Issue 11, Volume 118 -- November 16, 2022

At least six killed in explosion in Turkey

An explosion in Istanbul, Turkey, killed at least six people and injured 53 on Sunday, Nov. 13. The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, labeled the explosion a terrorist attack, but did not say who was responsible. The explosion happened on Taksim Istiklal Street, a busy, pedestrian street. Turkish authorities have since sealed off the street.

Democrats to keep U.S. Senate control Democrats remain in control of the U.S. Senate with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s narrow victory in Nevada. It was announced that Masto, the frst Latina elected to the senate, won against Republican Adam Laxalt on Saturday, Nov. 12.

If the senate is split 50-50, the tie-breaking vote goes to Vice President Kamala Harris.

University of Virginia shooting kills three

A suspect allegedly opened fre on a bus full of students at the University of Virginia on Monday, Nov.14. Three members of the university’s football team died and two other students were wounded. The suspect was caught hours after the shooting and identifed as 22 year old Christopher Darnell Jones. Jones was armed with a handgun. Jones is facing three charges of seconddegree murder and three counts of using a handgun to commit a felony.

Citizens vote to cut county library funds

The Craighead County Jonesboro Library System’s funding was slashed as voters in the city and county voted to decrease the library’s $2 million tax to $1 million during the Nov. 8 election. It was reported by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that library director Vanessa Adams said, “Keeping all the branches open will be a priority.”

WHAT’S AHEAD

UCA’s Bear Essentials

Food Pantry struggles to keep shelves stocked in November.

Campus Life:

Entertainment:

Program tackles suicide prevention, intervention

BY DELANEY VAN WILPE Entertainment Editor

The University of Central Arkansas’ Campus Recreation and Wellness and Counseling Center co-sponsored a suicide awareness program to destigmatize and open the dialogue around the topic of suicide.

Jessica Miller — UCA alum, former competitor in the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Organization, and junior board member for the Arkansas Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — spoke at the event and discussed prevention, intervention and postvention of suicide.

Prevention pertains to different risk factors of suicide — including biological, psychological, historical and environmental factors — and recognizing potential signs, including suicidal talk, change in behavior and change in mood.

Although all risk factors are equally important, Miller emphasized biological and psychological factors, which include mental health, as a predominant ingredient to suicidal deaths.

“Research has shown that people that died by suicide had an active mental health condition at the time of their death, and so it makes it even more critically important to evaluate the presence of a mental health condition so you can seek effective treatment,” Miller said.

Miller said suicidal talk, even if it is a joke, should always be taken seriously as well.

“That has to be taken out of our everyday language … We have to take that talk extremely

seriously, so it cannot be a punchline,” Miller said.

Miller gave tips on how to be supportive if someone has admitted they are struggling with suicidal thoughts: Listen to their story, encourage them to seek mental health services and ask directly if they have thoughts of harm or suicide.

“Research has shown that it’s not triggering to ask somebody directly, but it actually could have the opposite effect … Harm could mean a ton of different things, but asking this direct question will allow you to know what your next steps are going to be,” Miller said.

If someone is in a crisis, Miller said there is a 20-minute window to intervene and save their lives.

In this window, frst, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or test TALK to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

After that, stay with the person in crisis; remove any lethal means, including drugs, alcohol, sharp objects and frearms; remove them from a potentially dangerous area and escort them to health services.

Postvention is where the healing process begins. To be a support system for someone who is in postvention, Miller said to acknowledge your own feelings, be with them so that they don’t feel more alone, make yourself available by staying connected, listen without judgment and encourage healthy habits.

“Recovery, healing and grief looks different on everyone and it’s not linear,” Miller said.

Miller’s presentation concluded with an exercise

Sports:

Men’s basketball: UCA wins 107-56 against Hendrix Warriors.

Students arrested for trans rights protest at school board meeting

BY EMILY KENNARD Online Editor

Three UCA students were arrested Nov. 8 during a demonstration at a Conway School Board meeting, and Conway High School cracked down on student protests that involved a walkout earlier in the day.

The three UCA students were arrested for trespassing and refusal to disperse after chanting and refusing to leave the Conway Public Schools administration offce building’s lobby, according to the police report.

At least a handful of CHS students said they were suspended for fve days for insubordination the day after their walkout. Students suspended for the walkout will now miss over 33 hours of school as punishment for missing 40 minutes of their seventh period, according to their discipline notices.

The UCA students, junior Alex Barnett, 20, nontraditional student Colburn Clark, 32, and freshman Keylen Botley, 18, were part of a group that chanted “trans lives matter” about 30 minutes

into the meeting.

The protesters were in the foyer because the meeting room was full, but police ordered everyone to leave after the chanting began.

“We were willing to get arrested if that’s what it took. Our main goal was to try and keep the school board from conducting business, and to keep this issue in the press,” Barnett said.

The board went into recess in response to the chanting but continued the meeting after shutting the door less than 10 minutes later.

In a Nov. 10 internal email addressed to school district staff, Superintendent Jeff Collum said, “I want to be sure you have facts and not just rumors.

“After repeated requests for quiet to the crowd, administrators asked law enforcement to clear the lobby and remove disrupters,” Collum said in the email. “We learned the three individuals arrested were not from Conway. They were from Little Rock, Bentonville and Mayfower.”

Diversity Advisory Council talks building community relationships

BY SYDNEY CYR News Editor

Conway’s Diversity Advisory Council discussed diversity in community relationships including community diversity efforts like the Community Crisis Response Team, the HALO program, the Child Safety Fair and more Thursday, Nov. 10.

Andrew Johnson, a lieutenant at the Conway Police Department, talked about the police department’s Community Crisis Response Team, a group working to respond to calls the police department receives when people are having a mental health crisis.

was the only woman on the council.

“I truly believe that people need to see individuals that look like them and I think that’s what Conway is becoming more of,” Isby said.

Isby said the council now has four male council members and 4 female council members, with two African American council members.

Charles Finkenbinder, the city attorney for Conway, talked about the HALO program, which helps enforce school bus safety laws.

Republicans win big across Arkansas on election night

BY EDMUND BURKE Sta Writer

In a historic gubernatorial race Nov. 8, voters elected Sarah Huckabee Sanders as the state’s frst female governor.

“I know it will be the honor of a lifetime to serve as Arkansas’ 47th governor and the frst female governor of the state,” Sanders said to a crowd of her supporters on election night at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

Sanders, a Republican, commented on the historic election night, thanking Arkansas voters and acknowledging Jones and Harrington.

“One of the most amazing things

about tonight is that, no matter how it turned out, Arkansas was going to make history tonight,” Sanders said.

Sanders, who will become that state’s 47th governor, received 63.1% of the vote and 568,846 total votes in defeating Democrat Chris Jones and Libertarian Ricky Harrington.

Jones received 35.1% of the vote and 316, 607 total votes, and Harrington received 1.8% of the vote and 16,608 total votes.

If Jones or Harrington had won, either candidate would have become the frst Black governor of Arkansas.

Governor-elect Sanders is no

Johnson said the team has answered 114 calls since they started in October, with 80 of those calls being in response to specifc mental health needs and the remaining 30 calls being people needing other forms of help not exclusive to mental health.

Johnson said 34 of the calls were involving minorities, which is 30% of the team’s total calls.

“That’s a signifcantly higher number of minorities than the demographics of our city. We’ve had an opportunity to reach out to and make an impact with minorities within the community,” Johnson said.

Shelia Isby, a Conway City Council member, said diversity within the Conway City Council is extremely important.

“I came on the council 24 years ago and the makeup of our council was very different,” Isby said. Isby said the council was made up of seven white men and she

HALO stands for Helping All Little Ones. Finkenbinder said the program started once he realized Conway had a school bus passing problem.

Finkenbinder said it is illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to pick up or unload children and has activated its overhead fashing red lights. But two years ago, in the frst semester of the school year, that law was violated 12 to 15 times every week, he said.

Finkenbinder said this year, since implementing the HALO program, the city has had zero school bus passing violations since school started.

“Kids that ride these school buses are from all backgrounds, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, they’re from all socioeconomic backgrounds, rich, poor … our goal is to put a crossing guard at every crosswalk,” Finkenbinder said.

Lacey Kanipe, a public information offcer for the Conway Police Department, talked about how the Child Safety Fair benefts the community and promotes

Artist in Residence Mike Durkin leads ‘Art Pop Up and Recipe Slam.’

Drake makes a fool of himself dissing people in album ‘Her Loss.’

photo by Emily Kennard

Conway High School students and community members line up during a walkout on the afternoon of Nov. 8 to protest recent decisions made by the Conway School Board. The students were warned of punishment if they participated in the walkout.

photo by Madison Ogle

Maree Coats, the Republican candidate for Faulkner County justice of the peace for District 2, gives a speech at Holly’s Country Cookin’ in Conway as results come in on election night, Nov.

8. Coats won her race with 68.97% of the vote.

PANEL

Police Beat

Officer Gene Hodges

saw Charles Wyllia, age 37, walking between the Brewer Hegeman building and the AETN building around 3 a.m. on Nov. 5. When Hodges approached him, Wyllia tried to act like Hodges wasn’t there and walk away. Wyllia wasn’t wearing any shoes and was visibly intoxicated. He said he was just trying to get home from Bear’s Den.

Hodges ran Wyllia’s ID and discovered there were warrants for his arrest from Conway PD and Morrilton PD. Hodges arrested him and found a marijuana pipe, a camera bag full of drug paraphernalia and two small baggies of substances, one of which contained a white, crystalline substance.

Protest:

Clark, an Army veteran, said that he’s lived in the county for over three years, and in Conway for more than a year.

“Saying we aren’t from Conway is defamatory and an attempt to distract educators from the fact the Conway Public Schools Board of Education is putting transgender students at risk for their own beneft,” Clark said, referring to a Harvard School of Public Health survey that showed transgender teens with restrictive bathroom policies face a higher risk of sexual assault.

In last month’s meeting, at the high school’s auditorium, the Conway School Board passed policies to restrict students’ bathroom usage and overnight trip arrangements to students’ sex assigned at birth.

“Policies 4.20 and 4.56.2 are in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Clark, a member of UCA’s Young Democratic Socialists, said.

As the Arkansas Times reported, before the board’s unanimous passage of the two policies Oct. 11, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas sent two letters warning the district of potentially expensive litigation and poor mental health outcomes for students. The district’s attorney dismissed the letters, citing a “political agenda.”

Before the board’s Nov. 8 evening meeting, some Conway High students walked out of the

During his patrol on the night of Nov. 8, officer Tommy Wise smelled marijuana coming from a black Chevy Camaro in parking lot 301.

Wise approached the Camaro to investigate.

Wise found student Jarrett Thomas smoking marijuana from a bong in his hand, blowing the smoke out of the window of his vehicle.

Wise requested that another officer come to assist him and ordered Thomas to exit the vehicle so a search could be conducted on the vehicle. Thomas showed Wise a small white baggie containing 1.3 grams of marijuana.

Thomas was arrested by UCAPD for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

On the evening of Nov. 10, officers Nicole Sumner and Durwin Lasker responded to a call about a suspicious person in the Torreyson Library. Library worker Christopher Paglianite told the officers Isiah Anthony, age 77, was back in the library and needed to be banned from campus. Director of Torreyson Library, Rodney Lippard, had previously been in communication with UCAPD about Anthony coming inside the library. Anthony is said to have behaved inappropriately toward female library staff on multiple occasions. The officers found Anthony and informed him of the ban. Anthony cooperated, leaving the library with no trouble.

Voting:

stranger to politics.

Sanders’ father Republican Mike Huckabee served as governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. Winning the election will make Sanders the frst daughter in U.S. history to serve as governor of the same state her father once led.

Sanders previously served as the White House press secretary and Communications Director for former President Donald Trump from 20172019.

Sanders has previously worked in leadership roles for U.S. senators, governors and presidential campaigns, including Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Dardanelle, and Sen. John Boozman, R-Rogers, according to her website.

“The math is clear, and the results of the race are clear. I congratulate Governor-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders on her history-making election as the frst woman elected governor of Arkansas,” Jones said in a statement on his website.

“Our state was poised to make history no matter the results. Arkansas would either elect the frst African American or the frst female governor. History was made. Sarah’s election has shown women, including my little girls, that being a woman is no longer a barrier to becoming governor in

Panel:

building at 2:30 p.m. to protest the policies with the help of local organizers like the UCA Young Democratic Socialists Club.

Barnett, the president of the club, was present at the walkout, where student demonstrators left their classrooms to stand outside with signs and pride fags.

He said some members of the club showed up to support the cause, but they didn’t help plan anything.

“A kid who goes to school here contacted me and said that they wanted to do a walkout,” Barnett said. “They asked for advice on how to organize, asking for help getting the word out about everything.”

Though they were given inschool suspension, some CHS students told The Echo they have to spend the punishment at home.

Hannah Lopas, who is in the 11th grade, said she was suspended for truancy and insubordination.

“Insubordination, because the principal made an announcement saying that we shouldn’t walk out or leave campus, but I did it anyway,” she said.

“My parents are proud of me,” Lopas said. “I got their permission to do the protest, and they’re happy I’m standing up for my beliefs.”

Another student, Cody Corner, was also suspended. He’s never had in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension before, but he said

Suicide:

he expected it.

“Part of it was knowing I was going to get in trouble; however, the protest was way more important. I’m glad I got to go out there and support, even though I’m suspended,” Corner said.

During sixth period Nov. 8, CHS Principal Buck Bing said over the intercom that students will face “school consequences” and “possible citations of disrupting the educational environment” for not staying in class.

“If any person is doing otherwise, they will be considered a disruption to our normal school processes and potentially insubordinate or even subversive,” Bing said in a Nov. 8 TikTok video posted by user @Layalaine.

The ACLU of Arkansas’ website has guidance for student walkouts that states, while schools can discipline students for missing class, “what [schools] can’t do is discipline you more harshly because of the political nature of or the message behind your action.”

According to the Conway Public Schools Student Handbook, the minimum punishment for insubordination is a reprimand or parent conference, and the minimum punishment for truancy is a conference, warning or parent notifcation. The maximum for each is expulsion, and in-school suspension, respectively.

More students struggle with suicidal ideation

called “Seize the Awkward.” She gave each attendee a card to read to the person next to them, which consisted of different mental health check-ins like, “Are you OK? You don’t seem like yourself lately.”

The goal was to make people more comfortable with potentially uncomfortable conversations.

“I don’t want you guys to think that expressing emotion or telling somebody about your experiences is a sign of weakness … There’s so much strength in that vulnerability,” Miller said.

Reesa Ramasahai, a staff

counselor and the coordinator of outreach programming at UCA’s Counseling Center, said the Suicide Awareness Program served many purposes, but, most importantly, it allows the UCA community to become more comfortable with accessing resources on campus as suicide is a growing problem.

“More and more, we are seeing students at the Counseling Center with suicidal ideation,” Ramsahai said. “We have losses to suicide on our campus. It is important for students [and everyone] to know that there are other options to suicide … we want students,

friends, faculty [and] staff to get comfortable talking to someone who discloses suicidal thinking and know how to get help. Further, we wanted to recognize those who survive a loss from suicide.”

If an individual is experiencing suicidal thoughts or ideation, they can visit UCA’s Counseling Center or call UCAPD at 450-3111 for a counselor on call. If an individual is worried about someone, they can fll out a Student of Concern Report on UCAPD’s website, the Dean of Students’ website or the Counseling Center’s website.

our state,” Jones said.

Arkansas, a predominantly red state, last elected a Democratic governor in 2010.

Arkansans voted in several key federal races across the state on election night, including U.S. Senate and U.S. Congressional Districts.

Boozman, an incumbent, won reelection with 65.85% of the vote and 588,676 votes against Democrat Natalie James with 30.95% of the vote and 276,693 votes and Libertarian candidate Kenneth Cates with 3.19% of the vote and 28,553 votes.

Incumbents in individual U.S. Congressional District races across Arkansas all won reelection, including Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, District 1; French Hill, R-Little Rock, District 2; Steve Womack, R-Russellville, District 3; and Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, District 4.

Current Republican Attorney General Leslie Rutledge won the lieutenant governor’s race, with current Lt. Gov. Tim Griffn, R-Little Rock, winning the attorney general’s race. Incumbent Secretary of State John Thurston, R-East End, won reelection.

In Faulkner County, Republican Allen Dodson defeated incumbent Democrat Jim Baker to become Faulkner

County judge. Dodson won with 55.6% of the vote and 22,252 votes against Baker’s 44.34% of the vote and 17,730 votes.

Faulkner County Sheriff Tim Ryals, the Republican incumbent, won reelection, defeating Libertarian Kevin Johnston.

In mayoral races across Faulkner County, Greenbrier Mayor Sammy Hartwick defeated challenger Randy Goodnight. In Guy, Terry Williams defeated incumbent Mayor Sam Higdon, and Danny Hester won the Mayfower mayoral race against Kaleb Posey, with Vilonia Mayor Preston Scroggin beating challenger Clint Tucker.

For Conway City Council’s Ward 3, Position 2, seat, Cindy Webb defeated Craig Conner in a close race that saw Webb take nearly 53% of the vote.

Arkansas voters rejected all four proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot.

Arkansas Issue 1 would have revised rules for calling special legislative sessions. Issue 2 revised rules for ballot initiatives and constitution amendments. Issue 3 would have added a religious freedom amendment to the state constitution, and Issue 4 would have legalized recreational marijuana in the state.

Council focused speci cally on diversity

4 Continued from page 1

diversity in the community.

Kanipe said the Child Safety Fair invites children and families across Faulkner County to come to learn about local resources that pertain to “safety, health and education” and provide them with “educational resources via informative seminars, demonstrations and handouts.”

“We invited agencies like Carter’s Crew, which is dedicated to serving at-risk youth. Their mission is to empower and educate the most vulnerable youth in our communities,” Kanipe said.

Kanipe said they also invited Paloma Community Services, a Hispanic nonproft organization that focuses on growing the Hispanic community by highlighting their heritage, culture and traditions and supporting the Hispanic community by providing education and various resources.

A question from a member of the Conway community was submitted to the council about how the council plans to support members of the LGBTQ+ community, specifcally after the

recent Conway School Board actions regarding the LGBTQ+ community.

Shawanna Rodgers, the diversity and economic development coordinator for Conway, said the Diversity Advisory Council was formed during a time of “social unrest” after George Floyd’s death and was focused on race relations.

“We’ll kind of gauge that as we go along and at some point we do plan to look at other things, but at this time, that’s the primary focus of the council,” Rodgers said.

Conway Tree Board and girl scouts plant seven trees in Laurel Park

BY FELICIT Y AUXIER Sta Writer

The City of Conway Tree Board and girl scout troops 6743 and 6822 joined together to plant trees at Laurel Park to celebrate Conway Arbor Day Nov. 5.

“We planted seven trees in Laurel Park this Arbor Day to finish off our 2022 year of plantings and to replace previously dedicated celebration trees that were removed due to declining health,” Tree Board Director Treci Buchanan said. “Celebration trees were purchased in honor or memory of a loved one and although the program no longer exists in its original format, we felt it important to honor that program and rededicate new trees within the Laurel Park Tree Grove.”

The Conway Tree Board had already planted five trees in Laurel Park Nov. 3 and another two trees were planted for the Arbor Day event by the girl scout troops. Buchanan noted the importance of doing events like this with the community.

“Trees are important to help maintain the vitality and health of any community. Ongoing education around the need for trees within a suburban, or urban, environment is crucial as populations continue to move into cities,” Buchanan said.

“Community outreach and education are important reminders that we live in a community forest and helps to increase the lens with which one sees trees; as part

of infrastructure, health and wellness, recreation and leisure and homes for pollinators that help provide us with food.

It’s also great to witness their realization that they were part of something that can be revisited for generations to come,” Buchanan said.

While holding events like this within a community is important to get individuals involved with helping the environment, it is also necessary to recognize the importance of doing things like planting trees.

“As I mentioned, trees are vital to all communities with respect to health and economics,” Buchanan said.

“This can be seen in many ways to include: providing cleaner air, decrease in respiratory illness, providing shade and cooler temperature during hotter months, energy efficiency for homes, increase property values, decrease in crime rates, decrease in traffic accidents on tree-lined streets, provide filtration for stormwater runoff — less pollutants in our streams and rivers — and help to mitigate flooding during the wetter months.”

Buchanan said, “Lastly, Arkansas is an agricultural state with healthy forests and rich timberland. Trees provide revenue as well as homes for pollinators that support our livestock, and food on our plates.”

Arbor Day is nationally celebrated on the last Friday in April, but Conway celebrates

its Arbor Day in the fall for a couple of different reasons.

“Fall is a wonderful time to be outdoors and enjoy our beautiful trees, and it’s also the best time to plant trees in Arkansas,” according to the Conway Tree Board’s Facebook page.

The Tree Board provided efforts throughout the year to add more trees to our community and they plan to continue those efforts into 2023. They also plan to continue encouraging community involvement as well.

“Arbor Day is our wrap-up event for each year, but the Tree Board did also plant 200 trees at McGee Center and gave away 600 trees to residents to plant at their own homes in 2022,” Buchanan said. “For 2023 we will continue to work with the city to create a Community Forest Management Plan for the city. In terms of community outreach, we look to similar opportunities to plant more public trees. We will also have a Spring Free Tree Giveaway, invasive species cleanup day, Tree Climbing Competition, Tree ID walks, Yoga Under the Trees, Arbory Day and more.”

To get involved with the Conway Tree Board you can be a member of the Friend of the Tree Board and receive their quarterly newsletter, donate to help support tree grove plantings, and volunteer at events they hold. Those who want to join can email treeboard@conwayarkansas. gov or visit the city’s website.

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

Student arrested for having weed Man banned from Torreyson library

Man arrested for multiple warrants

Students punished for walkout

Around Campus

Introduction to Swahili

From 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16, UCA’s director of African and African American studies Michael Kithinji will offer a one-hour introduction in Irby Hall 204 to the African language Swahili where participants will learn common greetings and practical phrases for everyday interactions.

Friendsgiving

From 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16, the First Generation Scholars Society will host a Friendsgiving in the Ronnie Williams Student Center Room 223-224.

“A Time to Give”

From 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, Baridon Hall, ServiceLearning and BearX will host an event where participants can gather to cook regional cornbread to be delivered to the local homeless population by chef Marvin Williams in McAlister Hall’s Nutrition and Family Sciences kitchens.

Board and Brush

From 7-8:15 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, the Student Activities Board will host an arts and crafts event where an instructor will guide participants through DIY art projects in the Ronnie Williams Student Center Ballroom.

International Student Game Night

From 6-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, Baptist Collegiate Ministry will host an international student game night where English students will prepare a traditional meal for all attendees followed by a Q&A about English culture at the BCM House at 1950 South Blvd, Conway, AR. 72034.

Movie Night: Bullet Train

From 7-9 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20, the Student Activities Board will screen the movie “Bullet Train” in the Ida Waldran Auditorium.

Yoga & The Mental

From 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21, Women of Excellence and BearX will host a program in the Ronnie Williams Student Center Ballroom where participants will be able to work on breathing practices and meditation to help reduce anxiety, depression and other stressors.

Time Management for Finals

From 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22, Minton Commuter College will host a learning event to help students manage their time and create efficient schedules to tackle finals.

Bears at the Ballot’s ‘Party at the Polls’ promotes voter turnout among students

by T orrie H erring Ton Staff Writer

Midterm elections took place Nov. 8, and Party at the Polls encouraged students to vote by providing an on-campus voting location outside of Donaghey Hall.

Bears at the Ballot hosted the event along with volunteers from other registered student organizations such as UCAF1RSTS and Green Bear Coalition.

Lesley Graybeal, director of service-learning and volunteerism, and the campus champion of UCA’s Vote Everywhere chapter, said the event makes voting more accessible.

“For those who are eligible, voting is a cornerstone of American democracy, and I love that by having our own polling site, UCA makes voting so accessible to students,” Graybeal said.

Senior Annabelle Van Asche said that on-campus voting is beneficial to students.

“It was super easy because I am a UCA student, but I’m actually from Benton County. So, registering to vote down here has been so nice because I don’t have to take five hours out of my day to go up there and vote,” Van Asche said.

Q&A

by AsHlyn liTTle Staff Writer

Jada Simpson was crowned as Miss University of Central Arkansas 2023 on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the annual Miss UCA pageant at Reynolds Performance Hall.

Simpson is a sophomore elementary education major. With only one year of pageant experience, Simpson decided to compete for the title of Miss UCA to represent the campus community and create an impact in Conway and across the state.

Simpson will compete in the Miss Arkansas pageant in June.

What was your initial reaction to being crowned as Miss UCA?

“Initially, I was in complete and utter shock. I was so ecstatic when I heard my name called; I instantly started crying. Just knowing that the hard work and preparation paid off is such a rewarding feeling. It was truly such a special moment for me. I am still over the moon with joy.”

What made you decide to compete in the Miss UCA Pageant?

“I actually competed in my first-ever pageant last November which was Miss Essence here on UCA’s campus. Since I won that pageant, the next step is to compete at the next level, which is Miss UCA. After reading up on the Miss Arkansas Organization and what it stands for, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. The values and

Not only are the polls accessible, but Graybeal said the event creates a friendly environment for voters.

“Our goals are to create a celebratory environment around voting, to encourage students to vote and to provide information about what to expect when voting for first-time voters who may not be familiar with the process,” Graybeal said.

Party at the Polls gave students who voted, such as Van Asche, an easy voting experience.

“Everyone was super friendly. I’ve voted before so I didn’t have any issues, but if I would’ve had to ask questions, I know they would’ve helped me no matter what,” Van Asche said.

Freshman Alora Lowry, a volunteer through Green Bear Coalition and first-time voter, said that it is crucial for students to vote and have their voices heard.

“Voting is not just something for old people, it’s something for us too. I am newly 18, and honestly, I still think of myself as a kid but voting is still for me, and voting is still for my peers even though we are young,” Lowry said.

Van Asche said midterm elections are especially important for young Arkansas

citizens.

“I think midterms are a bit more intimate to Arkansas voters because the way they vote directly impacts Arkansas,” Van Asche said. “More people at UCA should vote because their vote matters, especially during midterms … because we get really low voter turnout here at UCA; we are really hoping that will increase as time goes on.”

Senior Madison Yarbrough said she volunteered at Party at the Polls to encourage students to vote.

“I like to promote it to people our age, especially because we are not the demographic that votes, but we are the demographic that is affected. It affects us more than we think, and we shouldn’t let the older generations make all of our decisions,” Yarbrough said.

Volunteers at Party at the Polls gave out free pizza, cookies, stickers, buttons and more.

Junior Shamyya Taylor said that these incentives helped bring out voters.

“I feel like it’s beneficial because this whole setup encourages you to get out and vote,” Taylor said.

Volunteers also held up signs in front of Donaghey Hall to gain more attraction.

Gabi Pervis takes the title of Greek Goddess

by F elici Ty Auxier Staff Writer

Sigma Kappa’s Gabi Pervis is UCA’s 2022 Greek Goddess, winning overall in the pageant as well as the talent round.

“It feels amazing to win the talent portion. We have worked long and hard for many hours practicing my talent round. I haven’t sang on stage since high school and it felt so nice doing it again for Greek Goddess,” Pervis said.

“Winning talent round overall just made it even better,” Pervis said. “It also feels amazing to be this year’s Greek Goddess. It makes me feel so thankful for the people around for always supporting me and pushing me to do things out of my comfort zone.”

While Pervis won both the talent round and overall, she was still surprised by the results due to the high quality of contestants in the pageant.

“I was definitely very surprised. All the girls that competed in it were so talented and talking to them backstage they were all so nice that I knew that the judges were going to have a tough time deciding,” Pervis said.

Pervis is no newcomer when it comes to the Greek Goddess pageant as she has been attending them since high school.

“To win Greek Goddess means a lot to me. I used to come to these competitions in high school and knew I wanted to compete in them ever since then. To win it overall is a dream come true. I’m so thankful to Sigma Kappa for allowing me to do this and do a talent that I love,” Pervis said.

Greek Goddess 2022 was presented by Sigma Nu fraternity and the event was hosted by sophomore Delta Zeta member Lily Moritz and junior Sigma Nu member Logan Whitten. The event included an introduction, talent round and ended with the formal round.

“The event allows support for all the Greek organizations to come together in a friendly competition,” senior Sigma Nu member Paul Suskie said.

Participants put in a lot of work to prepare for this event as many throw extravagant performances.

“I put a lot of work before the actual event. We had numerous practices lasting until sometimes midnight but it was always a blast. I also made most of the costumes so there was a lot of time put into that,” Pervis said.

Greek Goddess is not all rainbows and butterflies and just because one is running does not mean they find it easy.

“My least favorite part is definitely right before getting on stage. I was so nervous and the whole time I was convincing myself I was going to forget the words or mess up the dance,” Pervis said. “Once I got onto the stage, all my nervousness went away and I was having so much fun. Everyone in the crowd was so encouraging and it made the whole experience way less nerve-wracking.”

The Greek Goddess pageant is held every year, but presented by different Greek organizations. A pageant for fraternity men, known as Greek God, is held every year too.

Miss UCA 2023 Jada Simpson

morals the MAO holds are truly amazing, and I am excited to be involved in it.”

In your own words, what does it mean to be Miss UCA?

“Being Miss UCA is about representing the best university. During my year as Miss UCA, I want to lead with grace and dignity. I want to ensure that I am being an accurate representation of the entire university and that each person I come in contact with feels the love and acceptance that I have to give.”

What are some goals you hope to accomplish during your reign as Miss UCA?

“As Miss UCA, I hope to reach as many people on campus and in our community as possible to share my social impact — an anti-bullying campaign entitled ‘Be a H.E.R.O. (helpful, encouraging, respectful and open) and Just Say No to Bullying. “

What is your favorite thing about UCA?

“My favorite thing about UCA is the community that it creates. UCA is truly one big family, and I am so happy to be a part of it. There is always a shoulder to lean on and a friend to lend a helping hand. You never meet a stranger here. It really is something special.”

In what ways are you involved in the campus community?

“I am involved in many campus organizations: Educators Rising, Student Support Staff, Women of Excellence, Minority Mentorship Program, Student Orientation Staff and IDEAL Leadership Team.”

What are you looking forward to most during your reign as Miss UCA?

“I am looking forward to the entire year. However, I am most looking forward to being able to talk to so many students about my impact, and I am also extremely excited to be competing at the Miss Arkansas competition in June.”

Senior Madison Yarbrough holds a sign to advertise Donaghey Hall’s polling site. Student volunteers held signs for Party at the Polls to encourage student voting and to promote the event.

photo by Torrie Herrington

Top: Jada Simpson (left) smiles as she is crowned by Miss UCA 2022 Nia Kelley (middle) and Miss Arkansas 2022 Ebony Mitchell (right). Bottom: Simpson waves to the audience after being crowned Miss UCA 2023.

photos by Madison Ogle

Gabi Pervis smiles with her awards after earning the title of Greek Goddess 2022. Pervis won the talent round and overall.

photo courtesy of @ucasigmakappa on Instagram

National First-Gen Day unites generations of students

by mAdiSon ogle Sports Editor & Cartoonist

Though the climb to academic success varies between first-generation students, UCA’s celebration of National First-Generation Day in the Ronnie Williams Student Center highlighted both the struggles and successes felt by all generations of first-gen students.

National First-Generation Day, celebrated Nov. 8, is a holiday recognized annually for those who have become or are becoming the first in their family to receive a 4-year degree. This year, UCA’s First Gen Scholars Society hosted Provost Patricia Poulter and allowed her to recount her experience as a firstgeneration graduate.

Poulter said, “Arkansas is plagued by generational poverty. I grew up poor, but I didn’t really realize how poor I was. Poverty is insidious and the myth of pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps makes for a good story, but it’s rarely true. We help others rise, we lift one another up, we see the promise in someone and we do our best to supply them

with the tools they need to succeed.”

Poulter said that while growing up on farmland, she knew she wanted something different from working in the factories or working with corn. Though her mother, father and grandmother on her dad’s side served as supporting figures in her life, Poulter said her mom’s mother was a main source of encouragement.

“Since I didn’t really know how this college thing worked, I applied late. I didn’t have housing and the residence halls were all full,” Poulter said. “I had to get an apartment and my roommate was somebody that was at the ripe old age of 26 who had come back for one semester to finish her degree. I didn’t really have any help there. Enter my grandma. She said she would loan me the money to pay rent.”

While this helped make college easier, Poulter said that the juxtaposition between life in her hometown and life at college made her feel lost and at a disadvantage.

“I got to campus and I felt like I didn’t know anyone, and therefore I didn’t know who I was,” Poulter said. “I was

always me in relation to the things I did and the people I knew. My safety net was gone. It seemed, as I said, like everyone but me knew what they were doing.”

Poulter said that she learned it was OK to not be completely put together and that nobody is ever really perfect. The goal is to push through and listen to those who support you rather than listen to your anxiety.

“I learned that everyone faces difficulty and doubt, and everyone gets through it,” Poulter said. “I learned that everyone struggles in some classes and everyone gets through it. I learned that asking for help and clarification and guidance are signs of strength, not weakness.”

When Poulter later wanted to repay her grandmother for all the rent money she had contributed, Poulter’s grandmother declined the offer. All she requested was that Poulter repay an act of kindness to somebody else.

Madison DuPriest, vice president of UCA’s First Generation Scholars Society, said that her reason for attending the event and celebrating National First-

DIRECTOR

Generation Day stemmed from the pride she has for first-gen students.

“It’s important to me because not only will I be able to help my family, but I’m also setting a path for my family when I have kids, so they don’t have to go through all the struggles that I do,” DuPriest said.

Sophomore Neiya Howell, a member of the First Gen Scholars Society, said that Poulter’s words on overcoming obstacles defined her reasoning for being a firstgen student and wanting to thrive at UCA.

“She said we’re all going through the same things,” Howell said. “Why I’m here is to make sure I succeed so my family and younger cousins and sisters can follow in not just my footsteps, but also their footsteps.”

UCA’s First Generation Scholars Society, also known as UCA’s F1RSTs, is an RSO for both first-gen students and their supporters according to UCA’s website. The driving goal behind the organization is to allow students to share experiences while also offering access to tools that will help them achieve a bountiful college career.

Todd Solondz holds film screening, answers questions

by Kevin King Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, the UCA film program screened “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” followed by a Q&A with the film’s writer and director, Todd Solondz.

Not only did the movie receive the Sundance Film Festival’s grand jury prize in 1996, but it also received a cult following.

The dark comedy follows Dawn, a middle child experiencing the pains of middle school and growing up.

Solondz visited UCA as part of the Artist in Residence program. Solondz also held a screenwriting workshop for students.

Tuesday night marked many people’s first time viewing the film, so the room was buzzing with curiosity once Solondz entered the room in Reynolds Performance Hall.

A wide range of questions were asked, from audience reception to the special guest’s opinions on some of the topics discussed in the film. One student even asked about Solondz’s college experience.

“I was not happy in college and, had

RECIPES

I had the courage, I would have dropped out,” Solondz said. “I think college for many people is great and super, but you have to be the right person and know how to take advantage of it properly.”

Instead, the director was more favorable to film school.

“I was very happy in film school, and there I did have the courage and did drop out,” Solondz said.

Before he parted, Solondz gave words of encouragement to the UCA film students: “I wish you good luck. Work hard and enjoy your time as long as you’re here.”

Mike Durkin’s UCA residency comes to end in Art Pop Up

by bennett tinnermon Editor-in-Chief

Artist in Residence Mike Durkin reached the culmination of his five-week stay at UCA with an “Art Pop Up and Recipe Slam” Nov. 10.

Durkin described the event as “a space that people can come together, eat, talk and witness art.”

The event featured over 70 table setting art pieces that mimicked foods important to the artist. The event also had a spread of recipes. Many were cornbread recipes taped to boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix sat in a section of the Metro Square building in downtown Conway. The recipe portion was compiled by anthropology students with “three different themes of recipes — personal, Ozarks and a local holiday dish,” the event catalog said.

Durkin has collected recipes from members of the community, both on and off campus, to get a view into the food culture of central Arkansas. He has done this project in other areas of the country and said seeing the specifics of central Arkansas has been exciting.

Durkin said that it was interesting to see

how cornbread recipes he’s seen in central Arkansas do not contain sugar, while recipes he saw in Asheville, North Carolina, did.

“We have a variety of students’ artwork that’s been on display. That’s been about five weeks of work,” Durkin said.

One artist, Olivia McCallister, chose to create a cake and plates with spoons and a stack of red Solo cups.

“Upon reading the project guidelines, I knew I wanted to replicate the vinegar cake,” McCallister said in her artist statement. McCallister described the tradition of her grandmother’s vinegar cake and how the process of creating the other pieces of the display made her think more in-depth about what a birthday party is.

Durkin was in six classes during his residence at UCA, primarily in studio art and design classes. The anthropology class that Durkin was a part of centers around food and culture.

Artist Abigail Hess created a loaf of challah that she said in her statement was “intertwined through fellowship.” The loaf is painted with the Star of David, a Bible, instruments, a person dancing, and more.

Durkin was the first Artist in Residence to be sponsored by Engage Management. Morgan Lefler, director of engagement at Engage Management, said they will sponsor one artist a year for the next five years.

“I look at the next five years and I’m like, ‘What are those gonna be like? Those are gonna be even bigger and better than this,” Lefler said.

Lefler attended some of Durkin’s other events and classroom visits during his residency and enjoyed seeing how he connected with students and other individuals.

“Food is more than food in my opinion. Food is about the people and the memories,” Lefler said. “Mike [Durkin] brings that out in people.”

The event catalog can be found online at issuu.com/lesliemacklin/docs/durkin_ tablescape_catalog. The event catalog contains artist statements and recipes for cornbreads in the Ozark region, some personal recipes, Central Arkansas local dishes and more.

More information about the Artist in Residence program can be found at uca. edu/cahss/artists-in-residence.

People of UCA: Ryan Webb

by S ydney A mbru S Staff Writer

Ryan Webb is an ambitious student with a passion for politics and helping others.

“I believe that we all have a duty to make this world a little bit better than what it was when we found it. I plan to do that through public service and politics,” Webb said.

Webb is a freshman from Little Rock, Arkansas, majoring in political science with a minor in journalism. He decided to come to UCA for its political science program.

“Great school, nice location and one of the best political science programs in the state. I would ask, ‘why not UCA?’” Webb said.

Webb has been interested in politics since the 8th grade, where he

came across a video of the 1992 presidential debate between Bill Clinton, Ross Perot and George H.W. Bush. Webb recalled thinking, “This sounds interesting. I want to know more about this.”

The debate sparked a fire in Webb, and he’s had a drive for politics since.

“I just know that I want to make people’s lives better,” Webb said.

Webb has worked on a host of political campaigns for candidates such as Josh Price, Tim Griffin and Jay Martin, and hopes to one day run for political office.

Webb said, “I’ve learned so many lessons.”

Webb said he enjoyed putting his research skills to use, as he was the head policy director for Price.

He even brought this experience to UCA, when he ran for Student Government

Association freshman class president. Webb lost the election but says it is his favorite memory at UCA so far.

“One: because I love campaigning and two: I got to meet so many people, so many excellent people,” Webb said.

Since beginning school at UCA in August, Webb has worked as a student worker at UCA’s Model United Nations and was elected as its secretary.

Outside of UCA, Webb has run a political opinion blog for two years titled, “Webb Times,” where he writes about state, national and global issues.

Webb has three goals that are important to him. The first goal is to graduate college.

“I’d be the first of my siblings to do so, which would mean a great deal to

me,” Webb said.

“The second thing is, I want to make people’s lives better. I want to serve people.”

Lastly, Webb wants to be a man that his mother is proud of.

“I’m so proud of her and I want her to be proud of me,” Webb said Webb said that he is inspired by President Abraham Lincoln, former Arkansas Gov. Dale Bumpers and his mother.

“Abraham Lincoln was a courageous man. It took courage to do what he did,” Webb said. “Dale Bumpers was an example of a good politician that had good morals.”

In his free time, Webb enjoys reading and writing along with playing the video game “NBA 2K” with his friends. Webb also enjoys jujitsu and MMA.

“

“Sweet

“Mac and Cheese. That little brown crispy top when it’s cooked just right is the best side dish you could ever have.”

Story and photos by Amber Austen

Nyla Early freshman Lily Graham freshman

potato casserole with pecans, it’s simply blissful. The pecans are important, It’s just sweet potato mush without them.”

Tanzilia Abytova freshman

“As an international student, I’m not too familiar with Thanksgiving, but my host family is preparing a turkey that I am excited to

Anaiya Smith sophomore

“Greens. All you got to do is throw on some seasoning and add some hot sauce; they’re a 10/10.”

Zariah McDuffy sophomore

“The nice, crispy brown dressing. It’s savory and can go on top of anything.”

What is the best Thanksgiving side dish?

photo by Sydney Ambrus

Ryan Webb is a freshman political science major. Webb was elected secretary of UCA’s Model United Nations and runs a political opinion blog, “Webb Times.”

Amya Salter freshman

“Baked

Mac

and Cheese. It gives me straight melatonin; it puts me straight to sleep.”

photo by Madison Ogle

Provost Patricia Poulter speaks on her background and upbringing as a first-generation college student. Poulter was invited to speak by UCA’s First Gen Scholars Society as part of National First-Generation Day, an annual holiday celebrating first-generation college students.

Upcoming Games

Volleyball

7 p.m., Nov. 17 at Lipscomb Women’s basketball 12 p.m., Nov. 19 at Louisiana-Monroe Football

4 p.m., Nov. 19 vs. Jacksonville State Men’s basketball 5:30 p.m., Nov. 26 vs. Northwestern State

Editor’s Take

Men’s basketball pays tribute to veterans

BY KATHRYN THORNBERRY Sta Writer

The UCA men’s basketball team battled the Hendrix Warriors 10756 using home advantage at the Farris Center Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. The Veterans Day game paid tribute to veterans and swore in new recruits during halftime.

Junior Collin Cooper started with a three-pointer less than one minute into the game.

Senior Eddy Kayouloud followed shortly after with a pullup jump shot, making the score 5-0.

Kayouloud made another jump shot, making the score 8-0 less than three minutes into the game.

Hendrix freshman Colton Berry made the first point for the Warriors, making a free throw and the score 8-1.

Hendrix’s score rose slowly throughout the game.

UCA coach Anthony Boone said the defense played by UCA was a good effort.

Bryan led the oath of enlistment for the recruiters to repeat after him. This was followed by applause from the audience.

Boone said the experience was incredible, and it was an incredible opportunity as well.

“It was great. I never experienced anything like that. And I’m pretty sure our guys never did either,” Boone said. “It was amazing. Very emotional. And I’m glad that we were able to make it happen here and thankful that I and our guys got to watch.”

Boone also thanked some of his family members for their service.

“Certainly thankful for their sacrifices and their service for helping our country to be a better and safer place,” Boone said.

In the second quarter, Klintman was the first to score, making the score 52-23.

By the second half of the second quarter, the Bears were up 7340. Boone not only mentioned the effort from UCA defensively but also offensively.

Basketball su ers loss in second matchup

BY GABE WHITE Assistant Sports Editor

The UCA women’s basketball team (0-2) played against the University of Arkansas (2-0) in its second game of the season on Nov. 11, taking home yet another loss, 72-34.

Sophomore guard Kinley Fisher and freshman guard Parris Atkins proved to be UCA’s stars of the night.

Fisher was on the court for 24 minutes, scoring a respectable seven points in the game, one of those a threepointer.

The Bears only scored two three-pointers throughout the match, with senior guard Kayla Mitchell scoring the first. Atkins demonstrated strong potential in her second game with UCA. Atkins was on the court the longest for the Bears, clocking in at 31 minutes.

BY MADISON OGLE Sports Editor

Ahead of UCA’s matchup against Jacksonville State, the football Bears are likely feeling all the more confident in their ASUN Conference standing. While a loss to Eastern Kentucky stunted some of the flourishing egos amongst the Bears, a quick win over Stephen F. Austin served to sop up that leftover pride.

The Bears will take on the Jacksonville Gamecocks Nov. 19. It’s the last matchup of UCA’s regular season. I’ll be real with you and say I don’t understand ASUN’s Conference standings to determine whether or not the Bears can anticipate hitting the field once more in championships before curtains close.

One thing I do know, however, is that Jacksonville State is more than capable of rocking the Bears’ world and in a rather unapologetic way, mind you.

Not only are the Gamecocks undefeated in their ASUN matchups, they only harbor two losses overall this season.

When UCA has five wins and five losses so far this season, it’s hard to avoid the truth: Jacksonville State takes no prisoners this season.

The Gamecocks likely decided to kick butt this season to make up for a mascot name that sounds like it was conjured up by a 14-year-old who just learned what swear words are.

Rest assured, the pressure has been slathered on thick for these old birds. To take a loss on the road and lose the league title would have them exiled from home base.

It will be Jacksonville State’s first time visiting Estes Stadium, so perhaps they can shack up in UCA’s locker room should the Bears accomplish the unachievable.

My main sentiment through all of this is that the Bears should prepare themselves for a loss to the Gamecocks. No, it doesn’t dampen the successes we’ve pulled off this season.

Sophomore running back Darius Hale will have his fair share of pressure before and during the game as he has become the Bears’ unofficial poster child. Hale is a showman for sure and thrives off of competitive and near-mythical circumstances on the field.

This matchup can be the Bears’ big shot at athletic praise or the Gamecocks’ chance to make another example out of some average joes. A sure outcome can only be determined come Saturday, Nov. 19, at 4 p.m.

“I thought it was a pretty good effort on our guys’ part. Especially defensively,” Boone said. “We had a lot of deflections.”

Following UCA freshman Carl Daughtry Jr.’s driving layup and one of his free throws made, as well as one of UCA sophomore Ibbe Klintman’s free throws made, the score was 50-23 by halftime.

Colonel James Bryan asked the crowd to rise at halftime.

“I would like to say thank you to the University of Central Arkansas and Hendrix College for putting this together today to honor all of us in uniform,” Bryan said.

ROADTRIP WIN

“I thought our effort on the glass was pretty good,” Boone said.

Boone’s words were backed up by the team, as UCA won the game, the final score being 107-56.

The men’s basketball’s first game in the ASUN Conference is away, against Kennesaw State on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 1 p.m.

Boone said preparation for ASUN includes the games they are playing now.

“That’s the preparation — all these games,” Boone said. “We think everything we’re doing in the season, with the travel, with the preparing for each opponent,” Boone said. “Every experience we have is preparing us for ASUN.”

Football dominates ahead of nal ASUN game

BY OLIVIA SNELSON Sta Writer

The UCA Bears football team defeated Stephen F. Austin 34-7 in an ASUN matchup on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Nacogdoches, Texas.

UCA (5-5, 3-1 ASUN), showed a strong offense in the game and earned a part in the 2022 ASUN Conference championship. Stephen F. Austin won the coin toss at the beginning of the game but deferred the choice to the second half of the game.

Stephen F. Austin’s sophomore kicker Dylan Brown began the game with a 64-yard kickoff which was returned 37-yards by UCA’s sophomore running back Kylin James.

UCA junior quarterback Will McElvain made a complete pass to sophomore running back Darius Hale 12-yards across midfield, earning UCA a 1st down.

At 2nd and 5 on the Stephen F. Austin 31-yard line, McElvain made an incomplete pass to junior wide receiver Jarrod Barnes and Stephen F. Austin’s junior defensive back Jeremiah Walker received a penalty for holding.

At 2nd and goal later on in the first quarter, McElvain made a complete pass to junior tight end Austin Eldridge, who rushed 3-yards to a touchdown for UCA. This was the first touchdown of the game.

Senior kicker Hayden Ray had a successful kick attempt which helped to secure UCA’s lead over Stephen F. Austin 7-0 by the end of the first quarter.

UCA started off the second quarter with a successful field goal attempt made by Ray, making the score 10-0 in favor of the Bears.

The third touchdown was made by James who rushed 20-yards. Immediately after the touchdown, UCA also received a penalty for a false start and the kick attempt made by Ray was once again successful.

Just before the end of the

first half, Ray made a successful field goal attempt at the 30-yard line with 7 seconds remaining on the clock. UCA finished the first half in the lead 20-0.

Stephen F. Austin’s defense still could not keep up with UCA’s offense in the second half of the game with UCA scoring two more touchdowns in the third quarter.

Coach Nathan Brown complimented his team in a statement on UCAsports.com

“That was one of the best [defensive] game plans we’ve put together all year,” Brown said. “They’ve been playing winning football every week. And that’s an explosive offense. You’ve got Trae Self and Xavier Gipson, about as good a combo as there is at the FCS level, and we held them at bay.”

“I thought Cameron Godfrey might have had his best night. I don’t know about statistically, but he mirrored Xavier Gipson

all night, and that was huge. And our front seven won the line of scrimmage and I think that was the key throughout the game.”

Stephen F. Austin did not make a touchdown until the end of the fourth quarter with 1:38 left on the clock.

The Bears will have their last game of the season Saturday, Nov. 19, against Jacksonville State at home. The game will kick off at 4 p.m.

While Atkins also scored seven points, she took 16 field goal attempts, the most for a UCA player.

The Bears took the first two points a little over a minute into the game, senior guard Siera Carter sinking two free throws.

The Razorbacks quickly responded with a jump shot in the paint from sophomore guard Samara Spencer.

The score gap continued to widen after senior guard Makayla Daniels took a fast break to the paint, taking the Razorbacks to eight points.

The Bears finally pushed back following a 30-second timeout, with junior forward Kyjai Miles scoring two points with a jump shot.

Atkins scored her first two points of the game with a fast break, with nearly two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

With 19 seconds remaining, the Razorbacks’ sophomore guard/forward Jersey Wolfenbarger scored the second three-pointer of the night, ending the first quarter 16-9, the Bears trying their best to hold on.

UCA continued to try and catch up to UofA with a layup by junior forward Kierra Prim.

Adding yet another threepointer, this one by Daniels, the Razorbacks broke through the 20-point threshold, Daniels returning with a fast break jump shot only a minute later.

Daniels quickly began to make a streak of her own, scoring two free throws and a jump shot in the paint, 32-11.

The Bears finally made its second point of the quarter with a free throw by Atkins, Dauda responding with two free throws of her own.

With four seconds left, Fisher scored a jump shot for UCA, ending the first half, 3514.

The third quarter began with two free throws by Barnum, the Bears returning with a jump shot by Mitchell.

UofA shot up to 41 points after a layup by Barnum, UCA catching its breath at 17 points.

The Bears finally secured 20 points with a jump shot by Atkins, Carr hitting her second three-pointer just before.

The scoreboard remained frozen for a minute and a half until Dauda scored two points with a fast break.

Langerman scored three points with a layup and a free throw, the last points made in the third quarter.

The final quarter began 52-24, the Razorbacks hustling to the finish line with a 28 points lead.

Following a two-point layup by Barnum, neither team scored for nearly two minutes, Barnum breaking the silence with two free throws, 61-32.

Barnum quickly scored five points with a jump shot, free throw and layup.

UCA didn’t score another point until it was too late, Atkins bagging a layup with only 42 seconds remaining.

The match ended with a second win for the Razorbacks, 72-34.

The Bear’s next game will be against the LouisianaMonroe Warhawks (1-1) on Nov. 19.

A mournful fall finale may be in the Bears’ future

photos by Madison Ogle

(Top) Servicemen present the colors during the men’s basketball “Salute to Service” game.

(Bottom) Sophomore guard/forward Elias Cato (left) leaps for a dunk ahead of Hendrix junior guard Jackson Parks.

Stephen F. Austin senior runing back Miles Reed (bottom) clutches the ball from UCA sophomore linebacker Demetrias

Charles (top) and UCA sophomore running back Darisu hale (left). The Bears face Jacksonville State Nov. 19.

photo by Madison Ogle

The Echo Staff

Bennett Tinnermon Editor-in-Chief

Waddell Associate Editor

Sydney Cyr News Editor

Will McDonald Assistant News Editor

Maci England Campus Life Editor

Austen Assistant Campus Life Editor

Courtney Shepherd Opinion Editor

narrative is problematic, unfair

Here are some views about laziness: Nobody wants to be called lazy. Laziness is irresponsible, immature, shameful and gross. Lazy people are entitled losers who don’t contribute anything to the world.

You are lazy if you take your spare time to rest or relax instead of using it to be productive. If you choose to order takeout instead of cooking a healthy meal and cleaning the kitchen, you are lazy.

If you choose to sit on your phone instead of doing your skin care routine, making your bed or starting a load of laundry, you are so disgustingly lazy. If you choose to take a nap instead of going to the gym or doing your homework, you are so embarrassingly lazy that I can’t associate with you.

Oh, I almost forgot … if you’re poor, you’re lazy. If you’re disabled, you’re lazy. If you aren’t white, you’re lazy. Should I keep going? Obviously not because this is ridiculous.

The viewpoint above is problematic for many reasons, but it is the pervasive narrative surrounding laziness.

Americans couldn’t possibly be experiencing systemic racism, discrimination in the workplace, unequal opportunities or unequal pay, they must just be lazy.

People with disabilities also face the stereotype of being lazy. Disabled people couldn’t possibly be experiencing chronic pain and fatigue and have genuine physical limitations. Nope! They are just

There are countless examples of how this laziness narrative is being used against all different types of people.

Sure, there are exceptions to my point, but in general, we need to abandon this harmful narrative surrounding

The Voice

Food insecurity in students should be top priority to UCA

The Bear Essentials Food Pantry recently shared a photo on Facebook show casing the aftermath of 40 clients visiting in a day.

“Please help,” the pantry staff said in their post. “Our shelves are almost bare. Anything you can donate is welcome!”

What used to be a stocked pantry, full of donations from the Conway community, is now picked over, forcing the staff to beg its Facebook followers for help to restock its shelves.

With Thanksgiving break on the hori zon, it is the perfect time to prioritize sup port to one of UCA’s most vital resources.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to look forward to a warm, home-cooked meal next week. In fact, some college students suffer from food insecurity every day.

Our administration’s priorities must be misplaced if the food pantry is being forced to beg for donations to feed the students that UCA claims it cares about.

Such a prevalent issue cannot be swept under the rug. Of course, students should give when they are able, but college students do not have the means to provide the kind of constant support that the pantry requires. There are things students can do to help, but this issue should not fall on the shoulders of students alone. The issue is far too important.

UCA administration should be held accountable to take the leading role in combating hunger on campus. We attend a university with outrageously expensive meal plans. With all of that money, I’m sure the university has some to spare for such an important cause. The success of a large portion of their student population depends on it.

by Sydney Cyr News Editor

Everybody has their limits and they vary based on mental, physical, emotional and environmental needs at any given time. People aren’t lazy — they just have a wide variety of needs that don’t naturally center around productivity and work.

A 2016 study from Students Against Hunger found that 48% of college students reported food insecurity in the previous 30 days, “including 22% with very low levels that qualify them as hungry.”

Delaney Van Wilpe Entertainment Editor Emily Kennard Online Editor

Ogle Sports Editor/Cartoonist

Calling someone lazy is a great way to sell yourself to capitalist interests. Your value as a human being is tied to your productivity and work ethic, so don’t be “lazy” unless you’re OK with having absolutely no value.

Calling someone lazy is also a great way to ignore social issues and unfair wages. Just blame someone’s struggles on laziness and ignore all the other factors at play.

If you’re poor, you must be lazy. It couldn’t possibly be because your labor is being exploited by a greedy corporation and you are being underpaid.

The racist stereotype that Black people are lazy, which has been heavily used against the Black community for years, is another example of this, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. African

Imagine this: A person wakes up and takes time out of their day to get ready for a big event that is happening later. They’ve waited for weeks for this and they’re really curious to see how well it could turn out. When they finally get to their seat, they feel relieved. Once the lights go dim, everyone stops talking and begins to pay attention to the performers on stage — except for a few of the people around them.

The people around them remain on their phones and cannot take any of their time to appreciate the performance.

I don’t have to imagine this scenario, considering it was my own story. I watched an orchestra perform a couple of weeks ago and the same thought kept reappearing in my head: why can’t people respect a performer’s time?

It is highly disrespectful to come to an event where you refuse to even pay attention.

Don’t feel guilty for being lazy. Instead, look at it as a sign that your battery is running low and you need to recharge.

Let’s think of rest as an important task on our list of things to accomplish. Resting isn’t lazy. Resting is productive because you cannot function properly without it.

In his book Laziness Does Not Exist, Devon Price said, “By advocating for our right to be ‘lazy,’ we can carve out space in our lives for play, relaxation and recovery.

I also discovered the immense relief that comes when we cease tying our self-image to how many items we check off our to-do lists.”

You aren’t a machine, so ignore the pressure to behave like one. You aren’t lazy, you’re just human.

bystander, it is disheartening and angering to see that type of behavior.

As someone who has been on both sides of the venue before, I’ve seen my fair share of people not respecting the performers. As a viewer, I’ve seen a lot of people talk throughout shows and not display this common courtesy to others and to the performer. As a performer, I’ve had the ability to glance out into the audience and notice when people are not

Acting this way distracts the performer from what they are doing and can open their mind to unwanted thoughts. A person who is distracted by someone on their phone in the audience may think “Why aren’t they paying attention to me?” or “I can’t believe they paid for this but they’d rather check their inbox or play Candy Crush.”

The study found that Black students were affected at a higher rate — 57% reported food insecurity compared to their peers. These numbers highlight an unbalanced precedent on college campuses across the country, and they are sober ing, especially when considering the high demand that the Bear Essentials Pantry cur rently faces.

Students should not have to worry about where their next meal will come from when pursuing their education. Without access to the most basic of necessities, foodinsecure students cannot be expected to perform at the same level as those who are privileged enough to have access to food.

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health conducted a long-term study on food insecurity in college stu dents. Findings indicated that food insecurity among college students is not only associated with lower college gradua tion rates and a lower chance of obtaining a bachelor’s or advanced degree but is also a contributing cause.

Food insecurity, defined by the study as “a household’s lack of consistent access to adequate food resources,” was also found to impact first-generation college students at a higher rate — where only 47% received a degree.

According to FirstGen@UCA, nearly 30% of new students at UCA are first-gen eration, meaning they are the first in their families to attend college.

by Julia TranTham Staff Writer

What is the point of showing up if you are just going to create your own show in the form of distracting everyone else?

Doing this is also just flat-out rude. If you are going to go to an event where a person is showcasing their talent, why would you come if you are just going to sit there and not watch or respect it? There are plenty of artists who put hours into their craft, trying to master it for the people around them to enjoy — you’re just sitting there and not paying attention. As a

Artists are taking a risk by putting themselves out there live and in person, but people are too inconsiderate to care. They are often so inconsiderate to the point where they don’t even bother trying to fake their interest.

Next time you are at an event, please consider the feelings of others. Not only do the performers want your attention, but the audience does as well. Only doing what you want to do during that time isn’t an excuse. It’s time to take the feelings of others into account and act accordingly.

Now, you may choose to brush this issue off, but food insecurity affects Arkansans more than you think. We are the fourth poorest state in the country — with a poverty rate of 15.1% — and the second highest percentage of households experiencing food insecurity in the nation, according to the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

If that isn’t local enough for you, Faulkner county’s percentage of foodinsecure households matches that of the state percentage, according to Aspire Arkansas. To put that into perspective, 18,870 households in Faulkner county experienced food insecurity in 2019.

Low-income students deserve equal ac cess to opportunities and success. There is no reason that any student should be foodinsecure on a campus that has the means to provide it for a high cost.

Mia

Madison

Addi Freeman Assistant Online Editor

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Gabe White Assistant Sports Editor

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Nov.

Joji album falls flat with discombobulated tracks

Nov. 18 — The Menu (R),

Nov. 23 — Bones and All (R), directed by Luca Guadagnino, starring Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Russell and Mark Rylance

Movies Music

Alternative pop and R&B artist Joji’s new album “SMITHEREENS” is a dull compilation of sloppily written and produced songs that is more of an unfinished project than a fully fleshedout record.

The album has a promising start with the lead single “Glimpse of Us,” a sentimental ballad about finding remnants of a past relationship in a new lover. Joji gloomily sings “‘Cause sometimes I look in her eyes/ And that’s where I find a glimpse of us/ And I try to fall for her touch/ But I’m thinking of the way it was” over tender piano instrumentals.

levitate (Levitate, levitate)/ Like an atom, separate (Like an atom, separate)/ Elaborate, elaborate (Elaborate)” over a messily puttogether beat.

Nov. 18 — Feed Tha Streets III — Roddy Ricch

Nov. 18 — Thin Ice on the Cake — Cautious Clay Nov. 18 — Girl Of My Dreams — FLETCHER

Nov. 18 — Get Rollin’ — Nickleback

Nov. 18 — Is This What It Feels Like to Feel Like This? — The Wombats

Nov. 18 — And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow — Weyes Blood

Nov. 25 — This Is What I Mean — Stormzy

21 Savage, Drake make predictable, narcissistic album

by dElanEy Van WilpE Entertainment Editor

For all the hits that 21 Savage and Drake have produced — including “Sneakin’,” “Jimmy Cooks,” “Mr. Right Now” and “Knife Talk” — their recent joint album, “Her Loss,” falters all potential expectations.

The duo did make a promising start with “Rich Flex.” It had great energy and a call-and-response between 21 and Drake to begin the song, making it seem like the rest of the album would be far more collaborative than it actually was.

Unfortunately, “Her Loss” had too much Drake and too little 21 Savage for my liking. Of course, Drake made up for 21’s absence with corny, uninspired lyrics like, “Cuban girl, a fan of ground coffee.”

The lengthy, 16-track album did have some shining beacons of light like “P***y & Millions” The songs that do outshine the rest have good energy, yet it all seems familiar. Nothing was revolutionary.

Streaming Services

Nov. 18 — Disenchanted

Nov. 18 — Slumberland directed by Francis Lawrence, starring Jason Momoa, Mercedes Blanche and Chris O’Dowd (Netflix)

These beacons, however, don’t make up for Drake’s out-of-pocket slights toward Meg Thee Stallion, DRAM, Ice Spice and Alexis Ohanian. Drake simultaneously dragged 21 Savage into random beef and made a fool of himself in “Her Loss.”

Drake makes a reference to Tory Lanez shooting Meg Thee Stallion in “Circo Loco.” Drake raps, “This bitch lie ‘bout gettin’ shots, but she still a stallion.” Ironically, Meg also happened to have a writing credit on the album’s first track “Rich Flex” — not a good look for Drake.

Meg responded on Twitter: “I know I’m very popular but y’all gotta stop attaching weak ass conspiracy theories in bars to my name lol.”

“Circo Loco” sampled Daft Punk’s “One More Time,” making it an unfortunately good song. It is a shame that it is clouded by Drake’s disrespectful and out-of-touch penmanship.

If there wasn’t enough irony in Drake calling out someone who contributed to his album, he puts on a show and calls himself a feminist in the track “On BS.”

another standout song. Drake sings, “Damn, just turned on the news and seen that men who never got [any] in school/ Are makin’ laws about what women can do.”

His feminist act may have been convincing if it weren’t for him calling women hoes and making a mockery of another woman, whom he benefitted from, being shot.

On the bright side, Drake and 21 compliment one another in “On BS.” The repeated lines of 21 rapping, “On that bullshit, on that bullshit,” was also a perfect reflection of Drake’s approach to this album.

Drake also calls out Serena William’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, in “Middle of the Ocean’’ in an unnecessary and unnatural way.

Drake interrupts his flow and raps, “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie.”

A bitter Drake has unabashedly supported Serena Williams at her matches even after their failed relationship, making this line more embarrassing for him than Ohanian.

Ohanian responded on Instagram and wrote: “The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the absolute best at whatever I do — including being the best groupie for my wife and daughter.”

In another ironic move that sums up this album’s attitude, Drake calls out a girl for putting him down to make her feel better about herself in “Hours in Silence.”

He sings, “My confidence is super low … Know you got my confidence on sale/ Case you wanna feel better ‘bout yourself.”

Drake, is that not what you were doing this whole album?

Where “Her Loss” falters, 21 and Drake made up for it in the album’s rollout. They released a fake Vogue cover, which resulted in a lawsuit from Vogue; a fake Howard Stern interview, which impressed Stern; and a fake SNL performance, which was released as a music video.

After the opening track, there are a couple of short-lived high points. The songs “Die For You” and “Before The Day Is Over” are well-structured and thoughtful. In “Die For You,” Joji catchily chants, “I hope you’re getting everything you needed/ Find the puzzle piece and feel completed/ Just wanted you to know every reason” over a soothing production.

“Before The Day Is Over” navigates the never-ending maze of a dying relationship as he sings, “I can’t take another day/ I could go insane/ There’s only so much I can take/ I can’t live this way.”

The rest of the album does not follow these three songs’ memorability.

The remaining songs are composed of uninspired lyrics, over-grating sound mixing and trap beats, making for a forgettable listening experience.

The song “Dissolve,” which starts off as a warm acoustic song, is tainted by Joji’s aggressively autotuned voice. It’s a seemingly melodious moment interrupted by an unattractive use of autotune.

Cutting back on the autotune would’ve made the track stand out from the rest of the album and give listeners a pleasant break from the more energetic tracks on the record.

Another unsatisfactory song is “BLAHBLAHBLAH Demo.” As the track title suggests, the song is not refined and plays out like a rough draft that was not given enough attention in the studio. Joji lazily repeats, “Levitate,

The concluding song, “1AM FREESTYLE” is a directionless finale to an album that is already held up together by demos disguised as complete songs and pretentious trap beats. The album would stand stronger if the songs didn’t feel so rough around the edges. The audience is misled by a series of substantial opening tracks that leads to a barren wasteland of half-written songs. Essentially, the majority of the album consists of filler songs, which is not something Joji can afford considering the album is only 24 minutes long.

A smarter approach would be to take more time with each song to polish them up. It seems like Joji intended for the album to appear seamless, yet it comes across as the opposite. Songs such as “NIGHT RIDER” and “Feeling Like The End” flatten the atmosphere and make the album feel like a tedious chore the listener halfheartedly entertains. Unfortunately, the album just lacks the heart and logical construction that Joji’s previous work, like the album “Nectar,” has.

“SMITHEREENS” is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and other streaming platforms.

‘Falling for Christmas’ falls short

Whenever it gets cold outside, what’s on my mind isn’t copping a cup of hot cocoa or decorating trees. As soon as a single snow flurry floats from the sky, I’m thinking about what bullshit they put on Netflix this year.

This year, one of these movies is “Falling for Christmas,” a movie that seemed to have scrapped its entire soundtrack budget to bag Lindsay Lohan, the “Freaky Friday” star, as the lead.

One prominent part of the soundtrack is Lohan singing “Jingle Bell Rock,” a callback to her role in the cult classic “Mean Girls,” but the single’s rap feature is a jarring choice for a Christmas song. Ali Tomineek raps, “I think I fell in love again, but I’m done/ Bring it back to Lindsay Lohan, ha ha ha.”

Lohan’s character, Sierra Belmont, is an heiress to a large hospitality business and has every need taken care of for her. Offered a fake “vice president of atmosphere” job to work with her father, she thinks about her potential, and of course, her dead mom.

On the way to a snowy photo shoot with her boyfriend Tad, Sierra sings to Christmas music, but Tad calls her pitchy and changes the station, sealing Tad’s fate as the discarded love interest. Her life’s put on a complete pause when she gets amnesia and is separated from Tad.

my memory of her “Parent Trap” (1998) performance. So, it’s hard to imagine the spoiled heiress as anything other than an infantilized 36-year-old woman.

Chord Overstreet, who you might recognize as the annoying blond kid from “Glee,” does a good job of playing Jake who owns a fruitless ski lodge owned by his dead wife’s family. His main personality trait is being helpful.

Nov. 18 — Mickey:

Five songs to never stop playing

Drake raps, “I’m a gentleman, I’m generous/ I blow a half a million on you hoes, I’m a feminist.”

As a self-proclaimed feminist, Drake also calls out politicians in “Spin Bout U,”

1. ‘Dream’ by Al Green

If you know me, you know my inclination to listen to an Al Green song, especially “Love and Happiness” or “Tired of Being Alone.” But, trust me, allowing him and his team of soft melodies to lull you to sleep in “Dream” is a soulful experience.

Green’s fervent tone begs you to let the dream last a little longer. It is a starry reminiscence of a daydream you aren’t willing to let go of. The fuzzy intermission in the middle of the song truly feels like you have fallen asleep, and are shortly awakened by a mellow, shimmering guitar solo before the song fades to an end.

Despite this hilarious rollout and occasional 21 features, I do not recommend this album unless you are looking for a predictable, narcissistic album.

“Her Loss” is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, YouTube Music and other streaming platforms.

2. ‘By Your Side’ by Sade

Sade sings about a true and unwavering love, effortlessly crafting my future wedding song before I’ve even experienced the feeling she refers to. Best enjoyed on a rainy day, this ballad feels like a warm hug from someone you trust to protect your heart. Sade has perfected the art of creating a unique vibe for each song on her album, “Lovers Rock,” while maintaining the rhythmic tone and acoustics that are true to her. My favorite part of this song, aside from her balmy serenade, is the faint squeak from the strings of her guitar in the background.

The movie follows Tad’s adventures for occasional comic relief, but the meat of the story takes place at the North Star Lodge after the sheriff sends Sierra home with a complete stranger.

The movie never specifies her age, but this woman played teenagers in 2004. No amount of cheek and lip fillers can erase

3. ‘Charlene’ by Anthony Hamilton

This song is my childhood — a song that my mom, sister and I have absent-mindedly harmonized in the car since I was too little to appreciate its beauty. It’s the kind of song you wake up to on Sunday morning that lets you know you’re going to spend the next few hours cleaning the house. Hamilton’s smooth falsetto is a well-added bonus to the story he tells. It blends delicately throughout the chorus, as if you’re given an opportunity to hear Hamilton’s pleas with Charlene to come home to him after he neglected her love. Despite his neglect, he knows she’ll return.

I have no problems with either Lohan’s or Overstreet’s performances, though Lohan does read her lines like a narrator at times. The main problem is, in romantic comedies, you have to act like you’re in love with each other. Even when the movie is bad, good chemistry can make it a classic.

I knew going in that “Falling” wouldn’t hold a (cinnamon) candle to Netflix’s “The Princess Switch” (2018), but admittedly, I expected a

4. ‘Tears Dry (Original Version)’ by Amy Winehouse

The emotional connection I have to the meaning of this song has transformed throughout my life. What began as an addition to my appreciation for the enigma that is Winehouse, ended as a relation to lyrics I never figured I’d be old enough to understand. The only person who loves Winehouse’s music more than me is my mom, who introduced me to the artist at a young age. This song emulates strength in the face of heartbreak. It’s picking yourself up after someone else broke you, or as Winehouse puts it, letting your tears dry on their own.

a little interesting. But, to be fair, Hudgens was given much more to work with, plot and dialoguewise, than what “Falling for Christmas” director Janeen Damian gave Lohan.

If anyone’s too busy taking care of their dead wife’s family’s lodge to catch her comeback to film this holiday season, you can rest easy knowing that Lohan’s booked two more original films with Netflix. “Irish Wish” will be another rom-com with a Lohan appearance. It is currently in post-production and is coming out 2023.

“Falling for Christmas” released Nov. 10, is available to watch on Netflix.

5.

‘This Feeling’ by Alabama

Shakes

I’ve grown so fond of the warm and euphonious melodies of Brittany Howard’s unique tone that I have a hard time focusing every time this song plays through my headphones. Something about the emotions she bares to her audience, through a collection of harmonies and poetry-like whispers, feels familiar to me. On my best day, this song glosses my eyes with tears and reminds me of how it feels to try my hand at happiness. It mirrors the reality of struggling with depression or sadness, but knowing that you will eventually come out on the other side.

film that’s at least better than “The Princess Switch: Switched Again” or “The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star.” Somehow, they just can’t compare. Vanessa Hudgens’ performances make those sequels at least

21 Savage (left) and Drake pose for a faux Vogue cover as a part of the rollout of “Her Loss.” Condé Nast, publisher of Vogue, filed a lawsuit against the duo Nov. 7.

directed by Maria Schrader, starring Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan and Patricia Clarkson

directed by Mark Mylod, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes and Nicholas Hoult

The Story of a Mouse, directed by Jeff Malmberg, starring Walt Disney, Andy Warhol and Bret Iwan (Disney +)

directed by Adam Shankman, starring Amy Adams, Alan Tudyk and James Marsden (Disney +)

by Emily KEnnard Online Editor

by anna yanosicK Staff Writer

photo courtesy of drakerelated.com

photo courtesy of shop.jojimusic.com

Nov. 18 — The People We Hate at the Wedding, directed by Claire Scanlon, starring Allison Janney, Ben Platt and Cythia AddaiRobinson (Prime Video)

Lindsay Lohan (left) and Chord Overstreet star in “Falling for Christmas.” Netflix released the festive film Nov. 10.

photo courtesy of netflix.com

Wichita leaves Bears with shocking loss

BY GABE WHITE Assistant Sports Editor

The UCA men’s basketball team (0-1) tipped off its 20222023 season with a 79-55 loss against the Wichita State Shockers (1-0) on Nov. 7.

This is only the second time that the Bears have played against the Shockers.

Sophomore guard Camren Hunter led the Bears with 13 points while on the court for 35 minutes.

Freshman guard Johannes Kirsipuu turned in a promising performance by earning 13 points as well, only being on the court for 17 minutes.

The match began with the ball in Wichita’s possession, quickly scoring two points with a layup from senior guard Craig Porter Jr.

Three minutes and 36 seconds into the game the Shockers held an 11-point lead, the Bears finally answered with a two-pointer from junior guard Masai Olowokere.

The Bears inched closer when Hunter made two free

throws, finally cracking 10 points with Wichita at 14.

The Shockers broke the 4-point difference when redshirt freshman forward Isaac Abidde scored two points from within the free throw lane.

Wichita passed the 20 points mark with a layup by senior forward James Rojas, making the score 21-14.

After being stuck at 14 points for quite some time, the Bears advanced to 16 points following a hook shot by Hunter, Wichita returned the favor only eleven seconds later with a two-pointer.

Porter Jr. scored the first three-pointer of the night with nearly eight minutes left in the first half, giving the Shockers an 11-point lead.

Wichita continued to leave UCA in the dust, scoring two points with a backdoor cut from junior guard Jaykwon Walton, the score 31-16.

With less than five seconds left in the first half, the Bears’ senior guard/forward Eddy Kayouloud went for a last shot, only to be blocked by

sophomore center Quincy Ballard.

The Bears entered the second half 20 points behind the Shockers, 41-21.

Porter Jr. opened the second half with a three-pointer for the Shockers after both teams struggled to score for the first minute.

UCA fired back a few seconds later with a threepointer of its own from sophomore guard/forward Ibbe Klintman.

Walton rushed past Hunter and Kayouloud, stealing the ball to make another 2 points for Wichita with a layup.

The Bears quickly shot up seven points following a twopointer from Klintman, making the score 48-32. Wichita followed up with its fifth threepointer, and Rojas’ first.

Hunter continued to help carry the Bears with a twopointer, giving him 13 points in the game.

The Shockers continued to rack up three-pointers, senior forward Gus Okafor making his first of the night.

With an assist by sophomore guard Jaron Pierre Jr., Ballard gave Wichita two more points with a layup, pushing the Shockers past 60 points.

Ballard scored another two points after an offensive rebound.

Not stopping, Ballard continued to dominate the court with a dunk, stealing another two points.

As if one dunk wasn’t enough, Pierre Jr. sped across the court, landing a dunk and cracking 70 points, the Bears at 45.

With a minute and a half left in the game, Kayouloud rushed UCA to 50 points after an assist by Kirsipuu.

With nearly a minute left, Kirsipuu made his second three-pointer of the night.

The game ended in Wichita’s favor after missed shots by Olowokere and Kirsipuu, 79-55.

The Bears’ next game is the ASUN/Metro Altlantic Athetic Conference Dublin Challenge Nov. 18 in Ireland against Niagara University (0-1).

Mitchell prepares for upcoming matchups

BY MACI ENGLAND Campus Life Editor

Kayla Mitchell is a senior psychology major and Sugar Bear basketball player who dreams of combining her love of psychology with her love for basketball as a sports counselor after she graduates.

“I want to help other athletes that may struggle with mental health,” Mitchell said.

“I’ve always been interested in the brain.”

Mitchell is from Jonesboro, Arkansas, and played various sports growing up.

“Basketball was the second sport I tried to play growing up,” Mitchell said. “I tried volleyball at first in elementary school but I didn’t like it so I ended up changing to basketball and have loved it ever since.”

Bears snag spot in ASUN Championships

BY ADDI FREEMAN Assistant Online Editor

The UCA men’s soccer team (6-4-6, 5-1-2 ASUN) went head-to-head against the Bellarmine Knights (6-4-8, 2-3-3 ASUN) on Nov. 7, resulting in a score of 2-2 and win for the Bears by way of penalty kicks.

The ASUN semifinal game was tense from the first minute as the teams were equally matched in skill and defensive plays.

Sixth-seeded Bellarmine started off strong, with junior defender Brock Pope scoring the first goal of the match by 19:49 in the first half. Bellarmine kept their team fresh with several substitutions throughout the match, but it wasn’t enough to keep the win from the Bears.

The Bears didn’t manage to score in the first half, but came back into the match hot when senior forward Sebastian Andreassen scored at 35:21 with an assist from sophomore defender Richy LapointeGuevara. This was Andreassen’s eighth goal of the season.

UCA didn’t take long to score its second goal of the evening, courtesy of sophomore

Naicker said, “I felt energized; I just felt real happy getting the boys back in [the game]. Obviously, one goal behind in the beginning, just to come back and score…is more than words can describe. I’m just really happy in general.”

By the end of the second half, Bellarmine had scored again, tying up the score 2-2 and sending the match into two, 10-minute overtimes.

The first overtime resulted in no scores for either side. The second saw a last second block by the Bears’ goalie, junior Zach Schawl, moving the match into penalty kicks to decide the winner.

UCA scored all three of its penalty kicks, served by Andreassen, freshman forward Pietro Fontana and freshman midfielder Ignacio Bellina. Each of Bellarmine’s kicks were stopped by Schawl.

Plenty of Bear fans showed up at the match to cheer on the team, with members of most of UCA’s athletic teams coming to support their fellow Bears.

Student-created and -loved mascot, Boo the Bear, was present and kept morale high

with sideline dances and a “Go Bears” poster.

Boo showed up in support because “it’s a championship game. We’re trying to go to the finals and prove ourselves right. Roll Bears,” Boo said.

Also on the sidelines was athletic director for UCA, Brad Teague.

“Anytime at home when you can have this kind of crowd and this kind of excitement and then win with penalty kicks, it’s pretty exciting — pretty amazing. I’m happy for the men,” Teague said.

Leading up to the ASUN Conference championships against Lipscomb University, the Bears will be working on their starting momentum.

Naicker said, “Just momentum from the beginning, you know, starting strong from the start. I think that’s a big focus for us.”

As UCA played Bellarmine, Lipscomb University faced off against Florida Gulf Coast University, which also went into overtime to determine who advanced to the championships.

The Bears played the Lipscomb Bison in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, Nov. 11. The Bears lost 6-2 to the Bisons and failed to secure a spot in the NCAA championships.

Mitchell enjoys attending UCA because she’s close to her family and friends here. This wasn’t always the case, as Mitchell began her collegiate basketball career at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas — where she played for three seasons.

While a Lamar Cardinal, Mitchell led the team with 84 assists and ranked second on the team with 28 steals.

Mitchell decided to enter the transfer portal last year and is happy to be back in her home state.

“My favorite thing about playing for UCA is playing in my home state close to home where

my family and friends can watch me play,” Mitchell said. Mitchell said her favorite thing about basketball is “the competitive nature that it brings and the togetherness.”

Mitchell is a guard for the Sugar Bear basketball team.

In the season opener at Kansas State on Nov. 11, Mitchell scored six points. Despite Mitchell’s and the team’s best efforts, the Sugar Bears lost to the Wildcats 8343.

“I think we did a good job early of playing with them, it didn’t really get bad until later past halftime,” Mitchell said. “We did good on our team defense. We could improve on our transition defense, though.”

Regardless of the loss against Kansas State, Mitchell looks forward to the upcoming season, which, as a senior, will be her last.

“I’m looking for a lot of wins this upcoming season and just helping out my team in any way possible,” Mitchell said.

Outside of basketball, Mitchell has a passion for fashion and personal style.

“I really like shopping and putting clothes together,” Mitchell said. “I really enjoy being stylish and expressing myself through clothing.”

Mitchell and the rest of the Sugar Bears will team up against the University of LouisianaMonroe Warhawks at FantEwing Coliseum Saturday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m.

Bears meet end of the road against Lipscomb

BY SYDNEY CYR News Editor

The UCA men’s soccer team lost to the Lipscomb Bisons 6-2 Saturday, Nov. 12, ending a winning streak of seven games for the Bears and finishing the ASUN Championship as runners-up for the second year in a row.

The Bisons scored three goals in the first half, gaining a significant lead that the Bears couldn’t recover from during the game.

In the second half, the Bears scored two goals and the Bisons scored three more goals.

Nationally, Lipscomb is ranked much higher than UCA. The Bears weren’t able to have Coach Frank Kohlenstein at the game because he was red-carded in the semi-finals — suspending him from the championship game.

Junior goalkeeper Zach Schawl said, “Obviously not having your head coach there is difficult, but at the end of the day, we were professionals about it and I don’t think it bothered us too much. Our other coaching staff is experienced as well, so not having our coach had no effect on how we played. It all just came down to the players.”

In the first half hour of the game, neither team was able to score. Senior forward Sebastian Andreassen and senior midfielder Karim Diao both attempted to score goals for the

Bears, but neither of the shots landed.

In the 29th minute of the game, Lipscomb got a goal, followed by a second goal nearly two minutes later. The Bisons scored a third goal just before halftime.

UCA’s senior forward Mathias Bendiksen scored the first goal for the Bears at the beginning of the second half.

The Bisons then scored three consecutive goals within 10 minutes.

“There’s not much of a personal highlight I feel I can take credit for after allowing six goals. I think the highlight overall is it exposes what exactly needs to be done before next season and thankfully we have the spring semester to work on it,” Schawl said.

Diao was able to score the second goal for the Bears toward the end of the game, but the Bisons outscored the Bears by a wide margin to win the game.

Diao said he was upset about the result of the game.

Schawl said the team was disappointed by the result, but he knows the team can improve.

“We know we are capable of better, but we just didn’t show up,” Schawl said. “It’s definitely hard to say what we did well after a game like that, but we for sure need to trust in ourselves more and realize that we are better than what we give ourselves credit for.”

Kayla Mitchell is a senior guard for the Sugar Bears basketball team. She’s focused on future matchups in spite of a recent loss to Kansas State.

ASUN VICTORY

photo courtesy of Kayla Mitchell

UCA players Jonathan Randall (middle) and Daniel Shabani (bottom right) dribble the ball in the ASUN semi-fnal game. The Bears went on to win the match 3-2 after two, 10-minute overtimes and three penalty kicks, moving to the ASUN Championship game the following weekend.

photo by Addi Freeman

FINALE

defender Kris Naicker and assisted by Andreassen at 21:14 in the second half.