Issue 18, Volume 113, Publication Date--February 20, 2019

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February 20, 2019 Volume 113 — Issue 18

ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST

Sports:

Entertainment:

Campus Life:

CONWAY

UCA Baseball: Bears lose series, but win final game

‘Walking Dead’: Mid-season debut picks up previous pace

‘We Shall Overcome’ : Damien Sneeds gives powerful performance 4 page 3

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4 page 7

UCA awarded for tech-savviness

Partly Sunny

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by Macy Davis

THE NEWSDESK

by Rose McGarrity

Staff Writer

FROM THE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

I N T E R N AT I O N A L English-sounding Syrian narrates ISIS video clips Mohammed Khalifa, 35, said in an interview with the New York Times, and in the presence of two Kurdish prison officials, that he was the anonymous narrative voice heard in various videos and audio clips publicized

by ISIS. Last month, Khalifa was captured in Syria by an American-backed militia and is now among hundreds of ISIS fighters locked in northern Syrian prisons. In the caliphate, Khalifa married and later had two children, but does not know where they are. Khalifa immigrated from Saudi Arabia to Toronto, where he learned to speak like a native-born Canadian, earned a degree in computer systems technology from Seneca College and worked as an information technology specialist for companies associated with IBM before leaving again for Syria.

N AT I O N A L Trump reiterates need for emergency funding On Feb. 15, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to receive the funding necessary — that had been denied to him by Congress — to erect a wall on the Mexican border. The same day, Trump signed into law a spending package that was passed by Congress Feb. 14. It includes none of the $5.7 billion needed for the 234-mile steel wall. It did, however, provide $1.375 billion for a 55-mile fence.

Amazon to leave NYC after argument over funding

Board of Trustees launches bond study to match donation Staff Writer

The UCA College of Education is making major breakthroughs in technology this year.

This week UCA College of Education was awarded the Best Practice Award for Innovative Use of Technology by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

UCA College of Education associate dean Donna Wake will be traveling to Louisville, Kentucky with UCA College of Education dean Victoria GrovesScott Feb. 22-24 to accept the award.

The award required the iPad initiative to be in place for two years before an application could be sent in.

Wake made the decision at the beginning of October to submit the required materials to the AACTE. She wrote an essay explaining how far the education program has progressed since starting the iPad mobile initiative. It included descriptions and data observing how both the teachers and students have benefited since transitioning to a more technology-based classroom.

This isn’t the first time the College of Education has been recognized for its outstanding use of technology. This past October, UCA was awarded the title of an Apple Distinguished School.

Currently, there are approximately 35-40 professors in the College of Education using iPads in the classroom.

“The goal is always that when they are teaching with their kids, their K-12 kids, that they are using technology in ways that their kids will be engaged, that their kids will want to be there, and they will be collaborative,” Wake said.

Students in the education program take a technology class that gives them a Google level one certification and an Apple Distinguished Educator certification.

“This award definitely was related to our Apple [distinguishment] and our iPad initiative. But it also took

In November 2018, Amazon announced that after a search, officials decided that, of the two new headquarter sites, one would be built in Queens and another would be built in Arlington, Virginia. On Feb. 14, Amazon unexpectedly announced that it had canceled plans to build a corporate facility in New York City after intense rebuttal from activists and legislators who argued that by Marley Cashthe tech giant did not deserve Powell $3 million in government Editor funds.

UCA professor of criminology Sherry Skaggs S TAT E was announced as a 2019 Supremacists indicted Presidential Leadership Scholar earlier this year. Sixty scholars On Feb. 12, indictments from across the country were surfaced for 54 member of an named into the fifth class of Arkansas white supremacist the PLS program, four of whom group, New Aryan Empire, were from Arkansas. accusing them of violent Dean of the College of crimes including solicitation Liberal Arts Tom Williams of murder and attempted attributes Skaggs’ successes murder, kidnapping and to her intellect, tenacity and maiming. The indictment industry. is a continuation of an “All of us in the College investigation which led to an of Liberal Arts benefit by our indictment in October 2017, association with her, and we are accusing 44 members of drug encouraged to try to match her and gun crimes as part of a achievements,” Williams said. meth-distribution ring.

According to a Clinton Library press release, scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from former presidents, key IN OUR NEXT ISSUE former administration officials, UCA hosts second Women’s business and civic leaders and Business Showcase leading academics.

photo courtesy of Victoria-Groves Scott

Students in the College of Education work on classroom handouts while integrating the use of iPads into their routine. In October 2018, UCA was named an Apple Distinguished School by Apple Inc. for UCA’s initiative introducing iPads to its classrooms.

into account all of the other technology that we use and how our use of technology really makes the students feel like they are learning more in their classes,” Groves-Scott said.

A challenge that was thought to arise from primarily focusing on Apple technology was that students who taught in schools with different technology brands would not be able to adequately use the technology.

However, Groves-Scott has talked to a variety of superintendents that ensured her that being taught in one particular technology brand would only make it easier to understand the other kinds of technology used across different school districts.

Groves-Scott said technology at UCA will only continue to grow. A meeting was held this week to discuss a micro-credential that certain

students in the education program would receive for completing tasks, such as becoming an ADE, becoming certified as Google level one, becoming a Microsoft educator and using all three of those classifications in their classrooms.

Once the student completes all the required tasks, he would then submit a portfolio to be approved as a digital innovator.

The mobile learning iPad initiative has altered the way students do work and understand work in the classroom. It also allows them to incorporate these technologies when they teach their own classrooms after graduation.

UCA may also see classes in the future for people with bachelor’s degrees. The course would focus on refreshing the graduates on how to operate the newest technology used in successful classrooms.

The UCA Board of Trustees met Feb. 15 to discuss the feasibility of taking out bonds to fund new construction on campus, to give updates on the interviewing process for a new position on campus ­— and the campus technology refresh — to vote on an Aramark rate increase and a property acquisition, and to welcome the newest board member.

The board approved a bond feasibility study during its meeting in Wingo Hall. The study will analyze the prospect of UCA taking out a bond to help pay for its proposed Windgate Fine and Performing Arts Center after the Windgate Foundation contributed a $19 million matching donation toward its construction.

Windgate’s total donation was $20 million with $19 million going toward the arts center, while the other million will increase the Windgate Foundation Scholarship fund.

Vice president for University Advancement and president of the UCA Foundation Kale Gober said the university has raised $26.3 million while the goal was only $8.5 million.

“With the $20 million donation from the Windgate Foundation, we’ve definitely spiked this year,” Gober said.

In other business, provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs Patricia Poulter talked about the new vice president of Enrollment Management position.

Interviews for this position are currently taking place. Two candidates have interviewed for the position so far.

Poulter said UCA is embarking on a multi-year plan to create professionalized advising.

Additionally, chief information officer Mike Lloyd gave an update on the technology refresh. This refresh will improve the Wi-fi connectivity on campus.

The network refresh is a five- to six-month project, which should be completed before the fall semester starts.

All the infrastructure for the refresh has been received, and they are halfway through setting up the cabling for it.

Lloyd said he wants everyone at UCA to have a great experience with technology.

The board also approved the proposed Aramark rate increase. This increase was needed because of the increase in minimum wage and because they are increasing the hours of operation for the cafeteria.

The Student Government Association has been advocating for the extended dining hours.

Additionally, the board approved the acquisition of the Chi Alpha house.

“With the purchase of this property, we will own the property from Baridon Street to Mitchell,” general counsel Warren Readnour said.

In other business, the board approved a resolution honoring Joe Whisenhunt, the former chair of the Board of Trustees.

A framed copy of the resolution was presented to him after the resolution’s approval.

The new chair of the Board of Trustees is Robert Adcock.

The board welcomed a new member, Terry Fiddler, to replace Brad Lacey, whose term expired last year.

“It was great to welcome Dr. Terry Fiddler as a new board member, as well as see the board approve the bond feasibility study for the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts,” SGA President Joshua Eddinger-Lucero said.

The board is comprised of eight members — Shelia Vaught, Elizabeth Farris, Joe Whisenhunt, Robert Adcock, Everette Cornell Maltbia, Kay Hinkle, and, now, Terry Fiddler.

The room was packed, and many students were in the audience. After the end of the board meeting, the board left for an executive meeting. The executive meeting included reports from the Faculty Senate president, the Staff Senate president, the SGA president, the Provost, the vice president of University Advancement and the chief information officer.

The next board meeting is scheduled for May 10.

FA C U LT Y AWA R D E D

Skaggs snags national honor as Presidential Leadership Scholar with Share-A-Bear project

WHAT’S AHEAD

Index:

The 2019 PLS curriculum is divided into six sessions in six states, spanning two to four days in each state between February and June. Skaggs attended the first session Feb. 5-9.

“The first PLS module in Washington, D.C. surpassed my expectations. The networking opportunity with other leaders across the country is unparalleled,” Skaggs said. “The speakers and lessons truly made me think about my project and role as a leader in a way I have never had the opportunity of doing so before. The experience was simply incredible and inspirational on many levels.”

Applicants were required to submit a proposal as part of the application process.

Skaggs’ proposal outlined the Share-A-Bear project that she founded on the UCA campus four years ago.

“I have been interested in the program because I wanted the opportunity to learn from the best leaders across the country in hopes of

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photo courtesy of Sherry Skaggs

UCA professor of criminology Sherry Skaggs is making a difference in community-police relations on the UCA campus and in the surrounding communities with her Share-A-Bear project. She traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this month to learn from the country’s top leaders as part of the 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholars program.

strengthening, evaluating and expanding my project,” Skaggs said.

Share-A-Bear takes a three-pronged approach, Skaggs said, to strengthen police-community relations and formally evaluate program effectiveness.

“In contemporary America, many racial, cultural and political barriers disrupt police-community relations and undermine trust between the public and police. Perceptions of police, both positive and negative, often emerge during the juvenile years,” Skaggs said.

The first prong of the program’s approach is educational, training students who seek careers in policing to be more community oriented.

Initially, the project started with the Sociology and Criminology Society on campus, for which Skaggs is the faculty advisor.

However, after the first year, Skaggs incorporated the project as the servicelearning aspect of her Police

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and Society course curriculum. “[Students] get to see caring individuals like Dr. Skaggs in action and learn the great joys of selfless service,” Williams said.

“I hope criminology majors will emulate Dr. Skaggs and grow in their empathy and passion to put the interests of others first and take steps toward remedying society’s ills.”

The second prong is interactional — hosting an annual holiday drive event to collect school supplies, winter coats, toys and teddy bears, while also allowing police-community interactions over food and games. Officers give these bears to youths year-round, but the donations have become so successful, officers have had to find other interesting ways to disperse the collection.

“Since over 2,000 bears are annually collected, officers have also been able to host a

Opinion: ucaecho

© 2019 The Echo, Printed by Leader Publishing, Jacksonville, Arkansas.

Can we pay those parking tickets with cans of lima beans?

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2/ February 20, 2019

NEWS

ucanews.live

SGA discusses transparency, cafeteria staff

by Lauren McLemore Assistant News Editor

At this Monday’s SGA meeting, senators discussed increased wages for teachers, appreciation for food service workers and the possibility of solar panels coming to campus.

Near the beginning of the meeting, senators were shown a video clip of SGA President Joshua Eddinger-Lucero attending Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s signing into law of House Bill 1145 which will increase minimum wage for teachers by $4,000 over the next four years.

“It’s really exciting to see [Eddinger-Lucero] out in the community,” SGA vice president of operations KaRon Marbley said, encouraging senators to do the same and continue representing their campus.

Another way SGA is hoping to connect with the community and be more transparent is by meeting in a more-public area March 4, when they will

convene in the main lobby of Bear Den Hall at 5 p.m.

As far as committees, the Housing and Food Services Committee has many projects underway, including a repeat of last year’s cookout for food-service workers.

The cookout is an event that the committee hopes will become an annual occurrence.

“Their hard work deserves to be recognized,” senator Jennifer Cale, who was also recognized during the meeting as January’s Senator of the Month, said.

Among these projects is work toward introducing free printing in residence halls and better cafeteria accessibility for international students.

Other exciting future projects include finalizing the details for the gazebo coming to campus and the possibility of implementing solar panels.

“Maybe like solar panel charging stations or solar panels on buildings,” senator Amber DiPersia said.

SGA also has a variety of

upcoming events for students to participate in.

UCA Diversity Week will take place March 4-8 and the Diversity Committee encourages students to post pictures of themselves captioned with their stories and tagged #UCAdiversity.

Diversity, with Feminist Union and PRISM, is also sponsoring a Civility Circle March 13. Lastly, an International Diversity Food Night will be held April 10.

More information concerning locations will be released soon.

In other discussions, the Human Library Project has extended its deadline for students to submit themselves as “books” and share their stories. Specifically, they are seeking individuals from religious and minority groups who will be willing to be “on loan” to students at the event to share their stories, offer their perspectives and answer questions relating to stereotypes and prejudice.

The event will take place from 1:40-4 p.m. April 9 at Torreyson Library.

C

APPOINTMENT

UCA professor named national ambassador

by Aysha Dixon Campus Life Editor

UCA assistant professor of management Vance Johnson Lewis was named an ambassador to a division of the Academy of Management.

Prior to his appointment, the Academy of Management influenced Lewis’ interests surrounding management.

After completing his Bachelors of Administration from UCA, Lewis had no intentions of returning to Conway. He obtained his masters at the University of Arkansas, post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Florida and his Doctorate at Oklahoma State University.

While at UCA, Lewis was actively involved in the Student Government Association and a member of the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity.

With hopes of transitioning to a tenure track, Lewis took the job of clinical assistant professor of Organizations, Strategy, and International Management — and director of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources — at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Although Lewis thoroughly enjoyed his experience at UT Dallas, he saw the job posting for assistant professor of Management at UCA and decided to return to his alma mater.

Lewis currently teaches Business Communications, International Business Communications and Power, and Politics.

“I like being able to get the student to understand that, as a business student, this [degree] isn’t the precursor to your journey; this is part of your journey,” Lewis said. “That doesn’t mean that you have to be snobby and uptight — that isn’t what being professional is about — but in that sophomore level business communications class, this is part of your career.”

Lewis was one of eight nominees to be named an ambassador. Although he does not know who nominated him, Lewis has been involved with the Management Education Division of the academy since 2013, during his first year at the UT Dallas. In spite of the fact that he was never a student member of the organization, the organization provided a strong support group for Lewis while he made his way into

photo by Lauren McLemore

Trainee Marylynn Borengasser explores the different features, including personal record logs and nutrition tracking, of the HPERActive Personal Training app in the HPER Center on Feb. 15. A custom profile in the free app is included with registration in the HPERActive Personal Training program.

HPER app promotes new messaging features

by Lauren McLemore Assistant News Editor

photo courtesy of UCA News

UCA assistant professor of management Vance Johnson Lewis received the title of ambassador to the Academy of Management after an anonymous nomination.

Lewis has continuously been involved in the academy since 2013 and hopes to be a future program chair of the organization.

Management Education.

The ambassador program will officially launch in August during the 2019 conference in Boston, where Lewis and his colleagues will present a professional development workshop that will inform and recruit potential members.

“We want to make sure that deans of schools like UT Dallas … know that researching and publishing and furthering the knowledge about what goes on in the classroom is just as important as knowing what goes on at Acxiom Corporation or at Hewlett-Packard or at UPS, so we’re really working to make people understand that the Management Education Division is very relevant. It has a large membership, but we would like it to be larger.

The work that [people] do in the research of Management Education is really valid and vital to what is going on in the classroom every day,” Lewis said.

Professor of Management Michael Rubach, who was Lewis’ advisor while he attended UCA, is now Lewis’ boss in the College of Business. Rubach provided a statement regarding

Leadership:

Lewis’ past accomplishments and new position with the Academy of Management: “It is the responsibility and duty of every faculty member at UCA to provide service to our community. One means or method to do so is to serve your discipline. For Dr. Lewis, this is management. In my view, the Academy of Management is the premier association for academics whose discipline is management. For the past several years, Dr. Lewis has been very active in the leadership activities in the Academy and, in particular, the Management Education and Development Division. His past participation and his current selection as an ambassador are great honors and his engagement brings prestige to both the Marketing and Management Department and the university.”

Lewis hopes that, by the end of his three years as an ambassador, he will be able to arrange educational regional conferences to fellowship and highlight research surrounding Management Education. His ultimate goal is to fill the role as program chair with the Academy of Management.

Skaggs looks to future projects

4 Continued from page 1

‘Warning Bear Week’ in which bears are given in lieu of written warnings for minor traffic violations,” Skaggs said.

The third prong is evaluative — collecting multi-faceted feedback from community members and law enforcement personnel.

“Preliminary evaluation results from police officers, students and community members have yielded positive results, but more large-scale formal evaluations are needed,” Skaggs said.

The Share-A-Bear project partners with UCAPD, Conway Police Department, the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office and the Arkansas State Police.

“I became involved with the program in 2015. I was over the

Patrol Division at CPD when I was approached by Dr. Skaggs about the Police and Society Class,” UCAPD Maj. William Tapley said. “Initially, I was only involved with a presentation to the class and scheduling of ride-alongs with officers.

However, through the years, the program has expanded and has become much more than just a presentation or a ride along.”

Skaggs said she hopes to refine her leadership abilities in a way that will allow her to implement a long-term evaluation of the Share-A-Bear project’s effectiveness, implement project changes to increase community effectiveness, design a formal plan for longterm success and sustainability,

and eventually expand the project.

“First and foremost, I am walking into this program extremely open-minded, willing to learn, and passionate about making a difference,” Skaggs said. “I believe that education is the key to understanding others, improving conditions and implementing changes, and the PLS program can provide me an unparalleled educational opportunity that I can, in turn, pass on to others.”

Skaggs will attend session two March 7-9 at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Center in College Station, Texas and session three April 4-6 at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock.

A helpful app that is a component of the HPER Center’s HPERActive Personal Training program has been refined many times since it was introduced in 2018.

One of the many resources available at the HPER, the personal training program, is available to UCA students and their spouses, faculty and staff at discounted prices.

The app, which comes with registration in the program, provides a way for clients to track their workouts, their nutrition, their progress and have access to in-app communication with their trainer.

One of the app’s newest features is group forum messaging. Trainers can create groups of clients and everyone in the group can communicate, similar to a group message.

HPER Center trainer Joshua Brown currently has 12 clients.

He says the group messaging system is among many of the app’s helpful features.

“It would be very unpleasant to try and keep up with that many people without the organization from the app,”

Brown said.

The HPER center has three trainers in total.

In the app, these trainers can upload custom workout plans, along with excercise tutorial videos to clients’ profiles. Trainerize, the software that the app is built on, has a growing library of explanatory videos for certain exercises, but trainers can also pull videos from YouTube and equipment manufacturer websites for their clients. They’re able to view client’s profiles to see how well they are keeping up with their assigned programs and suggested diets. In perhaps its most personal aspect, users can even directly message clients through a designated feature on the app.

With the messaging feature, which also includes video chat, trainers can help or answer questions for clients who are working out either at a different gym or outside of a designated session time.

“It offers a little more accessibility for the clients,” assistant director of the fitness center and personal trainers, Arian Story, said.

Story said that in the future, video chat is a way they hope to work more with UCA Online

students.

Other popular features in the app include being able to see how many workouts have been completed, personal bests, ability to sync with MyFitnessPal and Fitbit, and notifications when there’s a workout to be completed.

“It keeps me motivated,” Marylynn Borengasser, who trains with Story, said. “I can take it and I can go anywhere and do my workout.”

Borengasser retired from UCA in 2014 after working in enrollment management and financial aid.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the personal training program will first complete a fitness assessment — where his health background and current physical state, among other things, is evaluated to help provide the most personalized and accurate program. The simple assessment itself is a free resource to any student, even those not signed up for personal training.

The app is available at no cost to anyone registered in the HPERActive Personal Training program and is available on and compatible with both iPhone and Android devices.

Police Beat

The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Lauren McLemore

Marijuana located in fraternity shed Around 11:27 a.m. on Feb. 14, Lieutenant Jamie Boothe approached student Hayden Jesperson and nonstudents Kameron Lindsey and Logan Alexander coming out of the window of a shed between College Square and the FIJI fraternity house. Jesperson said they were putting up a tarp that had been used at the FIJI house. Boothe saw a large bong under a bench, and two pipes on a small table inside the shed. After Boothe pulled him aside, Jesperson said that his fraternity brothers “might possibly” smoke marijuana in the shed at times. The boys were not believed to be intoxicated.

Boothe told Jesperson to inform his fraternity brothers that drug use anywhere on campus is not tolerated. There are no criminal charges.

Students found smoking in room Students Sarah Foland and Ashlyn Riggs told officer Talia McDonald on Feb. 15 that the people in the Short-Denny residential hall room next to them, 225, were smoking

marijuana in the shared bathroom. The residents of 225 were being loud during this exchange and because residential hall quiet hours begin at 10 p.m., McDonald approached the individuals about their noise level. After an unnamed minor student met McDonald at the door, McDonald was allowed into the room where she noticed a jar of Fireball Whiskey and cigarellos.

The minor’s roommate, student Lily Ott, and student Sarah Maull were also in the room. A bag of marijuana was found near the open cigarillos and the minor stated that both the alcohol and marijuana belonged to a friend who had just left. A further search resulted in the findings of vape pens with liquid marijuana, a grinder, a scale, rolling papers, a pipe and a tray with marijuana residue. The students were advised of the consequences of the alcohol and drug violation.

Employee fired for twisting attitude Around 1 p.m. Feb. 12, officer Chris Turner and Lt. Jamie Boothe arrived to Twisted Taco in UCA’s Donaghey Hall to respond to disorderly

conduct from a just-terminated employee, Breanne Goldman.

Manager Rebecca Edley led Turner and Boothe through the kitchen, where drops of blood and pieces of glass were on the floor, to the bathroom where Goldman was. She had bleeding cuts on her right arm.

Conway Fire Department and MEMS arrived and bandaged Goldman, but she refused to go to the hospital. Edley told Boothe that the incident started when Goldman was seen with her cell phone out. Edley instructed her to put the cell phone away, to which Goldman replied “Well, you need a hair net.” Goldman was then told to clock out and go home and, when she refused, she was pulled off the serving line into Edley’s office and written up for insubordination. When Goldman told Edley to “fuck off,” Goldman was told she was terminated. Goldman told Turner she had hit the mirror in the office where she had met with Edley multiple times, but never threatened Edley. Neither Edley nor Aramark general manager Jim Nabors wish to pursue criminal charges against Goldman, but she has been banned from campus.

Turner drove Goldman home.

No citations were issued.

Campus Life

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February 20, 2019

Around Campus: Lungs At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21, 22, 28 and March 1 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 23 & March 2, in the Snow Fine Arts Center, the UCA theatre department will perform “Lungs.” The play is a comedy drama about a couple who are trying to determine whether or not they should have a kid while the world around them falls apart. The play was written by Duncan MacMillan and will be directed by Rebekah Scallet. For tickets, visit the Reynold’s Performance Hall Box office or call (501) 450-3265.

Food Addiction At 6 p.m. Feb. 21 in the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center, Kim McPherson will discuss how to permanently regulate and reduce weight. McPherson is a former yo-yo dieter and has experienced weight fluctuation throughout her life. She has found a plan that works for her by focusing on food addiction, lifestyle changes and motivation. The session is one of three free lectures on weight management. To RSVP, visit uca.edu/outreach/types/ community-ed.

Steel Magnolias At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at Reynold’s Performance Hall, the L.A. Theatre Works will perform “Steel Magnolias.”

The play, written by Robert Harling, is a comedy drama that revolves around six close women in the south. It is directed

by Susan Albert Loewenberg and sponsored by the radio station B98.5.

For tickets, go to tickets.uca.edu.

Ralph Breaks the Internet At 3 p.m. on Feb. 24, in the Student Center Ballroom, the Student Activities Board will show Ralph Breaks the Internet. The movie is rated PG and is a sequel to the first movie, Wreck-itRalph. The showing is open to the UCA community. There will be prizes and food. For more information visit ucasab.com

Financing a Home At 6 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center, Ashley Newman of Centennial Bank will lead a step-by-step tutorial on applying for home loans. Newman will discuss the benefits of owning a home, credit scores and the different loan options that are available. This event is free and open to the general public. To register, visit uca.edu/outreach/types/ community-ed.

photo by Taylor Sone

Pianist and singer Damien Sneed performs during the “We Shall Overcome” concert Feb. 11 at Reynolds Performance Hall. The concert celebrated African-American contributions to music, and featured selections from genres including jazz, gospel and classical.

Multi-genre artist urges crowd to overcome obstacles

By Sarah Coleman Staff Writer

UCA students, UCA faculty and Conway community members flooded Reynolds Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 11 to listen to multi-genre recording artist Damien Sneed perform.

Sneed came to campus in honor of the 35th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. day.

Conway was a part of his 36-city North American tour titled “We Shall Overcome.” The performance included genres such as jazz, classical and gospel.

Students were pleasantly surprised by Sneed’s performance and its message.

Freshman Briana Davison came to the concert as part of an extra credit assignment for her oral communications class.

“I don’t know what I was expecting, but I actually loved this,” Davison said.

Freshman Emily Eaton, like Davison, did not know what to expect.

“My favorite part of the entire performance was when he sang ‘Proud Mary’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival,” Eaton said. The crowd was attentive during “Proud Mary,”

photo by Taylor Sone

[Left to right] Vocalists Quinn Brown, Anitra McKinney and Ayana George perform with Damien Sneed during the “We Shall Overcome” concert celebrating African- American contributions to music Feb. 11 at Reynolds Performance Hall. Sneed’s creation meshed multiple genres, from gospel to jazz and others, and includes recordings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr speeches.

and many were singing along.

Sneed has worked with several famous musicians during his career. Most recently he worked with the late Aretha Franklin, who is known as the queen of soul. In addition, Sneed has also worked with Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross. While this performance was mainly

in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., Sneed also honored Franklin with a tribute.

While “We Shall Overcome” appears to be themed around racial tensions, Sneed explained how overcoming could be about getting through any obstacle. Sneed also spoke of his own troubles he has worked through, and in doing

so he related to the audience.

“I had to overcome depression and being suicidal.

I was adopted and struggled to understand why I had to deal with rejection a lot,” Sneed said.

Sneed recognized the idea that we, as individuals, have our own obstacles to overcome, while our nation also has its own obstacles to overcome.

Sneed performed songs such as “Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder, The Negro National Anthem and “Come Sunday” by Duke Ellington.

Other songs performed included Nina Simone’s “I wish I knew how it would feel to be free,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s going on” and Musiq Soul Child’s “Love.” Sneed included songs from different periods and genres of music, making his performance eclectic and inclusive.

The crowd first stood during The Negro National Anthem and stayed standing throughout the remainder of the night while Sneed’s group took turns singing and celebrating. Sneed also spoke to the fact that no matter where you are in your life, it is possible to rise out of your situation.

“Despite the fact we are shattered, broken, abused and used at times, we can rise above it,” Sneed said. This was an important lesson he said learned from his time working with Aretha Franklin.

To commemorate Franklin’s life and legacy, Sneed sang her hit song “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

The “We Shall Overcome” tour will end March 3 in Modesto, California.

N AT I O N A L P R O G R A M

Writing Business Plans At 6 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center, Don Bradley of Little Rock Score, a business management consulting firm, will teach guests how to write an effective business plan. Topics include information sources, outlines, business plan myths and more. This event is free.

To register visit uca.edu/outreach/types/communityed.

photo courtesy of uca.edu

UCA Purple Society is in place to recognize outstanding campus leaders for their academic achievements since the national Who’s Who program went on hiatus. The students were introduced on Feb. 9 during halftime of the women’s basketball game against Southern Louisiana University.

Vagina Monologues At 7 p.m. Feb. 27-28 in the Student Center Ballroom, the UCA Feminist Union, in collaboration with the UCA theatre department and the gender studies program, will host a performance of Eve Ensler’s play, “The Vagina Monologues.” The play is a collection of female life experiences— including sexual violence, periods and body image. A silent art auction, featuring donated art relevant to the play’s theme, will be held in the ballroom at 6 p.m. before the performance. The $5 admission fee, as well as the proceeds from the art auction, will go toward The Women’s Shelter of Central Arkansas and V-day, an organization that works to end violence against women and girls. For more information, visit orgsync.com/55007/chapter.

Hard-working students recognized during special halftime

by Daniel Adams Assistant Sports Editor

UCA students were recognized for their academic achievements Feb. 9 as 75 students became official members of the UCA Purple Society.

To qualify, students had to have had a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher and needed at least 90 academic hours.

The hard-working students were recognized Feb. 9 with a reception and a special recognition at halftime during the women’s basketball game against Southeastern Louisiana University.

Normally UCA recognizes students as a part of the

national Who’s Who Among Students program.

This national program recognizes schools in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, but the program went on hiatus in 2018. The program’s website said it would undergo a strategic review, but did not give any reasons or information about when it would accept nominations again. To fill in the gap left by the national program, the Office of Student Life formed the Purple Society to name Who’s Who among UCA students.

Coordinator of Student Organizations and University Events Hailey Canada said that the process to decide the candidates was fairly

streamlined for her and the seven other UCA staff members who were part of the selection committee.

“It’s not necessarily difficult to select the recipients because there is a scoring process and OrgSync generates a report of the scoring committee’s average,” Canada said.

In the OrgSync program that Canada mentioned, the averages of all the applicants were taken in after each application had been scored by all eight committee members individually.

Candidates were scored on academic achievement, university involvement, philanthropy/ volunteerism and responses to three open-response questions.

Health Sciences major and senior Michael Wheeler was extremely happy to be inducted along with the other 74 students.

“To be selected for an honor like this is something I don’t think you ever expect,” Wheeler said. “There are so many people at UCA who embody the characteristics that the award requires, and I’m just honored to be recognized as one of them.”

Wheeler said getting inducted was especially special to him because it was a goal of his since he first came to UCA. Junior Erin Golden, a biology major, was just as glad to be inducted into the Purple Society as Wheeler was.

“I honestly knew that I was up against some really talented people, and I was shocked that I got chosen,” Golden said.

Golden was impressed with the great job UCA did in presenting the event.

“UCA wanted the inductees to feel special about this honor and they did not fall short from achieving that goal,” Golden said.

Canada said, regardless of the status of the National Who’s Who program, UCA will continue to keep the Purple Society in effect for the next year. Should the program return, students would still be inducted into the Purple Society, if not nationally recognized.

ucanews.live

CAMPUS LIFE

February 20, 2019 /4

One Billion Rising raises assault awareness

by Sarah Coleman Staff Writer

One Billion Rising, a UCA interactive service learning event, stood as a reminder that over one billion women have been subjected to sexual and domestic violence, as well as sexual assault. The number of women affected by these crimes continues to grow every year.

The One Billion Rising event took place this Valentines Day in Student Center room 214.

Education about gender-related crimes is important, because when people do not know what to do in these situations, more often than not, people don’t do anything.

The event was led by student volunteers and associate professor and director of the Gender Studies Program Taine Duncan. The event consisted of six stations to help students learn how they can react in different volatile situations.

The stations included One Billion Rising resources, bystander intervention, body positivity, revolution scrapbooking, local resources and zines. The revolution scrapbook gave students the opportunity to create a page focusing on what they wanted in the future and the zines station gave students more resources. Each of these stations focused on a different aspects, Hanes said.

Senior volunteer and participant Ashley Kumwenda is enrolled in Critical Theories of Race, which required students to work the event.

“Not only is this required, but I love talking to people about this movement, and I’m looking forward to seeing the event grow throughout the next

few years,” Kumwenda said.

This is Kumwenda’s second year volunteering for this event and she is still moved by the new things she is learning from the One Billion Rising movement.

Senior volunteer Trey Lowell is also enrolled in Critical Theories of Race and volunteered to work the Bystander Intervention station.

The three D’s for bystander Intervention are to direct, distract or delegate. Lowell said these three actions can help people who are in potentially dangerous situations.

“Information and education are the two most important things we can do for people,” Lowell said.

“The purpose of One Billion Rising is to bring awareness to subjects that are not properly discussed in society. We live in a patriarchal society; women do not really get a shot. Assaults don’t get reported as often as they should, and when they do, they don’t get attention.”

Lowell mostly talked about what he has learned from his class, which he believes will help him, not only on campus, but in his career as well.

UCA post baccalaureate student and One Billion Rising volunteer Kathy Hanes spoke of the injustices prevalent among gender-related violence. She said there are many reasons these crimes are becoming normalized.

“The main issue is that not many people are aware of the statistics. Raising awareness through events like this is the main way we can decrease sexual and domestic violence,” Hanes said.

This is Duncan’s ninth year working with One Billion Rising, and she hopes to help the event continue to grow on UCA’s campus.

“One Billion Rising focuses on intersectionality; we need to be sensitive to that concept

“

Students and faculty tested their knowledge, and gained additional knowledge, during the Sexual Health Fair hosted by the UCA Wellness Ambassadors Feb. 12 in the Student Center.

With Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, it was the perfect time of year for students to become educated about birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and consent.

“Since the passage of Arkansas Act 943: Unplanned Pregnancy Prevention in 2015, colleges and universities are now asked to report annually to the State of Arkansas how [these institutions of higher education have] helped support and encourage education initiatives related to preventing unplanned pregnancy,” Kristin Jetts, an administrative specialist for the UCA Health and Wellness Center, said. “When young adults are provided education about sexual health, they are

better able to make safer and more mature decisions about behaviors which affect their futures.”

While the decision to be sexually active is a personal decision for every individual, Jetts felt that it was important for the fair to focus on a broad spectrum of topics — including healthy relationships, pregnancy prevention, STI transmission and HIV. According to the College Stats website, men have an average of 14 sexual partners in college, while women have an average of 12 or fewer. A survey of college students by the Her Campus website also found that 70 percent of women and 80 percent of men reported being in love.

However, a survey conducted in the same study found that 12 percent of women had confessed to being victims of rape compared to 4 percent of men.

One guest speaker — Gisele Hudson, a health program specialist in the infectious disease branch for the Arkansas

”

Freshman Seth Davis

photo by Marley Cash-Powell

Freshmen Jakea Mercer [left] and Ashlyn Riggs pose in a One Billion Rising frame during an event to raise awareness of gender-based violence and promote body positivity Feb. 14 in the Student Center. The cut-out paper hearts included hotline numbers for a women’s shelter, sexual and domestic abuse hotlines, UCAPD and the UCA Title IX Coordinator.

because intersectionality shows which groups of women are likely to be victims of crimes against women,” Duncan said.

“Intersectional Feminism is feminism for all, not based on race, sexuality, religion or age.”

UCA Chief of Police John Merguie attended One Billion Rising as well.

“The police department supports education on issues of sexual violence,” Merguie said.

Merguie explained that sexual violence does happen on our campus, but when people

are informed about what to do in these situations, they can seek out counseling and other appropriate resources.

Merguie said professors like Duncan are important, because, while a lot of assaults go unreported, by knowing they can go to Duncan or other professors, students can properly address these instances of assault.

The UCA Counseling Center also works with victims of sexual assault and sexual violence.

Students learn about safe sex, planned pregnancy, consent News Editor

What is the best and worst part of being a college student?

Story by Christine Nichols Photos by Taylor Sone

H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

by Lauren McCabe

STUDENTS SAY

Department of Health — gave a presentation about the signs and treatment options for those who have been diagnosed with, or have a higher chance of getting, an STI, particularly HIV. “Danger signs of a possible sexually transmitted disease include: discharge from the penis or vagina; burning or pain during urination; flu-like symptoms; painful blisters on the sex organs or mouth; a rash; diarrhea; weight loss; or yeast infections that won’t go away,” Hudson said.

“Anyone with these symptoms should go to a clinic or their family doctor to be treated as soon as possible.

Knowing the symptoms is crucial to getting treated quickly.”

Along with presenters like Hudson, tables were set up throughout the meeting room with information from different organizations on and off campus, including the Counseling Center, the UCA Feminist Union and UCAPD. “The tables focused on topics that are potentially

life-altering for today’s college students such as: sexual consent, STDs and STIs, screenings, contraception, HIV and hepatitis, and safe sex practices, including abstinence,” Jetts said.

“The reality is that there are significant risks, such as unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and sexual assault. Departments and student organizations on campus are committed to providing resources and current information about all aspects of health, including sexual health.”

Jetts hoped that students walked away with more general knowledge of the health and safety that comes with being sexually active or intimate in college, and even afterward.

“We hope that the open discussions and communication will allow students to learn and make safer choices in the future,” Jetts said. “We hope they gained a better understanding of resources that are available to them both on campus and in the community.”

“So the best part is all the free time. You don’t necessarily have a class, like, class starts at this time and school for the day ends at this time.

‘Cause you can have a class at one in the afternoon and that’s the only class you have that day. And then, the worst part is … basically it’s the price. Everything is super expensive.”

Sophomore Kandeance Pointer “The best part would have to be developing relationships. I really enjoy learning things from people. Different cultures are really interesting to me; I really like being diverse. The worst [is] it’s kind of tough to balance trying to be social and be there for everybody and school work.”

Freshman Montanna Jackson

Freshman Ben Warburton

“The best part of being a college student is growing and learning new experiences. The worst part would be the late nights and early mornings ‘cause, you know, you’re so stressed out. You just want to stay up all night, and you have class the next day.”

“Ah man, the best part is looking forward to after college in my opinion.

Like your life afterward, with your major you can do whatever you want.

The worst part is it’s school — studying and everything.”

Sophomore Quinterrance Tucker

Sophomore Gloria Hunter

“I guess the best part is just having a lot of free time after your classes to just do whatever you want. The worst part is probably … there’s a lot more work than in high school. You got a lot of tests to study for, a lot of presentations.”

“The best part is, probably, you get more freedom — like to show up for class or not, which you should. [And] meeting new people. The worst I would say is — the work. It’s very difficult.

Showing up to class is difficult since you have the freedom not to.”

PEOPLE OF UCA

Tye Weaver

by Ronak Patel Staff Writer

photo by Ronak Patel

Junior Tye Weaver listens to one of his favorite songs, “This is America,”

by Childish Gambino Feb. 15 in the Student Center. Weaver was part of a highly competitive marching band during high school.

Junior Tye Weaver has enjoyed being a part of UCA’s marching band for the past three years. During events like the homecoming parade or football games, Weaver can be seen marching the tuba.

Weaver began his musical journey in high school.

“Most of us who are in band were typically in band in high school, and in high school it depends regionally where you are. Some bands are a lot more serious than others. Where I came from, Flower Mound in Dallas, Texas, my band was considered to be a Band of America: a really competitive marching band. We worked on a show after school, and then on Saturday we would go and perform it for placement,” Weaver said.

At UCA, Weaver is working toward a major in music

and a minor in business administration.

“I’ve been considering different options of teaching and performance.

I’ve considered getting either a masters in music or business and just gigging around teaching lessons — playing at different gigs on the weekends — and just having fun freelancing,” Weaver said. “I want to stick to music and use it as a career. I feel like a lot of people don’t understand there’s a lot of different ways to get into the music world. You can teach private or public school, private lessons or college. There are different opportunities to perform in chamber groups, which is a group of musicians that get together like a trombone choir or a string quartet. There’s a lot of different groups like smaller ensembles — an orchestra — or you can be in a band.”

As a music major, it is important for Weaver to be

versatile in his work.

“We’re moving toward a more versatile entertainment world and more people are getting on the bandwagon of that,” Weaver said. “People see artists like Childish Gambino and how he literally does everything. Bradley Cooper is one of them too. He sang and played the guitar in “A Star is Born.”

Weaver said this decreased specialization has led to broader majors offered in colleges.

“People are starting to specialize in more than one thing. A lot of schools push double majors now because of this. Some schools are combining the idea of being able to conduct, teach and perform. You can see it in the entertainment business, so many people have to be so versatile in all kinds of areas. It’s just gonna be something that will keep continually changing.

The people who get on the

bandwagon quicker will be the ones to succeed, it’s not just something that is a quick fad,” Weaver said.

In his free time, Weaver said he enjoys exploring different genres of music.

“I really have to credit this to the music department at UCA; they do a great job of diversifying our palette. They share classical tribal African music, and that is the basis of a lot of music. In elementary [school] that is what kids are taught. That is always interesting to listen to,” Weaver said.

In listening to so many music genres, Weaver said he loves every genre.

“It just depends on the day,” Weaver said. “I’m a big classic rock fan. My parents instilled a love into Led Zeppelin, the Eagles and the Mötley Crüe. I love jazz like Count Basie or just any jazz group around.”

Opinion

5

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February 20, 2019

The Voice Hazing should result in organizational banning

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Food for fines: pay off parking tickets University of Pittsburgh at Georgetown At the Student Government Association retreat last fall, several senators discussed director of Parking Kevin Sheehy said the the possibility of UCAPD allowing students program was a success in an email he sent to pay their parking tickets by donating to Drzymalsk.

“The parking office looked at the most canned foods to charity.

When I first heard this idea, I immediately needed items listed on the Pitt Pantry thought it should be implemented. The food website and came up with a tiered donation students bring to the police department …we have seen a great response and a lot of could be given to UCA’s on campus food support for the event,” Sheehy said.

I understand the need for parking ticket pantry — Bear Essentials Food Pantry. fees because they deter people from According to the Policy Solutions that parking in areas that are off limits. work for Low-Income People website, However, this deterrent would still “an estimated 20 to 33 percent of be in place if people had the option students at four-year colleges to donate meals to pay their experience food insecurity.” tickets.

As previously reported in Last time I received a parking The Echo, “An average of 172 ticket, it was $15. However, I students benefit from the pantry paid it off late, so my fee was every month.” Therefore, this doubled. If I had the option program would help to lower my fee by bringing alleviate this problem. in food for charity, then I Additionally, since would have, and I think one of UCA’s core values many students would is service, the university choose this option as well. should be interested

by Rose McGarrity UCA students pay a in implementing this Staff Writer great deal in parking each program. semester.

The idea to lower fees “From August 1, 2018 through meal donation is not new to Conway. The Faulkner County through December 31, 2018, $77,306.45 Library, for instance, allows people to pay was paid for parking citations,” UCAPD Cpl. back a partial amount of their late fees in Michael Hopper said.

The revenue from the tickets issued goes food for charity.

Other universities throughout the into the University’s General Fund, but I am country have implemented this idea, too. unsure what those funds are used for or if this The University of Pittsburgh at Georgetown program would be possible to implement started an event called “Donations for because UCAPD may need the funds to pay for things I am unaware of.

Citations.”

If the police department does not want This two-month event “encourages people to donate certain food items to the to allow students to pay off their entire Pitt Pantry — a local student-based food ticket fees by donating meals, then I hope it pantry on Pitt’s campus — in exchange considers allowing students to pay off half for paying off tickets they received,” Emily of their ticket fees through the donation of Drzymalsk said in an article for The Pitt meals or at least implementing a program like “Donations for Citations.”

News.

Re-examining how we judge celebrities’ past tweets It has been confirmed that the Oscars celebrity in question has time to figure out will not, in fact, be having a singular host what he needs to apologize for. this year, but will instead opt for a variety of Then it becomes a question of how far different presenters throughout the evening, back a comment or attitude, not an action, and honestly, I can’t say that I blame them. is held against a person?

Recently, we’ve all gotten used to the We’re living in a digital age, and our expectation of waking up in the morning, professors and advisors are constantly checking our feed on whatever site we use reminding us to be careful about what we to stay social, and witnessing a favorite post on social media because it could come movie star, musician or celebrity back to haunt us. But, does that mean at the center of some controversy we have to hold the celebrities who because someone on Twitter may have adopted these platforms uncovered something from the while having a different mindset to past. the same level of accountability?

The list of supposedly non-safe When I think about Kevin Hart’s old tweets regarding if his son had celebrities is long and varied been gay, I can’t help but picture — from the dark humor the type of mindset that of a James Gunn, the perspective comes from. “homophobic” jokes of No matter where Kevin Hart and to the you’re from or what your more recent reveal of culture is, we have all had Liam Neeson admitting

by Ricky Rivera that one parent, aunt, in an interview to Cartoonist uncle or even grandparent possessing violent, whose homophobic, racially charged racist or sexist comments emotions toward were typical. It’s the mentality they grew strangers.

Don’t misunderstand, it’s good to hold up with. Such comments were the ‘waterpeople accountable for their actions, but cooler’ jokes of their time, even though today my question is the same as with every new we know better.

I think — when it comes to cases like societal trend: What are the rules?

How far back is too far back? What’s those of James Gunn, Kevin Hart and Liam overreaction and what’s a call for social Neeson — it’s more important to focus on expulsion? Can bridges ever be unburned what they’re saying and doing now — with and can people change? And ultimately, is their fame and with their actions — to see this trend of digging into a celebrity’s past if they really have changed; to see if their attempts at growth are genuine or just a PR comments healthy?

These are complex questions, and, like stunt.

We find ourselves in a weird duality most complex issues, a case-by-case review where the more we know, the less we believe. is probably for the best.

Unfortunately, in a world where it’s The fact that we can find nearly anyone’s past faster and easier to click share and retweet with just a few keystrokes is a power that’s than it is to fact check, those bridges are both terrifying and easily abused if we’re not often already halfway burned before the careful.

Hazing — the humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals many members of Greek college organizations put prospective members through to join — is an all-too-common practice often mentioned in the news.

On Feb. 15, Buzzfeed reported that nine LSU fraternity members were arrested on hazing charges. Hazing is illegal in many states, and Arkansas declares it a Class B misdemeanor.

Sadly, UCA is no stranger to act of hazing either. You may have heard of the recent Kappa Sigma suspension for hazing.

Kappa Sigma members hazed pledges from Nov. 4 until their initiations Nov. 11 during what the older members of the chapter call Hell Week.

They forced members to take quizzes on the fraternity’s history and sprayed the new initiates with cold water, soaking their tests and making them start over; they also made them stay all week in what Kappa Sigma calls the Yellow House, only letting them leave for classes, jobs or meals.

The members felt justified in doing so; one student involved in the Kappa Sigma hazing said that he didn’t have to provide information on the hazing because it was “sacred to [their] fraternity.”

Other fraternities have done even worse than that. According to Buzzfeed, the nine LSU members who were arrested for hazing reportedly kicked pledges in the chest with steel-toed boots, beat them with a metal pipe and forced them to stand in painful positions for hours on end.

One pledge even said he was doused with gasoline.

Another pledge said he had to “strip down to his underwear and climb into an ice machine that was half filled with water and half still frozen ice” and stay there for 30 to 45 minutes. The pledge said he “did not attempt to get out of the ice machine because he felt he would have been beaten up if he did.”

After that, the pledge said he was made to lie on a basketball court covered in broken glass, where he and another pledge were “sprayed with a hose, had milk crates thrown at them and were urinated on.”

At what point is enough more than enough? Sure, these students were arrested, but what of the organizations that host these awful events?

A suspension amounts to a slap on the wrist.

Colleges should have a zero-tolerance policy against hazing, and if a fraternity gets caught hazing, then it should be permanently removed from campus. Not merely suspended but banned from the college altogether.

This may sound extreme, but let’s not forget how many of these hazing events have turned deadly. There have been over 20 deaths caused by hazing in the past nine years alone.

Hazing isn’t unique to Greek organizations, sports teams and cheerleaders also haze new members.

In this case, those who hazed the new members should be removed from the team.

There’s also the psychologically damaging side of hazing. Many have committed suicide after various humiliating initiations. It is as much a mentally-damaging practice as it is a physically-damaging one. Not to mention how suspensions aren’t enough because hazing keeps happening.

In 2014, the UCA Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity also hazed its members. They were paddled repeatedly, forced to “plank” while being slapped in the face, or pelted with raw eggs while kneeling on uncooked rice.

Yet here we are again: different fraternity, same old hazing. If universities took a stronger stance against this, it might make the members of Greek Life think twice before hazing new members.

Or maybe it would just get to the point where all the offending fraternities are banned. Either way the problem would be solved.

Colleges should have a zero-tolerance policy against hazing, and if a fraternity gets caught hazing, then it should be permanently removed from campus.

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Entertainment

6

February 20, 2019

New This Week Movies

Feb. 22 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (PG), directed by Dean DeBlois, starring Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham, Cate Blanchett Feb. 22 — Total Dhamaal, directed

by Indra Kumar, starring Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey Feb. 22 — Run the Race (PG), directed by Chris Dowling, starring Mykelti Williamson, Frances Fisher, Kristoffer Polaha, Tanner Stine

Music Feb. 22 — OK, I’m Sick —Badflower Feb. 22 — Distance Over Time — Dream Theater Feb. 22 — Strange Creatures — Drenge Feb. 22 —Lung Bread For Daddy — Du Blonde Feb. 22 — Post Earth — Feels Feb. 22 — This Land — Gary Clark, Jr. Feb. 22 — The Route To The Harmonium — James Yorkston Feb. 22 — James Yorkston — Julia Jacklin Feb. 22 — Canterbury Girls — Lily & Madeleine Feb. 22 — The Wings Of War — Overkill Feb. 22 — Eton Alive — ​Sleaford Mods Feb. 22 — Effluxion — Telekinesis

Netflix Feb. 22 — Chef’s Table: Volume 6, created by David Gelb Feb. 22 — Firebrand, directed by Aruna Raje, Jackie van Beek, starring Usha Jadhav, Girish Kulkarni, Sachin Khedekar Feb. 22 — Workin’ Moms, created

by Catherine Reitman, Catherine Reitman, Dani Kind, Juno Rinaldi Feb. 22 — Paddleton, directed by Alexandre Lehmann, Mike Royce, starring Mark Duplass, Ray Romano

Feb. 22 — Rebellion: Season 2, created by Colin Teevan, starring Brian Gleeson, Simone Kirby, Natasha O’Keeffe

Five things I wish I never said List compiled by Marley Cash-Powell Editor

‘The Walking Dead’ season nine keeps shattering viewers’ hearts

by Rafael Soliz II

that kept him prisoner for so long. Negan met Judith on the road back. They held a conversation about why Negan decided to come back to Alexandria.

Staff Writer

“The Walking Dead” season nine has been full of tense situations and heartbreak.

Episode nine, which aired Feb. 10 and is titled “Adaptation,” hasn’t shown any signs of this season falling short of expectations.

The mid-season debut dropped the audience right back into events that were taking place at the end of episode eight, which is titled “Evolution.”

The Whisperers had ambushed the group, killing Paul “Jesus” Monroe (Tom Payne), as the group tried to get back to Hilltop.

The episode then takes a quick turn as it brings the audience to the current town of Alexandria, where Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) appears to have escaped his cell in the middle of the night, and savors the first taste of freedom he’s had in years.

Negan soon found himself in a sticky situation as Rick’s daughter, Judith (Cailey Fleming), discovers Negan scaling the Alexandria wall, trying to escape in the early morning. Negan made his case, trying to persuade Judith to let him leave, and he did so successfully, escaping the walls that imprisoned him for years.

“So you go back. Then what?” Judith said.

“I will let you know when I know,” Negan said.

Back with Luke (Scott Porter) and Aiden Monroe (Daniel Bonjour), after a moment of suspense, one of the Whisperers walked up with a double-barreled shotgun and said, “trail ends here.”

The Whisperers knew what they were doing, and devised a plan to attack parts of the Alexandria group bit by bit. photo courtesy of www.amc.com

In a promotion for the return of “The Walking Dead,” the cast fight for their lives in season 9 of the acclaimed AMC series. Season 9 debuted Oct. 7 and returned from break Feb. 10 with episode 9: “Adaptation.”

As the episode continued, the group — consisting of Michonne (Danai Gurira), Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt) and the dead body of Jesus — was met by walkers on its journey back to Hilltop.

Surprisingly, not all the walkers were dead. The Whisperers had placed masks over their faces to blend into hordes of walkers and to avoid detection. The group killed all but one of the Whisperers, whom they proceeded to take

hostage and bring to Hilltop, searching for answers.

As the show continued, Negan returned to his compound where he built his army of Saviors in the past. He reflected over his time there and wondered if it was worth starting over.

Back at Hilltop, Daryl took matters into his own hands and tried to get information from the Whisperer they brought back. He threatened one of the other Whisperers to get information from her.

He then left her alone, only to sit outside her window and listen to the conversation she had with another befriended prisoner. It seems as if that was Daryl’s plan all along.

Negan quickly realized there was nothing left for him outside of his 10 x 10 cell. Negan was once the man everybody answered to. He even had Rick in the palm of his hand, but his empire fell long ago.

He traveled back to Alexandria — the community

The future doesn’t seem too bright for Luke and Alden as the show seems to have completely disregarded human life.

Overall, episode nine gave the audience a decent idea of where the show may be headed.

It provided foreshadowing and unexpected scenarios that may have major implications for the future of Alexandria and Hilltop.

“The Walking Dead” has continued to create new reasons to watch, and it’s well worth your time on Sundays.

“The Walking Dead” can be streamed online through the AMC website and is rated TV-MA.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L H E R I TA G E

CRIME

Third season of ‘True Detective’ Series ‘One Day at a Time’ promotes family unity compels fans with twisted plot by Caela Fugate Entertainment Editor

by Matt Smothers HBO’s “True Detective” released its third season Jan. 13 and it has been nothing short of brilliant. Episode six, “Hunters in the Dark,” debuted Feb. 10 and began setting the scene for an exciting finale airing Feb. 24.

Episode six began with detective Warren Hays (Mahershala Ali) visibly shocked by the fact that he finally had to discharge his service weapon, even though he previously fired heavy-duty weapons on plenty of occasions while serving in Vietnam. The episode later returns to Warren and his partner Roland West (Stephen Dorff ) interviewing Tom Purcell (Scoot Mcnairy), a possible suspect, about the murder of his son and disappearance of his daughter, Julie.

With the interrogation coming up empty, the detectives turn to Purcell’s old boss for potential clues. His boss reveals that Purcell was fired for drinking on the job, but he was likely going to leave soon because of his coworkers’ homophobic remarks after finding out he was gay — which turns out to be a vital clue in the future.

Hays and West soon turn their attention to the Purcell’s deceased son’s backpack. They are eventually led to former police officer Harris James (Scott Shepherd). James left his job for a high-paying corporate security job with the Hoyt Foods business shortly after Purcell’s son was murdered and his daughter went missing.

Before the detectives leave James’ interview, he makes a somewhat sexual remark toward Hays by implying Hays has a good body. Telling Hays he has a good body may have just been a compliment.

However, they are in a fairly small southern town in the 1980’s, and the camera pans the area while James gives Hays this remark, implying more than just a friendly compliment.

West soon gets a call to meet Purcell’s cousin, Dan O’Brien (Michael Graziadei), for information.

O’brien attempts to solicit money from West for a possible lead into Julie’s whereabouts.

Without going into too much detail, Purcell finds out about this and goes on a drunken, gun-brandishing rampage when he finds O’Brien. After a brawl with O’Brien, Purcell threatens to kill him unless he gives up the information that he planned to give West.

Finally, a drunken Purcell is searching for his daughter in the eerie Hoyt mansion with information he presumably received from O’Brien after the fight. The episode closes with Purcell walking through the basement where he is eventually, and purposefully, led to “the pink rooms.” Just before the scene cuts off, Purcell is visibly distraught and whispers, “Julie,” while a man who appears to be James sneaks up behind him.

With all of the twists and dark secrets the last few episodes unveiled, season three of “True Detective” feels almost identical, but lazier than the first season, which won five Emmy awards and was nominated for 12. While this season can be somewhat confusing, considering it takes place in three different time periods, it is without a doubt worth sacrificing an hour each week. For any HBO fans, “True Detective,” rated TV-MA, is a high-quality show that will definitely satisfy a need for drama until season eight of Game of Thrones premieres in April.

1.‘That explains a lot.’

I had an argument with my junior English teacher over a handout for a research paper, which resulted in a parent-principal conference because the teacher grabbed my arm and spun me around when I tried to storm off. On the final exam, the teacher asked us to list three things we learned while doing research. I wrote: “I learned that you have to get your serotonin levels checked monthly. That explains a lot.”

Serotonin levels affect mood swings. She was moody. It made sense. I thought I was clever. The principal disagreed. I found out years later that the reason she got her serotonin levels checked monthly was because she had brain cancer. She died two years after I graduated. My dad died from brain cancer years before my smart remark. Had I cared to ask her why she got checked, I never would’ve said that.

2. ‘Don’t forget to brush your teeth while you’re in there!’

I worked at a fast food place. Our openers were a husband-wife duo. The wife refused to buy tampons, using rolled up toilet paper instead, which eventually resulted in the removal of a 17-pound mass. The husband had his teeth pulled so he could get dentures. After wearing the dentures for a week, we never saw him wear them again. One day, the wife said over the headset that she was going to use the rest room. I said what I said, implying that, like the toilet paper, the husband’s dentures must’ve disappeared into her nethers. Legally, this is sexual harassment. Otherwise, it’s just plain rude — especially when your coworkers start chattering their teeth every time she scurries by.

Staff Writer

Netflix aired its next original series “One Day at a Time” back in January 2017, capturing audiences’ hearts with its international theme and genuine content. After a lengthy year of watching the clock and waiting, Netflix finally released the third season of the series Feb. 8.

Holding a 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.2 out of 10 on IMDb, the Netflix Original “One Day at a Time” made great strides with viewers as a family show — based in current political and structural times — with a Cuban flare.

The beloved series follows a Cuban family living in an average American apartment with a not-so-average take on minorities, political mantras and life experiences. Based on a previous Norman Lear series, “One Day at a Time” hones in on the life of mother and Army veteran Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado), her two children — Elena (Isabella Gomez) and Alex (Marcel Ruiz) — and her beautifullyoutrageous mother, Lydia, played by renowned actress Rita Moreno.

Season three of the series focuses on Penelope while she juggles the life and grueling demands of a mother-of-two, gaining her own nurse practitioner status and fighting never-ending battles with anxiety and PTSD. She does all of this while searching for love as a strong, Cuban woman.

photo courtesy of www.bustle.com

The Alvarez family — Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) [bottom left], Elena (Isabella Gomez) [top left], Alex (Marcel Ruiz) [bottom right] and Lydia Alvarez (Rita Moreno) on the set of “One Day at a Time” —embrace for a family hug. The Netflix Original aired its third season Feb. 8.

‘Hey, guys, don’t rape.’”

The series also delves into Elena and Alex’s perspectives of the ever-expected peer pressures and pitfalls that come with being a teenager. While also portraying how Penelope shuffles an understanding, friend-like relationship with her children against a steadfast determination to maintain her children’s futures.

As the plot thickens, dark days loom overhead for the goofy-yet-earnest character — Schneider, (Todd Grinnell) who has become a staple in the Alvarez household — as he battles a long-forgotten addiction and a search for his father’s approval.

Of course, considering the show’s Cuban heritage, it doesn’t steer away from comical jabs at the current U.S. President and the state of the U.S.’s relationship with immigrants.

The handful of political jabs will have audiences rolling, depending on which side of the

never-ending wall debate they stand on.

Audiences are also given more hot-button political topics previously hinted at in past seasons, all of which are led by Penelope’s daughter, Elena. Though a junior in high school, Elena stands steadfast in her beliefs in feminism, strength and equal rights for the LGBT community while also battling the chauvinistic ways of today’s society.

The latter part of episode two is spent discussing her little brother’s, Alex, unintentional, albeit sexist and antifeministic, ways.

Elena grasps her “syd-nificant” other’s, Sydney (Sheridan Pierce), hand while she relays her aggravation with today’s boys-will-be-boys mentality.

“During rape prevention week at school, all the signs are aimed at women,” Elena said. Proving her irritation, she repeated the ludicrous demands of so-called rape preventers that “Girls, don’t dress provocatively. Girls, don’t walk alone.” With a final spout of passion and cry for action, Elena demands, “How about,

3. ‘What are you gonna do when you get down there?’

I had a boyfriend who was a virgin and I wasn’t. I didn’t know this at first, and when I found out, I freaked. I didn’t want him to always remember me as his first experience, because I was worried that I wasn’t going to be “good enough.” I mean, I wasn’t exactly an expert. The next time I saw him, we started making out on his bed and when he tried to undo my pants, I stopped him and said, “What are you gonna do when you get down there? Fiddle around until you figure it out?” That’s the most terrible thing I have ever said to a man and it was completely uncalled for. I felt insecure, so I pushed that insecurity off on him. We broke up shortly after.

(Honestly, I’m surprised he didn’t dump me right then and there.)

4.‘You just lost the best thing you’ll ever have!’

I’ve only ever had one boyfriend break up with me, and he did so because he realized that my friend also liked him.

Because he was a decent human being, he didn’t want to come between us. So, he decided not to date either of us. (Or, at least, that’s the reason he gave me.

And, honestly, that was easier to believe than the alternative.)

This was probably the most level-headed decision made by any boy that I ever dated until I was nearly 30. But since I was unable to handle the rejection at 14, I said what I said, hung up on him (with one of the old-style wall-mounted phones from the 90’s) and never spoke to him again. (Melodramatic much?) I hope he proved me wrong in his adulthood.

5. ‘Is that even a word?’

Last semester, I requested special placement into a closed class for this semester. When the professor allowed me into the course, I jokingly said that I couldn’t wait to make him regret that decision every minute of the upcoming semester.

Fast-forward to the first day of class: He uses the word “interpretate.” I whispered my smart remark into a certain entertainment editor’s ear.

Then, the professor called me out like a first grader passing love notes, which sparked a rather awkward class debate over interpretate versus interpret. I have never been so embarrassed in my college life.

(Thanks, Bob!) In his defense, interpretate is a valid, albeit archaic, form of the word (that neither the Word program nor Google recognizes.)

The much-anticipated third season of “One Day at a Time” lived up to its expectations. With family unity and utter ridiculousness that reminded me of my own Italian heritage, “One Day at a Time” has raised the stakes on series standards.

Seasons one through three of “One Day at a Time” are now streaming on Netflix. The series is rated TV-PG.

Sports

7

February 20, 2019

Upcoming Games Men’s Basketball

6:30 p.m., Feb. 20, at McNeese State University Women’s Basketball

7p.m., Feb. 20, vs McNeese State University Softball

4 p.m., 6 p.m., Feb. 20, vs UAPB Baseball

Feb. 22-24, vs Illinois State University Tennis

1 p.m., Feb. 23, at University of Missouri

Editor’s Take

photo by Taylor Sone

Junior shortstop Joshman Doran (3) throws out a Bradley Brave during the Bears 13-9 victory Feb. 17 at Bear Stadium. The Bears dropped the first two games of the series in low scoring outings, but rallied Sunday, earning 10 hits and scoring runs in six out of nine innings.

Baseball ends three-game series strong, loses in long run

by Dy’Kajeon Brown Online/Social Media Editor

photo courtesy of Complex.com

Cleveland general manger John Dorsey said the team feels Kareem Hunt deserves a second chance, given their extensive research.

Browns signing Hunt continues bad trend

by Daniel Adams Assistant Sports Editor

I hoped this wouldn’t happen. News broke Feb. 11 that former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt has signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Browns.

While other teams considered signing him, I never thought he’d actually get picked up by a team.

After taking two hard losses this cold weekend, Feb. 15, 5-2, and Feb. 16, 4-3, the UCA baseball team redeemed themeselves Feb. 17 in their final game in the series against the Bradley University Braves at Bear Stadium with a 13-9 win.

The Braves were victorious in the first game of the series Feb. 15, with a final score of 5-2.

The Bears gained an initial lead in the third inning when junior outfielder Marco Navarro hit a two-run double to left center, which allowed juniors Joshmar Doran and Cole Fiori to walk.

The Braves responded by getting a leadoff triple by junior infielder Brendan Dougherty during the fourth inning.

Following a fielding error on UCA, the Braves were able to score once again, putting them at a 4-2 lead. Bradley senior Cole Cook then pitched the final five innings for the Braves, which resulted in Cook striking out nine and allowing five hits and no runs, securing their victory.

The second game took place Feb. 16, as the Bears scored a run in the bottom of the first inning when freshman batter Kolby Johnson opened with a double down. The Braves quickly responded to the Bears’ actions. Bradley gained two

runs in the second inning due to a bases-loaded walk and a RBI groundout.

The Braves achieved two more runs in the fourth inning, before the Bears gained two during the fifth inning, bringing the score to 4-3. The Bears finished the game with four hits and struck out nine times.

The Bears hoped to redeem themselves Sunday in their final game in the series against the Bradley University Braves at Bear Stadium. “[We’re] just needing to fight and scrap — do whatever we need to do to win after dropping the first two,” head coach Allen Gum said.

The Braves had the initial

C AT C H I N G R H Y T H M

Softball earns three wins in Maderia Beach Invitational

by Kaitlin Benight Staff Writer

Hunt will still need to have his case reviewed by the NFL’s staff. On November 30, 2018, Hunt had been seen on video in an altercation with a woman during an incident that occurred the previous Feb. This led to Hunt’s eventual release from the Chiefs. He’ll be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list until they determine if and when he can play. There is a strong chance he may get a short suspension and be allowed back on the field.

It bothers me how willing NFL teams are to look past the history of a player, even one that hasn’t had a full investigation done to determine his punishment, and sign him on the fly. It feels like, no matter how many controversies like this happen, the punishment is never really a deterent.

I’m not saying Hunt needs to be banned, but it doesn’t feel like he has been punished.

It appears to be another case where a player commits offenses that wouldn’t be acceptable anywhere else, but because he’s a skilled athlete, he can keep playing. If anything like this happened on the collegiate level involving a star athlete at UCA, I’d think that something much more severe would happen as a punishment because this type of behavior is inexcusable and because UCA fights against violence.

continued to dominate the game ending the game with a 13-9 final score.

Despite the losses the Bears had taken in the previous games this weekend, Coach Gum believes that this series has had an impact on the team’s morale moving forward.

“Yes, [what’s] big for this week [is] using this momentum to move forward into next week’s [game] series,” Gum said.

The Bears will host a three-game series against Illinois State University Feb. 2224.

The opening game will begin at 3 p.m., with the following games on Feb. 23 and 24 beginning at 1 p.m.

M I X E D R E S U LT S

I understand if the Browns’ general manager, John Dorsey, wants to give him a second chance, but I feel like this is the NFL repeating past mistakes.

It’s interesting when you compare Hunt to other cases that have gotten this coverage.

Most of the suspensions due to domestic violence or other abuse-related incidents have ranged from three to six games in a season, no matter who the player was.

lead during the first inning, when junior Beau Orlando stepped up to bat, hitting the pitch by Bradley senior Sam Lund, scoring the Bears two runs. The two teams were tied by the end of the first inning.

The Bears earned five runs in the bottom of the second, and two home runs by Navarro.

UCA was in the lead 7-2 by the end of the second inning.

Bradley University then came back with three runs, but not before the Bears could steal one more run.

The Bears earned two more runs in the fourth inning from junior infielder Christian Brasher and junior pitcher Matthew Patton. UCA

photo courtesy of Marli Van Heerden

Senior Marli Van Heerden works on her backhand during a practice session at the UCA Tennis Court on campus. Van Heerden swept her singles opponent and won in doubles during the Bears’ last match against Arkansas State in Little Rock Feb. 15.

Tennis team shows strength in Little Rock, earns victories over Kangaroos, Red Wolves

by Logan Howell Staff Writer

The women’s tennis team was certain to prove UCA’s worth Feb. 15 when the Bears claimed two wins in their first two home games of the season.

The Bears set off to Little Rock Feb. 15 where they competed at Burns Park. Their morning match was against the UMKC Kangaroos.

Although the Kangaroos got the first point of the game, giving them an early advantage, the Bears did not let this dishearten them as they earned every other point in the match.

During their singles matches, freshman Fuka Nonoyama, freshman Mei Ishimura, senior Marli Van Heerden and sophomore Yada Vasupongchai all dominated their opponents with clean sweeps. Senior Rada Manataweewat had a much

closer duel, eventually defeating the Kangaroos’ sophomore Grace Ball with scores of 5-7, 7-6, 1-0.

In the doubles portion of the competition, Ishimura and Vasupongchai earned a clean 6-0 win against Ball and freshaman Thea Dassy. In her first performance of the season, Chunxi Xin paired with Manataweewat to win a closely fought set with a score of 7-5.

The final score of the match was 6-1 in favor of the Bears.

That afternoon, the Bears faced the Arkansas State Red Wolves. In singles, Vasupongchai obtained the first point of the game with a 6-3, 6-3 win over the Red Wolves’ junior Burta Masdevall-Masi.

Ishimura was just as successful in defeating her opponent, earning a score of 6-3, 6-4. Manataweewat faced a bigger challenge, losing her first round to junior Shannon

O’Brien at 6-2. She was certain to bounce back in the next two rounds, though, earning scores of 6-2, 6-2 and claiming the victory.

In doubles, Xin and Van Heerden earned a very narrow win with a score of 7-6. Ishimura and Vasupongchai took a similarly narrow win with a score of 7-6 as well. Nonoyama and Manataweewat played the last match, earning a score of 7-5, and earning the last point for the Bears. The competition ended in a score of 6-1 in favor of the Bears once again.

The scores of both matches may imply that UCA had no trouble obtaining victories, but the team considered themselves lucky to have triumphed over the two teams.

“We were focused and determined on the court because we knew that they are

See Tennis- page 8

The UCA softball team was victorious in three of their five games Feb. 15-17 at the Maderia Beach Invitational in Florida.

After an embarrassing 7-6 loss against Lyon College Feb. 12 due to some errors and a 6-run fourth inning for Lyon, the Bears headed to Florida to showcase their abilities and redeem themselves.

The Bears played double-headers Feb. 15-16 and had another game Feb. 17 before heading back to Conway.

On Feb. 15, the Bears saw a 5-3 loss to George Mason University due mostly to errors.

Senior Ellie Reaves was put in to pitch during the second inning after George Mason scored three runs on the Bears, and allowed only two runs for the rest of the game.

The Bears didn’t score until the third inning, giving George Mason the early lead. In the bottom of the seventh, senior Krissy Fontillas hit an RBI double to shorten the Bear’s disadvantage.

“It was more of the same miscues that have cost us all year so far,” head coach David Kuhn said. “We have to make plays defensively and we have to do a better job of not putting people on base. We got down early, but I thought Ellie Reaves was the highlight of the night for us. She did a great job of keeping us in the game.”

UCA improved the next game, with the Bears winning 4-2 over Monmoth due to smart base running and good pitching.

Freshman Jordan Johnson was the starting pitcher, striking out three batters, while senior Rachel Haberman closed the game out, allowing only one hit in three innings.

Freshman Erin Blackburn got the winning run, rushing to home plate after an overthrown pitch.

On Feb. 16, for the second

day in a row, the Bears lost their first and won their second game. Ball State took an early lead with a home run in the first inning. The Bears fought back hard, tying it up at 3-3 by the third inning.

The Bears came out on top by the bottom of the fourth, but Ball State came back to grab a 5-4 win over the Bears.

Sophomore Rio Sanchez struck out three batters over the course of five innings.

UCA’s offense really showed up during their 6-5 win against Quinnipiac, earning six runs in the first inning and also holding them at zero until the third.

In their final game on Feb. 17, UCA pulled ahead with a 9-1 run-ruled win over the University of South Dakota.

“It was fun out there,” Kuhn said. “We were good in all three phases of the game and we were able to get a lot of the girls in.

We know when we play well. We are a tough team to beat, and we showed what we are capable of today.”

Senior Libby Morris pounded in three RBIs. Junior Kailla Searcy allowed one run over her five innings on the mound, while junior Jordan Ward pitched a perfect three up, three down inning to close out the game.

“We were able to pick up some wins but I think our best softball is ahead of us,” Kuhn said. “I feel like we could have went 5-0 or certainly 4-1, but we have a lot of games coming up and it was good to end on a complete performance. It was a great trip for our girls, and we are looking forward to getting back home.”

Next, the Bears will host a double-header Feb. 20 at 4 and 6 p.m. against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Following this, the Bears will host the Michelle Short Memorial Classic from Feb. 22-27.

Opponents include schools such as South Dakota State University and Ole Miss.

ucanews.live

SPORTS

8/ February 20, 2019

SPORT

UCA STATS CORNER

Men’s Basketball

OPPONENT

Houston Baptist University

Women’s Basketball Houston Baptist University

RESULT

RECORD

75-71 (L)

(10-15, 5-7)

77-58 (W)

(10-12, 5-7)

Tennis

Arkansas State University

6-1 (W)

(5-4)

Softball

University of South Dakota

9-1 (W)

(6-4)

Baseball

Bradley University

13-9 (W)

(1-2)

photo by Marley Cash-Powell

Freshman Khaleem Bennett, a guard for the Bears basketball team, is enjoying his fourth year in the United States. Bennett came to the U.S. as an exchange student from Canada when he was 15, where he lived with a host family in California before moving to Kansas and eventually finding a home at UCA.

SNOWBALL EFFECT

Freshman adapts to college basketball with ease

by Marcus McClain Sports Editor

One of the newest additions to this year’s UCA basketball team is a 6-foot-4-inch Canadian guard. Freshman Khaleem Bennett began his basketball journey in the eighth grade and has no intentions of letting it end.

He began playing due to older influences such as his God-brother and sister.

Before landing at UCA, Bennett attended Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, playing on a nationally-ranked high school basketball team where Bennett experienced some of his best basketball memories.

“My best memory had to be my senior year,” Bennett said.

“We were ranked the number two team in the nation and everyone who came across us went home empty-handed. We also beat three of the top five teams in the nation.”

He was also selected to play in the Signature All-Canadian Showcase as a senior. The game features the top-ranked junior and senior Canadian players. The showcase is an

NBA-certified event and also featured Duke’s star freshman, RJ Barrett.

“Participating in the Signature All-Canadian game was a blast,” Bennett said. “It was my last time ever playing on Canadian soil and just the atmosphere was crazy. I had a lot of family and friends attend that game, but it was really good to be able to play in front of my hometown crowd one last time.”

When it came to choosing a place to play at the collegiate level, Bennett was won over by UCA’s atmosphere of support and the team’s style on the court.

“What made me pick UCA was definitely the coaching staff and the fast-pace style of play — but also the background of the team, how it’s like a family, and that’s where I felt most comfort.”

Bennett has found that some of his expectations for college basketball were spot on, but some things caught him off guard. Bennett said the traveling was the biggest curveball for him, but the skill level of the game was what he anticipated.

Although many believe he is having a good freshman year, Bennett believes he could be playing even better. He also

acknowledged consistency as the biggest adjustment when playing at the collegiate level.

“All the time, every practice or game, I need to be locked in, because, the way our conference is, anyone can win or lose on any given night,” Bennett said.

Bennett has also built a good rapport with his teammates due to his desire to work hard and ability to adapt quickly.

“Khaleem is a very unselfish player and is someone everyone wants to play with because he will do whatever it takes to win,” teammate and sophomore guard DeAndre Jones said. “He was kind of forced to adjust quickly to the college level but with the type of player he is, it didn’t take long for him to get comfortable.”

Jones also said he admires Bennett’s willingness to take criticism and grow from it. He also believes it will make him better in the long run.

Bennett said he feels, during his time at UCA, his defense has improved the most and he takes pride in stopping his opponents.

Bennett said he has aspirations of playing professionally in the NBA and traveling the world.

D O M I N AT I O N C O N T I N U E S

Sugar Bears earn third straight double-digit win

by Lisa Sullins Staff Writer

The Sugar Bears (10-12, 5-7 SLC) pulled away for a 77-58 win in the fourth quarter against the Houston Baptist University Huskies (7-14, 2-9 SLC) Feb. 13 in Houston, Texas.

Senior guard Antonija Boxic and junior guard Maddie Goodner sparked a 10-0 run to begin the fourth quarter with consecutive 3-pointers.

This gave the Sugar Bears the kickstart they needed to pull ahead of the Huskies late in the game.

“Houston Baptist was bigger than us, but we handled their size very well,” Boxic said. “Even though they cut our lead to only 5 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter, we played our best when it mattered the most and managed to build on our lead once again to end the game.”

Senior forward Alanie Fisher came out with a pair of free throws while freshman forward Alana Canady was busy

pushing the lead to 15 points with a bucket win that enabled the Sugar Bears to obtain a fifth consecutive win over Houston Baptist.

“We struggled a bit in the first half with our offensive and help side [defense],” Goodner said. “At halftime, we had to refocus and adjust to their offenses, and after halftime we started to make a run. This was a great win, and we will continue to work hard for next week’s games,” Goodner said.

Senior guard Kamry Orr lead the Sugar Bears, as she recorded her second double-double, ending the game with 18 points and 11 assists. She did not stop there, however, taking five steals in the game.

Junior center Alexyse Thomas scored 12 points and five rebounds while Boxic added 8 points and three assists.

Goodner also contributed 6 points and two rebounds.

Canady scored 16 points, notching her third game in the double digits. Fisher, not far behind, scored 11 points and

grabbed six rebounds in the game.

“Everyone just came together and trusted each other.

It was a team win,” Orr said.

The Huskies held the advantage over the Sugar Bears in height.

They had seven players who were at least six feet tall, while UCA had only two.

However, UCA and HBU both earned 32 points in the paint.

“We have been preparing these last few days for HBU. It has been tough because their height is across the board,” Goodner said.

The Sugar Bears have now won four of their last six games.

“I am so proud of the continued team ball from the Sugar Bears,” associate head coach Greg Long said. “We hit some adversity during the game, and they really came together and got over the hump.”

Long said they got a lot of production out of many players, and that they are all going to build on the win and work hard to get ready for McNeese State Feb. 20 in the Farris Center.

photo by DJ Jones

On Feb. 13, UCA sophomore forward Jared Chatham (24) shoots a free throw in a tight game against HBU at the Farris Center. The Bears fell to the Houston Baptist Huskies 75-71 with senior Thatch Unruh leading the Bears in scoring with 22 points.

Men’s basketball comeback falls short once again

by DJ Jones Staff Writer

The Bears (10-15, 5-7 SLC) were defeated by Houston Baptist (9-14, 5-7 SLC) 75-71, Feb. 13 after another late comeback fell short in the second half.

This gave UCA its fifth consecutive conference loss and seventh this season.

The Bears started the game slow, trailing the Huskies 41-31 at the halftime break. The Bears continued to struggle in the beginning of the second half as HBU built the lead to 16 points midway through the half.

However, the Bears were able to go on a late run and tie the game at 71 with a pair of free throws and only a minute left on the clock.

The Huskies regained the lead on a 3-point shot from sophomore guard Ian Dubose with 34 seconds left on the clock, giving them a 74-71 lead over the Bears.

The Bears attempted three shots in the final seconds of the game, but were unable to

Tennis:

Sports Editor

4 Continued from page 7 both good teams and it would require our best to defeat them,” Van Heerden said.

Coach Casey Wharton wants the team to always remain level-headed and never get too high or too low.

“I don’t want them to change how they play based on

FA S T - S L O P I N G G R E E N S

The men’s golf team finished tenth at the Anteater Invitational, Feb. 11-12, hosted by the University of California at Irvine.

The challenging course played a role in some of the Bears’ difficulties and made it tough for the players to adjust.

“We struggled on the fast sloping greens,” coach Steven Runge said. “We had too many 3 putts and some guys had a tough time adjusting to the ball spinning back so much. The course also had a lot holes with OB in play and we hit too many OB.” In the opening day, freshman Spencer Jenkins found himself just outside of the top 25 at 151 (+7) while fellow freshman Brett Daughdrill provided a bright spot for the team, hitting 17-18 green in the

opening round.

The team struggled through the second day of the event, scoring 307 (+19). Daughdrill finished with a score of 77 (+5) on the day, earning him

PICK WHERE YOUR DONATION GOES.

the team could not bring home the win.

“I feel like we missed out on defensive rebounding. We gave them too many second-chance shots because of that. We also had trouble stopping the ball throughout the game,” Bennett said.

“I honestly think the biggest take away from [losing] and not taking the lead is that we did not shoot the ball very well as a team the whole game,” Bennett said.

Chatham also said the team has to do a better job on the glass and on the defensive end.

“I think our defense and rebounding was more important this game than our offense,” Chatman said. “If we had done a better job on the glass, then we would have given ourselves a much better chance to win this game.”

The Bears will play their next game against McNeese State University at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 20 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where they hope to break this five-game losing streak.

Team looks to maintain a level head

Men’s golf team struggles adjusting to curvy courses

by Marcus McClain

connect any of the attempts.

UCA shot 37 percent from the field, and a low 25 percent from behind the 3-point line.

The team grabbed 47 rebounds and had five steals.

Senior guard Thatch Unruh lead the team in scoring with 22 points, grabbing four rebounds and swiping two steals.

Sophomore center Hayden Koval was next in scoring, nearly completing a triple-double, with 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks. Sophomore forward Jared Chatham added 13 points and eight rebounds.

The Huskies shot 38 percent from the field and 42 percent from behind the 3-point line, while also grabbing 43 rebounds and having 12 steals.

Leading HBU in scoring was sophomore guard Ty Dalton with 21 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Dubose was right behind him with 19 points and eight rebounds, and senior guard Braxton Bonds added in 11 points for the Huskies.

UCA freshman guard Khaleem Bennett said defensive rebounding was a big reason

a top 30 finish in his first collegiate tournament during championship season. UCA’s next action will be March 11-12, at the University of South Florida Invitational.

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a score. I don’t want to be able to tell if they are winning or losing based on their score,” Wharton said.

“If they do their best during warmups and during practice, I feel like it would make it easier to do their best even when they have the lead in a game.”

The women’s tennis team will go toe-to-toe Feb. 23 with the University of Missouri Tigers.

They’ll be back in action Feb. 24 in a battle of the Bears as UCA faces off with Missouri State University in a showdown that is sure to be thrilling.