Issue 10, Volume 118 -- November 9, 2022

The U.N. begins climate conference

The United Nations began its annual climate conference Monday, Nov. 7 in Egypt.

The secretary-general of the U.N., António Guterres, warned that Earth is on the “highway to climate hell” and that the “global climate fght will be won or lost in this crucial decade.” Twenty six different countries and the EU launched the Forests and Climate Leaders partnership, which is dedicated to halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

Hackers in Russia target U.S. voters

Research ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections suggested that Russian hackers have made fake personas on platforms that pride themselves on being free and unmoderated such as Gab, Parler and Getter. Social media research companies found multiple Russian campaigns on those platforms pushing the argument that the United States under Biden is wasting money by supporting Ukraine.

Elon Musk enacts new Twitter policies

After his acquisition of Twitter, Elon Musk tweeted on Nov. 6 that any account that falsely impersonates another account will be permanently suspended from the social media platform. This warning was issued after some celebrities changed their Twitter display names to “Elon Musk.” Musk also announced that anyone will be able to purchase a verifed blue check on their Twitter account for $8 in the near future.

Cotton won’t run for president in 2024

It was confrmed by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Nov. 6 that U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has decided against running for president in the 2024 election. A leading factor behind his decision was his two sons, who are 5 and 7. Cotton will be up for reelection to the Senate in November 2026 and recently released a book criticizing Joe Biden and past democratic leaders for their foreign policy decisions.

WHAT’S AHEAD

UCA students create community to provide treatment and support for individuals living with a brain injury.

Campus Life:

The Latino Student Association celebrated the Day of the Dead.

Sports:

Football: Bears fall 42-14 to Eastern Kentucky Colonels.

Audibear project aims to increase accessibility

BY ANDRAEA AGUILERA Sta Writer

Honors student Madilyn Hufford organized the Audibear project to increase accessibility by recording audio versions of the college’s Core I and Core II texts.

“Audibear is a program that I plan to have worked on my entire four years here, and also one that I plan will keep going when I’m gone. This will most likely include having a dedicated offce and established volunteers to accommodate curriculum changes,” Hufford said. “The honors cores are everevolving, and we will most likely expand beyond them, so my goal is to have this infrastructure established so that we can continue being as accessible as possible.”

Volunteers pick a reading and fnd a quiet space to record at their convenience. Hufford also plans to fnd someone willing to edit the audio and compile a blooper reel. The plan is to edit and distribute recordings through the Honors Portal.

Schedler Honors College President and Audibear volunteer Hannah Malone said, “Even with longer pieces, we’re often able to complete a couple recordings in one sitting. These recordings are saved to become readily available for anyone who wants an audio option.”

The project was inspired during Hufford’s freshman year after she had trouble with the Core I reading material.

“Due to my ADHD, I found it hard to keep myself entirely devoted to lengthy pieces — I believe the reading that sparked the idea was the ‘Confessions

of Saint Augustine.’ I remembered that when I was struggling to read our summer book. I had gotten the physical copy and the audiobook, and read and listened at the same time to great success,” Hufford said.

Hufford felt more engaged with the audio version of the text.

“My main goal is to have these recordings for anyone that needs them — they’re useful for people who are visually challenged, neurodivergent, get migraines from looking at a screen too long or for whatever reason can’t devote themselves to sitting and reading a long piece,” Hufford said.

Currently, only Schedler Honors students are volunteering with the project. Hufford has plans to expand the project to the Scholars program eventually, having those students make those recordings.

The Audibear project has 27 volunteers who have been recruited through GroupMe, weekly email announcements and word-of-mouth.

Malone said, “When asked to volunteer, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. As a person of color, I chose to read two speakers of color that I really admire and respect with the hope that my delivery could give that experience to others.”

The project volunteers have recorded over 30 readings with more on the way.

Malone said, “If someone learns better audibly, or is visually impaired, it’s important to us to make sure everyone can

CELEBRATION

Entertainment:

‘My Policeman’:

Jada Simpson wins Miss UCA annual scholarship competition

BY EMILY KENNARD Online Editor

In an emotional night, Miss UCA 2022 Nia Kelley gave her crown to sophomore elementary education major Jada Simpson on Saturday, Nov. 5.

Simpson went home with an armful of awards: a $3,000 prize package, a UCA-sponsored $6,000 tuition scholarship and at least $800 in other scholarships.

Simpson’s social impact initiative is “Be a H.E.R.O. and Just Say NO to Bullying.” H.E.R.O. stands for “being helpful, encouraging, respectful and open to others,” Simpson said during her onstage interview.

Simpson’s talent performance, a tap dance to Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been,” won her an additional $200 scholarship as the night’s highestscoring dance performance.

Simpson won $200 for being cooperative and considerate during rehearsals, $200 for her pre-competition interview and another $200 for

having the highest GPA.

Nine students competed for the crown. Simpson was one of two sophomores to compete, along with two freshmen, three juniors, one senior and one graduate student.

The onstage interviews, the pre-competition interviews, the talent performances and the red carpet sections made up 15%, 35%, 35% and 15% of their scores, respectively.

After citing statistics about grade school bullying, Simpson said, “If we’re all being heroes for each other, we can put an end to this, one bully at a time.”

Kelley and Miss Arkansas 2022 Ebony Mitchell helped to crown an emotional Simpson, who was sponsored by UCA’s Students for the Propagation of Black Culture.

There was a delay in getting the results, leading to impromptu performances. Mitchell, who won Miss UCA in 2019, talked about her experience taking part and winning the Miss Arkansas competition.

Windgate Center approaching nal months of construction

BY ANDREW MCMAHAN Sta Writer

The Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts at UCA is approaching the fnal months of its construction. The opening of the building is set for the beginning of the spring 2023 semester.

Art and design chair Bryan Massey compared his colleagues to “kids at Christmas” when they toured their new space in the Windgate Center.

“I had some staff think about retirement, but they said it made them change their mind,” Massey said. “Classes, as far as I know, are going to be starting in January. It’s just a matter of us unpacking everything and getting it ready for classes to begin.”

going to elevate tremendously,” Davis said. Winter break will be a critical time for the opening of the Windgate Center. Construction will complete its fnal touches and UCA staff members will move into and set up their classrooms, offces and workspaces.

Massey said, “If they can work around us and still get things done, then we should be alright. As long as it does not affect the classroom, then we should be on schedule.”

Massey said moving began as early as October, with heavy items moved frst. However, some items cannot be moved until break because they are being used by classes.

The Windgate Center will provide more classrooms than the CAHSS currently has.

BY MARLY BRAND Sta Writer

UCA held a Veterans Day celebration at McCastlain Hall on Nov. 3 to honor the men and women who have previously served or currently serve in the military.

Before the ceremony, there was an informal event where sponsors and UCA ROTC held booths. The sponsors were Acxiom, U.S. Army, WoodmenLife, UCA Faculty and Staff Senate and Operation Red, White and Brave.

At the ceremony, the UCA color guard marched in to hold the American fag for the national anthem and Pledge of Allegiance.

President Houston Davis expressed

his gratitude for those who fought for the United States.

Megan Russer received the Tidwell Scholarship, totaling $1,000. Tracy Tidwell, founder of the scholarship alongside her husband Mark said, “Megan has spent over 11 years in active duty Air Force.”

The idea for the scholarship came to Tidwell in a unique way.

“The scholarship came from a dream. I was in my offce one day and we were trying to fgure out what we can do for veterans that would be longlasting; some little gift that we could give. The idea came up that we could

UCA broke ground on the project Oct. 9, 2020. UCA President Houston Davis said the building stands out among the Windgate Foundation’s other projects.

“It is simply going to be phenomenal for our program because this building is one of a kind. The Windgate Foundation has built buildings for a few other campuses, but there is not another one as big as ours will be at the University of Central Arkansas,” Davis said.

Davis said the size of the building will provide more opportunities for the college of arts, humanities and social sciences.

“The Windgate Center will be over 100,000 square feet and there are going to be a lot of options for what we can do with our program in this beautiful building. Our program’s trajectory is

The college held an equipment meeting to discuss how much new equipment will be needed to appropriately fll all classrooms.

Massey said, “Everything on our wishlist tops out at about $156,000. We have to go back and prioritize what’s most important — some of the big ticket items — I think we can get those. It just comes down to how we go about prioritizing things.”

Massey said certain items, such as a laser-plasma cutter, would be “game changers” for his program.

The move will be coordinated by an outside contractor hired by UCA. However, Massey said he will move a few items himself to make sure nothing is broken.

“I have been told that anything fragile we will need to pack up and move ourselves. Any of my sculptures, I don’t want anyone moving them but me. I don’t mean any

moving story, but lacks depth and complexity.

photo by Madison Ogle

Jada Simpson (left) wipes a tear as she is crowned Miss UCA by Miss UCA 2022 Nia Kelly (middle) and Miss Arkansas 2022 Ebony Mitchell (right) in Reynolds Performance Hall Nov. 4. Nine students competed for the crown in total.

photo by Madison Ogle

A student talks to a representative at the Veteran’s Day celebration at McCastlain Hall Nov. 3. The celebration honored people who are serving or have served in the U.S. military.

Police Beat

Fight near cafeteria leads to

Officer Tommy Wise responded to a fight in progress near the Christian Cafeteria around 2 a.m. Oct 29.

Video from a UCA surveillance camera showed student Brendan Bush being aggressive to his girlfriend right before a fight breaks out between Bush and several unknown males. During questioning, Wise smelled alcohol on Bush’s breath. Bush was arrested for public intoxication after he was determined to be a danger to himself and those around him. The video also showed LaCoriyana Thomas attacking Bush’s girlfriend, and Niya Jackson joining the attack. Bush’s girlfriend suffered injuries including a black eye and bruising on her nose, both arms, both knees and left hip.

Student gets drug violation for weed Domestic dispute leads to foot chase

At roughly 11:30 p.m. Oct. 30, Officer Skyler Cox was called to Bear Village apartments to investigate a drug violation. When he arrived, he met student Alexander Oliver, who made the complaint.

Oliver explained to Cox that his roommate, student David Eason, had marijuana in their apartment. Oliver said Eason left his backpack in the living room. When Oliver went to move the backpack, a pink box fell off and a small amount of marijuana fell onto the floor. Cox retrieved the pink box and two packages of cigarettes. He also talked with Eason about the drugs. Eason stomped out the small amount of marijuana on the scene in front of Cox. Eason received a drug violation.

Around 7 p.m. Oct. 30, Sergeant Shad Foley and Offcer Skyler Cox responded to a verbal altercation. An 18-yearold student was in an argument with her 21-year-old ex-boyfriend. The two were taken aside and they gave different explanations to UCAPD.

The boyfriend said, “it was just an argument,” and he went through his girlfriend’s phone and she pushed him, so he pushed back. The girlfriend said he snatched her things and threw them to the ground, breaking her phone, AirPods and key fob. She also said he pulled her hair back to keep her from getting away. When UCAPD attempted to arrest the boyfriend for assault, he ran away, and offcers could not catch him. The girlfriend flled out a domestic violence lethality screening.

Audio: Project supported by Honors community

4 Continued from page 1

access the material. The shared readings connect students to not only their cohort but generations of honors alumni as well. Recording the Core I and II readings is an important

inclusivity mission.”

Hufford is a flm and creative writing double major with a minor in interdisciplinary studies. Despite being recently

diagnosed with a chronic illness, Hufford said she knew not to fear any bumps in the road as she has found countless support for the project.

Middle Road bridge across Gold Creek to be replaced

BY KEVIN KING Sta Writer

The Middle Road bridge, which strides Gold Creek, is being replaced in an agreement between the City of Conway and Faulkner County.

The City of Conway’s Twitter account said, “The new bridge will be wider, safer and better suited for future growth in the area. Construction should be complete in April of 2023.”

As stated in the city’s resolution for the project, the City of Conway is responsible for the “bidding, contracting and construction management” of a new concrete bridge while Faulkner County is responsible for covering up to $1.5 million of the bridge’s cost. There were numerous problems with Middle Road’s

current bridge, according to Faulkner County Judge Jim Baker. It is constructed from the bottoms of boxcars; These types of bridges are more unreliable than a standard concrete bridge since the metal is more prone to deterioration. The bridge was so narrow that cars would occasionally scrape the guardrails as they tried to share the road.

Baker brought to light another problem with the boxcar bridge, which endangers the roads and surrounding houses — drainage. “The present bridge is draining three big neighborhoods and the residents have seen [water] fowing over the top of the road. When it can’t run off, it undermines our roads,” Baker said.

As for the bridge’s current condition, it’s in rough shape, according to Baker. One of the

lane’s asphalt is cracked along the entire length of the bridge. The abutments are cracking, and the boxcars underneath are rusting away. Moreover, the bridge’s deck drains, which are intended to drain the bridge itself, are occupied by grass and dirt, making them useless. A change was necessary.

“The bridge right now is probably eighteen feet wide,” Baker said. “We’re gonna replace it with a thirty-fourfoot-wide bridge. That will allow for growth, it will allow for the bicycles, but it will allow mostly for safety.”

According to the city’s offcial resolution regarding the bridge, Conway and Faulkner County will not only tackle the bridge’s refurbishment but also “700 [feet] of the road on Middle Road” leading up to it.

Simpson said, “Waiting on the results was so nervewracking.”

“At the end of the night, I would have been happy with any result because I knew I left it all on the stage last night,” Simpson, who won 2021 Miss Essence of the University of Central Arkansas, said.

Before the crowning, a video narrated by Kelley featured a slideshow of her appearances and supporters.

Kelley sang the national anthem and Mozart’s “Queen of the Night.” She also sang “Home” from the musical “The Wiz” as her farewell to her crown.

Kelley was the frst freshman to win the title. A vocal performance major, she made

over 140 appearances as Miss UCA, leaving Simpson with big shoes to fll.

Simpson said she’s “ready for the responsibility.”

“Although I will be crazy busy, I am excited to represent my university, and I am going to soak up all the memories,” Simpson said.

She said she’s most looking forward to sharing her anti-bullying initiative with the community.

Simpson will document her reign on the @miss_uca Instagram.

Not only will Simpson represent the university around the state, she will also represent UCA in the Miss Arkansas competition in June of 2023.

The competition, part of

a 59-year-old tradition, saw over $10,000 given away in scholarships and in-kind gifts thanks to generous individuals and local businesses, Vice President for Student Affairs Robin Williamson said.

Aside from the winning prize, $3,700 was awarded to other winners during the competition in scholarships and awards.

“The primary purposes of the Miss UCA scholarship competition are to encourage, promote and support young women as they achieve their academic and personal goals,” Williamson said.

The university, the Student Government Association and Miss UCA’s Board of Directors all sponsored the event at Reynolds Performance Hall.

Building: Opening planned over winter break

4 Continued from page 1

disrespect when I say that,” Massey said.

Massey said he would do his part in completing the movein process.

“I’m pretty sure that there is going to be a grand opening,

and it’s hard when you come into someone’s space and there are totes everywhere,’’ Massey said. “I am going to be here to make sure my part is done.”

The opening is scheduled

to occur sometime over winter break, ahead of the start of the spring 2023 semester. More information on the building can be found online at uca.edu/ cahss/windgate.

Celebration:

4 Continued from page 1

do a scholarship,” Tidwell said. “The scholarship is in honor of my father, Harry Vern Midget, who served in the army. Also in honor of Mark’s father who is still alive, and served in the Air Force. These men felt strongly about their country and those who serve,” Tidwell said.

The $500 Veterans Day scholarship was awarded to two people: army combat medic and physical education major Christopher Magee and army combat medic and biology major Emily Walsh.

Army combat medics awarded

General Bradly Cox said, “The best way to honor those who have served is to do your part to make sure that any blood that was shed, any sacrifce that was made on behalf of our country is not made in vain.

Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have selfessly given themselves to make sure our freedoms, lifestyles, the pursuit of happiness and form of government are protected.

In other words, they continue to make sure that you have the opportunity to become the very

best you possible.” Cox was the second lieutenant from Arkansas State University when he graduated with a master’s degree in operations and management and a master’s in strategic studies.

The ceremony ended with the playing of songs from all branches of the military. When the song from each branch of the military played, those who served for that branch stood.

After the fve songs played, there was a moment of silence for the fallen.

SGA allocates $10k to buy carved wooden bear chair

BY WILL MCDONALD Assistant News Editor

A large wooden bear chair is set to arrive in the Ronnie Williams Student Center in spring 2023. SGA allocated $10,000 to pay for the creation of the bear chair by woodcarver Alex Ward of Cedar Valley Carvings LLC, during its Nov. 7 meeting. The motion passed 35-0.

Ward pitched the carving at SGA’s Halloween meeting. He said the bear chair could be a photo opportunity for visitors, staff and students.

Ward said, “Ok so you guys want a ‘bear chair’ or ‘bear throne.’ The reason I say bear throne is because I want to carve something huge. I want people when they walk by to go like ‘holy shit.’ That’s what I want.”

Ward said he is not requesting the full cost of the carving.

“The cost would be $10,000. Typically, I would want $20,000 for a piece like this, but money is not what I’m chasing here. This is one of those pieces that I would like to carve and 20-30 years from now, hopefully, I’m retired, I can be like ‘oh I did the bear throne at UCA.’ That’s what I want; I want people to remember something big,” Ward said.

Ward asked SGA for a $2,500 commitment to the project, which he would start in late January of 2023 and fnish in

April of 2023.

Senior class president and senator of the month Annabelle VanAsche worked on getting the bear chair project underway.

“The bear chair gang has worked really hard on this; we’ve really had to make sure everything has been good to go. We talked to Colin Stanton in the student center just to make sure where we would put it would be adequate and then we also talked to Kevin Carter in the physical plant to make sure we could get it into the building and a few other things. So once again, we do have all our bases covered and we just really appreciate the support,” VanAsche said.

Junior senator Makenna Goss introduced the motion to allocate the funds.

“We think it’s a great opportunity to really leave an impact on campus and promote the senate’s goal of just having more UCA branding material on campus and giving students that photo-op. It’s gonna be something that lasts for decades,” VanAsche said.

Ward did not attend UCA, but he has roots in the community.

“I live just a mile away from UCA. My grandfather used to be the head football coach here for 20 years, Coach Ken Stephens, and my step-grandmother, Donna Stephens is a professor of journalism here. Then, my great grandfather is Dave Ward. So my full name is Dave Alex Ward. I

have a lot of history here at UCA. I never went here, but I have a lot of history that ties me to this town,” Ward said.

In its Nov. 7 meeting, SGA also touched on its work to get more dispensers for free feminine products on campus.

Senator Madison Yarbrough said, “We know that in the academic buildings we have the SGA dispensers where people can get free feminine products, but those aren’t open 24 hours or weekends. So that’s a lot of time that people can’t have access to those. We’ve talked to the food pantry, and they said if we get donations, we can put them in there, and we’re working on getting back with housing to hopefully have them in any of the on-campus dorms that have public bathrooms so that people can just get them whenever.”

In recent business, SGA voted 38-0 to give $3,500 to the Miss UCA competition, during its Oct. 31 meeting.

Herron said that the funding “covers a Reynolds performance hall fee, the advertising fee, and the award plaques for Miss UCA 2023 winners fee.”

SGA also passed a motion 38-0 to give $4,250 to the Pack Shack meal packing event.

SGA will host a town hall with President Houston Davis at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9. To discuss the relocation of the Burdick deli.

The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports by Assistant News Editor Will McDonald

arrest

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

Simpson to share anti-bullying initiative

photo by Madison Ogle

Jada Simpson waves after being crowed Miss UCA in Reynolds Performance Hall Nov. 4. Simpson will represent UCA across the state as well as in the Miss Arkansas Competition in June of 2023. Simpson will document her activities as Miss UCA on the @miss_uca Instagram account.

photo by Madison Ogle

President Houston Davis gives a speech at the UCA Veteran’s Day celebration in McCastlain Hall Nov. 3. Two army combat medics — physical education major Christopher Magee and biology major Emily Walsh — were awarded the $500 Veteran’s Day scholarship at the event.

Around Campus:

Greek Goddess

From 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, Sigma Nu will host a Greek Goddess pageant where sorority members will compete for certain awards in the Ida Waldran Auditorium.

LSA celebrates Day of the Dead through altar building

Ask an Expert — Binge Drinking: Issues & Answers

From 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, the Health Science Club will host a Zoom meeting with prevention specialist Amber Holland where she will share her expertise on binge drinking and the impact it can have on oneself or those around them.

The Zoom meeting can be found at uca-edu.zoom. us/j/89876121885 or the meeting ID: 898 7612 1885.

Star-be-que

From 5-9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, Society of Physics Students will host a cookout and stargazing at the Crafton Alumni Pavilion. Food is $5 a plate.

CNSM Preview Day

10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Ambassadors will host prospective students and their families to engage them on college offerings and lead them on tours around its department in the Lewis Science Center, Room 102.

Alexander Technique Wellness Workshop

From 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, Campus Recreation, BearX and the music department will host a one-hour breathing and exercising workshop intended to help people improve coordination and posture in the HPER Medium Studio.

Animal Shelter Appreciation Week 5K

From 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, the PreVeterinary Club will host a 5K race around UCA’s campus starting at the Harding Centennial Plaza with a participation fee of $10. Dogs, wheelchairs and strollers are welcome.

Stoby’s Pancake Fundraiser

From 8 a.m. 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13, Alpha Sig will have allyou-can-eat pancakes at Stoby’s. Tickets can be purchased from members.

Bear Essentials Food Pantry

From 12-4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, Baridon Hall and the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences will collect shelf-stable items for UCA’s Food Pantry. Donations can be dropped off in any CHBS building.

by Gabe White Assistant Sports Editor

The Latino Student Association partied and competed in a Day of the Dead celebration Nov. 2 in the Ronnie Williams Student Center ballroom.

The competition consisted of five teams building altars using paper, cardboard, clay and more in hopes of winning $40.

During Day of the Dead, altars honor those who have died. The altars are typically adorned with photos, bread, flowers and objects that represent important aspects of the dead one’s life.

Contestants built their altars while eating Latino-based candies, learning about the holiday, listening to Spanish music and chatting with friends.

This was the first year this event took place.

Last year, during the Latino

Student Association’s Tamalada fundraiser, junior Vice President Kevin Ayala came up with the idea for a Day of the Dead event.

During the Tamalada fundraiser, Ayala and his friends found themselves building with clay.

While he felt that it was a simple and fun pastime for them, he realized that this could be implemented into something important — such as building altars.

“I thought it would be fun to go ahead and incorporate it into one of our events and make it a competition … to give people a sense of having to learn and ask for help to understand what specific items may mean,” Ayala said.

Day of the Dead is an important holiday for many people.

Sophomore Jacob Rodriguez said, “It gives those people who are of Latinx heritage a day to come together and

Mike Durkin saves student recipes

by Will McDOnalD Assistant News Editor

Artist in residence Mike Durkin collected recipes and shared stories with UCA students and faculty in front of the Ronnie Williams Student Center Nov. 2.

Durkin hopes to collect meaningful recipes from central Arkansas and compile them together in an online cookbook.

“I’ve been working in a couple of different studio art classes as well as collecting stories and recipes from other folks on campus as well as off-campus, where I hold different story-sharing conversations. That’s where I meet different folks and learn about different recipes and stories around them,” Durkin said. “The idea is to find like, ‘What are the dishes of central Arkansas? What are the dishes of Conway?’”

Kendra Erickson, a housing staff member, shared her great, greatgrandmother’s Scandinavian almond cake recipe with Durkin.

“For me, it’s one of the things I only ever have at holiday times. I am originally from Wisconsin, that’s where all my family is — like 900 miles away — so I only get to see them around Christmas. I’ll stay there for two or so weeks, and it’s one of the things my mother tries to make sure that we have on Christmas just because it’s one of my favorites. I do make it here a little bit and share it with my friends so they can get a taste of what I think is the holidays,” Erickson said.

Durkin is currently working with students at UCA who are a combination of

art and anthropology majors.

“I primarily do a lot of teaching and art projects at different universities. The last big university I was at was Texas A&M last spring, where I was doing a sports project. That was looking at tailgates on college campuses as well as how different departments look at sports on campus. A lot of the [project] centered around the idea of traditions,” Durkin said.

Durkin has residencies with other colleges across the country lined up until 2025. Of all the campuses he’s been on, Durkin expressed appreciation for UCA.

“This is a quiet [campus], in a nice way, which means you can find deeper connections with folks. Like at A&M, there was just a lot of stuff out there, you know. I could spend years working on the project. Here, everything is more concentrated, and I can find a deeper connection. The location could be the biggest school in the world, but I could work with maybe 20 students. Here, probably over like 120 folks are participating in this work,” Durkin said.

Durkin will be holding an event Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. at the Metro Square Building in Downtown Conway where he and students who collaborated with him will share recipes, stories and free food samples from the project. There will also be a tablescape that fits 90 people that was made by Durkin and UCA students from the Department of Art and Design Foundation Program.

celebrate the lives that their ancestors had and to just reconnect with them.”

The Latino Student Association’s main objective with these events is to spread awareness of different people within the Latinx community.

“It’s just a chance for them to learn about different cultures,” junior LSA President Chris Velazquez said. “A lot of people just say Hispanic or Mexican and it’s not just Mexican, there are different Latino cultures and they all have their own traditions.”

Events such as this have different meanings for everyone. For some, it’s a new way of learning, whereas for others a celebration of their family.

“I know a bunch of my friends that came didn’t really know what this holiday was about and they learned a little bit more tonight,” sophomore Lilly Fortenberry said.

Along with being able to spread

awareness and teach others, the Latino Student Association is a place of familiarity for those in the Latinx community.

“It’s a community that makes me feel at home. It doesn’t just open up for one Hispanic culture, but for all cultures out there, so anywhere from South America, central America and even Spain,” Ayala said.

Rodriguez said the association has given him a connection to his heritage he never had before.

Each of the altars can be found on the association’s Instagram, @lsa_uca, where the altar that gets the most likes will win $40.

The Latino Student Association’s next event is a partnership with Phi Beta Kappa called Salsa Night.

The event will take place Nov. 15 in the Ronnie Williams Student Center ballroom.

BATTLING BIAS

Health Science Club ‘slaps out hate’

by Olivia SnelSOn Staff Writer

On Thursday, Nov. 3, the UCA Health Science Club hosted an event on the Ronnie Williams Student Center lawn called “Slap Out Hate.”

CubConnect said the event’s purpose was “To increase awareness of diversity issues around the world, this educational event lets people ‘Slap Out’ the different types of hate and bias that exist in our society today.”

Participants in the event were asked to choose a paint color that matched a specific bias such as racism, sexism, ageism or gender bias. They then slapped their painted hand on a canvas to symbolically slap out that bias in our society.

“I think that there are many ways in which people personally experience bias and discrimination. I think that this can be reduced by continually striving to educate ourselves and others on ways that bias and discrimination impact our communities,” junior Anna Weisenbach, president of the Health Science Club, said.

“At the end of the event, a giant canvas has been created that represents all the support UCA students, staff, faculty and administration has for anyone who has suffered from any bias or discrimination,” the CubConnect description said.

The Health Science Club allows students to be involved within the department, network with other students and faculty and raise health awareness with activities on campus.

“The Health Science Club hosted

this event to educate students on the bias that exists within our culture, and to demonstrate that these biases can be overcome. The event demonstrates the support that UCA students, faculty and staff have for anyone that has experienced bias or discrimination,” Weisenbach said.

“Slap out Hate” is an event that the club hosts annually because of its continuous success.

“The event was very successful. We had many UCA students participate in the event, and even had some visiting high school students participate. This was a great event to connect with students of all majors and share information about biases,” Weisenbach said.

The Health Science Club hosts other events throughout the year as well. They offer frequent health screenings in the Doyne Health Science building but have also hosted events similar to this one.

These events have included handing out stress relief packets to students during finals week and other stress-free related events. The “Slap Out Hate” event is the club’s most popular event.

“This event is one that we have been doing annually since it has such a strong impact on the campus community. It’s an original event created by Hannah Branton when she was the club president. People love to show their support for reducing bias and discrimination in all forms on our campus,” Weisenbach said.

The club’s next event, “Ask the Expert,” will be on Thursday, Nov. 10, during x-period and will cover binge drinking and how to prevent it.

Democratic candidate for governor visits UCA campus

by Gabe White Assistant Sports Editor

Democratic candidate Chris Jones continued his campaign for governor of Arkansas by coming to UCA and talking to students about his beliefs, goals and love for the natural state.

The event took place Nov. 3 and was held in Farris Hall.

The room was packed to the walls with students from UCA, Hendrix and Central Baptist College.

Jones spent an hour answering student questions about education, gang violence and the queer community.

The event began with a student asking Jones what he sees as the biggest challenge in Arkansas.

“We exist in a world where there is so much division, and there’s so much extremism that we’ve been pulled apart,” Jones said.

He went on to say that Arkansas needs to be viewed as a single state again, not a political battlefield.

“A part of this campaign was about breaking that mold and saying let’s try

something different, let’s try to have an Arkansas where we’re united,” Jones said. “Let’s try to have an Arkansas where we’re together. Let’s try to have a run where we move for everyone. I think that’s our biggest challenge.”

Jones said that if Arkansans don’t find a solution to this problem, they will never be able to try their hand at issues such as the education system, infrastructure or tax revenue.

A student majoring in biology asked Jones what his plans are for supporting Arkansas’s education system.

Jones said one of the most influential people in a person’s life is a teacher, yet they aren’t paid nearly enough.

According to Jones’ campaign website, chrisforgovernor.com, Arkansas teachers make less than any other state in the region.

Having a clean environment to teach in, while making a living wage and supporting the next generation of children is an important aspect of the state’s future.

Jones plans to fix these problems by increasing starting teacher pay, closing the salary gap, increasing public funding and further supporting the teachers’ retirement

program.

Jones proceeded to give credit to his wife for his PB&J plan, where he intends to focus on preschool education, broadband connection and jobs.

Jones’s wife, Jerrilyn Jones, said, “Make it a point to go out and vote, because if you don’t make your voice heard in the small group of people that are voting, they’re making decisions for you.”

A student asked what Jones’s plans are to help prevent gang violence after the sudden influx in recent years.

“We have to have an honest, transparent conversation about safety,” Jones said.

Jones understands that hunting as well as gun ranges are popular throughout Arkansas, and doesn’t blame guns as the main issue.

“I think there are other things we can do, like really addressing mental health issues early on, like really providing support early on.” Jones said.

“Folks that have a job are less likely to commit violence. The more education you have, the less likely you are to commit violence.”

Afterward, a student asked how Jones

plans to protect the queer community in Arkansas from attacks and harassment.

Jones said, “I am deeply bothered that we treat our neighbor like they are not our neighbor. It matters that you are who you are and you should never be discriminated against. At what point do we say, ‘I love you’? At what point do we say, ‘you deserve every right that everyone else has’?”

Several audience members became emotional during Jones’s words of support.

“No one should have the ability or the right to discriminate, or harass, or put mean policies against someone else,” Jones said.

Jones’s biggest competitor in the governor’s race is Republican candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Jones said that Sanders focuses far too much on her connections to Trump, stating that she doesn’t have enough experience to lead an entire state.

“If you’re not actually showing up for Arkansas, then you’re not actually trying to be a governor,” Jones said.

Election Day was Nov. 8 and results for the Arkansas governor election can be found online.

Members of the Latino Student Association decorate a Day of the Dead altar as part of an altar-creating competition. Teams worked together to build altars using paper, cardboard and clay. The winning team will be decided through Instagram likes and will be awarded $40.

photo by Madison Ogle

Story and photos by Amber Austen

Tess Taylor emphasizes the importance of poetry

by torrie Herrington Staff Writer

American poet Tess Taylor held a reading and book signing in conjunction with the C.D. Wright Women Writers Conference and Artist in Residence program in the Mccastlain Ballroom Nov. 4.

Provost Patricia Poulter introduced Taylor to the crowd.

“To have a poet who is saying ‘let’s spend our time listening and shaping words together’ is such an honor and such a sacred space for thinking of big ideas. We are so grateful to have Tess Taylor here with us,” Poulter said.

Before reading poems aloud, Taylor spoke about the legacy of C.D. Wright. Wright was a poet born in Arkansas in 1949 who went on to become the poet laureate of Rhode Island.

“I come with awe, as I know you do, at being able to extend the legacy of C.D. Wright’s work that means so much to us in charting pathways for the way we as writers investigate,” Taylor said.

In honor of the conference, Taylor recited some of Wright’s work.

“In that spirit, I wanted to open by offering up some of C.D. Wright’s words about beech trees from a magnificent work called ‘Casting a Deep Shade,’” Taylor

said.

Taylor also spoke on the importance of art forms such as poetry.

“I would like everyone here to know that statistically speaking, your art is actually good for you and your community,” Taylor said. “If you are an artist, you are more likely to graduate from high school, more likely to vote [and] more likely to be a leader in your community.”

Taylor emphasized the importance of art in bringing people together, such as events like the conference.

“When we write out poems in prisons or beech trees, we are not only making art, we are building unexpected communities,” Taylor said.

“I am a creative writer, so obviously I do love creative writing and poetry,” Junior Tierney Earnest said. “There is a lot that is portrayed in presenting a poem and listening to it being read, rather than just reading it yourself.”

Taylor read pieces from her book, “Rift Zone,” including poems “Sixth Grade, 1988” and “Berkeley in the Nineties.”

“‘Rift Zone’ is about my home in California, about living on a fault line both metaphorically and figuratively, about leaving and return homecoming, about the fact that the Bay Area I grew up in, and the Bay Area I returned to later are difficult places,” Taylor said.

COMMUNITY

She also read excerpts from her book “Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange,” and spoke about what inspired her to write the book.

“I came across the fact that Dorothea Lange had photographed the coffee shop around my house, and actually my neighborhood in the 1940s, during the war,” Taylor said.

Lange’s journals documented conversations she had with the people she photographed and Taylor used them as direct inspiration.

“A lot of it was about the cost of getting by, between how much money you made and how much groceries cost and the voices felt very contemporary to me,” Taylor said.

Taylor spoke about how she views poetry.

“I have actually begun to think that poetry is less a discipline and more an interdiscipline of harnessing the energies between languages, schools, disciplines and modes of thinking,” Taylor said.

After the reading, Taylor signed books. Food and refreshments were served.

Throughout the conference, Taylor also led workshops and students such as Earnest were able to attend.

“You get more experience, and you get to meet people with your interests that you wouldn’t otherwise get to meet, and I think that’s great,” Earnest said.

Monthly Conway Art Walk contributes to local culture

by Felicity Auxier Staff Writer

The third Conway Art Walk of the fall season carried on despite overcast weather.

Mainstay artist Jeanetta Darley said, “As a full-time artist living in Conway, I’ve longed for a consistent, wellorganized event for our local art community.”

Darley displayed her

work at the Studio Downtown gallery that hosted other artists as well as a wine bar.

Darley noted the prominence of having the art walk once a month and its importance to Conway locals and artists.

“It’s important for the community to see and support their local creatives and having it once a month is a great way to remind them. Repetition is a great learning tool,” Darley

said.

The live music at the art walk was provided by Jupiter’s Flytrap, a community drum circle, and a Palmer Music Co. student performance.

The Conway Symphony Orchestra also played in the Studio throughout the duration of the festival.

“There are amazing artists and creatives contributing to our local culture every day and the art walks put those

FALL FEAST

contributions on display to delight and hopefully inspire the community. As much as I am an artist hermit working in my home studio, I love meeting people and seeing the smiles and delight that comes over their faces when they enjoy my art,” Darley said.

The last Art Walk of the season will be on Dec. 2. More information can be found on their Facebook and Instagram page @conwayartwalk.

Green Bear Coalition cooks with local vegetables

by bennett tinnermon Editor-in-Chief

While grocery stores may have every vegetable imaginable year-round, the Green Bear Coalition encouraged buying local, seasonal vegetables at their Fall Feast Nov. 1.

The Fall Feast was held in the Lewis Science Center Atrium garden and the Green Bears were joined by students from the dietetics program, who prepared the meal. The vegetables were provided by Bell Urban Farm and the Honors College garden.

About buying in-season produce, Grant Williams said, “You end up with more sustainably sourced and even more nutrient-dense food.” Williams is the graduate research assistant and organizer for the Green Bear Coalition.

“The hurdles are ‘How do I prepare the vegetables?’ or ‘What is in season?’” Williams said. “Shopping at places like Bell Urban, where you’re only buying local produce, you’re probably avoiding hot houses and other far-away places.”

Williams said part of the environmental aspect of shopping local and in-season is avoiding all the produce that has to be brought to grocery stores in trucks.

Biology lecturer Candice Thomas said, “One of the most common questions that I get from students is ‘This is all wonderful, this is great. But how do I prepare this for a meal?’” That’s where the dietetics students came in.

The dietetics students prepared a soup using carrots, celery, onions, sweet potatoes and other vegetables.

Graduate student Anna Marroquin is in the dietetics

and nutrition therapy program and led the cooking demonstration. Marroquin said it’s important to introduce college students to local produce and basic cooking skills that many lack. She said she was excited to show people that cooking can be surprisingly easy.

Marroquin said that buying locally grown produce means higher quality food. “Getting into local food kind of helps you get more in touch with your community and supporting those small businesses and local farmers,” Marroquin said.

“[The dietetics students] were super excited and they came up with a couple of simple recipes and ideas to share with the students,” Thomas said. Thomas may teach anatomy and physiology, but her passion is gardening. She has kept a garden for over 10 years.

Thomas said the Lewis Science Center atrium was largely empty for the eight years she has worked at UCA — until Williams approached her about setting up a seedsaving library. Since that idea, the use of the atrium has taken off.

“The Green Bear Coalition has really been able to utilize this space,” Thomas said. “They’re really trying to learn about sustainable agriculture. It’s not really a huge space but it’s representative and it’s a space for learning.”

When students have garden-based ideas that they want to pursue, like the seedsaving library, they are able to take root in the atrium.

The Green Bear Coalition can be found on CubConnect or on Instagram @greenbearcoalition, where information about upcoming meetings and events is posted.

People of UCA: Carson Whaley

by F elicity A uxier Staff Writer

Carson Whaley is a film major who aspires to be a director with the use of his film education at UCA, following his May 2023 graduation.

“I wanted to pursue film because I have always had a passion for storytelling,” Whaley said. “I decided to major in it, though I was willing to switch my focus over the next four years if I found something else I really enjoyed. Now that I’m a senior I can say my mind hasn’t changed and filmmaking is still a career that excites me.”

While film is his main passion, Whaley decided to pursue a minor that could promote his success in the film industry.

“I decided my minor

as marketing so that I know how I can best market my films to an audience,” Whaley said.

Whaley emphasizes the importance of how being a good collaborator is essential in the production of a good film and how working on projects through UCA’s film program has helped him evolve in this area.

“Great films are almost always the result of many people coming together and giving their unique contribution. Working well with others is an essential part of filmmaking and something I got much better at through experience on many sets,” Whaley said.

Last year, Whaley worked on a project called “Cossatot” with his fellow film students to gain experience. Mat Fort, a

recent UCA film program graduate and current graduate student, was a collaborator of Whaley’s on set.

Fort said, “Carson was really awesome and had a great attitude during the whole shoot and brought a lot of energy … He worked in the camera department and displayed a willingness to go beyond his job description to anything to help production.”

Whaley said he chose UCA because of the film program.

“There are little to no other universities in the state that offer this degree, and I knew that would be the determining factor,” Whaley said.

Whaley has big goals that only a few can imagine doing, but he’s planned out the steps he needs to take to

get the expertise he needs to achieve them.

“My biggest plan for the future is to direct my own feature film. My shorterterm plan is to work on as many film sets as possible to get better at what I do,” Whaley said.

Besides gaining an expansive skill set through the film program, attending UCA has taught Whaley valuable life skills.

“Going to UCA has taught me a lot about time management,” Whaley said. “One of the most stressful days I’ve ever had was the day I directed my own short film for the first time … I had to make sure I was organized enough to get everything done efficiently.”

Whaley’s recent works can be viewed on his YouTube channel, Carson Whaley.

Thai Ellis-Vorabouth junior

“I plan to vote. I feel it’s important, especially for a lot of the educational systems around here. There are a lot of things on the line as to what is and what’s not going to be in our school systems, and it’s going to affect our future.”

Alysha Holt freshman

“I plan to vote in the election because sometimes you make a big difference whether you know it or not. It can make a difference for yourself or those around you.

“I do not plan to vote. I’m not a political person; I’m also not from Conway, so it really holds no value or interest for me.”

“Yes, I do plan to vote. I believe it can help others even if it does not personally affect myself.”

“I’ve already voted. I feel like every voice matters and it’s important to ensure that we have a good future for ourselves and our future generations.”

Emily Brizendine sophomore Marie Julian freshman

Wyatt Mote sophomore

Have you or do you plan to vote in the election?

Why or why not?

photo courtesy of Carson Whaley

Carson Whaley is a senior film major. Whaley dreams of directing his own feature film after graduation.

Senior

Jerry Gutierrez senior

“I plan to vote for sure. Your voice matters, and every voice should count.”

photo by Torrie Herrington

Tess Taylor signs her autograph in a fan’s copy of her book “Last West: Roadsongs for Dorothea Lange.” The book was inspired by photographer Dorothea Lange’s visit to Taylor’s neighborhood in the 1940s. Taylor also led writing workshops and read book excerpts at the conference.

Colonels send Bears back home in 42-14 loss

BY SYDNEY CYR News Editor

The UCA Bears lost 42-14 to the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in an ASUN Conference football game at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond, Kentucky, on Saturday, Nov. 5.

The Colonels began the game with a lead, scoring a touchdown near the end of the first quarter, which the Bears were able to quickly match at the start of the second quarter with a 15-yard run by junior quarterback Clifton McDowell, finishing a 72-yard drive that took five plays.

The Colonels scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter, which kept them ahead of the Bears 21-7 by the quarter’s end.

In the third quarter, the Colonels scored a fourth touchdown. The Colonels followed with two additional touchdowns at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

The Bears were able to score one touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter after a 10-yard pass from McDowell to freshman tight end Jordan Owens, but the Bears couldn’t catch up to the Colonels’ significant lead after they scored 35 consecutive points.

Coach Nathan Brown said the Bears got outplayed and “didn’t play up to our potential” in this game.

“Give credit to EKU and their team. We have to put it behind us,” Brown said.

Junior defensive back Cameron Godfrey said the team could’ve done better on both sides of the ball.

“Although our special teams played really well, we can’t expect to win games against good teams if we are only winning one out of three phases,” Godfrey said.

Throughout the game, the Colonels gained 155 more yards than the Bears, with the Colonels

gaining 483 total yards and the Bears gaining 328 total yards. The Bears’ offensive struggles Saturday differ from their performance in recent games. The Bears were only able to secure 21 points which deviates from their 53-point average over their past four games.

Sophomore safety TaMurion Wilson led the Bears’ defense with nine tackles, followed by Godfrey and junior Corley Hooper, who each got 7 tackles.

Godfrey said the team could prepare better for big games during practice.

“Practice was up and down throughout the week and it

showed out there on the field. I do think the team as a whole did a good job not giving up and we proved that we can use special teams as one of our strengths when we face other opponents. It was a tough loss, but we are going to learn from it and be ready to play [Stephen F. Austin] next week,” Godfrey said.

Brown said, “We will have a great week of practice and get it right like we have all year when we had setbacks.”

The Bears will face the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in Nacogdoches, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 12 at 4 p.m.

Upcoming Games

Women’s basketball

10:30 a.m., Nov. 11 at University of Arkansas

Men’s basketball

5:30 p.m., Nov. 11 vs. Hendrix College

Volleyball

7 p.m., Nov. 11 vs. Austin Peay Football

4 p.m., Nov. 12 at Stephen F. Austin Men’s soccer Nov. 12 at Lipscomb, ASUN Championships

Men’s basketball shines in season opener against Tigers

BY SYDNEY AMBRUS Sta Writer

The UCA Bears mauled the Champion Christian Tigers in a 36-point lead win during an exhibition game Tuesday, Nov. 1. The game was part of a series of food-drive games presented by UCA’s StudentAthlete Advisory Committee where they collected spices and sauces in the Farris Center.

The final score was 11579.

The starting five for the Bears were junior guard Collin Cooper, sophomore guard Camren Hunter, senior guard and forward Eddy Kayouloud, junior guard Masai Olowokere

and sophomore guard and forward Ibbe Klintman.

The top three scorers of the game were Hunter with 24 points, freshman forward and guard Cameron Wallace with 18 points and Olowokere with 16 points.

The Bears started off strong, as Olowokere made a layup scoring the first two points of the game, followed by a three-point shot making the score 5-0.

The Bears continued to hold the lead through the first six minutes of the game. The crowd went wild after a dunk from Wallace, increasing the score by two points, 15-2.

Wallace made his college

debut in this game.

“I was just thinking … I’m actually in college. I just got my first college bucket. It was mind-blowing,” Wallace said.

By the midpoint of the first quarter, the Tigers started to catch up with the Bears, as Champion Christian junior guard Braylon Hawkins scored a three-point shot, making the score 17-14.

However, the Bears stayed with them as Kayouloud hit a jumper assisted by redshirt freshman guard VJ Reeves, making the score 19-14.

Despite its efforts, the Tigers could not keep up with the Bears. At the end of the first half, UCA held the lead 55-34.

At the start of the second half, both teams subbed out players.

Hunter scored the first points of the second half, making the score 57-34.

The Tigers were still no match for the Bears, as UCA continued to hold a lead throughout the entire second half.

Wallace said, “We all came together pretty well. We all played our role, we figured out what we could’ve done better, now we are back to the drawing board.”

Hunter said the team worked together pretty well offensively.

“It was the defensive

side that was not so good,” Hunter said. “Offensively, we put the ball in the hole really efficiently. However, we did not stop them at all. Can’t win when playing better teams like that,” Hunter said.

Ahead of their next game, Hunter said they have to get focused on small details.

“We got away with little things last night that we won’t get away with at Wichita State,” Hunter said. “If we want to come out on top, we have to nip these tiny details and subbing issues we have really quick.”

The Bears’ next opponent is the Wichita State Shocks, which they will play on Nov. 7 in Wichita, Kansas.

BY GABE WHITE Assistant Sports Editor

Although its seasonal stats are far from stellar (6-4-6), the UCA men’s soccer team is inching towards the end of the 2022 season with a strong ASUN Conference showing of 5-1-2.

The Bears have one last matchup against Lipscomb in the ASUN Conference finals on Nov. 12.

Teamwork and variety are some of the most important aspects of soccer, as focusing on a single player can be troublesome, but it seems that the Bears didn’t get that memo.

Playing in 15 of the 16 games this season, senior forward Sebastian Andreassen has been the Bears’ star player.

Andreassen holds the record for the most goals this season with eight goals, as well as the most shots, coming in at 40. That number is double compared to any other player, with the second highest being 19, by senior midfielder Karim Diao.

Along with his total number of shots, Andreassen also holds the record for assists, shots on goal, winning goals and conference points for the team.

With his abundance of records, it’s surprising that Andreassen pulled it off with 1,183 minutes on the field, considerably smaller than Gutierrez’s 1,460 minutes.

Although having a player of this caliber is an exciting addition, it becomes detrimental when they work as a crutch for the entire team.

Andreassen can typically be found deep within enemy territory.

A play for UCA almost always has Andreassen somewhere in the limelight, whether he’s making shots or creating openings.

Following a match against Stetson on Sep. 24, Gutierrez said, “Always great to link up with your striker, especially when Sebastian [Andreassen] has the ability to hold up defenders. It allows our players to run off him and create chances in behind.”

While against Jacksonville on Oct. 29, Andreassen took four shots, one of those being a point for UCA and the other three being on the goal.

Yes, these are admirable stats, but they won’t get you far whenever opposing teams begin to notice your tactics.

Arguably the best team this season, Lipscomb kept an eye on Andreassen the entire match, always having one or more players on him.

Because of this tactic, Andreassen didn’t make a shot during this game, leaving the Bears in a 3-0 loss.

Being a senior, this is Andreassen’s last season with UCA.

Without the star forward, it’s unclear if the Bears will be able to make any traction in the 2023 season, but the signs aren’t looking positive.

Men’s soccer banks too much on star-forward photo courtesy UCAsports.com

Sophomore tight end Kyle Gasaway (middle) moves among teammates in the Bears’ match against Eastern Kentucky. The Bears have one last ASUN Conference matchup against the Jacksonville Gamecocks after playing against Stephen F. Austin Nov. 12.

Senior guard/foward Eddy Kayouloud pushes past Champion Christian players towards the hoop. This was the Bears’ frst game of the season where they won 115-79. Their next game was a 79-55 loss against Wichita State on Nov. 7.

photo courtesy UCAsports.com

Bennett Tinnermon Editor-in-Chief

Waddell Associate Editor Sydney Cyr News Editor

Will McDonald Assistant News Editor

England Campus

We’ve all heard the phrase “separate the art from the artist” in defense of a problematic artist — whether it be a singer or an actor or any kind of celebrity. However, this is not a fair argument because an artist’s art is an extension of them.

It is a piece of them, no matter how fabricated or exaggerated, that represents a part of themselves they can’t express any other way. Choosing to ignore this leads to the glorification of objectively corrupt people and the acceptance of intolerance in the name of entertainment.

There has been a surge of moral policing online in the last decade. If you tweet or post something that’s considered offensive, there’s a chance of being “canceled,” which is the online version of being exiled or ridiculed by society for bad behavior.

away from that level of luxury.

Shane Dawson and Kanye West will always be somewhat rich and famous, no matter how much money and negative online attention they receive.

The most cancel culture does is turn crazed fans into old, disappointed ones.

This does not mean we should stop trying to cancel people, it just means we should stop pretending that being canceled is the worst a celebrity can face. How far must an artist go before they become impossible to enjoy? When does it become morally wrong to consume their art?

Unfortunately, it’s not so black and white. My rule of thumb is that accused rapists, such as Harvey Weinstein or R. Kelly, and blatant racists are completely off-limits.

Media restrictions for college athletes strain relationship

As more and more public universi ties make it increasingly difficult for their athletes to speak to student jour nalists, issues arise that are detrimental to broadening the experiences of both parties involved. Plus, an important avenue for athletes to practice selfadvocacy is being destroyed.

The College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida conducted a study aimed to answer two questions: How often are public universities gagging athletes from speaking to the media, and is it legal for them to do it?

The university said its research “looked at the policies at public uni versity athletic programs regulating student-athletes’ communications with the media.”

“Using a combination of public record requests and online searches, we gathered rule books from 58 state universities that compete in the NCAA elite Division I. Of the 58 handbooks, 50 of them — or 86 percent — explic itly forbade athletes from speaking to journalists without permission from the athletic department,” the study said.

The study found that some pub lic universities take it a step further, discouraging “blowing the whistle” on mistreatment within the athletic depart ment. This percentage may be higher, seeing as some of these universities maintain their athlete’s silence through verbal instruction, and not written policy, the study said.

It is irresponsible for universities and coaches to interrupt the media pro cess. By deterring, or even enforcing, their players from speaking to student media, they are hindering necessary learning and development for the ath letes and the journalists.

Van Wilpe Entertainment Editor Emily Kennard Online Editor

While cancel cuture sometimes takes issues too far or way too seriously, is there anything wrong with punishing immoral actions or de-platforming accused sexual assaulters or racists?

Madison Ogle Sports Editor/Cartoonist

by anna yanOSick Staff Writer

I don’t think so. Freedom of speech does not equal freedom from consequences.

If you’re comfortable sharing offensive rhetoric on the internet, then you should be comfortable with accepting backlash.

Despite what critics of cancel culture might think, it is quite ineffective outside of social media. The average person either doesn’t care or isn’t aware of the time Shawn Mendes made racist comments on his Twitter when he was 14.

An adult commuting to work is probably not going to turn off the radio because “Stitches” is playing.

Besides, once someone is already drowning in money and fame, it is very difficult to rip them

Every day I come to class at UCA, I’m uncomfortable. I’m uncomfortable in my classes and I’m especially uncomfortable in the library.

I’m uncomfortable because I can never seem to find a chair that doesn’t cause me pain in some type of way.

On the surface, uncomfortable chairs may not seem like that big of a deal, unless you’re the one forced to sit in them everyday.

For those of us struggling with back pain, a lot of the chairs on campus are our worst enemy.

Each class that I’m in seems to have a different kind of chair than the last, and they’re all uncomfortable or highly inconvenient. They either have absolutely no back support or they’re falling apart.

What the UCA Administration may not realize is that sitting in these chairs everyday not only affects us physically, but mentally as well.

by Olivia SnelSOn Staff Writer

There are some classes I don’t even want to attend because the chair I’m forced to sit in is so uncomfortable.

Not only that, but it makes it extremely difficult to focus.

The library at UCA is the absolute worst when it comes to providing comfortable chairs. I

It doesn’t matter how good their art is to me; consuming it feels like an injustice to their victims.

No one can be a perfect consumer. It’s virtually impossible when art, social media and humans are so nuanced.

As far as I know, my absolute favorite artists could have some pretty gnarly skeletons in their closets.

The best advice I can give is to follow your moral compass. Listen and consume art and artists that reflect your values.

Don’t feel too guilty for finding a Chris Brown tune catchy but certainly don’t throw money at him.It’s about time we stop saying “separate the art from the artist.”

I don’t think art should be viewed as a separate entity from the artist.

I think doing so takes most of the fun out of enjoying art. Enjoy responsibly.

understand that they provide booths and couches, but a lot of us are not lucky enough to snag one on a busy day. Especially during finals week.

The library is the only place many students can focus and actually get their work done, so they can’t just go somewhere else. It’s easy to tell them to just grab another chair, but that’s difficult when every single chair has something wrong with it.

As students, we should be able to find a chair that the wheel doesn’t pop off of or the seat adjustment isn’t broken on. How can we be expected to do well in our classes when we are not provided with proper seating? Shouldn’t the amount we pay in tuition and fees at least ensure that we don’t have to be uncomfortable every single day?

Isn’t proper seating the bare minimum the university could provide? It is the university’s responsibility to provide us with proper equipment, including proper seating.

The bottom line is, if the president of the university had to sit in the chairs that we are required to sit in every day, we’d have all brand new chairs the next day.

Being interviewed by their peers is a good way for athletes to practice speak ing to the media in case they play pro fessionally post-college. It also serves as good practice for student journalists, who are learning to cover sports and interview athletes.

Speaking to the media can feel scary enough as it is, but only because of the hoops journalists are made to jump through to speak to them in college. Athletes may become wary of the media if they never interact with it, especially if their coach is discouraging them.

Under these restrictions, student journalists are not able to establish rap port with the athletes, leading to a lack of trust in the media that could follow these athletes into their professional careers.

College athletes should be able to decide whether or not they want to participate in an interview. Not allow ing them to make that choice perpetu ates the idea that student-athletes are possessions to their university, with no importance given to their wants, needs or free will.

It is imperative that student-athletes feel comfortable speaking to the media so that they are given the necessary platform to speak on issues related to the athletic department or even to just get the recognition they deserve in their sport.

This issue also affects journalists. They are not given an accurate picture of reporting for sports media, and often have a hard time constructing or finish ing sports stories with a lack of sources and failed attempts to communicate through the department’s channels.

All of this red tape begs the question of why universities make it so difficult for this relationship between studentathletes and student-journalists to blos som. If they don’t want athletes to have a means of self-advocacy, then that may be an issue with the coaching staff.

But, their real issue appears to be a lack of trust in both the athletes and student journalists.Universities need to have more confidence in their students to handle their jobs and positions.

If they don’t, they are admitting that they have no faith in their institution to train their students.

Delaney

Maci

Mia

Addi Freeman Assistant Online

Courtney Shepherd Opinion Editor

Amber

Gabe

Movies

Grandage movie lacks depth despite complex content

“My Policeman,” an Amazon Studios film directed by Michael Grandage, offers a moving story about forbidden love and wasted time but lacks depth and emotional complexity.

The film takes place in 1950s Britain when homosexuality was illegal and follows a love triangle between Tom Burgess, a closeted police officer, his wife Marion Taylor and Tom’s lover, Patrick Hazelwood.

“My Policeman” does a good job of acknowledging the unfair, heartbreaking reality gay people faced at this time in Britain as they were forced to either repress their sexuality or risk going to jail. However, the film fails to fully commit to the feelings of desperation, regret, longing and misery that its characters experience, which keeps the story shallow.

The film stars Harry Styles as young Tom, David Dawson as young Patrick, Emma Corrin as young Marion, Gina McKee as older Marion, Linus Roache as older Tom and Rupert Everett as older Patrick.

from Marion’s young adult life when she first met Tom, whom she would later marry. The flashbacks slowly let the audience in on the story of Tom, Marion and Patrick. Flashbacks from Patrick and Tom’s point of view are shown as older Marion reads Patrick’s diary.

‘Weird’ parodies Yankovic’s life with funny fabrications

“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” which dropped Nov. 4 on the Roku Channel, is packed full of laughs for everyone, even though its plot loses steam halfway through.

Daniel Radcliffe and Evan Rachel Wood pulled off convincing performances of both Yankovic and Madonna; their acting through the highly fictionalized scenarios made jokes so much easier to land, like Al’s rock star phase and his fabricated relationship with Madonna.

Eric Appel and Yankovic wrote a parody of the rock star biopic with plot points that stayed mostly true to their “Funny or Die” three-minute fake trailer in 2010.

The movie’s premiere was met with immediate positive reception, and it’s easy to see why.

The writers used the film’s less-than-two-hour runtime and its talented cast well — filling it with clever bits, cameos and callbacks. Appel and Yankovic translated a short funny skit into an even funnier movie, which is no small comedy feat.

However, some jokes, like the ironic portrayal of Madonna as a manipulative, murderous femme fatale, get a little old, even if it is playing on the biopic genre’s misogynistic stereotype.

The movie starts strong with jokes that mock the genre’s convention of relentless childhood adversity and ridiculously suppressive home lives.

Any interest Al showed in music or parodies was met with his mother’s pleas to stop doing what he loves and his father’s over-the-top reprimands.

Actor David Bloom plays the awkward, impassioned teenage Al well as he faces his father’s wrath after he gets busted

for showing off his closeted accordion skills at a polka party.

His father finds and destroys his accordion — “the devil’s squeezebox” — that Al had been secretly practicing in the closet, and Al vows to become an accordion star “in an extremely specific genre of music.”

In a clunky and sudden transition, Yankovic’s voiceover brings the audience into a flashback with a slightly older, more confident Al, played by Radcliffe, who shares an apartment with three goofy friends who help him turn The Knack’s “My Sharona” into “My Bologna.”

A cynical record executive, played by Yankovic, turns Al down. Al meets Dr. Demento, who invites him to a star-studded pool party where he has to prove his lyrical prowess with an onthe-spot cover of “Another One Bites the Dust.”

This sequence of events is hilarious but left me wanting more from the middle of the film, which focused way too much on Madonna as Al’s conniving

girlfriend, who tries to use his parodies to sell more albums.

Playing on Yankovic’s reallife sobriety and wholesome personality, Madonna, one of the movie’s two female characters, turns movie Al into an alcoholic jerk, leading to a drunk “Like a Surgeon” performance.

Later, Pablo Escobar kidnaps Madonna to attract Al to his birthday party and unfortunately, a too-long and somehow too-violent, murderous rampage through the jungle ensues.

The ending of the movie, though dramatic, feels like a relief. It wraps up the movie in unexpected ways and has one of its funniest bits. Despite its surprise, the callbacks at the end make the middle a little more worth the watch.

Overall, the movie has some hit-or-miss jokes, but it’s always silly — staying true to the heart of Yankovic’s discography.

“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is available for streaming on the Roku Channel.

Backseat Lovers stun in new effortful album, ‘Waiting to Spill’

by bEnnEtt tinnErmon Editor-in-Chief

Nov. 10 —

Dawson and McKee undoubtedly give the best performances in this film. Dawson’s performance conveys the rawest emotion and illustrates the complexity of his character’s experience. McKee’s tasteful performance added needed depth to the character of Marion. McKee’s acting toward the end of the film helped tie the story together in the film’s final moments.

Styles and Corrin both give good performances, but neither actor can fully convey the intense, tangled feelings of their characters with the necessary passion and vulnerability.

This film is a tear-jerker; the ending is very touching, but it would’ve been better if the story explored the inner turmoil of its characters more thoroughly.

The film begins with an older Patrick being dropped off in a wheelchair at Marion and Tom’s house after suffering a stroke. Marion takes care of Patrick while Tom appears uncomfortable and even miserable at the fact that Patrick is staying at his house. At this point, we start to see flashbacks

1. Christmas parties

Top 5 experiences to miss from elementary school

Picture this: It’s an early December morning. You’re dressed up in your brand new flannel pajamas your mom bought you from The Children’s Place, and you’re filling up a paper plate with sugar cookies and Doritos while your teacher pours everyone a cup of hot cocoa, special with marshmallows. “The Polar Express” is playing on the Smartboard and it’s the last day of school before Christmas break. Nothing could be better than this.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to go back to the days of watching animated Christmas classics while eating popcorn from a cup in my fourth grade classroom.

In the flashbacks, both Marion and Patrick want Tom for themselves. Patrick is willing to endure the pain of sharing Tom with Marion but struggles with the reality of that situation. Marion is willing to move past Tom’s affair with Patrick, but isn’t willing to accept the reality of what she views as Tom’s “unnatural tendencies.”

Tom’s place at the center of this love triangle is only believable because of Styles’ sex appeal, charm and warmth. It is much harder to believe Tom is at the center due to a personal, unique bond between Tom and either Patrick or Marion. The film doesn’t showcase any distinctive bond between Tom and Patrick or Marion because it lacks complex dialogue and fails to prioritize personality.

Overall, the film illustrates the tragic story of three characters yearning for longlasting, authentic love who ultimately faced lies, jealousy and heartbreak due to prejudice and intolerance.

The film isn’t as powerful and emotionally stirring as it could have been due to slightly flat performances and a shallow storyline.

“My Policeman” is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

2. Naptime Naptime to me is the definition of not knowing a good thing until it’s gone. I never took advantage of it and now it’s too late. Whenever the other kids in my class were asleep, I was the one who stayed up and talked to my teacher for the entire thirty minutes. I never liked naptime and always thought it was a pretty pointless part of the day, but my present self would wholeheartedly disagree. Naps are a vital part of self-care but as a busy college student, I never have enough time in the day to stop and rest. I had it so good and never even realized it. If I could talk to my younger self I would say, “Take the nap.”

The Backseat Lovers’ new album “Waiting to Spill” fits the mold of their previous indie tracks without anything crazy.

The album, which released Oct. 28, has some fun quirks to it; even in its first track, “Silhouette.”

That track plays a lot with crescendos into deep instrumentals that take up all the auditory space in your ears. To counter these crescendos, “Silhouette” has a lot of sudden decrescendos into ambient, echoey moments.

This ambience flows well into the end of the song as the instrumentals fade out and leave the listener with a single, voice-like sound moving from ear to ear. Then, the listener is transported to a roadside, hearing bugs and a car go by as a guitar fades in and is suddenly cut off as the song ends.

In an article from Consequence of Sound, band member Joshua Harmon said “Silhouette” was the most intricate track production-wise. Harmon described the process of achieving the sounds near the end of the song as “blaring a droney ‘E note’ out the side of a moving vehicle toward a pair of microphones to capture the Doppler effect, creating a natural key change.”

It’s cool hearing about the effort that goes into something, and I think this type of effort truly does transport the listener.

3.

This is the second fulllength album from The Backseat Lovers and comes in at a little over 47 minutes across the 10 songs. The band’s first album, “When We Were Friends,” released in 2019 and holds the band’s most popular track, “Kilby Girl.”

But none of this album really matches the vibe of the song that lent them the most listens, and I’m glad for that.

Other songs on their first album have a calmer tone, and the new album continues that intimate feeling.

The intimacy in “Waiting to Spill” is not just found in the instrumentals, but in the lyrics too. Lyrics like, “When I wake up/ And the dream is over/ Packed away/ My life moving slower/ Oh, I’d hate to get any older/ … I have to get older,” on “Close Your Eyes” feel vulnerable and can be a point of relatability for the listener. This is a topic that many of us as

4. Snacktime

Playgrounds

I have been advocating for UCA to build a swing set for a while. Not porch swings like the ones between Farris Hall and New Hall but actual playground swing sets. Playing outside on the playground was a way for us as elementary schoolers to get out our pent-up energy from sitting inside all day, and I believe this would still be useful as college students. Not only that, but a playground would be such a stress reliever. In my opinion, swinging on a swing set or sliding down a slide would be the perfect way to destress after an exam. Failed your biology test? Go outside and play on the playground. You won’t be stressed for long.

I wish it was still a requirement for classes to take breaks in the middle of a lesson to pass out a bag of chips and chocolate milk to everyone. Food is fuel that gives us energy, but like so many college students, I never have the time to stop and get any. Making snack time a requirement would equal happier, more productive students.

My favorite elementary school snack was cereal bars, which is odd because I don’t like cereal. Nothing can quite bring together people like a good snack, and there was always something so nice about getting to eat them in class. Now, most classes don’t even allow food and drinks.

college students have to deal with. Even on an instrumentally hopeful song like “Follow the Sound,” there are lyrics that can seem down. “And this troubled head of mine is making its big debut,” sounds like rough times, but it is shortly followed up with “I sincerely want to get better,” matching the tone of the instruments.

A few of the tracks from this new album have been released as singles over the past few months.

The first single to drop, “Growing/Dying” has the most Spotify listens against the rest of the album. Harmon told Consequence of Sound that this track was the fastest one to come together.

“All four of us were buzzing with an excitement … simply because of how instinctual it felt,” Harmon said.

I love the range of time put into songs, from “instinct” and a couple of tries all the way to the effort put into the ambient sounds in the latter part of “Silhouette.”

This is easily an enjoyable indie album from The Backseat Lovers. “Waiting to Spill” is streaming now on most music streaming services.

5.

Rewards

Imagine getting a toy for being on your best behavior in class or a special ice cream party for making an A on a test. The reward system in elementary school was elite. Picking out a prize from the class treasure chest was always something I looked forward to. I remember in the second grade my teacher had a Bratz pet pig doll in the treasure chest and I wanted it badly. I campaigned to be put in that class while I was still in the first grade. I was put in that class, but then someone else got to the pig before me. I was devastated and had to pick out a sticker sheet instead. Still, I would be more than thrilled to receive a sticker sheet today.

Quinta Brunson (left) plays Oprah and Daniel Radcliffe plays Al Yankovic in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” The overexaggerated biopic was released to the Roku Channel Nov. 4.

Forever (PG-13), directed by Ryan Coogler, starring Tenoch Huerta, Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira

Nov. 11

Paradise City (R) directed by Chuck Russell, starring Bruce Willis, John Travolta and Stephen Dorff

starring Peyton List, Brendan Meyer and Miranda Edwards

Falling for Christmas, directed by Janeen Damian, starring Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet and George Young (Netflix)

by Emily KEnnard Online Editor

by SydnEy Cyr News Editor

photo courtesy of therokuchannel.roku.com

Bar Fight! (NR) directed by Jim Mahoney, starring Rachel Bloom, Melissa Fumero and Dot-Marie Jones

Harry Styles (left), David Dawson (middle) and Emma Corin star in “My Policeman.” The Amazon Studios film follows a love triangle between a policeman, his wife and his lover.

photo courtesy of mypolicemanmovie.com

Nov. 11 — My Father’s Dragon, directed by Nora Twomey, starring Judy Greer, Jacob Tremblay and Leighton Meester (Netflix)

photo courtesy of thebackseatlovers.com

INDIE

Styles and Corrin both give good performances, but neither actor can fully convey the intense, tangled feelings of their characters with the necessary passion and vulnerability.

Volleyball falls at to Liberty University Eagles

BY FELICITY AUXIER Sta Writer

The Sugar Bears fell short in a gritty match against the Liberty University Flames, losing 3-0 and dipping their ASUN Conference record to 10-4, 18-9 overall.

“We were very calm and controlled when we were neck and neck with UCA. We stayed disciplined, confident, and aggressive when it was tight,” junior Flames setter Delaney Dilfer said.

UCA lost the first set 25-12 but bounced back in the second, setting the pace in the beginning with a 4-2 lead. The Sugar Bears lost that lead, coming to a head at 21-19.

UCA’s Alex Stumbough secured a kill with hopes to turn the game around, but the Flames ultimately won the set 25-22 with a 2-0 set lead.

“I think in tight moments, what really set our team apart was the ability to stay calm and together. UCA’s gym is a tough gym to play in, especially with a full crowd,” junior Flames outside hitter Kamryn Bacus said. “Our team did a great job of responding to that energy and using it to our advantage.”

The Sugar Bears took the lead early again in the third set with a score of 5-2, but their efforts were not enough for Liberty’s front line as they lost the set 25-12.

Dilfer said, “UCA is a great team and have been able to beat some hard teams in our conference. I think we did a really good job with our block and it made it a lot harder for them to score. UCA had a great hustle and defensive plays, but I think we capitalized on finding ways to put the ball away.”

The Sugar Bears had 24 kills

compared to the Flames’ 41 kills, although the Sugar Bears had 90 attempts and the Flames had 89.

Overall, the Sugar Bears had 33 points, 22 assists, five aces, and four blocks. Their hitting average was .011%, while the Flames had an average of .337%.

Sugar Bears offense gains quick victory

BY REGAN BELUE Sta Writer

In their first-ever matchup against the Queens University of Charlotte Royals, the UCA Sugar Bears volleyball team (18-9,10-4 ASUN) claimed a quick 3-0 victory against the North Carolina team (6-21,1-13 ASUN) at UCA’s Prince Center Nov. 4.

The Sugar Bears handled the first two sets easily, winning 25-9 and 2513.

However, after these quick sets, the Royals came out with renewed energy for the third.

“Queens actually came out way more aggressive in the third set and made an adjustment. Kind of caught us off guard a little bit, but we were able to stay poised and do well in the end,” Coach John Newberry said

The Prince Center began to quiet as the Royals got off to a 7-0 start in the third set, but the Sugar Bears remained composed enough to cut the game back to a three-point deficit.

Although slowly closing the gap, the Sugar Bears continued to trail until both teams had 19 points.

Taking their first lead of the set at 21-20, the Sugar Bears were able to pull their game back together and close the set out with a 3-point streak, winning 25-22.

“Offensively, we were extremely efficient, which has been something that we haven’t been all year, so this was a good efficiency game for us,” Newberry said.

The Sugar Bears had a seasonhigh hitting percentage of .424, and a season-low number of attack errors.

According to ucasports.com, not including this game, the team has averaged 22 attack errors this season,

but they were able to minimize that number tonight. The team finished the match with only eight errors, six of which came from the close third set.

Assistant Coach Aryn Moura said the team’s great week of practice and their aggression in the game put them in a good place to win against the Royals.

“Ball control was really there too, so we got to really see some really good performances from our middles and our right sides,” Moura said.

In a strong front row showing by the Sugar Bears, five team members had a hitting percentage over .300, including freshman Caylan Koons, senior Alexis Stumbough, junior Charlie Tidwell, graduate student Kendall Haywood and sophomore Jamiryana Hall.

Leading the front row in kills with a hitting percentage of .600, senior Alexis Stumbough finished off her night’s 16 kills with the game-clinching hit.

As they near the end of the season, the team is searching for the first-place spot in conference standings.

“We gotta get ready for our Liberty match. They’re in first place, and if we beat them, then it’s a tie for first. So we just got to be on point for that game,” Newberry said.

The Sugar Bears would lose the match against LIberty on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m. Liberty won 3-0. The Sugar Bears have two games left in their season after the loss.

To close out their season before the tournament, UCA will play its second-to-last ASUN matchup against Austin Peay at home for senior day Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.

After, they will travel to Kennesaw State for their final regular season game on Nov. 13 at 12 p.m.

Bacus said, “The biggest difference in this game was our ability to stay disciplined in our defensive scheme and shut down some of their key players early in the match.”

The Sugar Bears had 23 errors and the Flames had 11. UCA sophomore outside hitter Lilly Taylor was the lead

scorer for the Sugar Bears with seven kills. Freshman setter Caylan Koons secured 15 assists, six digs, and two aces.

“Our strengths were blocking, tough serving, finding the open court and siding out quick,” Bacus said.

This is only the second loss for the

NEW BLOOD

Sugar Bears since Sept. 27 with 11 wins in their past 12 matches.

Dilfer said, “Our weakness was that we struggled in serve receive at times and missed too many serves.”

The Sugar Bears will stay at home this week to play Austin Peay in a Senior Day matchup Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m.

Kitt-Denton keeps up with college pace

BY ANDRAEA AGUILERA Sta Writer

Wide receiver Myles KittDenton is a sophomore family and consumer science major who has played football for 12 years now.

Before playing football at UCA, Kitt-Denton played at Glenda Dawson High School in Pearland, Texas. To him, college football is not much different from high school football.

“The difference isn’t that huge. The speed of the game definitely gets an upgrade, but once you adjust it’s doing what you’ve done your whole life basically,” Kitt-Denton said.

The sophomore is highly motivated by the opportunities the sport will bring him and his family.

“What motivates me is the game itself and the potential it has to change my family’s lives forever,” Kitt-Denton said.

So far, Kitt-Denton’s most memorable moment of his career was scoring his first college touchdown. This year, he has five receptions for 89 yards but plans to keep it up. His best play is a 44-yard touchdown against Austin Peay State University.

“When I graduate I’d like to go to the next level, to be honest. What makes me unique is my intangible abilities. I have a 4.3 40-yard dash and a 48-inch vertical,” Kitt-Denton said.

Kitt-Denton received football

offers from other schools including Stephen F. Austin State University, Tarleton State University, Texas Southern, Blinn College and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

He ultimately chose to attend UCA because his first visit here felt like a home away from home.

“It felt like a place I wanted to be and flourish in,” Kitt-Denton said.

Managing school and academics is sometimes difficult for Kitt-Denton but he’s managed to figure out ways to make it work.

“Being a student-athlete is tough, but with a good level of organization

and dedication I manage just fine,” Kitt-Denton said.

He offered advice to other student-athletes and reminded them to stay focused.

“Make sure you prioritize what’s important and live in the moment. Anything that doesn’t help you move forward is a distraction,” Kitt-Denton said.

Outside of practices, games and schoolwork, Kitt-Denton enjoys spending time outdoors. Going for walks is his favorite way to decompress.

UCA sophomore running back Darius Hale (left) embraces UCA senior ofensive lineman Jaylin Hendrix (right). The Bears took home their second ASUN win against Kennesaw State.

photo courtesy of UCAsports.com

MOTIVATED SOPHOMORE

The Sugar Bears take a moment to celebrate during their game against Liberty University. This was UCA’s 14th ASUN Conference game of the season and they will play against Austin Peay Nov. 11 at the UCA Farris Center.

photo by Felicity Auxier

Sophomore outside hitter Jamiryana Hall jumps up for a spike. This was UCA’s frst match against the Queens University of Charlotte Royals, a newcomer to the ASUN Conference.

photo by Regan Belue