The Echo | November 28, 2018

The Echo

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

w ed n esday

November 28, 2018 Volume 113 — Issue 12

ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST

Campus Life:

CONWAY

Bridging the Gap: RSOs come together to embrace cultural differences

4 page 3

SINGLE COPY PAID FOR BY STUDENT PUBLICATION FEE

Entertainment:

Sports:

Yes Lawd: Anderson .Paak pays tribute to hometown with ‘Oxnard’ 4 page 6

Sugarbears: Two out of three isn’t bad, but it isn’t good enough 4 page 7

Mostly Sunny

55/43

THE NEWSDESK FROM THE EDITOR

I N T E R N AT I O N A L Earthquake strikes Iran

Over 360 citizens have been injured by a massive 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit the border of Iran Nov. 25. The quake had a depth of 6 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Tremors could be felt as far as Baghdad. The earthquake occurred about 12 miles from the Sarpol Zahab, Kermanshah province.

Iran rests on a major fault line between the Arabian and Eurasian plates, which means it faces numerous earthquakes throughout the year.

N AT I O N A L Insulin cost spike predicted for 2030 According to a study from Stanford University, the cost of insulin is expected to rise 20 percent by 2030 and thousands of type 2 diabetes patients will no longer have access to it. 406 million adults have type 2 diabetes this year alone.

511 million adults are expected to develop type 2 diabetes within the next 12 years. The study also found that 79 million people worldwide will require insulin for their diabetes; however, only 38 million will be able to afford the

Alzheimer’s vaccine in human trials up next Researchers have crafted an experimental vaccine that could deter Alzheimer’s disease. The vaccine has been tested on animals and the results showed the drug to prevent the buildup of substances associated with Alzheimer’s within the brain. The vaccine works by inhibiting the buildup of amyloid and tau while also pushing the body to produce antibodies. If the vaccine proves safe in humans, it could potentially cut dementia diagnoses in half.

S TAT E

Betty Bumpers, former AR first lady, dies at 93

A former Arkansas First Lady, Betty Bumpers, died Nov. 23 of onset dementia at the age of 93. Her advocacy for childhood immunization gained her national recognition while she was serving as Arkansas First Lady in 1977.

Due to her radical call for immunization, childhood disease was at a national all-time low in 1980. Bumpers was the wife of a former Arkansas Governor and U.S. Senator, Dale L. Bumpers, who died at 90 years old in 2016. She is survived by two sons, Brent and William Bumpers, and one daughter, Margaret Brooke Bumpers.

WHAT’S AHEAD

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE SAB presents: Doomsday Escape Room

photos by Lauren Swaim

[Left to right] Junior Maria Amaro, senior Gustavo Amaro and junior Guadalupe Jasso had their lives changed when Defered Action for Childhood Arrivals was instated in 2012. Since the Trump administration announced the policy’s termination on Sept. 5, 2017, they have been grappling with the uncertainty of their legal statuses.

UCA Dreamers persevere amidst legal limbo

by Sophia Ordaz Editor

The months since the Trump administration rescinded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals in September 2017 have been filled with uncertainty and uneasiness for 800,000 young immigrants who relied on DACA for a legal status, of which more than 5,000 call Arkansas home. Of those 5,000, under 20 are students at UCA, by the Registrar’s Office’s best estimate.

DACA is an Obama-era policy that protects immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation for a period of two years and allows them to apply for work permits and driver’s licenses. When district court orders halted the phasing out of DACA in January and February 2018, the government resumed accepting DACA renewals, but it is still not accepting new

applicants. “[With] DACA … up in the air, DACA recipients are stressed, scared but defiant,” said Itzel Velazquez, the president of the LULAC Council of Faulkner County and a senior at UCA. Without a permanent legal solution protecting Dreamers from deportation or providing them with a path to citizenship, the fate of DACA hangs in the balance, placing DACA recipients in a state of limbo.

Junior Guadalupe Jasso was only 1 year old when she was brought to the U.S. from León, Guanajuato, a city in central Mexico. She fights against succumbing to that uncertainty every day.

“It’s scary,” Jasso said.

“Then again … if you work hard enough, it’s all going to work out. That’s the mentality I have … Maybe that’s optimistic bias, but that’s how I’m living right now. I try not to think about it because when [DACA was

STUDENT CONCERNS

SGA town hall meeting addresses meta majors, predictive analytics

by Ryan Bradford Staff Writer

President Houston Davis and SGA President Joshua Eddinger-Lucero addressed questions submitted via survey app Google Forms at SGA’s fall 2018 town hallmeeting Nov. 14, which was livestreamed on SGA’s Instagram page.

The first question was for Davis. It asked where he would put a gazebo if given the opportunity. He said areas with a lot of foot traffic would be ideal, such as the area around Donaghey Hall.

“I can see that area being advantageous,” Davis said.

Another online question asked if it was possible to smooth the entrances around campus to avoid low-sitting cars scraping their undersides. Davis said the university could look into the issue, but he said they would need more information.

Eddinger-Lucero brought up the SGA Safe Walk, which is scheduled for Nov. 29. Students are invited to meet at the UCAPD station and go around campus together checking for issues, such as potholes, which are in need of repairs.

The final electronically submitted question was: “What plans do we have to address the library laptop checkout?”

Davis said he understands students want to be able to take borrowed laptops out of the library and that they will continue working on ways to make that possible.

Senior Chizobam Eze asked about making shuttle rides available at different locations.

Davis said there is room for improvement and discussed possible additional locations for shuttle pickups. He also mentioned Bear Patrol, the on-campus golf cart shuttle service.

“That’s another option we want to make sure students [are aware that they] have,” Davis said.

Senior Class Vice President Bror Thirion asked about the implementation of meta majors, which are programs designed to allow students to cross different majors and fields that have similar content. The idea is that doing so creates the potential for students to pursue a variety of careers. Poulter said the university allows students to set a general direction, such as health care, and students should be able to easily move into a specific major from there, but meta majors aren’t being considered at this time.

Poulter addressed a question about a mapping plan to help students who are close to graduation register for required classes even if sections are full. She said the university is working on solutions, some of which would involve using predictive analytics to ensure seniors are given priority in required courses they need to graduate. However, Poulter said that for the meantime, students should speak with their advisers

Contact Us:

Index: 4Police Beat 4People of UCA

4

4Students Say

4

2

rescinded], I went into a bad state of mind.”

Last September, the news of DACA’s termination sent Jasso into a downward spiral.

She started missing classes, her grades slipped and she became less involved with extracurricular activities like the Latino Student Association.

“It was a very hard time for me. I just didn’t want to go to class. I thought there was no point,” she said. “I was so sad. I basically felt like I had no future at that point.”

Jasso pulled through that difficult semester thanks in part to support and advice from professors and Ericka Gutierrez, the Latino Outreach Initiatives coordinator of the Office of Institutional Diversity, she said.

Her parents’ sacrifices, however, are a constant motivation for her. “[My parents] left everything for us,” she said.

“My mom would come home and her hands would be burned

4The Voice 4Entertainment 4Sports

5 6 7

Phone: 501-499-9822 E-mail: ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

about these issues.

Junior Executive Vice President Rose McGarrity asked if UCA pays to be Division I in athletics. Davis said that’s not exactly the case because division status has more to do with the amount of scholarship money awarded to athletes, which is somewhat offset by the remaining tuition those student athletes pay.

Junior Jasilyn Graham asked if the cost for businesses to rent space on the bottom floor of Donaghey was recently doubled. Davis said that was just a rumor. He also added that after previous businesses such as Blue Sail Coffee, Chainwheel and Mosaique Bistro & Grill left, the university began considering ways to improve business prospects at the location, which is when they decided to bring in Twisted Taco.

“We are no longer working with outside groups,” Davis said. Twisted Taco is an Aramark restaurant. The only current exceptions to this are Marble Slab, which has recently partnered with Aramark and Einstein Bros. Bagels.

Eze then asked about increasing the food choices.

Poulter said that the university is looking into some alternative options like adding a coffee bar in the Christian Cafeteria.

Poulter also mentioned that Pizza Hut’s contract ends in 2019 and that the university is planning on putting in a new pizza place, Oaf Pizza.

[from the factory] and my dad burned from the sun and so tired [from his construction job]. I just always have to do this for them. There’s no option.”

Junior Maria Amaro also looks to her parents’ sacrifices for the strength to persevere, particularly her mother’s courage to leave San Felipe, Guanajuato, and cross the border with four children in tow.

“That’s the one thing that has kept me going. My mom didn’t cross this whole country for me not to do anything with my life,” she said.

Although she was only 5, she vividly remembers having to leave her toys behind, traversing the wooded landscape of the border and sleeping in black trash bags to avoid discovery.

“If you ask me how my house [in San Felipe] looked, I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t tell you what colors the walls were.

I feel like if you were to take me back to that place in the woods,

I could tell you, ‘Yes, I’ve been by that tree in a trash bag, so they couldn’t see us.’”

Gustavo Amaro, Maria’s older brother who is a senior at UCA, is grateful for his parents’ sacrifices and views them as an inspiration in his life.

“The decision that [my parents] made was very tough, because they literally left their home, they left their parents, any sort of property they had, they left it behind, knowing that they couldn’t go back. They had to close that door altogether, just so their kids could live a better life,” Gustavo said. “It’s so inspirational, just the love they have for me, the love they have for their children. To give your dreams and your life up for your kids, that’s huge.”

He recalls life before DACA well. The consequences of being undocumented dawned on him when his friends were

See DACA- page 2

RESOLUTION

Co-curricular transcript pilot program announced in SGA

by Caela Rist

Assistant News Editor Fred Rhodes, a co-curricular transcript consultant, and Wendy Holbrook, assistant vice president for student engagement, leadership and service, presented an upcoming program to SGA Nov. 26, with an ambition to allow students additional opportunities for their out-of-class involvements to be acknowledged.

All activities, meetings and other student involvement will be recorded on co-curricular transcripts under one of these four sections: Personal and Leadership Development, Community and Service Learning, Multicultural Awareness and Education, Life and Care Development and Experiential.

The purpose of this transcript is to allow students a leg up when applying for internships and future jobs. Rhodes explained that by having this transcript employers will have the students’ accomplishments readily available.

Rhodes aspires to possibly have this transcript be made official by including a signature from the Registrar, just like an academic transcript.

Considering the Registrar sits on the Co-Curricular Committee, this seems like a feasible ambition.

“We are helping you [the students] be more intentional about your experience outside of the classroom,” Rhodes said.

More and more companies and internships want to know more about applicants than just their academic qualifications. They want to know who applicants are as individuals, and what drives them forward.

Rhodes believes co-curricular transcripts will exemplify students’ identities and other employable skills.

“We just think people need a little nudge in the right direction – because it’s hard enough to know what you want out of a college experience – and articulate the skill set that comes with it,” Rhodes said.

Holbrook added that the program will not only test students’ ability to show up to academic events or maintain involvement, but will also communicate exactly what students have learned from their experiences.

To complete a co-curricular transcript students must complete and track an event or involvement

See SGA- page 2

Inside:

Social:

Arts in education: @ucaecho The Echo

ucaecho

© 2018 The Echo, Printed by Leader Publishing, Jacksonville, Arkansas.

It’s called ‘liberal arts,’ but curriculums are kind of stingy.

see page 5

2/ November 28, 2018

NEWS

ucanews.live

Police Beat The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Caela Rist

Belongings stolen in Doyne Health Sciences building

photo courtesy of Emily Ketchum

[Left to right] Seniors Logan Walsh, Ciara DeVine, Emily Ketchum and Tyler Gum represented UCA’s Phi Beta Lambda chapter at the PBL Career Connections Conference Oct. 24-27 in New York City. The conference was held to help students develop their skills for networking and finding a job.

Phi Beta Lamda represents UCA in Big Apple at FBLA conference

by Daniel Adams Staff Writer

Students from Phi Beta Lambda represented UCA by taking part in an annual Future Business Leaders of America conference hosted in New York City.

Seniors Logan Walsh, Ciara DeVine, Emily Ketchum and Tyler Gum participated in the PBL Career Connections Conference from Oct. 24 to 27, where they connected with business professionals and met students from other PBL chapters.

The four students were selected to attend the conference because they are on the executive board of UCA’s chapter. Ketchum is the president of the chapter, DeVine the vice president, Walsh the treasurer and Gum the secretary.

“Here at UCA, we have about 30 active members in our organization, and we’re really wanting to grow it in the future,” Ketchum said. “So, just learning tips on how to grow and retain membership was really important.”

The conference’s main purpose was to help students develop business networking skills, enhance their employability, gain real-world

DACA:

experience, as well as to allow them to exercise their current business skills.

At the conference Vernon Dennis, the public relations specialist for the New York Giants, advised students on how to land their dream jobs.

National members of PBL also gave students tips and tricks on how to land a job or internship.

The four seniors were sponsored by Lennys Grill & Subs, Centennial Bank, UCA’s Career Services and the College of Business.

The sponsors contributed a combined total of $2,850 for the trip to NYC. Workshop attendees toured various New York businesses, such as the MetLife Stadium and the offices of the National Hockey League, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and LinkedIn. The four students also explored famous landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial.

After attending the conference, the group had some important tips for people to use when going into business.

Walsh noted the importance of confidence and work ethics.

“Don’t be a ‘yes man’ whenever you’re going into a new job, but don’t say no more

than you say yes, [and] work hard,” Walsh said. He recounted how Ron VanDeVeen, the president and CEO of MetLife Stadium, said he still helps the parking lot staff out even in the position of power that he is in.

“Wherever you’re working, it’s [about] more than just a job [with certain duties]. You can do other stuff to help other people,” Gum said. He said the National Hockey League was helping out the local community much more than he had originally thought. The NHL helps out in the community with programs such as the Hockey with a Heart Charity of the Game, as well as programs in local schools carried out by the New York Islanders hockey team.

The seniors’ consensus was other students should go to conferences like this if given the opportunity. Whether it’s a conference taking you to NYC, elsewhere in the country or overseas, they said students should try to make the most out of every opportunity and prepare themselves for the future.

“You learn a lot and you can meet [people] and make new connections, and you get to travel. Everyone needs to travel,” Walsh said. “Who knows if you’ll get to go back there someday?”

On Nov. 12, student Julie Faulkner reported her backpack, phone and keys stolen from a locker in the Doyne Health Sciences building. Faulkner stated she placed her belongings in a locker while she took an exam.

Upon trying to retrieve her items, she found them missing.

Her debit card, driver’s license, student ID, social security card and $200 in cash were stolen with her wallet. Officer Kaitlyn Weber filed the report and told Faulkner to contact them if she had further questions.

On Nov. 16, officer Michael Shaw spoke with Faulkner and she stated that she had obtained her property again after she received a Facebook message from student Tony Cade Sawyer. Sawyer stated he had found her property and returned it to the lost and found in the Student Center. However, when Faulkner retrieved her belongings, the $200 cash was still missing.

Sawyer informed Michael

SGA:

that he found Faulkner’s keys and UCA ID card laying on the ground in the parking lot of Conway Regional Hospital.

Sawyer stated he did not look through her belongings, so he did not know if the cash was present when he found Faulkner’s property.

Student reports harassment from previous friend Student Kyler Smith reported receiving harassment from another student, Breya Loving, on Nov. 14 to officer Josh Heard. Smith stated the two were previously friends up until a falling out between them Oct. 5.

Smith reported incidents where Loving and her boyfriend had followed Smith to her car and where Loving tried to hit Smith while they were driving separate vehicles.

Loving texted a mutual friend of Smith and informed the friend to keep control of Smith. Loving also texted Smith directly stating she wanted to fight her. The last contact Smith had with Loving was on Nov. 12 in the Torreyson Library where

Loving mumbled hard words in passing.

After Sgt. Michael Shaw spoke with Loving she claimed Smith was fired from her previous job for pushing Loving. She also claimed she has had no contact with Smith.

Since there was no criminal act accounted for, the case has been closed and reported to the Dean of Students.

Invasion at Bear Village Apartments Housing maintenance called UCAPD Nov. 14 when they noticed an apartment door kicked in. Officer Christopher Turner arrived at the scene and found the door with a massive dent in the center and the frame broken away from the wall.

Students Savannah Jones and Anna Smith are the apartment residents. They noticed the damage around 11 p.m. Both stated no items were missing from the apartment. However, Jones did notice the screen was taken off her window. There are no current leads or motives for the break-in at this time.

Tensions rise inside the chambers, a motion passes

4 Continued from page 1 students must complete and track an event or involvement in each of the four categories for four years. However, this program would not be required for UCA students. It’s merely an optional route for students looking to have documentation of their achievements and involvement.

President Joshua EddingerLucero gave insight into the Co-Curricular Committee. “[The] committee has been established consisting of faculty, staff and students to discuss, create and implement the co-curricular transcript program on campus,” Eddinger-Lucero confirmed. As of now, the committee is actively discussing the possibility of a pilot group in the spring 2019 semester. They will use this to test the program. However, the anticipated campus-wide launch isn’t expected until fall 2019.

For the remainder of the meeting, an intense debate took place regarding a motion made to allow class presidents and vice presidents to run joint campaigns. During the summer of 2018, senators joint campaigned because there was no governing language within SGA’s constitution prohibiting it. However, it was later nixed by a vote on the summer ballot because of its ambiguity within the actual voting process.

The senators argued back and forth about whether it was appropriate to call the student body to another vote after they had so recently voted on the motion. Junior Class President Cagney Kilgroe was one of the first to speak on the motion.

“I think it’s unfair for us to say that the students don’t read what they vote on. I have more faith in our students than that. I think it’s kind of dangerous, and unfair, and kind

of undemocratic, quite frankly, for us to say the students voted on something and they didn’t really read it, so we [SGA] know better,” Kilgroe said.

Sophomore Class Representative Amber DiPersia opposed Kilgroe’s opinion.

“The group of people that originally voted on this motion was such a small pool. I feel like if we want to give a fair representation to our students, we need to have a lot more people voting on this,” DiPersia said. “I think it doesn’t reflect poorly on SGA by having to go back and vote again. I think it shows that we care enough to actually go back and vote as a full body.”

After much deliberation, the motion to allow the option of joint campaigning for future class presidents and vice presidents passed through the senate and will be put on the spring 2019 ballot.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Dreamers maintain aims for good life

4 Continued from page 1 getting driver’s licenses and started working. He realized he could not do the same.

“I was sad and almost kind of angry,” he said. “I’m really religious. I love my faith. For the longest time, I was mad at Christ. I felt abandoned, even rejected, by him.”

Jasso had had an inkling that she might be undocumented because she was uninsured. For serious medical emergencies, her parents wouldn’t take her to the doctor, unlike her younger siblings, who were all citizens and received regular checkups.

She didn’t become fully aware of the consequences of being undocumented until the eighth grade, when she was invited to a meeting about Harding University’s college preparation program, Upward Bound.

She eagerly arranged her application materials and acquired letters of recommendation from her teachers to participate in the program. On the day decisions were announced, a school counselor took her out of class and told her that although she had made the final group, she was ineligible because of her undocumented status.

“I remember talking to [the counselor] and then going to the bathroom and just crying and crying because I was like, ‘This is really going to set me back.’”

On June 15, 2012, the summer before Jasso started high school, then-President Barack Obama announced DACA, granting a newfound sense of security to young undocumented immigrants at the price of a $495 application fee. From that summer onward, Jasso started working jobs to save up for college.

Even with DACA protections, Arkansas’ Dreamers are ineligible for in-state tuition as they are not considered state residents.

This also disqualifies them from receiving generous state scholarships and other federally funded financial aid, leaving

DACA students with only the possibility to apply to lesserfunded private scholarships that are more difficult to find.

Jasso enrolled at UCA in 2016, later declaring a double major in psychology and Spanish. She received funding from the Golden Door Scholarship, a private scholarship dedicated to assisting DACA students. She lives in university housing so she can pay in-state tuition, rather than out-of-state.

These financial obstacles were also a heavy burden for the Amaro siblings. To help pay for his tuition, Gustavo worked at a fish hatchery while he earned his associate’s degree in business administration at Arkansas State University Beebe.

The work was arduous.

Because the water was so contaminated, workers wore waders, heavy waterproof boots that extend from feet to chest, even in the heat of the summer months.

“It’s 2 o’clock, I’m out there, those rays were hitting me,” he said. “I just remember one day just looking up and thinking, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’”

He was rejected by UCA several times because the university believed he couldn’t afford the cost of attendance, he said, but in January 2017 he officially enrolled, later declaring his major in insurance and risk management. That summer he started an internship at Union Standard Insurance Group, a Fortune 500 company based out of Little Rock.

Gustavo chipped together about $4,000 in scholarships offered by the College of Business and other privately funded sources, but he has paid almost $40,000 out of pocket for his education.

From the age of 16, Maria saved up the money she earned working at a restaurant and was able to pay for her first two years at ASU Beebe in one full payment. During her time at

ASU Beebe, she worked up to 40 hours a week at a TJ Maxx in North Little Rock and took up to 16 credit hours a semester.

She listened to recordings of lectures and caught up on meals on her half-hour commutes to work. In her moments of discouragement, she would remember the reassuring words of her mother.

“Whenever I would just need a break, like at a stoplight or something, I would just hear my mom saying ‘Échale ganas.’ [‘Give it your all.’]”

The uncertain status of the DACA program remains a looming threat, a temporary promise of safety stamped with an expiration date and void of a pathway to citizenship which measures like the proposed DREAM act would ensure.

“I’ve become Americanized and now you’re telling me that I’m not welcome here,” Gustavo said. “I feel like I am the ideal citizen. I’m doing everything right. I have a job. I’m paying my taxes on time. I’m contributing to society, which is what a citizen should do … I’m doing all that and then you come and tell us that Mexico is sending its worst?”

Still, DACA students steadfastly hold on to their dreams for a good life.

Jasso strives to attend graduate school for school counseling once she graduates in May 2020. Her DACA status expires in a year.

Maria, who enrolled at UCA in January 2017, expects to graduate in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in special education. She is currently focused on gaining admission to UCA’s teaching program and aims to become a teacher who can make change in the lives of immigrant children in Arkansas. Her DACA status expires in a year.

Gustavo started in a full-time position at Union Standard last month. His DACA status expires in two years.

photo by Marcus McClain

Reesa Ramsahai is a staff counselor and coordinator of outreach programming for the UCA Counseling Center. Ramsahai gave students insight on how to cope with depression and anxiety and be helpful to others Nov. 15 in the Student Health Center. cadets performed the color guard at the celebration Nov. 8 in the Prince Center.

Mental health talk teaches signs, tips for combating depression, anxiety

by Marcus McClain Assistant Sports Editor

Maintaining mental health is an important component of everyone’s life that is often overlooked.

The UCA Counseling Center looked to educate students and faculty on this vital topic Nov. 13-15 with programs explaining depression and anxiety, as well as how to cope with them.

Coordinator of Outreach Programming Reesa Ramsahai led the program Nov. 15 and set the tone early by creating a very comfortable and easygoing atmosphere to talk about a topic many find difficult.

Ramsahai explained how this time of year is one of the toughest times for many people based on their perceptions of how things are supposed to be.

“Everybody’s going to this place and that place for the holidays, but some of us don’t have that,” Ramsahai said. “This can be a very challenging and very lonely time, which is why we see an increase in suicidal

ideation.”

She said suicidal thoughts tend to increase during the holidays and the spring months because people see others going out with friends and family. When people compare what they see to the way they are living themselves, the sense of loneliness and anxiety is escalated.

To teach students and faculty how to combat these feelings and help others who deal with them, Ramsahai showed a video of people who have gone through similar things.

The video included high school and college students who were willing to share their experiences.

They discussed how the stress of classwork and feeling alone heightened their symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the video was the way the students battled through these feelings. Even the participants of the video who attempted suicide were able to get through it with a

combination of therapy and finding a hobby or activity, which provided a break from their academic atmosphere.

They found things like writing and exercising to get a break from whatever was going on to combat their depression symptoms. Even finding a group or club on campus can be a way to let go of that negative energy or express it in a more positive way, rather than self-harming.

“I thought the program was great and extremely helpful,” junior David Michael said.

“It’s something that we need more of because a lot of times we look over our anxiety and depression, thinking it’s going to just go away, but it obviously doesn’t work like that.”

The UCA Counseling Center is open to all students and faculty and welcomes anyone needing to talk.

“We want to be open to any and everyone because we understand that it’s best to catch the problems or symptoms early rather than later when it could become a more serious matter,” Ramsahai said.

Campus Life

3

November 28, 2018

Around Campus: Science Wednesday The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will host its monthly Science Wednesday event at 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 28 at Kings Live Music in downtown Conway. This month’s topic is the science of the senses. Join a panel of distinguished UCA professors as they answer questions about the human experience.

For more information, contact the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at cnsm@uca.edu. photo by Aysha Dixon

Junior Chanta Ethredge serves spaghetti during the Office of Diversity and Community’s Bridging the Gap program Nov. 12 in the Student Center Ballroom. RSOs were encouraged to bring a dish that represents the cultural background of its members.

Stress Management Baridon Hall will present Target Your Stress! at 6 p.m.

Nov. 29 in the Baridon Hall lobby. This event is aimed at teaching students how to manage their stress as finals week approaches. Balloons will be set up like they are at a carnival, and residents will be given darts and asked to aim at a balloon. Each balloon will hold tips to prepare for finals and ways to relieve any existing stress or stress that may come with finals week.

For more information, contact student Reagan Hill at rhill5@cub.uca.edu.

Doomsday Escape Room The student Activities Board will present a Doomsdaythemed escape room from 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 29 in the Student Center Ballroom.

Come try to navigate the escape room and solve your way to freedom. Escape rooms are a growing trend around the nation, and are a fun way to challenge one’s eye for detail and faculty of reason.

For more information, contact the Student Activities Board at (501)-450-3235.

Soundscape Extravaganza UCA Friends of Music present Soundscape Extravaganza: An Evening of Musical Artistry at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 in Reynolds Performance Hall. This concert will feature performances from the UCA Bear Marching Band, Concert Choir, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band 1, Peak Brass Choir, Percussion Ensemble, UCA Opera, String Quartet, Saxophone Octet, Trombone Choir, Flute & Piano Trio and Trumpet Ensemble.

The concert will be hosted by KARK anchor Mallory Brooks.

For more information, contact Professor and Director of Bands Ricky Brooks at rickyb@uca.edu.

Bridging the Gap promotes embracing differences

by Aysha Dixon Social Media Editor

The Office of Diversity and Community’s Bridging the Gap program on Nov. 12 allowed for students of Ivorian, Caribbean and African-American backgrounds to enjoy and embrace cultural differences.

The program was held in the Student Center Ballroom, where multiple RSOs were encouraged to set up a table to promote their organization for the students in attendance.

Dancers United, Students for the Propagation of Black Culture, UCA Ivorian Association and the Minority Mentorship Program were a few RSOs that had tables set up at the event.

The event kicked off with a fashion show featuring stylish traditional pieces worn by members of the Ivorian and Caribbean Student

and dressing, a mashed potato bar and shrimp alfredo. Dessert included banana pudding, a fruit pizza and different varieties of pies and cakes.

Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Diversity and Community Angela Jackson and Associate Director of International Engagement Ashley Pettingill gave a brief prayer before students ate.

This year, Bridging the Gap was coordinated by graduate student Rashad Cockrenn.

Cockrenn started reaching out to campus oraganizations, planning meetings and sending emails back in August. Although Cockrenn attended Mississippi State University prior to joining the UCA family, he quickly heard about how great former Bridging the Gap programs had been.

“My favorite part of the event had to be the fashion

show. The Ivorian Association had very captivating attire on,” Cockrenn said.

After sampling food and dessert, students were encouraged to mingle and network with other event-goers through conversation and dance.

According to the Office of Diversity and Community’s website, part of its mission is to “provide multiple support services to enhance the academic success of students from underrepresented populations in higher education to create an inclusive campus community.” Bridging the Gap is held anually as just one of the many events that aims to executes the office’s mission.

To learn more about events held by the Office of Diversity and Community, visit their office in Bernard Hall 207.

Professional lurker lectures online safety

by Lauren McLemore Staff Writer

Investigative filmmaker and director Cullen Hoback delivered a presentation about the ways in which privacy is being eroded via technology at a talk Nov. 14 in the Student Center Ballroom.

Attendees learned their online information is being compromised and viewed by organizations, including potential employers.

Hoback is now considered an expert on the subject of online security and tracking, and his journey to becoming an expert began with a simple question directed toward the iPhone he was holding in his hand: “What is this thing doing to me?”

Senior SAB President Chanell Roy was one of many students involved in bringing Hoback to UCA, and even after

seeing him speak at a prior conference, SAB members were shocked by his research on just how many people are watching users’ online activities. Hoback said these companies claim to have nearly 5,000 facts compiled about each individual with a strong online presence.

“This was very like ‘what?’ that they know all that stuff about me just from what I do online,” Roy said.

Hoback gave examples of companies such as Facebook, as well as other online applications that use trackers and are known for stealing information. He listed strategies, including products, that can be used to protect a user’s online presence from these corporations.

One strategy mentioned was downloading a VPN to hide users’ IP addresses and encrypt their communications.

“If you were to spend 10 minutes on the web doing a normal session, Google

searches and stuff, if you don’t have any kind of tracking protection in your browser, you will be tracked by thousands [of entities], [each] knowing you’ve been to all those places,” Hoback said.

The talk was split into multiple categories such as how to protect your phone, how to protect yourself from corporate tracking and how to protect yourself from governmental surveillance.

Hoback’s filmmaking history centers on illuminating the relationship between technology and civil liberties.

In 2013, he directed the documentary “Terms and Conditions May Apply.” It was a New York Times Critic’s Pick.

Hoback has written op-eds for journals, including The Guardian, and has appeared as a privacy expert on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, Huffington Post, Stossel, Glenn Beck and The Young Turks.

photo by Lauren McLemore

Visiting speaker and filmmaker Cullen Hoback explains there have been zero terrorist attacks prevented by the deliberate erosion of privacy.

Hoback spoke to students Nov. 14 in the Student Center Ballroom about his documentary, “Terms and Conditions May Apply,” along with strategies to protect privacy when online.

FIGHTING LINGUISTIC EXTINCTION

African languages panel aims at preventing of looming loss of African culture Opinion Editor

Reynolds Performance Hall presents “Rat Pack Christmas” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at Reynolds Performance Hall. Come see the show critics are calling “Extremely strong and hugely entertaining.” The concert includes classic songs written by legendary songwriter Ron Miller, all in a festive, holiday style. For more information, contact Reynolds Performance Hall director Amanda Horton at ahorton@uca.edu.

Cameroonian and American cultures, Warren recognizes the need for the annual event.

“I love the message that the [Office of Diversity and Community] is trying to portray … there is a lot of misinterpretation that has led us to not see each other eye to eye,” Warren said. “I feel like Bridging the Gap allows us to enjoy each other’s culture and get to experience it face to face. You don’t have to travel to Africa or America — we just meet in one place and have this beautiful experience.”

Warren went on to say he did not have a specific moment from the night that he favored, because every moment of the event represented a step toward a student gaining knowledge of another culture.

Besides the tables RSOs were encouraged to set up, they were also required to bring a dinner entree or dessert. Dishes ranged from spaghetti, turkey

WEB FRONTIER

by Emily Gist

“Rat Pack Christmas”

Associations. Ebony Models also strutted their stuff in business casual attire.

Following the fashion show were dance performances by DU, IA and CSA. The dance portion of the event kept spirits high in the room, and crowd members were not afraid to cheer on their friends while they performed energetic, fast-paced routines.

Senior Denn-Warren Tafah and junior Tyaris Warren hosted the program for the first time. Besides keeping the night’s events in order, Tafah and Warren encouraged crowd participation and even told a few jokes in between acts.

Warren, who is a journalism major, was excited to be able to host an event that he felt was important for the unity of black students of any cultural background. Born in Cameroon, Warren moved to America when he was 12.

Having experienced both

At the African tribal languages talk Nov. 14, a group of students from the Ivory Coast in Africa discussed each of their tribal languages and cultures in different parts of the African continent with an intimate audience in Student Center room 214. During the discussion the group identified why so many African tribal languages were dying out and offered possible solutions to the predicted death of so many languages.

According to the Nations Online Project, there are between 1,500 and 2,000 languages spoken in the continent of Africa. The group presenters said there are around 78 languages spoken by about 60 different tribes in the Ivory Coast alone, and each ethnic tribe speaks their own

individual language.

Although cultures differ greatly among different parts of the Ivory Coast, among the group of presenters there were several overarching cultural themes.

One of the most consistent themes was community. For instance, in many of the Ivory Coast languages, there was no differentiation between relatives. Father, brother and uncle all used the same word that translated to father.

One of the speakers, Fawasnindayinde Oluwayemisi, said he would call his friends “mother” in his language.

“My mother and my friends, they’re all my mother,” Oluwayemisi said.

He also mentioned when a woman marries, all of the wives in the community gather and celebrate together. According to the talk, in the northern Ivory Coast, there is also no differentiation within tribal

languages between “I” and “We.” These examples paint an overall cultural picture that community is particularly valued in the Ivory Coast.

“We do everything together,” Oluwayemisi said.

As the talk neared its end, the conversation shifted when another group of students from the Ivory Coast joined a table and contributed to the talking points. The conversation turned to the death of many African tribal languages.

According a report by The New York Times, one language is dying off every two weeks.

International Engagement and Student Services worker Lisa Carmack said African tribal languages will be the first languages to die off.

“The more complex a language is, the less likely it can pass on,” Carmack said. She also said African tribal languages involve complex vocal tones, which makes them harder to

pass down, and therefore, more susceptible to being lost over time.

Another major setback to the fostering of tribal cultures and languages is the discrimination people who speak tribal languages face when trying to use their language.

Oluwayemisi said his father was from the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria and his mother was from the Ivory Coast. Therefore, he has interacted with both cultures.

“The Yoruba are sometimes ashamed to speak their language,” Oluwayemisi said.

This sentiment appeared to be shared with the group as, when asked how many languages the average person from the Ivory Coast speaks, the group unanimously answered one: French.

The Ivory Coast was colonized by France, which is why the country’s primary language is French. The group

also mentioned that the only way for a tribal language to be taught is if the family teaches the language to their children.

Tribal languages are passed down orally.

Oluwayemisi said tribal languages should be kept alive because they offer a cultural link.

“Our tribal language is what shows our origin and what should link us,” Oluwayemisi said.

He also said the best way to keep African tribal languages and cultures alive is for tribe members to pass down the language and culture to the next generation.

“It’s very important for me to bring my children to Nigeria, even if it’s only once a month … so that they will see their country, they will see their village and they will learn a little bit about the culture. This I think is the most important part to keep the culture alive,” Oluwayemisi said.

ucanews.live

CAMPUS LIFE

November 28, 2018 /4

STUDENTS SAY What is one change you would like to see UCA make?

“

“

story by Jessica Huffmaster photos by Lauren Swaim

photo by Cassidy Kendall

The TEN Tenors, an Australian music group, performed a mix of classic and modern hits during their performance at Reynolds Performance Hall Nov. 13. The group’s performance lasted over two hours and concluded with three encores.

TEN Tenors rock Reynolds with array of tunes

by Cassidy Kendall Associate Editor

The TEN Tenors performed at Reynolds Performance Hall Nov. 13, entertaining with phenomenal showmanship, renditions of classic hits, synchronized humorous dancing and high-energy belts for over two hours.

Despite the bitter cold of the night, the tenors didn’t fail to bring in a large audience that met each of their songs with loud applause and whistles.

“Tonight is going to be a celebration and tribute to many great artists,” a tenor said into the microphone after the group’s first performance of Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” And he was right, as his statement was followed with Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” and then Prince’s

“Purple Rain,” a real crowd pleaser.

Throughout the night the tenors introduced musical numbers from Leonard Cohen, Jersey Boys, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, Adele, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, to name a few.

The show also involved a dive into different cultures, as some songs were sung in Spanish and the tenors performed a tribute to Australian music.

Attendee Pam Carter said the show was fantastic and she would recommend it to a friend.

“This is the first time I’ve heard them, and I will probably start listening to their music,” Carter said. “They played a lot of stuff I grew up on.”

Reynolds Performance

Hall director Amanda Horton said she is pleased with their decision to bring The TEN Tenors to UCA. “We’ve had so much positive feedback,” Horton said. “People told me what a thrill it was to be able to see them. I had someone say, ‘I just thought I was coming to see 10 guys sing, but that was a performance!’”

She said this was the group’s first time performing at UCA, but she does plan to bring them back in a few years.

“They are definitely on my list as a group I think everyone would enjoy, whether it’s students, community members, faculty or staff — they’re a crowd pleaser.”

Horton said there were approximately 980 attendees for the $30,000 show.

“It was a very nice crowd

— a strong crowd — and they all seemed very excited about the show, but unfortunately we were not sold out,” she said. “I feel like if I could bring them back, now that people have seen it and realize what they got for their money, they will definitely go out and tell their friends and come back.”

The TEN Tenors, a prize of Brisbane, Australia, have performed across the world for 16 years. The group includes nine Australian native tenors, one newly added American tenor and a three-man band on piano, guitar and drums.

The TEN Tenors’ music can be streamed on Apple Music and Spotify.

The next big event for Reynolds Performance Hall is “Rat Pack Christmas” Dec. 1, kicking off the Christmas season.

A M E R I C A’ S M U S I C

Jazz concert delivers with standards, student arrangements

by Taylor Sone Campus Life Editor

UCA music students in multiple jazz bands performed pieces from a variety of genres during a concert at the Snow Fine Arts Performance Hall Nov. 19, treating the audience to a wide cross section of America’s preeminent musical form.

The concert began with a performance by the Riverview High School Jazz Ensemble that was directed by instructor Trey Reely and featured an especially impressive rendition of “Legend of the One-Eyed Sailor” by Chuck Mangione.

Matthew Taylor, assistant professor of saxophone and director of two of UCA’s jazz bands, said this special event

might lead to inviting more talented young people to perform on campus. “[We] are looking into the possibility of inviting some advanced high school bands to come to future concerts, which we think is an engaging and fun way to promote excellent high school jazz ensembles and let their students have easy access to all the exciting things happening in jazz at UCA,” Taylor said.

Next up was the UCA Top Hatters, a Dixieland Jazz band under Taylor’s direction, who performed arrangements of music from Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” including “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wan’na Be Like You.” Graduate student and banjo player Liz Taylor-McMullen arranged the music.

Top Hatter’s saxophone

player sophomore Jaren Nickerson said he especially enjoyed playing “The Bare Necessities,” and that playing with the Top Hatters has been an important learning experience.

“Playing with the Top Hatters has definitely forced me to be better at improvisation. I’ve never been better at creating my own music,” Nickerson said.

UCA Jazz Combo played next, featuring a beautiful arrangement of the Christmas classic “What Child Is This?” and a playful rendition of John Coltrane’s “Equinox,” passing around solos in an impressive display of the group’s individual soloing talent.

Vibraphonist junior Anna Mellick said this piece is her favorite.

“I feel like it was the best representation of what a jazz

combo is all about,” Mellick said. “We were all having a conversation through our solos and just having a good time.”

UCA Supersax followed with two selections: “The Nearness of You,” popularized by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, and “Strasbourg-St. Denis” by Roy Hargrove.

The final band of the night was Jazz Ensemble I, under the direction of Gail Robertson, professor of tuba and euphonium, and head of the jazz area of the department.

Ensemble played some of the most interesting songs of the night, starting with “Meet the Flintstones” from the Hanna-Barbera, and including “Send in the Clowns” from the Stephen Sondheim musical “A Little Night Music.”

Junior Monika Cunningham

Freshman Anna Sophia Jones

“Diversity, specifically with international students, like more events and programs to help us [international students] feel more comfortable.

Maybe [provide ]somewhere for us to go on breaks since we don’t go home.”

“I’d like to see the cafeteria have more breakfast options. It’s the same exact thing every day. At least the eggs are seasoned now.”

Senior Chandler Baker

Freshman Michael Baker

“We should improve the shuttle services going to Bear Village. Some days it’s rapid and other days it takes more than 30 minutes [for a bus to arrive].”

“More parking and cheaper books. If all students could decide on one thing, I think it would be one of those.”

Senior Haley Johnson

Sophomore Joshua Brynt

“I’d like to see more, better technology. New computers and [SMART] boards in classrooms.”

“More food choices in the Student Center. I think most people get really tired of eating Chick-fil-A every day.”

SPOTLIGHT

PEOPLE OF UCA Breck Brammer

by Caroline Bivens Online Editor

photo courtesy of Breck Bammer

Senior Breck Brammer spent a semester abroad in Madrid, Spain, last spring. Brammer has visited 16 different countries since leaving the country for the first time when she was 14 years old.

Senior Breck Brammer has visited 16 different countries, 10 of which she traveled to during her semester abroad in Madrid, Spain, last spring.

Brammer is a geography and anthropology double major and history minor, and says she has a passion for studying culture.

She left the country for the first time at 14 through a program at Van Buren High School. She fundraised for the trip through bake sales and lawn care in her hometown of Van Buren.

She and other high schoolers traveled to France, Italy and Greece for three weeks. In Italy, she stayed with a family for four days and grew close to them. The grandfather of the family had never met an American before Brammer, and had a negative opinion of Americans.

The family told Brammer her impression on the grandfather completely changed the way he viewed Americans.

She said after her visit to Europe, she knew she wanted to live there.

Brammer said she chose UCA mainly because of its study abroad options. She said she was afraid to travel to a country where English was not the primary language, but knew a Spanish-speaking country would help her become more bilingual.

“I felt bad and I felt stupid for not knowing and I was like, ‘Okay, I need to learn Spanish,’” Brammer said. “But most of the time the easiest thing was to speak English.”

During her five months abroad, she befriended students from every country she visited and continues to correspond with them.

She visited Germany, Switzerland, England and India to name a few countries, and even returned to see the family she had stayed with in Italy.

Brammer said she found her own apartment near the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos campus. She paid her own rent, and learned to cook for herself.

Brammer took 15 credit hours in Madrid, and said the classwork only consisted of a group project and a final test.

“It was awesome because I never had any homework, but it sucked because you had to

do really good on whatever you did,” Brammer said.

Brammer said her trip inspired her to raise her future kids to be bilingual.

“I want them to learn, and I want them to grow up knowing other cultures,” Brammer said.

She said she will be more content with her life by learning about other cultures.

“My culture isn’t always the best,” Brammer said.

She said she wants to use her anthropology degree and cultural knowledge to move overseas and and compose cultural ethnographies.

“It’s more about being a learner and a traveler than being a tourist,” Brammer said.

“Being a traveler is so much more perspective changing than being a tourist. I cannot stress how important that is to me.”

After living in Madrid for five months, she realized how rude the tourists were and how they didn’t see the importance of travel.

“It’s crazy to see how my worldview changed, and I just want other people to develop an understanding of different cultures,” Brammer said.

“It’s so cool how diverse and unique every culture is, but it’s also coherent.”

Opinion

5

ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

November 28, 2018

The Voice

America morally obligated to accept migrant caravan

The Echo Staff Sophia Ordaz Editor

Cassidy Kendall Associate Editor

Marley Cash-Powell News Editor

Caela Rist

Assistant News Editor

Taylor Sone

Campus Life Editor

Jessica Huffmaster

Assistant Campus Life Editor

Emily Gist Opinion Editor

Sarah Kapity

Entertainment Editor

Cody Macomber Sports Editor

Marcus McClain Assistant Sports Editor

Caroline Bivens Online Editor

Aysha Dixon

Social Media Editor

Lauren Swaim Photo Editor

Got Letters?

Comments or complaints about content of The Echo or in reference to anything on campus should be registered with the newspaper by letters or email to the editors. All letters must be limited to 300 words and include the author’s name and phone number. All letters may be published unless they are marked private. Letters may be edited for style, clarity and length.

Editorials written in The Voice express the opinion of the newspaper and the editorial staff. Individual staff opinions are expressed in individual columns.

The Echo office is located in Stanley Russ Hall 124

ucanews.live ucaechoonline@gmail.com ucaechoeditor@gmail.com David Keith, Adviser

Advertising Advertising: (501) 499-9822 echonewspaperads@gmail.com

Public school students need creative outlets Imagine a world without creativity titled, “What School Can Be,” then-U.S. where people didn’t express themselves. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. Few of us would want to live in a world said students “do better in math who like that. Because of this, there should have strong arts opportunities.”

Also, according to a 2013 Phys.org be a greater emphasis on art in public article titled “Art Could Help Create a schools.

Art, music and theater programs Better STEM Student,” art aids students spur creativity, but these programs are with math.

The article’s explanation goes as currently lacking in K-12 schools. This lack of emphasis causes kids follows: In an art class, when painting to gravitate toward non-art a picture, the artist is presented related areas of study. with the problem of how to paint her canvas. The artist has to Without an emphasis on the arts in schools, decide what colors to use, what students go through paint brushes to use and what elementary, middle and to paint on the canvas.

Just as there are multiple high school without ways to create a painting, learning how to be there are multiple ways creative.

Creativity to solve math problems. allows people to Therefore, by practicing solve difficult art, students learn the problems. Without skills they need to excel creativity, how will

by Rose McGarrity in math. future generations, Staff Writer Art also aids or in other words, students in their science the current outputs of our school systems, be able to classes. Artists carefully observe their environments in order to create their solve the world’s future problems?

The fact that there is no emphasis on art. Observational skills are imperative art programs in schools is detrimental for science and observation is part of the to students in grades K-12 and to scientific method.

Our future children will go through society. This lack of creativity will hurt students later in their lives. It will cause a school system that is lacking in the these students to have trouble finding arts, a school system that is sending a job. Employers seek creativity in their graduates who lack the creative skills employees because creativity allows that art promotes out into society. These people to solve problems. Not every graduates are not ready to face the real problem has an obvious solution, but if world. Would you want to live in a world you look at a problem with a creative eye, like this? Would you want your kids to live then you will find a better, more practical in a world like this? Without kids learning how to be creative in schools, we cannot solution.

Students who study art do better expect future generations to solve the in math and science. In a 2016 speech world’s problems.

Dear professors: Lecture time is not for idle chat Professors should tailor their lectures readings that were hardly discussed in to test material, rather than use lecture class.

I don’t have a problem reading time for tangential class discussion and grounding test material in homeworks or completing homework for a well-organized class, because I know and readings outside of class.

We all have classes that require that it supplements what we learn in readings outside of lectures to enhance lecture. Homework is used to enhance a our learning. I’ve taken a few classes that foundation of knowledge that we should require readings, but outside of pointless gain in class.

I don’t want to take a test over class discussions.

While it is important to do the something I had to teach myself. It’s not readings, and some grades depend fair for me to teach myself in my own on it, it shouldn’t be the only source of time when I’m paying someone who test material. We need to have should be teaching me during the allotted class time. meaningful class time along with readings and homework.

Professors should always I’ve taken classes where have an organized lesson plan lectures were prepared at the if there are going to be regular tests. It is up to the students to beginning of the semester, but those planned lectures do the required readings, but became nonexistent. the professors should make Now, we’ve reverted to sure we learn something in class that will be on the test. class discussions Otherwise, attending about unrelated class is just a waste of topics because the time. If I’m not learning professor didn’t

by Caroline Bivens anything that will be on have a lesson Online Editor a test in class, then why planned. are we having class?

I’m not paying Obviously I should be tuition to hear my classmates give their opinions on current able to do the readings and just show up events or social issues. I’m paying tuition for the tests. That’s it.

Professors shouldn’t allow the so my professor can teach me about readings or homework to do the teaching class topics that we will be tested on.

Why hold class if a professor doesn’t for them; they should use them as tools have any essential information to teach to build on information we learn in class.

I attend class to learn from a qualified us?

Class discussions are definitely individual, who I am paying, so I can be interesting, and it’s important to have better prepared for a test. I don’t want to different and diverse opinions on a waste my time in a group discussion if topic, but it’s not necessarily test-worthy I’m learning unessential information and material. Instead, all too often, test struggling to teach myself material from questions come from the supplemental a book.

Imagine this scenario: You live in a country where you cannot outwardly express your identity without fear of violent retribution. You seek a better life. You seek a life without fear, anxiety, violence, pain or grief — so, you uproot. You take everything you own, say goodbye to your old life with a worn backpack strapped to your back and start walking. You want to reach a new land where you can live the way you want to live, and you are seeking asylum in America.

You are seeking asylum in the land of opportunity.

This is the moral dilemma our country is facing now. A Central American migrant caravan that reached the U.S.-Mexico border last week has been an ongoing topic of debate and people are questioning whether the group should be let in and how to contest them, if they are to be contested.

However, America has a moral obligation to let the migrants seek asylum in the United States. Although imperfect, America offers a far more accepting climate for people’s identities.

According to a Chicago Tribune article, several dozen of the migrants in that caravan were LGBT individuals seeking refuge from being persecuted for their identities. Even as the group traveled from Mexico, they faced harassment as people called out, “Sweet little thing!” “Baby, where you going?” and “How much do you charge?”

In the article, a woman named Loly, who only offered her first name out of fear of attacks, said that in her home country she faced violence and a lack of work and opportunity. This was why she was traveling to America.

Although there have been reports of migrant caravans since 2010, the most recent one was one of the first organized

by Pueblo Sin Fronteras, an immigrant rights group advocating for open borders.

As of Nov. 22, a caravan of over 5,000 immigrants arrived at the border city of Tijuana. The mayor of Tijuana declared an international humanitarian crisis. Tijuana is demanding the United Nations help the city provide for the influx of migrants economically. With the violence and struggle of traveling such vast distances, the UN needs to help these migrants as much as possible. It is the moral thing to do, and Tijuana is doing the best that it can.

Some might argue this influx of migrants into the United States would harm the economy. However, if anything, they would do the opposite. With so many people migrating freely into the United States, these immigrants could take more trade jobs, which are in high demand.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 5.8 million construction jobs available. If these migrants are physically able to travel thousands of miles on foot, they would be able to take on these types of labor-intensive jobs.

Most of the asylum seekers are traveling from Honduras, according to The Huffington Post, and they’re fleeing persecution in their home country for dissenting Trump and his administration. They are merely seeking a better life and more opportunities than their home country allows in accordance to the current political climate. Why else would such a large group be traveling for so long and facing such dire persecution?

As of Nov. 22, the Mexican government placed a barricade against the caravan, preventing it from traveling further.

Additionally, many in the caravan are remaining in Mexicali to avoid persecution in Tijuana. And on Nov. 25, American authorities struck the caravan with tear gas, affecting migrants, including their young children, who were just running from the crime in their home countries.

No one should be preventing these asylum seekers from taking refuge. As Americans, we should know more than anyone that everyone deserves the freedom of opportunity.

As Americans, we should know more than anyone that everyone deserves the freedom of opportunity.

Have an opinion? Everyone does.

Write a letter to the editor at ucaechoeditor@gmail.com Letters to the editor don’t just have to be about Echo content.

If you’ve noticed something on campus that’s positive or negative, we want to hear about it.

The Echo is printed weekly by Leader Publishing. Decisions about content are made by the student editors.

The views published are not necessarily those of the University of Central Arkansas. All material is subject to respective copyrights.

Entertainment

6

November 28, 2018

New This Week Movies Nov. 30 — Anna and the Apocalypse (R), directed by John McPhail, starring Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux Nov. 30 — If Beale Street Could Talk (R), directed by Barry Jenkins, starring KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo Nov. 30 — The Possession of Hannah Grace (R), directed by Diederik Van Rooijen, starring Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon, Kirby Johnson, Nick Thune

Music Nov. 30 — Reverse of Rebirth in Universe — Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O.

Nov. 30 — The Pains Of Growing — Alessia Cara Nov. 30 — Bitter-Sweet — Bryan Ferry Nov. 30 — Foxwarren — Foxwarren Nov. 30 — Championships — Meek Mill Nov. 30 — Finally Free — Daniel Romano Nov. 30 — Some Rap Songs — Earl Sweatshirt Nov. 30 — WARM — Jeff Tweedy Nov. 30 — A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships — The 1975

Hulu Nov. 30 — Broken Star (TV-14), directed by Dave Schwep. starring Analeigh Tipton, Tyler Labine, Monique Coleman

Anderson .Paak looks to hometown for inspiration of third album

by Sophia Ordaz Editor

The sounds of waves crashing, seagulls cawing and a motor growling to life open Anderson .Paak’s third studio album, “Oxnard,” like a scene out of a ‘70s blaxpoitation film.

It is immediately apparent that .Paak is getting at something of mythic proportions on the final installment of his beach trilogy. Whereas his sophomore album, “Malibu,” was immersed in the feel-good breeze and sun of its namesake, here .Paak delivers a sprawling ode to his hometown of Oxnard, California, replete with detours into hard-edged hip-hop and swerves into decadent funk.

Intact as ever is .Paak’s penchant for wild exuberance

Nov. 30 — The Remains (UR), directed by Thomas Della Bella, starring Todd Lowe, Brooke Butler, Hannah Nordberg Nov. 30 — Scenic Route (R), directed by Kevin and Michael Goetz, starring Josh Duhamel, Dan Fogler, Miracle Laurie

Live and Local Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 — Funky Junk Road Show — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Conway Expo Center, free Dec. 1 — CFBC Santa Chase 5K — 9 a.m. in Gatlin Park, includes a fun run for kids, free Dec. 1 — GROOVEMENT with Ryan Hinman — 8 p.m. at King’s Live Music, tickets $5

‘The Office’ Episodes List compiled by Sarah Kapity Entertainment Editor

verses from the legendary Dr. Dre and Cocoa Sarai, a relatively unknown rapper from Brooklyn.

In accordance with his rise to prominence, .Paak enlists big-name wordsmiths, like Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and J.Cole, and boasts Dr. Dre as the executive producer of the album.

His collaborations with hip-hop forebearers are especially notable.

Snoop Dogg is magnetic on “Anywhere,” a G-funk revel and standout track.

On the bittersweet “Cheers,” .Paak and Q-Tip pay their respects to friends who passed too soon. .Paak wishes he still had rapper Mac Miller,

With “Oxnard,” .Paak complicates his reputation as a soul singer by exercising his prowess for rap. However, the album feels so cluttered with featured artists that it becomes easy to mistake .Paak himself as the feature on certain tracks. Hopefully, his next project will be a return to his unadulterated sound.

“Oxford” is now streaming on Apple Music and Spotify.

COVERS

Harry Potter prequel lays unanswered questions to rest ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack

by Caela Rist

Assistant News Editor Screenwriter and established author J. K. Rowling and director David Yates have not only broken open a previously closed chapter, but also stunned audiences with their newest addition to the Harry Potter prequel series, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

The film, released Nov. 16, debuts intricate family history and astounding secrets Potterheads never thought possible, though it received lackluster reviews and a weakened anticipation for its release in comparison to “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” the first volume of the “Fantastic Beasts” saga. The first film received $812.5 million in the U.S., whereas “The Crimes of Grindelwald” received a mere $25 million on opening night.

The film picks up in the 1920s wizarding world over a year after Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) had escaped during a transport from the American Ministry of Magic.

Beloved Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has been entrusted with a mission from his long-term friend and previous professor, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law).

The relationship between the two influential characters transported most Potterheads to a future where a similar young wizard is hand-picked and mentored by the same inexplicable professor.

Dumbledore entrusts Scamander to leave the boundaries of London, despite threats from the ministry, to embark to Paris in search of Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), the previously presumed dead obscurial, who seems to have the potential power to destroy the great Dumbledore, which is why Grindelwald has spent the majority of his time in a desperate attempt to recruit the boy.

Scathing family history, relationship scandals and long buried secrets were revealed within the two-hour-long film.

Though it was substantially less action-packed than its predecessor, I attribute this to its delicate unfolding of a specific history and detailed placement that didn’t always call for intense wand battles.

Redmayne continues to prove he was born for the role of Newt Scamander with his intuitive and impressive connection to the character’s love for all creatures, those pure and inherently evil.

Despite the abuse controversy

surrounding him, Depp captured the role of the nefarious Gellert Grindelwald with astounding gusto.

Needless to say, Law turned back time and captured hearts with his seriously convincing young Dumbledore.

The relationship between Dumbledore and Scamander truly represented the essence of their judicious characters.

It was pleasing to witness Dumbledore during a time period before all audiences knew him and watch him previously interact and mirror his guiding hand over students.

It affirmed that his ability to mentor was apparent long before the scruffy-haired Harry Potter.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” provided a much-needed answer to underlying questions regarding the nature of Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s relationship, who Credence Barebone really is and how the innocent are manipulated and victimized by the wicked.

Fans were left stunned by a mind-blowing plot twist and a “Harry Potter” canon debunker that left all of the audience with an abundance of questions.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is now showing in Cinemark Towne Center and is rated PG-13.

F R I E N D LY C O M P E T I T I O N

New judges reinvent ‘The Great British Baking Show’ Online Editor

Netflix released the sixth season of “The Great British Baking Show” Nov. 9, allowing viewers to become more accepting of the new judge, hosts and competitors.

The show first started in 2010, moving from BBC station to station as it grew in popularity. Netflix picked up the show in August, and started calling it a Netflix original. It also released “The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings” which originally aired in 2012, making the two new programs difficult to distinguish.

Judge and “bread king” Paul Hollywood was the only familiar face in the tent during the fifth and sixth seasons.

Long-time judge Mary Berry, known for her sweet tooth and love of alcohol, has not returned to the show since Netflix acquired it. Also, the ragtag team of hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins have been left out of the tent, stating they would not return as the show kept moving stations.

Mary has been replaced with the elegant Prue Leith, while Mel and Sue were replaced by quirky comedians Noel Fielding and Sandi 1. “Fun Run”

Top Five

and excess. On the rollicking “Headlow,” he relives a lustful encounter on the I-9 freeway, singing about receiving head so good it causes a traffic jam.

Elsewhere, he likens himself to Mansa Musa, the storied king of the Mali Empire who is thought to be the richest person of all time, on a track featuring sharp-as-knives

Anderson .Paak released album “Oxnard” Nov. 16, his first album since 2016.

FA N TA S Y

by Caroline Bivens

Nov. 30 — Daylight’s End (R), directed by William Kaufman, starring Johnny Strong, Lance Henriksen, Louis Mandylor

photo courtesy of consequenceofsound.net

photo courtesy of highsnobiety.com

Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals perform live in LA Oct. 27, 2018.

who died from a drug overdose in September, by his side.

Q-Tip dedicates a heartfelt verse to emcee Phife Dawg, who passed away in March 2016. He knew the fellow A Tribe Called Quest member since childhood: “And I don’t know what to do but reminisce and face the pain/Back in the day before you were a dog and you were just pup.”

“Fun Run” is by far one of the most iconic episodes of “The Office.” With memorable hilarious moments like Andy’s poor chapped nipples, Michael describing the face of rabies and the name “Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For the Cure,” it probably would have made number one even if we didn’t finally see Jim and Pam together. But we did indeed, and every “Office” fan around the world was squealing with joy when we saw them happy together at last.

Toksvig.

The first episode starts with this season’s 12 bakers entering the tent set in the lush pastoral British countryside to take their shot at the title of Great British Baker.

Since its beginning, the show has had a cheerfulness and innocence that hasn’t changed at all, despite the new cast. The sweeping scenes of rural flora and fauna accompanied by joyful music still masks the stress the contestants suffer in the tent.

The bakers face three challenges each week: the signature bake, the technical and the showstopper.

Contestants must perform each complex bake with incredible skill and talent in regards to both taste and presentation to avoid elimination.

The contestants have always been supportive of each other, and this season is no different. Each elimination and announcement of the week’s Star Baker always ends in group hugs among the cast and competitors. It’s obvious the show is less about competition and more about the love of baking.

This season Paul has handed out more coveted “Hollywood Handshakes” 2. “Casual Friday” “Casual Friday” was my favorite episode for a very long time. It’s definitely one of the funniest and most quotable episodes, and it starts right off with Kevin dropping his famous chili all over the floor.

We then delve into Angela and Oscar’s relationship as they fight over open-toed sandals, get some laughs from Meredith’s I-don’t-give-a-crap attitude when she flashes everyone and see another side of Phyllis when she gives Pam some sass. It’s definitely a landmark episode when it comes to both funniness and character development.

than ever before to bakers that have created masterpieces.

The challenges this year are more difficult than ever and include large cookie “selfies,” chocolate domes, cookie chandeliers and an entire week dedicated to vegan recipes.

Although three-fourths of the original cast left, the show is still enjoyable.

Prue has proved to be a knowledgeable and likeable judge. She balances Paul’s harsh criticisms with softer blows. Noel is charismatic, and always brings color and laughter to the tent. A bit unusual, Noel easily resembles a goth giraffe, but his childish humor, strange hairstyles and colorful wardrobe make him a likeable host. Sandi is less charismatic, and she and Noel don’t have the chemistry that Mel and Sue shared.

However, she is still funny, and always finds herself as the butt of short people jokes. Noel and Sue make the odd pairing, but are still able to make funny cutscenes.

The latest season of Netflix’s “The Great British Baking Show” will leave you hungry for the two-episode holiday special they have lined up in December.

“The Great British Baking Show” is now streaming on Netflix.

3. “Dinner Party” Many “Office” fans may be angry to see this on the list, but I’ll never stop getting a kick out of this episode. While it does make us cringe more than usual as we’re forced to watch Michael and Jan’s tense relationship unfold. their guests’ reactions make it all worth it. We’re also blessed with plenty of hilarious Dwight moments when he shows up uninvited with his old babysitter who he’s apparently having sex with. Not to mention Jan’s assistant Hunter’s album really rocked the house and led to an impossibly cute moment between Jim and Pam.

reimagined featuring popular artists

by Lauren Swaim Photo Editor

Almost a year after both the movie and soundtrack of “The Greatest Showman” came out, a new compilation of cover songs, “The Greatest Showman: Reimagined,” has debuted. It features some of the world’s most renowned artists and, while a few of the covers are great hits that might be better than the originals, the rest can’t live up to listeners’ expectations from the original soundtrack.

The first song on the album, “The Greatest Show,” is one of the most dramatic, energy-filled songs on the original album. Choosing Panic! At the Disco to sing this for the “Reimagined” album was a stroke of genius.

Lead singer Brendon Urie brings his energy and euphoric sound to this song, making it almost as good as the original. His voice is so raw that it will make you want to sink into the floor.

The only reason Panic!’s version is not better than the original is because it cuts out a large part of the song near the end.

“A Million Dreams,” sung

by P!nk, stands to be much better than the original song.

In the movie version, the song is sung by multiple people, including P. T. Barnum as a child (sung by Ziv Zaifman), as an adult (Hugh Jackman) and Barnum’s wife Charity (Michelle Williams).

While their version of the song was great in its own right, P!nk’s version has the emotion of the original but combines the three parts into one, making it easier to sing along to (because we all know that you will).

Pentatonix’s rendition of “The Greatest Show” is also a great song to listen to.

The a cappella sound brings a new edge to the song that the original didn’t have.

The harmony that the band members have is great, but if anything could be critiqued, it would be the beatboxing is too distracting.

Other songs in this album are still great listens, but lack something the original songs offer. “Come Alive” by Years & Years and Jess Glynne has a Michael Jackson vibe to it. While it may not be as 4. “Gossip” This episode has one of the best intros of the whole series: Michael, Andy and Dwight attempting parkour. As Jim said, “parkour is when you try to get from point A to point B in the most creative way possible — in this case, point A is delusion and point B is the hospital.” Later, Michael spreads insane rumors because he initially told everyone that Stanley was cheating on his wife, which was the only true rumor. Because he couldn’t untell the secret, he confuses everyone with lies about themselves, like that Andy is gay and that Kevin has a smaller person inside him controlling him.

good as the original, this pop version is still worth listening to. The same goes for “The Other Side,” sung by MAX and Ty Dolla $ign. Their pop version is good, but it lacks the drama and coolness that Jackman and Zac Efron had while singing it.

Kelly Clarkson’s version of “Never Enough,” while maintaining the emotion of the song, doesn’t live up to Loren Allred’s version. The singer of this song is supposed to sound like a lonely flower left to sing on stage, and Allred’s voice was much better suited to sound like that than Clarkson’s voice.

One song that comes close to being the worst song on the album is “Rewrite the Stars,” sung by James Arthur and Anne-Marie.

While their harmony works very well near the end, Arthur’s solo is almost painful to listen to.

The original song by Efron and Zendaya is so beautiful and full of love that the cover can’t even come close to it. The only reason the reimagined version is still bearable is because AnneMarie covers for Arthur’s lack of vocal ability.

Two versions of “This Is Me” appeared on this album, the second being better than the first. The reimagined version of the song features the original singer of the song, Keala Settle, with Kesha and Missy Elliott. The mixture of Settle and Kesha’s vocals works well, making their parts of the song fantastic.

However, the parts when Elliott randomly comes in to rap detract from the song. If the rap part had been mixed in better with the song, it might have saved a lot of ears from listening to it.

“This Is Me,” the last song of the album, is a Kesha solo.

She brings out all the great qualities and emotions of this song to where it stands equal to the original, making it a great song to end the album on.

“The Greatest Showman: Reimagined” is now streaming on Apple Music and Spotify and is available for purchase on Google Play and iTunes.

5. Finale Many of these episodes made it on the list because of how funny they are, but this one made the list because it makes me cry every time. We see Andy finally achieving his dreams and realizing he’s loved when he meets his fans, landing a dream job at Cornell and getting past the viral video of him crying on the stage of an a cappella competition show. Dwight and Angela get married and the whole office shows up, including Michael, who surprises Dwight as the best man. Best of all, Erin meets her birth parents in a heartwarming moment that will leave you crying every time.

Sports

7

November 28, 2018

Editor’s Take

ROAD TO THE GOVERNOR’S TROPHY

Volleyball earns NIVC tournament, set to make program history

Date

Sport

Location

Pts.

Result

Aug. 17

Women’s Soccer

Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex

3

(tie) LR 1.5 UCA 1.5

Sept. 6

Volleyball

Conway

3

UCA wins LR 1.5 UCA 4.5

Sept. 9

Men’s Cross Country

Conway

2

UCA wins LR 1.5 UCA 6.5

Sept. 9

Women’s Cross Country

Conway

2

UCA wins LR 1.5 UCA 8.5

Oct. 14

Men’s Cross Country

Little Rock

2

UCA wins LR 1.5 UCA 10.5

Oct. 14

Women’s Cross Country

Little Rock

2

UCA wins LR 1.5 UCA 12.5

Oct. 22-23

Men’s Golf

Little Rock

2

LR wins LR 3.5 UCA12.5

Oct. 28-30

Women’s Golf

Hot Springs Village

2

UCA wins LR 3.5 UCA 14.5

Nov. 28

Men’s Basketball

Conway

4

-

Dec. 4

Men’s Basketball

Little Rock

4

-

by Marcus McClain Assistant Sports Editor

For the second consecutive season the UCA volleyball team will compete in a national postseason tournament, at the Women’s National Invitational Volleyball Championship.

After a second consecutive 25-win season and a second place finish in the Southland Conference, the Sugar Bears earned an automatic bid into the tournament and will face Wichita State University in the opening round.

This opportunity to advance the season is a special one considering the dominant season the Sugar Bears have had, led by its productive group of seniors.

The group of Savanah Allen, Samantha Anderson, Amanda Dimon, Kellen Dunn and Haley Tippett have put together a magical final season losing only two conference games and racking up a 10-1 record in their home games while providing the bulk of the Sugar Bear offense. Allen, Anderson and Tippett also all earned AllSouthland Conference honors.

This postseason tournament is a chance to add more icing on the cake of an already successful season and more championship jewelry to their volleyball careers at UCA after winning the conference title last season.

If the Sugar Bears are able to continue their hot streak and receive the high-level production from its seniors, there is a real chance for this team to atteon one of the greatest accomplishments in any athlete’s dreams: a national title.

The Sugar Bears have reached a record of 12-4 this season against non-conference opponents and 7-2 at neutral sites. Matching up against a Shockers team that has lost five of their last six games, coupled with a 1-4 record in neutral games could prve to be the perfect opening matchup for UCA. Wins in this tournament would even further advance what is UCA’s most successful sports program. And at the level the Sugar Bears have played so far this season, this advancement may be in the very near future.

photo courtesy of UCASports

Seniors Savanah Allen, Amanda Dimon, Haley Tippett, Kellen Dunn and Samantha Anderson accepting the 2018 Southland Conference runner-up trophy following their loss to Stephen F. Austin State University. The Sugar Bears finished with 26 wins for the season, and will participate in the NVIC.

Volleyball revisits Ladyjacks in championship, same result

by Ryan Bradford Staff Writer

The UCA volleyball team (26-6) fought hard in the Southland Conference Tournament, winning in the first two rounds, but losing in the conference championship to Stephen F. Austin University (32-2), who ended the season undefeated in conference play.

The Sugar Bears started the tournament Nov. 16 against the hosting Northwestern State University Lady Demons. The Sugar Bears managed to take the win after they erased a 2-0 set deficit in a three-set comeback instant classic.

Senior Kellen Dunn earned her season high of 21 kills in the match, the second most of her career. Senior Haley Tippett notched a double-double with 18 kills and 12 digs, with senior Samantha Anderson adding 17 kills.

Senior Savanah Allen had 11 kills and a .364 hitting percentage.

Junior Rayna

Jefferis and sophomore Emily Doss earned 17 digs and 16 digs respectively.

The Lady Demons didn’t make it easy for the Sugar Bears, finishing the first set with a .483 hitting percentage. They gained a 4-1 lead on UCA early on after two attack errors and a pair of kills.

Allen made a kill, making the score 8-7 Lady Demons.

NWSU went on the attack with an 8-3 run, giving them a 16-10 lead. For the Lady Demons, sophomore Hannah Brister scored four kills after scoring eight in the first set.

Late in the set, the Sugar Bears pulled within two after a Lady Demons service error made the score 21-19. However, a closing 4-1 Northwestern State run gave them the win, 25-20.

The second set saw the score going back and forth between the Sugar Bears and the Lady Demons. UCA started off with an early 6-3 lead before the home team quickly erased the deficit with a 6-0 run, giving

them a 9-6 lead. Allen regained the lead for the Sugar Bears with a 7-3 run that made the score 13-12.

The Lady Demons took the permanent lead late in the set after a 5-0 run that put them up three. Anderson scored a kill that pulled UCA within two, leaving the score 17-19. The Lady Demons finished with a 6-2 run that was capped off by back-to-back kills that put them up 2-0 with a 25-19 win.

Dunn gave the Sugar Bears an early 4-1 lead in the third set with two kills, but the Lady Demons took it with a 6-0 run, giving them a 7-4 lead.

They continued until halfway through the set when the Sugar Bears regained the lead 14-13.

The Lady Demons managed to tie the set at 16 until a 4-0 Sugar Bears run made it 20-16.

Dunn finished the set with eight kills, giving UCA the third set 25-19. The fourth set saw seven ties early on.

table by Cody Macomber

N AT I O N A L T O U R N A M E N T

See Volleyball- page 8

T R AV E L I N G T R O U B L E S

photo courtesy of UCASports

Freshman Ole Kjoerholt fights to keep the ball from Air Force Academy during the first round of the NCAA tournament in Colorado Springs, Colorado. UCA stayed with Air Force to go into halftime without a goal from either team.

Men’s soccer taken down

by Air Force in Colorado

by Daniel adams Staff Writer

photo by Cody Macomber

photo courtesy of UCASports

Upcoming Games Men’s Basketball

7 p.m. Nov. 28, vs.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Women’s Basketball

5:30 p.m. Nov. 28, at Alcorn State University Volleyball

4:30 p.m. Nov. 29, vs. Wichita State University Men’s and Women’s Track

Nov. 30, at Birmingham-Southern College

photo courtesy of UCASports

UCA sophomore guard DeAndre Jones fights around St. Louis defender Nov. 24 in a 73-61 losing effort. Jones led the team with 22 points on just 11 shots to go along with four assists and three steals. He also shot two of four from the 3-point line in his 38 minutes of action.

Men’s basketball struggling with road losses, topped with fourth defeat by St. Louis Billikens

by DJ Jones Staff Writer

The UCA men’s basketball team (2-4) lost to the Saint Louis University Billikens (5-1) 73-61 Nov. 24.

The loss gives UCA its third consecutive loss of the season.

The Billikens got out to an early 13-point lead in the first half, but the Bears were able to cut the lead to just 4 points by the halftime break.

UCA shot 35.7 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind the 3-point line.

The team had a total of 24 rebounds, 10 assists, five steals and 13 turnovers.

Sophomore guard DeAndre Jones led the way for UCA in scoring, with 22 points, while making 63 percent of his shots.

Jones also added four assists and two rebounds.

Freshman forward Eddy Kayouloud was next in scoring for UCA with 8 points and five rebounds.

The Billikens shot 42.2 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from behind the arc.

St. Louis had a team total of 47 rebounds, 16 assists, five blocks, five steals and 18 turnovers.

Leading the way for the Billikens in scoring was senior guard Javon Bess, with 19 points and six rebounds.

Sophomore guard Jordan Goodwin came right behind Bess with 18 points, six assists and six rebounds.

Senior guard Tramaine Isabell Jr. also added 13 points for the Billikens.

Jones said he felt the team came in and fought hard against a very good team.

“I thought we played hard and competed,” Jones said.

“Saint Louis was a very good team, and we were right there the entire game. I think we got better from last week with that game, and that’s all we can really ask for.”

Jones said that the team has shifted their focus toward the next game.

Kayouloud said he thinks this is another game that the Bears could’ve won down the stretch.

“This was a really rough game for us,” Kayouloud said.

“This was a tough team, but I think we could have still won.

We played hard on defense, but we missed a couple of shots that would have given us the lead.

Overall, I think our effort was all there, and we all fought.”

UCA will face off against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans Nov. 28 in the Farris Center.

Despite the best season on record for the team, the UCA Bears soccer team was unable to take a win in the NCAA tournament, as they lost to the Air Force Falcons (17-4) 4-0 Nov. 15, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

While the Bears and Falcons kept things tied at 0-0 in the first half of play, the game exploded in the second half for Air Force.

Goals in the 55th, 56th, 78th and 81st minutes gave the Falcons the advantage they needed as they took the win 4-0.

Statistically, the Bears fell behind offensively, as the Falcons were able to get 19 shots off in comparison with the Bears’ 11.

Coach Ross Duncan said he was extremely pleased with how the game went, even if the end result wasn’t what the Bears were wanting to see.

“I was happy with the way we came out and took it to them,” Duncan said. “We created some really dangerous chances, and if one of those went in, I think it’s a different game, but as the game wore on, it opened up and that suited their style of play.”

Coach Matt Taphorn had the same outlook on the game, impressed with the team’s effort overall.

“We knew [the team would put forth a lot of effort] going in, but we are proud of how our boys played,” Taphorn said.

“They battled from the first minute to the last. The result is what it is, but we know our boys left everything on the field.”

Both coaches said they were very happy with how the season went as a whole for the Bears,

with the team going through highs and lows throughout the year, as the team set a new standard for how well they performed.

“We had our ups and downs all year, but a poor result never affected our team,” Taphorn said. “We set out a goal to win conference, make the tournament and have a winning season, so I’d say we accomplished all that and more.”

Duncan could only agree.

“I couldn’t be more proud of what this group has accomplished,” Duncan said.

“It’s incredible when you think about where this program came from and what these boys have done with it.”

Several players were able to earn postseason honors before the tournament got underway.

Junior forward Niklas Brodacki was named Player of the Year and UCA’s coaching staff was named the Coaching Staff of the Year for the Missouri Valley Conference.

Brodacki, senior midfielder Chris Holmes, senior midfielder Daltyn Knutson and sophomore forward Kasper Anderson were also named to the All-Conference team.

Sophomore midfielder Soren Jensen was named an Honorable Mention to the All-Conference team.

The team ended the season with a record of 8-6-4 (4-1-1 MVC), the first winning season in Division-I play for UCA. At the same time, the two-time champs will not be able to defend their title, as UCA moves on to play in the Sun Belt conference as an associate member in men’s soccer next year.

ucanews.live

SPORTS

8/ November 28, 2018

SPORT

UCA STATS CORNER

Football

Volleyball

OPPONENT

RESULT

RECORD

Abilene Christian University

16-7 (W)

(6-5, 5-4)

Stephen F. Austin State

3-0 (L)

(26-6, 14-2)

4-0 (L)

(8-6-4, 4-1-1)

58-50 (L)

(2-2, 0-0)

University

Men’s Soccer

Air Force

photo by Cody Macomber

Allison Susa has been in the athletic training program at UCA for two and a half years and is projected to graduate at the end of the semester. She will then travel to Florida, where she will serve as a seasonal assistant athletic trainer for the Boston Red Sox baseball team. She may not work with the major league team, but will probably work with one of the affiliates of the team through its farm system.

Women’s Basketball University of South Alabama

Graduate student hired by Boston Red Sox

by Cody Macomber Sports Editor

UCA graduate student Allison Susa will pursue her dreams as an athletic trainer after being accepted to a position with the Boston Red Sox baseball organization, which she’ll start March 2019.

The opportunity is tremendous, but it all began with a girl trying to keep up with her older brothers.

Susa was born and raised on a dairy farm in central Wisconsin. She has two older brothers that she said always kept her busy.

She played sports during middle school and high school, injuring her ankles numerous times while playing. This helped her develop a good relationship with her athletic trainer.

Over time, her athletic trainer encouraged her to take a class as a high school student athletic training aide.

“I knew I wanted to do something in the healthcare field, and I’ve known sports my whole life, so here was this great profession that meshed both of them,” Susa said.

She took the class over summer at a clinic in her hometown, and really enjoyed it. She applied to the athletic training program at the college she would attend — the University of Wisconsin at Lacrosse — and got into the entry level class.

She worked with baseball

and continued with the clinic during visits to her hometown or breaks from school.

Susa said she was able to shadow the athletic trainers of the clinic and learned a lot from them, especially during the summer when they aided the Northwoods league, a summer collegiate baseball league.

“That’s where I really started enjoying the baseball side of athletic training,” Susa said.

Once she graduated with her bachelor’s degree, Susa wanted to further her education and continue working with baseball, but on a higher athletic level.

UIWL was a Division-III athletic program, and Susa hoped to find a college that had Division-I or Division-II athletics. UCA head athletic trainer David Strickland had earned his master’s degree at UIWL, and recognized the college when Susa applied for UCA’s master’s program in athletic training.

Once Susa got interviewed and accepted into the program, she started working with the baseball team, and has helped UCA’s baseball team for two years.

She has worked with every sport at UCA at some point, either during games or in the clinic. She responded to sophomore basketball player SK Shittu when his heart stopped during a practice in 2017, saving his life.

During her tenure at UCA,

Susa considered applying for Major League Baseball athletic training positions to glean from the knowledge that gives each MLB organization its edge.

She applied for a few MLB programs during her first year at UCA, and got an interview with the Red Sox. She didn’t get the job, but was told that she was a strong candidate and should apply after finishing graduate school.

She applied again in October 2018, and was given a position as a seasonal assistant athletic trainer.

She will go to Spring Training where she will get her job training and find out how the organization runs. She’ll then be placed with one of the affiliates for the season, until the baseball season is over, when she’ll face the possibility of having to find another job.

She knew that trying to get into professional baseball wasn’t a guaranteed steady job and she might have to volunteer instead of getting paid for the first few months. She said luckily this won’t be the case for her in 2019.

Once the 2019 season ends, she said she would like to keep a job in baseball, whether it’s with the Red Sox, another MLB organization or a college program.

“Athletic training keeps me busy, which isn’t a bad thing, because I love it,” Susa said. “I found a job that I’m able to go to every day with a smile on my face and enjoy what I do.”

JAGUARS JIVE

B AT T L I N G B E A R S

UCA’s defense cages Wildcats, help slow offense

by Ronak Patel Staff Writer

On Nov. 17, the UCA Bears ended their season with a 16-7 win during an impressive low-scoring, grind-it-out type of game against their conference rival Abilene Christian on the road at the Wildcat Stadium.

This game marked UCA’s lowest scoring point total of the season.

Seven points was also a season-low allowed by the Bears defense this season. UCA won most of its games this year with its high-flying offense, ending the year relying on its defense to help get a win instead.

In a low-scoring game where neither team could get much going offensively, UCA redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Hales found a way to score a touchdown.

Neither team scored in the first quarter, but UCA quickly responded in the second quarter with a 20-yard field goal from senior kicker Matt Cummins with 14:11 left on the clock for the half.

Abilene Christian quickly responded with its only touchdown on a 36-yard pass

from sophomore quarterback Luke Anthony to redshirt senior wide receiver D.J. Fuller.

This touchdown came only 1:05 after UCA’s touchdown, giving ACU its only lead of the game.

Cummins made a 37-yard field goal late in the second quarter to bring UCA within 1 point. The Bears took the lead after the half with a 42-yard field goal from Cummins to give UCA a 9-7 lead.

With his accuracy, Cummins was named SLC Player of the Week.

Hales completed a touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Jack Short late in the fourth quarter to score UCA’s only touchdown of the game.

The Bears’ defense suffocated the Wildcats’ offense, which came into the game scoring 30.1 points per game.

One of the keys to defense for the Bears was turnovers. The Bears’ defense was impressive, and forced two game-changing turnovers.

The Bears were able to intercept ACU sophomore quarterback Luke Anthony twice in the game. On top of shutting down Abilene Christian’s passing attack, the

Bears’ defense was able to stop the Wildcat ground game as well. The Bears held Abilene Christian to only 30 rushing yards for the entire game.

When the offense needed them the most, the defense came up big, helping them win the final game of the season.

Throughout all the adversity and obstacles this season brought, the Bears continued to play hard. Coach Nathan Brown showed a great ability to rally his players.

UCA’s season ended with a 6-5 record, including a road playoff win. Another positive for the Bears is that they managed to finish with a winning record within in the division, at 5-4.

What makes this season so impressive was that the Bears never backed down, despite key injuries.

The Bears had starting redshirt sophomore quarterback Breylin Smith miss most of the season with an ankle injury.

After another injury affected redshirt junior Kirk Baugh, UCA was forced to play its third-string quarterback Hales.

Hales stepped in and played well for the Bears.

Brown will have the chance for more success next year.

NOTEWORTHY NEWBIES

Freshmen show potential despite tough losses for men’s basketball

by Cody Macomber Sports Editor

photo by Marcus McClain

Freshman guard Shay Johnson looks to penetrate the Jaguar defense Nov. 17, in the Farris Center. Johnson finished with a team-high four assists for the game.

Women lose to South Alabama

by Marcus McClain Assistant Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team (2-2) suffered a rare home loss Nov. 17, against the University of South Alabama (3-0).

After being 44-6 in their last 50 games at the Farris Center, a rough shooting game cost the Sugar Bears this game, 58-50. They were held to just 28 percent from the field, and 20 percent from deep for the game.

Free throw shooting also became a problem for the Sugar Bears, as they shot only 63 percent from the line, missing on a total of nine free throw attempts.

Sophomore forward Hannah Langi looked to give the Sugar Bears a spark to open the game, scoring the team’s first 6 points.

Despite her efforts, the Jaguars jumped ahead and never looked back.

South Alabama had a much better shooting game, led by freshman guard Damaya Telemaque with 21 points on an efficient 7 of 11 from the field.

The Jaguars connected on five of their 10 3-point attempts, and shot 43 percent from the field overall.

Despite the better shooting from USA, the Sugar Bears kept the score close by dominating the offensive glass, leading to 17 extra points for UCA. They also captilized with their defensive pressure, forcing South Alabama into 19 turnovers.

However, the cold shooting was too much to overcome as the Sugar Bears failed to convert consistently on these extra opportunities.

“What we’re seeing right now is a young team going through some growing pains,” coach Greg Long said. “We see that they have the abilities and the potential to be a really good team, but we just have to keep working on converting those extra chances into points.”

Long continued, saying the team is playing for conference and will use these nonconference games to improve and prepare for the latter portion of the season.

After struggling through a tough third quarter, where the Sugar Bears only scored 6 points, UCA fell behind by 15 points as the Jaguars looked to pull away.

Still, the Sugar Bears continued to fight, and eventually, their efforts started to pay off.

A late surge — including two consecutive 3-pointers from junior guard Kamry Orr — cut the deficit to single digits.

Nonetheless, the Sugar Bears’ run came too late to overtake the lead. South Alabama used an 11-4 run over the final four minutes to close out the game.

Langhi and Orr were the only two players in double figures for the Sugar Bears, with 14 and 10 points respectively.

UCA is getting a break in action, with 10 days off before its next game Nov. 28.

After the graduation of the UCA men’s basketball team’s top two scorers — Mathieu Kamba and Jordan Howard — it seemed clear that the Bears would be facing a rebuilding season after winning their first ever postseason tournament victory in Division I in the 201718 season.

What makes college athletics so beautiful, however, is that recruiting can completely change the outlook of a team with one significant athlete’s signing.

In the case of the Bears, they had two signings that have had a large impact already on a young men’s basketball team.

Volleyball:

Freshman guard Eddy Kayouloud comes from Paris, France, while freshman guard Khaleem Bennett comes from Hamilton, Canada.

Kayouloud played for France’s under-17 national team at the FIBA World Championships, and brings experience from a high level of play during high school.

Kayouloud scored a team-high 19 points in UCA’s season debut against the power-five opponent University of Missouri Tigers.

He played a smaller role in the next game against Hendrix, only for fellow freshman Bennett to explode for 15 points in the second half of the game, scoring a team-high 21 points in the game.

Both players were efficient

Bears fall to SFA again

After an NWSU error made it 10-10, UCA went on an 11-2 run giving them a lead of 21-12.

Allen scored the winning point with her kill, giving the Sugar Bears a 25-15 victory.

The final set saw seven more ties within the first 22 points,with kills from Anderson and Tippett giving the Sugar Bears a 14-11 lead. Tippett ended the game with a final kill, giving the Sugar Bears a victory in the final set 15-12.

The Sugar Bears advanced to face off against the Sam Houston State Bearkats, sweeping them 3-0 in the semifinals.

Anderson led the Sugar Bears, scoring a game-high 15 kills with a .419 hitting percentage. Tippett pitched a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs. After the sweep, the Sugar Bears were set to play the Stephen F. Austin University Ladyjacks.

The first set saw six ties within the first 22 points, with the biggest lead at four.

Anderson gave the Sugar Bears the lead with her third kill, but the Ladyjacks fought back to tie at 10.

Both teams went back and forth until the Ladyjacks broke a 21-21 tie, scoring the last 4 points of the first set to win it 25-21.

The Ladyjacks gained an early lead of 5-1 in the second set and never looked back,winning 25-9 in the set.

The Sugar Bears didn’t fair much better in the third and final 000set. The Ladyjacks gained another early lead until UCA went on a 9-3 run to tie the score 13-13.

The Sugar Bears made a comeback with kills from seniors Tippett, Anderson and Dunn. An error by the Lady Jacks gave the Sugar Beas their first lead of the set, making it 18-17.

Another Ladyjacks error made the score 20-18, but the Ladyjacks bounced back to tie the score 20-20.

An error late in the set by the Ladyjacks made the score 2423, but SFA sophomore Anyia Williams earned a kill to give SFA the victory at 25-23, and a conference championship.

This tournament put UCA over the 25-win mark for the sixth time in nine seasons.

in the third game of the season against the University of the Ozarks, as the Bears shot 62.7 percent from the floor, their highest shooting percentage of the season so far.

Bennett scored 11 points, making four of five shots from the floor, and Kayouloud scored 14 points on six of 11 shots from the floor.

UCA struggled against the University of Pittsburgh and suffered a close loss at Troy University, but the freshmen stayed consistent.

Bennett scored 10 points against Pittsburgh, matched with 9 points from Kayouloud.

Bennett played a lesser role against Troy, scoring 6 points, but Kayouloud scored team’s season high in points with 30.

For the game, he shot 75 percent

from the floor, including five of seven 3-points shots.

At their current pace, these two freshmen are set to be the only freshmen other than graduate Jordan Howard to average double-digits in scoring in their first year.

Bennett averaged 10.2 points per game through the game against Troy, and Kayouloud averaged 15.6 points, a tenth of a point shy of Howard’s 15.7.

Coach Russ Pennell puts a lot of trust in these freshmen, as Kayouloud plays for an average of 24.8 minutes per game, while Bennett plays an average of 22.8 minutes per game.

During Pennell’s tenure, he has hired impressive recruits such as Howard, Kamba, Koval and DeAndre Jones.

ARKANSAS CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN ECONOMICS Distinguished Speaker Series

Arkansas's Fiscal Health and Ranking

OLIVIA GONZALEZ Olivia Gonzalez is the co-author of a report titled "Ranking of the States by Fiscal Condition." This report measures how well each state can meet short-range and longrange spending expectations. She is a research associate at the Mercatus Center and her research focuses on public finance issues and economic development, among other things. Gonzalez has authored numerous policy briefs on state and local policy, and her work has been cited in various media outlets, including US News & World Report, the Tribune News Service, Real Clear Policy, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

COB AUDITORIUM THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29 1:40-2:30