Issue 17, Volume 113, Publication Date--February 13, 2019

The Echo

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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February 13, 2019 Volume 113 — Issue 17

ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST

Sports:

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Women’s Basketball: Bears slam win against SLU

‘Russian Doll’: Netflix original follows woman in death limbo 4

‘Iterations’: Ominous lines, music reiterates emotions

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THE NEWSDESK FROM THE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

I N T E R N AT I O N A L Royal license handed in Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip, 97, voluntarily surrendered his driver’s license after being involved in a car accident Jan. 17. The accident occurred about 115 miles northeast of London, near Sandringham Estate.

N AT I O N A L New York woman found dead; body in suitcase New York resident Valerie Reyes, 24, called her mother, Norma Sanchez, in a panic days before she went missing Jan. 29; she said she was afraid someone was going to murder her but made no mention of anything or anyone specific.

She was found dead Feb. 5 when highway workers located her body stuffed into a red suitcase with her hands and feet bound. The suitcase was found off the shoulder of a road in Greenwich, Connecticut, nearly 14 miles from her apartment. No suspects have been named.

Congress women wear white to reflect successes Many female representatives wore white to President Trump’s State of the Union address Feb. 5 to show solidarity with women’s suffrage and celebrate the record number of female representatives elected into Congress. This year is the 100th anniversary of Congress passing the 19th amendment, granting women the right to vote. There are 102 female members of the House and 25 female Senate representatives, making them the largest group of women in congressional history.

S TAT E Parents arrested after 3- month- old girl’s death On Feb. 8, deputies responded to a 911 call at 1321 Lindsey Drive in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where they found a lifeless 3-month-old girl with no obvious signs of trauma inside the home. The infant’s father, Nicholas Crist, was arrested for misdemeanor warrants and her mother, Brandi Crist, was detained for parole hold. In March 2015, the couple was arrested for commercial burlgary, second degree domestic battery and endangering the welfare of a minor. The minor was removed from the home. It is not clear whether they were involved in the infant’s death.

The parents are being held at the Dub Brassell Detention Center in Pine Bluff.

WHAT’S AHEAD

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE Multi-genre recording artist Damien Sneed comes to UCA

photos by Taylor Sone

UCA President Houston Davis [left] gives one of several speeches before the UCA Choir [right], under the direction of Professor John Irwin, performs Cantate Domino by Josu Elberdin and UCA’s alma mater during a celebration of Old Main’s centennial Feb. 5 in Ida Waldran Auditorium. Groundbreaking on what would later become Old Main started in 1916, and in 2011, Old Main was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Old Main turns 100 years old, UCA celebrates

by Lauren McCabe News Editor

Groups of former and current UCA students, teachers and faculty walked into Old Main - a building that has maintained its classic exterior over the years through all the bussling students who have climbed up the chiseled concrete stairs - to attend its 100th birthday celebration.

People crowded the lobby and made their way through to the well-known Ida Waldran Auditorium that lies directly within Old Main’s front doors.

One could hear violins playing as people gathered to celebrate Old Main’s legacy and history.

UCA President Houston Davis took the stage to describe his own love for the building.

“I’m happy that today, and other times during each year, we’re going to have the opportunity to reflect on just how many lives have been touched by the programs and the services emanated in this building,” Davis said. “In 100 years, there have literally been tens of thousands of students that have centered parts of their learning and their UCA experience inside this building.”

Old Main, formally known as Main Hall, officially became part of the UCA campus — then known as the Arkansas State Normal School — in February of 1919. Just before its opening, the December 1918 edition of the Log Cabin Democrat said that the university offered 20 different courses. Once Old Main was constructed, it housed classrooms for history and mathematics, as well as the offices of four of UCA’s 10 presidents.

Thanks, due in part, to people like adjunct professor and director of Student Success Julia Winden Fey and director of Archives Jimmy Bryant, efforts to have a centennial birthday celebration filled with memories — both the good and the bad — were successful, Davis said.

Bryant himself stepped onto the stage to present a slideshow with 100 years of history in the making. Photos from 1919 captured the open field plot before the construction, then Old Main standing in its center.

Bryant said after World War I, UCA’s enrollment rates began to flourish.

“By 1919, we were up to 426 students,” Bryant said. “Old Main was built with the cost

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today, if you ask them about a building they remember on campus, the majority are going to remember Old Main because it’s been here most of the history,” Winden Fey said.

“Most people have had some class in this building or worked with some group that was in this building, and because it’s at the circle, you see it in all the photos, and it sort of has become the symbol, I think, for the envelope of the campus.”

Reflecting on what UCA and Old Main may become in the next 100 years, both Winden Fey and Davis said they hope the mission of providing students with support and service remains the same.

“We want to set students up to know how to make a difference; that’s really a part of our tradition of having this very active, engaged and sort of innovative spirit,” Davis said. “Comparing 1919 to 2019, no one would even recognize the university. I would say if you fast forward to 2119, it will probably be an unrecognizable place, but I would hope that it would still have those markers of an institution that knows how to serve students and support students to set them up for success.”

TECHNOLOGY

Fiddler newest UCA Board of Trustees member Arkansas Coding Academy

by Kaitlin Benight Staff Writer

Doctor of dental surgery and alumnus Terry Fiddler of Conway was recently appointed

by Gov. Asa Hutchinson as the newest member of UCA’s Board of Trustees.

Fiddler earned his undergraduate degree from UCA in 1970, and went on to earn his DDS from the University of Tennessee in 1973.

He then returned to Conway, where he worked as a dentist for 43 years before retiring in 2016. He and his wife, Joyce, have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Fiddler to the UCA Board of Trustees due to his enagagement and involvement in the community.

“It was a pleasure to appoint Dr. Fiddler to the UCA Board of Trustees,” Hutchinson said.

“Dr. Fiddler and his wife have

photo courtesy of The Log Cabin Democrat

Terry Fiddler was recently appointed as the newest member of the UCA Board of Trustees. Fidlder is an active community leader in the central Arkansas area.

been involved and supportive friends of the university for many years, and they are renowned members of the UCA community. I am confident that his experience and his love for

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with faculty and students, especially when, yes, the bells rang. They indicated the beginning of class and indicated the end of class … they didn’t disappear until the mid-to-late 70s.”

Audience members chuckled when Jones recounted smoking being allowed throughout the building at the same time that professors had to close their window blinds before locking up a room, simply to preserve a nice and neat window to passersby.

“I spent thirty years in this building, taught in every classroom and carried away with me a lot of memories and still retain those memories,” Jones said.

The UCA Chamber Singers presented a song selection, including UCA’s alma mater.

Everyone stood in respect of the university for continuing to impact students for over 100 years and counting.

Winden Fey said, after learning about the significance of Old Main’s anniversary from Bryant, that she knew the program had to be one of excitement and fellowship for students and faculty to connect to the history.

“I think that for most alums

APPOINTMENT

Index: 4Police Beat 4People of UCA

of $2.21 per square foot. The then-president [Burr Walter Torreyson] oversaw two building projects on this campus: Old Main, which was known as the administration building, and the [first] Torreyson Library, which today is known as Harrin Hall.”

More pictures passing across the projection screen showed Old Main at a time when trees lined the walkway up to the building, when mobile homes surrounded it on the left side and even how the inside of the hall once contained bright hardwood floors. It wasn’t until 1937 that the Ida Waldran Auditorium, named after Miss Waldran — dean of women in the Arkansas State Teachers College from its beginning in 1908 until her death in 1937 — was built to connect to Old Main.

Associate professor of history Don Jones taught classes in Old Main from 1968 to 2001, when his classes moved to their current location in Irby Hall. “[Old Main] was a bustling center of students filling the hallways,” Jones said. “There was close interaction between the faculty because we were all crammed in the building.

Classrooms were always filled

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the school will serve him well in this new role.”

Fiddler is a well-respected and widely loved man who has had a large impact on the city of Conway. Sissy Moore, a former coworker of Fiddler’s, said she always beams when talking about him.

“He’s the most awesome man I’ve ever met,” Moore said. “I worked with him for almost 45 years and love him dearly. He’s so excited to be on the Board of Trustees [and] he’s going to do a good job. He has done so many great things for Conway that most people don’t even know about. He’s going to be a very good asset for UCA.” Fiddler has served on or been involved with multiple boards, committees and clubs at UCA, in Conway and within central Arkansas. These include: UCA’s Foundation Board, the

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making its way to Fayetteville

by Daniel Adams Assistant Sports Editor

More students will have the ability to practice coding in the near future as the Arkansas Coding Academy expands to a new location in Northwest Arkansas.

ACA, which is part of UCA’s Office of Outreach and Community Engagement, has been working since 2016 to help teach students and other community members how to code, preparing them for life outside of college in the workforce or for career changes.

Partnered with organizations like Acxiom, the Conway Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, ACA is one of many opportunities people can add to their resumes while searching for future

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employment opportunities.

ACA already has two campuses open — one in Conway and one in Little Rock. The Little Rock campus is a satellite campus out of Philander Smith University. It offers classes that run 24 weeks for part time or 13 weeks for full time.

Director of ACA Mary Condit said that expanding to Fayetteville was simply the right choice for the academy.

“We are always looking at possible markets for expansion,” Condit said. “The city of Fayetteville provides great opportunities for our program to grow.”

She said there is a large market for junior-level developers, as well as a

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NEWS

College of Education wins Food Fight

by Christine Nichols

The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Lauren McLemore

Assistant Campus Life Editor

The Student Government Association sponsored a Food Fight competition between UCA’s academic departments to raise donations for the Bear Essentials food pantry in fall 2018 and they plan to do it again. The competition collected more than 200 items, equating to about 400 pounds of food and the Education department brought in the most donations.

SGA’s College of Education representative, Taylor Beavers, along with SGA Executive President and senior Joshua Eddinger-Lucero and Academic Affairs comittee chair and senior Mary Beth Ivie presented the trophy to the dean of the College of Education Grove Scott at a Council of Deans meeting Dec. 12.

The Food Fight competition happened between Nov. 12-16 in 2018.

SGA secured a trophy to award the college that gave the most food to the pantry.

SGA measured the donations by percentage rather than number to be fair to the smaller departments.

“There’s a lot of good work that this organization does, and it impacts so many students’ lives across our campus every single day,” Eddinger-Lucero said.

The summer before, SGA’s Executive Board — consisting of Eddinger-Lucero and three vice presidents — brainstormed ideas about how they might enhance the UCA experience. During SGA’s first meeting with UCA President Houston Davis in the fall, they discussed the Bear Essentials food pantry.

Davis and SGA wanted to coordinate an event to raise donations for the little-known pantry in Old Main room 108.

Soon after that meeting, the Academic Affairs committee was tasked with organizing the event.

“I’m from a very small town, so I kind of knew the importance of food pantries and things for [those in] poverty,” Ivie said.

photo courtesy of Joshua Eddinger-Lucero

[From left to right] College of Education representative Taylor Beevers, SGA Executive President Joshua Eddinger-Lucero, Dean of the College of Education Victoria Groves-Scott and Academic Affairs committee chair Mary Beth Ivie gather to celebrate the College of Education’s victory in the Food Fight competion held over the fall 2018 semester. The competition collected more than 200 items, equating to about 400 pounds of food donations.

The Bear Essentials food pantry was a storage closet when it opened in 2014. At first, it was only open on Wednesdays for two hours.

Since then, the pantry has grown a lot. The pantry now is open three days a week for a total of 11 hours a week.

Senior Jacob Christie, the volunteer coordinator, started working in the pantry more than a year ago.

“We have these little bags made up,” Christie said.

“They have peanut butter and jelly; there’s spaghetti noodles, spaghetti sauce, mac n’ cheese; there’s a can of soup, a can of fruit and two bags of ramen in there too.”

The First Method Church on Prince Street donates large amounts of fresh food to UCA’s food pantry about once a month. Most of the nonperishable items come from the Little Rock food bank.

A visit to the pantry only requires a UCA ID — faculty,

student or otherwise. While the pantry keeps track of how many times a week a person visits, they don’t strictly regulate how often one can visit. They suggest coming once a week, but they also understand if you need to come more often. An average of 172 people benefit from the pantry every month.

Another collaboration between the SGA and the Bear Essentials food pantry involves its possible relocation.

“Old Main is not that accessible,” Christie said.

SGA agrees and wants to help. In November 2018, SGA adopted a resolution to support the relocation of the Bear Essentials food pantry.

SGA plans to continue hosting a Food Fight competition every fall semester.

“Once [the students] have that level of food security, they can move on to other levels of advancement,” Ivie said.

SGA

New options for dining; possibility for childcare

by Lauren McLemore Assistant News Editor

SGA passed a resolution favoring open source textbooks, heard from Aramark about changes to campus dining and passed two motions Feb. 11 that will later be voted on by the student body.

The SGA meeting presenter, Aramark general manager Jim Nabors, announced many changes made regarding campus dining concerns, including new deli hours from 10:45 a.m. to 7 p.m., an added spice rack, garlic bread and salad options at the pasta bar in the Christian Cafeteria; plus, a recently implemented potato bar that is available every other day with both baked and sweet potato options.

Available vegan options have been made more visible to students through Aramark’s social media postings and the use of green leaf symbols to designate these meals on the menu board in the cafeteria.

Aramark has also ordered two new registers for Starbucks and their IT staff is working with UCA’s IT staff to resolve gift card issues.

SGA is also continuing its work on obtaining reusable to-go boxes. Nontraditional representative, senator Audrey Scaife, announced progress made for the childcare initiative,

Coding:

which has been brought up many times in the past.

A letter regarding the initiative was written and sent out, gaining the support of three professors, a couple of faculty members; and a couple of students.

Data will be collected on the matter, and eventually a presentation will be made to SGA. The first passed motion proposed to amend article 5 of the SGA constitution by adding an oath of office to be taken by senators similar to that taken of members of the executive board.

“I think this will make our obligation to our students hit more at home,” Sophomore Class Vice President, senator Will Teeter, said.

Internal Affairs Committee Chair and Sophomore Class President Jamaal Lockings said the language of the proposed amendment was based around language used in the oath of office taken by members of Congress.

“It is a reminder to every senator here, you are not here to check a box. You are here to get something done. You are here to represent your fellow students,” Senior Class President, senator Bror Therion said.

After over an hour of debate, the second passed motion proposed to raise the

required GPA for the members of the executive board from its current standing at 2.50 to 2.75 in an attempt to hold executive board members to a “higher standard,” Lockings said.

Both motions originated out of the Internal Affairs Committee under Lockings’ leadership.

Next, the student body will vote on both motions.

The resolution titled “A Resolution in Support of Open Textbooks” passed unanimously, making it the official stance of SGA, encouraging UCA to “offer support to faculty to consider and adopt open textbooks when academically appropriate.”

This resolution supports the implementation of a free-access website for educational resources.

SGA Executive President Joshua Eddinger-Lucero also announced that the Board of Trustees’ first meeting of 2019 will be held this Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the board room in Wingo Hall, and it is open to the public. The board will introduce new board appointee, Terry Fiddler, and vote on a feasibility study to approve bonds for the new fine arts center. These bond approvals are necessary to match Windgate’s $20 million donation.

Classes to begin at new campus May 2019

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large number of “employers that are willing to hire from nontraditional programs, and potential students that are ready for a career change,” Condit said. While not hinting at any future candidates, Condit didn’t rule out the possibility of ACA expanding to a fourth city in Arkansas.

Kellby Hudson, a 2014 graduate of Harding University and a 2018 graduate of ACA, was confident that the ACA would do well in his hometown of Fayetteville.

“I can say without a shadow of a doubt that college is not for everyone, and being a

developer is a dream of many kids, whether or not they are built for the college experience,” Hudson said. “ACA will flourish by empowering folks from all backgrounds and different walks of life here in Northwest Arkansas.”

When Hudson had learned about ACA, instead of returning to college after working in sales, he went through the three-month ACA program, after which, he secured a job at J.B. Hunt, one of the academy’s partners.

“Just like college, being a developer is not for everyone,

but the beauty of ACA is that now being a developer is for anyone,” Hudson said.

Hudson said he is grateful for the instructors who helped him get through the ACA coursework.

Classes for the Fayetteville campus will run from May 13 to Aug. 2, while the Conway and Little Rock campuses have classes that will run throughout the rest of the year.

For more information about the Arkansas Coding Academy, visit arkansascodingacademy.com or call 501-450-5276.

Police Beat

ucanews.live

Woman arrested for warrant, pipe

Man backs trailer into student’s car

UCAPD handcuffs C nonstudent on acid

On Feb. 4, nonstudent Constance Carter was stopped by officer Christopher Vasquez, with her teenage son and his girlfriend in the car, for driving without lights on after dark.

Carter said her lights were not working correctly and then provided her driver’s license and insurance card. She told Vasquez her registration was in her safe at home because she didn’t want it to be stolen.

Vasquez suspected Carter had taken drugs because of her sporadic movements and he later discovered she had a warrant out of Conway Police Department for Failure to Appear. She was arrested, and the passengers were given a ride home. In a search, a pipe that smelled like burnt maijuana was found in the driver’s side door, resulting in Carter being issued a citation for Possessing Instruments of a Crime.

Nonstudent James Fernandez approached officer Quincy Tims’ patrol unit Feb. 1 around 9 p.m. to report a vehicle accident he caused north of Short/Denny Hall.

Tims found Fernandez’s Chevrolet 2500 pickup with an attached trailer parked in the road near a Toyota Camry at a curb on Marion Ross Avenue.

There was some damage on the Camry’s driver’s side passenger door, but no visible damage to the trailer. Fernandez said he backed into the Camry.

Neither vehicle had insurance information available.

Fernandez said his vehicle was Bentonville School District property. The Camry belonged to student Tatianna Johnson, who received an email stating what happened and the report number. Damage to the Camry was estimated at approximately $200.

While patrolling near Alumni Circle around midnight Feb. 2, officer Tyler Ryals and Patrol Sergeant John Hill noticed nonstudent David Mejia and stopped him to ask if he was okay.

Mejia came close to Ryal’s window and said, “Am I though?” Ryals exited the unit and asked Mejia if he was under the influence of an intoxicant.

Mejia tried to walk away and when officers asked him to sit down, he began rolling around on the ground. He then tried to get up and walk away again.

“I have nothing to live for,” he said. As Ryals was arresting him for public intoxication, Mejia said “I’m pretty high.” Once MEMS had been contacted, Mejia told officers that he had taken acid.

He was cleared by MEMS and issued a municipal citation for Public Intoxication.

C O N V E R S AT I O N S

Korean classes teach in small increments

by Ryan Bradford Opinion Editor

For those looking to broaden their horizons and add another language to their repertoire, juniors Obed Stamp and Da-El Kim have them covered with the Conversational Korean classes being offered this semester — free of charge.

Two classes are offered: one at the beginner level for those with no prior knowledge of Korean and one at a more intermediate level for those who have taken the first level or understand the Korean alphabet.

The beginner and intermediate courses meet on Mondays and Wednesdays respectively, from 6-7 p.m. in Torreyson West 311. The courses run from Feb. 5 to April 17.

The main goal of the first-level class, which is taught

by Stamp, is to teach the Korean alphabet, numbers, some basic vocabulary words, very basic day-to-day conversations and sentence structures.

“The class is very limited because it’s only one hour, once a week,” Stamp said. “So, I’m not expecting the students that attend the class to be at a fluent conversational level when we finish level one, but I want to help them get a kick start at the language.”

The second-level class focuses more on the conversational aspect, building on the understanding gained from the first-level course.

The second course is taught

by Kim, whose first language is Korean. Kim looks back on his experience learning English to help in teaching Korean as a new language. He said it especially helps with the grammar.

“It’s very fun to teach foreign people Korean. I’ve never taught Korean in my life, so it’s a new experience,” Kim said.

Kim began his class reviewing what they went over during fall, Kim’s first semester teaching. He playfully chided his four returning students for not keeping up with their studies over the winter break.

They reviewed the pronunciation of different vowels, some basic introductions and travel talk, as well as numbers. Kim says the hardest part can be the pronunciation. Kim encouraged the students to be confident in their answers.

He said he is proud of their memory retention and reading capabilities After the review on reading, he focused on sentence structure, taking time to teach new words along the way. The students found time to laugh with Kim at times throughout the lesson. Teaching comes somewhat naturally to Kim and is a way to fulfill a childhood dream.

“I wanted to be a teacher since I was an elementary school student, so this is kind of a good experience for me,” Kim said.

For Stamp, Korean is his second language. He said that

it offered to help him become closer with part of his culture.

“I started leaning Korean because it felt wrong to be mixed with another ethnicity and not express anything about my Korean side,” Stamp said.

“I wanted to learn the Korean language, but Korean language classes are very limited here in Arkansas. So, I dived into South Korea to learn it from the country itself.”

This is Stamp’s first semester teaching. He attended Kim’s class last semester and asked why there was only one level. He discovered there had been other levels before, but the students who taught those had all graduated.

Now teaching the beginner-level course, Stamp says his favorite part is sharing his experiences in learning the language.

“When traveling to another country, the experiences you have with friends and family always make great stories, especially when you’re talking about culture shock,” Stamp said.

For those wanting to learn a foreign language, this could be their chance; and while it doesn’t count as a credit course, knowing multiple languages can put participants at the top of the list when looking for a job. It can also be great for learning aspects of another culture.

“If you learn Korean, you might get to understand K-Pop and dramas,” Kim said. “So, everyone who’s interested, please come. We have a lot of seats available.”

RESOLUTIONS

Students reach New Year’s fitness goals at HPER

by DJ Jones Staff Writer

UCA students have made their New Year’s resolutions to stay fit using the UCA HPER Center.

This on-campus facility is open to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students; fees are paid with tuition.

Sophomore Coryuntae Jones said he has used the HPER Center since he arrived on campus his freshman year.

“When I first arrived to UCA, I would go into the HPER every day to play basketball. I would play for hours. That was a good way to keep me in shape, but I’ve made resolutions this year to use other ways to stay in shape,” Jones said.

Jones said he tries to choose days to work out in the gym and use the other days to play basketball.

The HPER Center is a great

place for students to work out and swim. It’s also a good place to just hang out. The facility provides weights, treadmills, basketball courts, workout classes and more.

Sophomore Randy Mills said the HPER is one of the best things that is offered to students here.

“There’s so many things that a student can get out of the HPER. I use the facility every week at least twice. I usually play basketball for cardio and to just catch up with friends, but I also use the facility to get small workouts in,” Mills said.

HPER Center employee and junior Trevon Williams said, this semester, the facility has been very busy throughout the day.

“We’ve definitely been busy since the semester has started. I’ve seen new faces and a lot of faces that I usually see. I don’t know if all of them made resolutions to get into the gym,

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but I’m sure that some have,” Williams said. “If you are a full-time student here, I think that you should take advantage of our facility simply because you’re paying for it. Even if you don’t work out, you should come by and try out other things.”

Williams also said he has his own resolution to maintain a workout routine this semester.

“I made resolutions for myself to stay in shape this year and to just be a healthier person. Whether it’s by working out more or simply by just eating better. I’ve been trying to work around my schedule to do so,” Williams said.

Mills said it amazes him that some students have never stepped foot inside of the HPER. “I think the facility could do so much for every student on campus. If the fees are a part of your tuition, why not use it?”

Mills said.

President Davis welcomes Fiddler

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Conway School Board, UCA’s Community Advisor Board of the Reynolds Performance Center, the UCA President’s Club, the Conway Chamber of Commerce, UCA’s Purple Circle, Kiwanis — which strives to help children in local communities — Youth Theatre of Central Arkansas, the CARTI Foundation Board and Arkansas Mission of Mercy — which is a free two-day dental clinic sponsored

by Arkansas State Dental Association. Fiddler is also trustee-elect to the American

Dental Association’s Board of Trustees as the representative for the 12th district, beginning next fall.

“On behalf of the entire UCA Family, I’d like to welcome Dr. Fiddler to the Board of Trustees,” UCA President Houston Davis said. “We value his dedication to UCA and to Conway, as well as his perspective and expertise. We look forward to the impact he will make as a member of the UCA Board of Trustees.”

The UCA Board of Trustees has seven members serving seven-year terms, with one term expiring Jan. 15 each year.

They are in charge of setting policy and managing the best interest of the university. The board’s next meeting will be Feb. 15, where they will discuss a new property acquired by the university, contract review procedures and a new undergraduate technical certificate in accounting, among several other items.

Campus Life

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February 13, 2019

Around Campus: Medea At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14-16 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Snow Fine Arts Center Black Box Theater, the UCA theatre department will perform “Medea.” The story follows a woman who sacrifices everything to be with her husband, who betrays her by marrying someone else. The play, written by Euripides, will be directed by Brady Ness. The classic piece will be presented as a modern retelling. For more information, go to uca.edu/theatre/coming-next.

Buisness Advice

At 6 p.m. Feb. 16 at UCA’s Brewer Hegeman Conference Center, Don Bradley, from Little Rock business counseling firm Score will advise attendants on the process of starting a small business. This class is meant to provide aspiring business owners with the information they need to begin fulfilling their dreams. For more information, go to uca.edu/outreach.

New World At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 in Reynold’s Performance Hall, the Conway Symphony Orchestra will present “From the New World,” which is Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9. During the performance, the UCA Concerto winner will also play. Special activites will occur before and after the concert. Tickets are $5 for all UCA students. For more information, go to conwaysymphony.org/events.

State Science Fair The Annual Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair will be from 9 a.m. to noon March 31 in the Farris Center.

The fair will showcase science and engineering projects by Arkansas high school students.

Inkscape At 5 p.m. Feb. 19 at UCA’s Makerspace, an Inkscape expert will lead an adult maker class on the free graphic design program Inkscape.

The program is compatible with the 3D printer, Laser engraving machine and CNC (Computer Numerical Control) engraving machine available in Makerspace. No experience in computer-aided design is necessary. They recommend attendents bring a laptop with the program already downloaded on it. For more information, visit arconductor.org/calendar.

Women’s Leadership Network At 6 p.m. Feb. 19 in McCastlain Hall, the Women’s Leadership Network will present the Women’s Business Showcase.

Women-run businesses will be celebrated. Kim Lane, the CEO of The Conductor, will be a guest speaker. The event, while geared toward women, is free and open to anyone. Food and prizes will be provided. To register online, visit uca.edu/outreach/wlnevents/.

Art Journaling At 9 a.m. Feb. 16 at UCA Downtown, Jessica Lane will lead an art journaling workshop. Lane, a former teacher, now works as a professional artist. While some supplies will be available for use, guests will need to bring their own journals. To register for this event visit uca.edu/ outreach/types/all-classes.

photos by Taylor Sone

Professor of violin Linda Hsu [top left] and Professor of cello Stephen Feldman [right] perform two selections by Felix Mendelssohn during a performance titled “Iterations” as part of the UCA Faculty Chamber Series Feb. 5 at the Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall. The concert culminated with the world premiere of “Iterations,” by the Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, Terry Wright [bottom left], who debuted several of his poems set to clarinet and piano.

Poetry, instrumentals make ‘Iterations’ one of a kind

by Macy Davis Staff Writer

Mixing poetry with classical music is uncommon, but the arts are beginning to meld together in a way that they haven’t in the past.

On Feb. 4, the UCA Faculty Chamber performed the premiere of “Iterations” by director Daniel de Togni in the Snow Fine Arts auditorium. The open reading included a unique classical music performance as backing to the narration.

Dean of College of Fine Arts and Communication Terry Wright performed four of his poems — “Deconstructed Canary,” “Ripley,”

“At the Beach” and “Inside the Roche Limit” — alongside the musical talent of professor of double reeds Lorraine Duso Kitts, who played the English horn, and lecturer of piano and coordinator of collaborative piano Kazuo Murakami.

The balance of poetry mixed with classical music intensified the intended portrayal. The audience was entranced by the darkness and intensity of the music alongside the narration. At the end of “Iterations,” there was a brief but resounding silence before the audience gave a round of applause.

“I really hope that the audience was able to grasp what

an open reading is, but this time with music,” Kitts said.

“Iterations” contained four movements; each had its own music played alongside the spoken dialogue. As each new movement began, the music and poems became more aggressive and intense.

Wright, Kitts and Murakami practiced two hours a week since the beginning of December in preperation for the perfomance.

Wright said he didn’t know how to read music before this experience, and it was a challenge for him to sync his narration with the music. He worked with his wife, Cindy, to learn the musical cues. She even assisted

him during the performance by pointing out where he was and when he needed to stop.

On the other hand, Kitts and Murakami believed that it was difficult working with a narrator since it was separate from the music itself. Deciding when to cue the music after the narrator spoke proved to be a challenge for them during the learning process.

To help them through rehearsals, they kept into contact with De Togni through Facetime and Skype.

“This was creating something with a much more sophisticated composition by working closely, much closer, with the musicians to create something that has

never been heard before,” Wright said.

UALR associate professor of English J. Bradley Minnick has a podcast on NPR’s local affiliate KUAR FM called “Arts and Letters Radio.” Minnick is interested in creating a podcast focused on “Iterations,” which is a big deal for such a new and unique piece.

In the future, UCA upperclassmen could also have the opportunity to perform the composition.

“Taking poetry and mixing it with classical music is just a further expression of the interconnectivity of the arts in the 21st century,” Wright said.

MUSICAL

SPEAKER

Award-winning author lectures on African philosophy Musical promotes hope, accepting others

by Emily Gist Associate Editor

The key to eradicating racism is empathy, renowned South African author Mark Mathabane said to a nearly filled college of business auditorium Feb. 8. This, however, was merely a glimpse into Mathabane’s philosophy, and his Feb. 7 interview in Irby room 115 revealed how his experiences led to his beliefs.

Mathabane spent 18 years in South Africa during apartheid: An oppressive system marked by racial segregation. Mathabane said he lived in a shack without plumbing or electricity where he struggled to find food, once seeking a piece of moldy bread to stave off the “devil of hunger.”

In this system, black South Africans had to use blackonly cards to find jobs, and Mathabane said he noticed the system against him when his mother tried to acquire the paperwork needed to send him to America.

Mathabane’s mother, Magdalene, ran from one government office to the next, trying to gather the paperwork to send her son to America.

However, every office she entered turned into a wild goose chase until she opened her heart to a nun.

“The transformation within me was when that white nun intervened to break that vicious cycle,” Mathabane said. “I’d never, up until that point, thought white people were human because a human, to me, could feel the pain of others: to empathize. And to see this nun cry — crying is what black people do because they were suffering so much — but to see a white person cry was so shocking because she simply became human.”

Mathabane said because the only white people he encountered were policemen,

photo courtsey of goodreads.com

Mark Mathabane’s autobiography “Kaffir Boy” tells his story of growing up in South Africa during the apartheid. Mathabane spoke Feb. 7 during x-period in the College of Business auditorium.

he assumed all white people were policemen in disguise.

After the encounter with the nun, Mathabane said he became knowledgeable of the stereotypes he harbored, and therefore had a broader understanding of how stereotypes against any group fester.

“It’s important to eradicate racism at its roots rather than its symptoms, and the problem is oftentimes people don’t get to know each other as human beings. They always talk about each other, but they never talk to each other,” Mathabane said.

Mathabane said the first step to finding liberation as a black South African was to first liberate his mind and stop thinking the way he was programmed to think.

“The people who are free, but in their minds are not free, will believe everything that everybody says about them,” Mathabane said. “And once you do that, if you believe what somebody says about you, that has power over you.”

He said the best way to liberate one’s mind is to become an avid reader. Mathabane

taught himself to read and write while living in South Africa. He said becoming a voracious reader allows a person to learn the truths of the world and learn from history.

Mathabane said he is outspoken about the power of education because his dad told him he was trying to be white when he sought his education.

“It is foolish to think that the power in education, which most marginalized young people need, could be equated with being white; because if you take away that power, there is nothing you can use to gain your freedom,” Mathabane said.

Once liberation through education is discovered, Mathabane said empathy is necessary to band together to fight systems of oppression, like apartheid in South Africa and white supremacy in America.

He said the giant of apartheid only crumbled by forming alliances. The same can be said for white supremacy.

“In order to destroy this monster, you need everybody to pitch in,” Mathabane said.

“In order to subvert white supremacy in America, you need white people to be part of that subversion.”

Mathabane summarized the key to producing mass change in his talk with the college of business.

“If you want to know the key to our mutual survival, it is in one word: Empathy,” Mathabane said. “We must become each other. It’s the only way to save us from ourselves.”

Interim Dean of the Schedler Honors College Patricia Smith said she resonated with the challenge Mathabane presented to the audience.

“If our world is going to survive and if we’re going to have a future built on love and built on empathy, it has to start with us,” Smith said.

by Ronak Patel Staff Writer

The hit Broadway musical “Kinky Boots” explores themes such as accepting others for who they are, because people tend to have more in common than they realize, and remaining hopeful.

The musical showed Feb. 4 in Reynolds Performance Hall, developing its themes through the two main characters: Charlie and Lola. Charlie is a straight, white man who inherited his father’s shoe factory after he passed away. Lola, on the other hand, is a sassy, black man who chooses to live his life as a cross-dressing dancer.

“I loved Kinky Boots! It’s a show about breaking taboo barriers and accepting others for how they are. This paired with vivacious, funky musical numbers makes this show one of my new favorites,” junior Dylan Richardson said.

Charlie’s father was a kindhearted boss who cared for his workers to a fault and made decisions that were best for his employees, even if it hurt the business. The business was in a bad state when Charlie took over.

The two characters met when Charlie attempted to save Lola from getting mugged in a dark alley, and got knocked out in the process. Lola took Charlie back to her place and took care of him. Later on, Charlie discovered the shoe company didn’t produce shoes that were trendy or unique, which was running the factory to the gound. This led him to team up with Lola to capture the niche market for cross-dressing performers.

The two became incredibly close. Despite living different lives, the two of them are very similar. Both of them struggle with their identities. Charlie learned that his father believed Charlie wasn’t good enough to

photo courtsey of broadway.com

“Kinky Boots,” which showed Feb. 4 in Reynolds Performance Hall, tells a story of friendship and acceptance of others. The performance sold out.

keep the factory in business.

Lola had similar issues with her father, who wanted her to stop cross-dressing and be a male boxer, but Lola didn’t enjoy boxing, even though she was good at it. Lola’s father resented her for not pursuing boxing.

Together, the two of them created a beautiful brand of boots specifically for cross-dressing dancers and showcased the boots in Milan.

Throughout the play, other characters eventually accepted Lola. There were characters like Don, who worked in the shoe factory, who harassed Lola for being a cross-dresser. Don later realized that there is more to being a man than the societal norms that we associate with manliness.

“Kinky Boots” is a beautiful story that explores relevant issues in our society like phobias toward other-minded people, toxic masculinity, accepting others and following your own dreams. Their journeys — Charlie’s to prove his father wrong and Lola’s to gain others’ acceptance — convey these themes artistically.

The musical’s dance scenes are lively and exciting, adding to the overall quality of the entertainment piece.

Reynolds Performance Hall’s next performance will be “Steel Magnolias” by Robert Harling at 7:30 p.m Feb. 22.

For ticket information, visit uca.edu/publicappearances/ night-out/steel-magnolias.

ucanews.live

CAMPUS LIFE

February 13, 2019 /4

‘Wild Mulatto’ talks labels, belonging

STUDENTS SAY

“

by Marley CashPowell

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase: toxic masculinity?

Editor

Maybe everyone is a bit of a hybrid.

At least that’s what the College of Liberal Arts dean Tom Williams posited in an x-period discussion he facilitated Feb. 5 in the Student Center. The discussion focused on diversity, specifically bi- or multi-racial identities, and was presented

by SGA in conjunction with the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion.

Williams is the son of an African-American father and a white mother. His parents married in 1966 — the year before Loving v. the State of Virginia — when interracial marriages were still illegal in most states. As much as he felt different as a child, he has grown to realize that, in certain ways, everyone shares the feeling of not belonging.

To prove this point, Williams told the audience to stand up. As he asked a series of questions, he instructed those who could answer “no” to sit down and those who could answer “yes” to remain standing.

The questions included: Have you ever felt as though you didn’t belong? Have you ever felt as though you had to choose a side? Did you feel that you had an equal allegiance to both sides and didn’t want to choose? Do you ever struggle with the right word or phrase to call yourself?

Only a handful of people sat down after each question.

Lastly, Williams asked: are you biracial or multiracial?

Only four people were left standing.

“What I hoped to demonstrate was that many of these kinds of feelings that are inherent to being a biracial person are also universal,” Williams said. “There is something unique to having a biracial ethnicity, but it is not something so unique that people don’t have an understanding of it for their own selves.”

He said people are all prey to senses of alienation and to feeling divided.

“This is human,” Williams said.

”

story by Christine Nichols Photos by Taylor Sone

photo by Marley Cash-Powell

Graduate student and residence coordinator Hayley Thomas listens intently as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Tom Williams asks her how she answers the question “What are you?” The interaction took place during an open discussion about racial identities held during x-period Feb. 5 in the Student Center.

Williams asked the participants who were not biracial what they do when they feel like they don’t belong.

Some said they revel in their individuality or try to blend in. One girl said she withdrew, dropping out of high school to be home schooled.

“I was always taught that there is a difference between belonging and fitting in,” assistant vice president for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Angel Webster said.

“Belonging allows me to show up as fully myself.”

However, she said fitting in forces her to constrain a part of herself, and that she has learned to hold herself to the standard of being fully present in all situations.

Williams said people tend to form their identities based on multiple variables, like geographic location, family and religion. In his own experience, he felt ostracized as the only biracial person in his hometown. As he started meeting biracial people later in life, he felt like they were robbing him of his uniqueness.

“You think your pain

and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read,” Williams said, quoting author James Baldwin. “It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me to all the people who were alive — who had ever been alive.”

To Williams, Baldwin’s quote represents how books helped him explore his biracial identity. Williams shared a few of those books with the participants. Each title captured the struggle those with biracial identities endure under the pressure to find an accurate label for themselves. The books had titles like “Passing,” “Quicksand” and “Oreo.” As he read each title, the audience gasped.

He said that for people who sometimes are the target of these terms — including people who aren’t biracial but look ambiguous — they usually respond in one of two ways.

“You either fall under the weight of the insult, or you say, ‘all right,’ and you laugh at it,” Williams said. He attempted

to find the humor in his own torn identity by titling the book he wrote “Among the Wild Mulatto.”

He used these books as a segue into a discussion about what the most accurate or politically correct label could be for such a variety of ethnicities.

He started this discussion by asking the biracial people in the room how they deal with the question “what are you?”

“I am black and white,” Graduate student and residence coordinator Hayley Thomas said.

There are all kinds of heterogeneous people out there in the world, Williams said. He feels that we as a people sometimes forget that, but acknowledging that is what will help us all understand each other better; because really there is always a mix, or a hybrid, in every individual’s genes.

Hence, maybe everyone is a bit of a hybrid, and maybe that’s not a bad thing.

“The scientific word is heterosis: The tendency of the crossbred individual to show qualities superior to those of both parents,” Williams said.

C O L L A B O R AT I O N

Harvard Alumnus informs educators about Korean history

by Marcus McClain Sports Editor

Guest speaker and Harvard University alumnus Sun Joo Kim presented a keynote lecture Feb.8 in the McCastlain Hall Ballroom on the history of paternal love and material greed in Korean slavery.

The lecture was part of a UCA and Hendrix College collaboration Feb. 8-9 on a workshop to advance the content of Asian Studies programs.

The workshop, Centering Korea in the Curriculum, was directed primarily for undergraduate and high school educators and included several guest speakers.

In her lecture, Kim noted that in the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910), slaves and land

were the two most valuable forms of property. In this time, more than 30 percent of the population was bound by slavery.

“The society was broken up into divisions with Yangban at the top, enjoying all the social privileges,” Kim said. “At the bottom was the Nobi, which literally meant female and male slaves.”

Despite owning slaves and practicing concubinage, men would fight to prevent their children from falling into slavery, regardless of the mother’s social class.

“They would use the term ‘my own flesh and blood’ to combat the social norm of a child falling into slavery if at least one of the parents were of the Nobi class,” Kim said.

Kim also payed a visit to several Intro to Asian Studies

courses here at UCA to discuss her work with students, and provide more insight into Korean history.

UCA Director of the Asian Studies Zach Smith said UCA lacks faculty who specialize in Korean Studies, but he wanted to improve its presence on campus.

“I’m always thinking about ways that I can both strengthen the content of the program and grow the number of students within the minor,” Smith said.

“I wanted to find a way to improve my own teaching with regard to Korea, and to provide resources for other faculty who wish to do the same.”

The collaboration with Hendrix College was one that has been building since last semester — specifically with professor Michael Springer of the Hendrix history

department. Springer is a Korean history specialist and has spoken with Smith in the past about creating a program to develop and promote Korean studies.

“Even though Hendrix is located just down the street, our two colleges do not collaborate that often,” Smith said. “[Springer] helped put us in touch with several experts in the field.”

Overall, Smith was pleased with the success of the twoday workshop and plans to continue improving the presences of Korean studies on campus.

“I was delighted with both our workshop speakers and workshop participants,” Smith said. “I’m glad for the turn out we had and hope to organize another workshop in the future that’s even bigger.”

Junior Nakeya Ethredge “I feel like that’s the policing of emotion. I feel like men aren’t allowed to be emotional besides angry and confident.

With toxic masculinity, you wipe away half of the emotional spectrum and you’re not allowed to express it. And, in order to erase it, we need to allow men to be more emotionally expressive.”

Junior Willow Poynter “Mansplaining. When a man tries to explain to me what I already know and probably know more about than he does. For example, ichthyology. A lot of male ichthyologists try to explain the simple concept to me and I’m like ‘OK, that’s pretty obvious, thanks for that.’ ”

Senior Michael Bailey “For me, toxic masculinity is the perception of behaviors that are socially seen as masculine identity while the reality is generally a smaller subset of trash individuals who give a poor representation for males as a whole.”

Senior Seth Chader “I think like, macho men.

As far as, muscle cars, hypersexualization of women. Macho men choose to ignore thoughts and emotions because it’s considered feminine.

And kind of looking at masculinity and femininity as polar opposites and trying to be on the farthest extreme away from anything that could be considered female.

Junior Madilyne Norman “It just depends on the lengths that it goes. My best friends are gay black men and they have a lot of experiences where other men think they’re trying to hit on them. It’s a very uncomfortable situation for them. Also, men who are afraid that I’m taller than them.”

Junior Taylor Crawford “Toxic masculinity is being a guy that looks down on women.

When it’s like a power trip for them.”

SPOTLIGHT

PEOPLE OF UCA

Kaleb Posey

by Rafael Soliz II Staff Writer

photo by Rafael Soliz II

Graduate student Kaleb Posey stands inside of the College of Business on Feb. 8. Kaleb plans to continue his education at UCA and earn his Masters in Business Adminstration.

Graduate student Kaleb Posey grew up in Posey Hollow, Arkansas, about six miles down a winding dirt road that slices through the Ouachita National Forest. Posey grew up in a family of four, including his little sister, mother and father.

He has known since he was in grade school that he had a love for technology.

Posey grew up on a farm, where he learned the value of hard work and responsibility.

“Working on a farm solidified my desire to go to college, but it also afforded me with an opportunity that many students don’t have: the opportunity to learn life skills beyond that of the average education,” Posey said.

He learned the value of a dollar very quickly during his childhood, and he continues to

take pride in his work ethic.

Posey became interested in technology in the second grade when his great-grandparents gave him their old desktop computer. He used the desktop for about three years, then bought his first laptop in fifth grade with his own hard-earned money.

“I would spend the weekends mowing yards, picking up rocks on our farm, bush hogging and baling hay to earn enough money to buy a computer that I could really start to utilize past what I had learned already. I love learning.

To me it was an investment in my future,” Posey said.

When he entered high school, Posey became involved in a plethora of campus activities, including leadership roles within Future Business Leaders of America, student council and varsity basketball.

Posey took his first tour of the

UCA campus in his freshman year of high school and decided then and there that he wanted to pursue a degree in Management of Information Systems at the UCA College of Business.

He accumulated a 4.16 GPA in high school and focused on increasing his involvement within the community to help strengthen his chances of receiving the scholarships necessary to attend a four-year institution.

After his arrival at UCA, Posey strived to pursue more than just a degree. He served as chair of the UCA Student and Residential Life Judicial Board, and held membership in the American Marketing Association and Beta Gamma Sigma. He also spent time volunteering in the community and helping canvas for political campaigns.

“One of the most important

things a person can do in their life is to become involved in their community; to give back, and focus on something greater than themselves,” Posey said.

Posey graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Science in MIS in Fall 2018, and is currently working on his Masters of Business Administration. He completed various projects such as restructuring the Networking I course for implementation at UCA and submitting a proposal to the dean of the College of Business to redesign the College of Business lobby.

“The people that I have met at UCA, along with the projects and organizations that I have been a part of, have shaped my education and provided me with a much greater value than a simple diploma. College is what you make it, and I’m proud to call myself a UCA alumnus.”

Posey said. “Go Bears!”

Opinion

5

ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

February 13, 2019

The Voice Taxing wealthy people today to save tommorow

The Echo Staff Marley Cash-Powell Editor

Emily Gist

Associate Editor

Lauren McCabe News Editor

Lauren McLemore Assistant News Editor

Aysha Dixon

Campus Life Editor

Christine Nichols

Assistant Campus Life Editor

Ryan Bradford Opinion Editor

Caela Fugate

Entertainment Editor

Marcus McClain Sports Editor

Daniel Adams

Assistant Sports Editor

Dy’Kajeon Brown

Online/ Social Media Editor

Taylor Sone Photo Editor

Ricky Rivera Cartoonist

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Maroon 5 fails to deliver Spongebob song This outrage is more than justifiable With about three minutes left on the clock before the Superbowl halftime show, I because what those in charge of the walked into the Donaghey Hall Lobby while Superbowl 2019 halftime show did was my boyfriend made ramen; I wish we would morally wrong on multiple levels, and not just because fans didn’t get what they have just finished the ramen and left.

Instead, I sat on the couch, urging my wanted.

Firstly, playing the song was meant to boyfriend to sit next to me so we could be an homage to Hillenburg. Following the watch the halftime show together.

“They’re gonna play ‘Sweet Victory,’” I introduction to SpongeBob’s “Sweet Victory” with a torrent of cusses was the opposite of said, sitting on the couch.

The internet had blown up about a an homage.

Secondly, the people in charge of the month prior as rumors spread that Maroon show had to have known that, by advertising 5 was planning to play Sweet Victory, a SpongeBob and providing “leaked” song in a SpongeBob SquarePants footage of the band practicing episode, in memory of the death of SpongeBob, the Superbowl was going its creator Stephen Hillenburg.

My boyfriend was skeptical to get more viewership, primarily from children. that Maroon 5 would play the The fact that the SpongeBob song, but I argued there was introduction led into a torrent absolutely no reason for the band not to play the song. It would of cussing was an absolute betrayal to the kids watching. offer them positive, free Granted, the cussing was press, and people would censored from the TV talk about them for years broadcast, but the people to come. in the crowd heard every While we finished

by Emily Gist word. the second quarter, my Associate Editor Finally, and this is less boyfriend was on his morally disgraceful but phone. He showed me disgraceful nonetheless, an article about “leaked” footage where Maroon 5 was practicing the group let down the millions of fans who “Sweet Victory” and I was convinced it was signed an actual petition to play “Sweet Victory” during halftime. At the time of going to happen.

If Maroon 5 hadn’t played the song at all, writing this article, the petition had about it would have been better than what they 1.2 million signatures, and the numbers continue to rise. did.

What’s worse is that the halftime show Not only did the band not play “Sweet Victory,” but they showed a 15-second team knew what they were doing. They knew clip of the introduction to the song in the teasing fans with the prospect of SpongeBob SpongeBob episode. The trumpets played would encourage more fans to watch the the tune just before the song began, then Superbowl and boost ratings. They had a poorly-animated asteroid fell from the literally no reason not to play the song.

They could even have projected the song sky. It struck the Earth and introduced the rapper Travis Scott onto the stage. Half of on the big screens above the field. It wouldn’t the rapper’s lyrics were cut out because he have cost any money (the episode is already was cussing, and the band continued as if fully voiced and animated), the NFL would have boosted their ratings and the public nothing had happened.

Justifiably, fans were pissed. At the would be happy.

Instead, people are pissed and the time of writing this, the video on YouTube has 108 thousand likes and 756 thousand YouTube channel that posted the halftime dislikes. This is after the people in charge of show is scrambling to prevent the video from the YouTube channel continuously removed being disliked. All parties lose.

I suppose it’s fitting, because the 2019 and reuploaded the video to remove dislikes Superbowl was also not a sweet sweet victory. from the video itself.

Taxing the rich, more specifically increasing how much they are taxed, seems to finally be making its way into mainstream politics.

Many different democrats have put forward new tax plans, from presidential nominees like Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris to representatives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Ocasio-Cortez’s plan is to impose a tax on the extremely wealthy — those who make over $10 million a year. After that 10 millionth dollar there will be a 70 percent tax increase for their remaining income.

Right now, everyone who makes over $500,000 pays the same tax rate of 37 percent, depending on marital status.

The money will go to fund OcasioCortez’s proposed “Green New Deal,” which is a plan to tackle climate change.

Especially if that money literally goes to help save the world. Climate scientists are now saying in the most recent climate change report that we only have about 11 years left until catastrophic consequences, such as droughts, floods, extreme heat and poverty occur.

This proposed tax used to be normal.

Historically, the United States has had many tax brackets and top tax rates, even higher than 70 percent.

Under President Eisenhower, the top bracket paid a 91 percent marginal rate. Under Kennedy and Johnson, they paid the proposed 70 percent rate.

Also, according to Business Insider and the Tax Policy Center, from 1957 through the 1970s — when the tax rate was at 70 percent or higher — the economy was stronger than it is today. The data also suggests a relationship between the record-low economic growth of the last decade and the historically low tax rates on the wealthiest Americans.

There is also a 2012 paper published

by Peter Diamond and Emmanuel Saez, academic economists for MIT and Berkeley respectively, that supports this proposed tax increase. In their paper, Diamond and Saez called for a 73 percent tax rate for the top income tax bracket in the United States.

They write that the value of a single dollar in extra tax for the extremely rich is essentially zilch. It makes sense that a little extra money could do a lot more for a poor person, whereas a rich person wouldn’t even notice.

Whatever your feelings about governmental spending are, taxing the rich would help lower taxes for the poorest Americans and could help boost the economy, not to mention possibly save the planet. I think it’s more than worth the consequence of making the ultra wealthy slightly less so.

Historically, the United States has had many tax brackets and top tax rates even higher than 70 percent.

Better teaching methods make for better teachers: an homage Stop me if you’ve been here before: It’s a that got me to this point and what they all few hours before class. For whatever reason have in common.

Just like good readers make good writers your work isn’t ready. Maybe you didn’t understand the assignment, maybe you and successful artists are generally aware of were over ambitious or procrastinated, or their contemporaries, I’ve always admired maybe life just got between you and your my favorite professors’ constant thirst for homework and now you’ve gotten knowledge. to the bottom of your second pot Whether it’s the graphics professor of coffee and you’re spiraling, who always seems to have a book for wondering if this whole college every style imaginable or the poetry thing was a mistake. teacher who openly admits when you’re It’s do or die time. You drive writing about a theme he doesn’t know or walk to class in silence, ready to but writes it down to look up later, the throw yourself at the mercy ability of educators to grow past of the gods, the fates and their own educations is a quality your 10 a.m. professor that I think can never be overpraised. because, frankly, this To me, no matter what isn’t your best work. the situation, there has But you’re lucky.

by Ricky Rivera never been anything more You have a professor Cartoonist inspiring than watching that’s not only able to someone I look up to revel calm you down from in his passion. I may never your stress-induced fidgets but who believes in your ability be an expert in rhetoric or an education to, not only grasp the material, but to also major like the rest of the class, but watching produce work of a caliber beyond your own an educator get genuinely giddy over their expectations. You are, in fact, in the hands of material makes me want to engage in a subject that might typically be out of my a good teacher.

As I reflect on my college career less than wheelhouse.

Throughout your college career, you’ve a few months away from its end, I can’t help but think about, not just my professors, but probably heard many sentiments like, “I’m the advisors, bosses and figures of authority taking the class for the (pre-recs/the core/

the hours), but I’ll never use this stuff in my career.” But I’d argue that an effective professor can make any material relevant to any field or lifestyle.

Proper education is interconnected and oftentimes I’ve found that my most creative solutions for complex problems arose when I applied knowledge from a different field.

A good professor doesn’t just regurgitate information and tell you whether you passed or failed, but rather opens your mind toward different modes of thinking because in the real world, thinking critically and flexibly is more useful than doing what’s already been done.

Finally, it’s be easy to fall into the power dynamic of “I’m a teacher, you’re the student and everything you say is less than me, my titles and my years of experience.”

But all the best teachers I have ever taken treated me like an equal where I had just as much to contribute to the conversation as they did, even when I thought my own questions were stupid.

They treated me like an adult and gave me the confidence to learn, create and grow, and I feel that when I finally walk across that stage with my diploma in my hand, it won’t just be a testament to my accomplishments, but a promise to make something of my education for the teachers who were kind enough to put their faith in me.

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Entertainment

6

February 13, 2019

New This Week

Netflix Original ‘Russian Doll’ thrills viewers with intricate, muti-layered plot

by Francisco Rodriguez

Movies

entertaining. Their confusion only makes the show more amusing because of their ultimate expectation of death, thus making dying a boring and annoying outcome. We can see our main character develop her own character arch through each death, almost like separate stepping stones leading to the light at the end of the tunnel. The deeper the characters’ awareness gets after each death, the more their surroundings start changing.

Staff Writer

Feb. 15 — Happy Death Day 2U (R), directed by Christopher Landon, starring Jessica Rothe, Ruby Modine, Israel Broussard, Suraj Sharma Feb. 15 — Alita: Battle Angel (PG-13), directed by Steven Knight, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, Djimon Hounsou Feb. 15 — Isn’t It Romantic (R), directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, starring Priyanka Chopra, Tom Ellis, Liam Hemsworth, Betty Gilpin

Music Feb. 15 — Moonglow— Avantasia Feb. 15 — Head Above Water — Avril Lavigne Feb. 15 — Betty — Betty Who Feb. 15 — Hello Happiness — Chaka Khan

“Russian Doll” — one of Netflix’s newest shows, which released Feb. 1 — flips reality upside down. The eightepisode series takes the viewer through a journey of confusion and heavy symbolism.

The main character, Nadia Vulvokov (Natasha Lyonne), must relive the same night over and over, much like Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, every time she dies.

If you’re into suspense and a show that keeps you guessing at every turn, “Russian Doll” fits the bill. Eventually the audience comes to notice all of the characters are interconnected and jumbled up in these events, which almost seem like a cruel joke being played on them.

“Russian Doll” is incredibly entertaining and amusing to watch. There is a dubious number of layers the viewer can peel away when watching the show. Lyonne, who also cocreated the show, makes sure to keep the viewer as confused as the characters. This keeps the viewer interested from start to finish.

Nadia continues to die, and every time, she wakes up at her birthday party; the cycle is never ending. Nadia has to figure out why she’s in this cycle, which makes her to feel like her life keeps toppling over. “Russian Doll” reminds me of the movie “Inception,” where the characters themselves are trying to figure out what exactly is happening in the film.

photo courtesy of http://www.brooklynvegan.com

Lead female character Nadia Vulvokov (Natasha Lyonne) relives her anticipated birthday on a continuous loop while also revealing shocking plot layers each time she revives from the previous deaht in the intriguing Netflix Original series, “Russian Doll.” The entertaining series released on Netflix Feb. 1.

The confusion that the audience sees the characters go through in turn makes the viewer further attached to them. The show takes us on a journey with the characters, instead of us watching them experience this convoluted mess with any sort of audience omnipresence.

Feb. 15 — The Delta Sweete Revisited — Mercury Rev

SELF-LOVE

Feb. 15 — Czarface Meets — Czarface & Ghostface Killah

Grande drops ‘thank u, next’ album; leaves fans wanting more

Feb. 15 — Can’t Say I Ain’t Country — Florida Georgia Line

by Rose McGarrity After much anticipation, the acclaimed Ariana Grande released her emotionally charged album “thank u, next” Feb. 7. “Thank u, next” and “7 rings,” were two major singles debuted by Grande, so this album had big shoes to fill.

From the 2017 Manchester bombing, which occured at one of her concerts, to the death of her former boyfriend, singer Mac Miller, Grande has experienced a great deal of grief over the last few years. To add to these intensly traumatic events, she also recently ended her engagement with comedian Pete Davidson.

Within the album, Grande’s melodious vocals are filled with justifiable emotions.

Grande’s music has become her outlet of release for those pent up emotions and for working through the pain that follows. These experiences also provided Grande with the necessary experiences and emotions to craft such a successful album.

The two best songs on the album are “Thank u, next” and “7 rings,” but the other songs on the album hold merit as well. Songs such as “NASA” and “fake smile” have great melodies.

Despite the singer’s known reputation for pop, Grande took creative license when making this album. At the beginning of her song, “in my head,” a man’s voice says “Here’s the thing. You’re in love with a version of a person that you’ve created in your head …. the only person you can fix is yourself.”

This intro is more unique than how most of her previous songs start. Through this intro,

I believe Grande is trying to convey to herself and her fans that in a quest for perfection, she tries to fix the guys she dates before herself.

The popular namesake title song shows that a great deal can be learned from past relationships, even those which ended far from amicable. I admire Grande for using the names of the men she dated within “Thank U, Next” because it proved the song to be authentic. The theme of “thank u, next” seems to be centered on relationships and love. This album will be easy for many people to relate to considering the topic, so I think it will quickly become a hit.

I’ve always liked Grande’s music, but I’ve never been been a huge fan of her in general.

However, after listening to this album, I began to form an appreciation for Grande.

This was Grande’s fifth studio album. Grande is producing content that audiences love. I anticipate hearing more hits from Grande in the future.

Overall, this album shows that Grande went through pain due to relationships but that she grew from it. In her song “NASA,” Grande says “I don’t really want to be in your arms tonight.”

Grande’s strength is apparent throughout this song and in the album as a whole.

I like the message of this song and the album because I think Grande is a good role model for young girls. These songs are empowering and show women that they don’t need a relationship to be happy.

Grande’s album “thank u, next” is available on spotify, youtube, and apple music.

1. Celebrate with your pet If you’re single or feel like you have to spend Valentine’s Day alone, don’t. Your dogs would probably LOVE to spend Valentine’s Day with you if they were human! Let’s face it, your furry friend has been there through all your breakups and binging-ice-cream-on-thecouch sessions, so they have a reason to share the lovefest with you too. Perhaps fix them a nice dinner and serve them puppy-safe desserts to thank them for all the kisses they give throughout the year. A movie choice of “Marley and Me” or “A Dog’s Purpose” complete with snuggles on the couch and its favorite toy, would make for a pup-tastic Valentine’s with the one who sees you as the king or queen you really are.

2. Embrace your own self-love This is probably one of the most valid times of the year to indulge yourself without any excuses, so own it! Go enjoy the day for yourself with your favorite movie or hobby. Splurge some of that hard-earned money on clothes or an item that you’ve been waiting for.

Do it. Do you want to stay in and watch your favorite serial killer documentaries all day?

Duh, do it. Valentine’s Day is traditionally spent showing the ones you love how special they are to you. But the one person that you should love the most, before anyone else, is yourself. As Tom and Donna from the TV show “Parks and Recreations” said, “Treat yo self.”

Assistant News Editor

Feb. 15 — What It Is — Hayes Carll Feb. 15 — Bright Night Flowers — Jon Fratelli Feb. 15 — Ladytron — Ladytron Feb. 15 — A Skeleton — ​Ben Shemie Feb. 15 — ALL — Yann Tiersen

Netflix Feb. 15 — Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy, starring Larry Charles Feb. 15 — The Breaker Upperers, dirrected by Madeleine Sami, Jackie van Beek, starring Madeleine Sami, Jackie van Beek, James Rolleston

Feb. 15 — The Dragon Prince, created by Aaron Ehasz, Justin Richmond, starring Jack De Sena, Paula Burrows, Sasha Rojen Feb. 16 — The 40-Year-Old Virgin, directed by Judd Apatow, Mike Royce, starring Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd Feb. 16 — Studio 54, directed

by Matt Tyrnauer, starring Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson

Five ways to spend Valentine’s single List compiled by Lauren McCabe News Editor

I’ll be honest, “Russian Doll” confused the heck out of me. Every time you think you’ve finally figured out what’s going on, the show takes a complete u-turn and leaves you more clueless than before. The plot gives off the sense of eternal limbo for the chracters. The entirety of the show follows the

same two days, but every time the characters relive them, an alternate timeline is created.

Nadia herself becomes self-aware and realizes that she needs to explore every option to restore her life back to normal.

The characters marvelous and

are truly

“Russian Doll” is a refreshing show that gravitates the viewers into the plot.

The series isn’t mindless entertainment. It’s an everchanging narrative with addtional clues revealed as the series progresses. For the sake of not spoiling the show, I won’t go into any further detail concerning the plot.

Watch it and enjoy the ride because this show is incredible and truly intriguing. Season one of “Russian Doll” is now streaming on Netflix and rated TV-MA.

WWI

photo courtesy of https://hoodline.com

Soldiers depicted in the film “They Shall Not Grow Old’ feast together in the recently recovered footage of those who fought in World War I, otherwsie known as the Great War. The film had a limited release Feb. 1.

‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ sheds light on the Great War

by Taylor Sone Photo Editor

It has been 100 years since the end of one of the most important events in the history of the world. A prominent novelist of the time, H. G. Wells, called it “the war to end all wars.” 70 million military personnel were mobilized to engage in the first truly global conflict. A new documentary

by Peter Jackson — the director of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise — is taking a deeply humanistic look into what it meant to fight, live and die in the Great War. Jackson’s new film “They Shall Not Grow Old” begins with film clips from Great Britain depicting a society in its early industrial stage. The film is in black and white, presented in its original, nearly cubic aspect ratio of 4:3 (1.33).

Film from this time is silent, but Jackson’s team foraged through archived interviews to provide narration. The cubic black-and-white footage of men enlisting, training and being shipped to the frontlines retains a distance from modern audiences, with the only visual break being the inclusion of British enlistment

3. Throw a fancy dinner party It’s been agreed more than once in a friendly group chat that Valentine’s Day is the worst holiday of the year. You can change that perception by celebrating the loneliness with your friends by throwing a fancy dinner party together.

Whether deciding to go out to a fancy restaraunt or cooking all of your favorite foods together, make sure that they know how special you are to them and they to you by celebrating each other with food and fellowship. Make sure to pick out a playlist of your friends’ favorite songs, light some candles and get ready to enjoy the company of the ones who have helped you through the good and bad.

propaganda collaged with the soldiers. There’s a quaintness to seeing these men preparing for war. That quaintness evaporates when you arrive at the frontline.

This is because Jackson’s team did some incredible work to colorize, digitally enhance and add 3D effects to the footage. For the audience, the fighting begins in brilliant color, and the effect is simultaneously beautiful and horrific.

A particularly horrifying sight is a brief foray into the use of chemical weapons during the war. The footage shows men blinded by gas whose faces are covered with bloody bandages and who must hold to the man in front of them to walk.

Fighting in the trenches, one could be blown apart by enemy shells, sniped by enemy snipers or mowed down by machine gun fire after getting caught in barbed wire. But the danger of the war was not only in the fighting. Simply living in the trenches, men found themselves contracting disease, freezing to death and swallowed alive by the miles of thick mud. All these realities are shown in graphic detail during the film.

The film is a mostly sobering experience, but there are also moments that attest to the better parts of humanity.

Germans who surrendered were shown volunteering to carry the British wounded to be treated. A voice over explains that the average British soldier didn’t hate “Jerry,” and actually thought he was a very fine soldier.

“They Shall Not Grow Old” is a title that plays on the fact that many of these soldiers were not much older than 20, and how the Great War swallowed up their lives before they had a chance to really live.

But it also hinges on the role that documentaries can play in reminding us of the sacrifices that people in the past have made. As long as we remember them and their sacrifices, they will never be forgotten.

“They Shall Not Grow Old” is now showing at Riverdale 10 VIP Cinema and Cinemark Colonel Glen & XD in Little Rock.

4. Wallow if you must Okay, it’s true that trying to enjoy Valentine’s Day might not be the healthiest for everyone.

Perhaps you feel the need to smile and pretend you’re extremely busy with everything but, in reality, you’re avoiding that loviedovie-ness you see everyone else taking part in. We’re all entitled to a good cry, some cravable junk food and our favorite “Gilmore Girls” episode. So, today’s the day to do it. The catch, however, is to keep your pity-party confined to just Valentine’s Day, and absolutely no self-deprecation is allowed. When you wake up Feb. 15, you’re now ready to put on your big-girl panties or big-boy underwear and take on the rest of the year.

5. Plot world domination You obviously already rock and have proven that you don’t need another man or woman in your life to live happily, so how about you just spend the day planning more ways to be your awesome self? You could do this by working on that resume you’ve been meaning to get around to. Go buy those groceries you’ve been meaning to restock since last Friday.

Do your laundry and make your bed as if you were at the fanciest hotel in the world.

Make Valentine’s Day the day you focus on self-improvement and flourishment in your own life; plan out how to become a worldwide dictator, whichever one interests you the most.

Jackson structures the film to follow the narrative arc of life for the average soldier fighting on the Western Front between 1914 and 1918. The colorized film poignantly illustrates the savagery of the first mechanized war.

Sports

7

February 13, 2019

Upcoming Games Men’s Basketball

7 p.m., Feb. 13, vs Houston Baptist University Women’s Basketball

7 p.m., Feb. 13, at Houston Baptist University Baseball

Feb. 15-17, vs Bradley University Tennis

8 a.m., Feb. 15, vs UMKC Softball

Feb.15-17, at the Madeira Beach Invitational

Editor’s Take

photo by Taylor Sone

Senior point guard Kamry Orr scores a layup off of a backdoor pass during the Bear’s 75-33 blowout victory over Southeastern Louisiana Feb. 9 at the Farris Center. Orr finished the game with 23 points shooting 66 percent from the field.

Sugar Bears dominate Lady Lions in 42-point blowout

by Marcus McClain Sports Editor

photo courtesy of AJC.com

This year’s Super Bowl took place Feb. 3 in Atlanta, Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Super Bowl was good; not necessarily Super

by Daniel Adams Assistant Sports Editor

The Super Bowl certainly played out differently than everyone expected it to.

Considering how, up until kickoff, people discussed offensive strategy. I don’t think anyone expected defense to become the name of the game.

Both the Patriots and the Rams and their offenses did as much as they could during the game, but the defenses kept the game as close as possible.

A combination of lockdown defense and a red-hot opening quarter helped the Sugar Bears earn their second consecutive conference victory.

The women’s basketball team (9-12, 4-7 SLC) enjoyed a dominating 75-33 victory over Southeastern Louisiana (8-13, 4-6 SLC) Feb. 9 in the Farris Center.

The Sugar Bears made it through the entire first quarter before missing their first field goal. They also found a good offensive balance, gaining 10 points in the frame, leading them to a 28-10 advantage

entering the second.

There, the Sugar Bears finally cooled off and saw their shooting percentage fall to 31 percent. However, their defense improved on an already strong performance. UCA held the Lady Lions to just two of 16 from the field and only allowed 4 points for the quarter.

At the halftime break, the Sugar Bears lead had grown to 31 points, which placed them firmly in control of the game.

The second half saw more of the same as UCA never allowed SLU to score more than 10 points in a quarter.

Turnovers played a big part in this, as the Sugar Bears converted 23 Lady-Lions

turnovers into 31 points. UCA finished the game shooting 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from the arc, while SLU only shot 28 percent from the field and 14 percent from deep.

The Sugar Bears also created an advantage from the free-throw line, gaining 24 points from there while SLU only gained 6.

Senior guard Kamry Orr lead UCA with 23 points for her sixth 20-point game in the last eight, moving her average to 20.3 during this stretch. Head coach Sandra Rushing also credited Orr in jump starting the defense by applying ball pressure.

“I think we did a tremendous job with our team

F R U S T R AT I O N S C O N T I N U E

Even if the Rams didn’t win, they showed off a magnificent effort in the game, given the circumstances. Todd Gurley’s (RB) injury unfortunatly slowed him down, while CJ Anderson (RB) and Jared Goff (QB) put together an admirable effort to try to keep the offense going.

Goff still has plenty of years ahead of him in the NFL and can easily make it back to the Super Bowl, if the team gets the chance. Things just weren’t in his favor and Tom Brady was able to prove why, at the very least, he’s one of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time.

Regardless of whether the Super Bowl was really ‘Super,’ I’m not as mad at the results as other NFL fans might be. I can’t help but commend the Patriots for taking the win in the slugfest of a game and congratulate them for ending the season as champions.

total they have ever allowed.

Freshman forward Alana Canady was the second-leading scorer for the Sugar Bears, finishing with 13 points to go along with six rebounds. Senior guard Antonija Bozic added 11 points, shooting three of five from the 3-point line.

The Sugar Bears earned this victory despite starter and junior guard Taylor Sells being sidelined with a foot injury and listed as day-to-day.

The next contest for UCA will come Feb. 13 as the Sugar Bears travel to Houston Baptist University.

Then, the Sugar Bears will return home for the first matchup with McNeese State.

FA S T S TA R T

Softball grabs three wins to open new 2019 season

I thought it was ironic that the punters for both teams were legitimately MVP candidates for the majority of the game.

Rams punter Johnny Hekker broke the Super Bowl record for the longest punt, with a punt of 65 yards, while Patriots punter Nate Allen helped keep the Rams pinned down. It is a rarity for special teams to get that kind of spotlight.

While we weren’t given the possibility of the Chiefs and UCA alumnus Tremon Smith getting a Super Bowl ring, I admit it was nice to see University of Arkansas graduates and defensive ends Deatrich Wise Jr. and Trey Flowers get their Super Bowl rings — the second in Flower’s case. It was a reason to root for both teams, even for someone who may not have been the biggest Patriots fan, like myself.

defense,” Rushing said. “There were a couple of assignments we missed, but I thought we were very aggressive in applying pressure to the ball and I thought Kamry did an outstanding job of that as well.”

Associate head coach Gregg Long also acknowledged the Sugar Bears’ defensive efforts in the win.

“We’ve really been working hard in back to what we do on the court,” Long said. “Defensive is what we live by out here, and that’s what we want to continue to do.”

This 42-point victory was the second largest ever for UCA in the Southland Conference and the second-lowest point

by Lauren McCabe News Editor

photo by of Marcus McClain

Sophomore center Hayden Koval fires a three-pointer over Southeastern Louisiana’s Moses Greenwood during the Bear’s 75-67 loss to the Lions Feb. 9 at the Farris Center. Koval led his team in points and was the only starter who shot over 40 percent from the field.

Bears struggle with shooting percentage; losing streak reaches season high of four

by Sarah Coleman Staff Writer

The UCA men’s basketball team (10-14, 5-6 SLC) fell to seventh in the Southland Conference after a 75-67 loss to Southeastern Louisiana (11-13, 7-4) in the Farris Center.

The Lions stayed in the lead throughout the game. The Bears faced a tough game shooting only 34 percent, while the Lions shot at 52 percent.

The leading scorers for this game included sophomore center Hayden Koval with 14 points and sophomore guard Deandre Jones with 12 points.

Behind Jones, senior guard Thatch Unruh earned 11 points and freshman forward Eddy Kayaloud earned 10 points.

Koval played 28 minutes while Jones played 32 minutes.

Jones and Koval are both statistical leaders for the Bears.

Koval leads in rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage.

Jones leads in points per game, assists per game, steals

and 3-point percentage.

This game was a tough loss for the Bears, pulling them down to seventh in the Southland Conference. This is the Bears sixth loss in the Southland Conference, and 14th loss for the season.

Sophomore center Matthew Mondesir said he believes his team is capable of turning the season around.

“The biggest thing we need to improve on is being tougher, playing with more passion and energy,” Mondesir said.

Freshman forward Khaleem Bennett agrees with Mondesir that energy is key component to winning.

“Giving the best energy on and off the court, and on defense, is the best thing we can do; that and always encouraging each other is key,” Bennett said.

Bennett said the team is looking forward to more wins this season and the tournament in March.

“I know, as a team, we can play better, and I know we will,”

Bennett said.

The culture of the team impacts how the team plays and, according to Mondesir, the culture of the team is still good.

“Off the court we mesh pretty well, sometimes on the court we act more divided, but it’s something we can work on,” Mondesir said. He added that teamwork is a big part of what makes or breaks a team.

The Bears field goal percentage was at 34 percent, their 3-point field goal percentage was at 25 percent and their free throw percentage was at 81 percent. Southeastern Louisiana had 41 rebounds, 20 turnovers and one steal.

The Lions field goal percentage was at 44 percent, their 3-point field goal percentage was at 36 percent and their free-throw percentage was at 82 percent.

The Bears will be back at the Farris Center at 7 p.m.

Feb. 13 to face the Houston Baptist Huskies, who are ranked 11th in the conference.

The UCA softball team piled onto the bus to head toward Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to score three winning games during the Black and Gold Invitational at the Southern Miss Softball Complex taking place Feb. 8 and 9.

The Bears started against Jackson State Tigers. Some may call the first few innings of the game a setback for the Bears, as they relentlessly trailed the Tigers.

Junior infielder Cylla Hill was seen hitting all game finishing with a 3-3, which included one double and three RBIs. Junior first base and outfielder Kaylyn Shepard (29) backed up her Preseason First Team All-Southland Conference selection with a 3-4 game, including an RBI. The crowd also saw senior outfielder Oakley Sisemore have a hay-day at the plate and on the basepaths.

She finished 2-3 with two runs scored and one RBI while also stealing two bases.

UCA surrendered three runs in the opening inning, just to dominate the final score against the Tigers at 9-0 during the final seven frames.

The UCA win over Jackson State was the women’s first win of 2019 and the 300th win for head coach David Kuhn.

The team then moved on to their second game on Friday against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles.

The Southern Miss offense was on full display in the second game of UCA’s doubleheader, which ended with a 12-4 loss for the UCA Bears.

However, the women still put on their best game faces for the tough innings.

Hill finished off an impressive 4-4 game at the plate with another base hit and

one RBI in the nightcap. She is currently holding a perfect 1.000 with a team-high of four RBIs. The Bears’ senior infielder Libby Morris was a dominant force at the plate for UCA. She finished the contest 2-3 with two RBIs and a walk.

However, the Bears committed three errors that pushed their opening-day total to five.

On Feb. 9, the team’s first game of the day against Tennessee Tech was a fast-and-furious comeback from Friday’s Southern Mississippi game.

According to UCA Athletics, several different diving grabs and situational pitching guided UCA to its second win of the season as it took down its Ohio Valley Conference foe in a 4-1 match.

The game saw Shepherd launch her first home run of the season: a two-run shot in the third inning to give the Bears the eventual winning run.

Junior and catcher Lauren Brooks performed a pair of walks in the contest where both at-bats lasted over 10 pitches.

She was also 1-2 in the contest.

The Bears finished up the invitational with a sweeping 9-3 win against the Jackson State Tigers.

Morris scored her first home run of the year in the first inning. Her two-run blast gave the Bears a lead they never surrendered.

Junior and outfileder Kayla Crutchmer also launched her first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third, to give the Bears the eventual winning run.

After the team’s successful first weekend of 2019, Shepard recalled what it means to be out on the field with her team.

“It has taken a lot of practice to get where I am,” Shepard said. “What matters most is

See Softball- page 8

ucanews.live

SPORTS

8/ February 13, 2019

SPORT

UCA STATS CORNER

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

OPPONENT

Southeastern Louisiana University Southeastern Louisiana University

RESULT

RECORD

75-67 (L)

(10-14, 5-6)

75-33 (W)

(9-12, 4-7)

Tennis

Austin Peay University

6-1 (L)

(3-4)

Softball

Jackson State University

11-3 (W)

(3-1)

LOOKING AHEAD photo by Lauren McLemore

Freshman Madi Savell smiles outside the Student Center wearing her UCA softball jersey Feb. 8. Savell plays outfield for UCA Bears Softball, who are playing their next game this Friday against the George Mason Patriots at Madiera Beach Florida.

Freshman outfielders’ softball love helps fuel her

by Lauren McLemore Assistant News Editor

As the daughter of a baseball coach, freshman Madi Savell developed her love for softball at the age of 4 by watching her dad conduct lessons in their backyard in Fort Worth, Texas.

She grew up playing outfield on traveling, select softball teams and eventually on her high school team at Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas, where she began playing on the varsity team as a freshman.

In middle school, however, she decided she wanted to play at the collegiate level. At that point, her dad told her to choose 50 schools where she would want to play, and UCA made the list.

She attended camps at UCA and, in her sophomore year of high school, received an offer to play for the university.

However, she soon found herself at odds with the sport that she’d just committed to playing for the next few years.

“I didn’t play softball my senior year of high school,” Savell said.

A year before that, during her junior year of high school, she found herself struggling to find time on the field.

“My parents had just gotten

divorced, so everything was just tough that year,” Savell said.

“I just hated [softball] at that point.”

After a difficult year, she decided that focusing on playing select was the best option and said she enjoyed feeling like a normal student, but did miss the game.

“When things with softball started not going so well, it was just like, okay well, now I don’t have an outlet,” Savell said.

When her mom suggested therapy, Savell was hesitant, but began going to sessions anyway and discovered therapy sessions could serve as a new outlet for working through challenges About a year later, she and her fellow Texas-native roommate Erin Blackburn committed to UCA on the same day. Savell said she was nervous because she hadn’t played softball in years, but when she started playing again, she picked up right where she left off.

“My love for the game has just increased so much,” Savell said.

Before she even stepped on the field, though, Savell said the beautiful campus, the encouraging coaches and a good football team sold her to attend the university.

The freshman is also a psychology major. Because

therapy helped her in high school, she decided she wants to be a therapist and help someone else.

“My plan is to, maybe, be a family and child therapist,” Savell said. “I really, really love kids, and I’m very family oriented … Everybody needs somebody to talk to.”

While finding a balance between sports and school, Savell also enjoys hiking on the beautiful trails Arkansas has to offer, attending New Life Church and breaking out into a song every now and then.

“My roommate has a guitar so we always have a little jam sesh,” Savell said. “You need things outside of softball that also make you happy.”

While it may be common for freshmen athletes like Savell to enter the collegiate scene harboring nerves about their abilities, she knows the importance of leaning into the love of the sport.

Even when challenges arrive, staying confident that, even after a break, she still knows she belongs on a softball field.

“It’s okay to be nervous, but [freshmen] shouldn’t let that overpower the fact that [they] know how to play the game just like anybody else does here,” Savell said.

Staff Writer

REWRITING BOOKS

UCA women’s track team attended two meets, where two players set two records.

Junior Ajah Criner and freshman Gracie Hyde both set UCA records for the women’s track team Feb. 9.

Hyde competed in Ames, Iowa, at the Iowa State Classic where she set the record for the mile event with a time of 4 minutes 58.4 seconds.

Criner competed at the University of Houston Howie Ryan Invitational and set a UCA record for the 200-meter with a time of 24.56 seconds.

Hyde was the only UCA athlete to compete in the women’s track and field events at Iowa State where she competed in the mile event and 3,000-meter event. She placed 35th in the mile and 22nd in the 3,000-meter with a time of 4:58.42.

In Houston, the UCA athletes won the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:52.34, which put Criner, sophomore Tyler Rose, senior Victoria Campfield and senior Aliyah Robinson second all-time in the UCA record book.

Softball:

Criner had another strong performance at the 60-meter event, finishing sixth with a time of 7.61. Freshman Z’Kiah Kuykendall finished 16th in the event with a 7.81 performance.

Kuykendall was one of just three freshmen to finish in the top 16.

Three UCA athletes competed in the 200-meter event. Criner finished third overall while Rose finished 15th overall with a time of 25.55 and Kuykendall finished 26th with a time of 26.14 .

The team had four top-20 finishes in the 400-meter race, which tied Sam Houston State for the most in the event.

Rose placed seventh with a time of 57.84, Robinson finished 11th recording a time of 59.31, Campfield and sophomore Demicya Griffin finished 18th and 19th with times of 1:00.30 and 1:00.93 respectively.

The only UCA athlete to compete in the 800-meter event was sophomore Jordan Brock, where she finished ninth with a time of 2:20.09.

Sophomore Aysha Anderson placed 19th in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.29.

In the high-jump event, senior Hannah Noble finished

eighth with a distance of 1.65 meters.

Sophomore Taylor Coleman competed in both the long jump and triple jump. Coleman placed ninth in the triple jump with a distance of 11.19 meters, and covered a distance of 5.03 meters in the long jump for 26th.

UCA did not have any athletes compete in the distance medley relay, shot put, mile or 3,000-meter events in Houston.

“We will have about two weeks to train and rest for the conference championships.

We already had some people not going to the Houston meet because of the flu, and they are hurt,” head coach Richard Martin said.

With the Southland Conference Indoor Championships coming up, the coaches said they will prioritize making sure all the competitors are healthy and focused for the next two weeks.

“The next two weeks allows athletes to heal nagging injuries,” endurance coach John Jones said. The Southland Conference Indoor Championships will be on Feb. 24 and 25 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Bears focus on giving their best effort each game

4 Continued from page 7 how we play as a team. We are a very competitive team in all aspects of the game. We push each other in the weight room, conditioning and in practice.”

Shepard, who was named to the Preseason All-Southland Conference First-Team as first baseman, said the team’s encounters with both Tennessee Tech and Southern Mississippi were new, but the Bears didn’t let their guards down.

“Going into tournaments like these, we don’t focus on the name on the jersey,” Shepard said. “We strive to play hard

and play competitive softball no matter what team we are playing.”

Up next, the UCA softball team will take on Lyon College at home at 6 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Farris Field before hitting the road to compete in the Madeira Beach Invitational Feb. 15 -17.

There, the team will take on a wide range of competitors, including the University of South Dakota, George Mason University and Ball State University.

Then the Bears will enter a

by Matt Smothers Staff Writer

The UCA men’s track team brought strength in numbers to its meet at the University of Houston Feb. 9.

This was the final meet for the Bears before the conference championships in Birmingham, Alabama Feb. 24-25.

The team of freshman Hunter Henderson, junior Ryan Yarde, sophomore Shamal Sullivan and senior Julien Jeandree won the distance medley relay in 10 minutes 22.8 seconds at the University of Houston Howie Ryan Invitational, which was the 10th best all-time UCA performance.

The UCA men’s track and field team had four athletes compete in 60-meter event in Houston. Freshman Johnson Adegbite made it to the semifinals where he finished 22nd with a time of 7.25 seconds. He was one of only eight freshmen to compete in the semifinals.

Junior Jeriah Johnson, freshman Jalal Taylor and junior Zac Bitton competed in the preliminaries of the 60-meter race. Johnson placed 25th with a time of 7.20, Taylor finished 37th

strong homestand, playing the next 10 games at Farris Field.

and recorded a time of 7.35 and Bitton placed 44th with a time of 7.56.

In the 400-meter event junior Luis Colon finished with a time of 51.21, which placed him at 18th.

The Bears had the most athletes from any school at the meet to compete in the 800-meter competition. They finished with five top 18 finishes out of 28 total competitors.

Junior Jared Hamilton placed fourth overall with a time of 1:56.83, while Jeandree finished 12th at 1:59.34. Sullivan placed 16th, recording a time of 2:00.27. The two freshmen, Ky’Shaun Bradford and Brett Borchert, placed 15th and 18th with times of 2:00.21 and 2:01.27 respectively. Yarde also competed in the event, but did not finish.

UCA also had the most competitors in the one-mile race with five athletes. Henderson led UCA with a time of 4:23.61, good enough to put him seventh overall.

In the 60-meter hurdles, UCA had two athletes finish in the top four. Sophomore Jordan Atkins finished second with a time of 8.32, while freshman Timon Dresselhaus placed

fourth at 8.56 and was one of just two freshmen to make the final heat.

There were two UCA teams competing in the 4x400-meter relay. One team consisting of Shaw, Henderson, Cain and Bradford finished 11th with a time of 3:39.22. The other team of Jaron Hamilton, Jared Hamilton, Jeandree and Collins was right behind, finishing 12th at 3:40.63.

The team will compete in the Southland Conference Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, Feb. 24-25 so they used this meet to prepare while still remaining healthy.

“We will be running athletes in the events that will run at the conference championships at the Houston meet. So, I hope we can go to Houston and not get anyone hurt,” head coach Richard Martin said.

The athletes are using this short down time to stay sharp in the classroom and remain prepared.

“The next two weeks allows athletes to catch up with class work and put on the final touches before the Southland Indoor Championships,” coach John Jones said.

TO U G H I T O U T

Tennis team fights through injuries on the road

by Lisa Sullins Staff Writer

Women’s track sets two records in Houston and Iowa

by Matt Smothers

Men’s track uses Houston meet for preparation

The UCA Bears lost to the Austin Peay Governors at the Governors Tennis Center in Clarksville, Tennessee.

UCA faced off against the Austin Peay Governors Feb. 9, who remain undefeated at 6-1 after the Governors won both the third match of doubles and sixth in singles.

In an ironic twist of fate, last season when the Bears and Governors played each other, the Governors only had five healthy players.

This season it was just the opposite. The Bears had five players, as two were out with injuries. Senior QiLi Ma and Freshman Chunxi Xin both sustained injuries and were unable to participate in the game.

“We played two matches on the strip. I will say the biggest struggle we faced was not just how good the opponents were, but the injuries we had with

senior Qi Li Ma and freshman Chunxi Xin unable to play,” head coach Casey Wharton said.

Senior Marli Van Heerden was a participant in singles play and lost to Austin Peay junior Tatiana Lopez.

“I was number three in the singles spot. However, because we were short on players, we were forced to give up a double and a singles match. This affected us in such a negative way that we were forced to forfeit to the Austin Peay Governors,” Van Heerden said.

Wharton said their loss to Tennessee was unfortunate.

“We played with less than a full team and that’s always hard when you start from behind, but the people that did play, they played very hard,” Wharton said. “We used this as an opportunity to become stronger even though we did not win either match. I was proud of the effort today.”

Sophomore Yada Vasupongchai participated in doubles competition alongside

freshamn Mei Ishimura in an unfinished match.

“Today was fun. I fought very hard, even though I lost, but I still feel like I wanted to keep going, even though the match was over; I felt like I wanted more. I wanted to get more, and I wanted to play more. It was so fun today,” Vasupongchai said.

Wharton also acknowledged the positive, competitive spirit the team has.

“I think that is the theme that our team has, it’s that we enjoy what we do [even] when it’s hard,” Wharton said.

The tennis team will host two more matches Feb. 15 at the UCA tennis courts.

The first match will be played against University of Missouri-Kansas City followed by a match against Arkansas State University.

“We will work on playing better defense this week and being ready to be healthy and ready to play this Friday,” Wharton said.