Issue 13, Volume 118 -- December 7, 2022

TODAY’S FORECAST

Campus Life:

Ebony Models sees large turnout for winter fashion show.

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Entertainment:

McAlister Hall construction requires classes to relocate

BY MIA WADDELL Associate Editor

Countries place price cap on Russian oil

The G-7 and Australia joined the European Union in placing a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil. The EU embargo placed on Russian oil shipped by sea and a ban on insurance for those supplies took effect Monday, Dec. 5. The price cap was agreed upon with the goal of slowing global fuel infation while still restricting Russia’s source of revenue for the war in Ukraine.

Biden signs bill to block railroad strike

President Joe Biden signed a bill Friday, Dec. 2 to block a rail strike. The bill was negotiated between freight railroads and union leadership. Biden said the decision was “tough” while also saying it was the only option to prevent a critical supply chain stoppage before Christmas. Democrats tried to amend the bill to include seven days of paid sick leave for workers, but they only received 52 of the 60 votes needed.

Classes and offices based in McAlister Hall will move to Short Hall, of Short and Denney Hall, and Schichtl Hall before the spring 2023 semester.

McAlister houses offices and classes for the department of family and consumer sciences, the department of art and design and the Schedler Honors College.

McAlister is currently undergoing repairs on its roof.

“It leaked like a screen door would,” President Houston Davis said in an October campus talk meeting.

Kevin Carter, associate vice president for facilities at the physical plant, said that many projects are underway in the building.

“Starting in the spring, there will be several different renovation projects taking place in McAlister,” King said. “Due to the intrusive nature of the work taking place and for the safety of the occupants, we will need to relocate all operations for the spring semester.”

The current work on the roof should be completed by Dec. 31 if the weather is not too harsh, King said. Currently, the building is operating as normal, but King said “the entire building will be vacated by the start of the spring semester.”

Nina Roofe, chair of the department of family

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Sports:

Women’s

Basketball: UCA Bears beat UALR Trojans 53-49.

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and consumer sciences, said that her department has not been disrupted despite the construction.

“We are still operating in McAlister Hall for the fall 2022 semester. The repairs are coming along nicely. McAlister Hall is currently receiving a roof replacement and upgrades to the HVAC system,” Roofe said.

Construction will continue into the spring, due to a grant awarded to UCA from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council.

The grant provides funds to renovate and restore the building, as well as make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“McAlister Hall will receive ADA accessibility and other upgrades on the first floor in the spring 2023 term,” Roofe said. “Due to the nature of that and the ongoing HVAC work, faculty offices will move to Short Hall, and classes for spring 2023 will be taught mostly in Schichtl, with a few classes in the Short Residential Hall classroom, the Jefferson Farris Hall classroom and UCA Downtown.”

The ANCRC grant totaled $549,537 and is to be used to update and renovate the building.

Muse Residential College, a program for incoming students to live and learn with other students in the arts, was previously housed in Short and

See McAlister - page 2

BY ASHLYN LITTLE Sta Writer

The homeless population in Central Arkansas has increased since the beginning of the year and as winter approaches, several families are without shelter in Faulkner County.

According to the Arkansas Department of Education Data Center, there were 839 homeless students in Faulkner County as of Oct. 1.

Faulkner County had the fourth-highest homeless student population in the state, just behind Arkansas’ three largest counties by population: Pulaski, Benton and Washington counties. In January, this number was 696.

While this number is high, it doesn’t account for the county’s homeless individuals who aren’t of school age. The United Way of Central Arkansas and the Toad Suck Homeless Coalition gathered a 90-day snapshot of data from Conway Ministry Center and Bethlehem House, which counted 356 homeless individuals in the community in just 90 days.

The data from the 90-day snapshot reported that, of the 356 individuals, only 20 were considered “chronically homeless,” which means

they have been homeless for over a year. The data also provided evidence that more family units are homeless than before, with 27 families with 51 children reported.

Laura King, assistant director of the United Way of Central Arkansas and chair of the Toad Suck Homeless Coalition, said the data from the Department of Education and the local agencies show a signifcant increase in the number of homeless people in the community.

“This snapshot with the public school data shows us that we are up 16% from January 2022 and we don’t have all agencies reporting,” King said. Likewise, the Community Action Plan for Central Arkansas has seen an uptick in community members in need of their services.

“We are a federally, state, local and privately funded organization that serves Faulkner, Cleburne and White counties with over 20 different programs,” CAPCA Community Programs manager Lacey Strom said. “Some of these programs are Rapid Rehousing, Homelessness Prevention, Project Homeless Connect, [Low Income Home See Homeless - page 2

households

U.S. hits over 1 million same-sex

Data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the number of samesex households surpassed 1 million for the frst time. This refects a wider acceptance of these arrangements in American culture. There were about 1.2 million samesex households in 2021; Nearly 710,000 of them, roughly 60%, were married and about 500,000 were unmarried.

Woman freed, sex

tra cker arrested

Police found and arrested

Kyron Lajon Richardson, 29, on Nov. 29. Richardson was arrested just fve days after a 21-year-old woman from Little Rock was able to text her father the address where she was being held and forced into prostitution. State attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said that Richardson met the woman on social media, where he told her she was “too beautiful to be in Little Rock.”

This is our last issue of the semester. See you next year!

RESOURCE

Conway nearing opening of emergency overnight shelter

BY MIA WADDELL Associate Editor

The City of Conway is fast approaching the opening of its frst 24-hour emergency overnight shelter.

The city broke ground for the shelter in April, but it will not be fully operational until the spring of 2023.

Shawanna Rodgers, diversity and economic development coordinator for the city of Conway, said that since the frst proposal, the projected deadline changed.

“When the city started this project in 2019, there was a different timeline projected. However, upon the actual construction of the project, we realized that we would have to adjust that timeline,” Rodgers said. The shelter’s construction is

coming along, and the 2023 spring date still stands, Rodgers said.

In a November Faulkner County Quorum Court meeting, multiple nonproft organizations under the Toad Suck Homeless Coalition gathered to ask for emergency funding due to sudden cold conditions and increases in demand.

Laura King, chair of Toad Suck Homeless Coalition, said that the nonprofts she works for are strained.

“Normally we have a warming station that opens in the middle of December — that is not happening this year. We had all expected to have

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RISKY HABITS

High number of college students engage in binge drinking alcohol

BY SYDNEY CYR News Editor

Binge drinking habits are increasingly common among college students in the U.S. and can develop due to contributing factors like societal influences, environmental influences, family history, peer pressure and more.

According to the Alcohol Rehab Guide, “Roughly 80% of college students — four out of every five — consume alcohol to some degree. It’s estimated that 50% of those students engage in binge drinking, which involves consuming too much alcohol in too little time.”

The amount of alcohol one can consume before they are considered to be binge drinking varies between males and females.

Anita Sego, an associate professor in the department of health sciences at UCA, said this difference has to do with the amount of water we hold in our bodies.

Amber Holland, a prevention specialist, said for females, if you have four or more drinks in one occasion, that’s binge drinking; for males, if you have five or more drinks in one occasion, that’s binge drinking.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as “a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% — or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter —

or higher.”

Holland said a person’s liver can usually process one drink an hour. However, a person still needs to avoid consuming too many drinks, even if the drinks are spaced out hourly. For example, Holland said if a person consumes eight drinks in eight hours, that is still considered binge drinking.

Holland said the age at which people begin consuming substances, like alcohol, affects their likelihood of developing substance abuse issues.

“When I became a substance abuse counselor, I realized these individuals were starting these substances super early,” Holland said.

Holland said studies have shown 25% of people who begin drinking at age 17 develop alcohol dependence whereas only 10% of people who begin drinking at age 21 develop alcohol dependence.

Holland said research has shown human brains don’t finish developing until around age 25 or 26, so even once you are of legal drinking age, excessive drinking can negatively affect brain development.

There are many risks associated with college students’ drinking habits. Students can experience alcohol-related injuries, which can lead to death in some cases.

College students drinking habits can also affect their performance in school. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,

See Risky habits - page 2

“The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” clumsily reminds us of our holiday traditions.

Faulkner homeless population grows; Cold weather increases risk, demand

photo courtesy of the city of Conway

Shawanna Rodgers, diversity and economic development coordinator for the city of Conway, gives a speech at the ground-breaking ceremony for the 24-hour emergency overnight shelter. The shelter will be located at 1116 Gum Street.

Police Beat

Four students given UCA drug violation

During his patrol Dec. 1, Officer Tommy Wise noticed a car sitting idle in front of Stadium Park Apartment building six. Wise made contact with the driver, student Lakiya Ariel Scott, and smelled marijuana. Scott said she wasn’t a UCA student when Wise asked if she was. The passenger, student Jakira Melanie Davis, admitted to having marijuana in her pocket — 1.2 grams. Scott’s purse was searched and .3 grams were found. Scott asked Wise how he knew the purse was hers. Wise said he saw her grab her driver’s license from the purse, and she admitted that the purse was hers. Scott also admitted to being a UCA student once Wise tried to issue her a ban letter. Scott, Davis and the two back seat passengers were issued a UCA drug violation and released. The marijuana was destroyed.

iPad, tools stolen at construction site

UCAPD received a call Nov. 29 from Charles Hickey about a possible breaking and entering. Hickey said that he visited his construction site Friday, Nov. 22. When he visited the site again a week later on the morning of Nov. 29, he discovered that the front gate lock was missing and the office building window was broken. Hickey said when he entered the office building, he found that his iPad was missing, along with some of his tools.

Hickey tried to open the door to access the area where the rest of the tools were kept, but the door was locked and he did not have a key with him. Hickey filed a police report and the missing items were entered as stolen in the Arkansas Crime Information Center. There are no current leads.

McAlister:

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Denney Hall.

The building was not reopened for fall 2022 and Muse was moved to Arkansas Hall.

Short and Denney, however, have not been entirely empty. The building has had unique uses for the fall semester, including a Halloween haunted house put on by the Resident Housing Association.

Not all programs will need to move into Short or Schichtl as the university plans to open the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts in time for spring classes.

The department of art and design began moving into the building in October 2022.

Bryan Massey, chair of the department, said of the building, “I had some staff think about retirement, but they said it made them change their mind,” Massey said.

Man speeding and eeing on Bruce

Officer Steve Pointer was in his patrol vehicle when he saw a silver compact car driving roughly 55 mph on Bruce Street, a street with a 25 mph speed limit, on Nov. 22. The car was still gaining speed as it passed him, and Pointer turned on his lights and chased the vehicle. The driver accelerated through a roundabout and turned without stopping at a stop sign. Pointer reached speeds of 70 mph. The silver car pulled into a driveway and the driver was identified as nonstudent Daniel Shae Ramon Zamudio. According to the report, Zamudio’s speech was slurred and his breath smelled like alcohol. Zamudio was arrested for fleeing, and his car was left in the driveway that he pulled into, which was his dad’s.

Grant enables additional work

“Classes, as far as I know, are going to be starting in January. It’s just a matter of us unpacking everything and getting it ready for classes to begin.”

Davis said the repairs on McAlister, in conjunction with the grant, are another reason he has focused so heavily on his Resource Optimization Initiative, which examines the university’s finances amid drops in enrollment and limited government funding.

“We’re getting [the roof] taken care of and a double blessing of getting a grant to be able to do some additional work to McAlister, that’s great,” Davis said.

“It was also good to be able to leverage our scarce dollar against those other many dollars,” Davis said. “But all of those things are perfect examples just here in the last six months of our

MEETING

existence about why we must maintain those reserves.”

The roof repairs have not disrupted the building’s dayto-day operations.

Patricia Smith, dean of the honors college, said that changes have been minimal.

“We are currently operating inside McAlister. With roof repairs, we’ve relocated classes from 402 into 302, but are otherwise operating normally at this time,” Smith said.

Roofe said that her department has adjusted well.

“Our operations have not been affected by the repairs. Everyone has worked around class schedules, so there has been no impact on students.

We are excited about the upgrades and renovations and look forward to moving back into McAlister Hall in May of next year.”

Board updates contract policy, increases amount for approval

BY MIA WADDELL Associate Editor

The UCA Board of Trustees updated its contract policy to increase the specifed amount for approval from $250,000 to $500,000 during its Dec. 2 meeting in Wingo Hall.

The updated policy requires board members to vote on the approval of contracts if they are over $500,000 compared to the previously lower threshold. The specifed amount has not been updated since it was set in 2009. The policy passed 6-1, with member Kay Hinkle as the only objector. “With all due respect, I’m still uncomfortable with it,” Hinkle said.

Additionally, the board renewed a contract with Watermark, an education insight consultant, which helps with academics, course evaluations and related software.

The board approved the October revised budget, which had a slight increase in income due to money from the UCA Foundation. The original fscal year 2023 budget was $190,532,330 versus the October revised budget of $191,144,489.

The budget showed money being used for scholarships was below the projected amount.

The original budget allocated $30,060,589 for scholarships and fee waivers, while the updated budget allocated less than half at $14,288,556. The original projection for cost was $27,802,657.

Interim Vice President of Finance and Administration Terry Canino said the decrease was due to a drop in enrollment.

“That is just due to enrollment decline. We have not changed our scholarships, we have not capped them … we’re just a little lower in enrollment.”

The maintenance and operation line of the budget was over budget by $2,595,960, which Canino said is because “it has just been a crazy year.”

President Houston Davis said, “We continue to wrestle with things like McAlister having to be re-roofed and the opportunities that come with redoing that building. Harrin having to be de-molded, demoisturized and Burdick just having to be rethought.”

The board was notifed by Patricia Poulter, dean of the honors college, of the deletion of the Master of Arts in history as well as the Graduate Certifcate and Master of Arts program in Spanish.

“Deletion of long-standing academic programs is never a decision taken lightly,” Poulter said. “We’ve received many

Homeless: Cold weather puts people at risk

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Energy Assistance Program], Commodities, Head Start/ Early Head Start and much more … We have seen a considerable increase in homeless and non-homeless who need our services.”

The reasoning for the influx of unsheltered people boils down to two key factors: increased cost of living and COVID-19.

In the past year, the cost of living has risen to record numbers, making everyday essentials such as gas, groceries and rent much more difficult for people who are already economically disadvantaged.

“When you live paycheck to paycheck, just missing one can put you in a scary situation,” Strom said.

The COVID-19 pandemic aided in job loss for people all across the country and also raised inflation rates in several aspects. People who never struggled financially before the pandemic have fallen victim to the economic effects of COVID-19.

“There really isn’t any area of our lives that hasn’t been impacted by inflation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic … One missed day of work, one sick kid, one car breakdown can easily put people that are financially struggling on a path to homelessness,” King said.

While the entire country has seen the effects of the pandemic raise homelessness rates, in Central Arkansas, the issue is also accredited to overall population growth. Conway in particular is a growing city, bringing in more people each year. Conway’s growth, however, is not helping the homeless issue at

hand.

“Conway is growing faster than what housing is keeping up. We have three great colleges and people flocking to the area, which is amazing in so many ways, but it strains housing availability and causes an increase in housing cost. Oftentimes there is funding through nonprofits to help rehouse the homeless, but we simply can’t find enough affordable housing units to place them in,” King said.

As the homeless population is rising, the temperatures are falling, which puts the homeless people in the community at even higher risk. Below-freezing temperatures and inclement weather like rain, sleet and snow present the danger of hypothermia to those without shelter. The Toad Suck Homeless Coalition has a plan for the winter months to try and shelter as many homeless people as possible when inclement weather conditions arise and are hopeful this will help the homeless in the area until Conway’s first emergency homeless shelter opens next year.

“We just need to make it through this winter without losing any of our citizens to the elements,” King said.

For those who feel inclined to help, the Conway Police Department advises to be cautious and alert the department if concerned with the safety of an individual.

“Always be cautious when approaching an individual that you are not familiar with. If you are concerned for their safety, please contact the Conway Police Department. You may also refer them to local organizations such as CAPCA

Resource:

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the city of Conway’s emergency shelter up and ready to go. Due to issues, and COVID, and supply chain issues, and the cost of goods — that has been delayed until probably the middle of this next year,” King said.

Although the initial date of completion was different, Rodgers said that all nonprofts have been notifed of changes in deadlines.

“The shelter will be opening in the spring of 2023. We are also a part of the Toad Suck Coalition and have a great partnership with our nonproft organizations and they are aware of the updated information,” Rodgers said.

or the Conway Ministry Center, which aid individuals in need. If it is ‘after hours’ for these organizations, you may contact our Community Crisis Response Team, and they will respond accordingly,” Public Information Officer Lacey Kanipe said.

Several organizations in Conway like CAPCA and the United Way of Central Arkansas welcome volunteers and donations as a safe way to help provide for the area’s homeless population.

“We encourage volunteering at our Project Homeless Connect events; this is a great way to give back and get to know people and what they are going through. We will also need a large volunteer base once the homeless shelter opens to ensure our guests feel welcome, safe and cared for by their community and our hardworking staff. We understand there is a stigma about giving homeless on the street money. Still, here at CAPCA, we have strict guidelines to ensure the homeless we serve are indeed homeless,” Strom said. Funds can also be donated to the Winter Sheltering Program through the United Way of Central Arkansas, where 100% of the proceeds will go toward sheltering homeless people in the community overnight from Dec. 12, 20222, through March 1, 2023.

More information on how to help the homeless in the city of Conway and Faulkner County can be found by contacting CAPCA or the United Way of Central Arkansas.

Nonpro ts noti ed of deadline changes

temperatures are below freezing or the weather is inclement,” King said.

The overnight shelter, when complete, will be able to house a maximum of 50 people.

The shelter’s daily operations will be run by the Community Action Program for Central Arkansas. CAPCA was chosen by the city to head the operation.

Jennifer Welter, executive director of CAPCA, said it was an honor and privilege to run the city’s frst overnight shelter.

stop shop to access programs, services, partners and aid in our coordinated entry efforts across the community.”

According to Conway’s operational plan for the shelter, it will provide “daytime programming including but not limited to; case management, fnancial aid for housed families in crisis, a food pantry, a housing assistance program to prevent families from becoming homeless and day center for homeless services.”

notes and some emails, there were several conversations over the course of several months to make this decision. But doing so never negates meaningful and transformational teaching and learning that has taken place.”

The chair of the board, Terry Fiddler, said, “When things like this happen, it’s not because of personal politics, it’s because we make this university a better place.”

Board member Robert ‘Bunny’ Adcock nominated new members for its 2023 term: Curtis Barnett, chairman; Amy Denton, vice chairman; and Michael Stanton, secretary.

“For everyone in the future — congratulations, condolences, one of those C-words,” Fiddler said.

The board passed a resolution of appreciation for Adcock, citing his work on the Integrated Health Sciences building, the Windgate Fine and Performing Arts Center, his time on the board and his work on the Lewis Science Center, among other things.

“Yes, Bunny was blessed fnancially, but there are a lot of people who are blessed fnancially that do not do anything to help others,” Fiddler said. “He’s not one of those. He and Carol have given and given and given.”

Despite the increase in need and lack of an overnight shelter, the Toad Suck Homeless Coalition is currently enacting a program to house people.

“It is a sheltering program utilizing temporary motel stays on the coldest nights, when

“As a community action agency, our goal has always been to work in collaboration with our community, not to duplicate services, but to work hand-in-hand with existing service providers and partners to refer and to fll gaps as we see the gaps,” Welter said.

“So this shelter will do just that — falling in line with our mission and offering a one-

Risky habits: Increased

4 Continued from page 1

“about one-quarter of college students report having negative academic consequences because of their drinking, including missing class, falling behind in their studies, doing poorly on exams or papers and receiving lower grades overall.”

The prevalence of binge drinking habits among college students is partly due to influences in American society.

Sego said binge drinking is normalized in American society through media portrayals of drinking in movies, television shows and more, and American society generally see these habits as more acceptable.

Holland said frequent consumption of alcohol causes a person’s tolerance to alcohol to increase, thus requiring more drinks in one

sitting to achieve the same buzz. This can quickly lead to binge drinking habits because a person who was once able to get drunk off of two or three drinks later requires four to five drinks to achieve that same feeling, and so on.

Sego said binge drinking is commonly associated with the college experience overall.

This makes college students even more likely to binge drink because they are already expecting to do so when they go to college.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that a mix of strategies targeting students at various levels are the best way to address binge drinking among college students.

According to the NIAAA, individual-level interventions can include “education and awareness programs,”

The housing will be dormitory style, separated into men’s and women’s with separate rooms for families.

Full-time security staff will be employed, according to the plan, and the shelter will not house sex offenders, violent felons on probation or parole, and persons with active warrants.

The shelter will be located at 1116 Gum Street.

tolerance contributes

“cognitive-behavioral skillsbased approaches,” “motivation and feedback-related approaches” and “behavioral interventions by health professionals.”

Interventions targeting the student body as a whole and the broader campus community can include different environmental strategies, according to the NIAAA. This usually involves an effort to reduce the availability of alcohol on college campuses.

The NIAAA’s website states that “strong leadership from a concerned college president in combination with engaged parents, an involved campus community and a comprehensive program of evidence-based strategies can help address harmful student drinking.”

Campus Life

Around Campus:

Bear Boots on the Ground interest/ info meeting

During x-period on Thursday, Dec. 8, Bear Boots on the Ground will host a meeting in the Ronnie Williams Student Center Room 225 covering what Bear Boots on the Ground is, and what future service trips the organization is planning.

Log Moving Day

From 3-4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, the Green Bear Coalition will unclutter the Lewis Science Center Atrium where students are encouraged to help move out cedar logs and wood to make room for future projects and more garden beds.

Late Night Breakfast

From 10-11 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, Resident Housing Association will host its annual Late Night Breakfast in the Christian Cafeteria, where students are able to take a break from studying, eat breakfast and have a chance to win prizes.

Demo Day

From 3-5:30 p.m. on

Thursday, Dec. 8, Arkansas

Coding Academy will hold Demo Day where graduating students will demonstrate their capstone projects in McCastlain Ballroom and the Fireplace Room.

2022 Downtown Conway Mistletoe Madness

From 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.10, visitors to downtown Conway will find store-wide holiday markdowns while enjoying Christmas music.

Finals schedule

Finals will be held the week of Dec. 12-16. Final exam times can be found at uca.edu/ registrar/final-exam-schedule. Classes will resume for the spring semester on Thursday, Jan. 12.

Holiday networking party

From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, December 13 at the Arnold Innovation Center, join the Conductor for a party that will consist of an ugly holiday sweater contest, trivia, networking, and food. Anyone in the community is welcome.

Graduate school commencement

Starting at 6 p.m.

Friday, December 16 at the Farris Center, commencement will be held for graduating graduate students.

Undergraduate commencement

Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, December 17 at the Farris Center, commencement for the College of Education, the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences and College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will begin.

At 12 p.m., commencement for College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the College of Business will begin.

All students will need to check-in one hour before their specific ceremony to receive their commencement name card and order placement.

Ebony Models see large turnout for winter show

by andrew McMahan Staff Writer

Ebony Models held their winter fashion show Thursday, Dec. 1, in the Ronnie Williams Student Center.

The event was sponsored by Old Navy and 22nd Element who both provided the outfits worn.

It was the group’s third show since the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the Ebony Models to cease operations according to senior president Adriane Asumugha.

“The club was inactive for two semesters, and I wanted to revamp it,” Asumugha said.

Asumugha was thrilled with the turnout of the event, which was over 200 people. Asumugha, did not foresee the number of people that came out to see the show.

“The turnout was a 10 out of 10,” Asumugha said. “There were a lot more people than I expected. I think the best part about it to me was all the love shown.”

The event was broken up into three sessions where models showed off different looks. The intercessions between these sessions were filled with performances by two dance groups at UCA: Dancers United and Devotion in Motion.

The stage was set up as a classic model runway with lighting to accompany the runway. Ebony Models had multiple photographers working as well as a videographer capturing the event.

Victoria McCauley, a visitor to the UCA campus who frequents events with her friends, spoke highly of the show.

“I think that since COVID, there are so many more events now that get so much more traction. There are a lot more events now. So this, this is so much bigger than I thought it would be,” McCauley said.

“I think every single one of the models did incredible. You could tell everyone was enjoying it. I think it was awesome, it was really a lot of fun. I would recommend anyone coming to this type of event,” McCauley said.

Junior Ebony Models Vice President Brennan “BP” Price said he felt blessed to be a part of this event in any manner.

Price said the empowerment factor is a major drawing point to being a part of Ebony Models.

“The highlight of the night for me was encouragement. It takes a lot of bravery to get up on that stage,” Price said.

“We started at the beginning of this year with all different types of personalities, and I just feel like they were all showcased on that stage tonight, but in a confident manner. The way that they should be. Something that they can take to campus and impact the whole campus. Just be themselves, be authentically them.”

More events by Ebony Models can be found on CubConnect or on Instagram @uca_ebonymodels.

Panelists discuss ceramics connections in final Science Wednesday

by e M ily K ennard Online Editor

Though it’s taken many forms and breaks over its decades-long run, the community’s local science event, “Science Wednesday,” ended Nov. 30 at Lewis Science Center.

For its last event, the lecture hall was full of students and faculty listening to the three panelists discuss ceramics’ connections to chemistry, archaeology and art.

Associate professor and ceramicist Elizabeth Smith, chemistry professor Patrick Desrochers and associate professor of anthropology Duncan McKinnon helped field questions from students.

Each professor brought objects related to ceramics in their field to show the

audience. Desrochers brought bauxite, Arkansas’ state mineral, as an example of unrefined aluminum oxide, as well as a white aluminum oxide translucent tube used in light bulbs.

Smith, who teaches ceramics at UCA, brought green chromium oxide that she uses to glaze ceramics at UCA’s many kilns, which she also described.

McKinnon brought pottery pieces from the Caddo Indigenous people to show students. He found them at a Red River archaeological site in South Arkansas and said they were 500 to 800 years old.

“To make these pots sturdy, [Caddo people] would put temper,” McKinnon said. “Different tempers provided a thinner body, a stronger body.”

Desrochers said the chemistry behind using shells as temper is related to climate change.

“The chemistry behind what happens to the calcium carbonate, when it’s incorporated into the hot clay body, is all directly related to mineralogy and climate change and storing carbon in rocks,” Desrochers said.

Because pottery can tell researchers about technology, movement and cultural change, McKinnon said ceramics are important to archaeology.

“In large, archaeology is a ceramics discipline, relying on that data set,” McKinnon said. Smith said it reminded her of a joke she told students loading a kiln.

“I said, ‘are you sure it’s exactly how you want it to be?’ Because it’s going to be around forever.

“You can spend 10

DISCUSSION

minutes making it better now, or you can leave it as it is for the rest of your life,” Smith said.

Facilitator Ashley Hicks, academic director of the STEM Residential College in Hughes, read audience questions for the panel participants. She started “Science Wednesday,” originally called “Curious Connections,” in 2012 when she was an undergraduate student at UCA and president of the Society of Physics Students. The event’s theme, ceramics, is a callback to the event’s first-ever topic.

Hicks brought a large cake for faculty and students to celebrate its anniversary and end.

“Science Wednesday is going on an indefinite hiatus. I don’t know when we’ll be back. I don’t know how we

will return,” Hicks said to the audience.

“You can keep an eye peeled on our Facebook page, ‘Science Wednesday, Conway, AR,’ where I will update you as soon as I know.”

Hicks said the event was created out of “a desire for interdisciplinary connection and conversation.”

“Rather than drag it on, we wanted to say, here’s a good clean 10 years, and we will come back hopefully reinvented fall ‘23,” Hicks said.

Senior physics and linguistics major Hypatia Meraviglia said they were sad about the hiatus.

“I loved Science Wednesdays. My pals and I used to go and listen,” Meraviglia said. “UCA is losing something really valuable.”

Native American Heritage Month honors indigenous history in seminar

gle

by M adison o

Sports Editor & Cartoonist

A public seminar led by associate professor Sonia Toudji gave students and faculty a greater look at Native American history, particularly the journey made by Cherokee, Quapaw, Caddo and Osage tribes from Arkansas to Oklahoma.

Held Nov. 29, the event came at the end of National Native American Heritage Month but was no less important to Toudji.

According to UCA’s website, Toudji specializes in fields concerning Arkansas and Southern history, frontier and American Indians and the early U.S. and Latin America.

“You could say 18th century U.S. history, but then within the 18th century I focus mostly on Native Americans and the frontier, the history of the frontier and the westward movement,” Toudji said.

Toudji’s work on Native

American heritage goes back to 2006 and continues to spark discussion in 2022, over what she said is an underrepresented portion of history.

“When I talk about this in my classes and when I talk about Arkansas history in my classes too, I start with the Natives and I spend a big chunk [on it] unlike my colleagues who just don’t have that expertise,” Toudji said. “You can take a book about Arkansas history back in the day and maybe you would find a line or two about Native American history in there.”

The initial Native Americans based in Arkansas faced encounters with Spaniards and the French before the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Toudji said that Spaniards failed to find success in forming relationships, falling to the French during an overarching pursuit of North American conquest.

After the Louisiana

Purchase, people of the Cherokee Nation began entering Arkansas in 1803 through 1805 after other settlements pushed them from their land. Because of the Louisiana Purchase, Native tribes were now effectively placed under influence of the American government.

By 1820, Arkansas was on the road to statehood.

This meant a focus on settling conflicts with the Cherokee people and bringing in new settlements — two pursuits that Toudji said were dependent on each other.

A push for the existing tribes to assimilate was followed by pressure from Andrew Jackson to move the nations out of Arkansas. Treaties were later signed first with the Cherokee in 1823, then the Quapaw in 1824 and finally the Osage in 1825. For Toudji, emphasizing the unhappiness Natives felt during this decision is something often overlooked

when recounting history.

“You talk about treaties and land and this and that. You think all of that happened in a fair sense, because that’s the narrative from the history book that you’re reading, maybe from your history class in high school,” Toudji said.

“So you’re saying ‘we signed treaties and they moved,’ but really what they don’t get is that movement was not ‘hey, I’m so happy we get to move again,” Toudji said. Bringing awareness to Native American history begins with a gradual revision of pre-existing information, Toudji said. A greater focus on this approach is something that she’s grateful to see more of.

“The revival of Native American history and especially studying Native American history from [Native] perspective, that really started to pick up in the 1990s,” Toudji said. “This is the time we were like ‘OK, we’ve been

saying this wrong.’”

Toudji said that from an eastern perspective, ideas of westward expansion and manifest destiny curated a reality that was far from the reality Natives knew.

“You’re in the west, facing east, and all you see is invasions. All you see is people coming and pushing you further or trying to change you,” Toudji said. “That’s when historians understood this lack of presenting the Native American history from [Native] perspective.”

Toudji said correcting and improving upon textbooks is the first step in flipping the narrative.

“Once the book starts picking that up, then a professor or teacher would look at the new textbook and you would touch on Native American history,” Toudji said. “But if it’s not in the textbook, and you don’t have the expertise, it’s just hard for you to cover.”

Senior Agatha Asumugha poses in winter fashion as part of the fashion show, sponsored by Old Navy and 22nd Element. The event featured models and performances by Dancers United and Devotion in Motion.

photo by Ashlyn Little

photo by Madison Ogle

Associate professor Sonia Toudji talks to an audience in a public lecture held in honor of National Native American Heritage Month. Toudji said bringing awareness to Native American history begins with a gradual revision of pre-existing information, such as improving upon textbooks, which have historically been written in an eastern perspective.

Students explore healthy fats, diets

by andraea aguilera

Staff Writer

Dietetics and nutrition

therapy graduate student Anna Marroquin presented the fourth and final topic in the BeWell Expand Your Horizons: Food Exploration Series on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

Marroquin concluded the series with a discussion on healthy fats including oils, nuts and seeds. She started by explaining that fats are complex molecules and the most common ones in our bodies and foods are called triglycerides.

They are essential nutrients that we get from foods because our bodies aren’t able to produce enough to sustain, grow and properly function.

Dietary guidelines suggest humans get 20-35% of daily calories from fat. Some of the roles that healthy fats play in human bodies are nutrient

absorption, energy, insulation and protection. In foods, they help with enhancing and retaining flavor, as well as providing different textures to foods such as moisture, flakiness and tenderness. Fats also help with heat transfer in foods.

“So in addition to the things in our bodies, fats also have a lot of different roles in food,” Marroquin said. “Fats really just make it delicious and give us different textures and flavors. So a flavor helps to absorb and hold on to flavor compounds. So foods with fat will be more flavorful. If you’ve ever swapped lite coconut milk for whole coconut milk, it is not the same.”

Marroquin said some of the symptoms include lower energy levels and feeling hungry often, since fat is digested more slowly to help a person stay satisfied longer.

She described the major types of fats in foods. Saturated

fats are mainly found in animal products and processed foods and are solid at room temperature. Trans fats, which are solid at room temperature, are largely made through hydrogenation.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and are broken up into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

“The most simple way of thinking about it is you want to just emphasize unsaturated fats, because we know that those ones promote health overall, and replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats has been found to have health benefits and reduce your risk of heart disease,” Marroquin said.

While saturated fats are not inherently bad, Marroquin said people should limit them, as guidelines recommend they take up no more than 10% of daily calories. She recommends people be mindful of portion sizes and how often they eat solid fats.

Trans fats are banned in the

MUSIC

U.S. for the most part because of their link to increased risk of heart disease. Some foods may still be partially hydrogenated and those should be avoided.

“[The hydrogenation process] was good for the food companies. It wasn’t good for consumers,” BeWell wellness coordinator Moriah Bruner said.

Marroquin later discussed the importance of choosing the right oils for cooking and the benefits of incorporating nuts and seeds into your diet.

They provide fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, as well as flavor and texture. Marroquin suggested incorporating nuts and seeds in cereal, granola, yogurt and smoothies and to also try different types of nut and seed butters.

After going through her slides, Marroquin allowed the audience to taste test olive oil with bread, chia seed pudding and no grain granola, which are all high in healthy fats.

Matthew Taylor shares passion for saxophone

by Julia TranTham Staff Writer

Working and operating mostly out of his office, associate professor of saxophone Matthew Taylor works with students seeking to hone their craft at their instrument.

Taylor works with music majors and minors, as well as anyone else who expresses an interest in learning more about the saxophone.

“I teach them privately and kind of create a sort of custom curriculum for each one of them so that they can keep getting better and better,” Taylor said.

Taylor also teaches chamber music classes, which are usually small groups of students looking to work together to improve, and leads the studio jazz ensemble, which is the top jazz ensemble at UCA.

Since there are so many different concentrations in music education, Taylor focuses on the students first.

“Music is such a huge field, it’s such an individualized thing that I want to make sure I’m giving my students the things that they need, the sort of ingredients that they need in order to do what they want to do, rather than just making a clone of myself,” Taylor said.

Taylor works with students and adapts to their needs over time, allowing them to grow in the direction they wish.

“We just kind of go from there and I assign different pieces of music and come up with different projects that help them move forward toward those goals. It kind of happens

organically,” Taylor said. One way that Taylor assesses new students is by allowing them to play in front of him music they have prepared.

“A lot of times they will come to me with pieces already, so I hear them play something,”

Taylor said. If students do not show up with pieces prepared, Taylor has a piece already picked out for them.

“One of my favorite things to do if a student doesn’t have something ready is I will have them play ‘Happy Birthday’ because it’s surprisingly difficult,” Taylor said.

Since this is something that Taylor has his students play often, he’s heard “Happy Birthday” countless times.

“I think that I’m probably good to go for the rest of my life,” Taylor said. “It’s a terrible song.”

Taylor loves to spend his free time cooking and loves to make new dishes to post

on Instagram, especially with recipes from food writer Alison Roman.

Taylor said when he gets the time in his office back on campus to practice his own instrument, he takes the opportunity to do so.

“I’m lucky if I get an hour or two,” Taylor said. “Some days I barely get to practice my scales because I’m so busy.”

Despite the challenge of having limited time to practice his own instrument, Taylor enjoys having a busy schedule, as it reminds him of his musical experiences in the past when he was a freelance musician.

“I love it, the challenge,” Taylor said. “I freelanced as a musician for 10 years, so I know when you’re a musician, if you’re working, then you’re eating. ”

Taylor approaches each day with his students in mind first.

“Every morning, I look at my schedule and I look at the

names I’m going to be meeting with that day and I think about what they’ve been working on,” Taylor said. “I look back on what they’ve worked on last week and I just try to be as prepared for them and as in the moment with them as I possibly can be.”

Describing himself as an open book, Taylor said that people can ask him questions on anything and he will tell them what he thinks they should know.

“The thing I want most for my students is for them to be curious and open-minded and have a sense of adventure and exploration,” Taylor said. “I want them to think like musicians, you know, and make decisions like musicians artistically.”

Taylor said his job teaching saxopohone to students as a associate professor is a dream to him and he feels fortunate to have his students.

“I’m very lucky because a lot of people want to come to UCA and study saxophone,” Taylor said. “I love what I do. I love getting to work with amazing people in this building and with my great students, so I leap out of bed every morning.”

I’m excited to do it. I want everyone to have that kind of experience in their lives to really do something they love and feel fulfilled by.”

Taylor said that he wants his students to enjoy the musical path they take throughout the course of their life.

“One piece of advice I would say is care very deeply but remember that it’s supposed to be fun,” Taylor said.

Food for Fines sees decrease in participation

by Torrie herringTon Staff Writer

The Student Government Association partnered with the UCA Police Department to host Food for Fines on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. They set up tables in the Ronnie Williams Student Center to collect donations for the Bear Essentials Food Pantry in exchange for alleviating fines.

Junior Hannah Walker, an SGA junior class representative, explained how students can donate food items to pay off their tickets.

“There is a big list of items, but they can donate canned food, peanut butter, pasta, any non-perishable item, and there is a certain amount for either a $10 ticket or a $15 ticket,” Walker said.

Senior Heaven Block, an SGA senior class

“What is something UCA can improve on?

Story and photos by Amber Austen

”

representative, said this event can be used to turn parking tickets and citations into something beneficial.

“It creates a larger conversation about how we can use these things students might view as something bad turning into something good, into donating food to the food pantry,” Block said.

Sergeant Michael Hopper from UCAPD said that while many citations are given out, not many students took advantage of using the Food for Fines event to pay off their tickets.

“So far this semester, we have issued approximately 4,000 UCA citations,” Hopper said. “Last year only 8 people participated; I hope that number is higher this year.”

Despite the need for food in the pantry and the hope

for higher numbers, junior McKenzi Bogan, the Chair of the SGA Safety and Wellness Committee, stated that only four students donated to Food for Fines this semester.

Walker explained how SGA advertised the event to try and get more participation.

“Our VP of operations made a graphic and posted it on SGA Instagram, and then we all posted it via social media,” Walker said.

Walker stated that the event can help take away stress from students.

“I feel like people are really oftentimes burdened by their ticket, and they feel like they can’t pay it off, or are worried about paying it off, so they can register for classes or graduate,” Walker said. “Food for fines allows them to alleviate that ticket and also

Tierney Earnest junior

“Parking. Always. UCA has an excessive number of gravel lots that are not being utilized to their fullest potential. The majority of them are rarely even used because of how inconveniently placed they are.”

Conner Burger senior

“Irby deserves an update. Three to four departments are thrown together into one old, small building which makes everything overcrowded and gives the impression that humanities isn’t valued the same as other majors on campus.”

Dylan Harris senior Jasmine Batson junior

“I don’t think UCA needs much improvement. Coming from a bigger PWI school, I love the diversity here. I feel so much more welcomed as a Black male. Everybody here is so welcoming and I feel like I’m a part of a family.”

“I feel UCA could improve on student walkways. Every morning there is heavy traffic down Donaghey due to crosswalks; there are four crosswalks right next to each other. UCA had a great idea by adding more, but I feel their implementation was wrong.”

help the food pantry.

Junior Makenna Goss, the SGA College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences representative, stated that Food for Fines helps students in a multitude of ways.

Office Manager Tracey McGarrity spoke on behalf of the food pantry, expressing gratitude for any donations received.

“It is wonderful for us because they do all the organization and then give us the food they collect. We always need food as we have up to 75 clients visit the food pantry weekly,” McGarrity said.

Information on the Bear Essential Food Pantry can be found on Facebook at “Bear Essentials Food Pantry” and on Instagram @bearessentialsfoodpantry.

People of UCA: athlete Shamal Sullivan

by KaThryn Thornberry

Staff Writer

Shamal Sullivan is a first generation graduate student and athlete attending the College Student Personnel Administration program, with the goal to be a teacher.

Sullivan moved from Mckinney, Texas, to UCA because his high school track coach told him if he wanted to grow as an individual, he needed to get far away from home.

“You technically don’t have to move far away to grow as an individual but it’s good to get experience in a new environment,” Sullivan said, “At the end of the day, not everyone is given the same opportunity to stay at home and save money while attending

their dream college.”

While Sullivan stays focused on his last season competing for the UCA track team, he also spends his time on his peer coaching sessions located in Old Main, and his pursuit of being a teacher once graduating. With all of these activities on his plate, Sullivan enjoys the sport he plays as a way to clear his mind.

“I love having the opportunity to work out at a high level to clear my mind when I’m not having the best day,” Sullivan said, “Sometimes I have a bad day or I’m really tired but I love how my teammates can make me smile, encourage me, or just being proud of myself for completing a tough workout. The track is a safe

place for me to go when people get on my nerves and I’m very thankful that I can do what other people can’t.”

All students are encouraged to meet with a peer success coach whenever needed, but Sullivan’s peer coaching sessions are for first generation students, because he can relate to them.

In this work study, he begins each session by getting to know the student. He typically starts by asking them five questions and encouraging them to ask him five questions.

“If a student doesn’t know anything about me and I don’t know anything about a student, the student is not going to care to learn,” Sullivan said. Sullivan helps students with managing time, finding reasons

Bruce White senior KJ Hatch junior

“UCA could have a better recycling situation. They have trash bins for recycling, yes, but I’m talking more so in terms of dumpsters so that students can throw away the bulkier things like empty pizza/soda boxes or cartons of juice.”

“UCA really needs to thoroughly look over and clean on-campus apartments in-between breaks. The first week in my apartment, the kitchen light was out, furniture was broken, the wifi didn’t work and there was a bug problem.”

to study, and setting priorities. By the end of each session, the goal is for the student to have formed an action plan - such as emailing a professor or signing up for a tutoring session.

“The student may need that extra motivation or push or study tips that they’re not getting,” Sullivan said, ”They might be scared to talk to a professor or they don’t know how to talk to a professor. So we like to bridge that gap by giving them examples and other ways they can feel plugged in or give that motivational push that they are missing.”

Once graduating, Sullivan hopes to be a teacher. He said UCA offers a great teaching program, and wonderful relationships with professors due to the class sizes.

photo courtesy of Blake Tyson

Matthew Taylor is an associate professor of saxophone. He gives private lessons to students interested in learning how to play the instrument.

New This Week

Movies

Dec. 9 — Loud (NR), directed by Josh Alexander, starring Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer

Dec. 9 — Christmas Bloody Christmas (R), directed by Joe Begos, starring Riley Dandy, Sam Delich and Jonah Ray

Dec. 9 — Repeater (R), directed by R. Ellis Frazier, starring Paul Sidhu, Kristanna Loken and Nick Moran

Dec. 9. — Detective Knight: Redemption (R), directed by Edward Drake, starring Bruce Willis, Corey Large and Lochlyn Munro

Music

Dec. 9 — S.O.S. — SZA

Marvel Studios holiday special disappoints

by MAdison ogle Sports Editor

“The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” a Disney+ original released Nov. 25, is an underwhelming and clumsy reminder of our most important yuletide traditions this holiday season: drunken stupors, human trafficking and Kevin Bacon.

James Gunn helms this brief 44-minute special, making his return to the franchise since “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017).

Gunn expands on side characters Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista), centering the plot on the duo’s plan to give Star-Lord Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the best Christmas clueless aliens can replicate.

Drax and Mantis head to Los Angeles in pursuit of the “Footloose” star, dead-set on finding him regardless of how many cops they have to batter, houses they have to break into or inflatable yard decorations they have to steal.

This is all to provide Quill with a rekindled holiday spirit following unfortunate past experiences with the celebration.

Mantis and Drax have

Dec. 9 — Me Vs Myself A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie

Dec. 9 — Welcome to the West Coast III — Lionheart

Dec. 9 — Boys & Girls — Alabama Shakes

Dec. 9 — Candydrip — Lucky Daye

Dec. 9 — Anyhow — Leland Whitty

Dec. 9 — Crows — MIYACHI

both traditionally dipped into deadpan humor in past appearances, yet that staple is hardly visible in a special that should otherwise offer ample room for it. The plot isn’t intensive. Nobody’s fate is at stake. But Mantis still provides an overwhelmingly frightening, stressed and frustrated delivery in every situation — a far cry from her usual disposition.

The aggression from Mantis feels unwarranted and seeing Drax berated throughout their mission grows

incredibly tiresome after the first altercations.

Mantis and Drax are a pair that could comfortably fill airtime without the help of StarLord, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) or Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel). Gunn doesn’t cash in on letting them be likable and funny, yet he still keeps the two front-and-center for the full runtime.

Gunn banks on the aliensdon’t-understand-Earth gimmick to earn laughs, but it falls flat and is played to a

nauseating extent.

Aiming for the heartwarming, learningabout-Christmas perspective might have provided fewer opportunities to exaggerate emotions for comedic effect, but it would have made the viewing experience much more appropriate for a holiday watch.

Even a short feature can’t be without its conflicts, but having some kindness spliced within the roadblocks would make the plot feel less like you’re trudging through tar and more like an

Streaming Services

Dec. 9 — Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises

Again, directed by Matt Danner, voiced by Joshua Bassett, Thomas Lennon and Joseph Kamal (Disney+)

Dec. 9 — Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?, directed by Anne McCabe, starring Idina Menzel, Josh Groban and Aaron Lohr (Disney+)

Dec. 9 —Something from Tiffany’s, directed by Daryl Wein, starring Zoey Deutch, Kendrick Sampson and Ray Nicholson (Prime Video)

Dec. 9 — Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio — directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, voiced by Ewan McGregor, David Bradley and Gregory Mann (Netflix)

New Wendy’s items worth eating despite mixed reviews

by AnnA yAnosick Staff Writer

Wendy’s released a series of new items on Nov. 15, and I made it my mission to try them and determine if they’re worth purchasing. After my visit, I can confidently say that these items are a hit or miss.

I was most excited to try the Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich — crispy chicken, a fried mozzarella patty, a slice of aged Asiago cheese and marinara sauce wedged between a garlic knot bun. To my surprise, the sandwich maintained its stature and looked mostly identical to the advertisement despite being wrapped in foil.

The sandwich itself was heavenly, and all of the components complemented each other very well. The fried mozzarella patty stole the show with its golden crunchy exterior and soft, milky interior. The marinara sauce had a pleasant flavor that didn’t overwhelm the sandwich. The thin layer of herby tomato sauce combined with the fried chicken tender was a match made in Italian American heaven.

Although the sandwich felt shockingly gourmet for a fastfood restaurant, no sandwich is without a flaw. My two issues are that the Asiago cheese gets lost among the sea of flavors, and the bun doesn’t live up to its full potential. If Wendy’s ditched the slice of cheese and amped up the flavor profile of the bun by several notches, the sandwich could be on the same level as

the iconic Popeyes chicken sandwich.

Wendy’s also offers the Italian Mozzarella Hamburger, an unsatisfying rendition of the Italian sandwich with beef instead of chicken. It may be tempting if you prefer something meatier, but I was repulsed by the questionable merging of hamburger meat and marinara sauce.

After devouring my chicken sandwich (and throwing away the burger), I moved on to the new garlic fries. They were neither exceptional nor mediocre — just regrettably average. While the garlic flavor was strong, it felt inauthentic. Adding Parmesan could’ve helped tone down the strange taste of the seasoning. Ranch sufficed as a dipping sauce, but I think introducing a new sauce, like a truffle aioli of some sort, would take the fries to a new realm of tastiness.

To wash down my rollercoaster of a meal, I tried the Peppermint Frosty. It

sounded like an ice cream lover’s dream, yet I was left utterly devasted by the off-putting mint flavor. The frosty has a friendly, soft pink color with an atrocious mouthwash-esque taste. As someone who loves mint-flavored food, I thought with each bite I could somehow rewire my brain to enjoy it, but the frosty and I miserably failed.

I soon discovered after my dining experience that my feelings towards the sandwich and frosty were not shared among everyone. When I asked an employee named AJ about the popularity of the new items, they paused for a moment, dumbfounded.

“Yes,” AJ said, wide-eyed as if they were remembering in horror how many sandwiches they’d prepared. “It’s been really popular.”

The employee raved about the Peppermint Frosty, comparing it to a candy cane.

“Peppermint frosty is my favorite new flavor of frosty,” AJ said. “I can’t believe it topped my favorite, which was chocolate.”

When I asked about their opinion on the sandwich, they were passionate about their distaste for it.

“Marinara sauce belongs on pizza,” the employee said.

Our widely differing opinions go to show that the new Wendy’s menu items are truly a hit or miss; some love it, and some hate it. Enjoy at your own discretion. Overall, I think it’s worth a shot.

enjoyable addition to the Marvel universe.

Drax has often stood alone, snagging solid one-liners and dominating as a comedic powerhouse for the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise. Mantis, only introduced in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, has had little time to be explored on screen.

Overall, Gunn squanders this opportunity to showcase these secondary guardians in a low-stress piece that isn’t dependent on progressing lore.

Though hints at future installments and additions to the ongoing story post- ”Avengers: Endgame” (2019) are present, this special isn’t as heavyhanded with Easter eggs as in other Marvel features.

For the sake of knowing where exactly the “Guardians of the Galaxy” stands in Marvel progress, viewers are better suited to shooting straight for the spoilers to earn their minor bits of lore.

“The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” is an otherwise lackluster Disney+ project that serves as an unsatisfying appetizer ahead of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” slated to release May 5, 2023. Skip this measly starter and just hold out for the main course.

1D members’ careers ranked: flop or not?

List compiled by Emily Kennard Online Editor

1. Harry Styles (NOT) OK, I went to the concert. I missed a class to buy the tickets. As a former Directioner, attending was definitely some type of inner child wish fulfilled. Screaming and crying during “Sign of the Times,” I realized what a charming solo debut it was. The only Grammy winner with “Watermelon Sugar,” he’s also the youngest of the group. As the former frontman of 1D, Harry’s solo career also takes center stage in pop culture. He objectively gets the most attention and money of all the other members and he tours like crazy. He’s also the only movie star, but let’s put a pin in that while he’s ahead..

2. Niall Horan (NOT) When I was around 10 years old, I loved this Irish dude as much as he loved Nando’s. Since then, he’s delivered some pretty OK music to the mainstream. His “Slow Hands” is catchy, but might haunt those of us who have had service jobs, like Harry’s overplayed “Watermelon Sugar.” Also, “This Town” was a delightful debut single; its folksy feel and raw lyrics demonstrate quite a different approach from 1D’s sound. If he sticks to this, I expect more-than-tolerable hits in his 2023 album and fun concerts from his tour. He’s maintained a low profile with no controversy and little to no beef with his former bandmates.

3. Louis Tomlinson (FLOP) Louis’ music is truly devoid of much charm, but I would rather his music get streams than Liam’s. His solo debut singles were worrying, with some dreadful synth-pop and EDM. I was worried he might take Liam’s route until he finally released a debut album called “Walls”

youth or something. Still, you can tell he’s at least trying to make something meaningful with the amazing amount of resources his boy band career has given him. His new album seems to be a little stronger, and it actually reflects some unique sound and style, unlike anything Liam has done.

4. Liam Payne (FLOP)

If One Direction was a loaf of bread, Liam would have been the heel. His solo album debut, named “LP1,” should have stayed “LP0.” Liam’s most successful songs are nothing but horny gimmicks. I’ve had such little exposure to Liam’s solo music beyond the controversy behind the fetishistic “Both Ways,” a song about a threesome with a bisexual woman, that I had to spend time researching and trying to stomach other “hits.” They include what I can only assume was written to be a grinding anthem, “Strip That Down” with Quavo, and the bizarre “Naughty List” with Dixie D’Amelio. Liam’s recent public comments about the band also reek of clout-chasing behavior.

5. Zayn Malik (FLOP)

My fifth-grade self would be devastated by this ranking. Zayn’s range and falsetto have always made him a solid singer. His vocals provided him with great solo success with occasionally good pop ballads. Mostly basic and overproduced, his albums had occasional glimmers of hope, like “iT’s YoU,” a devastatingly beautiful example of his angelic voice. He’s not an angel though. As the first to leave the band, he trashed 1D’s music right after! Also, his conflict with Gigi Hadid’s mom, his child’s grandmother, is serious. I’m just not interested in anything he’s done now, so he would only make No. 1 if this were an “(allegedly) striking your girlfriend’s

Dave Bautista (left) and Pom Klementieff star in “The Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special.” The special released to Disney+ Nov. 25.

photo courtesy of disneyplus.com

photo by Anna Yanosick

“Yes,” AJ said, wide-eyed as if they were remembering in horror how many sandwiches they’d prepared. “[The new items have] been really popular.”

Value fun and friends throughout college; Give thanks to great professors, mentors

It’s hard to comprehend that my time at UCA is coming to an end. Of course, the pandemic threw a wrench in my college experience, but, boy oh boy, time does fly when you’re having fun (and rolling in nonstop assignments).

When I was first toiling with the idea of college, I had my heart set on going to the University of Arkansas. I am so happy my scholarship opportunities had other ideas.

By choosing UCA, I didn’t realize I was taking a step toward a meaningful education with professors that care — professors like David Keith.

Not only has DK been my professor multiple times, but he has also been the adviser for The Echo for the five semesters I have been on staff and my mentor for my honors capstone. Even if I tried, I couldn’t escape him.

Fortunately for me and the rest of the students that have had DK, he has been an integral part of my college career. He has provided important guidance in navigating the field of journalism.

A few other professors that have contributed to my college experience — some through just one course I have taken with them — are Allison Wallace, Donna Stephens, Douglas George, Polly Walter, Jane Dahlenburg, Ellen Hostetter, John Toth, Doug Corbitt and Dylan McLemore.

While at UCA, I have been fortunate enough to be a member of the honors college as well.

I have had the opportunity to experience an interdisciplinary education — the only kind available in the state of Arkansas — that helped me learn more about myself, the importance of community and the complexities of societal systems. This type of education exposed me to content I would not have interacted with and people from various majors I probably wouldn’t

have met otherwise.

Another guiding light that I will carry with me into my journalism career was my time with The Echo. Through the years, I have served as news editor, entertainment editor, online editor and editor-inchief.

In these positions, I have been lucky enough to learn journalism through a type of “field experience.”

Although my field mostly encompassed UCA’s campus, it was still integral to learning how to connect and communicate with the UCA community.

Thanks to The Echo, I got to meet people by reporting on different assignments that I probably wouldn’t have. I also got to know and grow alongside the incredible Echo staff

with characters that I can’t even make up — yes, Maddie and Mia, I’m talking about you. One regret I have, and advice I would give, is to have more fun in college — it will help you

Life is all about balance and college is the same way. If you are working all the time, you will burn out. Take care of yourself. Eat well, go for a run and do some damn yoga. Most importantly, value your time with your friends because there is no guarantee you will all be living down the hall, down the road, or in the same city all at once again. Four years sneak up Shoutout to my roommate of four years, Ally Shook. She often reminded me to not take myself too seriously and always provided comedic relief when I needed it the most.

I would also like to give a special shout out to Felicity Auxier, Peyton Tolliver, Montana Cramer, Erica Reaser, Mia Waddell, Madison Ogle, Courtney Shepherd and Addi Freeman.

Got Letters?

by Delaney Van Wilpe Entertainment Editor

Finally, shoutout to the Den and King’s Live Music. I can’t forget my nights on the karaoke stage, no matter how hard I try.

It might take some time to find yourself: Branch out, don’t give up, try new things

I never had a connection with UCA. It wasn’t my top pick for college; I wasn’t even excited to be accepted.

I simply ran out of time to pick a university, so I said, “I look good in purple, so this is good enough.”

The first two years here were terrible in all of the classic ways: drifting from old friends and not finding new ones, transitioning from high school to college assignments and expectations, the general feeling of permanent confusion.

Everyone used to tell me I’d meet my best friends in college, so why wasn’t it happening? Where was my sense of belonging?

The answer was in Stanley Russ Hall room 109, by the name of The Echo.

I first stepped foot in SRH on Aug. 21, 2020, with no idea my life trajectory was changing.

Finding out I had to write for the school newspaper was a devastating blow to my already shoddy life outlook.

I was filled with anger at the prospect of wasting my time writing stupid little articles on top of all the work for my real classes.

Then I actually started doing the work and writing the dumb little articles about random people’s lives, and I kind of liked writing them.

Now I know, without a doubt, telling these stupid, dumb, heartbreaking, beautiful stories is what I’m meant to do.

By the end of the Fall 2020 semester, I had changed my major to journalism and was accepted to the assistant news editor position. I worked my way up to editor by spring 2022.

I had finally found my people.

The staff was accepting, kind and helpful, and the journalism faculty was a dream.

As much as I hated UCA, I couldn’t help but love The Echo and my journalism family.

You know you’re in the right place when encouragement flows among the group from every angle. With the journalism department, it’s like a monsoon. David Keith, The Echo’s adviser, has taught me more in the past two years than I ever thought I needed to know. But as the wise DK has said countless times, journalists have to know everything. Rob Moritz literally started my career in journalism with his beginning reporting class.

I’m sure my first AP Style article was rough. Hopefully, I’ve improved since then.

Donna Lampkin-Stephens put me through the most difficult, non-science class I’ve experienced with advanced reporting, and there is no one else I would want to discuss the weirdos of the Conway City Council and Faulkner County Quorum Court meetings with.

Polly Walter taught me that sometimes the best way to experience life is through a camera lens. Now I have a skill that has led me to capture moments I’ll never have again, which is a gift in itself.

I want these men and women to know they’ve had a huge impact on me. The work they do daily is incredibly appreciated. I’m sure I’ll continue learning and asking for their help for years to come.

And I want whoever is reading this to know this: It may take a while to find your place, but don’t let that discourage you. It will come unexpectedly and turn your life upside down in the best ways possible.

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

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David Keith , Advisor

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People and experiences are what make college worth it

I’m no Rory Gilmore, but being a journalism major is one of my best personality traits.

In my early high school years, I struggled with finding my niche in this world. I had friends that played in the band or orchestra, while others were gifted artists or talented actors on stage.

I felt like I had nothing interesting going for me.

That is until I randomly decided to take a journalism class in my junior year.

It was then that I found my calling, and as cliché, as it sounds, that decision has led up to my college career and soon, my graduation.

Growing up, I snatched up every newspaper I could find. Some could say that it was foreshadowing my future, but in reality, I just loved the comic section and the Dear Abby column. Still, I was influenced by newspapers growing up as my mom worked for Times Record in Fort Smith for several years. She wasn’t a reporter. I’m pretty sure she just took phone calls. But when she would take me to work with her, I was always fascinated with the work environment.

by andraea aguilera Staff Writer

After she stopped working there, I still saw journalism at play in some of my favorite TV shows. There was Marvin “Mouth” McFadden from “One Tree Hill” who had an interest in radio and broadcast journalism.

Then there was April Carver from “Chasing Life” who had to put her career as a reporter on

In both cases, I watched these characters love very different versions of journalism, and I knew I wanted a piece of it, too.

One of my favorite pastimes is watching “Gilmore Girls” for the -nth time. While I believe Rory Gilmore is far from being the greatest journalist, she was still another fiction journalist I grew up watching.

Journalism in the media is represented inaccurately in most cases, but watching these shows was relatable to me in a way.

Despite this, my college experience has been entirely different compared to that of Rory Gilmore.

To start, she attended Yale and I go to the University of Central Arkansas. That’s not to say that we don’t have a wonderful journalism

program, because we do. I’m sure fictional Yale journalism and real Yale journalism differ as well.

Here at UCA, I’ve grown out of my shell and learned to take on challenges that would’ve scared high school me.

Spending time on The Echo for four semesters and interning with The Log Cabin Democrat for one has helped me build confidence in myself.

Talking to strangers while simultaneously being a severely anxious human is tough, but the people I’ve met and the stories I’ve told make it all worthwhile.

I’ve also met some of the most inspiring people through my journalism courses at UCA (looking at you two, Addi and Courtney).

These classes have taught me valuable skills to carry with me forever, and hey, now I know how to use Adobe Photoshop and InDesign! The best class I ever took at UCA was with the retired Michael Haddigan. It was a blogging class, which is something I’ve stayed interested in for many years now. We were able to create a blog about whatever we wanted and had to consistently post on it. In class, we’d share our blogs and give each other constructive feedback. This course taught me discipline and time management skills, but it was also so exciting that it didn’t even feel like a class.

So while I’m no Rory Gilmore, I am Andraea Aguilera and I’m thankful for my friends, my college and everything I’ve learned about being a strong and honest journalist along the way.

Take time for those you love, yourself, mental health

When I first came to UCA I put a lot of my own value and self-worth into numbers and letters — Grades, GPA and scholarship money.

I couldn’t handle a bad grade; I would let it consume me. I would obsess over if the work I was doing was good enough to the point where I struggled to get assignments finished until the last minute.

I would overperform and put my mental and physical health aside to make sure I was being the model student, and to me that used to be everything.

Despite this, I still tried to make time for friends, working out and family.

It was a struggle and sometimes I couldn’t find the time, but I thought that was the way it was supposed to be.

I was only in my second semester at UCA when the pandemic hit.

I moved back home, and suddenly my life was completely different.

Although it brought more free time, I struggled in school in a way I never had. My grades slipped, my content retention suffered and I struggled with my mental health daily.

With all of the worth I had put into good grades, a high GPA and my full ride, I went into a deep depressive state and my anxiety heightened.

I felt like I had lost myself and the experience I worked so hard in the past to have. It was a struggle to comprehend that this was how it was. I could never get that time back.

I slipped further and further into a hole of

despair that carried throughout my sophomore and junior year, but it all came to a head at the beginning of 2021 when my boyfriend’s father died unexpectedly.

I had to put my own mental health aside and care for my boyfriend and his family during this hard time, and little did I know this was what I needed.

Getting out of my own head with the dooms of my schooling, put into perspective the elements of life that truly matter and that we tend to put on the back burner. People matter.

Your family matters. Your friends matter.

Anyone you love or care for matters, and you never know when they might not be with you anymore.

My priorities and ideas of self-worth began to change.

by Felicity auxier Staff Writer

I started putting my family first, making sure they were OK and spending quality time with them, even if it meant spending less time on an assignment.

I made sure to make time for myself. I spent more time cooking homemade meals, rather than eating out to have more time to work on other

things. I spent time working out and making sure my place was clean. And of course, I made time to hang out with my friends, whether it be watching a movie night or just having a quick chat over dinner.

I began to realize just how much taking care of myself and my relationships mattered to my mental health. I was more than just a number. I was more than a grade. I was more than my GPA. I had been successful before and knew I could be again. But, I couldn’t be anything without the support and care for myself and those I love. I wouldn’t change a thing I’ve done since living this way.

I am immensely grateful for this lesson that UCA indirectly provided me, because I truly don’t know where I’d be without this realization and a newfound sense of self. I want to remind others: take time for those you love and take time for yourself. Not a day will go by where you regret it.

What I wish I had done different with my time as a Bear

I transferred to UCA after completing my freshman year elsewhere, starting classes here in fall 2020. Looking back, there are quite a few things I wish I had done differently. The first class I went to at UCA was beginning reporting. There, I made my first friend on campus. Now, I am about to pass the reins of editor-in-chief of The Echo onto that friend — Mia Waddell.

Soon after meeting her, Mia encouraged me to join The Echo as she had just done. I didn’t actually do that until the following semester, but I wish I had joined then.

The Echo has been an amazing experience that has drastically improved my writing and editing skills. Being a part of this paper has been the best way to hone my journalism skills and apply what I was learning in class. The work here has 100% been worthwhile and I am proud of my time here.

To anyone who reads The Echo, especially journalism majors and others in the school of communication, I seriously encourage you to come and try

writing for the paper, you won’t

held by the Green Bear Coalition, and I’ve always been interested in what they do. Joining groups like GBC is a great way to meet more people on campus and to grow, and I wish I had taken the opportunity to join these groups.

spend time with friends outside of class before graduation sneaks up on you. Additionally, all the things listed above are great ways to make friends.

by Sarah Smythe Staff writer

People don’t realize how difficult it is to be a student these days. They don’t know how expensive it is to go to school or how many hours of classes have nothing to do with what will actually be done in the real world, in the proper career context.

Students know the price and students’ parents — who pay for their school — know exactly how expensive it is. Students living paycheck-to-paycheck from their part-time job, while also attending school full-time, can sit in class and tell you exactly how much one minute of their time costs at this university. I am this student and I have actually done this. I pay $20 per hour of classes just for the athletics department alone. Have I ever been to a football game? No, and I never will, but I still have to pay the fee that comes to $300 for students taking 15 hours per semester. The whole world is set up like this. We’re nearly destroying ourselves studying to be able to step into a 9-to-5 position until we’re able to save up enough money and retire in 40 years.

People don’t realize that many college students carry jobs throughout the entirety of their college careers. “Full-time student with part-time job” becomes the only title that can be held because there are only 24 hours in a day and some of those hours have to be devoted to sleep. Teachers have a hard time grasping this concept as well. A teacher for one class may assign five different assignments in one week — as if my four other classes decided to take the week off and assign no work at all. Not to mention teachers putting deadlines on Sundays or over the sanctioned breaks given by the university. I promise I’m not a go-getter and turning in the work two days early — it’s because my double shift that pays my rent allows no time for a single-spaced, 1-page discussion post on chapter seven.

by bennett tinnermon Editor-in-Chief

more opportunities to apply for different staff positions.

Something else I wish I had done was get more involved with other campus organizations. UCA has a wealth of groups across different fields that can all be found on CubConnect.

I’ve covered a couple events

On top of joining groups, I wish I had attended more of the events that UCA has to offer. I’ve been to many events as a reporter, but few just as a student. There are often great talks from faculty about different topics, volunteer opportunities and so many sporting events with fun crowds. These are great ways to get more involved. I did not go to enough of these and if it tells you anything about my school spirit, the only UCA merchandise I have is a shirt from The Echo and my parking sticker.

I’ve made good friends on The Echo’s staff throughout covering events, writing and making the pages on our production nights, but rarely did we all hang out outside of making the paper. It wasn’t until very recently that we all hung out and we were all asking “why didn’t we do this sooner?” So, be sure to

I wrote an opinion last year about trying less, and I wish I had taken that advice sooner. Why put in strenuous amounts of effort in every class at the cost of your time and mental health? I should have recognized this sooner, I could have dealt with a small hit to my grade. This isn’t to say to give up or stop learning. Sometimes the busy work in a random elective prevents you from properly learning the material in a core class for your major. Know how to prioritize your work and focus on learning above all.

I may have spent my whole senior column talking about what I should have done differently with my time at UCA, but I genuinely enjoyed my stay. UCA was a great school to join and The Echo and journalism professors have been a central part of my experience here.

I’m a bit sad to bid it farewell

As Mia would say — deuces.

People don’t realize that college students don’t have free time. In any given free moment, there’s always something else on the list to do. That’s exactly what teachers say, “check the schedule and go on to the next assignment,” right? What meaning does free time have to us students when there’s nothing but schoolwork going through our heads? This mindset makes it almost impossible to have downtime or to relax. Most of the time I have to tell myself, “that’s tomorrow me’s problem” and let the anxiety from the assignment loom inside of my head for the next six hours.

Over the last two years that I have been at UCA, so many things have changed — fees being raised is one of those things, and I guarantee that they will continue to rise in years to come — but I have also changed, not only as a student but as a person.

Thankfully, as a student, I have gained the confidence to be who I want to be in my upcoming career. This confidence was gained by very specific classes, only two or three in my major, that taught me what to do in the real world. In the big picture, with over 120 hours of undergraduate classes, I can’t help but feel like the majority of my time was wasted by taking classes only to get a grade. Who I am as a person now and who I will become after graduation in two weeks — the university doesn’t care about that. They do care about that $30 graduation fee, though.

College will be over before you know it, take advantage of the good and bad

College is weird. One day, you’re living with your parents, opening the fridge and knowing there will be food inside. Next, you’re having to sleep next to a stranger who eats all of your peanut butter crackers without asking.

I don’t think anything can prepare someone for what college really is; there is truly no way to explain how certain things play out the way they do.

How did babysitting gigs amount to enough money to financially support me throughout my college career?

How did my body function on just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pasta noodles for the last four years?

How did I manage the stress of situationships on top of my academic responsibilities?

How did the relationship with my mother turn around for the better once I left the nest?

How did I, a public relations major, become friends with half of the nursing students on campus when I have never stepped foot in the Integrated Health Sciences building?

I’m convinced some things are just not meant to be understood. There are a few things that are certain, however.

There will always be someone in the lab to cry with you at midnight the night before a big assignment is due.

There will always be that one professor who you wish could teach you forever and that one who seems to have the goal to set you up for nothing but failure.

There will always be something on campus you never knew of or heard about in all the years you attended.

There will always be that one person you wished you had the courage to talk to or ask more questions about.

There will always be those moments of regret, telling yourself college was a scam and leaving you longing for something more. There will always be an excuse to say “I have time.”

Until you don’t. I no longer have time. I no longer have time to put off adulthood, to figure things out, to find a big girl job or time for anything, really.

College was best at keeping me busy and my mind occupied as there was always something to do.

But what now? Besides me being able to look at a clock and my stomach not drop when I see 11:59 p.m.

Who the hell knows.

Women’s basketball snags narrow victory

by gabe White Assistant Sports Editor

The UCA women’s basketball team (4-2) defeated the Little Rock Trojans (1-5) in an I-40 Showdown matchup on Dec. 3, leaving a score of 53-49.

This was the first game to head into overtime for the Bears this season.

The match began with a slower pace until UCA landed the first two points of the day with a layup by sophomore guard Randrea Wright.

Wright followed up with a second layup nearly two minutes later.

Little Rock made its first score of the day with a jump shot by graduate forward Nikki Metcalfe with five and a half minutes remaining in the first period.

The Bears widened the gap with a jump shot from senior guard Kayla Mitchell, putting the score at 6-2.

With nearly a minute remaining in the first period, both teams raced to get ahead of each other, UCA ahead by one point.

Junior guard Sha’Nequa Henry pushed the Trojans forward with a jump shot in the paint.

UCA responded 29 seconds later with a two-pointer by freshman guard Parris Atkins, the Bears keeping themselves spread out across the court.

“We most definitely did better on communicating as a team,” Atkins said.

With 10 seconds remaining, Little Rock grabbed the upper hand with a jump shot by Metcalfe, the score now 12-11.

The Trojans continued their lead almost a minute into the second period with a layup by senior forward Angelique Francis.

Although Atkins scored a layup soon after, Henry countered with a jump shot, solidifying Little Rock’s three-point lead.

Following yet another two-pointer by Atkins, the scoreboard stood still until Mitchell gave UCA the lead with a jump shot.

The Bears continued to push past the Trojans with the first three-pointer of the day, shot by sophomore guard Kinley Fisher.

With 52 seconds remaining in

the first half, Atkins scored her eighth point of the night.

The second period ended with a layup by Henry as UCA remained in the lead, 24-21.

The Bears opened the third period with a layup by junior forward Kierra Prim, giving UCA a five-point lead.

Around four and a half minutes in, UCA took a ten-point lead with Fisher’s second three-pointer of the game.

The Trojans fired back, closing the gap with a jump shot from junior guard Tia Harvey,

Metcalfe scored two free throws, the Bears returning 12 seconds later with a layup by Atkins.

With 32 seconds left, Metcalfe scored a jump shot, UCA answering with a layup by Wright in the final five seconds of the third quarter, 37-31.

The final period began with a jump shot by freshman forward Faith Lee, putting UCA four points ahead of Little Rock.

Metcalfe made her 16th point of the game with a jump shot, proving to be a leading force for the Trojans.

With a jump shot in the paint by Harvey, both teams tied up once again, 37-37.

UCA quickly took control once again with two free throws by Wright and a jump shot by Atkins.

The Bears stayed in the lead until tying up again with a layup by Lee, the teams entering overtime, 43-43.

Little Rock’s defense pushed back against UCA for over a minute until Mitchell scored a jump shot in the paint, the Trojans coming back with two free throws by Francis.

With only around three minutes remaining, Wright dominated the court, bringing home 8 points for the Bears, the Trojans unable to keep up.

The Bears continued their at-home winning streak, overcoming Little Rock 53-49.

“I thought we played extremely hard today,” UCA Coach Sandra Rushing said. “We took care of the basketball. They fought and I’m very proud of this team.”

The Bears’ next matchup will be against the University of Tulsa on Dec. 11.

LIFELONG PASSION

Ramblers maim UCA men’s basketball team

by bennett tinnerMOn Editor-in-Chief

Despite a close first half, the men’s basketball (4-4) team fell to Loyola University (3-5) with a score of 85-70 on Nov. 30.

The Bears team leader in points during the Chicago game was senior forward Eddy Kayouloud with 21 points, three of which were three-pointers.

Kayouloud made five threepointer attempts and set his season high for three-pointers made and attempted.

He was just five points shy of his season high in points, which is 26 points scored against the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.

Childhood dream becomes Karli New’s collegiate life

by Olivia SnelSOn Staff Writer

Karli New, a sophomore at UCA and member of the UCA Cheer team, has wanted to be a cheerleader pretty much all of her life.

“When I was little I used to watch college and professional football with my dad and eventually became obsessed with cheer. While watching the games, I would try to do all the flips and tricks they would show the cheerleaders doing on TV and that’s when my parents put me in gymnastics classes,” New said.

She began cheering in junior high and has now cheered for a total of 8 years. She also served as the co-captain for her squad in both junior high and high school.

“I’ve known since I was little that being a college cheerleader was something I wanted to do.

It honestly has been my biggest dream since then,” New said.

She used the skills she learned from cheerleading in school and worked with a private cheer coach to get to the collegiate level.

“There were times that I would sit back and really ask

Upcoming Games

Men’s basketball

7 p.m., Dec. 10 at Oral Roberts

Women’s basketball

1 p.m., Dec. 11 at The University of Tulsa

Editor’s

Death of a sports page

by MadiSOn Ogle Sports Editor

Brought on by sheer frustration and too little time to bicker about strict media protocols, The Echo will be effectively cutting the sports section down from two pages to one.

This has been my first and only semester as The Echo’s sports editor and I must say that having a section downsized by an entire page looks pretty bad on my part.

But I assure you, the blame sits squarely on the shoulders of media relations in UCA’s athletic department and their limit on our accessibility — as student reporters — to studentathletes.

The death of the sports section started when reporters were turned away by players they tried to interview on the volleyball team, who were told they could no longer talk to us. Instead, players referred us to Coach John Newberry, who was willing to lend us a quote or two at first, but eventually stopped talking to us.

Cooper and two free throws from sophomore guard/forward Elias Cato. The Bears’ streak ended when the Ramblers’ senior guard Marquise Kennedy made a layup to set the score at 20-11, the Ramblers ahead.

The first half ended with the Bears only four points behind at 35-31.

Kayouloud made a jumper and layup and junior guard Masai Olowokere made a layup in the last few minutes of the half to narrow the gap.

This limitation was seemingly unrelated to our new stipulations on media interaction, but I count it as the beginning of the end.

I truly hoped that The Echo and the volleyball team would eventually kiss and make up, but in the meantime, volleyball was effectively cut from our coverage.

It only took a week or so before writers were coming to me about being referred to media relations when they approached any student-athlete for an interview.

myself if this was something that I thought I was capable of. This sport makes it very easy to get discouraged and be extremely hard on yourself just based on the toll your body and mind takes, but in my opinion, it’s worth the world,” New said.

The only time New has ever taken a break from cheerleading is due to an injury sustained during the sport.

“The longest break I’ve ever taken from cheer was when I had a severe knee injury in the 9th grade and had to do physical recovery to get back into it, or a concussion here and there,” she said.

New’s favorite thing about being a cheerleader is how it makes her feel. “I’d definitely have to say the adrenaline rush you get being on the field and the mat. There’s nothing like walking out onto the field for pregame on your very first college game day, I remember it like it was yesterday,” she said.

“There’s absolutely nothing like getting to meet everyone that you’ve ever looked up to in the sport and getting to compete alongside them,” New said.

Outside of cheerleading, New is majoring in

communications with a minor in marketing. She hopes to go into high-end real estate and possibly open her own brokerage one day.

“My favorite thing about communication is getting to learn the concepts of what goes into the way a person thinks or acts on certain things. It’s really cool to see all the different situations and things that people do that you can read off of,” she said.

New is also a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. When it comes to other sports, New has participated in competitively riding horses, playing soccer and running track.

“I would definitely have to say that barrel racing and cheer are my favorite sports but I can’t compare them because they are both so different! I love them both in so many different ways,” New said.

“Cheer has been one of my first loves since I can remember and it has brought me so many things that I hold so dear to my heart and I could never thank it enough. I am so beyond grateful for the opportunity I have been granted here,” she said.

The Bears and the Ramblers traded scores for the first five minutes of the game. The Ramblers started with a threepointer from redshirt senior Braden Norris, quickly followed by a three-pointer from the Bears’ sophomore guard Camren Hunter.

The teams continued to take turns scoring before the Ramblers ran off into the seventh minute of the game to set the score at 18-5.

“They came out and I think we got rattled with the environment here,” UCA Coach Anthony Boone said. “We haven’t faced this quite yet. Wichita State was a decent environment, but this was totally different.”

The Bears fell to Wichita State 79-55 early in the season.

Next, the Bears watered the scoreboard after the short drought with jumpers from redshirt freshman guard VJ Reeves and junior guard Collin

Loyola wasted no time going into the second half with junior forward Philip Alston making a layup in the first minute. Alston was not done though and continued to score points with three free throws. Altson would score more free throws later in the game.

Redshirt freshman guard/ forward Ben Schwieger made a layup to end the Rambler rampage at 42-31.

Cato, Kayouloud and other Bears fought hard with threepointers and the like to keep up with the Ramblers but it was not enough, the Bears never gaining the lead throughout the game.

“They’ve got a great roster and they have a great staff here,” Boone said. “They are poised to do well I think. They’re working on figuring it out and I think they are well on their way to doing that.”

The last ball in the hoop was a three-pointer by Kayouloud in the final two minutes.

The Bears’ next game was against Arkansas State University on Tuesday, Dec. 6, in Conway. After that, they’ll travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to face Oral Roberts University on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Given these students have a first amendment right to talk to us, people behind the scenes telling them they can’t was a serious overreach of authority.

Nobody on The Echo staff is too dumb to understand the importance of media relations. While it seems a bit silly that we have to ask someone’s permission to talk to someone the same age as us, we came to terms with it.

What becomes overlooked when our reporters cover these stories is their student status. If this was our sole responsibility each day and we weren’t full-time students, we’d have more than enough time to leap through hoops for a two-sentence quote on how the game went.

As the sports editor, it feels like my responsibility to have mitigated the difficulty our writers feel when covering games.

As is, the sports section finds a very hard time getting stories taken. With a sizable roadblock like this, nobody bothers to try.

That’s why this will be the last time you see a twopage sports section for the foreseeable future.

While people like my assistant sports editor, Gabe White, do a phenomenal job with game coverage, The Echo has to cater to its strengths.

Gabe will take over the sports editor position while I move on to associate editor next semester. I’m hopeful that his good-natured disposition will aid in future sports coverage and allow The Echo to return to casual quote-sourcing.

If not, there will always be Conway High School to fill the sports page’s gaps.

Sophomore Karli New puts her bear claws up in front of a UCA branded backdrop. New is a cheerleader for UCA’s cheerleading team and has cheered for eight years total.

photo courtesy of Karli New

(Top) A fan yells in excitement as the UCA women’s basketball team takes the win against the UALR Trojans. (Bottom) UCA sophomore guard Randrea Wright (middle) jumps for a basket ahead of UALR sophomore guard Jaiyah Harris-Smith (left) and UALR senior forward Angelique Francis.

photos by Madison Ogle

ROADTRIP LOSS