude humor take these well-known topics and puts a fresh spin on them. The first episode of the documentary focuses on marriage. At forty, Handler is not married and said she has never wanted to be. In an attempt to see what she’s been missing, she dives into the world of marriage. Interviewing children on their thoughts on love and marriage, her father and brother on their marriages as well as their views on her love life, celebrity wedding planners, professional matchmakers and even ex-boyfriends, Handler wants to know everything she can about married life—and why she’s single. The episode is filled with Handler’s harsh comedy, a personal favorite of mine, and gives viewers a glimpse into her life. You meet ex-boyfriends, her father, therapist and main companion—her dog Chunk. Throughout the episode she explains how her views on marriage have changed over time. When Handler was younger, marriage was never something she strived for because of personal and professional goals. Now, as a successful fortyyear-old, Handler said she could see herself being married but doesn’t see it occurring in the traditional sense—with the big dress, big wedding and ceremony. She gets professional matchmade by an LA company “Stellar Hitch,” which provides viewers a hilarious look into Handler’s romantic life, talks to twelveyear-olds about their views on
photos courtesy of www.youtube.com
Comedian Chelsea Handler tries on a wedding dress for the first episode of her documentary. Handler debuted her four episode documentary on Netflix. relationships, marriage and divorce and ends the episode in bed with Chunk, her fluffy companion. As an individual who agrees with Handler’s views on marriage, the episode was entertaining and a relief that in a world where it seems everyone is getting married around you—you’re not the only one semi-repulsed by the idea of a lifetime commitment. The second episode focuses on Silicon Valley, the lower San Francisco Bay area in California that is known for being home to technical start-up groups and global technology-focused industries, corporations and institutions. Handler happily proclaims that she is way behind the times in technology and attempts to wrap her head around it. Being outsmarted by children in the tech field, testing out a webcam treat dispenser for Chunk, having conversations with a robot with an attitude problem, inventing a phone application and going on a technology cleanse
workshop, Handler discovers that technology is just as confusing and terrifying as she thought. This episode was the least interesting because the comedy was lower, the topic was stale and the viewer could tell Handler thought the entire Silicon Valley culture was unnecessary, making me wish she would have spent the time allotted for that episode doing something more interesting or documentary-worthy. Each episode starts out with a meal Handler is having with friends she seems to handpick to fit the topic. For the marriage episode, she chose a handful of her married friends and for the second episode she chose her technologically savvy and well known friends, such as Khloe Kardashian and Leah Remini, and discusses how technology affects their lives and careers. The third episode focused on racism. As a comedian, Handler tiptoes the boundaries of racial humor and offense, making this topic an awesome addition to the documentary series.
Growing up both German and Jewish, Handler is known for making culturally sensitive jokes—including dressing her friend Chuy Brav (a MexicanAmerican actor and entertainer who was her sidekick on past late-night show Chelsea Lately) as Adolf Hitler during 2014 Hanukkah on her show. What she viewed as a hilarious image, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) did not. ADL called the parody “tasteless, offensive and hurtful to Holocaust survivors,” as well as to German people. During the episode, Handler met with a group of representatives from civil rights organizations to discuss what is viewed to be okay in humor and what crosses the line. While many of the organization representatives pointed out “tasteless” and “racially charged” jokes Handler has made in the past, she tried to explain the difference between racism and using stereotypes as fuel in comedy. Part of the episode Handler
CANCER
SOUL
Video game provides real life drama in virtual reality OVO’s new duo releases album by Brody Arnold
by Malachi Thornton
Every few years, a video game is released that challenges the norms in its medium. These games are usually extremely story driven, and often have very little gameplay. Such is the case with “That Dragon, Cancer.” “That Dragon, Cancer” is the true story of a family going through the hardships of having a child with cancer. A small team, which included Ryan and Amy Green, who lost their son Joel to cancer, developed the game. “That Dragon, Cancer” is homage to Joel, while at the same time showing what it is like to go through such trying times. It’s almost hard to call this a video game. The worst part, and really the only bad part about the game is the gameplay. This is due to the fact that there really isn’t any. However, it is hard to consider this a negative when I knew going into this game that it is more about the experience than it is the gameplay. The little gameplay present revolves around old school point and click. The player clicks on things in the environment to interact with them and advance through the story. There are a few sections that have specific goals, like racing a wagon around a hospital hallway, or fighting a dragon in an arcade style platformer. These sections are pretty shallow when it comes to gameplay, but, as I’ve said, that isn’t what “That Dragon, Cancer” is about.
The freshest sound of OVO is a soulful blend of pop and nocturnal R&B by the name of Majid Jordan. The group just released their first album self-titled “Majid Jordan” which recently hit the stores on Feb. 5, 2016. The two combined forces of both Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman bring a blend of production and sound quality that perfectly suits the new wave of OVO sound that fellow Toronto native Drake has developed already with his new label. Ullman provides the production while Maskati provides the voice. Both do the writing for themselves and their counterparts on their new label having already received awards and recognition for their part in the hit single “Hold On We’re Going Home.” They coproduced the single before it appeared at the top of Billboard for 17 weeks straight at the time becoming the most successful single of Drake’s career. Since then the duo has also worked with superstar R&B singer Beyoncé, co-producing the single “Mine” featuring Drake on her self-titled album in 2013. The group was formed after both met as students of the University of Toronto in 2011, doing most of their recording between their dorm room and the basement of Ullman’s mother. Maskati arrived from Bahrain to add to the new, innovative type
of other-worldly production that Ullman had been concocting all on his own. The sound the two have come up with is a mix of pop, dance hall, house and after-hour R&B which is something truly out of a lab. Thanks to the success of predecessors Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR, they were no longer looking for a place in today’s constantly evolving music scene. After last year’s release of their EP titled “A Place Like This,” the world got a taste of their new-age style that is due to echo inside of any club or party atmosphere. The label has been pushing their release in hopes to feed off the success of their previous singles and exclusivity of their brand. Apple Music released their prealbum a week prior to the release of the first album which allowed customers access to five of the 12 tracks, one of which featuring rapper Drake by the name of “My Love” which has already gained much praise. Each of the tracks on the album have an individual quality as they take you up and down through tempo and pace. Songs on the album vary entirely in vocal range going from up-beat to slow-moving, lingering smoothly from number to number. New listeners as well as faithful followers of Majid Jordan have nothing to lose with this new album and certainly everything to gain. The album’s sound shows how unique both rappers truly are. The album is available on Spotify and a free download is on Run the Jewels’ website www. runthejewels.net.
4.“Me, Myself & I” by G-Eazy
5.“F*** Love” by Iggy Azalea
Assistant Sports Editor
Staff Writer
Five Tracks that will get singles through Valentine’s Day List compiled by Darian Whitmore
photos courtesy of kotaku.com
“That Dragon, Cancer” was developed with a couple who lost their son to cancer. The game is a gripping and emotional experience. Five minutes into “That Dragon, Cancer” and I was already tearing up. This is largely due to how everything is presented to the player. The graphics are simple polygon shapes, but this simplicity brings out a playful childlike beauty that really helps to encapsulate the innocence of Joel. The music in the game is perfect in every situation and just further helps evoke certain emotions. One moment, the player is in the forest with somber, high piano notes playing. Next, they will be in a church with tense, harsh music playing. This is all brought together by exceptional voice acting, done by Ryan and Amy themselves. Making it even more personal, voicemails from throughout Joel’s
1. “Wrecking Ball” cover by The Blind The first couple you see on Valentine’s Day will send you into an emotional whirlwind thinking of all your failed relationships. Now that Miley and Liam are back together though, you can’t listen to her sing it because she doesn’t understand the pain you feel anymore, but don’t let her renewed love stop you from angrily screaming the lyrics at pictures of your ex.
therapy are used in the game, adding a sense of realness that might otherwise be absent. The game follows Ryan and Amy from the moments they learn of Joel’s illness, all the way to his death. It is filled with moments of laughter and happiness, as well as moments of tension and despair. Ryan and Amy, both devout Christians, struggle with their faith along the way. There are also sections of the game where the player can click on and read letters from other people and families that were dealing with a loved one battling cancer. This further adds to the emotional effect the game brings. I could go into much more detail on certain sections of “That Dragon, Cancer,” but this is a game
2.“Somebody Loves You” by Betty Who So what if you don’t have a “Valentines?” You can still spend your day with someone that loves and that appreciates you. It doesn’t matter if that happens to be your cat and a box of chocolates that you bought for yourself. If you don’t have those things, go ahead and call your mom, she will make you feel special.
that needs to be experienced by most people. I say most, because people with children, or people who have lost children, might want to stay away from this one. However, for those that think they can handle the emotional toll of this game, do it. “That Dragon, Cancer” is special. It isn’t a game about shooting people, or collecting items or getting a high score. It is a game, an experience, about finding hope in even the most depressing situations. While the strong religious overtones toward the end of the game might turn some people off, this is Ryan, Amy and Joel’s story and it is told beautifully. “That Dragon, Cancer” is available at www. thatdragoncancer.com for $14.99.
3. “Naked” by the X Ambassadors
There is no shame in imaging your crush showing up outside your window professing their love “Say Anything” style. It’s better to make up some crazy scenario in your head than to sit at your desk and think about your loneliness. And it’s not like you could have ever talked to them…possibly avoiding being single on a couples holiday. Yeah daydreaming about it is the best option.
You were single yesterday and you will be tomorrow, so you might as well come to terms with that fact you are single on Valentines Day. If you were in a relationship you would be expected to sit on the same side of a booth and stare deeply into each other’s eyes and that is something even long time couples dread. So congratulations, you get to skip that awkwardness.
At the end of the day you realize you don’t even want a “Valentine.” The best part of the day is the gifts and let’s be honest, you don’t have any more space in your bedroom for junk. Unless someone is throwing diamonds at you, you don’t need a “Valentine.” Maybe the singles are the real winners of Valentine’s Day after all.
Sports
7
February 10, 2016
Tennis splits weekend
Week at a glance
National Signing Day
By Austin Savell Staff Writer
proves fruitful for Bears By Taran Meyer Sports Editor
The University of Central Arkansas Football program has announced the signing of 20 new players. On Feb 2. head coach Steve Campbell took to the podium inside UCA Downtown and spoke about the players he is adding to the team. Campbell spoke on how each player can impact the program and help the team to reach its goals. These 28 signees include players from eight different states, playing 11 positions. These players hail from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The class includes three, three star recruits and nine two star recruits. It is always nice to see a strong recruiting class be brought into the university to help the program be successful. The players that Coach Campbell has brought in can help the program take the next step and win a Southland Conference title. Of these 28 recruits, eight of them have already begun classes here at the university as they are transfers from other schools. Speaking with members of the team they have stated that the team is excited to get the new teammates into camp and get things moving and begin to gel with each other. The season is slated to kick off on Sept 1 at home against Houston Baptist.
photo courtesy of Lauren Swaim
Sophmore foward Taylor Baudoin takes a shot against New Orleans. Baudoin scored 14 points to help the Sugar Bears earn their ninth win in a row.
Sugar Bears win ninth straight By Malachi Thornton Assistant Sports Editor
The University of Central Arkansas Sugar Bears won their ninth game in a row, taking down the University of New Orleans 6755 on Feb. 6 in the Farris Center. Central Arkansas women’s basketball is off its best season for head coach Sandra Rushing after she surpassed her previous season best of 18 wins. The University of Central Arkansas (19-2, 9-1 SLC) was going into the second of their three game home stand against a struggling New Orleans team who now sits at 3-8 in conference after the defeat this past weekend. The Bears would gain the lead early and that would carry on throughout the rest of the game. The Bears got ahead by a 16 point margin to end the first half where
they shot an efficient 52.2 percent from the field on 12-23 shots. The Bears shot 57.1 percent from deep all of which coming from junior guard Maggie Proffitt in that first half. Foul line shots were a big difference in the first half as UCA made eight more shots on nine more attempts than the Privateers. The second half was much different than the first with UCA having been outscored 34-30 but still told much of the same story, as the Privateers couldn’t manage to close the gap. The Bears continue to lead the league in scoring defense are only behind Abilene Christian in scoring margin averaging 63.8 points per game. The Bears were able to dominate the Privateers in the turnover battle as well as assists. UCA only shot a 34.8 field goal percentage but made up for it with their shots from deep. The
night was lead in scoring once again by Proffitt who hit 4-8 three pointers on the night, sophomore forward Taylor Baudin who put up 14 points, junior guard Brianna Mullins had 13 points with five rebounds and a season-high eight assists and senior forward Kendara Watts who added 11 points and six rebounds. The Bears seem to be clicking completing their third straight double-digit victory. University of Central Arkansas is now tied with Abilene Christian in loses this season only having one and are number two in the Southland Conference. The Bears will return to the court ton Feb. 10 at home when they are to host Northwestern State to finish out their three games at home. They will be looking to cap their tenth victory in a row. The game is scheduled 7 p.m. in the Farris Center. between the two that started in doubles.
HURDLER
photo courtesy of UCA Athletics
Upcoming games
The UCA women’s tennis team had a busy weekend on the courts, taking on the Harding Lady Bison on Saturday and the undefeated University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawks on Sunday. The action started Saturday afternoon with the Sugar Bears meeting Harding in doubles competition. QiLi Ma and Rada Manataweewat got things going on a positive note, sweeping through the Bison’s Arielle Butler and Emily Faulkner 6-0. Nataly Yoo and Amiru Shimoguchi would follow their lead by defeating Harding’s duo of Piper Huey and Laura Golubic 6-2. Finally, UCA’s pairing of Marli Van Heerden and Xylia Chunan Xiang were able to outplay the duo of Gabriella Alves and Brittany Smyser to the tune of a 6-3 victory, giving the Bears a 3-0 victory in the doubles portion of the day, sweeping the Bison. Nataly Yoo got the Bears started off on a winning note in singles play, taking her second victory of the day over Piper Huey in the form of a 6-1, 6-2 straight sets win over the Bison. Xylia Chunan Xiang and QiLi Ma would both do her one better though, each sweeping through their respective opponents 6-0, 6-0 in straight sets. In her second appearance of the day, Marli Van Heerden took out Arielle Butler in two sets, 6-0, 6-1. The dominance would continue in the next match between Manataweewat and Lexi Beaver with the former taking the straight sets victory 6-1, 6-1. Brittany Smyser put up the most fight of any of the Lady Bison, taking five games in the 6-2, 6-3 victory for Amiru Shimoguch, completing a sweep of the day for UCA and bringing them to 2-1 on the season. Things wouldn’t be quite as easy on the Sugar Bears Sunday afternoon in their contest with the undefeated Warhawks of Louisiana Monroe. The dynamic duo of Nataly Yoo and Amiru Shimoguch led things off with a hard-fought victory over the Warhawks’ Pauline Van Herck and Patricia Villar 6-3. It wouldn’t take long for Louisiana Monroe to strike back as Tiffany Mylonas and Luana Stanciu defeated the team of Xylia Chunan Xiang and Marli Van Heerden 6-3. UCA, however, would get the last laugh in doubles competition as QiLi Ma and Rada Manataweewat took down Ioana Popescu and Petra Horakova 6-3,
SEASON HIGH
Men’s Basketball
Bears get massive win against New Orleans with 122-77 win
Feb. 12 at Incarnate Word at 7 p.m. Women’s Basketball
Denn-warren Tafah
Feb. 10 vs Northwestern State at 7 p.m.
photo courtesy of Facebook
James Lassiter competes at the University of Kentucky. Lassiter has made strides to become the best hurdler the school has seen.
Feb. 13 at Incarnate Word at 7 p.m.
Hurdler powered by himself, family
Softball
Denn-warren Tafah
Feb. 12-14 at Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Alabama
We all know him from his accomplishments in track and field and his vibrant personality, but who is James Lassiter? James Lassiter whose nickname is “Q-tip” according to teammate Robby Charleston was born on Sep. 30, 1994 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lassiter has had to face plenty of obstacles on and off the field to be where he is today. He grew up playing peewee football for the West Oak Lane Wildcats where he would be recognized for his speed. The person who discovered and introduced track to him was Nadia Dee Green-Dallas, whom Lassiter refers to as his second mom. She would buy him track spikes, uniforms, pay for meets and hotel rooms. Because of the environment James was raised in, staying committed to track at a young age required more than just one person. Also, Lassiter hated running track but his dad would force him to continue to run track and excel in the classroom. Lassiter said he would come home, do his work and fall asleep hoping his dad wouldn’t wake him up for track practice. At the beginning it seemed
Women’s Tennis
Feb. 12 vs Missouri State at 1 p.m. Feb. 14 vs McNeese State University at 12 p.m.
giving the Bears a 2-1 victory in the doubles portion of the day. Singles matches started off with Nataly Yoo and Pauline Van Herck facing off in a battle continuing the fierce competition between the two that started in doubles. With this being her fourth match in two days, Yoo had to push through exhaustion to win the match. “I think of my daughter, Bella and my boyfriend John. They have been my rock. Pushing me in everything in life when times got hard. They are always in my heart and mind. I also think of my fellow senior and friend Krizia. She has been on my court as our third coach. I’m so lucky she is on my court and with me this last year. She’s making everything better on and off court,” Yoo said. Nataly would use this fuel to inspire her win over the Belgian Van Herck in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. Soon after, ULM would answer back with Petra Horakova’s 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 three set victory over Xiang. The tie wouldn’t last long, however, as UCA’s QiLi Ma was able to take the win in a heated three set battle with the Warhawks’ Patricia Villar, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. This victory won Ma the admiration of many of her teammates, including senior Krizia Buck. “QiLi Ma shined this weekend with a great win over ULM on Sunday. She was matched up with a really tough player who did all she could to beat QiLi, but it wasn’t enough. QiLi never gave up and pushed through to win in three sets,” Buck said. The high wouldn’t last long for the Sugar Bears as Louisiana Monroe’s Tiffany Mylonas snuffed Shimoguchi and Ioana Popescu managed to take down Manataweewat 6-1 and 6-3 in successive sets. The entire day of matches would come down to one final face off between Marli Van Heeran of UCA and Luana Stanciu of ULM. Van Heeran would take a roughly contested first set 7-5 before ultimately losing the last two sets in devastatingly close fashion 5-7, 5-7. This marks a hard loss for UCA. Instead of moving into 3-1 on the season and knocking off the undefeated Warhawks, they have fallen to 2-2 on the season while Louisiana Monroe advances to 3-0. The Sugar Bears will look to bounce back as they host the struggling Missouri State University Bears Friday at 1 p.m.
Staff Writer
effortless because of the support from family and “Miss Dee” but that was just the beginning of his long journey. As a sophomore in high school, Lassiter would go to the Pennsylvania Track Field Association state track meet in 110m hurdles. So therefore there were a lot of high expectations for his junior year. He repeated his sophomore year performance by going to state again but fractured his hip. At the end of Lassiter’s high school career he had performed well enough to get recruited by mid major Division 1 schools. On national signing day instead of signing like the majority of athletes he was overlooked. To add on to the hurt, Morgan State Head track coach said he wasn’t fast enough to run NCAA Division 1 track. Feeling rejected, Lassiter decided to give up and go to community college and work. However, a school called St. Francis offered him to walk on. While on the team he didn’t attain immediate success because he was unmotivated and trying to transition from hurdling a 39 inches in high school to a 42 inches in college. While at St. Francis he earned a scholarship but was still getting treated like a walk on. The scholarship he was receiving wasn’t enough for him to
continue going there, so he began to search for other schools. Luckily Coach Arthur “Iggy” Ignaczak, who was a coach at St. Francis, was transferring to the University of Central Arkansas, which helped James with his decision. Coach Iggy said that “He is very driven, goal oriented and has that sense of determination and tunnel vision just like I did back in college.” Coming into UCA as a sophomore, Lassiter was now even more driven to prove the naysayers wrong. He would take the back seat to Chance Tanner as leader of the team. During that time he absorbed some leadership techniques from Chance Tanner and worked hard. “A leader has to exemplify the actions first before the words are implemented,” Lassiter said. So far this season he has run a 6.76 in the 55 meter. At the BSC Panther Indoor Icebreaker he came in fifth place running 8.27 in the 60 meter hurdles, with big-name teams participating like Georgia, FIU and Mississippi State. At the Jayhawk classic he came in second place in the 60 meter hurdles, which was the highest of any UCA participants. “James is the perfect example of when hard work beats talent because talent isn’t working,” freshman track and field teammate Robert Charleston said.
Staff Writer
Two minutes into the game and Central Arkansas’ sophomore point guard Jordan Howard and junior guard Derreck Brooks put their team on a 7-1 run, which would only grow bigger throughout the game. New Orleans was in full press early but then they backed up. So, Jordan Howard took advantage of New Orleans defensive scheme and hit three early three pointers to give Central Arkansas momentum. In the first half New Orleans wasn’t attempting that many three-point shots or making the one’s they attempted. At the end of the first half Central Arkansas was up 25 points. New Orleans ended up with 33 points, which was 11 more points more than Jordan Howards’ 22 points. Start of the second half, New Orleans began to make shots and close the gap to 17. Then Jordan Howard hit a three and senior small forward Justin Foreman had a nice dunk, which stole the Privateer’s momentum. Last game against Central Arkansas, New Orleans’s Kevin Hill had over 21 points but Central Arkansas’s 2-3 defense helped him to just four points in the first half. The only person on the Privateer’s who tried to respond was Christavious Hill, but he couldn’t do it on his own. Central Arkansas never gave up the lead once in the game; the closest score was at the start of the game when it was 0-0.
Sophomore point guard Howard spoke about the victory stating, “I just think we came out with an energy and sense of urgency on the offensive and defensive end, we played together and fed off each other,” Howard said.Central Arkansas was doing well as a whole; they played good team basketball and solid defense. The game before against Northwestern state this one Jordan Howard scored 37 points but Central Arkansas still lost, so the other players definitely stepped up. Coach Pennell said “Jordan was hot the other night when he scored 37 points but this game they made free throws and didn’t turn the ball over and everyone else did some good things in other to help team win.” Senior center Jake Zuilhof did a good job down low protecting the rim and getting rebounds. Mathieu Kamba played the fewer minutes out of all the starters and still earned 17 points. Coach Pennell stated, “Mathieu Kamba is one of the most athletic players in the conference and we need him.” Things look bright for the Bears after the performance. Jordan Howard said “In the win we all collectively contributed in every way whether that was defense or offense, we all brought in and brought energy for 40 minutes.” All in all Central Arkansas is going to see more success if the team continues to play together. Coach Pennell said, “People are going to start key in on Jordan and we need somebody else to step up.”
8/ February 10, 2016
SPORTS
ucaecho.net
RUNNING
Men finish near top, women miss the podium By Maggie McNeary Online Editor
The men’s track team placed second overall out of 10 teams at the Southern Illinois University meet on Feb. 5 and 6, beating out all other teams except for SIU. The men’s team overall score was helped by several top five finishers from UCA. Senior Anthony Farris-King placed fifth in the long jump. Senior Jaheel Lilly placed third in the men’s triple jump, while freshman Charvon Wheeler placed fifth. Sophomore Eric Moore placed second in the men’s high jump. In the 60-meter dash, junior Ethan Bly placed third. Junior James Lassiter placed fourth out of six jumpers in the 60-meter hurdles. The men’s team dominated the 800-meter run. Senior Josue Quiroga placed first out of 35 runners with a time of 1:53.89. He was soon followed by sophomore Alonzo Pollum, who placed third with a time of 1:56.48. Senior Deonte Watson came in fifth with a time of 1:56.97.
UCA also showed well in the 3,000-meter run, with four runners in the top 10 places. Sophomore Julien Jeandree took first place with a time of 8:35.17, while sophomore Markus Schweikert got second place with a time of 8:36.74. Senior Albert Maeder and freshman Jacob Sanders placed ninth and 10th, respectively. Maeder’s finishing time was 8:59.47, while Sanders finished with a time of 8:59.97. Sanders said he felt really good about his race. “I was seeded sixth in the second heat so I just went into it not really worrying about running a certain time. I just wanted to compete and win my heat,” he said. “I sat in about third place for the majority of the race and waited for an appropriate time to take the lead and ended up winning my heat with a four second PR.” The women’s team placed 11th out of 12 teams. They had several top 10 finishes. Senior Jasmine Campbell placed 10th in the women’s long jump and eighth in the triple jump. Senior Sara Calhoun placed
10th in the pole vault. Junior Brooke Wright placed fourth in the high jump. Freshman Victoria Campbell placed eighth in the women’s 400-meter dash with a time of 1:00.27 and participated in the women’s 4x400 meter relay. In the relay, the Central Arkansas team placed sixth with a time of 4:07.19. Sophomore Jasmine Richard, sophomore Samantha Ellis, freshman Rhandi Jackson and Campbell were on the team. Sophomore Madison Sellars, who placed 28 out of 37 in the women’s 3000-meter run, said this meet helped the team get ready for the Birmingham indoor conference. “Everyone did really well and there were PRS all around the board. This was the last meet before conference so a lot of the team was trying to get in that final race, jump or throw so that they could know where they stood before indoor conference,” she said. “I feel like both teams, boys and girls, did very well. We showed up ready to go and you can see that by looking at results.”
photo courtesy oUCA Athletics
The Sugar Bears gather in the team huddle before the game against Southeastern Louisiana. UCA beat the Lady Lions to move to 8-1 in conference play.
Sugar Bears keep streak alive, down Lady Lions
By Michael Benzmiller Staff Writer
photo courtesy of Lauren Swaim
Sophmore point guard Jordan Howard dribbles the ball to orchestrate the offense. Howard scored a career high 37 points against Northwestern.
Bears fall to Northwestern State Demons Malachi Thornton Assistant Sports Editor
UCA fell to Northwestern State in a high-scoring shootout on Feb. 2, in Prather Stadium, the Demons claimed a 91-75 victory over the Bears after a showdown featuring a career-high night 37 points from sophomore guard Jordan Howard. The University of Central Arkansas Bears (3-15, 2-6 SLC) went into Prather Stadium and put on a show against their own league leading scorer junior guard Zeek Woodley who led his team in scoring with 30 points shooting 11 of 19 and 4-9 from the arch. The night displayed a back and forth affair from the league’s top two scorers that remained a gunfight throughout, until Northwestern State eventually edged a 16 point advantage. According to UCA Sports, head coach Russ Pennell felt the game was lost due to poor freethrow shooting. “We’ve just been struggling at the foul line,” Coach
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Pennell said. Central Arkansas shot 16 of 30 from the foul line and got down early in the first half on the other end of a couple of runs. UCA played from behind for the majority of the game. Northwestern State was only able to get up by as many as 13 points in the first half thanks to the three-point shooting from Howard to keep the game close. UCA ended the first half down 46-38. The second half began on a 12-2 run by the Bears as they pushed the margin 52-48 with 16:41 on the clock. The game remained back and forth with UCA keeping it close on scoring from Howard to keep it within three leading up to the 11:45 mark and thanks to points from junior guard Derrick Brooks. The game would eventually get away from UCA as Northwestern State eventually went on a 13-2 run putting the game further out of reach. UCA got to the foul line another 17 times but would only convert 11 of the attempts.
091TE
According to UCA sports, Coach Pennell believes there is a problem with depth. “It’s really hard to put our finger on it, one game it’s one thing and the next it’s another. I will say this, what we’ve done these first two years redshirting people, it’s hurt our depth.” Coach Pennell said. Howard shot .57 percent from the field on 12-21 attempts and made 6-12 three-pointers. This topped his previous high of 36 points against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Woodley, who led his team in scoring, made 22 of his 30 points in the second half which along with 20 points from sophomore guard Devonte Hall, decided the victory in their favor. NSU shot 93.8% from the foul line taking advantage of all their attempts and outscored UCA in bench points. UCA will be looking past this defeat as they focus on their next game against New Orleans at home at 4 p.m. in the Farris Center.
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While the final score may have been an 80-58 win for the Sugar Bears, this past Wednesday evening was by no means a runaway game. When assistant coach Destinee Rogers was asked about the team’s performance during the game she spoke of how they had underestimated their opponent. “We took them lightly a little bit and we didn’t come ready to play,” Rogers said. Not being ready to play was a good description of the first half of the game. Most of the first quarter was a back and forth between the two teams. It wasn’t until late in the second quarter that it seemed the Sugar Bears had finally come out to play. “The Sugar Bears outscored the Lady Lions 52-8 over the next 15:40,” according to the game recap. This shift in gameplay was the result of a talk with the coaches. “We told them y’all need to come out, pick up your intensity and pick up your level of playing,” Rogers said. After that timeout speech from the coaches the Sugar Bears rallied. They went on a, “10-0 run to assume a lead of 3029,” according to the game recap. Right before half time though the Lions scored, bringing the game to a 31-30 lead for the Lions at halftime. In the locker room the coaches took another opportunity to
instruct the team. “We went in at halftime and told them look, y’all are not playing the way we play ball, y’all are not sticking to the gameplay and y’all don’t have intensity,” Rogers said. “Look we have to stick to the game plan. Number one, play better defense.” Rogers went on to say that defensive performance has been the key for this team to win ball games. The effect of halftime on gameplay was immediate. In the third quarter the Sugar Bears racked up 25 straight points. They held the Lions to three points while scoring 36 themselves. When Kendara Watts was later asked about game performance and how it felt to get her first double-double for 13 points with 12 rebounds she said it felt great. “I was glad my shots started to fall in place,” said Watts. In the same third quarter Maggie Proffitt sunk a three pointer, her fourth of the night as the game recap states. It was this field goal that pushed Proffitt to her 1000th career point. She became the 25th Sugar Bear and only the sixth in the team’s division one history to achieve the mark. However, Proffitt was not even aware she had reached this milestone. “I didn’t even know I was anywhere close to the thousandth point,” said Proffitt. She went on to say she didn’t find she had done this until after a teammate tapped her on the
shoulder and told her. The fourth quarter however was a rocky one. When asked about the change-up of players and the team’s abilities in the fourth quarter coach Rogers made it clear performance was lacking. “In the fourth quarter we tried to bring in some of our other players,” said Rogers. “We gave up 24 points in the fourth quarter, that’s something we don’t want to do for sure.” When it comes to thinking ahead, dreams of playoff games are not in the Sugar Bears sights yet. “The most important game is the next game,” Rogers said. “We tell the team to focus on the next one and if we make it to the playoffs then we’ll focus on that.” This is a sentiment echoed by the players. “Our coach has a game plan for every game, so we just have to come to practice, listen to what she has to say and follow everything that she says,” Watts said. “Right now it’s about winning games in the conference,” said Rogers. This latest in streak of eight wins improves the Sugar Bears to an 18-2 record for the year. It also, improves the team to an 8-1 record in Southland Conference play according the game recap. With nine games left for the Sugar Bears a long stretch still lies between them and any playoff games. However the nation’s highest ranked scoring defense is more than willing to go to work.
The Vortex Now hiring 2016-17 Editor and Associate editor Applications can be found in Win Thompson Hall 325 and are due at 4 p.m. Feb. 24. Interviews will be at X-period Feb. 25 in Bernard 008.
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