The Echo | February 22, 2017

The Echo

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

WEDNESDAY

FEBRUARY 22, 2017 Volume 111 — Issue 18

ucaecho.net TODAY’S FORECAST

Entertainment:

Campus Life:

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Sports:

Show: Cirque Eloize performance moving, storyline displeasing

Performance: “Rub some glitter on it” expresses femininity

Baseball: Bears win two out of three games against Purple Aces

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Sunny

73/51 THE NEWSDESK FROM THE EDITOR

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Kim Jong Nam attacked with chemical spray, dies An investigation is underway into the apparent assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the exiled half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. A woman carrying Vietnamese travel documents bearing the name Doan Thi Huong was arrested at the Malaysian airport where Kim Jong Nam was allegedly attacked. Kim Jong Nam told medical workers he was attacked with a chemical spray before he died. photos by Anna Suarez

[Left] District 35 Rep. Clarke Tucker spoke to Conway citizens regarding the concealed carry bill that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. {Right} Bryant High School senior Julia Nail attended the concealed carry bill town hall meeting on Feb. 13 in Doyne Auditorium.

N AT I O N A L

Senate committee passes HB 1249; Conway discusses issues

Georgia passes bill, man arrested for ‘upskirting’

by Emily Gist

The Georgia Senate passed a bill that would make photos and films taken under a person’s clothes illegal.

The bill is currently on its way to the House. “Upskisrting” is under review after a man filmed up a woman’s skirt while she was grocery shopping. Security footage showed the man filming the woman four different times while she shopped.

The Senate voted unanimously on Feb. 15.

Staff Writer

State representatives argued Feb. 13 that the concealed carry bill is a matter of public safety and should therefore be handled by law enforcement.

The bill passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Feb. 15 and an amendment to the bill was added, according to the Arkansas Times website.

Senator Trent Garner proposed that anyone 25 years old or older with a concealed carry permit can carry a firearm on campus as long as they take an additional 16 hours of State Police training, according to the Arkansas Times website.

According to a Nontraditional Students Office brochure from 2014, 18 percent of UCA students are over the age of 25. Approximately 28

Swastika spray painted on garage, man arrested An Ohio man was arrested after he spray painted a swastika and an anti-Arab message on a Lebanese family’s garage door . Osama Nazzal, 28, told police his message wasn’t a matter of “ethnic intimidation” but declined to state his motive. A new garage door was donated by an installer and radio station to the family and community members put encouraging messages on the defaced door.

Former UCA art professor Gene Hatfield dies at 91 Retired UCA art professor Lester Gene Hafield died Feb. 18 at age 91 after battling a brief illness. Hatfield was an art professor at UCA for 37 years before his retirement in 1985 and was a decorated World War II veteran. He was named Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Art by UCA. Hatfield worked with a variety o f artistic mediums, such as watercolor, oil, acrylic and sculpture.

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE Concealed carry bill reaches amendment, those 25 or older can carry a fireharm on university campuses, as long as they go through 16-hour police training.

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4Student Say

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potential students and faculty from attending or teaching at public institutions.

“Having guns on campus scares us,” junior Katharine Stanley said. “That idea is scary, aside from the campus police who are trained to use them.”

Stanley disagrees with the bill. She said at the meeting that she would attend the Feb. 15 Senate Committee meeting.

“People who know better telling representative Collins and his people that this is a bad idea obviously hasn’t done anything to change his mind,” Stanley said. “If this is the last chance that we have to maybe not let this happen, or at the very least take some of its teeth out, then it’s definitely worth waking up at seven and driving down to Little Rock at 8:30 a.m.,” Stanley said.

FUNDING

by William Middleton Staff Writer

A percentage increase within the consumer price index between UCA and Aramark may implement a meal plan price increase for students in fall 2017.

Students can expect meal plan prices to increase in the 2017- 2018 school year.

The consumer price index is the change in pricing paid by a typical consumer in retail pricing.

Under UCA’s current contract with Aramark Educational Services, if there is an increase in the CPI of three percent or greater, Aramark is entitled to an increase of three and a half percent.

There was a 2.4 percent increase in CPI last year. The board of trustees passed a 2.81 percent increase at their first meeting of the year in February, which was negotiated by UCA and Aramark.

According to board policy

No. 416, the board must approve contracts that require UCA to expend funds in excess of $250,000.

UCA failed to sell the meal plans agreed upon, which also affected the increase.

The UCA analysts on the 2.81 percent increase included General Counsel and Project Coordinator Warren Readnour, Assistant Vice President Megan Bennett, Housing and Residence Life/Contract Services Rick McCollum and Vice President for Finance and Administration Diane Newton.

Newton is not sure exactly how the CDI increase will affect meal plan pricing for the next fiscal year.

“We are working on the full budget, of which tuition, fees, room and board are all a part,” Newton said. “Once the need is determined, I will take the proposal to the Student Life Committee of SGA and then to the full SGA. They typically

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only apply to faculty with concealed carry permits.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea for individuals that don’t do training day-to-day to be held responsible,” Veteran Service Coordinator David Williams said. “The best thing that they could possibly do for us if they feel that there is some threat on campus is add more police officers or get more security equipment.”

The representatives also argued that because campuses typically have campus police, those police officers can respond faster than typical police forces.

“There’s a big difference between a very contained geographical area and the world at large,” Tucker said.

A final argument the representatives made against the bill was that it would deter

UCA, Aramark make Higher education bill affects UCA, fall meal plan changes raises students enrolled, graduating

Index: 4Police Beat 4People of UCA

safety I think we need to refer to law enforcement,” Tucker said.

Representatives of the Arkansas State University system, community colleges and police forces all argued against the bill in the House committee. Because the bill is an issue of public safety, the two representatives felt those voices should be listened to.

“I want to listen to the expertise of law enforcement officials on college campuses across the state who believe strongly and unanimously that this bill will make college campus environments less safe,” Tucker said.

If the bill were a gun rights issue, it would require all school systems, public or private, to allow all people within those schools, including students, to carry concealed firearms.

As it stands, the bill would

INCREASE

LOCAL

WHAT’S AHEAD

percent of all college students in Arkansas were 25 or older in 2015, including private and twoyear schools, according to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

The bill itself eliminates the option for universities to disallow faculty to carry concealed guns on campus.

In the first town hall meeting on Thursday, Feb. 9, Rep. Charlie Collins met with a filled auditorium to discuss his reasons for introducing HB 1249.

A week later in Doyne auditorium, Rep. Clarke Tucker of District 35 and Rep. Charles Blake of District 36 explained their opposition to the bill.

“It’s not being presented as a gun rights issue, it’s being presented as a public safety issue, and on questions of public

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by John Anderson Staff Writer

Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a bill on higher education which changes the funding formulas for colleges and universities.

This could potentially affect UCA’s enrollment.

The bill requires the state to adopt a “performance-based” funding assessment.

According to the George Lucas Educational Foundation website, “A performance-based assessment measures students’ ability to apply the skills and knowledge learned from a unit or units of study,” President Houston Davis said UCA faculty and staff are excited about the funding formula, which is based on the productivity of the university.

It is unclear how the bill is going to affect UCA because the funding formula has not been finalized.

According to the Policy

Brief Finance/Funding Formulas website, “states develop educational funding formulas to determine the total amount of funds needed for each student and to establish the state’s share of those costs.”

Vice President of Finance Diane Newton said the funding formula is scheduled to go into effect in the 2018-2019 school year.

Davis said the faculty and staff are proactively working toward increasing the number of students graduating.

“We are being aggressive in our efforts to retain students who enroll at UCA so that when they leave they have a credential. We are also being aggressive in recruiting students who are highly qualified and degree-seeking,” Davis said.

UCA will enter agreements with two-year colleges in Arkansas to increase the number of qualified transfer students, who will be able to to earn an undergraduate degree

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Conway needs Red Lobster

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in a short time. This means they will spend less time at a | four-year university.

UCA is also increasing its class sizes in the health science programs, which will allow more students to be enrolled in the classes and graduate from the university.

“We continue to adjust our curriculum to stay ahead of the curve so that we are offering the degree programs that the people of Arkansas want and that the employers of Arkansas need,” Davis said.

Davis said his primary goal is to make sure students are provided with a high-quality education.

Chief of Staff Kelley Erstine said he does not anticipate any faculty or staff members getting laid off because of this bill.

He said the students, faculty and staff will be informed about the effects of the bill when the university receives the final details.

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2/February 22, 2017

NEWS

ucaecho.net

Environment weathers Big Naturals, Otis Bear

by Caroline Bivens Assistant News Editor

photo by Lauren Swaim

UCA President Houston Davis speaks at the Campus Talk on Feb. 16 in the College of Business Auditorium. One of the topics Davis discussed was last fall’s enrollment drop and how he planned to raise student enrollment.

President Davis hosts first Campus Talk at UCA

by Mia Moulden Staff Writer

UCA President Houston Davis hosted his first Campus Talk regarding the decision of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s recent decision to pass a campus concealed carry bill.

The Campus Talk was held at 1:40 p.m. on Feb. 16 in the College of Business Auditorium.

“I wanted to update you on the gun bill; it concerns all of you either directly or indirectly. As you know, we support the current state law, and we are happy to echo their statement on that. That bill pretty easily cleared the senate, but there will be a contingent

training requirement for it to be passed. We are not alone in this discussion; we are involved in a national dialogue about gun laws in the world of higher education,” Davis said.

The talk also included a discussion of enrollment, scholarships, the SGA’s spring picnic and staff elections, increasing internship opportunities for students and recent student research presentations at the state Capitol.

Davis addressed the fall 2015 enrollment drop of roughly 350 to 300 students.

Davis also addressed his plans for UCA’s academic future. “I hope to have as many one-on-one meetings with core

faculty as possible. I am very interested and invested in what is next and what is after next for this institution,” Davis said.

Davis attributed the recent low enrollment numbers to the quality of UCA’s advising and orientation runs and encouraged the staff to help change those for the better.

However, he did defend the progress UCA has made in terms of application numbers.

He said UCA has almost 400 more students than it had two years ago.

“What we have done is designed to implement what the best practices out there today and bring them to this area.

Our whole wellness program

was participation based, but we have taken it to an outcome based one,” Associate Vice President of Human Resources and Risk Management Graham Gillis said.

Campus Talks are meetings open to students and faculty that usually discuss university issues and news.

Campus Talks are usually held about twice per semester in the College of Business Auditorium.

The meetings allow comments from faculty speakers and questions from the audience, both in person and by email. They cover subjects ranging from academics to finance to student events.

Two of UCA’s prominent campus artworks, “The Big Naturals” and “Otis the Bear,” are showing signs of deterioration as the scheduled removal of “The Big Naturals” grows near.

“The Big Naturals” was created on campus in 2014 by artist Patrick Dougherty, who signed a three-year contract with UCA that ends this fall.

Baum Gallery Director Brian Young said the art was made to be temporary, and keeping the art for a few more years would circumvent the artist and his contract.

Young said that once the artwork, located near the Baum Gallery, is gone, the site will be relandscaped.

“The art itself is site-specific, that was the artist’s original intent. Once the artwork is gone, nothing really needs to go in its place,” Young said.

There is no specific date set for the removal of the “Big Naturals.”

According to the art collection website, Dougherty created the artwork between Sept. 2-20, 2014 from willow, ash, winged elm sticks and other natural materials.

Young said the artwork is deteriorating and has become difficult to repair. He said if the sticks continue to dry out it may hasten the removal process.

Young also said art is chosen for campus based on funding and what the exhibition committee and UCA wants.

The committee mainly looks for contemporary artwork from current artists to display on campus.

“We want the art to be an inspiration to art students and to students in general,” Young said. “We don’t often look back, historically.”

Another piece of artwork on campus, “Otis the Bear,” has shown signs of deterioration.

Artist and UCA art professor Bryan Massey said “Otis” has begun to rust because his client, architect firm Polk Stanley Wilcox, did not want the sculpture treated with a sealant that protects against UV rays and harsh environmental elements.

Massey said that if left untreated, the stainless steel will rust due to oxidation.

“Nothing is permanent, time will affect any material,” Massey said, though he doesn’t know why the firm didn’t want the sealant.

Massey said the rust can be removed using a sealant kit that will restore luster to the stainless steel and protect it from the elements and UV rays.

Massey said the sealant must be reapplied every two years and the rust would only pose a safety hazard in 50-100 years.

Massey created the 15-foot-long and 8-foot-wide bear, weighing 2,500 pounds, out of stainless steel. “Otis” was completed in Oct. 2016 and hangs on the side of Donaghey Hall. The bear was contracted at a total of $72,000.

WORKSHOPS

SGA considers possible American writer honored with MFA workshop award UCA graduate program BOOK

by Brandon Jones Staff Writer

Author Jennifer Steil was awarded the second annual Phillip H. McMath publication book award for her novel “The Ambassador’s Wife.”

Steil will visit UCA on March 8.

Steil said she writes her novels because she thinks there are stories that need to be told and there were international Jennifer Steil issues she wished to talk about.

“The Middle East is misunderstood by many Americans, and with my first two books I felt compelled to share the Middle East that I knew and loved,” Steil said.

Though not an autobiography, the novel stemmed from Steil’s own experience with diplomatic life, as her husband is a former

British ambassador to Yemen. “‘The Ambassador’s Wife’ is a thriller story about art, diplomatic life, terrorism, marriage and issues of relations between the U.S. and Middle East and attempting to bring feminism to the Middle East,” Steil said.

When Steil was pregnant with her daughter, she and four other women were kidnapped

by Yemeni tribesman, though the Yemeni government was able to negotiate their release that same day.

Steil said she was caught off guard because Yemenis had been the kindest people she’d ever met, and said the kidnapper’s motives were not related to terrorism.

“The men who surrounded us were not terrorists,” Steil said.

“It was simply an opportunistic kidnapping by a clearly mentally unstable sheikh and his followers.”

Part of the story also comes from Steil’s experience having a successful career and life, then suddenly being introduced to people as simply

“the ambassador’s wife,” which her novel’s character also experiences.

“I was defined by my husband rather than my own achievements,” Steil said. “This struggle to retain identity gave me the title of the book.”

Steil said her previous novel, a memoir titled “The Woman Who Fell From the Sky,” felt like a continuation of her journalism career, and after the extensive research it required, she wanted to move on to fiction writing.

Both of Steil’s novels have freedom of expression as central themes, and Steil said she wanted “The Ambassador’s Wife” to also show that women in the Middle East have more power than people think, albeit in different ways than women in the West.

Steil started the novel in 2009 and finished after about four years.

Steil is now working on a book that focuses on Jewish refugees who fled Austria for La Paz, Bolivia to escape Nazis in

1938.

“It’s a novel that takes place over two generations,” Steil said.

“A book exploring the plight of people driven from their homes by a fascist regime and forced to emigrate feels particularly relevant at the moment, given the horrific situation of refugees worldwide and our government’s unconscionable attempts to ban them.”

According to a press release on the UCA website, Steil was one of 52 applicants for the award. The final judge was writer Phillip McMath.

UCA professor and Director of the Arkansas Writers MFA Workshop Stephanie Vanderslice said Steil will visit UCA March 8 to receive her award and host a workshop to teach writers journalistic tools that can improve their fiction writing.

Steil said students who wish to attend the workshop should come with a laptop or notebooks because there will be in-class writing, Steil said.

Plan:

Due to percent changes over the last two years, meal plan prices could increase in fall 2016; Newton says official details will come in April 4 Continued from page 1 pass a resolution regarding their thoughts on the change.”

UCA has raised meal plan prices for three consecutive years: 4.51 percent in May 2014, 6.75 percent in February of 2015 and 5 percent in April of 2016.

Based on previous years’ increases, students can expect up to about an 4.3 percent

increase on meal plan pricing.

The probable increase would add about 65 dollars to the current 220 and 140 block plans.

Newton said the final decision on new price changes should be determined in early April.

The price increase was also due to UCA not selling enough meal plans this year.

UCA is required to sell an average of 3,800 meal plans per year.

UCA’s failure to sell the required number of meal plans could have resulted from the

drop in enrollment this year.

According to a previous article in The Echo, the fall 2016 head count enrollment was 11,487 and the full-time equivalent was 9,695.

The fall 2015 enrollment was 11,754 and the full-time equivalent of 9,959.

by Caroline Bivens Assistant News Editor

SGA met to discuss the idea of an SGA graduate program and to discuss campus informational meetings for those interested in the inner workings of SGA. The SGA graduate program would be a subsidy of SGA with its own SAFA funding that would allow graduates to attend more workshops and conferences.

Primary Graduate Representative Ethan Clement said the SGA graduate program would enhance UCA by representing the graduate class.

Clement said that the current graduate class is small, as only 15 percent of students are graduates. Clement is hoping to fill 43-44 spots on their Senate, with one representative from every 100 graduate students and one representative from each graduate program.

“The key to this is talking to each program head so they can reach out to their programs,” Clement said.

The new SGA graduate program would also have three liaisons to fill the graduate spots in the original SGA senate. The SGA graduate program would only be responsible for graduate delegations, decisions and funding.

SGA also discussed holding an informational session for faculty and staff to teach them about SGA operations on March 14 during x-period and on March 15 at 3:30 p.m.

“We want to build better partnerships on campus,” SGA president and senior Kelsey Broaddrick said. “We want to inform [faculty and staff] how our voting system works.”

SGA is also planning to talk to students about the goals and functions of SGA. They will connect with students during x-period, when most students are eating lunch, in the Student Center on Feb. 28.

“We want to tell [students] who we are and what we do,” Junior Class President Carly Jo Riggins said. “Food is a great way to bring people together.”

SGA voted in favor of placing “Ask a Senator” message boxes in the SGA office, library and Student Center for students who are too uncomfortable to speak in front of the senate, or who are unable to go to meetings to discuss matters with SGA directly.

SGA touched on some of the committee reports and ideas. The University Committee Reports voted to establish a master’s program for Athletics Training. The Campus Involvement Committee proposed the idea of extending library hours on Saturday. The library would open at 12 p.m. instead of 2 p.m. during finals week.

“Two hours may not seem like a huge difference but it is for students who need to get something done,” Junior Class Representative Stevie Massey said.

SGA will also meet with Jim Nabors to look at samples of new plates for the Christian Cafeteria. Fourteen days of the Presidential Transition has been confirmed for SGA members to inform President Houston Davis why the UCA campus is important to them. The Academic Affairs Committee was officially voted to become a standing committee.

Police Beat The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Caroline Bivens.

Woman arrested for marijuana, resists UCAPD

Student loses wallet; cash, license, cards valued at $35

Students involved in wreck; no injuries noted

Man involved in hit-and-run accident, vehicle is damaged

Brooke Dingler was arrested for having marijuana near Bear Village on Feb. 14. Police approached Dingler’s 2015 Chevrolet Cruze during a traffic stop. Dingler resisted.

Student Mackenzie Chosy reported the loss of a small wallet containing a driver’s license, BearCard, debit card and cash. The items were valued at a total of $35.

Students Brian Hittenrauch and Audrey Kuntz wrecked in the North overflow parking lot off Bruce Street on Feb. 13. Both cars were damaged but the owners were not injured.

Brandon Cox was the victim involved in a hit-and-run accident on Student Lane on Feb. 14. Cox’s red 2013 Chevrolet Impala, located near West HPER, was damaged.

Campus Life

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Feburary 22, 2017

Around Campus: Oliver de la Paz Poet Oliver de la Paz will visit UCA and host a public reading of his book “Post Subjet: A Fable” at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 in the College of Business Auditorium. Paz will also present a Poetry Craft Talk during X-period on Feb. 23 in Win Thompson Hall 331.

Lecture in Bernard Frank Holbrook, a UCA alumn and division chief for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, will give a lecture about careers in government during x-period on Feb. 23 in Bernard Hall 207.

Holbrook is also the founder of UCA’s Black Alumni Chapter and the president of the Faulkner County NAACP.

‘End Game’ opening “End Game” will have its opening night at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 in the Black Box Theatre in the Snow Fine Arts Center. The show is directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Kevin Browne and will show again at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 24 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 25.

Career Services Teacher’s Fair in SC UCA Career Services will host the 2017 Teacher’s Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 24 in the Student Center Ballroom. The flier asks that students dress for success and bring resumes and UCA IDs as recruiters will be available for networking.

photos by Monica Sanders

[Left] “Put Some Glitter On It” cast members alumna Sydney Stoner, senior Karina Martinez, senior Javan Massey and senior Emily Brooks pose during their final rehearsal Feb. 15 in the Bridges Larson Theatre in Snow Fine Arts. The play is an original devised work directed by junior Zoe Allison. [Top right] Cast members senior Javan Massey, senior Emily Brooks, alumna Sydney Stoner and senior Karina Martinez play cards during a scene. [Bottom right] The cast members pose during their final rehearsal.

Student-led play set in dystopian future addresses womanhood

by Taylor Fulgham Assistant Online Editor

Original feminist student-led play, “Rub Some Glitter On It,” discussed the meaning of womanhood on Feb. 16 at the Bridges-Larson Theater in Snow Fine Arts Center.

There were three performances on the mainstage of the theater. Zoe Allison, a junior theater major, directed the piece. She said the play was a collaborative effort between her and the cast as the majority of the dialogue was improvised during the performance.

“We talked about what it means to be a woman, what we were taught about femininity

and the challenges that women face everyday. So we had a lot of material to start with, but once we actually got in the creative space the ensemble really felt the need to respond to what’s going on in the world. We couldn’t as women, especially women who had just immersed ourselves in discussions with other women, be in a creative space and not address our current situation,” Allison said.

The play follows a group of young women in a dystopian society where women are auctioned off for marriage.

None of the girls seem to understand why society doesn’t value them because of their gender, and plan a rebellion for the auction.

Cast member and senior

Emily Brooks said the play was a mix between “The Stepford Wives” and “The Hunger Games.”

Brooks also said the piece was meant as social commentary.

“It is a sort of social commentary about the cultural push that a majority of women face towards beauty and marriage and being a stereotypical housewife, as well as the backlash that can occur when women try to break from this mold,” Brooks said.

In a talkback session after the opening night performance, the cast said the content for the piece came from interviews they had with important women in their lives.

CIRQUE ELOIZE

Journalist says students have ‘audacity’ to change society

The UCA Ivorian Association will host its first Ivoire Gala from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 24 in the Student Center Ballroom.

There will be food, mini games and prizes. The UIA’s goal is to educate students about African culture.

by Brody Arnold Staff Writer

Gentlemen’s Brunch

Pinnacle Brass Quintet The Pinnacle Brass Quintet will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 in Snow Fine Arts Center. The quintet is sponsored by the UCA Music Department.

Broadway comedy classic in Reynold’s A classic Broadway comedy, 42nd Street, will show at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 in Reynolds Performance Hall. Tickets cost $10 for students and children and $30 to $40 for the general public.

put together an all female creative team and run crew, because we see the leadership of theater continue to be male-dominated.

It’s an opportunity to give power to people who may not otherwise have it, or may have limited power, in order to have a platform to speak freely,” Allison said.

Brooks said she wants the audience to take a look at their own perceptions of women.

“I hope the audience leaves our piece questioning this very sort of cookie-cutter mold that women are regularly pushed through. I hope they question how and why this mold exists and, if it continues, whether or not the fantasy world in which our show exists could one day become a reality,” Brooks said.

LECTURE

First Ivoire Gala

The Black Male Achievement Challenge program will host a Gentlemen’s Brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 25 in the McCastlain Ballroom.

The brunch will teach proper etiquette, business attire, resume building and networking. For more information contact Kaylon Bradford at kaylonb@uca.edu or 501-450-3135.

“We used that information to have discussions exploring those aspects of womanhood,” Brooks said. “We then got to funnel all of that creative energy into different improv games and monologue-writing exercises. Once we decided our piece would tell a single narrative, we created this dystopian world that both combined and heightened the extent to which today’s women are encouraged to be beautiful and start a family while still relatively young.”

The idea of theater as a form of social justice also arose during the talkback.

“I think social justice issues can be addressed first in the process. I intentionally

photos by Lauren Swaim

The cast of Cirque Éloize Saloon dances and sings to folk music during their performance Feb. 14 at Reynolds Performance Hall. The show was a combination of music, acrobatics and theater under a Wild West theme.

Performers use acrobatics to tell western story

by Brandon jones Staff Writer

Cirque Eloize thrilled a packed audience with their cowboy-themed acrobatics in “Saloon” on Feb. 14 at Reynolds Performance Hall.

The performance was Western-themed and included typical Cirque acrobatics and music that was, for the most part, played and sung by the actors.

While some shows have a divide between the music and performances, the musicians were integrated into “Saloon,” musician Ben Nesrallah said.

The musicians played instruments like banjos and harmonicas to fit the show’s Western theme, and songs included “Crazy” by Patsy Cline, “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash and “Cotton Eyed Joe” by the Rednex.

The show opened with actors in cowboy costumes sitting around a camp; another actor walked onstage and mimed shooting the lights with a pistol.

When the lights came back on, a group of performers slid down a pole with only their hands or legs and caught themselves before reaching the ground.

Dance sequences told a romantic story between the characters. “The Artist,” “The Lover” and “The Player” were played by Justine Methe Crozat, Alastair Davies and Jerome Hugo.

Signs were brought in to identify the set as a bar and a hotel, and props and sounds were used to mimic trains and horses.

In an early performance, one performer juggled bowling pins, increasing the number of pins and steadily approaching the lights as he threw the pins higher.

After dropping a single pin multiple times, the performer conlcluded the section by juggling the pins higher than before, catching them just before they hit the ground.

In a later scene the actors included a hanging chandelier in their acrobatics, hanging from it by their legs. Shena Tschofen played “The Kid.”After the final scene, the performers received a standing ovation that resulted in three encores.Musician and member of the trio “The Vultures” Ben Nesrallah said his favorite section of the show is the bar fight because the straightforward song contrasts the wild performance they gave.Nesrallah said it can be hard to choose the best part because certain parts are more fun some nights than others.

“It really fluctuates from night to night, and some nights a song might challenge me that didn’t the night before,” Nesrallah said. “To me, that’s interesting: trying to kind of find myself within it, really.”

Sophie Beaudet, another member of “The Vultures,” said her favorite part is getting to sing Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.” The third “Vulture,” Trevor Pool, said he has fun with the bar scene and the hat trick scene because they are pure goofiness and fun.“It creates a very alive feeling when you’re watching it, I presume,” Pool said.

“It lives, really.”

Pool said the most exciting

part to him is the final act, which involves three performers alternating positions on a teeter board, launching one another to the lights and pulling off flips as they reach the tops of their flights.

This final performance left the audience in awe as the actors soared higher with each bounce and the flips became more elaborate.“Saloon” follows typical Western archetypes and folk songs, which “The Vultures’ said they considered when they brought the show to the South, where the stereotypes used are more well-known.

Pool said that Director Emmanuel Gillaume describes the show as a mix between old black-and-white movies and the style of Quentin Tarantino because it combines old and modern techniques.

Though some music and sounds were recorded, the majority was played by the musicians themselves, which “The Vultures” said often surprises people.

“The Vultures” bring everything, from guitars, banjo and fiddle to drums, harmonica and spoons.

“We cover as much ground as we can, and then where we can’t cover it, there is a minimally scored soundtrack kind of playing,” Nesrallah said.

According to the Cirque Eloize website, the group has headed to California and Utah since performing at UCA, and will soon take their show to other countries.

Journalist and activist Marc Lamont Hill spoke on the judgement of newer generations by older generations in a lecture on Feb. 13 at Reynolds Performance Hall.

Hill spoke about why young p e o p l e are so important.

“It is the e n e r g y of young p e o p l e,” he said.

“Young folk Marc Lamont Hill have the audacity to challenge this world to be better than they found it.”

Hill talked about the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2014, and emphasized that Brown’s body lay on the street for hours before being moved because no medical personnel were called to the scene.

“I went down there to ask the question ‘Why is Mike Brown on the ground, how does the town feel about Mike Brown lying on the ground for four and a half hours?’” he said.

Hill said the Brown shooting represents a large problem in modern America.

“The war on youth is embodied in that moment on August 9, 2014,” he said. “The war on youth isn’t just about law enforcement. It’s about structures and systems; it’s about all the ways that our society has decided that certain people are disposable.”

Hill said he doesn’t like when older generations criticize younger generations for the way they try to bring about change.

“The narrative becomes one where we say the last generation had it right and this generation has it wrong,” he said. “The problem is that every generation throughout history has always used the narrative of decline as the excuse to beat up

on the current generation.”

Hill said that just because the current generation looks, dances and resists differently, that doesn’t mean they are wrong, it just means they are different.

Hill said institutions benefit from greater diversity.

“If we are homogenous, studies show, we will arrive at conclusions more quickly,” he said. “But when we are heterogeneous we arrive at more interesting and dynamic and complex outcomes.”

Hill is a political contributor for CNN and Fox News, a host of BET News and has received awards from the National Association of Black Journalists.

UCA Public Appearances Director Amanda Horton said Hill’s record of speaking at colleges influenced her to bring him to UCA. “I was approached last year by the Office of Diversity with a list of suggestions for upcoming speakers. Dr. Hill was one that they suggested,” she said. “I did some research on him and spoke with his agent who provided me many, many glowing college references. He regularly speaks to college students and has been in Arkansas previously, speaking to students at UAPB and Philander Smith.”

Horton said she was pleased with the turnout.

“I thought the majority of the audience was students. I was really pleased to have a group here from Little Rock Central High School and the Historic Site,” she said. “I was also honored to have Elizabeth Eckford, a member of the Little Rock Nine, in the audience.”

Horton also thought Hill gave a good lecture.

“I thought he was a wonderful speaker who gave an inspiring speech to our students,” she said. “He addressed issues such as the importance of voting, civil rights and becoming an active volunteer in your community to rally around your passions and causes.”

Feburary 22, 2017/4

CAMPUS LIFE

Art professor changed theme of exhibit after election

by Sophia Ordaz Entertainment Editor

Associate Professor of Art Holly Laws revealed at a public lecture on Feb. 16 that she changed the entire theme of her multimedia exhibit the day after the 2016 national election, a short time before her exhibit opened.

Laws’ “Bellwether” exhibit is a collection of seven distinct sculptures unified by themes of dissatisfaction with the U.S. and miscommunication among the American people.

“Every single thing that I was working on [before Election Day] was valid, and I liked where it was going, but it had become less important to me,” Laws said. “There was work that I felt I needed to make to essentially even process some of the emotions I was having after the election, and this is … how this work was generated.”

Laws said President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan inspired her.

“I kept thinking about the phrase ‘Make America great again,’” Laws said. “I firmly believe that we as a country are still growing into our greatness and that America has never been great for all of its citizens … I wanted to explore [the] horrible disconnect between citizens of the nation [and] the miscommunication and the polarization between segments of the population.”

The four “Bellwether”

sculptures, the exhibit’s foundational work, are rawhide horns that hang from the exhibition room’s ceiling. Each horn is hand-stitched together with thread and formed with vinyl tubing and steel.

“I envisioned [the ‘Bellwether’ sculptures] as dysfunctional communication machines,” Laws said. “They’re silent. They’re deaf. They’re dumb. They don’t say anything, and when they do, it’s sort of circular. They’re talking to themselves which implies that whole idea of an echo chamber.”

“Levittown, Pennsylvania 1957” is an assortment of cardboard houses modeled after the famous Levittown suburbs that met an African American family with harassment and mob violence when they moved into the neighborhood in 1957. After Laws soaked each cardboard house in supersaturated copper sulfate, the miniature houses began growing blue crystals. Laws worked with playwright Charlotte Meehan and sound designer Patrick Rashleigh to create the audio loops that play from small speakers on each sculpture.

Most of the audio is sampled from 1950s commercials, but one loop is sampled from a speech by civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson.

“Holly’s work is at the forefront of what contemporary artists do,” Baum Gallery director Brian Young said.

“By combining handcrafted

work with found objects and by breaking down the barriers between traditional sculpture, fiber, audio work, craft and installation work, she inspires not only the students here, but also any audience member. She reinforces the notion that just about anything can be used if it helps complete a narrative.

Also, there is a component to her work that allows for each individual to come up with their own conclusion as to what her work means.”

In the center of the exhibition space, there are three standing sculptures: “Placeholder,” “Bald Eagle: Flight Feathers from Single Wing,” and “Three Eastern Blue Birds.”

“Placeholder” is a spiny, bronze sculpture placed on an ironing board. Laws said “Placeholder” represents how many Americans view Trump: primarily as an interim leader to hopefully be replaced in the future.

“Bald Eagle: Flight Feathers” and “Three Eastern Blue Birds” are hand-fabricated cages made from steel wire and wood. Trapped in each cage are realistic sculptures of bird feathers. The feathers in “Three Eastern Blue Birds” are based on blue bird wings and are covered with copper sulfate crystals, while the feathers in “Bald Eagle: Flight Feathers” are modeled after bald eagle feathers and are coated with aluminum sulfate crystals.

“One of the first images I had after the election — and

this’ll just show you how dark my mind is — I just saw all these dead birds smashed up against glass,” Laws said.

Three artworks make up the “Bellwether” exhibit. “Allegory of America after Nicolaes Berchem Flanked by Her Ladies in Waiting” is an ironing board sculpture depicting America as a woman. “Fragment of a Crystal Chandelier” is an old wire chandelier piece decorated with crystal beads.

“American Reliquary” is a fragment of Laws’ sister’s prom dress. Laws’ mother sewed the dress’ sequins by hand, and Laws added silver stars to the cloth. On the reverse side of the fabric is a child’s pencil box top with the Pledge of Allegiance on it.

Laws also framed and hung two poems: “His Excellency General Washington” by Phillis Wheatley and “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes. The two poems speak to the message Laws wants to get across with her “Bellwether” exhibit.

Laws said her curiosity and dissatisfaction after the election motivated her research. “[Laws] has the most important thing as an artist: curiosity,” Assistant Professor of Art Sandra Luckett said.

“That curiosity takes you to that wonderful new territory every time. Be curious, but then go beyond that, which I think you’ll figure out if you take the time to consider [Laws’ ‘Bellwether’ exhibit].”

ucaecho.net

STUDENTS SAY

“

What was your favorite part of the Grammys?

”

story and photos by Monica Sanders

Sophomore Morgan Burke

Freshman Danielle Donley

Senior Danielle Bishop

Freshman Taylor Crawford

“I didn’t watch it but I heard about Beyoncé and how she was pregnant and mocking the Virgin Mary. I heard it wasn’t that good.”

“You know it was Queen Bee. She looked fabulous, she sang fabulous, she was just fabulous. She gives me life, that was the only reasons I watched it. “

KENNETH BARNES

UCA history professor’s book honored by historians

by Harrison Glaeser Opinion Editor

UCA History Professor Kenneth Barnes’ book was recognized by the Arkansas Historical Association as the best Arkansas history book of 2017.

The book is titled “AntiCatholicism in Arkansas: How Politicians, the Press, the Klan and Religious Leaders Imagined an Enemy 1910-1960” and was published through the University of Arkansas Press in November 2016. This is his fourth book to be published and his second published work regarding Arkansas history.

The book chronicles the issue of religious intolerance toward Catholics that existed in the primarily protestant Arkansas in the early and mid-20th century.

“It’s been part of my personal experience to be interested in this issue,” Barnes said. “I saw an old anti-Catholic newspaper that was published in Arkansas more than a

hundred years ago. I thought it was curious, so I started to look at it and followed the trail from there to what became the book.”

The book also provides historical context to many of the issues that currently exist in Arkansas and the U.S., such as immigration, religious intolerance and separation of church and state.

“Many people in the U.S. were anti-immigrant at this time, which should be easy enough today for us to kind of get a sense for,” Barnes said.

“The kind of anti-immigrant fears that a lot of people have now against Muslims or Mexicans are very similar to what people were having in the early 1900s, but with the Catholic immigrants that were pouring into America from Southern and Eastern Europe in the early 1900’s. [Discrimination] was happening nationwide, but it was mostly happening in the South.”

One of the primary motives for writing the book arose from

Barnes’ childhood experience with anti-Catholicism. Barnes grew up with Baptist parents who were anti-Catholic.

“The book has personal meaning to me,” Barnes said. “I grew up in a family with fairly anti-Catholic parents with prejudices against Catholicism.

When I was in high school, my older brother converted to Catholicism, and it was sort of like the most conflicting issue of my childhood. I had to listen to many angry debates between my parents and my brother about religion. My brother actually went on to study being a priest.”

The book has been well-received by historians and UCA staff, including UCA Associate Professor of History Mike Rosenow, who thinks the book is a “valuable contribution to Arkansas history.”

Rosenow said Barnes’ antiCatholicism study in Arkansas during the 20th century could not be more relevant to readers today. “He studies a specific manifestation of prejudice that shaped relationships

between dominant and minority cultures,” he said.

“While the specific groups or targets may have changed over time, Americans continue to search for presumed threats represented by ideas or people considered foreign. Barnes shows that the bases for such hostility were either distortions of the facts or entirely invented.

This history should inspire readers to think carefully about how, and why, Americans continue to use fear to draw boundaries between ‘us’ and ‘them.’”

This is Barnes’ first book published through the University of Arkansas Press.

He has also published books with the University of Kentucky Press, Duke University Press and the University of North Carolina Press.

This book and other books that Barnes has published are available for physical purchase on Amazon and in e-book form through Barnes and Noble, Google Play Books and Amazon.

“Adele, I think she’s a great singer and I like that she won a bunch of awards. Her speech to Beyoncé was interesting and I have mixed feelings about it. “

“Probably Adele’s performance. I just love her in general, there’s no particular reason she was my favorite. I loved her speech to Beyoncé, it was great. ”

Junior Andrea Easter

Junior Nigel Midgette

SPOTLIGHT

PEOPLE OF UCA Colin Fowler

“I didn’t watch it, but I saw the fashion and some dresses on Instagram. I saw Rihanna’s dress and Beyoncé, she had an awesome gold dress.

And I saw the dresses that were failures.”

“I don’t know, I only saw parts of it, but Beyoncé was the highlight from what I saw. It was just really powerful; the statement behind it was powerful and everything about it was beautiful.”

Junior Christian Washington

Senior Treslyn Fletcher

“Chance the Rapper.

I’ve been following him since his first mix tape, it was cool to see the process and see him get a Grammy. I feel like his best friend even though he doesn’t know me.”

“I saw Chance the Rapper won and in his acceptance speech he gave glory to God and I really enjoyed that part.

That’s just really cool and I’m glad to see he’s using the spotlight to give glory to God.”

photo courtesy of Facebook

Senior Colin Fowler poses in a “Deadpool” onesie in front of a mantle during a party. Fowler is a theater major at UCA who will soon transfer to the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

by Brent Wilson Campus Life Editor

Senior theater major Colin Fowler will soon be attending the University of Missouri in Kansas City to earn his master of fine arts in stage management.

Fowler chose UMKC as his graduate school so he can get an MFA in stage management. He said he chose it because UMKC is the closest school to Arkansas that provides a stage mangement program.

He says that being involved in the theater

department was the best thing to happen to him at UCA. Fowler said he had actually never been involved in theater before declaring it his major, knowing only that he enjoyed watching theatrical performances.

Fowler’s favorite class at UCA so far was his stage combat class.

“It was a blast learning about fighting but in a safe way,” he said. He said that his professor, Adjunct Instructor in Theatre Chad Bradford, was amazing.

Fowler is originally from

Abilene, Texas but attended high school in Cabot, Arkansas. He is a member of Alpha Psi Omega, a national honor’s fraternity.

Fowler said his overall experience at UCA has been positive.

“I have been overwhelmed with how happy UCA has made me in my four years here. The students are amazing and always friendly, the faculty is engaging and supportive, and it’s a beautiful campus,” he said.

However, Fowler said, it hasn’t always been great. He

said he and his roommate freshman year didn’t get along very well. “It came to a pinnacle when he had an affair with a girl at 5:30 a.m. while I was in the room,” Fowler said.

He also said the theater program could be improved with a new building, and that Snow Fine Arts is “run-down and old.”

Despite this, Fowler still said he has enjoyed UCA. Fowler said the best educational experience he ever had while attending UCA was working with Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre.

Opinion

5

ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

February 22, 2017

The Voice HB 1249 problematic, creates campus safety concerns for students

The Echo Staff Jordan Johnson Editor

Morgan Embry Associate Editor

Amanda Nettles News Editor

Caroline Bivens Assistant News Editor

Brent Wilson Campus Life Editor

Monica Sanders

Assistant Campus Life Editor

Harry Glaeser Opinion Editor

Sophia Ordaz

Entertainment Editor

Denn-Warren Tafah Sports Editor

Zach Keast

Assistant Sports Editor

Des’ree Dallmann Online Editor

Taylor Fulgham

Assistant Online Editor

Julia Kramer Photo Editor

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Red Lobster should come to Conway

Conway would be a much happier place if it had a Red Lobster.

In fact, I have never seen a grown man become upset when he had some snow crab legs from Red Lobster on his plate. Never.

It may even be the cure to cancer. I’ll have to research more on that one.

For me, thinking about where to eat is an hourly — if not moment-by-moment — thing, and Conway has just about anything you could think of when it comes to eating.

If you want burgers, pick a street. If you want pizza, order it from your couch.

But what happens if you want lobster? What happens if you want endless shrimp?

A p p a r e n t l y, you’re expected to drive 35 minutes to the nearest Red Lobster on West Markham Street in Little Rock, and that’s if traffic is light.

The world can’t endure the road rage of a man craving lobster when he has to drive 45 minutes through heavy traffic to buy some.

If we stand for peace at all, we will stand for Red Lobster in Conway.

In 2015, the population of Conway was 64,980 people. Branson, Missouri had a population of 11,431 people — and a Red Lobster.

Sure, Branson is a tourist destination, but that’s probably because it has a Red Lobster.

Branson may have tourists, but Conway has three universities full of college students to feed. Nothing is more distracting to a college student trying to be responsible with his money than endless shrimp.

Conway has recently added Chipotle and

America’s Electoral College system should be abolished The Electoral College is biased when it comes to voting the right person into office.

There are people, myself included, who feel their votes do not matter.

According to a Huffington Post article, “The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors who cast votes. When voters go to the polls, they will be choosing which candidate receives their state’s electors.

The candidate who receives a majority of electoral votes (270) wins the Presidency.

The number 538 is the sum of the nation’s 435 Representatives, 100 Senators, and three electors given to the District of Columbia.”

We should abolish the Electoral College so people will start to think their vote matters.

Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in November, but she did not win the electoral vote; Donald Trump won 306 electors to Clinton’s 232.

Clinton recieved 59,755,284 votes while Trump recieved 59,535,522 votes.

Do you see the difference? The Electoral College does not accurately reflect America’s ideal of democracy.

According to the History Central website, “The founding fathers were afraid of direct

Everyone does.

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

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

election to the Presidency. They feared a tyrant could manipulate public opinion and come to power.”

Basically, the federal government did not trust its citizens to vote the right person into office, yet the Electoral College elected Trump, a man I believe is not fit to run this country.

There have been five presidential nominees in American history

by John who won the popular Anderson vote, but did not win Staff Writer the electoral vote: Andrew Jackson, Samuel J. Tilden, Grover Cleveland, Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.

The Electoral College system means that presidential candidates spend most of their time, money and effort on states with large populations. For example, Clinton did not put much effort into Arkansas, which has only six electoral votes.

As Americans, we should be concerned about this system of governance. America was built on democratic ideals, but the Electoral College makes the nation seem almost totalitarian.

This is just another part of the American system that is limiting the representation of the people. America would be better off without factoring in the electoral vote.

Letter to the Editor

Business Manager: Winston Williams

Have an opinion?

On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina to its extensive list of restaurant options. Sure, Taco Bell, Taco Bueno, Tacos 4 Life and Don Pepe’s wouldn’t satisfy everyone’s need for tacos, burritos or nachos, so it makes perfect sense.

Red Lobster would add much more variety to Conway’s food options.

Another reason Conway needs a Red Lobster is the tray of cheddar biscuits they provide for free (can’t be emphasized enough).

I mean, I’ve thought about being that guy, but seriously, who isn’t tempted to just go in and order a water and an appetizer just to get two trays of cheddar biscuits for free?

Give an adult two trays of cheddar biscuits, a lobster pizza as an appetizer and some alfredo pasta to finish it off, and you have

by Cody (along with about Macomber 2 million calories) a Staff Writer very happy customer.

Conway is missing out on this for a few extra burrito shops.

G r a n t e d , I understand that there are places that provide shrimp, such as Golden Corral and Mike’s Place, but they don’t offer lobster.

I also understand that you can buy the exact mix to make the cheddar biscuits at Wal-Mart for less than ten dollars, but that requires effort, time and money. These are things that most college students don’t have.

All Red Lobsters are company-owned, meaning that an individual can’t just buy a franchise and put it in Conway.

However, if residents of Conway continued to contact the Red Lobster, I’m sure they’d come through for us. We should all make a change for the better and advocate building a Red Lobster in Conway.

UCA should not blame victims of sexual assault

by Jaquilyn Stults I am so sick of getting emails saying yet another sexual assault has happened on campus.

The latest one has me at my wits’ end. Why are victims being treated as propogators? The email includes recommendations on how not to get raped... Watch your drink, watch how much you drink, watch what you wear, don’t be brave enough to venture out alone or talk to someone new, etc. This is all fine advice, but it also seems like the recommendations are implying that if I do these things I am “asking” to be assaulted.

Why are there no recommendations on how to NOT sexually assault someone? Why are articles and warnings always at the expense of the victim?

If students are voicing concerns for their safety

on a fairly regular basis, shouldn’t something be done about the attitude surrounding sexual assault? I don’t believe carrying on the idea that the victim had anything to do with a perpetrator committing sexual assault against them is the right way to stop this atrocity. People should be able to walk freely on campus without fear. They should be able to dress cute or flirt with another person without fear of it going to far. Why are we always blaming and never addressing the problem or exploring solutions? The sexual assailants should be put on blast for their actions, and people should be educated as to what defines sexual assault.

There are solutions here, but victim-blaming should not be a part of it.

THAT IS MY RANT.

Increasing the number of armed individuals crawling around Arkansas college campuses sounds like a great idea to many Arkansas legislators. It’s not, really.

Fayetteville representative Charlie Collins, who proposed concealed-carry law HB 1249, is probably the first name that comes to mind when you think of such legislators.

Many think that Collins’ heart is in the right place. Collins believes that, by advocating for the bill, he is singlehandedly ending school shootings at public institutions all across the state.

HB 1249 would allow faculty and staff on college campuses in Arkansas that have concealed-carry permits to carry concealed firearms to work.

By allowing people on campuses to carry firearms, gun violence will come to a complete halt, according to Collins.

Of course, this is a loaded solution.

Nobody can really be certain what the consequences of this bill will be.

Many individuals are uncertain whether this bill will yield a purely positive result.

This includes a majority of those who represent and attend state colleges, or, rather, the ones the bill would directly affect if it becomes state law.

Most campuses have a police force trained to handle shootings, and many feel it is unnecessary for faculty and staff to add to the pool of armed individuals on campus.

The many professionals who comprise campus police forces are rigorously trained to handle these situations, as they have the potential to occur on any campus. They understand that shootings happen and are fully prepared to diffuse these situations quickly and efficiently at any time, without putting the lives of students, faculty and staff in danger.

Though the bill was proposed to make students feel safer while attending school day-to-day, it is evident that many find the bill contrary to their safety.

This includes those who represent the schools and make their campuses a large part of their lives.

The current cocealed-carry policy in Arkansas allows campuses to opt out of allowing their faculty and staff to concealcarry, putting the decision in the hands of the colleges.

Each school in the state has opted out.

The bill that passed from committee to the Senate floor removed the opt-out feature of the bill, forcing all state institutions to comply with concealed-carry rights.

It looks like the bill is likely to be passed by the Senate and become state law by September of this year. The law will require that those with concealed-carry permits attend an active shooter training course.

Many are currently wondering: How can state representatives do this?

How can legislators ignore how the students and campus affiliates feel about the bill when it has the potential to drastically affect their lives?

This is a mystery to many people on our campus, their jaws dropping when they hear that HB 1249 passed in Senate committee and will most likely become law.

However, the majority has spoken on the issue, and, according to a survey of 440 Arkansans conducted by Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College, 61 percent of those surveyed supported the bill.

This doesn’t seem too surprising among Arkansans, as most stick to their guns like velcro.

Forty percent of those surveyed believed that college boards should have the final say regarding whether their faculty and staff should have the ability to concealed-carry, compared to the 38 percent who believed that they shouldn’t.

Regardless of what typical Arkansans think, it’s an issue that should really be evaluated by the students and faculty whom the law will affect directly. Politicians can defend the safety implications of the bill, but this doesn’t mean students are justly represented in the matter.

It is unnecessary for faculty and staff to add to the pool of armed individuals on campus

The Echo is printed weekly by the Jacksonville Patriot in Jacksonville, Ark. Decisions about content are made by the student editors.

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

Entertainment

6

February 22, 2017

New This Week

Cirque Éloize’s acrobatics dazzle, plot disappoints

Movies

by Emily Gist

February 24 — Collide (PG-13), directed by Eran Creevy, starring Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, and Marwan Kenzari.

February 24 — ­ Get Out (R), directed

by Jordan Peele, starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams and Catherine Keener.

February 24 — ­ Rock Dog (PG), directed by Ash Brannon, starring Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard and J. K. Simmons.

Music February 24 — Vaquero - Aaron Watson February 24 — Colliding By Design - Acceptance February 24 — Strangers - Balto February 24 — Soul of Ferguson Brian Owens February 24 — Children of Alice Children of Alice February 24 — The Tourist - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Staff Writer

Although Canadian circus troupe Cirque Éloize showcased impressive acrobatics in their Feb. 14 performance at UCA, the circus group presented one of the most confusing and generic plots to ever grace the Reynolds Performance Hall stage.

The troupe’s stupendous received a standing ovation, but the plot’s unharnessed potential detracted from the performance with conflicting messages and ordinary storytelling.

The plot of "Saloon: A Musical Acrobatic Adventure" played out as follows: boy wants girl, boy gets girl and everyone fights only to make up in the end thanks to a song.

The characters had little to no personality, and there was often so much action onstage that watching Cirque Éloize’s western-themed performance felt like watching a busy ant hill.

The most confusing part, by far, was when one of the performers came back to life.

February 24 — Crystal Fairy Crystal Fairy

Lauren Swaim

Cirque Éloize present their “Saloon: A Musical Acrobatic Adventure” performance which features acrobatics, dancing and singing. The circus troupe hails from Montreal, Canada.

After running around with dynamite in hand like a cartoon character, the performer dashed offstage and got blown up. A Styrofoam model of his severed arm was thrown onstage.

A puppet was brought onstage to represent the performer who got “blown up," but in the next scene, the performer was dressed as an angel, implying that he had come back to life.

Although this scene was meant to be funny, it was

extremely confusing.

The performer who was “blown up” played no part in the rest of the performance, so the whole ordeal seemed pointless.

Despite the confusing and generic nature of the plot, the acrobatics were phenomenal.

There were several moments when the acrobats were in danger of hurting themselves.

The first such moment involved the sheriff, played by acrobat Jeremy Saint Jean Picard. In one scene, the sheriff hung upside down on a pole

INDIE

NETFLIX

February 24 — Youngish American - Dams of the West

‘iBoy’ mixes sci-fi, teen, superhero genres

February 24 — Dirty Projectors Dirty Projectors

by Denn-Warren Tafah

February 24 — Outside (Briefly) - Froth February 24 — Sick Scenes - Los Campesinos!

February 24 — The Iceberg Oddisee February 24 — Impermanence Peter Silberman February 24 — Why Love Now Pissed Jeans February 24 — In Between - The Feelies February 24 — Human Voicing - The Luyas February 24 — Drunk - Thundercat

Sports Editor

“iBoy” is a Netflix original movie about a teenager named Tom (Bill Milner) who wakes up from a 10-day coma induced by a gunshot wound.

Tom received his gunshot wound on a visit to his crush Lucy's (Maisie Williams) apartment. He gets to her apartment and finds the door flung open and her parents lying dead on the floor. Men in ski masks are still in the apartment, and they chase Tom with a gun.

As Tom runs for his life, he grabs his phone and attempts to call the police, but before he can contact them, one of the men shoots him in the head.

February 23 — Sausage Party (2016), directed by Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon, starring Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader andMichael Cera.

February 24 — I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017), directed by Macon Blair, starring Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood and David Yow. February 24 — Ultimate Beastmaster, Season 1 (2017), created by Sylvester Stallone, starring Terry Crews and Charissa Thompson.

February 27 — Brazilian Western (2013), created by René Sampaio, starring Fabrício Boliveira and Isis Valverde.

Video Games February 28 — Horizon Zero Dawn (T), for PS4.

February 28 — Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns (E), for Nintendo 3DS. February 28 — The Walking Dead - The Telltale Series: A New Frontier (M), for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. February 28 — Torment: Tides Of Numenera (M), for Mac, PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Top Five Netflix Original Series List compiled by Brent Wilson

In the violent attack, pieces of his cell phone became embedded in his brain. As a result, Tom woke up from the coma with the mind of a computer, meaning that he was now “using more than 10 percent of his brain.”

According to Scientific American, the idea of using only 10 percent of the brain is a laughable myth.

Regardless, Tom develops superhuman powers that enable him to hack and control any technological device with his mind. There are scenes in the movie where he controls cars, makes phones explode, empties out bank accounts and even uses loud sound frequencies to attack people.

Tom isn’t like a lot of other superheroes because his powers

seem attainable, especially considering the fast rate of technological advances.

The movie is set in an impoverished, crime-ridden borough in London that is helped little by police. In one scene, a crime group kingpin sends his men to seize everyone’s technological equipment, and the police don’t show up until the next day.

In some scenes of “iBoy,” Tom is arguably portrayed as Jesus. Tom is betrayed by his closest friend for money just as Jesus was betrayed by Judas.

Coming in at 90 minutes, “iBoy” isn’t a significant watching commitment, and fans of superhero movies and teen movies might enjoy the movie. “iBoy” is now streaming on Netflix.

photo courtesy of ew.com

David Longstreth is now the sole member of Dirty Projectors. The upcoming 2017 album “Dirty Projectors” will be the indie outfit’s eighth studio album.

Dirty Projectors reinvent lineup, art rock sound with new single

by Harrison Glaeser

Many doubt Big Sean’s consistency and question the value of his lyrically focused material. Big Sean’s music has never excelled at featuring the hooks, harmonies and heavy production that is popular in modern rap, and the hip-hop community has been rather unforgiving to Big Sean in the past.

“I Decided” is Big Sean at his best and most comfortable. He has mastered his style of detailed

delivery and exhilarating lyrics.

While his previous album focused on his dark side and responded to his peers and critics, “I Decided” sees Big Sean growing into his own and abandoning the unapologetic tone of his past work.

On “I Decided,” Big Sean is aware of his success and environment, especially on the tracks “Voices in My Head/Stick to the Plan” and “Halfway Off the Balcony” where the rapper shares vulnerable and even suicidal thoughts.

Somehow, Big Sean always bounces back and reminds us of his confidence and place in the rap game with energizing bars and lightning delivery.

The album’s features include some of the best of R&B and rap’s current and past artists, including Eminem, The-Dream and Jeremih. Production from heavy hitters like Metro Boomin and Travis Scott saturate the album.

Despite its strengths, “I Decided” faces steep competition in the charts, especially after the surprise release of Future’s “FUTURE” album and the highly anticipated release of Jidenna’s debut album “Chief.”

“I Decided” is available for purchase on Google Play and iTunes and is now streaming on Apple Music and Spotfiy.

After having dropped the singles “Little Bubble” and “Up in Hudson” earlier this year, American indie pop outfit Dirty Projectors released their single “Cool Your Heart” on Feb. 7.

“Keep Your Name,” released in 2016, will accompany those singles on the experimental group's upcoming self-titled album.

“Cool Your Heart” was released with a music video directed by Noel Paul, who has worked with artists such as Father John Misty and Bat For Lashes, and features alternative R&B singer-songwriter Dawn Richard.

Dirty Projectors frontman Dave Longstreth and soul artist Solange Knowles wrote the song.

It’s unbelievable how much “Cool Your Heart” manages to explore in less than four minutes, but considering that the song is penned by Longstreth, its incredible scope isn’t as surprising. The now sole member of Dirty Projectors has a Yale music degree and production credits on all seven of the outfit’s studio albums.

Although “Cool Your Heart” is poppier compared to the rather perplexing, alternative rock music of previous Dirty Projectors discography, Dirty Projectors’ originality and novel weirdness is still prevalent in the song.

“Cool Your Heart” is more R&B-influenced than many of Dirty Projectors’ earlier songs.

Richard’s and Longstreth’s vocals are reminiscent of Rihanna’s music — that is, if Rihanna songs were on acid.

The beat of “Cool Your Heart” has a sort of addictive trippiness that leaves listeners uncomfortable but yearning to hear more.

The upbeat tempo, staccato percussion and synth presence in the beginning of

“Cool Your Heart” establish a new era of Dirty Projectors music. The track’s opening lyrics reference Longstreth’s breakup with guitarist-vocalist and ex-member Amber Coffman: “How do you feel?

Is it loneliness?” The two’s breakup was the catalyst for the new Dirty Projectors lineup that essentially makes the outfit’s upcoming 2017 album a solo effort for Longstreth.

Richard enters “Cool Your Heart” with a lush but simple refrain that compliments the more complex aspects of the song.

Following the second chorus, the track quickly plunges into a bizarre, tropical calypso that is interspersed with glitchy, rhythmic jitters and Longstreth’s rich vocals.

“Cool Your Heart” ends with a majestic rendition of the chorus. Longstreth sings “cool your heart” over Richard’s vocals in a trippy, off-kilter fashion. Brass instruments provide jovial flourishes that nicely conclude the song, paralleling the emotional closure that Longstreth likely had to reach within his personal life.

Music lovers who enjoy unique listening experiences and have a soft spot for R&B and contemporary pop styles will like “Cool Your Heart.” The song’s catchiness beautifully matches its musicality. “Cool Your Heart” has an obscurity that is interesting but not overbearing.

The music video released with the track is the only downfall of this Dirty Projector release. Unless you want to watch a generic montage of Longstreth and Richard lip-syncing while arbitrarily walking in slow motion, fast motion and reverse next to a blue car, I recommend that you just add the song to your Spotify queue.

“Cool Your Heart” is available for purchase on Google Play and iTunes and is now streaming on Apple Music and Spotify.

1. “Daredevil”

2. “Jessica Jones”

3. “A Series of Unfortunate Events”

4. “Stranger Things”

5. “The Santa Clarita Diet”

Marvel Comics meets Netflix in this superhero drama, and what could go wrong? Apparently, not much. After the tragedy of a movie that was 2003’s “Daredevil,” fans hoped for a better reboot with this Netflix original series, and their hopes weren’t dashed. Any fan of comic book heroes, superb character development and gritty, realistic fighting sequences will happily devour “Daredevil.”

“Jessica Jones” is another Netflix series based on a Marvel character. While “Jessica Jones” doesn’t have quite as much action as the “Daredevil” series does, it has a stronger narrative, better acting and a more compelling villain. “Daredevil” may feature grit and eye-bulging combat, but “Jessica Jones” provides a compelling story with a plethora of well-developed and relatable characters that any serious drama should aim for.

Netflix’s adaptation of Lemony Snicket's beloved book series, "A Series of Unfortunate Events," proves to be memorable.

Although some viewers find that they are unable to see past Neil Patrick Harris’ goofy adaptation of the character Count Olaf, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” is probably one of my new favorites on Netflix. The gloomy but somewhat comedic, surrealistic tone of the episodes and the witty dialogue make this a show worth binging.

This sci-fi, horror series is wildly popular and for good reason. Anyone who is a fan of Stephen King novels, Steven Spielberg films, horror, suspense or anything to do with the ‘80s will love “Stranger Things.” Because the series has one of the strongest storylines and some of the best acting of Netflix’s roster of original series, “Stranger Things” will keep viewers rapt and yearning for more.

Think “Shaun of the Dead” meets “Modern Family.” What isn’t to love? A married couple desperately fights to live a normal life after the wife becomes a flesh-eating zombie. An angsty teenage daughter rebels against her parents. A shy, nerdy neighbor attempts to impress a girl. The characters’ conflicts make for a vividly unrealistic but entirely relatable experience. This cannibalistic sitcom is deliciously addictive.

February 24 — Forget - Xiu Xiu

Netflix

about ten feet in the air. He plummeted face-first from the pole before stopping himself last minute a foot above the ground.

Another impressive move involved two female performers on a spinning, suspended chandelier. One performer held the other solely by her neck as the chandelier slowly lowered to the ground.

The only real flaws with the acrobatics were a few minor flubs. One performer tried to flip his hat over his head and

onto his foot but missed, letting the hat fall to the ground.

Another performer dropped several of his batons while juggling.

However, the performers played off every mistake so well that it was sometimes difficult to tell if they’d messed up on purpose or not.

In addition to the phenomenal acrobatics, the singing was spectacular. The circus troupe sounded as if they were all singing for a Broadway show, even when they were dancing.

Although the tone and pitch of the singing was laudable, the same cannot be said for the clarity of the song lyrics. Half the lyrics were difficult, if not impossible, to understand, but considering the plot inconsistencies, the incoherent lyrics didn’t make much of a difference anyway.

Cirque Éloize’s performance was dazzling but not unbelievably spectacular.

If the circus troupe could make the plot as interesting as they made the acrobatics, then I would definitely recommend attending a performance.

RAP

Big Sean boldly bounces back on fourth album ‘I Decided’

by Malachi Thornton Staff Writer

After a decade of creating music, Big Sean may be able to cement himself as one of the best current rappers with his fourth studio album “I Decided.”

“I Decided” debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

The album’s chart performance is especially remarkable considering that it was released just a week after Migos’ “Culture.” The trap music giants’ certified platinum song “Bad and Boujee” skyrocketed to number one on the Billboard charts, which placed their second album “Culture” at the top.

Fans of both luckily get to hear Big Sean and Migos collaborate on “Sacrifices,” the 13th track on “I Decided.”

Big Sean fans have been anticipating the arrival of “I Decided” since the rapper released the project’s first single “Bounce Back” in October of last year.

Big Sean’s previous album “Dark Sky Paradise” demonstrated his development after coming out from under Kanye West’s wing. Since signing to music label Roc Nation in 2014, Big Sean has had a streak

of successful hits, including the tracks “I Don’t F— With You” and “Paradise.” With these hits, Big Sean proved that he didn’t need West's tutelage as much as critics assumed.

photo courtesy of looklive.com

“I Decided” is Big Sean’s fourth studio album. According to Entertainment Weekly, “I Decided” is inspired by the idea of rebirth.

Opinion Editor

Sports

7

February 22, 2017

Editor’s Take

Watching All-Star Games just as fun as they sound

By Zach Keast

Assistant Sports Editor I love watching the All-Star Game. It doesn’t matter what sport it is, I’ll watch it.

After the fans vote, the AllStar game is where athletes duke it out against the other players in the opposing conference. It’s not about who wins and who loses, it’s all about watching these insanely talented athletes have fun.

MLB is the only sport wherein winning the All-Star Game could actually result in a prize: The winning conference gets home-field advantage during the World Series.

Even then, the players are out there just having a good time with their peers.

Arguably, the most entertaining part of the All-Star game isn’t even the game itself, it’s things like the Homerun Derby with the MLB. Watching these gigantic people hit the baseball literally out of the park over and over again is something that has entertained me since I was a little kid.

Especially with this past weekend on Feb. 18 with the Slam-Dunk Contest.

It’s essentially “who can make the coolest, most creative and impressive slam-dunk while we have celebrities and comedians mediate the whole time.” What part about that doesn’t sound amazing?

Forward Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic dunked the ball after it was dropped 20 feet in the air from a drone.

Forward DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers jumped over DJ Khaled and slam dunked it. (That sentence got better with every word.)

Professional sports tend to forget that they’re meant to bring people together, and the All-Star game seems to remind the players of that.

Not sold yet? On Feb. 19, Kevin Durant threw a alley-oop to Russel Westbrook.

If that isn’t enough to put a smile on your face, nothing will.

photo by Monica Sanders

UCA sophomore starting pitcher Cody Davenport throws a pitch during UCA’s match against the University of Evansville Purple Aces on Friday afternoon at Bear Stadium. The Bears opened the season with a 16-9 win over the Purple Aces.

Baseball team starts new season swinging

by Amanda Nettles Staff Writer

The UCA Bears baseball team (2-1) started their season Feb. 17 with a three game series.

The Bears played the University of Evansville Purple Aces on Feb. 17, 18 and 19.

On Feb. 17 the Bears beat the Purple Acres 16-9.

The Bears eat the Evansville Purple Aces 10-9 with a 10th inning walkoff home run by junior infielder Josh Somdecerff on Feb. 18. The teams were tied

9-9 when Somdecerff led the Bears to victory.

He said it was a great feeling to score the winning run. “It wouldn’t have happened if my teammates wouldn’t have rallied back,” Somdecerff said.

The Bears lost their final game of the weekend against the Purple Aces with a final score of 9-3.

Somdecerff said the Bears had runners in scoring positions a few times and he thought the team didn’t have enough timely hits to move the Evansville Purple Aces in when

they needed to.

“I think we opened up the season pretty well. You can’t really complain too much about winning two out of three, but I believe this first series showed us what we can do and also what we can work on as well,” Somdecerff said.

According to the UCA sports website, the Bears scored the most runs they have scored in a season-opening game since 1992.

Sophomore first baseman Hunter Strong finished the game with three runs for the

Bears break streak after losing twice

by Brody Arnold Staff Writer

Men’s Basketball

6 p.m. Feb. 25 vs.

Stephen F. Austin in the Farris Center Women’s Basketball photo by Anna Suarez

Men’s Track and Field

UCA junior guard Bhrea Griffin dribbles past the Sam Houston defense on Feb. 15 in the Farris Center. The Sugar Bears eventually won the game 83-39, keeping their winning streak going.

Sugar Bears break team records

by Malachi Thornton Staff Writer

Feb. 22 - Feb. 23 at Southland Conference Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama Baseball

Feb. 24-26 vs. Eastern Illinois University in Bear Stadium

On Feb. 18, The University of Central Arkansas women’s basketball team (21-4, 13-2 Southland Conference) broke two records during their 83-39 defeat against Houston Baptist University (5-19, 3-11 Southland Conference) at the Farris Center.

The Sugar Bears broke the record for the longest winning streak in their Division One Era and surpassed their 41-point victory against Northwestern State University in 2012 with 44 points over Houston Baptist.

Freshman guard Maddie Goodner made a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to claim the 44-point record. Houston Baptist’s freshman guard Britta Daub had a chance to deprive the Sugar Bears of breaking the record, but missed the last-second shot.

Right now the Sugar Bears are first in the Southland Conference with an 86.7 Conference winning percentage and an 84 overall.

Central Arkansas shot 48.3 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from the three-point line and 74.1 percent from the free throw. Defensively, they held Houston Baptist to just

25.5 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from the threepoint line. The Sugar Bears got 31 points from turnovers compared to the Huskies’ three points.

Individually, senior guard Maggie Proffitt shot 60 percent from the field, 80 percent from the three-point line and 83.3 percent from the free throw line, finishing with 21 points.

Junior forward Kierra Jordan got 15 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double off the bench and junior forward Taylor Baudoin scored in double digits with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Houston Baptist freshman guard Shannon Jones led the team with eight points and five rebounds, while sophomore guard Amanda Johnson had five points. Sophomore center Kennedy Collins snagged seven boards for the Huskies.

Three days prior to the HBU win, the Sugar Bears coasted their way through another game, winning 83-39, as they marked their 12th win in a row with a 75-48 victory over Sam Houston State (2-21, 2-11) in the Farris Center on Feb. 15.

The Sugar Bears got off to a strong start by taking the lead and expanding on it early. Led early

“We have a lot of new faces through junior college and freshmen. I think we had 12 seniors graduate last year and several more people left. The main effect on the team was just getting to know everyone, which was accomplished in the fall,” Strong said.

He said it feels like the team has been playing together for years. “We’re hungry to go out and prove that even though we lost a lot of players from last year, we are going to be even better this year.”

D E F E AT

TO P P E D

Upcoming Games

4 p.m. Feb. 25 vs.

Stephen F. Austin in the Farris Center

Bears.

Before the Bears started the weekend, Strong said the team was feeling great. “We have a lot of new faces this years so it will be fun to see what this season brings,” he said.

Strong said the Purple Aces would be a challenge.

“They had a very similar season as us last year and they are bringing back an AllAmerican at the plate.” He thought it would be a good series and it will let the Bears know where they are as a team going into the 2017 season.

by Proffitt, the Sugar Bears were able to get some easy looks and got off to a 12-point lead ending the first quarter.

This set the tone for the game as the Sugar Bears put pressure on the Bearkats offense, forcing them to shoot 0-4 from deep with just a 34.5 percent field goal average. The Sugar Bears shot 50 percent or above in all categories in the first half.

The women came out of the break with the same focus and were able to prevent any attempts of a comeback. UCA increased the lead to as much as a 35-point margin in the second half.

UCA finished off the Bearkats and handed them their eighth consecutive loss against the Sugar Bears.

“It feels great to be playing this well but we know we aren’t done yet. We’ve gotta focus on each game to accomplish the goals we set at the beginning of the season,” Proffitt said.

Senior point guard Brianna Mullins played a perfect game, making six of six field goals and connecting on

See Bears- page 8

The UCA men’s basketball team (8-20, 7-8 Southland Conference) lost 84-61 against the University of New Orleans Privateers (16-9, 11-3 Southland Conference) at Lakefront Arena on Feb. 18.

The Privateers are currently ranked first in the Southland Conference and the Bears are ranked eighth. Coming into the game, the Bears were looking to bounce back from their overtime loss to Nicholls State on Feb. 16. The loss snapped the Bears’ four-game winning streak.

The Privateers are the only top-five Southland Conference team that has beaten the Bears by at least eight points. The only Southland Conference team that beat the Bears by more points is McNeese State University with 10 points.

In the first half, the Bears never took the lead. The closest they came was when the score was tied 9-9 with 14:28 left.

After that the Privateers never looked back, going on a 10-0 run before the Bears finally scored to bring the score to 19-11. The Privateers were up 16 points with 3:20 left on the clock. By the end of the first half, the Privateers were up 3824.

In the first half, the Bears shot a 38 field goal percentage, 16.7 three-point percentage, and 54.5 free-throw percentage.

New Orleans shot 40 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from the three, and 83.3 percent from the free throw line. Junior guard Jordan Howard had one point from a free throw and 0-9 shooting in the first half.

During second half, the Bears finished down nine points compared to 14 points in the first half. They shot 80 percent from the free throw, which was an improvement from 54.5 percent in the first-half. At 58 seconds the Privateers were up 28 points over the Bears .

The Privateers hit 14 pointers at 50 percent shooting, which was the highest 3-point total they have had since 2009.

New Orleans out-rebounded Central Arkansas 45-32.Nicholls State Colonels (12-14, 5-8 SLC) ended the University of Central Arkansas Bears’ (8-19, 7-7 SLC) four-game winning streak Thursday night 96-89. This is UCA’s first loss in five games after going four for five in their five-game home stand.

Brooks led all UCA scorers with 25 points. He shot 5-12 from three-point range and

9-18 overall. Howard added 22 points, shooting 5-10 from three point range and 6-17 overall.

UCA suffered from behind the line in the first half, shooting 21 percent from three-point range. They shot much better in the second half, shooting at 61 percent Nicholls State had the advantage when it came to three pointers, shooting 45 percent for the game compared to UCA’s 36 percent Nicholls State was also more efficient with field goals, shooting an above average 50 percent for the game while UCA shot 37 percent. Despite beating the Colonels by 23 points just five days prior, the Bears came up short. Howard attributed this to not starting the game fired up.

“They hit us with a couple different schemes on defense that took us awhile to figure out,” he said. “We came out to relaxed and let them hit us first, which never works out in our favor.”

Assistant coach Josh Lowery acknowledged Nicholls State has improved play since the last time they played them.

“It’s always hard playing a team back to back like that,” he said.

“They’re a better home team and we knew that going in.

Credit to them for seizing the moment.”

Howard said the team is concentrating on making the tournament going forward.

“My mentality is to win these next four games by any means necessary so we can ensure ourselves a spot in the tournament,” he said.

Senior guard Jeff Lowery said this loss shouldn’t change the team’s mindset. “Our mentality should be great going forward. One tough loss on the road in overtime shouldn’t change that,” he said. “All our goals are still in front of us and very achievable.”

Nicholls State forced UCA to score zero second-chance points.

“We just have to be more disciplined on the defensive end,” Howard said. “Less breakdowns and more talking will solve that.”

Lowery felt the same. “We were proud of the fact we rebounded well. That was an emphasis coming in as they hurt us on the glass in the first game,” he said. “We will just need to lock in better on the defensive end to ensure the victory next time. Proud of our guys, we have some fighters.”

8/February 22, 2017

SPORTS

ucaecho.net

UCA STATS CORNER

SPORT

RESULT

SCORE

RECORD

W-Bball

W vs. HBU

83-39

(21-4)

M-Bball

L vs. UNO

84-61

(8-20)

Tennis

W vs. NeSU

5-2

(7-0)

Softball

L vs. LSU

0-2

(0-5)

Baseball

L vs. UofE

3-9

(2-1)

photo by Anna Suarez

Senior outfielder Hannah Stirton sprints to the next base against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Lady Lions at Farris Field on Feb. 15. Stirton got a hit and a base on balls during the game.

Last season for UCA pitcher

by Denn-warren Tafah Sports Editor

Not only did senior outfielder Hannah Stirton make it into division one softball, but she is playing at a high level.

According to the Go Big Recruiting website, receiving a division one softball scholarship is very difficult.

There are only about 300 division one programs, and they all only have 12 scholarships; with hundreds of thousands of high school softball players out there, the odds of playing Division one softball is less than five percent She started 57 out of 59 games her freshman year and hasn’t come off the bench since.

Stirton holds a couple of UCA records: she has UCA’s single season record for most games played and the record for most at bats in an individual game.

She is ninth in the program history with 23 stolen bases.

With her senior season in commencement, Stirton is preparing for life without softball as she earns her degree in business and marketing.

“My career goals are pretty broad. I won’t be graduating

until December 2017, partly because I want to get an internship before graduating.

However, I would really like to eventually own my own business because I have been in sports my entire life and I absolutely love encouraging, leading and watching people succeed,” Stirton said.

Stirton said she would play professional softball in the up-and-coming National Pro Fastpitch League, despite the average salary being between $5000 and $6000.

“I would play professional softball in a heartbeat because I have grown to love the sport,” Stirton said.

However, that love for softball hasn’t always been there.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Stirton is the only child of Scot and Kathy Stirton. She has two half-brothers, Dereck and Bryce, who are both older than Stirton by seven years or more.

Stirton began playing softball at four years old for a team called the Maniacs, which her mom coached. Her mom also played softball and cheered for Northeastern Oklahoma in the ‘80s “She pretty much started dribbling a ball of any size when

she started walking. Our family is very athletic and involved in sports. So we started playing catch and hitting with her when she was two to three years old with a bat made of newspapers and ball made of socks. She was always a very natural athlete,” Stirton’s mother Kathy Starling said.

When she began playing softball she didn’t care for it, but one day her friend influenced her to switch.

“I was a basketball player when I was little; softball was just an extracurricular activity.

I always was led towards basketball. One day I made a deal with my best friend who was more softball oriented, that if she continues playing basketball I’ll continue playing softball,” Stirton said.

Stirton credits most of her on and off the field accomplishments to her parents.

“My parents divorced when I was five. However I saw them work so hard not only at work but taking the time to talk to me, spend time with me and play catch with me. Which is work and it took me until I was 21 years old to realize how hard they worked,” Stirton said.

P I TC H I N ’

Poor weather couldn’t stop UCA

by Emily Gist Staff Writer

Despite poor weather and a player feeling under the weather, UCA maintained high, competitive spirits and won fifth out of 16 teams at the Bandit Golf Course at the Texas State Invitational with a collective score of 919.

The course amounted to a total of 6,032 yards with a 71 par for each round.

In round one, the team stayed mostly under par; a few shots were just one or two over.

Senior Brenda Gonzalez got the most shots under par her first round and started the game off with a -5, followed by senior Morgan Best with a +2.

“I was really impressed with Brenda’s opening round and Morgan’s patience on her first round,” coach Natasha Vincent said. “Really good stuff.”

The team kept mostly in the green for round two, meaning they stayed just one over par.

However, there were more blues — meaning they reached two over and a few blacks — meaning three or more above par.

This brought three of the five teammates into the 80s with

par at 71.

Round three played similarly to round two with mostly greens, some reds and a few blues. The players were mostly in the upper 70s to lower 80s, almost 10 above par.

The competition allowed UCA players to reach their full potentials and reap the benefits of their work.

“Once I get to the tournament it’s time to play, compete, and have fun,” Best said. “That is what all of the practice and preparation is for and that attitude has always provided the best results.”

Vincent said competition was what made the experience worthwhile.

“Competition is the fun part,” Vincent said. “It’s that time we see new courses, test our games, and see the rewards of our work. It’s a win-win regardless of results.”

The competition brought out several of the players’ strengths and weaknesses, so they knew what to improve on for future matches.

Sophomore Cindy Oh said the key to many of her shots was the type of club she used.

“Many of the shots required precise club selection rather

than having the opportunity to ‘go for it,” Oh said.

Oh said her attitude was great, considering the bad conditions and feeling sick during her last round.

However, she felt improvements could be made.

“Right now, I feel like I should improve on my short game- both putting and chipping,” Oh said. “Reducing strokes on the green typically saves the most shots.”

Senior Morgan Best felt confident in her short game, but not as much in her long game.

“My greatest strength in the competition was my short game and mental approach,” Best said, “My hitting was not very solid but my short game helped make up for that and I saved a lot of strokes.”

Best said in the future she will work on increasing her power so she can put herself in better positions off of the tee.

There were many teams competing at the Invitational that the UCA team will see at their conference event in April 24-26 in Texas. The conference will include Stephen F. Austin University, the University of the Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist University.

photo by Anna Suarez

Sophomore starting pitcher Ellie Reaves winds up a throw against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Lady Lions at Farris Field on Feb. 15. Reaves threw 4.1 innings, and ended up with the win.

UCA softball wins cross-state showdown

by Caroline Bivens Assistant News Editor

The UCA softball team won its first game of the season against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Feb. 15 at home, winning 10-2.

The UAPB Lady Lions were the first to score at the top of the first inning, but were quickly tied at the bottom of the first when the Bears (1-5) scored 1-1 with a run batted in from freshman first baseman Kaylyn Shepard and a leadoff double from senior right fielder Briana Whisenhunt.

The Bears scored twice at the bottom of the inning with walks from sophomore second baseman Krissy Fontillas and freshman centerfielder Jesse Hoover. A bunt from junior third baseman Audrey Pratt moved the Bears to a scoring position.

Senior outfielder Stirton was hit by a pitch which led Hoover to bring the score to 3-1.

Softball wins in Purple and Gold Challenge Staff Writer

photo by Anna Suarez

Bears:

Sugar Bears crash the boards and defend the Farris Center

for the win; Sugar Bears streak has been going since Janurary 4 Continued from page 7 three from deep. She added six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Proffitt, who dominated early, scored 14 points and added two more three-pointers to the Sugar Bears’ Division-I career record she holds. Baudoin led the

entire game in rebounds grabbing eight and making 13 points and three assists. Senior center Raquel Logan scored 11 points while grabbing eight boards. She also blocked one shot and tied the Division-I record for career blocks with 96.

“We are still practicing like we are the last place team. I’d attribute our practices to our in game success, we don’t let up,” senior forward Taylor Strickland said.

The Sugar Bears have not lost a game since early January.

said. “We played ready to win.”

Stirton believes this will only continue throughout the season.

“We take away a lot of confidence from this game… it’s another game under our belt for experience and working together as a team,” Stirton said. “We’re getting better every pitch.”

Kuhn said the team practiced with more intensity and that the first win was always the hardest to get.

“I think [this] game shows that sometimes you need to relax, the game never changes,” Kuhn said. “You have to take one game at a time because you don’t know what’s going to happen and it doesn’t get any easier.”

After four games of the Purple and Gold Challenge hosted by LSU, the Bears will continue their season with five games during the Central Arkansas Invitational at home.

TO U R N A M E N T

by Cody Macomber

Senior guard Maggie Proffitt shoots a three against Sam Houston State in the Farris Center on Feb. 15. Maggie went 6-13 and made two shots from the three-point line during the game.

The Bears scored two more runs in the third inning. Fontillas and Hoover both scored homeruns 5-1. A throwing error allowed freshman outfielder Kayla Crutchner to run home, bringing the score to 6-1. Junior shortstop Kate Myers hit a single to centerfield allowing centerfield to score Whisenhunt with 7-1.

“We pitched well, we had good timely hitting and runs early. We had a good cushion,” head softball coach Dave Kuhn said.

The Lady Lions scored again at the top of the fifth after errors by the Bears. Hoover began the game with a walk and Pratt hit another bunt to move Hoover before Stirton began another walk. A single from Whisenhunt allowed Hoover to score before a dropped fly ball gave Stirton a plate to end the game with 10-2.

“We came out confidant and ready to attack instead of playing scared to lose,” Stirton

The UCA Sugar Bears softball team (2-8) won one of four games in the Purple and Gold Challenge against Georgia Southern University (3-6) and #7 Louisiana State University (9-1) on Feb 18, 19 at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Sugar Bears won their first game 6-1 against Georgia Southern, but then lost to LSU 2-9. On Feb. 19, UCA lost to Georgia Southern 2-5, followed by a loss to LSU 0-2.

“We didn’t get hits at the right time, and a key to winning in softball is timely hitting,” UCA softball coach David Kuhn said. “In one of our games in particular we left 15 runners on base, and you have to take care of stuff like that in games.”

In their first game, the Sugar Bears trailed Georgia Southern 1-0 throughout most of the game. UCA had a six-point rally in the sixth inning, spurred by a run batted in single by senior outfielder Hannah Stirton, which gave UCA the lead and eventually the win.

UCA took an early 2-0 lead against seventh-ranked LSU on Feb. 19, with two RBIs

from freshman catcher Lauren Brooks. LSU came back to take the lead, with a go-ahead RBI double in the fifth inning, and a six-run rally of their own in the sixth to beat UCA 9-2.

An RBI-single by freshman Kailla Searcy gave UCA an early 1-0 lead against Georgia Southern on Feb. 19, but the Eagles scored two runs in the fourth inning and three runs in the fifth inning to bring the Eagles ahead for a 5-2 victory.

The Bears lost their third game of the weekend, only scoring two runs despite getting eight hits.

The Sugar Bears were shut out in their last game of the Purple and Gold Challenge, losing to LSU 2-0 with only one hit in the game.

Despite three losses, the Sugar Bears came away encouraged with the improvement and growth of the team.

“We’ve improved every game on the mound, at the plate, and on defense,” Kuhn said. “We have a lot of inexperienced players who played this weekend, but we have a lot of young talent.”

Multiple times throughout the tournament, the Sugar Bears

had six or seven unexperienced players on the field.

This was especially tough against LSU, which is ranked seventh-best in the nation, according to the USA Today/ NFCA Coaches’ Poll.

“Playing games against tough competition such as seventh-ranked LSU is only going to make us better as a team, and expose our weaknesses so that we can fix them,” Kuhn said.

Six of UCA’s first eight losses have been against teams ranked in the top 40.

In light of the tough competition, Stirton and the Sugar Bears are motivated to continue working hard.

“We improved a lot.

Although the scores didn’t show it, we fought hard against two really good teams. It was nice to go down there and get another win and compete,” Stirton said.

“Our confidence is going to continue to stay up. We have to keep trusting the process and trusting our work that we put in every day,” The Sugar Bears have played nine of their first 10 games away from home, but play their next five games at Farris Field.