Issue 20, Volume 113, Publication Date--March 6, 2019

The Echo

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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March 6, 2019 Volume 113 — Issue 20

ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST

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Staff Writer

I N T E R N AT I O N A L Argentinian girl’s grant for abortion unhonored

A judge granted permission Feb. 26 for an 11-year-old Argentinian rape victim, who was 23 weeks pregnant, to receive an otherwise illegal abortion that she had requested weeks earlier.

Medical staff at Eva Peròn Hospital in Argentina refused, citing themselves as “conscientious objectors.”

Instead, they performed a micro C-section after the girl was sedated, deciding it was a safer option than terminating the pregnancy.

The baby is currently hospitalized with a low chance of survival.

N AT I O N A L Man seized for assault over free speech signs The University of California Police Department arrested a suspect in an assault case Feb. 19.

Hayden Williams, a representative of a conservative training organization called the Leadership Institute, was in Sproul Plaza displaying signs — some ­­ that read “This is MAGA Country” — and helping a campus ­ group recruit members when he was allegedly attacked by suspect Zachary Greenberg. Neither were UC students. In the 1960s, students protested for greater political expression in Sproul Plaza, known now as the birthplace of the Free Speech movement.

Police said the case will be presented to the Alameda County district attorney.

Officers not charged for shooting unarmed man Prosecutors said March 2 that two Sacramento police officers who fatally shot unarmed black man, Stephon Clark, on March 18, 2018, would not be charged because of reasonable belief that Clark was a threat to their lives. Clark was carrying only his cell phone when officers shot him in his grandmother’s backyard.

Involved officers Terrance Mercadal and Jared Robinet were placed on administrative leave after the shooting, but both were back on duty a few weeks later.

A Blaney Hill resident’s discovery of a skull in Conway Feb. 18 led to the discovery of other remains that have now been identified as Derek Keller, who was reported missing in 2017 at 36 years old. A wallet, clothes and various items were also found in the wooded nearby area.

Authorities do not know how long the remains had been there; however, the police do not suspect foul play.

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

The BIG Event gives UCA students volunteer opportunities.

Conway’s newest miniature traffic circle’s construction is lowering sales for businesses nearby.

The City of Conway began the process of constructing its 27th roundabout at the intersection of Chestnut, Van Ronkle and Markham streets in downtown Conway in February.

In the past few years, Conway has built numerous traffic circles.

“Roundabouts are safer than traffic signals,” director and engineer for the City of Conway Transportation Department Finley Venson said.

This may be why Conway has built so many in recent years.

Roundabouts are safer and quicker, but the construction needed to build them can negatively impact nearby businesses.

Before the construction of the roundabout at Chestnut, Van Ronkle and Markham, this intersection was a four-way stop.

Due to the construction, the road is currently gravel, making it difficult for cars to drive past each other at this location.

Some of the businesses impacted by the construction include Sporty Runner, Central Arkansas Trophies and the Stitcher’s Garden.

The construction makes it more difficult for customers to

photo by Chirstine Nichols

Construction workers drive equipment down Chestnut street toward Main street at Feb. 28 in downtown Conway. Parts of Van Ronkle and Chestnut streets are closed for an indefinite amount of time, according to the City of Conway Transportation Department.

get to these businesses.

“It has definitely led to a decrease in traffic,” Sporty Runner manager Don Starr said.

Less people are coming into the store, which leads to less revenue.

However, the construction is not lowering the traffic to all the businesses near

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will not stop them from coming to the store.

“We do have a lot of people who complain,” Everett said.

Many of their customers are older, they have to walk around police tape to get to the shop and they are unable to park in handicapped parking close to the store.

Parking is also an issue for the employees at these businesses. They have to park far away from their businesses each day.

Starr said the timeline for when the construction will be finished is up in the air.

“One of the things that impacted the timeline is the discovery of the culvert that runs under the street and under buildings here on Van Ronkle street,” Starr said.

According to Cambridge English Dictionary, a culvert is “a pipe for waste water that crosses under roads.”

Starr said when the city inspected the culvert, it discovered some of the supports had collapsed. The city is having to revise its construction plans to deal with the repair of the culvert that sits underneath these buildings.

“Once all the construction and everything is complete, it will be very nice,” Starr said.

Starr said the street-scaping will match what has already been done to other parts of downtown.

The businesses were aware that this construction would occur before it started. The plan has been ongoing since June 2018.

The roundabout is not the only area undergoing construction. Starr said the City of Conway is also rebuilding Chestnut and Van Ronkle streets.

H E A LT H

Counseling staff overwhelmed with students Posters advocating against

by Lauren McCabe News Editor

During a Feb. 12 meeting of the UCA Faculty Senate, a discussion arose about an issue that many students or faculty may not be aware is happening in the Student Health Center: The number of students being seen in the Counseling Center is at an all-time high.

With 999 students having registered to meet with a counselor as of fall 2018 — close to double the number of the year prior — the center is struggling to accommodate the needs of all the students, faculty and staff.

The concern has been a topic of discussion for Faculty Senate executives — specifically, vice president of Finance and Administration Diane Newton, adjunct instructor of psychology Susan Sobel and vice president for Student Services and Institutional Diversity Ronnie Williams since fall 2018.

The increase has been attributed to a “nation-wide trend,” according to a statement provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs Patricia Poulter gave during that Feb. 12 meeting.

Poulter said that this trend is “partly due to the fact that people are more aware of the availability of treatment and [partly because] more people are willing to speak up and seek help.”

According to a survey compiled by the American Psychological Association, 1 in 3 college students struggle with their mental health. The most common mental illness noted in

the survey was major depressive disorder, with 21.2 percent of respondents “experiencing lifelong symptoms.”

During the meeting, Faculty Senate members expressed their concerns over the Counseling Center’s potential inability to meet the growing demand for services.

“If you do an exam and you find a lump in your breast, hopefully you are going to go check it out,” assistant professor of Exercise and Sport Science Thomas Lowder said. “But how do you check a lump in your head if something’s bothering you? People won’t have a problem saying ‘oh, I need to go see my doctor’ because they have a chest cold, but not everybody will go seek help for a mental illness.”

Lowder said that he has witnessed the increase in students visiting the Counseling Center for general or academic-related stress.

“As faculty, we do look out for our students. A lot of faculty have one-on-one meetings with students all the time, just because we want to see, not only how they are doing in class, but sometimes we’ll notice something is just not right,” Lowder said. “You can see these things when students are really happy one day and then the next day this person is not their normal, happy self. We always try to check on them if we see something wrong and chat with them.”

With the influx of students seeking out resources at the Counseling Center, many faculty members are also concerned about what resources are in

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the construction. The store Stitcher’s Garden, which sells crochet supplies, has had minimal impact due to the construction.

“We’re a destination shop,” Stitcher’s Garden employee Timsey Everett said.

Everett said if people want to crochet, then the construction

RESOURCES

Index: 4Police Beat 4People of UCA

4 page 7

by Rose McGarrity

FROM THE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

WHAT’S AHEAD

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Roundabout construction hurts local businesses

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S TAT E Skeletal remains found

Men’s Basketball: Bears dribble away seven-game winning streak

‘Greta’: New horror film highlights disturbing friendship

Miss Essence 2019 : Junior Paris Robinson wins crown, $1000 scholarship 4 page 3

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place for the staff to seek out help for their own mental health struggles.

“We have converted a 3/4 time counselor to full time for this August and added another half-time counselor,” Poulter said. “[We are] also creating more group therapy opportunities. No one is being turned away from the Counseling Center, but a new EAP [Employee Assistance Program] will help employees have access to counseling services without adding costs to insurance.”

According to the EAP in place at UAMS, the program “provides counseling, information and referral (if indicated) for employees, including spouses and dependents, who experience some form of personal distress.”

“They are seeing more therapy and medication-related needs without having more staff to handle those needs,” Poulter said.

Senator Amber Wilson chimed in to say that some students seem to be more open to seek help.

“Some of the cultural stigma around seeking help is dropping as well,” Wilson said.

Lowder agreed with Wilson, stating that, compared to past generations, there are more resources available to those who are struggling.

“My grandfather grew up during WWII and in that generation, if you had a bullet hole in your head, you would put duct tape on it and go to

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vaping litter campus walls

by Aysha Dixon Campus Life Editor

Posters have recently surfaced around campus warning students about the dangers of e-cigarettes and vaping. For many college students, vaping has become normal at parties, bars and other social events.

According to these posters, spotted at locations like the Student Center and Torreyson Library, e-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals such as Diacetyl — which is used for flavoring — that are linked to lung cancer. The posters also state that heavy metals such as lead, tin and nickle can be found in the chemicals used in vape oils.

Some posters are more blunt, like ones titled “Vaping: liquid poison,” which includes a smoke-filled, gray background and pictures of children with cigarettes. These posters state that more than 7,700 flavors of e-cigarettes and vape oils exist, including fruity and sweet flavors that appeal to children.

Organizational logos such as those of the Department of Human Services, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and the Food and Drug Administration are all listed as sources for the poster’s information.

According to the CDC’s website, although e-cigarettes expose users to fewer harmful chemicals than burned cigarettes, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine — the addictive chemical found in cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products. Nicotine can

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harm developing adolescents’ brains by damaging the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control.

The website also contradicts the idea that vaping is not the act of inhaling harmless ‘water vapors,’ as sometimes advertised, because the ‘vapors’ are actually aerosols that users breathe in through the device and exhale. These aerosols can contain harmful and potentially-harmful substances, including: Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, volatile organic compounds and cancercausing chemicals.

Juul pens, the most popular type of e-cigarette, now claim about 68 percent of the $2 billion e-cigarette market, according to the National Center for Health Research.

The Juul’s sleek and discrete design makes it popular among young adults, in addition to the fact that the e-cigarette can be charged via a USB port within an hour. Juul’s flavor varieties include creme brulee, fruit melody and cool mint.

Posters were also posted in dorms across campus.

Freshman James Allen, a Bernard Hall resident, has been using a Suprin Air vaporizer since last summer.

“I don’t vape as often as my friends, but I do use it more than I probably should,” Allen said. “[The posters] made me realize that I don’t know exactly what’s in the vapor that I’m smoking.”

The UCA Board of Trustees

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Students with special needs are poorly represented in Greek life.

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NEWS

Police Beat

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The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Lauren McLemore

Louden hurdles over 6-foot fence

photo courtesy of Charlotte Strickland

Student Government Association representatives and executive staff, along with several UCA administrators and professors, pose on the stairs inside the Arkansas State Capitol Feb. 28 in Little Rock. The students traveled to the Capitol to advocate for increased higher-education funding at the state level.

SGA lobbies for education funding

by Emily Gist Associate Editor

SGA representatives and executive staff traveled to the State Capitol in Little Rock and met with students from colleges around the state Thursday, Feb. 28 to advocate for increased higher-education funding at the state level.

While at the Capitol, SGA produced a resolution stating UCA advocated for more higher-education funding to help offset college funding issues present in Arkansas.

According to the 2019 Day at the Capitol Resolution, one major problem Arkansas colleges face is the Academic Challenge Scholarship. The scholarship was reduced from $5,000 for first-year students at four-year institutions to $1,000 for first-year students and $4,000 to second- and thirdyear students. The resolution advocated that the Academic Challenge Scholarship be restored to its original value.

Junior class president Cagney Kilgroe helped create the resolution that was brought to lawmakers in the Capitol.

Kilgroe said due to inflation, the cost of attending college has increased, but funding has not increased to match inflation.

“In years past, I think it was possible to make a good living, to be solidly middle-class, without a college degree, but I think that the way

the economy’s going, that’s getting harder and harder,” Kilgroe said. “College has gotten more and more and more expensive, and I do not believe that the funding that higher education institutions get from the legislature has responded proportionately to that.”

Other concerns mentioned in the resolution included: Only 22 percent of Arkansans have a college degree; only 19.7 percent of Arkansas students at public universities graduate in four years, 39 percent graduate in six years; for every $1,000 decrease in college funding, students pay $257 more in tuition and fees; and the average debt of Arkansas graduates is $30,100, with 68 percent of them acquiring student loans.

Additionally, college students face poverty and food insecurity at a higher rate than other demographic groups; therefore, more funding is necessary to offset that.

Kilgroe also said Arkansas doesn’t have as many resources as other states, and because K-12 education is required to get a certain amount of funding by law, colleges aren’t left with much.

“I just think, at the end of the day, higher education gets the leftovers, and it’s not that much,” Kilgroe said.

Director of Governmental Affairs and External Relations Jeremy Gillam helped

organize Day at the Capitol by contacting his former colleagues from the House and the Senate. He fit the students’ itinerary to his colleagues’ schedules, organizing a group of speakers interspersed throughout the day.

“The important thing for any representative or senator or elected official is being able to have that interaction with their constituents,” Gillam said. “Because of the logistics with scheduling, it’ll be more of an informal presentation, but I think that the effect will probably be greater because it’ll allow [Arkansas lawmakers] a little more time to digest what we’ve put in the resolution.”

These speakers also provided advice about how to tackle these funding issues from different angles. The speakers included: Former Speaker of Arkansas House Bill Stovall, former speaker of Arkansas House — who currently runs a lobbying firm — Robbie Wills and joint budget chair Lane Jean.

SGA then attended a House hearing in the afternoon.

Kilgroe said several students met with Arkansas Senator Jason Rapert.

“He gave us an inside look into the senate but he also talked about how he’s been a big advocate for UCA throughout the years and how education is important to him,” Kilgroe said.

TRANSITIONS

SGA anticipates new OrgSync, cafeteria changes

by Lauren Mclemore Assistant News Editor

SGA met in the lobby of Baridon Hall at 5 p.m. to add transparency to its meetings —it discussed changes to OrgSync, cafeteria hours and donations.

Senators heard from assistant vice president for Student Engagement, Leadership and Service Wendy Holbrook and coordinator of Student Organizations and University Events Hailey Canada about OrgSync’s transition to a new platform called Engage.

Co-curricular management software provider CollegiateLink recently bought OrgSync and is changing it into Engage, though its name will change. Because of UCA’s initiative to provide students with co-curricular transcripts — a feature offered

by CollegiateLink — authorities decided it was best to remain with OrgSync through its transformation rather than switch to another platform.

Co-curricular transcripts would be official documents that serve as a record for all information currently included in transcripts plus a variety of extracurricular programs students are involved in on campus. However, to be

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reflected on the transcript, the program must fall into one of the following categories: diversity and inclusion, wellness, well being and personal development, intellectual and professional development, and community engagement and service.

“The idea is that you’re learning something,” Holbrook said, regarding activities listed on the transcript. “Just participating in Big Event [and] being a chair of Big Event are certainly different things.”

The site will be shut down for at least two days beginning April 29. All student information will be moved over to the new site and leniency will be provided for things such as RSO renewals as students acclimate to the new platform.

In other news, the writing and retention fee has been eliminated and replaced with a student success fee. Other fees may also soon be added.

Additionally, the Housing and Food Services Committee conducted a reusable to-go containers survey in the cafeteria March 4 and received 327 responses, 93 percent of which voted in favor of the containers.

The Food Committee, which is a university committee, has proposed many changes for the fall including: Renovations

to the lower level of the cafeteria known as the pit, new computer systems and registers and a cafeteria hour change. If voters approve, the cafeteria will be open until 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 7 p.m. on Friday. To account for the shifts and avoid charging students more to compensate for the workers’ extra hours, Starbucks would be open until midnight instead of 2 a.m. with the exception of finals week.

SGA also discussed Einstein’s remaining open on Bear Facts Day and Bear Essentials Day and replacing Seattle’s Best Coffee with a local brand.

SGA president Joshua Eddinger-Lucero said meal plan cost will inevitably increase for the fall semester.

“While the Board of Trustees will not vote on tuition and fee changes and room and board changes until their May meeting, room and board has gone up every year, probably for the last five or six years,” Eddinger-Lucero said.

Lastly, SGA unanimously voted to allot $500 to sponsor and produce the UCA Dance Marathon March 30. It also unanimously voted to match up to $1,500 in donations toward the emergency student scholarship fund on Day of Giving March 7.

No one considers ingredients students inhale

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voted in February 2014 to ban the use of electronic cigarettes on the school’s campus and in university-owned vehicles.

The board updated the existing policy adopted in 2009 that prohibited the use of any tobacco products on campus

property to include “electronic cigarettes.”

Before aligning with Arkansas General Assembly’s legislation prohibiting the use of tobacco on public school campuses passed in 2009, UCA banned smoking within 25 feet

of its building entrances.

UCA’s Student Health Center offers referrals to specialists that can assist students in overcoming a nicotine addiction. To schedule an appointment, call (501) 450-3136.

Just before 2 a.m. Feb. 26, officer Tyler Louden pulled over a Dodge Charger in the parking lot of Second Baptist Church for driving without headlights. Louden smelled marijuana while talking to the driver, nonstudent Courtney Brown.

Officer Zachary Sanders arrived on scene as Loudon went to his patrol car to run a warrant check.

When Louden returned, Brown exited the car, yelled something indeterminable and ran toward Glen Rock Apartments. Chasing after Brown, Louden cleared a six-foot tall chainlink fence bordering the apartments and, once on the other side, drew his weapon while searching for Brown. Louden soon located Brown underneath a Jeep Cherokee. Louden put his weapon away, ordering Brown to come out from under the vehicle.

When Brown crawled out, he was detained. He told Louden he ran because he had warrants and did not want to go back to jail. During the Louden’s pursuit of Brown, passenger Curtis McNeal was held in the backseat of Sanders’ patrol unit while Sanders searched Brown’s

vehicle. Sanders found a small bag of marijuana in the Charger.

Because of his compliance, McNeal was released. Brown — who was on parole, had three active warrants and a suspended license — was charged with Fleeing on foot, Driving on a suspended license, Possession of a Controlled Substance and driving with no headlights when required. His bond was set at $1,940.00.

Intoxicated male loses pizza, vehicle In the parking lot east of the Physical Plant at 10:45 p.m.

Feb. 26, officer Justin Bishop was with student Dallas Gillihan who had come from the loading dock and was sitting on the curb with an empty pizza box beside him. Gillihan was disoriented and could not tell Bishop why he was at the loading dock.

Officer Zachary Sanders arrived and investigated the dock, where he found a large amount of pizza in a muddy puddle and wet footprints on the concrete. When Sanders returned, Gillihan was asked to stand and almost fell.

When asked where he was coming from, Gillihan answered with the name of his home town. He was then asked about the stamp, often used by

Crowded:

Bear’s Den Pizza, on his hand, and he denied being at that location.

Gillihan later admitted that he had smoked some marijuana and had three beers, but the officers did not think his answer matched his level of disorientation. When asked if someone sober could pick him up, Gillihan said yes, but when he pulled out his phone, it was dead. Gillihan told the officers he had a charger in his car, but when asked which car was his, he said the Cadillac. There were no Cadillacs in the area.

Gillihan was arrested for public intoxication.

Van runs into side of speech building Officer Kaitlyn Weber arrived to the speech pathology building around noon Feb. 26 to investigate a noise that UCA staff member Leslie George said she had heard.

Student Victoria Colbert wrote in a statement that a van had picked up a patient and, while driving away, had hit the side of the building. Colbert said the driver, whose name was Dan, got out to look at the damage and then drove off. She said Dan works for Brookside Assisted Living.

Damage included siding that had been pulled off the awning.

Cultural stigma lessens; increases demand

4 Continued from page 1 work,” Lowder said. “They didn’t talk about things, they just went on. My dad’s generation still was just ‘rub some dirt on it and go.’ But I think today it’s — and I don’t know if it’s because students are different — times are different, they have, for better or for worse, access to a lot of information.”

Lowder also hopes that the overcrowding of the Counseling Center doesn’t scare students from going and receiving help, but simply that UCA can negotiate ways to help both the overwhelmed faculty members and students.

“In universities, even if you have a lot of money, you budget

it for the year, and it turns out you need two more nurses or a psychiatrist, well, that money has to come from somewhere,” Lowder said. “It’s hard to just come up with the money. We can’t just borrow from the government, but they’re trying to get as much resources as they can over there.”

TUITION, FEES, ROOM, AND BOARD BALANCES ARE PAST DUE If you have not paid your student account bill in full or do not have an approved payment plan, you are subject to administrative withdrawal and meal plan suspension.

You have until March 13 to pay in full or make approved payment plan arrangements (60% down). Payments can be made online.

For more information, visit uca.edu/studentaccounts/payment-options/ Approved payment plans must be set up via CashNet. The Student Accounts office is available to help you, but you must contact them to resolve this matter.

If you have any questions, call Student Accounts at (501) 450-5015 or stop by the office in Bernard Hall 110 Due Date: Wednesday, March 13 165 students were removed from classes for nonpayment last Fall.

Campus Life March 6, 2019

Around Campus: Lou Holtz At 7:30 p.m. March 7 in Reynold’s Performance Hall, Lou Holtz will discuss his success as a college football coach. Holtz is the only football coach in history to have four different college teams ranked in the Top 20 poll, to take six different teams to a bowl game and to win five of those bowl games between the different teams. He was also a college footbal studio analyst for ESPN for 10 years. For tickets go to tickets.uca.edu.

Difficult Conversations At 9 a.m. March 8 at UCA Downtown, director for the UCA Center for Teaching Excellence Amy Hawkins will lead a lecture about the book “Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most.”

The book teaches a five-phase process to prepare for and navigate difficult conversations.

Hawkins will teach the process alongside other conflict resolution strategies from the book. This event is free and open to the public. To register for the event visit uca.edu/outreach/ nonprofits/.

Black History Art At 5 p.m. March 8 at UCA Downtown, The College of Fine Arts and Communication and Division of Outreach and Community Engagement will present a Black History Month Art Show. The displayed art was created by 11 UCA students who have African-American and/ or African heritage. This event is free and open to the public.

Refreshments will be provided.

For more information visit uca.edu/downtown/.

Captain Marvel At 7 p.m. March 8 at the Conway Cinemark Theatre, UCA’s Student Activities Board will host a premiere showing of the “Captain Marvel” movie. The movie will be shown privately in a theater room reserved by the SAB. UCA students could pick up two free tickets, popcorn and drink vouchers starting at 9 a.m.

March 4 in Student Center Room 206. More tickets are available.

For more information go to ucasab.com.

The BIG Event At 9 a.m. March 9 in the Farris Hall practice gym, UCA will host The BIG Event. The event, organized by UCA students, gathers students, staff and falculty from UCA for volunteer service in the Conway community. The BIG Event, has been an annual occurence since 2013. This year, at least 950 volunteers have been recruited to help complete more than 100 projects. Both indoor and outdoor tasks will be tackled including raking leaves, painting, spending time with senior citizens and organizing donated goods. For more information call (501) 425-3372.

Ballroom Movie At 7 p.m. March 10 in the Student Center Ballroom, the Student Activities Board will host a movie night. The movie, “Aquaman”, which is rated PG-13, revolves around Aquaman’s plan to defeat his power-hungry brother, King Orm of Atlantis. Pizza, drinks and door prizes will be available.

The event is free and open to the UCA community. For more information visit ucasab.com.

Internship Baquet At 4:30 p.m. March 12 in the Student Center Ballroom, UCA’s Career Services and Cooperative Education will host the 13th Annual Internship Banquet.

Students with at least a 2.75 GPA and an anticipated graduation date between December 2019 and August 2020 qualify to attend the event and network with companies looking for interns. A free meal will also be provided. Call (501) 450-3250 to reserve your seat.

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Pageant proves entertaining, empowering

By Dy’Kajeon Brown Online/Social Media Editor

As one of the final events scheduled for Black History Month, the Students for the Propagation of Black Culture hosted an out-of-this-world pageant to crown UCA’s 2019 Miss Essence: junior Paris Robinson.

SPBC coordinated the 43rd annual Miss Essence Pageant at 7 p.m. March 2 in Reynolds Performance Hall, with this year’s theme being “Interstellar: Queens Among the Stars.”

The pageant was designed to promote black excellence and to uplift women of color.

The pageant’s four contestants were sophomore Tanna Jackson, junior Wendy Magbanua, junior Paris Robinson and sophomore Allie Montgomery. The four contestants competed in four categories, including Swimwear, Talent, Evening Gown and Questionnaire.

Two of the four categories — swimwear & questionnaire — accounted for 15 percent of the overall score.

Before the show, Montgomery discussed what made her want to enter the pageant and why should she be crowned Miss Essence.

“I decided to join the pageant to be brave and get out of my comfort zone while taking advantage of the opportunity to grow and network,” Montgomery said. “I believe I should win because I’m humble. Even if I don’t win the crown, I will still be a winner at heart to myself, because all the hard work, time and bonds I’ve built are reward [enough].”

To start the show, SPBC executive members — president and senior Chizobam Eze and historian and junior Fernando Johnson — welcomed the fairly large crowd to the event, then asked the audience to stand for the Negro National Anthem and

Photo by Dy’Kajeon Brown

[Left to right] Sophomore Allie Montgomery, junior Paris Robinson, sophomore Danielle Mcdonald, junior Wendy Magbanua and sophomore Tanna Jackson pose for a photo together after Robinson has been crowned Miss Essence 2019 March 2 at Reynolds Performance Hall. Robinson expressed that she is excited for what the future will bring as she enters a new chapter of her life.

prayer. Eze then introduced the host of the night, UALR alumna and award-winning journalist Stephanie Jackson.

The contestants made their way to the stage where they performed a small dance number to Grammy-nominated song “All The Stars” by rapper Kendrick Lamar and singer SZA from the soundtrack album for the film “Black Panther.”

Afterward, reigning-queen sophomore Danielle McDonald introduced the contestants and had them each share a small autobiographical blurb before the first event, which was swimwear. The contestants sported their best swimwear attire on stage, a task that requires a great amount of confidence.

Between events, there were small entertainment segments.

The first entertainment slot was a skit inspired by characters Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson from the 2016 movie “Hidden Figures,” which is based on the true story of pioneering black, female mathematicians and their work

for NASA. The performers gave information about the famous mathematicians’ contributions to black history. The characters were portrayed by freshman Kaylin Lenise, freshman Jalisa McCray and junior Pansy Johnson.

The second event was talent. Jackson performed a dramatic monologue titled, “Every fat girl’s poem.”

Magbanua performed a Vietnamese fan dance to “Reflection” by Lea Salonga from the Disney movie Mulan.

Paris performed a speed painting, and Montgomery performed her rendition of “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus.

The next entertainment segment of the night was a dance performed by the dance troupe, Anonymous, of Philander Smith College, with an Historically Black College or University Majorette-style dance. After the intermission, the evening wear segment began. Contestants showcased their most beautiful evening gowns. The contestants also had male escorts. Following the completion of the evening wear

segment, the final even began: the questionnaire.

McDonald called the contestants to the stage where each contestant randomly selected a question from a bowl, each giving her best answer in her final attempt to claim the title of Miss Essence.

Before the awards were announced, Anonymous performed again. This time to Ariana Grande’s “God is a Woman,” taking a more angelic, ballet-style approach.

Following the amazing dance, McDonald delivered a heartfelt goodbye speech, thanking SPBC and everyone who’d helped and encouraged her throughout her journey as Miss Essence and wishing the current contestants the best of luck.

Jackson emceed the award ceremony, where Robinson captured nearly every award of the night, including: Social Media, Miss Congeniality, People’s Choice and Most Ad Sales. Jackson received the award for highest GPA. Robinson won $200 in scholarship money for the individual categories that she

claimed.

Montgomery was announced to be the second runner up, and received a $300 scholarship prize. Magbanua was the first runner up and received $500. Following a drum roll and dramatic pause, the winner of the 2019 Miss Essence pageant, who would receive a $1000 scholarship, was Robinson.

After the event, Robinson described what was going through her head now that she has been crowned the 2019 Miss Essence.

“It’s really surreal and I am honored to be awarded this position,” Robinson said.

Robinson is already making plans for the future in her crown position, which includes “implementing [her] platform of Next Stop, Destination You that promotes self confidence and diversity in the community,” she said.

For more information on SPBC, follow them on Instagram @uca_spbc.

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

Singer, songwriter Lakin Saucedo’s songs explore religion opposing sexuality

by Christine Nichols Assistant Campus Life Editor

Amid the usual hustle and bustle in the Student Center food court during x-period Feb. 26, Lakin Daie Saucedo, a singer-songwriter from California, sang and played guitar.

The Student Activities Board put the event together after a convention where multiple performers showed their talents in the hope of being chosen to perform at UCA. The board picks its favorite performers and then students are surveyed to choose who they want to visit UCA. “[Lakin’s] style of music — the laid back coffee shop kind of vibe — is what we look for in musicians, especially the smaller musicians who arrive during the day, so people can eat and have nice chill music to listen to,” SAB music executive junior Kytan Tencleve said.

Saucedo sang “Echoed Love” and “Silent Conversations” from the album she is currently producing.

Her newest album, also called “Silent Conversations,” will be released as a series of singles — one per month — and then released as a complete album this fall.

The album will center

Photo by Taylor Sone

Singer/songwriter Lakin serenades students Feb. 26 at the Student Center Food Court. Her performance included clever and soulful mashups of hit songs as well as selections from her own body of work, which she writes, arranges and produces herself.

around Saucedo’s experience as a religious woman who fell in love with another woman.

“Echoed Love” was January’s single release and “Silent Conversations” was released in February.

“The theme of [the Silent Conversations] album is kind of saying a lot of things that I maybe previously never would have said out loud or written because they were more vulnerable or just hard things to

talk about,” Lakin said.

While she sang, Lakin also played guitar and utilized a three-track loop station. The loop station allowed her to imitate the presence of a full band while performing as a solo artist.

At the end of her performance, Saucedo gave one free T-shirt away to a member of the audience who had become a recent social media follower.

Lakin intertwined parts of songs to create unique covers.

She sang parts of the song “Baby” by Mariah Carey before slipping into “You Gotta Be” by Des’ree and ending with “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. The three songs, which seem very different at first, joined seamlessly with Saucedo’s superb transitions.

Lakin also sang “Unsure” — her favorite song from her previous album, “If Night Turns to Daylight.” Part of the chorus “I’m screaming from the depths of my soul, I’m there where you are and I won’t let go” exemplifies the struggle Lakin went through while she was dating her wife.

In March, Lakin plans to release a Spanish song, “A Mi Lado”, which translates to By My Side on popular digital platforms, such as YouTube, Spotify, and Amazon Prime.

“You know, I’m not fluent in Spanish, it’s one of the reasons why I wanted to attempt to write a song in Spanish,” Lakin said.

Lakin’s paternal grandmother was a native Mexican and first-generation American.

Lakin said her grandmother didn’t teach all of her kids Spanish because she wanted them to speak English and assimilate into American culture.

Music has always been a big part of Lakin’s life.

“I’ve always been surrounded by music,” she said.

“It comes very naturally to me.”

While some students ignored Lakin’s live performance — one young man even sat directly beside the stage, wearing headphones and watching a video on his phone — a few others were paying attention. One girl sang along as Lakin finished her performance with another trio of covers mixed into a three minute song.

“Rather Be” by Clean Bandit turns into “American Boy” by Estelle which transforms into George Michael’s “As.” “I’ve been so appreciative of the opportunity to do this. I just love doing shows for college audiences because I feel like they connect in a way that other people might not be able to,” Lakin said.

PERFORMANCE

Actors exhibit genuine connection through UCA Theatre’s production of ‘Lungs’

by Rose McGarrity Staff Writer

The UCA theater department presented the play “Lungs” at the Snow Fine Arts Center at various times between Feb. 21 and Mar. 2.

The play was directed

by Rebekah Scallet who is a lecturer at UCA and a producing artistic director for the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre.

Seating for the play was on top of the stage, which allowed the audience members to see all the facial expressions of the actors during the play.

“I was really excited about the challenges it presented from the theatrical standpoint,”

Scallet said. “The script specifies that there can’t be any seatery or props. You’re not allowed to use lighting to tell passage of time or change of scene.”

Scallet said the script didn’t indicate when scenes should start or end or where the time shifts, but she looked at production photos of other performances of “Lungs” to get an idea of what the play could look like.

The play only had two characters, which were played by freshman Chris Millham and freshman Julia Dabdub. Neither character had a specified name in the play.

The two characters were in a relationship throughout most of the play. The production

started when the male character told his significant other that he wanted them to have a kid together, which led the female character to start freaking out.

It may have seemed like the female character was overreacting, but she realized how big of a decision deciding to have a child is.

“I am a mom myself. I have two kids. A lot of the things the characters talked about and went though were conversations I had with my husband when we were going through that process,” Scallet said.

The play was full of emotion. The two characters experienced a plethora of emotions from anger to fear.

During one scene, Millham’s

character cried.

At the end of the play, the male character found out the female character, who is now his ex, was pregnant. At this point in time, the male character was engaged to another woman.

“The first time I read through the script, I cried,” Dabdub said.

The preparation for the play lasted about two months.

The actors got the script over Christmas break, when they started memorizing it.

A great deal more than memorizing lines went into the preparation of this play.

“We really went into why we were saying the things [we were saying and why] we were doing what we were doing,” Millham said

In order to act well together, the two actors had to form a strong bond.

“We had already been really good friends, but the type of connection we had to build was extremely different,” Dubdab said.

Millham said they had to learn each other’s tempos and when to cut each other off.

Balancing preparing for the play on top of doing their school work was difficult.

“I don’t think I fully grasped on how to balance it in a good way,” Dubdab said.

UCA Theatre’s next performance will be “Next to Normal” at 7:30 p.m. on April 11, 12, 18, and 19 and at 2 p.m. on April 13 and 20.

ucanews.live

CAMPUS LIFE

March 6, 2019 /4

Renowned Step Afrika! dance troupe performs

by Ronak Patel Staff Writer

UCA’s Student Activities Board hosted Step Afrika! — a professional dance company dedicated to the art of stepping.

Step Akrika!’s stepping is a combination of historically African-American fraternities’ and sororities’ dances mixed with traditional African dances.

SAB pop culture chair and sophomore J’me Eddinger helped bring Step Afrika! to UCA through the National Association for Campus Activities conference.

“We go to NACA every year and we actually got to see them over the fall semester. We got to see them do a little part of [the performance], because they were limited with their time on stage,” Eddinger said. “We’ve tried to bring them here before.

This is just something we finally wanted to do for diversity. This is the first step show we have done.”

Freshmen Afeley Maduro enjoyed watching Step Afrika!, and especially enjoyed seeing the dancers’ costumes.

“It was pretty entertaining. I don’t want to get into stepping, but I enjoy watching and going to step shows,” Afeley said. “My favorite part of the show was

when the dancers danced in African costumes.”

Step Afrika!’s impact goes beyond the stage. Step Afrika! has created a curriculum to help students learn valuable skills. It creates lesson plans with dancing in hopes of helping younger students learn things like teamwork, discipline and commitment.

In addition, Step Afrika! applies dancing to its curriculum to teach older students the history of percussive African dance practices.

The beauty of Step Afrika! is that it conveys more than a form of dancing. The dances the group performs are beautiful, but the story behind each dance is what makes the show special. The stories range from sharing experiences about African miners to the experience of a young boy trying to win a girl’s love.

The dances they perform tell these stories to the audience and members of the audience are even chosen to take the stage and help be a part of the story. Step Afrika! is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Step Afrika! has been nationally recognized for its work. They have received the 2005 Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education award, the

What is the best “UCA event you’ve been to? ” Story by Christine Nichols Photos by Taylor Sone

photo by Ronak Patel

Step Afrika! use stepping to tell stories to the Ida Waldran audience Feb. 28. Step Afrika! has performed for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

2008 Innovation in the Arts award, the 2012 Excellence in an Artistic Discipline award, the 2008 Outstanding New Work award, the 2011 Pola Nirenska Award for Contemporary Achievement in Dance, the 2010 Outstanding Group Performance award and in 2009 the group was named as DC’s Cultural Ambassador.

Step Afrika! has also had the honor of performing at the White House for President

Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

For anyone interested, Step Afrika! is an open organization that wants to help the community. Step Afrika! provides scholarships for college students and even organizes classes to help students learn the art of stepping. More information can be found at stepafrika. org/arts-education/summercamp/.

SKITS

Vagina Monologues: somewhat controversial, somewhat educational

by Sarah Coleman Staff Writer

Self-proclaimed UCA feminists joined theater majors to explore the humors and truths surrounding vaginas and violence.

The UCA Feminist Union collaborated with the Theatre Honor Society Alpha Psi Omega to bring The Vagina Monologues to life Feb. 27-28 in the Student Center Ballroom.

Students performed skits, and pussy pops and artwork were sold. All profits went to the Women’s Shelter of Central Arkansas and V-Day. V-Day is the foundation that created The Vagina Monologues series. V-Day is also a global activist movement in which the main goal is to end violence against women and girls. The UCA Feminist Union defines woman or girl as an inclusive term reflecting all those who were assigned and/or identify as a woman or girl.

Sophomore president of the UCA Feminist Union Bri Vongvilay discussed the benefits that performing the somewhat-controversial skits hold to students and community members.

“Acting is an art form and, on top of that, all profits earned go straight to charity,” Vongvilay said.

As a president within the Feminist Union, Vongvilay described the Feminist Union as a big family where its members support and empower each other.

“Feminism is important because it’s not about being

photos by Lauren McCabe

[Top] Sophomore Kristen Rasmussen performs The Vagina Workshop on Feb. 27. Junior Sara Rudisill and Rasmussen perform Not-So-Happy Fact on Feb. 27. The Vagina Monologues featured several individual and group monologues with a diverse range of female characters.

better than anyone; it is about equality and empowerment and social justice,” Vongvilay said.

Multiple organizations were responsible for the contributions that made The Vagina Monologues possible.

Among these were associate professor and director of Gender Studies Taine Duncan, Planned Parenthood, The

STUDENTS SAY

Arkansas Ovarian Cancer Coalition and the Faulkner County Coalition for Social Justice.

The event also included a silent art auction, for which 18 students submitted artwork to be sold to benefit the Women’s Shelter and V-Day. The art on sale was mostly themed in relation to women and social justice.

Sophomore Hannah Mae Llubido went to The Vagina Monologues to support her friends and because she believes topics related to women are important. Llubido most closely related to a performance titled “The Lists” because she thought every topic covered was accurate.

“What I really got out of the performance is how they portrayed human anatomy. It made me feel more proud to be a woman,” Llubido said.

Like Vongvilay and many others who went to the performances, Llubido also considers herself a feminist.

“I consider myself a feminist because [my involvement] helps the women in today’s society know that feminism isn’t bad, and it opens the eyes of those who believe it is wrong,” Llubido said.

The Vagina Monologues focused on body positivity and a plethora of other issues relating to women today.

Sex positivity, rape, physical functions of the vagina, abuse, gender transitioning and other themes surrounding the vagina were all brought up within the performances.

In addition to these, the event discussed the practice of clitoral hoodectomy in other countries and cultures.

The Vagina Monologues were not only meant to empower women, but to also bring to light issues relating to violence and ignorance around the topic of vaginas.

For future, similar events, follow the UCA Feminist Union on Instagram at @ucafemistunion.

Senior Nick Palmer

Freshman Micayla Landry

“That’s a tough one. I always look forward to Fall Fest. There’s rides, candy, the booths that they have to get things made. It’s arguably the best break you can get during the thick of the fall semester.

[Wild N’ Out] was something that I feel like it’s the one time they really hit the nail on the head because a lot of people watch Wild N’ Out. “

“My favorite event would probably have to be the baseball games or one of [Alpha Sigma Tau’s] functions like MistleTall or Stupid Cupid. All of our sorority sisters go and we all bring dates and we just dance — and eat before — and we just get to spend a lot of time together. “

Sophomore Shaundrayia Cash

Senior Michael Long

“Um ... I liked the Greek Step Show. That was one of the best events I’ve been to. It was mostly for Greek support but you could kind of feel like it was everybody — like everybody knew the songs and there was a lot of crowd interaction.”

“That’s a good question.

The best event I’ve been to is UCA’s Dance Marathon.

It essentially happens every year in the spring.

The goal is to raise money for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, but it is a student-led organization.

It’s more than just a dance.”

Sophomore Inh Dang

Freshman Taylor Webb

“There was a concert in Reynold’s last semester, Ten Tenors, and a show called Chicago. The show was pretty good. It was funny, and the concert by Ten Tenors had good music.”

“Um, the best UCA event I’ve been to would be …

I guess a basketball game.

The big games against the bigger schools. They’re just fun.”

PEOPLE OF UCA

Joshua Eddinger-Lucero

by Emily Gist Associate Editor

Junior and SGA Executive President Joshua Eddinger-Lucero has cooked in the kitchen with his grandmother since he was 3 years old — for a total of 19 years. Eddinger-Lucero said he spends what little free time he has between classes and his SGA presidential duties cooking new recipes.

Eddinger-Lucero said once he saw a recipe online that required him to make brownies out of a homemade cake recipe that didn’t require baking.

“I remember thinking, ‘I don’t know how this is going to work,’” Eddinger-Lucero said.

“I remember thinking, ‘this isn’t going to taste good and how is it going to be held together?’”

He followed the recipe as precisely as he could while watching YouTube and Facebook tutorials to make the brownie cakes. His end result: A liquid mass of strawberry mess.

“I have no idea to this day what I did that messed that thing up, but I thought

I was following it to the T in this video. Apparently, I didn’t because that stuff was liquid.”

Eddinger-Lucero said. “I ended up just baking it and making a cake.”

Despite his failure, Eddinger-Lucero managed to laugh about his experience, revealing his willingness to risk, fail and make the most of the cards he’s dealt.

Eddinger-Lucero yearned to be SGA president since he was a freshman in college.

“As a freshman, I was like, ‘I can do this, I can get on SGA, stay on SGA and work my way up to being president of the student body,” Eddinger-Lucero said.

He said he applied for SGA his freshman year and wasn’t elected. He tried again the fall of his sophomore year and again wasn’t elected. When a position opened up in the spring semester of his sophomore year, he applied again and, for the third time, wasn’t elected onto SGA. “I’m not the type of person that gives up very easily, even when defeated repeatedly,” Eddinger-Lucero said.

“Obviously, as a freshman, to run and not get elected that’s crushing, but I looked at it as ‘okay, this wasn’t my time’ and because I wasn’t elected to SGA that gave me a lot more time to dedicate to my major and looking more to my department.”

Although he wasn’t elected to SGA his freshman and sophomore years, Eddinger-Lucero focused on his double major in Family and Consumer Sciences and Public Administration with a minor in teaching and learning.

Eddinger-Lucero described Family and Consumer Sciences as the class where students are taught life skills. He said he’ll look on Facebook and see posts questioning where students learn life skills like cooking and filling taxes.

“It’s funny when I see those types of [posts] because I’m like, ‘It didn’t go anywhere.

It’s still here. It’s called Family and Consumer Sciences,’” Eddinger-Lucero said.

As a freshman, Eddinger-Lucero was elected as an officer of the American Association of Family and

Consumer Sciences as a first-time member.

His sophomore and junior year he worked as the president of the student unit of AAFCS. By his junior year, Eddinger-Lucero said he contemplated running for SGA again, and was glad he did; he was elected as College of Health and Behavioral Sciences Representative and became chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.

The spring semester of his junior year, Eddinger-Lucero filled out a form stating he would run for the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences Representative again. However, about a week before applications were due, Eddinger-Lucero decided to run for Executive President of SGA. Eddinger-Lucero said a conversation with the fall 2018 Vice President of Operations Megan McAfee pushed him to run for SGA president.

“She told me that she saw how much work and effort that I put into SGA over the past year and she knew I was going

photo by Emily Gist

Student Government Association Executive President Joshua Eddinger-Lucero returns to his desk in the SGA Office on the second floor of the Student Center March 1 after a meeting in Baridon Hall. EddingerLucero was elected SGA Executive President this year after spending one year as the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences Representative.

to make a great president and she was excited to see what was in store for me for the next year,” Eddinger-Lucero said.

“Having that motivation from her was extremely important in making the decision to run for president.”

He said this semester was the first in which he has taken

less than 18 hours throughout his college career, allowing him keep up with his course load along with his SGA responsibilities.

“It has definitely been a fun and whirlwind of a year and it is very hard to believe that it is quickly coming to an end,” Eddinger-Lucero said.

Opinion

5

ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

March 6, 2019

The Voice

The Echo Staff

Interfraternity council botched hazing scandal

Marley Cash-Powell Editor

Emily Gist

Associate Editor

Lauren McCabe News Editor

Lauren McLemore Assistant News Editor

Aysha Dixon

Campus Life Editor

Christine Nichols

Greeks should be accommodating

Assistant Campus Life Editor

Recently, I was scrolling through my organization, and to Phi Gamma Delta for Facebook feed when I came across a post helping her achieve that goal. about a girl named AnnCatherine Heigl: a Now, all-inclusive positivity aside, why student with Down Syndrome who was a do instances of exclusion happen in a sophomore at George Mason University in college environment, when the reason we Virginia. At first, I was expecting a feel-good are all here (or, at least I hope) is to better story about how a girl who was labeled as ourselves and establish friendships and someone with “special needs” was rocking networking relations? her college career. Instead, I was met with The reason that we may not hear or find a story full of rejection in a supposedly much about sororities or fraternities that inclusive environment where one shouldn’t included those with physical or intellectual exist. disabilities is clear — there aren’t many.

Heigl wanted to join a campus sorority Maybe it’s because the councils worry about how one with a disability will handle — one that her mother and sister were a certain environment, or maybe how once a part of. However, out of almost someone on the autism or Down 300 young women who rushed syndrome spectrum will interact for university sororities, she was with the current members. rejected. I sat there confused, but read on.

Well, for those who worry, I After her rejection, a public have some advice — don’t. There uproar ensued not only is a reason why people with because she did, indeed, disabilities want to join your qualify for acceptance, organizations: for friendships, but also because she the kindness you are known was turned down even for, your philanthropy with the opportunity missions, etcetera. for a legacy bid.

Whether they

by Lauren McCabe According to George are taking regular News Editor Mason University, “a classes with disability student whose mother, accommodations or are father, brother, sister or in a program that will help grandparent was a member of a particular them in their desire to become productive Greek organization” can apply for a legacy members of society, they have been bid, giving the current generation family accepted to college for a promising reason. member who wants to rush a specific bid With that being said, I have a few tips advantage over someone who is not a part for those who would like to broaden their of a legacy. sorority or fraternity membership to give But instead, George Mason and the those with disabilities a chance.

Panhellenic Council made a statement First, be open to discussing your saying that they were still in support for concerns with both your local Panhellenic diversity and inclusion. I’m sorry, what? The Council and with the student applicant who university had just allowed the opposite of has the special needs. supporting diversity and inclusion. With Next, find out how your sorority can offer higher education in general, support for safety to both the nondisabled and disabled diversity doesn’t always extend to students students in unsupervised situations — with disabilities. how would you go about hosting parties or After reading the article and seeing overnight trips? What are those extra one or the interviews with Heigl and her family, I two steps you can take to ensure the safety was flustered and confused as to how the of your entire organization? university allowed this for no real reason.

Lastly, training in communication is key.

Heigl was a star student in the courses Allowing your sorority or fraternity to take she was taking, she was a professional classes or workshops on diversity, inclusion cheerleader and she loved to work and be and interaction might make a person with included in all settings. disabilities more willing to look into and This got me thinking, “Is this happening explore your organization, which in turn on our own campus or other campuses in would give you the experience you need to the state of Arkansas?” promote positive interactions with those In my research, I only found coverage or who have special needs, not only in your mention of an instance at UCA when, in the college career, but outside in the workforce summer of 2016, DeAsia Romes of the Sigma too.

Sigma Sigma sorority, who has cerebral In short, give people a chance. You palsy, was carried up Pinnacle Mountain never know what kind of positive impact by fraternity brothers of Phi Gamma Delta you might have on them for the rest of their — and might I say, great job to both the lives, or what kind of positive impact they sorority for the inclusion of Romes in its might have on your organization.

Ryan Bradford Opinion Editor

Caela Fugate

Entertainment Editor

Marcus McClain Sports Editor

Daniel Adams

Assistant Sports Editor

Dy’Kajeon Brown

Online/ Social Media Editor

Taylor Sone Photo Editor

Ricky Rivera Cartoonist

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

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I know what you’re thinking: “Hazing?

Again?” But this is not about the hazing carried out by the members of Greek Life; rather it’s about the Interfraternity Council’s handling of and transparency about the recent Kappa Sigma hazing incident.

As previously reported throughout several articles in The Echo, the Kappa Sigma fraternity was placed on social suspension in October 2018, then investigated and subsequently placed on full suspension in November 2018.

As reported by The Echo in issue #19, the breaking of the hazing story by outside media sources a month after the investigation led our team here at The Echo to question why IFC Adviser Katie Frazier chose to deny our then-associate editor Cassidy Kendall’s inquiry into the incident’s existence — an inquiry which occurred the day after the investigation was completed in November 2018, according to the documents obtained via a Freedom of Information request.

Kendall was informed by an unnamed Kappa Sigma member at a bar that the fraternity was being suspended for four years.

She called the IFC Adviser Katie Frazier on Nov. 9 to confirm the information, but they were none-too-pleased by her inquiry, claiming that the rumor was false.

“She was like, ‘What? Um, no,’ and she acted like it was completely outrageous that I had heard that,” Kendall said. “She was like, ‘What?

No, you heard incorrect.’”

However, Frazier denied the phone call even took place.

“I never received any calls about the suspension last semester,” Frazier said.

“I received no calls from The Echo last semester.”

If the IFC was really against hazing, they went about it the wrong way.

Kendall was wrong in some aspects of the report: She was incorrect that the fraternity was suspended for four years.

But someone should have clarified that to Kendall when she called. And even though she was wrong about the suspension length, there were still investigations.

In fact, by the time Kendall called, the fraternity had already undergone investigations in October, and on Nov. 7, Student1 admitted he had lied to cover the hazing up.

All Frazier had to do was tell The Echo, ‘There’s a hazing under investigation, but I can’t give much detail beyond that,’ when Kendall called. However, by denying that a hazing was even happening, it implies Frazier was trying to hide the whole thing. Her then denying a phone call even occurred just makes the hazing event even more suspicious.

We here at The Echo stand behind the words of our veteran reporter — our previous associate editor, our UCA alumna — and frown upon Frazier’s lack of transparency. Hazing will never leave our campus if the IFC condones keeping it in secrecy.

If the IFC was really against hazing, it went about it the wrong way.

Dear millennials: Thank you ‘from the bottom of this old girl’s heart’ I am finishing my last semester here at the University of Central Arkansas. I am also a 55-year-old, nontraditional student.

To say finishing my degree now after attending college in the 1980s is a different experience would be vast understatement.

When I first returned to school, I was amazed by the difference in both the university and the many students who occupy its buildings. I totally believe my generation and older generations are at fault for ridiculing millennials and laughing at their expense, especially on social media.

I am weary of seeing memes on social media about the current generation eating Tide PODS and looking for a safe place to cry while feeling entitled.

Though it is true that all generations, to some extent, are guilty for talking proudly and sometimes boastfully about their own generations, it has gone too far.

Grown adults should know better than to make up and laugh at jokes about younger generations, especially on social media sites. I, too, as part of the pre-information age, remember

typing on a typewriter, writing letters should know better. If you are reading this and passing notes instead of sending and you are guilty of making fun of young instantaneous emails and texts. people who simply have the sense to take I even remember in 1981 taking advantage of the devices and opportunities a computer programming around them, then shame on you. class. The screen was green, When I was young, if I had a choice and the letters were black, between going through a worn-out I think. Anyway, it did not set of my parents’ encyclopedias to resemble anything compared do homework or simply clicking on to today’s technologically Google or Bing, there would be no advanced world. argument about what I, and It is rather amusing to most others, would choose. So me, going to school with why hate on them? It’s very these young people, just simple; it’s called bullying, how much things and I doubt many of you really have changed. old-timers would want To disappoint my your child treated the

by Lisa Sullins generation’s Facebook way many of you treat Staff Writer friends, it was not this younger generation. the millennials who Before I stop my rant, discovered and I want to give a sincere brought about the information age; they thank you to the many millennials who have simply benefited from it. So we make fun come to my aid, especially when it comes of them for something they didn’t discover, to technical issues and computers. I try to but grew up to dominate. And when I say learn something new about technology “we,” I am speaking of grown adults who every day, but I have a long way to go.

I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am that these people don’t judge me the way that many people from the older generations judge them. Most of the time, I don’t even have to ask for help. If someone sees me struggling, which has happened more times than I can count, oftentimes I’ve looked up — sometimes frustrated and near tears — to see a smiling face volunteering to patiently help me.

Thank you, dear millennials, from the bottom of this old girl’s heart. You have played a big part in my ability to finish my degree late in life, and you have helped to make it much more positive experience than it would’ve been without such overwhelming kindness.

If you are reading this, and you are getting red in the face, I hope the next time you are close to letting an “innocent joke” roll off your tongue about one of these amazing, goal-oriented millennials and the things they have done and will do for our world, you should think twice and bite your tongue — until it bleeds, if need be.

Have an opinion? Everyone does.

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

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

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

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

Entertainment

6

March 6, 2019

New This Week Movies

March 8 — Captain Marvel (PG13), directed by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, starring Brie Larson, Gemma Chan, Samuel L. Jackson, Lee Pace March 8 — Gloria Bell (R), directed

by Sebastián Lelio, starring Sean Astin, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Jeanne Tripplehorn March 8 — The Kid (R), directed

by Vincent D’Onofrio, starring Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Adam Baldwin

Music March 6 — Hochono House — Haruomi Hosono March 8 — There Will Be No Intermission — Amanda Palmer March 8 — Warpaint — Buckcherry March 8 — Gold In A Brass Age — David Gray March 8 — Still On My Mind — Dido March 8 — Live In London — Flight Of The Conchords March 8 — Hyperion — Gesaffelstein March 8 — This Is How You Smile — Helado Negro March 8 — A Deathrace For Love — Juice WRLD March 8 — Dusty Notes — Meat Puppets March 8 — Patty Griffin — Patty Griffin March 8 — Sucker Punch — Sigrid

Netflix March 8 — After Life (Season 1), directed by Ricky Gervais, starring Ricky Gervais, Tom Basden, David Bradley March 8 — Shadow, starring Pallance Dladla, Khathu Ramabulana, Amanda du-Pont March 8 — Saving Mr. Banks, directed by John Lee Hancock, Justin Richmond, starring Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley March 8 — Doubt, directed by John Patrick Shanley, starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams March 8 — Walk. Ride. Rodeo., directed by Conor Allyn, starring Missi Pyle, Spencer Locke, Alyvia Alyn Lind

Horror movie ‘Greta’ causes audiences to rethink good deeds

by Rafael Soliz II Staff Writer

Given what the movie’s preview showed us, “Greta” was set to be a thriller with a massive twist that would keep all of us on the edge of our seats, but it didn’t start out that way.

“Greta” immediately drops us into a scene set in a subway station where Greta’s (Isabelle Huppert) and Frances McCullen’s (Chloë Grace Moretz) lives cross paths.

The movie gives us a little background information with a quick cutscene to Frances working at what seems to be an elegant restaurant, but then it quickly cuts back to the subway.

While Frances is on the train, she notices a purse and looks at the ID to find the owner’s address. Frances brings the bag home, and though her roommate, Erica (Maika Monroe), wants to steal the money from the purse, Frances is set on returning it to the owner.

“Where I come from, that’s what we do,” Frances said.

Frances soon makes her way to a Brooklyn townhouse at the address shown on the ID She knocks on the door and Greta answers curiously.

Frances explains that she found the purse on the subway and just wants to return it.

Greta shows gratitude, inviting Frances inside to talk.

They enjoyed each other’s company, so they swap numbers and continue hanging out over the next few days and weeks. Frances opens up to Greta about how her mother had died the year before and how she was feeling lost, still trying to find herself.

Afterward, Greta comforts her.

The two also attend church together, where Frances promises to support Greta for a long time.

As the movie continues, we see Greta and Frances hanging out more and more. One night, as the two were cooking dinner together, Frances was looking for a kitchen utensil when she stumbles upon a multitude of purses in a cabinet under the counter — all the same, and all with sticky notes attached to them with different names and phone numbers.

At this point Frances becomes sketched out and leaves the dinner abruptly, leaving Greta confused as to why Frances had left.

As time goes on, Greta tries getting back in contact with Frances. She calls and texts Frances’ phone non

photo courtesy of www.thewrap.com

Frances McCullen (Chloë Grace Moretz) finds herself tangled in a web of lies after she returns a lost purse to its original owner. ‘Greta’ — released March 1 — displays a twisted story that left audiences stunned.

stop all day. She even goes to her work, where she tries to communicate with Frances, but Frances quickly shuts her down.

A very eerie scene begins when Greta shows up to Frances’ job, staring at her all day through the window from outside. Then when Frances leaves for the night, Greta follows her home, confronting Frances in an awkward scene that implies Greta may have separation issues.

“People can’t keep doing this to me,” Greta said.

Frances is scared by the situation and starts researching background information on Greta. Greta had a child named Nikola whose death made Greta very unstable and ill.

After learning this, Frances tries to make amends with Greta, while still secretly trying to get Greta to leave her alone.

She tells Greta that she is going away for a while in the hopes that Greta will find somebody else to harass by the time Frances returns.

At first, Frances appears to

C A N C E R PAT I E N T S

Netflix’s ‘Paddleton’ displays brotherly bond solidified in illness

by Macy Davis Staff Writer

Death has been addressed in various film genres through the inevitable demises of main characters; however, at the end, a miracle will often occur that either cures the dead characters of their illnesses or leaves the viewers reminiscing the good times before the deaths. “Paddleton” rejects this typical plot outcome.

Ray Romano and Mark Duplass star in the Netflix Original film “Paddleton” which aired Feb. 22. Directed by Alexandre Lehmann, the movie’s normalcy is overwhelming, and the ease with which the two friends discuss inevitable death is shocking.

“Paddleton” portrays two middle-aged men living next door to one another. Duplass’ character, Michael, discovers that he has terminal cancer with little time to live. Romano’s character, Andy, helps Michael obtain the physician-assisted suicide drugs, secobarbital followed by pentobarbital, that will kill him before he dies of cancer.

It was a risky move for the film to include

physician-assisted suicide. The topic typically yields a debate.

The only place in the U.S. that has legalized the drugs used in the film is Oregon, according to Oregon Health Authority.

Michael’s main issues with cancer are obvious — he has little to no time left to live, he wants to die while he still has his wits about him and he doesn’t want to suffer. This leads him to assisted suicide in the form of the controversial drugs.

Romano and Duplass portrayed the characters of Andy and Michael effortlessly.

Romano, specifically, did an excellent job portraying the emotions of a best friend realizing that his closest companion won’t live to see the next year.

The story drags through the first 30 minutes. Michael and Andy’s lead ordinary lives: They get up, go to work, return home and watch TV before bed.

However, despite the sluggish nature, the slower parts of the film help demonstrate the deep friendship between the two characters — specifically, in their ability to speak volumes to each other even in echoing silence.

Silence is a common

between Michael and Andy.

While some audiences might think this was a weird avenue for the director to go, real-life friendships often consist of sitting next to each other in silence.

Compared to other movies where a main character is dying, “Paddleton” depicts a realistic representation of what that might be like.

Other movies such as “The Fundamentals of Caring,” “Me Before You” and “The Fault in our Stars” have developed plots with adventure, love and excitement — even though death loomed in every scene of these movies. These other movies have elements that make the death of a character seem almost worthwhile or enjoyable.

These movies paint a picture that isn’t always true.

Average Americans can’t halt their lives on a whim, even if they find out they’re dying, and go on expensive adventures across the country.

Even if people could afford that temporary lifestyle, there would still be the likelihood of being too ill to travel at all.

“Paddleton” keeps a consistent level of comedy throughout the film, even when

photo courtesy of www.whats-on-netflix.com

Post cancer diagnosis, Michael (Mark Duplass) [right], joins with his closest friend, Andy (Ray Romano), to find a way out. The Netflix Original released Feb. 22.

Michael is at his worst stages of cancer. Just when I started to feel sad Michael or Andy would say something that brightened my spirit slightly. The jokes are always well-timed, and they aren’t ever overdone.

When Michael tells Andy he is ready to take the suicide drug, they sit on the floor preparing the medication.

Michael describes how he knew they were supposed to be neighbors and how happy he is that they lived together for so long.

Andy contemplates what Michael said.

“I didn’t want you to get the apartment,” Andy said.

“I told Barry [the landlord]

Assistant News Editorr

The first ever International Women’s Day gathering on record took place in 1911 when more than one million European men and women came together to press for women to have the right to work, vote, be trained and hold public office, attempting to end discrimination. Over the years, the globally celebrated day has grown as people from every corner of the world have come together to remember the great strides women have made throughout history and to fight

that you look like one of those guys, you know you see on the news. He’s got a freezer full of hands and feet.”

Lehmann excellently showcased the lives of two best friends while also juggling the ever-looming reality of cancer and death. He didn’t water down the angst of the situation or try to make the life of a terminal cancer patient seem luxurious. Lehmann did the opposite.

“Paddleton” gives the audience an open and honest look into what it would be like to discover your friend had only months to live.

“Paddleton” is now streaming on Netflix and rated TV-MA.

HBO

‘O.G.’ portrays prison politics, gives ‘Prison Break’ a run for its money

by Matt Smothers Staff Writer

“O.G.” brings a realism to the prison world that’s not often found in shows like “Prison Break” or the award-winning movie “Shawshank Redemption.”

Released Feb. 23, “O.G.” obtains this realism by filming in a real prison with most of the cast either being incarcerated in or the actual employees of the prison.

difficulties of adjusting to life on the outside.

Menkins adjusted well after over two decades in prison. He often jokes around with other prisoners, has a fair job in the autobody department and a guard even hints that he knows Menkins possesses a cellphone inside his cell without issue.

“O.G.” follows Louis Menkins (Jeffrey Wright), who is only five weeks away from release after serving a 24-year sentence for murder. As time looms closer to his release, Menkins starts to realize the

Menkins is soon approached by a new inmate, Dante Beecher (Theothus Carter) — Carter is an actual inmate — who tries to extort him for money for his boss, Terry (James Durham).

Menkins reveals he has an unpleasant history with Terry, because Menkins used to be in Terry’s position as a prison gang leader.

for continued equality.

In 1919, the United States gave women the right to vote, but the House of Representatives did not have a woman of color as a representative until Patsy Takemoto Mink was elected in 1964. The Senate did not have its first woman of color until Carol Moseley Braun in 1992.

In this past U.S. election, held on the 100-year anniversary of that life-changing act, a record number of 102 women of all backgrounds were elected to Congressional seats. In honor of IWD, here are four of the 131 female members of the 116th Congress.

1.Tammy Duckworth Iraq War veteran, Purple Heart recipient, former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs and current U.S. Senator for Illinois, Tammy Duckworth was elected to Senate in 2016 after serving two terms as a House Representative for Illinois’ Eighth Congressional District. In 2004, while deployed in Iraq as an Illinois Army National Guard pilot, Duckworth’s helicopter was compromised and she lost both her legs and partial use of her right arm. Her own recovery experience sparked her passion for — among other things — taking care of veterans.

It is evident that Menkins sees some of himself in Beecher and wants to steer him away from joining Terry.

Menkins runs into Beecher again later at the rec center as Beecher is walking over to Terry’s crew. Menkins tell him, “Normally I ain’t one to preach, but running with them? Ain’t no future in it.” Then, Menkins keeps Beecher out of a fight with a rival gang that erupted into a near riot. Menkins even gets Beecher a job in the autobody department to keep him busy and away from Terry’s gang.

who actually got Beecher the job in autobody department because Terry plans to use Beecher to smuggle a gun into the prison to end a growing rivalry between Terry’s gang and another prison gang. Terry urges Menkins not to intervene and warns him about what could happen if he does.

Terry eventually discovers Menkins’ influence on Beecher and meets with Menkins.

During this meeting, Menkins learns that Terry is the one

Menkins shows a tough exterior throughout the film until he enters a reform program that requires him to meet his victim’s family. He talks to his murder victim’s sister who tells him she doesn’t ever want him released from prison. Menkins shows immense remorse when he tells her he would feel the same way if he were in her position.

2. Deb Haaland The daughter of two parents who both served in the military, U.S. Representative for the First District of New Mexico, Deb Haaland — a single mother — was elected in January 2019 as one of the first Native American women in Congress. Both Haaland and her daughter are still paying off student loans.

She is also a 35th generation New Mexican. In 2014, she was the first Native American to be elected as a State Party Chair and later went to Standing Rock to join the community in advocating for natural resources and protecting tribal sovereignty against the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.

3. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez The youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 29, previously bartended in Manhattan to help supplement her mother’s income after studying economics and international relations at Boston University. She changed her major from biochemistry after her father’s death. She remembers him saying, “make me proud.” Less than a year later, she beat out representative Joe Crowley, who hadn’t had a primary challenger in 14 years, by gaining 78 percent of votes in the midterm election for representative of New York’s 14th district.

Four outstanding congressional women

List compiled by Lauren McLemore

have successfully cut ties with Greta when she returns home.

A scene shows Frances alone in her house, drinking a cup of coffee, but little did she know that Greta had snuck in the house and drugged the coffee with sedatives.

Greta then transports Frances to the townhouse where she holds her in a hidden room for days, treating her as a her surrogate child, trying to teach her languages and how to play piano, doting over her like a creepy mother figure.

Eventually Erica — who also found one of Greta’s purses on the subway — arrives at the townhouse.

Under the guise of returning the purse, Erica goes looking for Frances in an attempt to save herself.

Overall, “Greta” gives us a few twists and turns that keep the audience engaged throughout the movie. It is a solid movie with an interesting and creative plot that was played out well. Actresses Chloë Grace Moretz and Isabelle Huppert are both well-known throughout Hollywood and they play a key role in the movie’s success.

“Greta” is definitely worth the watch at Cinemark Towne Centre & XD in Conway, AR with an R rating.

When the gun finally arrives in the bumper of a car through the autobody department, Menkins can’t help but intervene because of the potential loss of a life.

“O.G.” provides a brilliant, believable and almost sympathetic story portrayal.

Wright does an excellent job delivering in his role. Though the real inmates are bad actors, that is easily overlooked because the storyline provides substance to a prison scene genre that typically stereotypes prisons as places filled with animalistic men plotting to rape and murder each other.

“O.G.” is available to stream on HBO Now or HBO Go and is rated TV-MA.

4. Ilhan Oma After she and her family fled her home of Somalia and lived in a Kenyan refugee camp for four years, Ilhan Omar moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. At 14, she was an interpreter for her grandfather at local Minnesota Democratic– Farmer–Labor Party caucuses.

Supporting politics of “moral clarity and courage,” she was elected as Representative for District 60B in Minnesota as the first Muslim legislator in U.S. history in 2016. During her campaign Omar and her team increased voter turnout by 37 percent and beat her closest democratic candidate by more than 20,000 votes of the 135,318 cast by democrats.

Sports

7

March 6, 2019

Track teams break numerous records

Upcoming Games Softball

3 p.m., March 6 at University of Memphis

by Marcus McClain Sports Editor

Men’s Basketball

6:30 p.m., March 6 at Sam Houston State University Women’s Basketball

7 p.m., March 6 vs Sam Houston State University Baseball

March 8-10 at Southeastern Louisiana University Tennis

2 p.m., March 8 at University of New Orleans

Editor’s Take

photo by Taylor Sone

Sophomore Jared Chatham scores during a fast break following a turnover during the Bears’ 92-74 victory against Stephen F. Austin State University Feb. 27 at the Farris Center. The Bears dominated the Lumberjacks, holding the lead the entire game and breaking a seven-game losing streak.

photo courtesy of The Chicago Tribune

The American Association of Football kicked off its season Feb. 9 with matches between the Orlando Apollos and the Atlanta Legends and the San Antonio Commanders and the San Diego fleet.

The AAF was established to cater to football fans during NFL’s off-season.

AAF provides alternate football for every fan

by Daniel Adams Assistant Sports Editor

As the days after the Super Bowl continue to tick by, the Alliance of American Football has filled in the gaps, providing new football teams to watch.

I’ll openly admit I’m not watching it religiously, but the AAF has been intriguing to watch over.

When initally introduced, it was exciting to learn that the teams were placed in areas like San Antonio, Memphis, San Diego and other towns that aren’t treated as major football hubs.

Other reasons I’ve been keeping a close eye on the AAF is the number of former NFL players who are in the league and also the players that just haven’t gotten a shot in the first place.

The league has given new life to career opportunities of players like Trent Richardson and Zach Mettenberger.

Richardson had been one of the most prolific draft picks in 2012; the Cleveland Browns chose him as third overall.

After tearing up the SEC, Richardson’s performance slowly declined until he left for the NFL in 2016 with the label of a ‘draft bust.’

Mettenberger, while not having as prolific of a college career as Richardson, still struggled to pick up steam in the NFL. He was a backup quarterback and bounced from team to team until he was forced out in 2016.

His bout in the NFL was just another example of someone who was unable to gain attention and beat out the other players to become a starter.

The AAF doesn’t seem like something that’s trying to outright replace the NFL. In fact, it’s lucky it’s surviving because of the financial donation it received from the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes to keep the league from running out of money before week two.

With the league in existence, it gives UCA athletes a chance to play football in places besides the NFL. It’s unclear how the AAF will do past their first year, but it would be nice to see UCA alumni able to make it big doing what they love in the world of football.

Bears fall one game out from SLC tournament, running out of time

by Rafael Soliz II Staff Writer

The UCA men’s basketball team (11-18, 6-10 SLC) started off its two game week with a 92-74 win over the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (14-14, 7-9 SLC) on Feb. 27.

With the win, the Bears moved into a four-way tie for seventh place in the Southland Conference and broke their seven game losing streak.

The Bears went into the half with a nice lead, up 49-29 after hitting seven 3-pointers.

Freshman guard Khaleem Bennett finished the half with 10 points, while senior guard Thatch Unruh finished with 13 points.

When the Bears came back from halftime, they continued their hot play, maintaining the lead throughout the game, stopping SFA from making a run.

Unruh finished the game with a team-high 20 points, while Bennett and freshman forward Eddy Kayouloud both contributed 19 points.

The Bears shot 51 percent from the field, while also shooting 46 percent from the 3-point line.

Senior guard Shannon Bogues had 23 points to lead the Lumberjacks, while junior guard Kevon Harris added 21 points.

SFA shot 40 percent from the field and only 13 percent from the 3-point line throughout the game.

The following game on March 2 was senior night for the Bears. Seniors — forward Tanner Schmit, guard Jordan Grant and Unruh — were all honored before the game.

Schmit reflected on his time here as part of the UCA men’s basketball team.

“I like the guys and how hard everyone works. I think it’s way easier to focus and be motivated in an environment where everybody else is doing the same thing,” Schmit said.

Senior night brought about a different result than the previous game, as the Bears lost to Abilene Christian University (23-6, 12-4 SLC) 67-55 in what was a close game from start to

finish.

The Bears started off hot, as they made five out of their first seven shots to put them ahead 13-3 with 15:46 left in the first half of play.

The two teams’ scores went back and forth throughout the early parts of the first half, but ACU made three 3-point shots in the last three minutes of the first half to help them obtain a 39-37 lead going into halftime.

Unruh and Schmit both had 11 points going into halftime.

The second half didn’t bode well offensively for the Bears as they only scored 18 points.

The Wildcats seemed to have kept their groove after halftime and continued their momentum throughout the second half.

Senior forward Jaren Lewis had 16 points for the Wildcats, while senior guard Jaylen Franklin poured in 12 points.

“We were trying to clog the paint so they couldn’t kick out to shooters very well. They shot a little better than we

The UCA men’s and women’s track teams rewrote several UCA records Feb. 24 and 25 at the Southland Conference Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama.

While the women finished seventh and the men finished ninth from a team perspective, the individual performances raised the bar for track athletes at UCA. Junior Markus Schweikert was able to break two records in both the 5,000and 3,000- meter runs.

His time of 14 minutes, 41.26 seconds in the 5,000-meter earned him a silver finish, while his 8:25.09 finish earned him sixth in the 3,000-meter run.

Though he was proud of his accomplishments, Schweikert still focuses on the future and wants UCA to become a staple in the Southland Conference for years to come.

“Being in the record books was always a goal, but I also want to leave a mark where others can chase and continue to push the line,” Schweikert said. “I want UCA to be a top team in the conference for years to come and excel as a team as well.”

Schweikert also said he will continue to push the UCA track program following his graduation.

“I’m looking to be a graduate assistant and keep working to hold UCA in the top numbers of the Southland Conference for as long as possible,” Schweikert said.

Junior Alex Hanson and freshman Timon Dresselhaus also set new marks for the men’s team. Hanson finished second in the 800-meter run, breaking his own record of 1:50.76. Dresselhaus was able to break a mark that has stood for nine years in the heptathlon,

finishing with 4,980 points.

For the women, junior Ajah Criner once again moved the needle in the 200-meter run.

This time, she finished with a time of 24.25 which also earned her second place in the event.

Criner, along with Victoria Campbell, Tyler Rose and Aliyah Robinson also set the new UCA record of 3:51.29 which was good enough for seventh in the event.

“It feels good to have your name in the record books; everybody wants to be able to say they were able to do something like that,” Criner said. “Everyone has been working really hard and we always make sure to push each other in practice.”

Additionally, senior Hannah Noble tied her own school record in the high jump competition with a leap of 5-07.75, which earned her silver.

The women also saw three top-five finishes in the mile run.

Senior Alejandra Ruiz finished third, sophomore Charlotte Blair came in fourth and junior Erin Woodward closed it out for the Bears in sixth.

Head coach of both the men’s and women’s teams, Richard Martin, was pleased with the both teams.

“I was real pleased with the effort,” Martin said. “We completed well and even a lot better than I thought due to some injuries and sickness we’re battling against. I wasn’t surprised about the records though because they work hard every time they’re on the track.”

Martin was also excited about the future for Dresselhaus as he continues to gain experience.

“He’s a strong young man and he’s learning. Each year he’ll compete in new things for the first time and continue to improve,” Martin said.

LAST CHANCE

See Basketball- page 8

DEFENDING HOME FIELD

Bears host Adam Brown Memorial Classic, end 10-game homestand with only 5 wins

by DJ Jones Staff Writer

The UCA softball team (11-9) had five straight home games Feb. 27 to March 2 with wins coming against Coppin State and UAPB. In the first game, the Bears were defeated by the Ole Miss Rebels 18-3.

Going into the fifth inning, the Bears trailed the Rebels 6-2, but with the Rebels getting 4 runs in that inning and 8 runs in the sixth inning, they were able to pull away from UCA with the win.

UCA senior infielder Libby Morris went 2-2 with two RBIs in the game. Morris also leads the team in this category with 18 runs batted in for the season.

Sophomore pitcher Rio Sanchez, the previous Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week, started out for UCA and only allowed 4 earned runs through three innings.

In the second game, the Bears were able to bounce back and defeat the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions 15-6.

As a team the Bears had 11 hits with five extra-base knocks.

Junior infielder Cylla Hill went 4-4 at bat with 6 runs batted in for the game and also had her second home run of the season. Hill is now hitting at a team high of .462 with eight

doubles and 16 runs batted in.

Freshman outfielder Jordan Johnson started the game as pitcher for UCA. Johnson pitched four innings, striking out three players and allowing 1 earned run.

Junior first baseman Kaylyn Shepherd went 2-3 at bat and had 2 RBIs in the game.

Junior catcher Lauren Brooks had a home run in the third inning, giving her the second of the season.

In the third game, UCA was defeated by the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 11-7.

UCA had an early 4-0 lead over the Redhawks, but were unable to keep them down.

Morris went 2-4 at bat and had two runs and a double in the game.

Shepherd also went 2-4 with 1 run scored.

Hill went 1-3 with 2 big RBIs for the game.

The fourth game the Bears defeated the Coppin State Eagles 16-0 for a huge blowout.

In the first inning, the Bears broke out for 5 runs.

Freshman catcher Tylar Vernon got her first home run of her UCA career with a line shot over the left field wall.

Sophomore infielder Erin Acors received her first 3 RBIs of her sophomore season.

Sanchez had another great game, pitching five scoreless innings and only allowing just

four hits while striking out five.

In the last game, the Bears suffered a 6-4 loss to Missouri State.

UCA came out quick again with a 3-0 lead after four innings, but were not able to keep the lead.

Missouri State tied the game in the fifth inning. UCA picked up in the bottom of the eighth inning, but could not come out with the win.

Senior pitcher Ellie Reaves pitched all eight innings and did not allow any earned runs. Reaves also struck out a season-high of seven Missouri State players.

Junior pitcher Jordan Ward said she loves the way that the entire team have worked together over the recent games.

“I loved the way we cheered on one another, stayed together and worked as a team. We kept it up no matter what the circumstances were,” Ward said.

Sanchez said she would like to see the team be more consistent with hitting.

“I think just as a whole, we could continue to get better and improve our consistency with the bats,” Sanchez said.

The Bears will look to bounce back March 6 as they travel to the University of Memphis before returning home for a double-header against Nicholls University March 8 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

photo by Dy’Kajeon Brown

Senior guard Kamry Orr attempts to maneuver her way past ACU sophomore forward Alyssa Adams March 2 in the Farris Center. The Sugar Bears fell to the Wildcats 67-65 in a closely fought game, leaving the Bears with an 11-15 record overall and 6-10 in conference play.

Losses leave Sugar Bears clawing for playoff spot

by DJ Jones Staff Writer

The UCA women’s basketball team (11-15, 6-10 SLC) finished last week empty-handed after a 79-43 loss to Stephen F. Austin (23-5, 14-2 SLC) followed by a 67-65 loss to Abilene Christian University (19-8, 12-4 SLC).

These games gave the Sugar Bears their second and third consecutive conference losses.

In the first contest Feb. 27, the Sugar Bears traveled to Nacogdoches, Texas for a battle with the second-placed Ladyjacks.

The Sugar Bears came out slow in the first quarter and fell into a 20-5 deficit going into the second quarter of play.

The Sugar Bears only connected on two baskets and committed eight turnovers in the first frame.

Both teams ended the second quarter scoring 11 points, which gave the Ladyjacks a 31-16 lead at the

halftime break.

In the second half, the Sugar Bears continued to struggle as they gave up 48 points, which is the most points they have allowed in a half all season.

The Ladyjacks were able to grab their 15th consecutive win on their home court.

UCA shot a low 33 percent from the field, 30 percent from behind the 3-point line and only 57 percent from the free throw line. The Sugar Bears also grabbed 32 rebounds, swiped five steals and committed 24 turnovers.

Junior guard Maddie Goodner lead the team in scoring and matched her season-high with 13 points while playing all 40 minutes of the game.

Sophomore forward Hannah Langhi was next in scoring with 11 points.

Freshman guard Alanie Fisher matched her career-high with 13 rebounds.

See Sugar Bears- page 8

ucanews.live

SPORTS

8/ March 6, 2019

SPORT

UCA STATS CORNER RESULT

RECORD

Abiliene Christian University

67-55 (L)

(11-18, 6-10)

Women’s Basketball Abiliene Christian University

67-65 (L)

(11-15, 6-10)

Men’s Basketball

OPPONENT

Tennis

Lamar University

5-2 (W)

(7-5, 1-0)

Softball

Missouri State University

6-4 (L)

(11-9)

Baseball

South Dakota State University

7-5 (L)

(4-8)

photo by Marley Cash-Powell

Sophomore pitcher Rio Sanchez, 20, is the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week with an ERA of 2.92 and two career no-hitters. Over the past year and a half at UCA, Sanchez’s career stats have climbed the ranks, making her a pitcher to watch as she continues to dominate throughout her remaining eligible seasons.

Bear born on mountains, raised on mounds

by Marley CashPowell Editor

Some people say that success depends on who you know. In the sports world, knowing the right people might be helpful, but if you don’t have a good attitude and a strong work ethic, it won’t matter who you know.

For sophomore pitcher Rio Sanchez of the softball team, her personality and gumption led her down from the Colorado mountains to an Arkansas mound, making her the latest gem to be found in a state known for its diamonds.

“The pitching coach for the Colorado Rockies is a friend of mine and his daughter was playing against [Sanchez] in the state championship and he was like, ‘Hey, you need to get this kid,’” head softball coach David Kuhn said.

Sanchez started at UCA in fall 2017 and has since pitched 129.2 innings, facing off against 587 batters and only allowing 23 doubles, four triples and eight homeruns. She has started 21 out of 36 games played, completing eight of those games — five of which were shutouts.

In February of 2018, Sanchez pitched her first no-hitter at the college level in a game against Grambling State. Then in February 2019, Sanchez completed her second career no-hitter in a game against UAPB. Sanchez is the only pitcher on the team to accomplish this feat within that time span.

On Feb. 26, Sanchez was also named as the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week, but she remains humble.

“I’m just hoping that I’m wearing the right uniform most

Sugar Bears:

of the time, and hopefully I show up at the right time,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez has been playing softball since elementary school.

“I started really young.

I started summer select ball when I had just turned 7,” Sanchez said.

Her dad — who was her coach in Eerie, Colorado — placed her on a team full of older girls who didn’t cut Sanchez any slack. “[My teammates] were all like 10 years old and I was a little 7-year-old that was barely making it with them,” Sanchez said.

But Sanchez convinced herself that she could make the team, and she didn’t look to ‘Coach Dad’ for any favors.

“My dad has a really good work ethic like: ‘Work hard.

Do everything you can to get better. If you don’t like your results, then change them,’” Sanchez said. “So, I was always practicing. [Softball] has been like my job, my thing, for my whole life.”

Due to her size difference, initially Sanchez didn’t get as much time in the game as she wanted. By the time she was 8, she decided that she might have a better chance of getting game time if she were to play from the mound.

“I was like, ‘You know what?

I want to pitch, because I want to play every play,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said the values she has learned on the field have shaped her whole life, especially when it comes to facing failures.

“Failure has become a lot more comprehendible,” Sanchez said. “I failed so many times. I mean, this is a game of failure — it’s [a matter of ] who’s going to fail first, who’s going to

fail the most.”

She said she has learned to work with her failures, to build off them and keep moving forward. She applies that same mentality to her schoolwork.

When she first came to UCA, she had no clue what she wanted to major in.

“I was like, ‘Just put me in classes so I can do good,’” Sanchez said.

However, she said she just recently spoke with her advisor about pursuing a public relations major.

“I love talking to people, meeting people and networking,” Sanchez said. “I had some teammates who were like, ‘Hey, you might like [PR],’ and my advisor was like, ‘Yeah, you probably would like [it].’”

She still isn’t sure what her future job might involve, but she is sure of two things.

“I would love to work in Colorado, and I would like to do stuff with sales and advertising, making sure people’s voices are heard,” Sanchez said.

But, if she changes her mind about working in public relations, she has many talents to lean on. “[Sanchez] is very high energy, very positive. She’s — I want to say eclectic, but I don’t even know what that means,” Kuhn said. “She listens to EDM music — it’s weird! And, she’s random. She does artwork. She does henna tattoos. She’s really creative.”

Sanchez expects to graduate in 2021, but in the meantime, the coaches are just glad to have her.

“She lightens the bullpen up,” pitching coach Jenny Parsons said. “If there’s music playing, she’s dancing. She’s energetic, and just a good person to be around, and she works extremely hard.”

UCA struggles in Missouri, wins over Warriors

by Macy Davis Staff Writer

The Bears baseball team (4-8) suffered two unfortunate losses in Springfield, Missouri on Feb. 26-27 against Missouri State University. However, they made a comeback in their home game at Bears Stadium against South Dakota State University on March 1 with a final score of 8-3.

Still, after that big win, UCA hit a losing streak. They lost to the University of Missouri on March 1 with a score of 4-0 and suffered another loss at 7-5 when they played South Dakota State University on March 2.

The Bears kept their heads high as they lost a game with a final score of 9-7 Feb. 26 and lost the next night with a score of 15-3.

Even though UCA didn’t do its best in Springfield, it had some good plays throughout its games. Junior left fielder Marco Navarro scored 2 runs with two hits in the first game against MSU, and his second run was the last point of the

Basketball:

night bringing UCA up to seven points.

In their game March 1 against SDSU, the Bears started out strong with senior third baseman Christian Brasher scoring UCA’s first 2 runs.

Junior Beau Orlando shortly followed Brasher to the home plate scoring the 3rd run of the game. Senior infielders Jay Anderson and Tyler Smith also scored in the March 1 game against SDSU. UCA did not score any runs against MSU on March 1. Part of the team blamed their failure on lack of structure while the other portion of the team said that they needed to be more cohesive as a team.

“We need to keep constant pressure on the players and throw more first pitch strikes,” senior third baseman Christian Brasher said.

However, in UCA’s second game against SDSU on March 2 the Bears got their second loss in a row. In the bottom of the fifth inning, UCA scored 5 runs, but for the rest of the game they did not score

Matchup with Northwestern could be pivotal.

4 Continued from page 7 thought they would, but really our defense wasn’t that bad,” Schmit said.

“We couldn’t really score, especially in the second half. We didn’t do a good job scoring.”

The second half shooting for the Bears just wasn’t enough.

They only shot 32 percent from the floor. Unruh finished the game with 17 points while Schmit added 15 points for the Bears.

“I feel like second half we stopped moving the ball and stopped creating good shots

for each other,” sophomore forward Jared Chatham said. “I feel like we just have to be more patient on the offensive end.”

UCA’s next contest at 6:30 p.m. March 6 at Sam Houston State University.

Women’s basketball controls its own destiny with playoff spot pending.

4 Continued from page 7 The Ladyjacks shot 55 percent from the field, 40 percent from behind the 3-point line and 61 percent from the freethrow line.

Freshman guard Stephanie Visscher lead SFA in scoring with 19 points and six assists.

Senior forward Imani Johnson was next in scoring with 16 points and six rebounds.

In the second contest March 2, the Sugar Bears were defeated by Abilene Christian 67-65, giving them their third straight loss.

In the first quarter the Sugar Bears were outscored 14-12, but they were able to outscore ACU 23-20 in the second to go into halftime with a 35-34 lead.

The Sugar Bears were unable to outscore ACU in the second half, so the Wildcats walked away with the 67-65 victory.

Senior guard Kamry Orr lead the UCA team in scoring with 25 points and five assists.

Next in scoring was senior guard Antonija Bozic with 13 points.

Junior guard Dominique Golightly lead ACU in scoring with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Junior forward Lexie Ducat was next in scoring for ACU with 15 points and six rebounds.

UCA junior center Alexyse Thomas said the team has to continue to put in hard work

during practice.

“It all comes back to practice. I think we have to continue working hard in practice and carry those things over to the games in order for us

to win,” Thomas said.

UCA’s next game will come March 6 in the Farris Center against Sam Houston State University.

UCA is currently in the

again.

“We just need to have better chemistry and have more fun playing the game like some of these other teams,” senior pitcher Tanner Wiley said.

Freshamn outfielder Kolby Johnson started the fourth inning off with a hit to the shortstop which was followed by his teammates junior infielder Joshmar Doran, junior outfielder Alonso Bibiano, junior center Nathaniel Sagdahl and Brasher scoring runs by the end of the inning.

Orlando hit a single to the right field during the fourth inning and Smith singled to the left field.

After the fourth inning, the game took a turn for the worst with South Dakota scoring 3 runs in the sixth inning and 2 additional runs in the ninth.

UCA scored 5 runs in the fourth inning and remained there for the rest of the game.

The Bears will host their next game at 6 p.m., March 5 against Arkansas State University.

eighth and final spot for the Southland Conference tournament and only one game ahead of Northwestern State, which will be UCA’s final regular season opponent.

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Sam Houston is currently the top team in the Southland Conference while UCA is in a tie with Northwestern State University for ninth place, looking to make the tournament.