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THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER
WEDNESDAY
MARCH 27, 2019 Volume 113 — Issue 22
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The Echo
Campus Life:
SWAP fundraiser: Money raised for sensory room awareness
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Entertainment:
Sports:
Netflix Original: Madeleine McCann case revisited in docuseries 4 page 7
Men’s Basketball: Bears take home win in first conference round 4 page 5
TRAINING TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED Colleges combat drug
Sunny
66/45
abuse, raise awareness
by Lauren McCabe
THE NEWSDESK
News Editor
FROM THE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
I N T E R N AT I O N A L ISIS threat eradicated from country of Syria The Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition backed by the United States and others, said March 23 that ISIS’ final stronghold in Syria, known since 2014 as the group’s caliphate, has been defeated. The final battle took place in the small Syrian town of Baghouz, where the most experienced ISIS fighters remained. The last assault on the area was initiated in early February, but this final battle was delayed to allow civilians time to escape the town.
N AT I O N A L Barr composes letter summarizing report Attorney General William Barr released a four-page letter to Congress summarizing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election released March 22. The investigation explored Russian efforts to influence the result of the presidential election and “does not conclude that the president committed a crime.”
Florida sees increase in survivor suicides Officers in Coral Springs, Florida responded March 23 to the apparent suicide of a former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student in Parkland, who was a minor. He had previously survived when 17 of his classmates were killed in a mass shooting Feb. 14, 2018. Ryan Petty, the father of Parkland shooting victim Alaina Petty, said the student was a 16-year-old boy. One weekend prior, Parkland survivor and recent graduate Sydney Aiello, 19, took her own life. Aiello was said to be battling PTSD and struggling with survivor’s guilt after one of her best friends, Meadow Pollack, died in the shooting.
S TAT E
Three dead in wreck
On the morning of March 22, wrecks along Interstate 40 between Little Rock and Memphis killed at least three people. The collision involved two commercial trucks, and was followed by a multi-vehicle wreck hours later. The identities have not been released.
WHAT’S AHEAD
IN OUR NEXT ISSUE Spring break volunteers recap their experiences.
photo by Taylor Sone
UCA Army ROTC cadets prepare for a military exercise at the rec fields on the southern end of campus March 14. The exercise pitted a group of cadets against an unknown enemy to simulate an engagement scenario.
Parking lot signs increase in attempt to reduce safety hazards, confusion by Lisa Sullins Staff Writer
Many students and faculty may have noticed the increasing number of parking lot signs around campus. While some may think that this is a step toward increasing parking opportunities around campus, Physical Plant director Larry Lawrence said this is not the case. “The signs are there to identify parking lots both for visitors to help recall where they parked and as well for University Police so that, as an example, if a person’s car won’t start, they can call University Police and identify exactly what parking lot they are in, and lastly, as a safety concern,” Lawrence said. Campus police were involved in discussions and decisions related to parking lot signs. Cpl. Michael Hopper with UCAPD confirmed Lawrence’s statement. “When someone has car problems, we can get to them faster,” Hopper said. “And especially if there is an emergency, we will know
exactly where to go.” Lawrence also referred to the signs as a way that people can identify where they are on campus. “Many people may be directionally challenged or unfamiliar with landmarks or buildings and the signs in the parking lots should help,” Lawrence said. In Lawrence’s opinion, it helps people remember where they are parked. It’s very similar to Walmart’s row signs that remind people where they parked. “The signing of parking lots has been discussed for many years and deemed a good idea,” Lawrence said. “We finally received funding to make it happen.” Lawrence said numbering the parking lots did not require board approval, but it was approved by the administration. “Any decision of great expense or magnitude at a university is decided at an upper administration level such as vice president, president or board,” Lawrence said.
Former professor remembered through art exhibit organized by daughter by Macy Davis Staff Writer
UCA alumni and former professor Gene Hatfield (19252017) created many striking works of art in his lifetime. Hatfield’s art exhibit is on display from March 4-29 in McCastlain Hall. Hatfield’s paintings include various media types, including oil, acrylic, mixed media and watercolor. His entire collection consists of over 270 art pieces he and people he commissioned made throughout his life. However, only 18 of his personal pieces were displayed in the art exhibit in McCastlain Hall. UCA assistant director of assessment initiatives Mathilda Hatfield — Hatfield’s daughter — picked the 18 pieces featured in the exhibit from the collection that her father passed on to the family. She created this exhibit when she discovered that the French Cultural Service of the French Embassy in Houston held an annual French
Cultures Festival. She applied for her father’s exhibit to be included in the festival, and it was accepted. This was the only exhibit from Arkansas to be featured. A painting in the exhibit, “La Maison,” displays a gorgeous French home with green foliage surrounding it. When Mathilda looks at this painting of her grandparents’ home, she is taken back to all the wonderful memories she had growing up there. Hatfield would often sketch scenes of landscapes or buildings that were significant to him in only 15 minutes. “They were quick sketches to him, but to us [Mathilda and her family] they became the photographs in our memories,” Hatfield said. In all of Hatfield’s paintings, he liked to have a focal point that draws the viewer’s eye further into the scene — some examples from his work include a winding cobblestone street that fades into the distance and a sandy path that follows the shore line
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COLLECTION
Index: 4Police Beat 4People of UCA
Lawrence said sometimes he walks a good distance around campus. He embraces his walks as needed exercise. UCA offers shuttles which can greatly reduce the frustrations of finding a parking space during peak occupancy times, Lawrence said. “We do get a few complaints on the parking situation,” Lawrence said. “People need to become familiar with the routes they use and allow for the extra time to arrive to work or classes.” Lawrence also addressed the serious debate about adding another parking lot. “These decisions and discussions are always fluid,” Lawrence said. “Typically, planners look at any given situation and then actions are planned based on decisions that are made. That said, we have added some ground-level spaces over the years whether paved or graveled.” Ground-level parking spaces are more economical than a parking deck.
UCA and 18 other colleges across Arkansas participated in the first annual Substance Abuse Awareness Week March 11-15, which was designed to combat substance abuse among students. The organization and creation of events for the week was in part thanks to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, which hosted its first Substance Abuse Awareness Week in spring 2018. With successful participation from its student body, U of A reached out to student governments across the state, including UCA’s SGA. “Last semester, the U of A Student Government [ASG] president, Trevor Villines, contacted SGA about participating and [we] said yes,” Sophomore Class Rep. Ashlyn Sander said. “My role in the campaign, including organizing the on-campus events, was organizing a Kickoff Press Conference at the beginning of the week that all of the campuses participating could be a part of.” The campaign, titled Save AR Students, began March 11 at the Association of Arkansas Counties building. The speakers included Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas Drug director Kirk Lane, Attorney General Kimberly Ashley-Pauley and development director of U of A Little Rock College of Education and Health Professions Christopher Dickie. Other campus activities that took place throughout the week included a presentation March 12 during x-period called Dose of Reality that showed the dangers of prescription opioids, as well as tables set out March 13 and 14 in front of the Student Center with T-shirts and buttons available. Trevor Villines, a U of A student who serves as Save AR Students 2019 event
director, held a discussion with the Arkansas Take Back organization, a prescription pill recovery and destruction program. They discussed how substance abuse is one of the leading problems among college students and has resulted in documented student deaths in Arkansas. “It’s no secret that substance use is drastically affecting the state of Arkansas. It’s concerning that statistics have us toward the top for opioid prescriptions here in our state. It is very concerning seeing this issue affect our college campuses,” Villines said in an interview with the organization. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2017, Arkansas had the second highest opioid prescription rate in the country, with more prescriptions written than the actual population of the state. Also, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, people ages 18-25 have the highest risk for illicit drug use at a rate of 22.7 percent. According to drugabuse.org, 9.9 percent of college students abuse Adderall compared to 6.2 percent of noncollege adults. SGA executive president Joshua Eddinger-Lucero said that college students have a harder time coping with academics and their personal lives, which may lead some to take substances that they think could help them, but actually harm them. “College students may succumb to substance abuse because of the added pressures, stress and expectations that come with balancing life and college,” Eddinger-Lucero said. “It’s extremely hard today, especially for students to try and work through everything that’s going on in their lives. The expectations that
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UCA senior Cody Scrivner observes the Gene Hatfield exhibit at McCastlain Hall during the month of March. The exclusive exhibit consisted of 18 paintings.
into the back of the painting. “That’s dad’s perspective in almost all of his paintings— to go a little bit further into the scene,” Mathilda said. The paintings in Hatfield’s exhibit were done in a French style. He portrayed beautiful French landscapes along the northern to southern coast of France. He also used a lot of
vivid colors in his artwork. “Hatfield’s use of color is very reminiscent of Cézanne’s [French artist Paul Cézanne] work with separating color from form,” UCA senior and art education major Cody Scrivner said. Hatfield’s work was inspired in part by taking notice of surroundings that
most people would not consider art. Whether it be a simple day at the beach or a house just on the edge of a highway, he wanted to display the beauty of what he saw in his artwork. “Dad liked to show a side
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NEWS
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Day of Giving results in record donations by Daniel Adams Assistant Sports Editor
Day of Giving shattered expectations for the second year in a row. During the 24-hour fundraising drive March 7, UCA received a total of $757,939 in donations from 1,386 donors. This broke the record from 2018, $434,526, which had shattered the previous record set in 2017 — $41,504. Lauren Norris, the director of Annual Giving, said she was extremely satisfied with the results from this year’s donation period. Norris said that she had not found out initially what the final amount was. “I had known that we had raised over $500,000, but a lot of the major gifts were given offline so I wasn’t aware of them until the final, big number was sent to me in an email,” Norris said. She also said several funds for specific projects reached the donation goals that were set up throughout the day. There were funds for Valor II, Biology, Physical Therapy
and for the main stage at Reynolds Performance Hall, to name a few categories to which people could donate throughout the day. Interim director for UCA’s School of Communication Donna Stephens said she was happy with the final results of the Day of Giving for the department as well. Stephens worked with Kathy Carroll, the director of the UCA Foundation, to set up an overall fund for the department as well as individual funds for the separate classes that the School of Communications offers. “The School of Communication fund is used to support overall school functions,” Stephens said. “For example, one upcoming use will be to pay for student awards for each of the six programs for our end-of-theyear awards ceremony next month. Individual program funds will be used to support faculty and students in those individual programs.” Dean of UCA’s Shedler Honors College Patricia Smith said she was pleased with how Day of Giving went, both for the honors college and UCA
as a whole. Smith said the Honors College Enhancement fund received over $7,500 in donations, giving the honors college money that could be used toward paying student scholarships, bringing in speakers and assisting student travel, among other causes. “My favorite thing about Day of Giving is it’s one day that faculty, staff, students, alumni and other supporters can see their gift — no matter how small — join as part of the whole to make an impact,” Smith said. The Day of Giving first began five years ago and has grown ever since. Norris said volunteers were imperative to the program’s growth and allowed the Day of Giving to continue. “Day of Giving was once a humble online campaign that brought in $40,000, but only became successful as it is now due to volunteer help. Volunteers fundraise, personally ask donors for gifts, advertise Day of Giving on social media, write thank you cards, etcetera. Without volunteers, Day of Giving wouldn’t have gotten to where it is today.”
SGA
Police Beat
The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports by Assistant News Editor Lauren McLemore
Intoxicated man refuses testings On March 15 around 1 a.m., officer Tyler Louden stopped a speeding vehicle on Dave Ward Drive and pulled into the First Security Bank parking lot. When he approached the driver, nonstudent Andrew Rester, he smelled intoxicants. Rester’s speech was slow and his eyes were bloodshot and watery. Loudon asked Rester to exit the vehicle because he believed he had been drinking. Rester refused on three different occasions to submit to a Standardized Field Sobriety Test while standing outside the vehicle with Loudon. He was arrested for DWI, charged for Exceeding the Speed Limit and taken back to UCAPD, where he again refused to take a Breathalyzer test on an Intoximeter. After consulting with Judge Chris
SGA allocates extra $3,700 to MMP for roller skates by Lauren McLemore Assistant News Editor
SGA President Joshua Eddinger-Lucero announced the resignation of UCA chief of staff, and SGA senate members passed a resolution to change the name of Chemistry building and passed a motion to allocate additional funds to the Minority Mentorship Program. SGA heard a budget appeal from the codirector of the Minority Mentorship Program, Sidney Hunt, and after nearly an hour and half of debate and discussion, SGA allocated $3,700 — the total requested amount — to give MMP a roller skating surface and skates during its transition week. The final results were 21 yes votes, 15 no votes and 4 abstentions. “[The SAFA committee] funded us for all of what we asked for [in] our budget, but the problem with that was we were not able to receive a very, very, very important event that was supposed to be in our budget,” Hunt said in the appeal. “We made a huge mistake without including our
event.” Transition week is an event that occurs in August and is centered around helping incoming freshman acclimate to campus. As a closing event for the week, MMP is using funds previously allocated to them to host a free event in the Farris Center with snacks, music and now, with the new funds, the opportunity and means to roller skate. One motion was made to allocate a lower amount and the vote failed. On March 14, an email was sent out to faculty and staff announcing the resignation of UCA chief of staff Kelley Erstine effective August 15. He has accepted a position as chief executive officer for the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas. In other business, SGA members passed a resolution titled, “Remove Benjamin Laney’s Name from Laney-Manion Hall” that officially determines SGA’s positive stance in the removal of Laney’s name from the Chemistry department’s building. The week before spring break, there was
discussion about changing Laney-Manion Hall to Anderson-Manion Hall. The name would have alluded to Mabel Anderson, UCA’s first African-American educator, and replaced the name of Gov. Benjamin T. Laney, a frequent opponent of legislation regarding civil rights and anti-segregation efforts. “We thought it would be best to keep Anderson out of this as it would only kind of complicate the process further,” College of Liberal Arts representative, senator Riley Tribble, said. “The more pressing issue at hand is the fact that we have [the name of ] a segregationist — not just like a casual segregationist, like an avid one [on the building].” However, the conversation will continue, as the resolution states that it not only urges the University to remove Laney’s name for the sake of diversity, but also that it “begin the conversation as to whether Laney’s name be replaced in Laney-Manion Hall or be left as simply Manion Hall.” Lastly, a motion was passed for SGA to allocate no more than $1500 to add a water bottle filler to one of the McAlister Hall third floor
WEARING DRUNK GOGGLES, TAKING SOBER SHOTS
photo by Ronak Patel
[Left] Junior Danielle Jones wears drunk goggles while trying to guess what kind of nonalcoholic drink junior Kelsie Kirklin is serving her. The Minority Mentorship Program hosted an event at 6 p.m. March 11 in the Student Center to teach students how to be safe over spring break in a fun and interactive way.
Resources:
Students work to prevent deaths
4 Continued from page 1 students set for themselves are sometimes so high that they feel like they just need something to help them make it through their day.” Along with Sander, Eddinger-Lucero also helped coordinate UCA’s participation in the week’s activities, and described that the event was meaningful for SGA because it offered firsthand knowledge regarding how substance abuse affects a whole community. “This awareness week is particularly meaningful to UCA because one of our own students, Joshua Ashley-Pauley, passed away due to substance overdose,” Eddinger-Lucero said. “Joshua’s mom, Kimberly Ashley-Pauley, is still on staff at UCA and has done some remarkable work to bring awareness to students and educate them on the importance of seeking help
if they ever encounter those situations.” Sander said she hopes that UCA’s and SGA’s partnership with other Arkansas colleges and organizations — and sharing stories similar to Ashley-Pauly’s — will help people suffering from substance abuse find the right sources and treatment options to avoid further abuse, or even death. “[The Joshua AshleyPauley] act says that you cannot be arrested for simple possession if you call 911 while someone is overdosing,” Sander said. “Joshua Ashley-Pauley died three blocks from the hospital, his friends knew he was overdosing but they were scared to call 911 in fear of getting in trouble. This law can save someone’s life and it needs to be known by college students. I also want students to realize that there is help;
there are places you can go to seek help. There is no shame in getting help when needed. I want this campaign to help people, and even if it only impacts one person, I would still call it a success.” According to Arkansas Take Back’s official website, artakeback.org, Villines said substance abuse can happen to anyone and it doesn’t discriminate. “Substance abuse has no borders,” Villines said. “It affects people of different genders, races and religions. If we’re going to do something about it, the time is now. We’ve got to roll up our sleeves, put politics aside and come together as one. It’s up to us to save AR state, save AR future, but more importantly, save AR students.” For more information or to find resources for substance abuse, visit artakeback.org.
Carnahan, Loudon charged Rester with Refusal to Submit to Chemical Test. He was given a $1,395 bond.
Nonstudent given DWI, wants lawyer Officer Christopher Vasquez pulled over a speeding vehicle in the parking lot of Andy’s near the intersection of Dave Ward and Farris just after 2 a.m. March 14. The driver, nonstudent Donald Koonce, who smelled of intoxicants, told Vasquez he didn’t realize he was going that fast. After being asked about the Bear’s Den stamp on his hand, Koonce said he had “a beer or two.” Vasquez asked Koonce to exit the vehicle and perform various actions as part of a Standardized Field Sobriety Test which he did not pass. Koonce was arrested for DWI and once back at UCAPD, refused
to take a Breathalyzer test. After consultation with Prosecutor Charles Finkenbinder and approval from Judge Chris Carnahan, a search warrant for a blooddraw was obtained and performed by phlebotomist Teresa Harlan. Koonce repeatedly asked for a lawyer, which he was not eligible for at the time.
Employee car hit, UCA van blamed On March 13, Aramark employee, nonstudent Amy Wilson, told Officer Talia Mcdaniel that a vehicle had hit her vehicle the night before. Her car, which was parked near the loading dock behind the Student Center food court, had damages including a dent, scratches and paint transfer to the rear driver side bumper. Wilson suspected it was one of the white catering vans UCA employees use. Sgt. Mike Shaw found no usable video footage.
SCHOLARSHIP
photo by Rose McGarrity
Business leaders from all over Conway gather at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting at the HPER basketball courts March 14. The annual meeting is the largest business event in Conway.
Chamber of Commerce hosts large annual meeting by Rose McGarrity Staff Writer
According to the Chamber of Commerce website, “With more than 1,000 business and community leaders in attendance each year, [the] Annual Meeting is the largest business event in Conway.” The Chamber of Commerce banquet took place Thursday, March 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the UCA HPER Center. Several awards are given out during the annual meeting, one of which is the Guy W. Murphy Distinguished Service Award. The Guy W. Murphy Distinguished Service Award is the most esteemed award the chamber gives out. At the annual meeting, the award was given to UCA board member Terry Fiddler and former CEO of Security Savings and Loan Bill Johnson. According to the Chamber of Commerce’s website, “This award is presented annually to an individual or group who has rendered special service for the benefit of the community.” A great deal of work goes into planning the Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting. “We’re always planning for it. The general meeting is a big thing for us,” Chamber
Exhibit:
of Commerce Director of Community Development & Planning Isaac Sims said. “We have two people on staff who are dedicated fully toward planning annual meetings as well as Toad Suck Daze [and] other events throughout the year.” Chamber of Commerce Director of Events Therese Williams and Chamber of Commerce Director of Toad Suck Daze and Events Mary Margaret Satterfield are in charge of planning annual meetings. Many prominent people spoke at the event, including UCA President Houston Davis. “UCA is proud to stand in partnership with every single person in this room in making our community a destination city. It’s a city that develops, recruits and retains talent. It is a city where quality of life is not an aspiration. It is something that is experienced by our residents,” Davis said. Each year, a different keynote speaker presents at the annual meeting. Past speakers include Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Gov. Mike Beebe. The speaker at this year’s annual meeting was the founder of Centennial Bank John W. Allison. Many people in the community make it a habit of attending the Chamber of
Commerce’s annual meeting each year. “I’ve been coming at least for the last few years,” House of Representatives member Spencer Hawks said. “We’ve got a phenomenal chamber. The leadership here does a phenomenal job.” According to the Chamber of Commerce’s website, “For more than 125 years, the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce has worked to build successful businesses and a vibrant economy. Our commitment remains steadfast to economic development, education, advocacy and community visioning.” Each year the annual meeting has a theme. “Last year, the theme was ‘The Greatest Showman,’ and this year [the theme] is throwback to high school,” Sims said. During the event, videos were shown with community leaders acting out scenes from “Saved by the Bell,” “The Breakfast Club” and “High School Musical.” The Chamber of Commerce will likely start planning the next annual meeting soon. The chamber’s next big event is Toad Suck Daze, which takes place in May.
Daughter of artist displays father’s style
4 Continued from page 1 of something that he found interesting that most people don’t necessarily stop to see the beauty of,” Mathilda said. Hatfield began taking an interest in art at the young age of 5. He carried this passion with him through high school and even took it on as his career. After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado with a master’s degree in art education, Hatfield became a teacher at the Arkansas State Teachers College, which is now UCA. Hatfield taught various art classes while at UCA including art history, painting and art
appreciation. Even after Hatfield retired in 1985, he was still dedicated to the arts. He worked with students and aspiring artists to create new works and to assist them in finding their voices as artists. He gained his French style inspiration from working with artists Henri Goetz and Leo Marchutz while working in France during his summers. Hatfield’s art consisted of collages, paintings and sculptures. Most of his work was founded on surrealism and folk art. After the positive response
to the Gene Hatfield exhibit, UCA professor and Baum Gallery director Brian Young is considering including more exhibits in the future featuring previous art professors’ collections. “It’s a great way for students to go back in time a little bit and see the work of one of the pioneers of the art department,” Young said. A reception and art talk will be held March 28 from 3-5 p.m. in McCastlain Hall’s Fireplace Room. Mathilda will explain how she chose the pieces for her father’s exhibit, and will discuss how he created his art.
Campus Life
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March 27, 2019
Around Campus:
SWAP raises money for Old Main sensory room
By Marley CashPowell Editor
Poverty Workshop At 11 a.m. March 28 in the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center, UCA’s Center for Community and Economic Development will host a workshop about poverty. Several local organizations, including City of Hope Outreach, Arkansas Community Foundation and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families will lecture on poverty. This event is open to the public and it includes a buffet lunch. Register at uca.edu/ povertystudies/events/.
Makerspace Startup At 5 p.m. March 28 at UCA Makerspace, Charles D. Morgan will give life and business advice through a fireside chat. Morgan is the former Chairman and CEO of Acxiom Corporation and is now serving those same positions at a telecommunications company, FirstOrion. This event is free and open to the public. For more information go to arconductor. org/calendar.
Comedy Show At 7:30 p.m. March 28 in the Student Center Ballroom, comedian Jen Kober will perform. Kober has received various awards for her stand-up performances and stories. She is a Louisiana native who has gained national recognition in the last few years. Kober plans to star in two Netflix Original shows, “AJ & the Queen” and “Dead to Me”, later this year. This event will be hosted by the Student Activities Board and is for mature audiences (17 and up) only. For more information visit ucasab. com.
Vegan cooking At 5 p.m. March 30 at UCA Downtown, chef Michael Qandah, owner of local business Happy Bear Cooking, will teach attendees to make Vegan Carbonara, Lasagna and other dishes. Qandah was once an avid meat-eater but his vegan girlfriend inspired him to begin a new culinary journey. His plant-based dishes will surprise and delight. For more information visit uca.edu/outreach.
Electrifying At 7:30 p.m. April 1 in Reynolds Performance Hall, Mayumana, a multicultural performance troupe, will present Currents. The show is inspired by Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison’s competition to bring electricity to the world. The troupe will use video art projections, specially made instruments, and dance to demonstrate the different views Tesla and Edison had of electricity. For tickets go to tickets.uca.edu.
Essay Writing At 6 p.m. April 2 in the Brewer Hegeman Conference Center, Donna Hill, an author and member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, will lead a scholarship essay writing workshop. Hill will provide instructions of proper tone, structure and content of a scholarship essay. For more information visit uca.edu/ outreach/types/community-ed.
Wellness Fair At 10 a.m. April 2 in the Student Center Ballroom, the Office of Student Wellness and Development will host a wellness fair. Local businesses and organizations along with UCA groups will have information booths. Conway Regional Medical Center will provide free health screenings. Smoothie King will give out samples of their drinks and door prizes will be given away at this event. For more information call (501) 4503133.
Multi-sensory rooms originated from Holland in the 1970s, and their use within educational systems has swept the United States since the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 passed. “Nationally, the college level is late on responding,” lecturer and leadership/ engagement coordinator with the UCA Schedler Honors College Cindy Lea said. Students from the Honors Core II-Search for Community course and Students Who Advocate for People — a UCA disability advocacy RSO — hosted a fundraiser kickoff from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. March 13 outside of the Student Center. Lea is coordinating the ongoing fundraising effort, as an advisor for SWAP and teacher of the honors course. The fundraiser aims to raise awareness about the sensory room in Old Main room 28, while also raising enough funds to purchase at least three types of therapeutic items for the room: A swinging chair, five pairs of noise-canceling headphones and two weighted blankets. The fundraiser will be open until April 5. Lea said many people would benefit from the calming effects of these therapeutic items, especially the weighted blankets “I’m taking a class called Social Justice for Teaching and Learning,” freshman Annabelle Dickson said after using the weighted blanket SWAP brought to the fundraiser kickoff for students to tryout. “And it’s interesting because we read an article that someone with autism wrote about another article that someone without autism wrote.” Dickson said the author without autism argued that
photo by Marley Cash-Powell
Senior Erica Smith covers freshman Annabelle Dickson with a weighted blanket during a fundraiser kickoff from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. March 13 outside of the Student Center. The fundraiser aims to furnish the sensory room located in Old Main Room 28, and this was Dickson’s first time trying a weighted blanket.
marketing weighted blankets for the general population is culturally appropriating an item designed for the autistic community. However, Dickson said the autistic author’s rebuttal claimed that economically, the supply and demand of mass marketing benefits all consumers in terms of pricing. “[Now] you can go to Target and get one for like $70 instead of $180,” Dickson said. UCA’s sensory room is open to all students — including those who are autistic, have Asperger’s Syndrome or are otherwise neurodiverse, along with their friends and allies — as a quiet space to socialize or to calm down when feeling stressed or overwhelmed. UCA’s sensory room currently only has tables
with hard chairs, a sensory pillow, three medicine balls, some fidget spinners and a few other fidget gadgets in it. Sensory rooms are usually chock-full of things like bean bag chairs, various types of colorful lighting, a sound system and other items that stimulate senses tactically, audibly or visually. Lea said she hopes to gather enough donations — both monetary and in gentlyused items — to host a reveal of a new-and-improved sensory room at 6 p.m. April 15, during the final SWAP meeting of the spring semester. The fundraising kickoff raised $66, but Lea said she is expecting other larger donations and is in the process of applying for a UCA Foundation grant. The cost of the swinging chair alone
is around $300, and Lea has priced the noise-canceling headphones and weighted blankets at about $12 and $75 each, respectively. “We’re hoping to set up an Amazon Wishlist [online] and also a hand-me-down list [in the sensory room itself],” Lea said. “We would like some kind of a bookcase or cabinet.” SWAP meets twice a month — once during x-period and once from 6-7:30 p.m. The group needs storage options in the room for items members have acquired to adhere to the needs of those meetings. “We have a night time meal meeting once a month,” Lea said. “We have some items that we have collected for the night meals — just cups, plates, that type of thing, so just having something to put
them in.” The room makeover is a large undertaking with ambitious goals, and it has a long way to go. Lea would also like to build a small library. “Eventually, I would like to have a library about autism and neurodiversity,” Lea said. “So I would like to start collecting books as well.” Aside from informational books, some adult coloring books have already been donated, but all types of coloring books and coloring supplies would be accepted. “If you bring a Batman coloring book and you think I won’t color in it, you’re wrong,” freshman Jordon Jarrett, who uses the room regularly, said. Anyone interested in donating items or money can contact Cindy Lea at clea@ uca.edu.
C U LT U R A L R O O T S
Mongo named first-ever UCA Miss Africa at annual gala by Dy’Kajeon Brown Online/ Social Media Editor
UCA’s African Student Association hosted its annual African Gala, sponsoring its first-ever pageant, where four students competed for the title of Miss Africa 2019. Junior Jade Mongo from Cameroon in Africa took the crown, claiming her place in UCA history as the first-ever Miss Africa. The gala was held at 8 p.m. March 11 in the Student Center Ballroom, and the night featured a variety of African foods, music and performances. Most attendees came dressed in formal and traditional African wear in a
variety of bright, eye-catching colors. The contestants in the running for the crown were freshman Aaliyah Orlott from Kenya, freshman Mary Amoaning from Ghana, junior Jade Mongo from Cameroon and Angie Bali from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Blessing Odusola, a member of ASA’s executive committee, said she feels the annual gala is pivotal in helping the foreign and international students to stay in touch with their roots and for others to learn and appreciate African cultures. “The whole point of the event is for everyone to come and relate to each other and
have fun, eat and showcase fashion from Africa,” Odusola said. The event was hosted by Josue Mpia. Mpia opened the event with a moment of silence for the 158 people who were killed in the Lion Air plane crash in the east African nation of Ethiopia earlier this month. Then, Mpia gave an informative speech about African culture and the impact it has had on American culture from fashion to movies to music and more. “And as the media is [beginning] to focus more on Africa, we have to be able to represent the image by supporting each other,” Mpia said.
The event had several speakers. Students, as well as business and community leaders, shared stories of their past successes and encouraged future ones. The president of ASA, senior Christopher Tshimanga, encouraged the students who were forced to leave their families behind and assured nonforeign students that all human races are considered brothers and sisters. Guest speakers — UCA alumna Azeem Adebayo — spoke about their successes in their multiple business ventures. One of the most beneficial ventures mentioned was the opening of the first Indian/African marketplace in
Conway, which allows African students to shop for their basic needs from home. When the pageant contestants made their way to the stage dressed in their best traditional African gowns, they were given the opportunity to introduce themselves to the audience, kicking off the pageant portion of the gala. After introductions came the Fashion Parade of noncontestants before the questionnaire round. After the guest were served traditional African dishes, Mongo was crowned, closing out the gala. For more information regarding the African Student Association, follow its instagram @uca_asa.
WOMEN IN CROSSFIRE
Scholar in residence shines light on immoral honor killing of women by Kaitlin Benight Staff Writer
Honor killing is a topic that is often overlooked in American society. Author and educational consultant Robert Paul Churchill gave a lecture on the implications and severity of honor killing at 7 p.m. Mar. 13 in the McCastlain Ballroom. Honor killing is when male family members execute women because the men believe those women dishonored their family. “If using the results of scholarly work in a creative and imaginative way can shed light on this mystery, then perhaps we could do that in other areas, including areas that are of greater contemporary importance to citizens of the United States,” Churchill said.
Churchill named various women who have been killed by their families and some of their supposed crimes. Arzu Ozman was an 18-year-old woman from Germany who ran away from home and took on another identity. She cut her hair and changed her appearance to escape constant abuse. Ozman also had a boyfriend, which was why her family was so upset with her. Her brothers hunted her down and shot her to death for having a boyfriend and dishonoring their family. This is just one of many examples Churchill described. He also spoke about Muslim women all over the world who suffer at the hands of their family members. Some reasons that a man might kill a woman in his family for the sake of honor include: refusing an
arranged marriage, premarital sex, interacting with a man, divorce, rape and becoming too westernized. The cause of these honor killings is due to religious and cultural beliefs. Men who kill their daughters, wives and sisters believe that they are doing the right thing. Out of 23 countries observed in Churchill’s research, only two — Morocco and Tunisia — believed thåçat honor killing was immoral. Churchill explained that for honor killing to be extinguished, these individuals must change their cultural and religious morals and values. They must conclude on their own that honor killing is inhumane. This can be accomplished by educating the cultures that practice honor killings about empathy, tolerance and gender equality.
There are also initiatives, such as the Public Health and Domestic Violence initiativesthat are working to solve this issue. The lecture was held for the fifth annual celebration of the Norb and Carol Schedler College and Residence program. The Schedlers — with the help of the gender studies program and the College of Liberal Arts — decided to create this annual lecture series to combine philosophy, religion and disciplinary studies. Knowing and understanding honor killing and how to eradicate the practice in certain cultures can help women who are affected by this phenomenon and potentially benefit other groups as well. “I kind of wish [Churchill] had more of an at-home
solution: something that we personally could do. He had more of a broad solution,” senior Sasha Caldwell said. Some people believe honor killing is an ancient problem that has become outdated. However, women activists and human rights groups believe the number of cases is around 25,000 per year, but that is only in the countries we know about. Caldwell explained that the United States has a more diverse culture and Americans need to start learning about solutions to the problems they are constantly hearing about. “Besides that, it was very informative. I really want to read his book,” Caldwell said. Churchill’s book, “Women in the Crossfire: Understanding and Ending Honor Killing,” can be found on Google Play Books for $67.99 as an ebook.
ucanews.live
CAMPUS LIFE
CLOTHESLINE PROJECT BRINGS ASSAULT AWARENESS
March 27, 2019 /4
STUDENTS SAY are your plans “ What for spring break? ”
photos by Marley Cash-Powell
Story and Photos by Christine Nichols
Wind whips T-shirts hanging from clotheslines erected in front of the Student Center March 13 as part of the nationwide Clothesline Project. Each T-shirt told the story of woman who died from domestic violence between 2010 and 2018, and the collection was brought to campus through a joint effort between the UCA Counseling Center and the Women’s Shelter of Central Arkansas in Conway to raise domestic violence awareness.
CHILDREN DANCE
Cat teaches morals in musical theater production by Lauren McLemore Staff Writer Pete the Cat, an upbeat children’s musical about a feline musician’s experience as a house cat, was performed by a small cast for a nearly full house in Reynolds Performance Hall at 6 p.m. March 15. The performance follows Pete, a cat who likes to jam out on his guitar, and his new life with the Biddle family. The oldest of the two Biddle children, Jimmy, who is in the second grade, is consumed with studying and preparing for tests. On Jimmy’s first school day, Pete tags along, and when Jimmy is presented with an unexpected art test, he panics and copies another student’s work, leaving him frustrated and upset.
Jimmy’s need for an original work of art and Pete’s desire to help marks the beginning of a journey of friendship, imagination and inspiration — all in their Volkswagen Bus, a magical bus that transports the duo to amazing places around the world. The nearly hour-and-a half-long show is based off the New York Times bestselling children’s book series by Kimberly and James Dean. When talking about their favorite parts of the show, Eastside Elementary School students Alex Parker, 7, and Matti Dublin, 9, were awestruck by the music. Parker said the best part was “at the end, where we got to dance!” “Mine was the singing,” Dublin said.
Pete the Cat is part of the Main Stage EdUCAtion series. Two school performances of the musical were shown at 10 a.m., which sold out, and 12:30 p.m. March 15. Wendy Sparks, director of marketing and finance at Reynolds, said there were around 2,000 students combined who saw the show. The series is a program of professionally produced performances at Reynolds geared toward elementary and high school students that aim to entertain while also teaching different academic topics or promoting art integration in education. Educators are provided with a study guide for each show to enhance their students’ out-of-classroom learning experience.
“We send out information to the teachers each year as well as invite them to come here and showcase the shows at the beginning of the school year,” Sparks said. The next performance in the series, Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure, is coming this spring, debuting in late April but tickets are available for purchase now. The show uses various mediums to create and portray the experience of exploring the depths of the ocean and discovering prehistoric animals and other creatures that once lived there. “It’s like giant puppets that people are making move and everything — it’s really cool,” Sparks said. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit uca.edu/publicappearances/.
Senior Michael Siniawa “I’m headed home to hang out with some family in Westbrook, Arkansas, and then [I’m] going to go camping next weekend toward the end of spring break.”
Sophomore Grace Adeyemi “I’m going to Dallas, Texas and Galveston. There’s no specific plans, but there’s this African dance class they hold in Houston and I’m really looking forward to going to that.”
PEOPLE OF UCA: Mylon Boston by Ronak Patel Staff Writer Junior Mylon Boston, from Crossette, Arkansas, commits himself to helping others on campus. Mylon is a UCA Ambassador and a member of the Minority Mentorship Program. Both groups are dedicated to helping students transition from high school to college. Boston’s inspiration to join these organizations came from knowing how difficult the transition from high school to college can be. “I really like the idea of paying it forward. I was given a lot of help when I was a freshman. I know the path it took for me to grow into the person that I am today,” Boston said. “I want others to know that I came from a place similar to them and I would be happy to help them. I was there before, so it’s always good to know where people are coming from when trying to help them get through this journey of college.” One of the challenges Boston recognizes for students is that some of them come from small towns. “I felt like I was a big fish in a little pond in Crossette. My personality just wanted me to just try to be a big fish here as well,” Boston said. “Coming from a small pond, I knew everyone and I knew it wouldn’t be the same at UCA. It is a much larger group of people, so I wanted to make sure I was different and my
Freshman Maya Rabion “Spring break I am spending time with my family, getting my hair done and going to visit my friend in the hospital. I am getting box braids.”
Junior Mylon Boston is a Minority Mentorship Program memtee. Boston has learned valuable lessons as a mentee and will be a student leader for MMP next semester.
name was known and I kept a good reputation so when people do hear my name, it has a positive impact on the campus.” With MMP, Boston is a mentee and helps freshman students learn how to be successful while getting the most out of their college experience. “As a freshman, it is always early,” Boston said. “You have to go through the grays when you start college. It is completely different from high school. You have five classes that can be very intense with homework, essays, tests and finals. I took it slow and stayed
calm and didn’t let college overwhelm me.” One of the biggest takeaways Boston wants freshmen to know is that it is okay to be themselves on campus. “When I am around freshmen, I always try to be myself. I am a very spontaneous and excited person and I don’t hide that,” Boston said. “I do that to show them that I am being myself and let them know that it is okay for them to be themselves, too. I want them to see the positive impact it can have for them to just be themselves.”
Juried BFA/BA Senior exhibit coming to Black Box
The annual Student Art Competitive displayed art pieces in ceramics, painting, 3D art and sculpting at The Black Box Gallery in Schichtl Hall Room 1A through Friday March 15. Some of the winning art pieces will be placed in a Baum Gallery exhibit later in the semester. The Black Box is a student-run gallery where students can practice showing their art in a more professional setting. The Black Box is open to all students and faculty who want to view UCA artworks from 8 a.m until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Senior Madison Conklin is the current lead director of the Black Box Gallery. Conklin has worked for the gallery since August 2018 and has helped organize 11 art shows in the Black Box.
“Studying for exams that come after spring break. Probably read some books.”
photo by Marley Cash-Powell
A RT G A L L E RY
by Sarah Coleman Staff Writer
Senior Phillip Donaghey
“The purpose of The Black Box is that it’s a student-ran gallery, open to students to inspire others with their artwork, and also for students to draw inspiration from others’ artwork,” Conklin said. The Black Box offers a unique opportunity for UCA art students, and the Juried BFA/BA Senior Art Exhibition is a way for students to showcase their skills and show the progress they have made through UCA art programs. Seniors will have their senior show on April 4. Students will pick a time to hang their works and the Senior Exhibition Review Committee will convene to review each of the works. After all works have been reviewed, the senior art show award ceremony will commence later that evening. The winning works will be on display at Baum Art Gallery until next
semester’s senior art show. Conklin said The Black Box tries to hold art shows in collaboration with RSOs. On March 28, The Black Box will host “What Were You Wearing” with The Feminist Union as a way to shed light on the reasons why people, women in particular, are hesitant to report sexual assaults. Since The Black Box is a student-led gallery, no student works are denied exhibition in the gallery. This allows for students to become more comfortable in sharing their work. Junior Jordan Southerland is a bachelors of art student who has frequently shown her artwork in The Black Box. “All the professors are pretty awesome. They want to help make you the best artist you can be. [And] the community is great. We can support each other in and outside The Black Box,” Southerland said.
Boston encourages new students to find organizations that fit their personalities. “It’s a lot of organizations to join. I always try to tell them to find a place where they feel like they want to join. They can either be a general member or in a leadership position. It’s important to find your place in an organization and if you can’t find an organization, you can always create one,” Boston said. In his senior year, Boston will take on the team leader role for MMP and the Wellness Ambassadors. Boston looks forward to his added responsibilities in the organizations.
Sophomore Isac Sims “I plan on going to St. Louis with some friends. We’re going to see the arches and go to the zoo.
Sophomore Grace Davenport “I’m going to Memphis with Bear Boots on the ground. We’re going to do a river clean-up on the Mississippi. I’m really excited.”
Sports
5
March 27, 2019
UCA sweeps Cardinals, defeats first Big 12 team
Upcoming Games Baseball
6 p.m., March 26 vs UAPB
by Marley CashPowell
Softball
Editor
5 p.m., March 26 vs Mississippi State University Beach Volleyball
1 p.m., March 28 vs University of Tennessee at Martin Tennis
1 p.m., March 29 vs Southeastern Louisiana University
Editor’s Take
photo courtesy of UCASports
Senior guard Thatch Unruh drives past a Texas A&M — Corpus Christi defender March 13 in the opening round of the Southland Conference tournament. Unruh’s 21 points gave him his sixth consecutive game reaching double figures for the Bears.
photo courtesy of ACCSports.com
The NCAA has dealt with the repercussions of the nationwide college admission scandal as coaches across the country leave or are fired from their schools.
NCAA needs to look closely into athletic student admissions by Daniel Adams Assistant Sports Editor
Once again, a corruption scandal has rocked the world of college sports and colleges as a whole. News broke that various colleges such as Yale, Stanford and the University of Southern California all accepted bribes for students to be taken in as “athletes” when some of them had no legitimate athletic skills whatsoever. While the NCAA has already had to deal with one corruption scandal in the past year, this particular one is different all on its own. These aren’t your average football or basketball players who are involved in this scandal, the players involved are all in sports that aren’t focused on as much, like tennis, soccer or even sailing. I know that UCA might not be a competitive university for admissions, but this would be huge if anyone tried to take the place of a deserving athlete for an athletic scholarship. When you consider that the schools involved are all some of the tougher universities to get into, without question, the seriousness becomes even more clear. What amazes me the most, though, is the fact that the coaches involved thought that they needed to take the cash bribes to allow the false admissions to occur. These are coaches who were at the top of their game, one of whom had led USC’s water polo team to glory while another had been a legend for the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles men’s soccer team. While this scandal seems to spread beyond the coaches at schools, it’s highlighting something that was apparently prepared for parents to exploit. This doesn’t apply to all sports and all people, but those who choose to do so will gladly leverage their title as a college athlete to their advantage to make their lives easier. While the NCAA hasn’t said whether there will be an investigation within their own departments, it is likely that those involved in this massive academic scandal will get the proper jail sentences that need to be applied as a result. Only time will tell what the final results of this scandal will be.
Bears upset Islanders in SLC, fail to capitalize against SELU Lions by Rafael Soliz II Staff Writer
The UCA men’s basketball team (14-19, 8-10 SLC) traveled to Katy, Texas to compete in the Southland Conference Tournament starting March 13. The Bears were the seventh seed in the tournament and their first opponent was Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (14-18, 9-9 SLC), who were the sixth seed. The Bears beat the Islanders 73-53 in the first round of the conference tournament. The Bears went into halftime up by a score of 36-25 with senior guard Thatch Unruh leading the team with 12 points at halftime. Sophomore guard DeAndre Jones scored 9 points at the break. The Bears halftime lead began to dwindle as the Islanders cut the lead down to 4 points with 12:31 left in the second half of play. The Bears proved to be too much for the Islanders to handle late in the second half as they extended their lead and regained momentum late in the game. Unruh lead the Bears with 21 points in the game, while
sophomore center Hayden Koval finished the game with a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The Bears shot 44 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line. The Islanders’ leading scorer was junior guard Jashawn Talton, who finished the game with 17 points. Senior guard Jake Babic contributed 16 points for the Islanders. Corpus Christi shot 33.3 percent from the field and 25 percent from the 3-point line. The Bears continued into the second round of the conference tournament with a game against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions. The game plan was simple. “Our game plan was to play for each other and fight until the very end, but we fell short,” sophomore forward Jared Chatham said. The Lions defeated the Bears 79-65, ending the Bears’ season. Unruh lead the Bears in the first half with 7 points, while Hayden Koval scored 6 points. The Bears went into halftime down 36-25 and couldn’t seem to mount a
comeback in the second half. Southeastern Louisiana only allowed the Bears to come within 10 points once in the second half before extending the lead further throughout the game. The leading scorer for the Bears was Unruh, who had 23 points, while Koval scored 15 points. The Bears shot 38 percent from the field and 30 percent from the 3-point line. The leading scorer for the Lions was senior forward Moses Greenwood, who had 22 points, while senior guard Marlain Veal scored 15 points. The Lions shot 48 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line. The Bears are excited for what the future holds for the team. “A majority of the team were underclassmen this year, and we will get a year to grow and mature. We have to use this off-season to become stronger and more conditioned,” Koval said. “Our goals for next year still stand the same. We want to be a top four team in the conference. That way, it puts us in a position to win the conference tournament and get to the NCAA Tournament.”
P E A K S A N D VA L L E Y S
Sugar Bears roller coaster season ends with loss to SLC champion
photo courtsey of UCASports
Senior guard Kamry Orr escapes junior Sam Houston defender Jenniffer Oramas and shoots a floater March 13 in the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. Orr reached her 12th game scoring at least 20 points this season, pouring in 29 points.
by Marcus McClain Sports Editor
A rocky season for the Sugar Bears (12-18, 6-12 SLC) came to an end March 15 after suffering a 82-54 loss to Abilene Christian (23-10, 13-5 SLC) in the second round of the Southland Conference Tournament. The postseason began with a fiery performance from UCA led by senior guard Kamry Orr in a 76-71 win over the fifth seed Sam Houston State Bearkats. Orr poured in 29 points along with 13 rebounds, seven steals and five assists to power the Sugar Bears over her former school. Contests against Sam
Houston (16-13, 11-7 SLC) earlier in the season turned out sour for UCA due to disadvantages at the freethrow line and inside the paint. This wasn’t an issue in their final contest, however, as the Sugar Bears edged out a 4-point advantage in the paint and a 12-point advantage at the line. Despite this inspired performance, the Sugar Bears’ high was short lived after running into the eventual tournament champions, Abilene Christian. The Sugar Bears were still able to get off to a good start, jumping out to a 15-11 lead in the first quarter, but a 31-6 run from the Wildcats proved to be too much to overcome.
Battling foul trouble, Orr was unable to put forth another overbearing performance for the Sugar Bears but still managed to lead the team in scoring with 13 points while adding three steals. “This time of year you have to be physically and mentally tough enough,” head coach Sandra Rushing said in the post-game press conference. “I’ve got to do a better job as a head coach and that starts in the offseason. And I will do a better job because I don’t like this feeling.” The Sugar Bears are retaining most of their roster for next season, but will again lose their top scorer, Orr , and will look to new senior leadership to pick up the load.
The UCA softball team (17-16, 4-5 SLC) rounded out spring break by making a clean sweep in San Antonio, Texas, against the Incarnate Word Cardinals (2-22, 0-6 SLC) at H-E-B Field. Not only was it a winning three-game series for the Bears, but it was a record-breaking weekend for their season. The Bears began their five-game road trip by winning against the University of Louisiana at Monroe, 7-3, on March 19; then, scooted on over to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, to win 8-5 on March 20. “We won five in a row on the road this week [against] ULM, Baylor and UIW,” head coach David Kuhn said. “[Baylor] was our first win over a Big 12 team.” The weekend three-game series kicked off March 22 with a doubleheader. The first game started at 5 p.m. to partly cloudy skies and gorgeous 76 degree weather. The Bears won the first game 6-1, holding a strong lead throughout, allowing UIW’s only point in the third inning. UCA snagged its points in the first, fourth and seventh innings. Senior second baseman Libby Morris knocked a home run into center field at the top of the seventh inning, taking the SLC lead for home runs and RBIs at 8 and 31 respectively. “I’m just happy I’m able to help my team any way I can,” Morris said. “#ballinwithmybros.” The second game immediately followed the first, starting around 7:30 p.m., with the Bears winning 2-1. The Bears took the lead in the first inning after junior outfielder Kayla Crutchmer got on first with a single to the shortstop, stole second and advanced to third before finally running in a point off
junior first baseman Kaylyn Shepard’s hit to center field. But the Cardinals fought back in the second inning with a point earned by senior first baseman Hope Sobolewski and held the game at 1-1 until the sixth inning when Morris hit a bases-loaded single, allowing freshman infielder Erin Blackburn to make the game-winning run for UCA. “Snagging the game-winning run was awesome,” Blackburn said. “It’s important to do whatever it takes to get on base and rely on our teamwork and energy to bring runs in like Libby did.” Game three kicked off at noon March 23 to overcast skies and breezy but warm weather. The Bears blew out the Cardinals with 13 points in the game, earning 3 points in the first, sixth and seventh innings and 4 points in the third. The Cardinals clawed their way to 6 points, earning 3 in the third, 1 in the fourth and 2 in the sixth. Shepard sent a homer to left field at the top of the third inning, and UIW’s senior third baseman Shelby Neatherlin homered to left field in the bottom of the fourth. Morris homered to center field at the top of the sixth, and UIW’s freshman pitcher and first baseman Renee Hoffman homered to left field in the bottom of the sixth. While the Cardinals kept pace with the Bears on homers, the Bears dominated the Cardinals on hits overall, earning a season-high 16 hits against the Cardinals in game three. “The team had a good week,” Kuhn said. “We had 9, 12, 11, 7 and 16 hits in those games.” Next up, the Bears return to Farris Field on March 26 at 5 p.m. to face SEC opponent Mississippi State before hitting the road to enter another three-game series March 29 against Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.
BACK ON TRACK
Tennis rebounds after first SLC loss of season by Daniel Adams Assistant Sports Editor
The UCA Bears (11-6, 3-1 SLC) tennis team had a fairly good Spring Break outing in Mobile, Alabama, beating the Murray State Racers 4-3 and the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters 4-1 March 19. This came after a hard-fought 4-3 loss against the Northwestern State Lady Demons (10-2, 4-0) March 16. While on the road at Northwestern State, the Bears had a tough challenge as the Demons took the first three matches to start the day off. Freshman Chunxi Xin took the remaining two sets in her match to take a 2-1 win while fellow freshman Fuka Nonoyama took a hard-fought 2-1 win in her match as well. While the Bears didn’t gain the advantage after the singles matches, they were able to pick up the doubles points thanks to the efforts of Nonoyama and senior Rada Manataweewat winning their match 6-3. The two were followed up by freshman Mei Ishimura and sophomore Yada Vasupongchai who won 7-5 to ensure the doubles success for UCA. A trip out of conference proved to be what the Bears needed, with wins against both Murray State and Louisiana Tech Universities. Starting off the day against Murray State, UCA climbed out of an early 1-0 hole thanks to the efforts of their players in singles matches. Sophomore Yada Vasupongchai got her 10th win of the season with a sweep of her Racer opponent to tie the score at 1-all.
While scores remained close, it was thanks to the efforts of Xin, Nonoyama and senior Marli Van Heerden that UCA walked away victorious from its morning matchup. The game played much smoother against Louisiana Tech later in the day as the Bears took a relatively easy 4-1 victory in comparison to their match against the Racers earlier. Manataweewat gave UCA the lead in points after she picked up win number 11 of the year, joining Van Heerden with double-digit win amounts, with a 6-4, 6-4 sweep. Manataweewat earned the win in doubles play with fellow senior QiLi Ma, winning their match 2-1 and giving the duo their sixth straight win together. Van Heerden said she was extremely satisfied with how the team rebounded in Mobile. “Knowing that it isn’t conference takes some pressure off and allows us to continue improving our games,” Van Heerden said. Head coach Casey Wharton said that the wins were great confidence builders for the team after the tough loss against the Lady Demons, but also said the team still has plenty of challenges ahead of them. UCA currently sits tied for second in the Southland Conference with Sam Houston State and Texas A&M — Corpus Christi. UCA will return home for Southland Conference play against the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions on March 29 and the McNeeese
Opinion
6
ucaechoeditor@gmail.com
March 27, 2019
The Voice Bribing hurts students; justice should be served
Students should learn black history
The Echo Staff
African-American history should be a entirely on King. Malcolm X’s involvement requirement for all high school students with the Nation of Islam, his pilgrimage to Mecca and eventual fall out with Elijah to graduate. According to arkansased.gov, an Muhammed all deserve attention that they Arkansas high school student must are not receiving. Some slaves had families together — complete three units of social studies to graduate: One unit of world history, something encouraged by some slavers one unit of American history, half a to discourage young males from escape unit of civics and half a unit of other attempts — while others learned skills to social studies. The half unit of social make money and most sought respect and status in the slave quarters. The studies should be changed to intricacies of an individual slave’s African-American history. When high school students life and emotions are not often considered, but they should be. take American history, they typically learn a distorted It is no secret that racism is still in America today. Perhaps if young version of history in the United States. African-American history adults were more educated on the long-term impact of slavery and the is essentially skipped until it is glossed over during Black history of slavery itself, it could chip away at racism in America. History Month. In school, students are Even during Black not taught nearly enough, History Month, the if at all, about the atrocity of slavery achievements of Africanis overshadowed Americans. However, by teaching the by Matt Smothers movies like “Hidden American Civil Staff Writer Figures” as well as Barack War, while the last Obama’s presidency could week of February is change this precedent spent talking about Martin Luther King Jr. before the teacher and be used as inspiration. Cultural integration is an important is forced to move on in his lesson plan. Students rarely get a glimpse of the part of what makes America unique. When Atlantic Slave Trade or the daily life of Africans were first brought to America, they a slave in North America. This means brought their culture with them; the white that students are not getting properly people in America at the time integrated educated in American history, and some cultures with the Africans whether they students are deprived from learning realized it or not. The way Africans danced, sang, farmed and interacted all began to about their ancestors. Martin Luther King Jr. and mesh with white Americans. Malcolm X were two of the most Black History Month is rightfully prominent civil rights activists celebrated, but African-American history throughout the 1950s and 1960s. They is a monumental part of American history. had somewhat contrasting leadership When Africans were forcefully brought to styles, but both were important to the America, they made a lasting impact on civil rights movement. However, high American culture, and they deserve that school history books focus almost recognition.
Marley Cash-Powell Editor
Emily Gist
Associate Editor
Lauren McCabe News Editor
Lauren McLemore Assistant News Editor
Aysha Dixon
Campus Life Editor
Christine Nichols
Assistant Campus Life Editor
Ryan Bradford Opinion Editor
Caela Fugate
Entertainment Editor
Marcus McClain Sports Editor
Daniel Adams
Assistant Sports Editor
Dy’Kajeon Brown
Online/ Social Media Editor
LA Lakers need young talent not old champions
Taylor Sone Photo Editor
Ricky Rivera Cartoonist
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With the Los Angeles Lakers officially set for another rebuild in short order. Each of the players in the young core eliminated from playoff contention March 22 due their loss to the Brooklyn have shown promise and displayed flashes Nets, patience is the last thing any of the of greatness. Brandon Ingram was a force to be reckoned with following the All-Star Laker faithful want to hear about. However, having patience should break this season, averaging 28 points and be the number one priority throughout 58 percent shooting. the organization as they look to return Before going down due to injury, Lonzo to championship prominence. This Ball became a much more confident and is the component that has held effective player, leading the Lakers the Lakers back in recent years, to road victories over the Houston parting ways with young stars Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder such as D’angelo Russell and despite Lebron James being out of Julius Randle. the lineup. Both players were drafted The always aggressive and by the Lakers and were explosive Kyle Kuzma has also perceived as key players proven he is a player that can for the organization’s never be counted out, while future. After a few being one of the most versatile young players in bumpy years for each the league. of these players, Los These players are all Angeles moved on to in the same situation as pursue more “ready by Marcus McClain Randle last season and now” players in free Sports Editor Russell just two seasons agency. ago. Deciding to trade Granted, this had these young stars and some benefit as they signed Lebron James last summer. Still, watching them prosper elsewhere is a blow Russell and Randle have now risen their that Lakers Nation simply live with at this games to All-Star levels, both averaging point — especially considering that Ingram and Kuzma could very well make the next career highs across the board. They are now excelling in their still leap in their careers and be All-Stars next very young careers while the Lakers season. No championship teams are built are unable to reap any of the benefits and are struggling with a depleted, overnight and it’s extremely unlikely that the Lakers will be the first to do so. It’s injury-stricken roster. Although the idea of Anthony Davis a very rare occasion when a team goes gracing Staples Center in the purple and from missing the playoffs one season to gold is enticing, allowing the young core competing in the NBA Finals the next. Going into the offseason, the Lakers of players already in these illustrious colors is the smartest choice for the should reflect on mistakes of the past and ensure that they are not repeated. Lakers. The Lakers are an organization with a Although the timetable for success has been cut much shorter with the history of winning and the desire to return addition of James, trading away good to those times is at an all-time high, but the young players to add only one superstar, Roman empire wasn’t built in a day and could still leave Los Angeles ringless and neither will a championship team in L.A.
People work hard to get into college. It takes good grades, good scores on tests like the ACT and even after that, a lot of money. But then it turns out that plenty of people are getting in simply on the latter. Well, that hardly seems fair. The news came out March 12 when federal prosecutors revealed that there was a conspiracy to influence college admission decisions at several top universities, with 50 people being charged for crimes such as racketeering conspiracy, money laundering and fraud. The person at the top of the scandal was William Singer, a 59-year-old consultant who worked in the college counseling business. Singer helped parents bribe coaches and test monitors to change test scores and create false images of students being sports stars in order to help the parents get their children into a good college. Also charged in the scandal are college coaches who stand accused of accepting millions of dollars to bring the students in on the principle of them being “top athletes” despite some never having played the respective sports or their high school even having that sport, with some parents going so far as to photoshop their kid’s faces to make it appear that they had played that sport. Finally, 33 parents have been charged in the scandal. Some of the more high-profile ones include Lori Loughlin, known for her role as Aunt Becky on “Full House,” her husband and fashion designer, Mossimo Giannulli, and Felicity Huffman, known for her role as Lynette Scavo on “Desperate Housewives.” It can be outrageous for students who made their way into a college based on merit and skill for others to simply be accepted because their parents’ wealth. That being said, many of the students involved had no idea that their parents were doing this and are understandably upset about being lied to. Prosecutors say that parents paid between $15,000 and $75,000 for higher test scores. According to the New York Times, Singer encouraged some parents to get a learning disability waiver for their children, which can allow for more time to take the tests or for them to do so without the usual supervision. It’s fairly malicious to take advantage of a rule made for students who are neurodiverse. “This hurts every individual with a learning disability,” Beth McGaw, the president of the Learning Disabilities Association of America said in a statement, accroding to NPR. As for how they cheated tests such as the ACT or SAT, some parents would have someone else take the exam for the student. Or sometimes, someone in on the scheme would serve as the proctor and guide students to the correct answers. In other cases, someone would go back through tests and correct the students’ answers after the tests were taken. According to prosecutors, many students were unaware that their answers were being changed. The prospect of someone cheating their way into college is almost laughable considering the importance and serious nature in college. However, a proctor being bribed to cheat for the student is truly infuriating. They should hold their positions to a higher standard. Hopefully, all of those involved will face the proper punishment for their crimes. Both those involved at the college level and the parents who attempted to pay their children’s way around the usual path to higher education. Though unfortunately, the severity of justice tends to lessen whenever the wealthy and famous are involved.
The prospect of someone cheating their way into college is almost laughable considering the importance and serious nature of college.
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Entertainment
7
March 27, 2019
New This Week
‘The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann’ proves binge worthy by Caela Fugate
Movies March 29 — Dumbo (PG), directed by Tim Burton, starring Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green March 29 — The Beach Bum (R), directed by Harmony Korine, starring Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Stefania LaVie Owen March 29 — Unplanned (R), directed by Chuck Konzelman, Cary Solomon starring F Ashley Bratcher, Brooks Ryan, Robia Scott, Jared Lotz
Music March 29 — Sing To Me Instead — Ben Platt March 29 — Health — C Duncan March 29 — Empath — Devin Townsend March 29 — Agora — Fennesz March 29 — Happy Now — Gang of Four March 29 — Honky Tonk Time Machine — George Strait
Entertainment Editor
On May 3, 2007, two parents lives and an entire country’s view of safety changed when 3-year-old Madeleine Beth McCann disappeared from inside her bedroom while on holiday at the Ocean Club Resort in Algarve, Portugal and was never seen again. The Netflix Original docuseries “The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann” recounts the tale of how, when and why Madeleine McCann was abducted over the course of eight episodes. Immediately, the docuseries catches viewers’ attention with stunning cinematography and excellent quotes. The quotes were taken from Madeleine’s parents during the initial media coverage of her disappearance; one of the most impactful quotes was from Madeleine’s mother, Kate McCann, who said, “I would search for my daughter forever.” Chris Smith, the director of the docuseries, follows these statements with pictures of Madeleine, along with scenes of the breathtaking Praia de Luz landscape, which cuts at the ultimate fact that terrors lie within all corners of the world, even in paradise. Kate and Gerry McCann were dining at the Tapas with several friends — including Jane Tanner who believes she may have witnessed a man carrying a child who wasn’t wearing shoes and who had on light pajamas right before
March 29 — Trauma — I Prevail March 29 — Cosmic Wind — Lion Babe
photo courtesy of www.express.co.uk
The search for Madeleine McCann — who would now be 15 years old — continues nearly 12 years later. “The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann” docuseries released March 15.
Kate noticed her daughter was missing — when Kate returned to the apartment, after a 20-minute interval, to find a window open and Madeleine gone. It was originally believed that Madeleine had wandered off in the night. However, through its interviews — specifically Jim Gamble, a former senior police officer and child exploitation and online protection center expert — the docuseries speculates that she was actually taken for sex trafficking. Despite the teeth-gritting ignorance of the Portuguese police through the abnormal amount of pressure from the mass media, intense interviews from each vital cog of the disappearance-ofMadeleine wheel delivered possible explanations for all aspects of the case. This included Gonçalo Amaral — former chief investigating coordinator — who spoke for himself and previous Portugal police officers.
“Police officers are people, too. They are human beings just like everyone else,” Amaral said. Except, they’re not. Police officers, in every corner of the world, are held to a higher standard from the minute they are sworn in. It is their duty — regardless of media pressure — to protect and serve and find missing little girls to the best of their ability. It seemed Amaral used the docuseries to defend himself and failed, like he failed McCann. The docuseries included a variety of perspectives ranging from the investigators, local residents of Praia da Luz, specialists, journalists and more. This shifted the tone of the docuseries to something even more disturbing. Local business owners and residents now believe criminal activities in Algarve — and Praia da Luz — was Europe’s best-kept secret. Amara and other investigators admitted that Algarve had its fair share of
ALBUM RELEASE
March 29 — Union — Son Volt March 29 — GUY — Steve Earle & the Dukes
Netflix April 1 — I Am Legend, directed by Francis Lawrence, starring Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan April 1 — ULTRAMAN, starring Ryohei Kimura, Takuya Eguchi, Megumi Han April 1 — Spy Kids, directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Alexa PenaVega, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas April 1 — Pineapple Express, directed by David Gordon Green, starring Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole
April 1 — Lakeview Terrace, directed by Neil LaBute starring Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington
Five ways to stay organized during school List compiled by Lisa Sullins Staff Writer
However, this proved agitating and grossly unfair for those other abducted children. The docuseries brought to light children who were abducted in the same time frame as Madeleine, but were never publicized. Could these other children have been found if they had
Netflix’s Original “The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann” gives a chilling rendition of the gripping tale of a little girl whose disappearance continues to break people’s hearts around the globe. That aspect packed with stunning Portuguese nature clips and scene compiling will surely twist your mind and make you question everything. If you’re new to this case and haven’t previously heard of Madeleine McCann, make sure you have plenty of binging time because you’re not pressing pause on this one. “The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann” is now streaming on Netflix.
Juice WRLD’s latest album ‘Aladdin’ trailer previews Disney live-action by Lauren McCabe filled with relatable emotion
by DJ Jones
five hit records on the album — is another emotional melody over a trap beat. Juice WRLD raps his original lyrics, “Stuck in a maze, everything’s okay, but no not really.”
The second song on the tracklist, “Maze” — one of the
“Death Race for Love” is currently streaming on Apple Music and Spotify.
Like everyone else — I hope — my childhood revolved around Disney movies: “Mulan,” “Toy Story,” “Alice in Wonderland.” You name it, and I’ve seen it. So when I heard that Disney will be releasing a live-action “Aladdin” movie, well, being “excited” was an understatement. Recently, Disney has been teasing its audiences with new remakes and live-action movies coming out this year, such as “Toy Story 4” and “Dumbo.” Of course, us Disney fans are rejoicing and vocalizing our opinions and theories about the movies themselves. Disney released the trailer for the live-action “Aladdin” film March 4, which will star Will Smith as Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine. The movie will come out early this summer. The trailer gives us a relatively clear insight on how the movie will go, and by all indications from the trailer, wow, it’s going to be good. Hopefully, everyone reading this generally knows the plot of “Aladdin”: A thief and street rat (Aladdin) falls in love with an Arabian princess (Jasmine) but cannot be with her due to his peasant status. But he soon finds a magic lamp deep within the throat of a magical cave that releases the lovable character we all know as Genie. Aladdin is granted three wishes, one is to become royal. However, the sultan’s evil advisor, Jafar, has other plans up his sleeve to deal with Aladdin and Jasmine. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about the
1. Save, Save, Save My advice is to save your work on your computer at least three times, and in three different locations. In addition, send a copy to your email address. And, in my humble opinion, I would make one of those places Google Drive. I have been guilty of forgetting a copy at least one time in my years at school — I am sure many of you have, too. Then, there is the problem of the computer crashing. That’s an important reason to send your work to your email address. Worst case scenario: You lose a 25-page paper due the next day. What a nightmare! So make sure to save, save, save.
2. Keep track of accessories Another thing people are apt to do is to leave their flash drive, hard drive or SD card in a computer and walk off. That is the most inconvenient thing to happen. What could be free time, or study time, suddenly turns into a mad panic. If it’s not inside the computer, maybe it’s in lost and found. Or maybe someone has taken it home for safe keeping until your next class and they don’t have your contact information (this has happened to me before). Then the worry and anxiety set in. To avoid this, simply leave a note card reminding yourself not to forget that very important device. Always keep the card with you, in your bookbag or pencil pouch, and there — disaster averted.
3. Handwrite your notes Take good notes and rewrite them if they are messy — mine always are. Not only can you read them better, but people retain more information when they write it again. It is completely up to you where you store your notes. However, if you try to keep a binder with a divider for all your subjects, your notebook could fill up really fast. Keep a very large binder at home somewhere conveniently close by. When your subject(s) are full, put dividers in the large binder and transfer your notes there. And remember to write the date at the top of each page, if you can. That way, when you have an exam, your notes will be at your fingertips and in order.
Staff Writer
March 29 — Halfway To Home — Rita Wilson
This case differs from most child abduction cases at the time because Madeleine was on holiday with her UK-bred parents. The case received mass media reports across the globe. Madeleine quickly became one of the most publicized and funded cases of abduction because she represented what all parents fear — that their child will be taken in the middle of the night while in another country.
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
News Editor
March 29 — Deserted — Mekons
murders, robberies and other violent crimes. However, after Madeleine was abducted, I felt the immense shock the locals must have felt realizing their home was no longer the paradise most perceived it to be.
received even half the media coverage as Madeleine? Despite its in-depth interviews, the overall information recounted in the series was not inherently new. Kate and Gerry McCann had no interest in contributing to the series — personally, why would they? The McCanns were intensely questioned years ago and unsuccessfully charged with supposedly covering up their unintentional killing of Madeleine. Without their influence, and due to the lack of new information, some of the eight episodes came across as slow, depending on how educated you are on the case. If the series’ goal was to recap the previous abduction over a decade later with a new suggestion of sex trafficking, they’ve done well. However, if the goal was to bring new information to this case with a long-awaited answer, Netflix fell short.
The rap fan base has been spoiled with great albums released at the beginning of 2019. Just days after the release of rap legend 2 Chainz’s album, “Rap or Go To The League,” rap fans received Juice WRLD’s second studio album, “Death Race for Love.” A year after his debut album, “Goodbye & Good Riddance,” and a collaboration project with hip-hop artist Future, the 20-year-old Chicago native gave his fans an exciting 72-minute long album. Juice WRLD is known for his emotional style of rap that is mixed with both hip-hop and rock. On this album, Juice WRLD focused on expressing love, heartbreak and other related issues. The album features artists such as R&B singer Brent Faiyaz, hip-hop artist Young Thug and rap artist Clever. Juice WRLD opens the album with the hit song, “Empty.” This song has a very chilled vibe to it because of the instrumental music, but the lyrics are quite depressing. In this song, Juice WRLD talks about how he feels empty inside so he turns to other things, such as drugs and alcohol, to cover up his issues. This song is a perfect example of a new style that most new rap or emo-rap artists use.
“Hear Me Calling” is another hit from “Goodbye & Good Riddance” that has the potential to be the biggest hit on the entire project. The smooth song has pop-like instrumental vibes to go along with a catchy hook. The most surprising thing with this album is that every hit track has no feature. Most would expect the song “ON GOD” to be an early hit simply because it features one of hip-hop’s most popular artists — Young Thug. The biggest take about this album is the message behind it. In an interview with Billboard, Juice WRLD said he wanted to touch on how he struggled with anxiety in the past. “That’s something that I feel like a lot of people neglect, which is completely wrong,” Juice WRLD said. He said he hopes to be someone who can break the chain of this mental stigma. Most new rap artists often use their music to connect to people who struggle with the same issues as them, which is exactly what Juice WRLD did with this album. 2018 was a great start for Juice WRLD, and so far, it seems that 2019 will be just as good.
trailer itself. First, may I say the stunts that we are exposed to in the first 20 seconds are quite brilliant and just how much of a daredevil I had always imagined Aladdin to be. Massoud (thankfully) looks the part too: Charming, handsome and seemingly just a young guy who wishes for a better life for himself. I am particularly excited about the costuming design of this movie because, I was uncertain about how culturally and time-period accurately Disney was going to make it. However, in the trailer, we see Jasmine dressed in her iconic outfit: A blue halter top and blue harem pants for a more Arabian and culturally accurate look. Aladdin looks different, which (sadly, for some) covers up his chest and changes his purple vest into a more burgundy vest. But, you know, I get it — a liveaction movie may not be as family-friendly as a cartoon version of the same thing due to the use of real people with real bodies. Props to you, Disney, for allowing even the smallest of people the opportunity to enjoy the action without the overexposure of adult actors’ bodies. Also to note, the digital filmmaking and editing seen in the trailer to create our beloved movie favorites such as Abu the Monkey and Genie look amazing. Will Smith was a bit of a surprising choice for Genie. I don’t doubt his skills, but of course, there are many more actors who have the same abilities as him, but perhaps just does not hold his title in Hollywood, such as Hannibal Buress, Will Forte or even Terry Crews. Robin Williams’ rendition of Genie in the
1992 version of “Aladdin” will always hold a special, sentimental place in my heart. That being said, letting go of our original Genie is difficult. However, I admire Smith; his interpretation of Genie, at least within the trailer, seems to capture who we know the character to truly be. I definitely believe Smith will make this a comedic and memorable character for years to come. Finally, let’s address the subject of music. Of course, everyone should know how to sing along and enjoy the classic songs “Friend Like Me” and “A Whole New World.” While there were doubts surrounding whether Disney would ultimately decide to make this a musical, I was nervous about the verdict. The music is essential to the plot in almost every Disney movie ever made, and one simply cannot capture the storyline and characters without it. Thankfully, my nerves simmered down when Smith popped out of the lamp for his rendition of “Friend Like Me.” We also see in the trailer the magic carpet ride where Jasmine takes Aladdin’s hand to sing “A Whole New World.” Altogether, I predict that this will be a box office hit and even the top movie of the upcoming summer. Though I haven’t personally seen the work of either Massoud or Scott, it is clear from the trailer that they have worked hard to recreate the timeless characters we grew up with. For any Disney or “Aladdin” fan, give this movie a chance. You may be surprised. “Aladdin” will be released into theaters May 24, and the trailer is now available on YouTube and on Disney’s social media pages.
4. Manage your free time Save the free time, TV, Netflix binging and drinks out with friends until you are finished with your homework and studies. That should go without saying but is much easier said than done. You guys know what I mean. Believe me, overall it will relieve a lot of the stress and anxiety we students are famous for. In other words, as hard as it may be to turn that party down, you will have something much more important to do the next day and it won’t help to have a hangover. It takes 21-30 days to make a habit. Get started and remember, more than anything, you will need the discipline to make this work. Eventually, it will become a good habit and your grades will surely show it.
5. Own several calendars Buy one or more calendars for the academic year. I have one for each subject in my binder and one at home. A planner is not a bad idea either for additional preparation. The important thing is to make a schedule, check your calendars and/or planners daily and stick to that schedule. It’s a great idea to look through your syllabus at the beginning of the semester and write down when all of your work is due. I have been guilty of writing my assignment in a notebook and totally forgetting when it is due. Play it safe and take that extra time at the beginning of the semester to organize your calendar and planner through the entire semester.
Criner continues to reach milestones in track, indoors as well as outdoors by Aysha Dixon Campus Life Editor
photo by Taylor Sone
Junior Ajah Criner has broken UCA’s former women’s track records in both the 200 meter and 400 meter events. Criner’s motivation this season is to continue to break records while pursuing her Exercise Science degree.
UCA STATS SQUARE
SPORT Men’s Basketball
OPPONENT
Southeastern Louisiana University
Women’s Basketball Abiliene Christian University Tennis Softball
ucanews.live
SPORTS
8/ March 27, 2019
Louisiana Tech University University of the Incarnate Word
RESULT
RECORD
67-55 (L)
(14-19, 8-10)
82-54 (L)
(12-18, 6-12)
4-1 (W)
(11-6, 3-1)
13-6 (W)
(17-6, 4-5)
Baseball
Stephen F. Austin University
9-3 (W)
(11-13, 6-3)
Beach Volleyball
Texas Christian University
4-1 (L)
(2-4)
UCA junior and Stephens, Arkansas, native Ajah Criner has been breaking records for UCA women’s track this season, but hopes to break even more. While in her hometown, Criner was heavily involved in basketball where she was a forward. She did not start running track until her ninth-grade year when she was in high school in Hope, Arkansas. “I played basketball and I ran track and that was it,” Criner said. Criner has been a sprinter since her ninth-grade year, and continued to run even after she graduated from Hope High School in 2016. Criner tied UCA’s record and finished second in the 200 meter with a time of 24.72 seconds during the Samford University January Open, but
came back even stronger at the Howie Ryan Invitational hosted by the University of Houston where she ran a 24.54 to finish third overall and break UCA’s record in the 200 meter dash. “It felt good, but after that it was kind of like it’s time to break something else,” Criner said. Criner’s typical routine prior to her events are to size up the track, then relax and warm up. Her warm ups consist of stretching, running and listening to music. When she became a part of the UCA track and field family, Criner had her expectations set. “I knew that I wanted to be in the record book, so that was my goal when I got here,” Criner said. Although she has not had any unexpected obstacles this season, she did have to overcome her own criticism by motivating herself to achieve
her record-breaking dreams. “I kind of doubted myself at first, but I feel better now,” Criner said. “I feel better than I ever have. With the help of her team and her coaches, Criner found the confidence she needed to put her doubts behind her and achieve the goals that she had hoped to achieve when she came to UCA. Criner was named an All-Southland Conference medalist following the 2019 SLC Indoor Championships in early March. She earned second-team honors, which landed her a silver medal, while also breaking the school record in the 200 meter. Ultimately, she hopes to become an athletic trainer after earning her bachelor’s degree in exercise science. Criner hopes to break more outdoor records this season and stay motivated both inside and outside of the classroom.