The Echo | November 2, 2016

The Echo

SINGLE COPY PAID FOR BY STUDENT PUBLICATION FEE

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER 2, 2016 Volume 111 — Issue 10

ucaecho.net TODAY’S FORECAST

Campus Life:

CONWAY

Concert: Kris Allen, UCA alumni return for “Back at Home” event

Entertainment:

Sports:

Album: Lady Gaga’s new album includes femme-rock elements

Soccer: Women end conference season undefeated

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Partly cloudy

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Sigma Tau Gamma chapter suspended after blackface costume photo surfaces

81/61 THE NEWSDESK

by Maggie McNeary, Amanda Nettles & John Anderson

FROM THE EDITOR

Editor, Campus Life Editor & Staff Writer

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

Northwest Syria airstrike kills 35, mostly children The Syria Civil Defense volunteer group said that at least 35 people, including about 20 children, were killed in northwestern Syria during an airstrike on Oct. 26. The rescue group, also known as the White Helmets, said that the death count was expected to rise as the attack, which was blamed on Syrian and Russian military, caused dozens of injuries.

600 migrants evacuated from Calais, France camp French authorities said that more than 6,000 people had been evacuated from a makeshift migrant camp in Calais, France on Oct. 26, as part of an effort to relocate them to other towns and cities across the country on a case-by-case basis. According to some charities, some migrants fled to avoid the relocation program. One British charity said police had arrested minors.

UCA fraternity Sigma Tau Gamma has officially been suspended by its national chapter after a member posted an Instagram photo displaying his face covered in black paint.

Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity brother and sophomore Brock Denton posted the photo of himself in a multicolored sweater with the caption “It was a bold night.” The fraternity held a Halloween party at its house Friday Oct. 28.

The picture was widely condemned on social media.

In response, Denton posted a blank photo on his Instagram page, with a caption regarding the incident.

“Within a matter of a few hours social media has made me out to be a monster, a racist, a supremacist and those are just three of the many hateful names I have been called. I have been sent death threats, threats to burn my house down,” he said in the caption.

Denton’s mother, Julie Denton, said the family has

“Afghan girl” arrested, imprisoned in Pakistan

been harassed since the incident became public.

“There are major death threats out against us,” Julie Denton said.

Denton said in his apology that he was “the furthest thing from discrimination” and that he “fight[s]for equality everyday.”

He went on to say that he never would “have done this if I would have known the domino effect that [would] follow.”

At least two comments below the photo indicated the posters still blamed Denton for his actions. Denton replied to the comments.

“I can honestly say I’ve never heard of black face before until today. Believe me or don’t but at this point all I can do is be truthful,” he said.

UCA President Tom Courtway posted a letter on UCA’s social media outlets regarding the incident.

“A short time ago we were made aware of a picture on social media showing what is purported to be a UCA student wearing blackface. This picture is highly offensive and repugnant, and this representation goes against all we, at UCA believe in and stand for,” he wrote.

In the letter, Courtway

said the picture would be investigated and “dealt with accordingly.”

According to UCA’s Twitter, Sigma Tau Gamma has been suspended by the fraternity’s headquarters. According to UCA’s Interfraternity Council Twitter, the council has “disowned” and “suspended” the fraternity.

The UCA chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma tweeted a media statement about the incident.

In it, the organization said that Denton had been expelled from the fraternity as a result of the photo.

UCA senior Haley Jones said she was “shocked” that this happened at UCA. “I don’t think dressing up like a black person with black paint on was respectful,” she said.

Junior Alexis Downing was also surprised that this happened at UCA. “In Greek life we talk about diversity so much and having that Halloween party was not a good representation of diversity.

As an African-American, I am very offended by it,” Downing said.

The entirety of Denton’s apology can be read at ucaecho. net.

IN-DEPTH

Officials said that Sharbat Gula, the famous “Afghan girl,” who was once on the cover of National Geographic, was arrested in Peshawar and put in a women’s prison for falsifying documents and staying illegally in Pakistan on Oct. 25. Gula was made famous when she was 12 by photographer Steve McCurry. He has objected to her arrest.

UCA Building pH Levels

N AT I O N A L

photo courtesy of uca.edu

[Left to right] Presidential candidates Len Frey, Houston Davis, Darrell Parker and Nagi Naganathan.

UCA presidential finalists speak to campus groups

by Malachi Thornton, Waid Rainey & William Middleton Staff Writers

Three of the four final University of Central Arkansas presidential candidates visited campus from Oct. 25 through Oct. 29 to meet with students, faculty, staff and administration.

The final four were Len Frey, Nagi Naganathan, Houston Davis and Darrell Parker.

Frey, the current vice chancellor for finance and administration at the University of Arkansas at Jonesboro, visited campus Monday, Oct. 24.

Frey said in a campus address Monday that he applied for the position because he has a financial, as well as academic and student-oriented, background.

Davis made a 15-minute statement and answered questions from the campus community for 45 minutes in the McCastlain Ballroom Oct. 25 before meeting with the Student Government Association.

“We are very excited about what we see here at UCA and we are very excited about what we see in Conway,” Davis said.

Davis has been the interim president of Kennesaw State University in Georgia since June 2016, after the university’s former president retired.

Cruz says Court can work with only eight justices

SGA discusses blackface

by Brent Wilson Assistant News Editor The pH levels of several buildings on campus are depicted in the bar graph above. Old Main and the third floor of McAlister were found to have dangerously low, or acidic, pH levels. The normal pH for water is 6.5.

Quitman teenager killed in collision on US 65 18-year-old resident of Quitman, Dakota Holt, was killed and two others were injured in a head-on collision on highway US 65 around 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Holt was a passenger in a Kia which crossed into the northbound lane and hit a Lexus. Following that impact, the Kia then hit a Jeep head-on.

WHAT’S AHEAD

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE The Veterans Day Celebration will include an unveiling of UCA’s new War Memorial.

Upon testing, McAlister, third-floor Old Main fountains contain “dangerously acidic” water

by Julia Kramer, Payton Turner, Taylor Fulgham, Waid Rainey & Lauren Swaim Online Editor, Staff Writers & Photo Editor

When the 2014 health crisis in Flint, Michigan occurred, drinking water safety was pushed to the front of the news. Now two years later, the Dakota Access Pipeline is again provoking debate over water safety.

In an effort to determine the safety of the water students drink every day, 13 fountains in nine campus buildings were tested for pH levels, alkalinity, iron, copper, nitrate, nitrite, chlorine and hardness. The tests

were color-coated strips that had to be dipped or swished around in samples of the water fountain water and then compared to the color chart included with the strips. The tests reported good levels of the above chemicals and characteristics, except pH levels.

The pH levels in the buildings varied greatly.

Stanley Russ Hall and the third floor of Irby Hall both had perfect 6.5 pH levels. The Student Center, first floor of Irby Hall, Snow Fine Arts, Torreyson Library, the second floor of Burdick, the first floor of McAlister, the HPER center and the College of Business were at 5, a cautionary pH level.

The water in these buildings ran the risk of being too acidic.

Old Main and the third floor of

Contact Us:

Index: Police Beat People of UCA

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Students Say

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See Speak - page 2

CONTROVERSY

Senator Ted Cruz indicated on Oct. 26 that there is historical precedent for a Supreme Court with fewer than nine justices. Cruz said that Justice Stephen Breyer had said the vacancy, left by deceased Justice Antonin Scalia, did not impact the ability of the court to perform its duties.

LOCAL

Before Davis was the interim president of KSU, he was the executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer of the university system of Georgia for four years.

Davis made three commitments to the UCA community if he were to become president: that he would be committed to student success, that he would keep tuition affordable and that he would be transparent.

“I wholeheartedly believe in those things that round out a rich education for our students,” Davis said. “How do we take a passion of a student, no matter what discipline, how is it they are going to take their ideas and what they have learned and apply that to the human condition?”

Davis has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis, a master’s degree from Tennessee State University and a Ph.D. in education and human development from Vanderbilt University.

Davis has held executive positions in universities in three different states: Tennessee, Georgia and Oklahoma.

During the question and answer session of his visit, Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity Angela Webster asked Davis

Columns Entertainment Sports

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Phone: 501-499-9822 E-mail: ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

McAlister were at a pH level of 2, which is dangerously acidic.

Art history instructor Melisa Quesenberry, who spends the majority of her work day in McAlister, said she prefers to bring water from home or buy a bottle from the Student Center if necessary.

“It [the McAlister water] smells funny and it’s cloudy sometimes,” she said.

“Sometimes I’m in the middle of class and I’ve just refilled a bottle of water at the fountain and I can’t even drink the water because it just smells foul.”

Quesenberry said the building had terrible water problems over the summer.

See Water - page 2

SGA discussed a UCA student’s use of blackface at a fraternity party and new constitution amendments when members met on Oct. 31.

When SGA opened its meeting, President Kelsey Broaddrick discussed with the body the recent controversy surrounding a UCA student who wore blackface during a Sigma Tau Gamma party, which ended in the suspension of his fraternity and has made the headlines of several major news organizations.

“Most of you all should be aware of the events this weekend,” Broaddrick said.

She also said that UCA was going to investigate the incident and would inform them as soon as possible of any action that would be taken.

“Our job is to address these things,” she said, telling the SGA body that they needed to be aware of possible media attention, as well as being open about talking to students about such issues.

Vice President Bryce Woods gave a brief summary of the

Social:

history of blackface, and why that kind of makeup is offensive.

“It actually started in the 1800s, with white minstrel groups,” he said.

He said Jim Crow laws were named after a character called Jim Crow created by minstrel shows, which involved wearing black face makeup. Broaddrick said that part of the problem was that “a lot of people don’t understand.”

SGA also voted on several things during their meeting.

Sophomore senator Melvin Portillo moved that SGA allocate $1,000 to the President Courtway scholarship, which passed unanimously.

Motions were made to change Article 3, Section 1, letters A-G and amend bylaw 8 to no longer include I.D.E.A.L., a freshman leadership organization that teaches students leadership skills, in the organization’s constitution.

Both passed unanimously.

At the end of the meeting, SGA filmed a video that will be used with a series of videos from other student organizations to say goodbye to current UCA President Tom Courtway.

Inside: UCA football ranked too low

@ucaecho The Echo

ucaecho

© 2016 The Echo, Printed by the Jacksonville Patriot,, Jacksonville, Ark.

The team’s performance should be reflected in national ranking

see page 5

2/November 2, 2016

NEWS

ucaecho.net

Imam says tenets of Islam encourage love, not hate UCAPD answers students’

by Brandon Jones

Staff Writer

Imam Mahmoud Hassanein spoke about his experiences as a Muslim in America during the “Islam without the Phobia” event on Oct. 26 in the Student Center.

The UCA Social Justice League (SJL) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) sponsored the event. Hassanein is from Egypt and earned his Ph.D. at the University of England.

Hassanein said Muslims have long held strong, coherent relations with non-Muslims, and all people are given respect regardless of their race or religion.

“I love every human being

because this is what my religion says,” Hassanein said. “What the Quran says.”

Like the Bible, the Quran tells Muslims to love their neighbor, Hassanein said.

Hassanein shared stories about how he and a friend had faced negativity because people saw or heard that they were Muslim and became afraid.

“In order to judge someone, you have to hear it from them,” Hassanein said.

Hassanein said the growth of Islamophobia can be attributed in part to media outlets that Photoshop photos depicting Muslims or take parts of the Quran out of context.

Hassanein said “Islam” is often used immediately after anything happens involved a Muslim. He said the names of

the specific people who commit crimes should be the focus, not their religion.

Hassanein said some people who are afraid of Islam misinterpret parts of the Quran because they don’t speak Arabic and don’t have any cultural context. Hassanein said translation issues can also cause problems because sometimes people interpret words in their own way when they are translating a text. This can also be a problem with other religious texts, such as the Bible.

Extremists who use their religion to hurt others are brainwashed, Hassanein said, because the Quran says not to force others to accept your religion as their own.

Hassanein said that if animal cruelty is punished under Islam,

hurting other humans when God calls for peace is against Islam. Hassanein said no one has the right to force others to follow their religion, and the world needs to cooperate to stop those who do. Blaming Islam for extremists is like blaming the car when a person wrecks, Hassanein said.

According to UCA Muslim Student Association President Saliou N. Outtara, the goal of the program was to educate people on issues involving Islam and give them a clearer understanding of the religion.

The SJL invited the MSA to help with the program to help students learn about Islam.

Hassenein said it is not his job to force others to follow Islam, but rather to remind people how they should behave.

OUTREACH

Two UCAPD officers train school monitors in Virgin Islands

by Cody Macomber Staff Writer

Two University of Central Arkansas Police Department officers trained school monitors in the Virgin Islands on the use of force and active-shooter situations from Aug. 21 to Sept. 3.

Capt. Justin Tapley and Lt. Jamie Boothe trained the school monitors from the islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas in defense tactics, usage of the baton, the proper use of force and responses to active shooters.

“The people there were extremely friendly and appreciative,” Boothe said of the experience. “They were eager to learn, which made the process smooth and beneficial for us and for them.”

Johnny Purvis, a former professor at UCA and retired police officer, approached Tapley about the opportunity.

Water:

Purvis is currently a consultant to the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education.

The course took place over two weeks, and the officers trained monitors four days a week. The teaching was split into blocks of one-anda-half to two hours.

Tr a i n i n g s t a r t e d in the classroom, w h e r e skills such Jamie Boothe as activeshooter response were taught, and then hands-on training took on the usage of the baton was implemented.

Tapley is a 22-year veteran of the UCA Police Department, and currently works as the standards and training commander. Boothe is the patrol services division commander for UCAPD. He

trains other officers in defense tactics and ground avoidance ground escape (GAGE), and is certified by the Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP) to train others in the use of the baton in U.S. territories.

“This shows that we have a very professional p o l i c e department that is able to travel and train Justin Tapley others over a long distance,” UCAPD Officer Michael Hopper said. “[The Virgin Islands Department of Education] could have chosen to get their training from anywhere in the country, and they chose our men to do so.”

UCAPD trains outside corporations who need credits from the Arkansas Commission On Law Enforcement (CLEST),

and provides training in areas such as self-defense for students, faculty and staff on campus.

Hopper said the department not only gives training, but also receives training. UCAPD recently attended training given

by Brian Polansky, a specialist in communication excellence, on how to effectively communicate and use words to defuse and de-escalate tense situations.

Some of the school monitors from the Virgin Islands had not received training, so there has been discussion of the officers returning for further training in 2017. Boothe said he would look forward to returning for further training.

“It was just a great experience, and I’m thankful that the department was kind enough in allowing us to travel, and funding for the trip,” Boothe said. “I certainly hope to do it again.”

questions about use of force

by Denn-Warren Tafah Assistant Sports Editor

Students for the Propagation of Black Culture and the National Association for Black Men United hosted a panel discussion with the University of Central Arkansas Police Department titled “Let’s Talk Blue” in an effort to create a dialogue between the black community and police on Oct. 27 in the Student Center.

“The main purpose of this panel was to start a fundamental foundation where the African American community and the police department can understand each other a lot better. I think the biggest issue that we have is they don’t really understand us and we don’t really understand them,” SPBC member and senior Kaylon Cox said.

According to the Guardian’s police killing database The Counted, police have killed between 865-939 unarmed people, mentally ill people and people of color.

“We are trying to get more of an understanding between law enforcement and citizens or students. Also, we are going to answer questions about stuff that happens in the media so they have a better understanding about how law enforcement act the way they act and how people are nervous on a traffic stop,” Pastor Byron Calhoun, a former police officer, said.

Speak:

The UCAPD panelists were Officer Joshua Heard, Sergeant Sarah Garrett, Sergeant Keith McKay, Officer Michael Hopper and Lieutenant Brad Moore.

The other representatives were Conway Police Department Major William Tapley and Calhoun.

After the panel introduced itself, each panelist gave some insight about how police officers think and feel.

“We have to be very callous on our job, because we see so many crazy things and sometimes that could leak into our personal lives, with our families,” Garrett said Students asked various questions about the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, getting stopped by the police, Colin Kaepernick’s stand against the flag and avoiding getting shot by the police.

“I think we could have been more in-depth to answer those real serious questions,“ Calhoun said Near the end of the forum, Moore brought out some gadgets to demonstrate a police dispatch call scenario.

One of the students, SPBC member junior Jonathan Logan, was given a police belt with a toy gun to act like an officer, and one of the officers played a criminal.

“He had me try and calm down an individual that was in the library disturbing others.

But little did I know it was an exercise that was testing my reaction skills. The individual had a weapon and shot me. I was shocked,” Logan said.

Darrell Parker, Nagi

Naganathan speak to groups on campus  Continued from page 1

Conway’s water travels 360 miles through pipes before treatment at the Roger Q. Mills

Water Treatment Plant; HPER water fountains use microbe filters on the water coming from Conway Corp.  Continued from page 1 “There was a weird, white sort of sediment just kind of in the water,” she said.

Quesenberry said her main concern is that students might be unaware of the potential water problems, especially pregnant or sick students. She said the water was shut off in the building during parts of the 2016 May Intersession and one of her students was pregnant and suffering from the water shortage.

“That was just really problematic,” Quesenberry said. “She was having a hard time because there wasn’t anywhere to go to the bathroom in the building. We have this like three hour class every day of the week and no water, no bathroom facilities, it was bad.”

Quesenberry said there were a few days during that time where the water was turned off completely.

Assistant Physical Plant Director Russ Hooper said he did not recall shutting off the water in McAlister during that time and said if the Physical Plant ever shuts off the water, it’s only for maintenance and lasts a few hours, at most.

Conway’s water flows through 390 miles of piping, 6,100 valves and 2,600 fire hydrants in town, according to

Conway Corporation. The water comes from the 28,900 acre Brewer Lake and is treated at the Roger Q. Mills Water Treatment Plant, which holds 24 million gallons each day.

According to an NPR article from April 2016, most water is treated in the same four steps: coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection. In the first step, added chemicals mix with dirt and dissolved particles already in the water, creating large particles called floc.

In the second step, the floc falls to the bottom of the water tank, due to its weight. In the filtration step, the water flows through a sand, gravel and charcoal filter that removes any particles that should not be present in drinking water, including “dust, parasites, bacteria, viruses and chemicals.”

Lastly, the chlorine is added to the filtered water to kill parasites, bacteria, viruses and other harmful substances.

UCA does not filter any of the water that flows through the campus pipes.

“Water comes from Conway Corp as is,” Hooper said. “The only filters that we have are on the water fountains, on the bottle fillers, that’s it.”

The filters on the fountains

are microbe filters, filtering out anything in the water that is bigger than a microbe.

According to a 2013 article by livestrong.com that highlighted abnormal pH levels in water, negative health effects are highest in pH extremes.

“Drinking water with an elevated pH above 11 can cause skin, eye and mucous membrane irritation,” according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“On the opposite end of the scale, pH values below 4 also cause irritation due to the corrosive effects of low pH levels.”

The abnormal pH levels in UCA’s drinking water fell under the low pH levels, meaning that the water was more acidic than alkaline.

Acidic water causes less direct health problems and more secondary ones. High acidity in water can cause heavy metals to leach into the water pipes, causing the metals to infiltrate the water systems, according to the nonprofit Water Systems Council.

“Lead exposure can lead to a host of neurological and reproductive problems, such as seizures, hearing loss and miscarriages,” according to the New York State Department of Health.

“Ingestion of

lead-tainted water is one way adults can become exposed to this toxin.”

Opinions and results of campus water quality vary from building-to-building.

Front desk supervisor of the HPER and senior Wyatt Bedell said the water stations at the HPER have filters they change out periodically. A green light means the water is safe to drink, yellow means caution and red indicates the filter needs to be changed.

“As long as it’s green, it’s perfectly clean,” he said. “We don’t want people drinking bad water, especially here since a high number of water bottles are filled here.”

Senior Chase Flemming said the HPER is great and he hasn’t heard anyone who doesn’t like it in the building.

Students in Stanley Russ, the Student Center and Snow Fine Arts had no complaints with the water.

Moving across campus to Burdick, Irby and McAlister, satisfaction dropped. “[The water] tastes terrible,” Vicki Rawls said. “Like you’re licking a catfish.”

In McAlister, instructor David Bailin was also dissatisfied.

“They just need to give us a new building,” he said. “A high pH in my fish tank kills my fish.”

“How might you see yourself shepherding an equal opportunity employment here at the university?”

Davis replied that he worked on several desegregation cases in Georgia and Tennessee. He also said that it is impractical not to bring diversity into the higher education system.

Parker visited UCA on Oct. 26. Parker is currently the dean and professor of economics at West Carolina University for the College of Business. A native of western North Carolina, he received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics at the University of North Carolina before earning a master’s and doctoral degree in economics from Purdue University.

Parker worked for Western Carolina and Georgia Southern University as director of school economics. He partnered with Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Harrah’s for graduate programs on his campus.

Parker addressed the need for community engagement on campus. He said he hopes to facilitate more for students at UCA academically so that they are empowered early on to focus on their careers once graduating from UCA. “I would make sure it is an intention to make our college as diverse as possible. I’d like to help recognize the success the faculty and students are having in their academic education here,” Parker said.

Parker said he hopes UCA will soon have an in-state tuition that is comparable to other states’, which will make prospective students who are deciding on what colleges they can afford more interested in

UCA. Naganathan, born in India, started his path of higher education at the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli in 1973 by earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1979. Naganathan moved to the United States to begin the master’s program for mechanical engineering at Clarkson University and eventually received his Doctorate at Oklahoma State University in 1986.

Naganathan, who is currently the dean of engineering at the University of Toledo, has worked at Toledo for 30 years serving a variety of positions, including interim president from July 2014 to June 2015.

Naganathan said he plans to build upon the president’s first-person relationship with the student body, hoping to instill trust between the president and the students.

During the question-andanswer session on Thursday, Oct. 27, he said he wants to be a visionary leader and to do such one must be inclusive, transparent and honest.

“I believe every life has a purpose,” Naganthan said.

“Higher education has been good to me, and I hope that I have impacted dozens of students. I am totally attracted by student successes at UCA.” The UCA Board of Trustees’ decision on the selection of UCA’s new president will come after this week’s events and campus tours.

Police Beat The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Brent Wilson.

Student finds threatening note after using toothpaste

Student reports car keyed in parking lot near New Hall

Student reports car damage Students insist classmate pay after hit-and-run on campus for laptop, send legal memo

Student Cori Moore said she found a threatening note in one of her bathroom drawers in Stadium Park Apartments on Oct. 23. She said that she believes that her roommates, students Madison Woods and Kelli Cooper wrote the note because she had used their toothpaste one morning after having run out of her own. She said she wasn’t sure if the note was meant as a joke.

On Oct. 23 student Mykel Jones stated that his vehicle had been vandalized in the parking lot north of New Hall in the back row, near the west side of the indoor practice facility.

He said he had parked there early in the morning and that when he returned that afternoon, saw that someone had keyed the entire driver’s side of his car.

Student Denekqua Terry said she had returned from a doctor appointment to her car and found that it was damaged on the front passenger side bumper on Oct. 25 in the north overflow parking lot.

It looked as though a vehicle had scraped across the bumper, leaving scratches and traces of paint.

On Oct. 26, student Destiny Bowie said students Arial Frazier and Jannye Clark gave her a lawyer-drafted memorandum which required Bowie to pay for Clark’s laptop that was broken while in Bowie’s possession. Bowie said the students kept knocking on her door, saying, “Justice is served.” UCAPD has been in contact with all three students over the matter.

Campus Life

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November 2, 2016

Around Campus: Fall Career Fair Today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be a Fall Career Fair held in the Student Center Ballroom. Recruiters will be available to network with students. Students must wear business casual attire and bring their UCA ID with them to the event. photo by Lauren Swaim

War Memorial Dedication The newest addition to the memorials on the UCA campus (The War Memorial) will be dedicated on Nov. 3 during the Nineteenth Annual Veterans Day Celebration. Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin will be the keynote speaker.

Baum Gallery

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 3 the Baum Gallery will host the Senior Showcase.

This exhibit is the work of the BA/BFA seniors who will graduate this year. The art displayed will be from all media and the exhibit will be on display until Dec. 1.

[From left to right] Matthew Huff, Hannah Blaylock, Kris Allen, Barrett Baber and Adam Hambrick come together at the end of the “Back at Home” concert Oct. 28 at Reynolds Performance Hall. The concert’s purpose was to raise money for the Main Stage Concert Series.

Five local musicians sing for UCA’s “Back at Home” concert

by Emily Gist Staff Writer

Kris Allen, Barrett Baber, Mathew Huff, Adam Hambrick and Hannah Blaylock returned to their UCA roots in Reynolds Performace Hall for three hours of country music.

Of these artists, three had their songs on the radio and the other two went international.

The event was called “Back at Home” and took place on Oct. 29.

“It’s always good to come back and just kind of revisit some old places, see some friends and I don’t get to come

The UCA Concert Choir will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3 in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall. The choir will be under the direction of Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities John Erwin.

Election Watch Party From 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Nov. 8 an election watch party will be held by the Ph.D. Leadership Organization in Estes Stadium. The results of the election will be broadcast.

Voting

marketing myself, creating a brand around myself and doing what I’ve done in the last year here in Arkansas, especially in regards to ‘The Voice,’” Baber said.

According to Baber, there are some misconceptions about getting big in a small town.

“Arkansas is a special place, and so many people think that because it’s a small-town market – because there’s not as many people as far as numbers of people that live here – that people like me or Kris Allen would be at a disadvantage when we went and did a reality TV show,” Baber said. “But the

truth is when somebody from Arkansas is doing something cool on a national level, the rest of the people in the state will really get behind it.”

The five artists were brought together by Associate Vice President for Communications, Public Relations and Marketing Christina Madsen. When told about the get together, Allen jumped at the opportunity.

“When Christina said she was going to do this and said she was throwing all these people together, I said, ‘what a cool idea,’” Allen said.

Baber described the need to keep up energy during the

concert. “Coming out and playing shows no matter where they are, if it’s to one hundred people or one thousand people, you want to get the energy up and rock out,” Baber said.

Though much of the night contained country music, Allen played more than just country music. When asked about the meaning behind the lyrics “such a long way from where I want to be,” Allen said, “I’m always striving to do something better than I could before,” Allen said.

“I want to play better, want to sing better, want to write better songs and honestly that’s where that song came from.”

REYNOLDS PERFORMANCE HALL

George Takei lectures on his internment during World War II

by Brent Wilson

Choir Concert

on campus that much so that’s pretty cool,” musician Kris Allen said. “They’re a lot of good memories here.”

Allen described how so much talent came from such a small town. “It’s just so cool to see how all this talent came out of one place,” Allen said.

“And for this many people to come out and see that and see the talent that’s come from this place, it’s really really cool.”

According to Barrett Baber, singer on “The Voice,” UCA helped him establish his music career. “University of Central Arkansas has been super instrumental in my success,

Assistant News Editor

George Takei visited UCA on Oct. 27 in Reynolds Performance Hall and gave a lecture about his life, his career and his love for America.

Takei came onto the stage amid cheers from a packed crowd, showing them his hands in the form of the “live long and prosper” sign used by his costar Leonard Nimoy as Spock on hit science fiction show “Star Trek”.

Takei touched heavily in his lecture on his internment in Arkansas during World War II for being a Japanese-American.

“It is wonderful to be back in Arkansas,” he said. He said that he has been in Arkansas many times, including working with the Little Rock Symphony Orchestra and attending the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival because of a

documentary that played there about him called “To be Takei.”

He said that it is his first visit to UCA but that he enjoyed it, and said the following day he would be going to Crystal Bridges, an art museum in northwest Arkansas.

Takei went on to describe some of his life story, starting in his childhood. He spent time in an internment camp during what he called, “one of the darkest chapters in American history.”

He described how attitudes changed toward JapaneseAmericans after the attack on Pearl Harbor and how they were labeled as “enemy aliens.”

He said the label made no sense, and described how the Japanese-Americans’ rights were taken away from them, which began with curfews and bank accounts being frozen and escalated to their internment.

Takei was held in the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Desha County, Arkansas at the age of five.

Takei touched on the American government drafting Japanese-Americans into military service through a government-drafted loyalty questionnaire. Takei referred to those who were drafted as heroes, though said there were bigger heroes. He said the bigger heroes were those who had resisted the questionnaire, and who were convicted of draft evasion and sent to prison.

“I’m proud of them, I honor them, and they are patriotic Americans,” Takei said.

Takei also spoke out on gay rights, talking about his own experience being a homosexual man growing up in a more conservative world. He talked about how he just felt different from his friends. He said that

STUDENT LIFE

his male friends, when they were young, would talk about girls who were cute.

He said that he was younger and during much of his career, he kept silent about the issue of homosexuality which he said was the most important issue to him, for fear of losing his career in acting. It was only after a law, which was introduced in California in 2005 and was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that he finally “talked to the press as a gay man.”

Takei also spoke about how he married his husband Brad Takei, and how there was a woman from Arkansas in attendance, former president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation Sybil Hampton.

For a moment Takei touched on women’s rights as well, such as how women gained the right to vote and

other elevated positions they have achieved. Afterwards he said that he bets that by Nov. 8, America will have a woman for president.

Sophomores Zoe Ragsdale and Michael Huffman, two members of UCA’s PRISM Alliance, were in attendance and said they enjoyed the lecture.

“I thought it was wonderful.

It gave a really beautiful but jarring perspective on things that I don’t even ever remember learning about in history classes,” Ragsdale said.

Huffman said the information that Takei gave shows how little we tell about our past mess-ups.

Takei left the stage after his lecture and a question and answer session, leaving the audience standing and applauding his exit.

ELECTION

The Student Center will have voting booths upstairs on Election Day (Nov. 8) all day to accomodate voters who are unable to travel to a

Cafeteria’s pumpkin carving Georgetown University professor discusses contest names three winners the importance of knowing how to vote well

voting booth off campus.

by Des’ree Dallmann Assistant Online Editor

Mixed Media At 7 p.m. on Nov. 10, a new show will open at the UCA Black Box gallery titled Mixing Media. The show will be on display until Nov. 17 and submissions will be taken from Nov. 1 to Nov. 8.

Flutist At 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 10 guest flutist Meghan Bennett will perform in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall, which is sponsored by the UCA music department.

Slam Dunk At 7 p.m. on Wednesday Nov. 16 the HPER Center will have a Slam Dunk and Three Point contest. To enter sign up at the HPER front desk before Nov. 10 at 5 p.m.

The Christian Cafeteria celebrated Halloween and encouraged student involvement with its annual Pumpkin Carving Contest held from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 28.

All of the contestants lined up in front of their pumpkins when the contest began. Each of the eight contestants got to work drawing and carving their pumpkins.

Contestants were freshmen Sona Dahal, Tara Deuja, Pallavi Dahal, Aliza Tandukar, Julius Conley, Destiny Bowie, Sakrina Rizel and sophomore Rebecca Kaehler.

Each participant had 45 minutes to carve the best-looking pumpkin.

As students entered the cafeteria, some stopped by the carving tables to watch as the contestants furiously carved and cleaned out their pumpkins.

Half way through the competition contestant number seven, Kaehler, cut herself and could not finish.

After that incident, seven contestants were left.

“We like to do fun activities for students to get them involved,” Callie Wingo, Aramark marketing coordinator, said.

As the contenders finished up, the judges (Melissa Falts who does payroll; Jim Nabors, Christian Cafeteria’s general

manager; Barbarra Kerr, chef, and Emily Hays, Aramark dietician) came out to vote.

“We don’t really have a certain criteria for the judging,” Wingo said. “We are not going off of which is the scariest or which is the cutest, just which is of the best quality.”

As the contestants lined up to stand behind their finished carvings, the judges’ votes were submitted and counted.

Colney won first place.

Deuja won second and Dahal won third.

Each contestant received a bag of candy. Colney got 25 dining dollars, a free Starbucks specialty drink, a free Mooyah combo and a free Bear Express combo.

“I didn’t know I had it in me,” Conley said. “I did bear paws for the eyes for school spirit and the seeds are sticking out of the mouth because it’s a seed eater.”

Deuja received the same as Colney but instead of 25 dining dollars Deuja got 15.

“In our country, [Nepal] we don’t celebrate this holiday so this was different for me,” Deuja said. “I was not expecting [to win] and it was fun.”

Dahal got a free Starbucks specialty drink and another Starbucks item.

“It was my first carving experience so I wasn’t expecting to win,” Dahal said.

She said Halloween pictures she saw inspired her pumpkin carving.

by Jordan Johnson News Editor

Georgetown University professor Jason Brennan argued if you vote, you have an obligation to vote well in a lecture titled “How to Vote Well and Why Most People Don’t” in the College of Business auditorium on Oct. 27.

The lecture was sponsored by the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE) and the Campus Election Engagement Project.

Brennan said there are many arguments for why you should vote, including the idea that if nobody voted, the entire democratic system would shut down.

Brennan responded to that argument by illustrating that if nobody farmed, everyone would starve to death, but that doesn’t mean that every individual is obligated to be a farmer.

“Maybe it’s important that a sufficient number of people vote, but it doesn’t follow that literally every single person needs to vote,” Brennan said.

Brennan said there is a “folk theory” of voting, which holds that citizens have a moral duty to vote.

He said that 96 percent of Americans polled believe that voting is an important duty. However, Brennan said uninformed voting could lead to policy decisions that aren’t good for the country.

“What the median voter tends to want has a strong tendency to be put into public policy,” Brennan said. “But what if the median voter is being asked to vote on things like criminal policy and they don’t understand the sociology of crime or criminology?

We’re likely to get sub-par government.”

Brennan said citizens don’t have a moral obligation to vote – there are other ways to serve the common good and advance the country.

However, he said if someone chooses to vote, he has an obligation to vote in an informed way.

“You don’t have an obligation to become a parent – you can just choose not to have kids,” Brennan said. “But if you do decide to become a parent, you have obligations with regard to how you raise your kids. Being a voter is kind of like that.”

However, Brennan said he acknowledged how hard it can be to be an informed voter.

To do so, one must understand specific policy bents, how likely it is that the candidate can carry out those policies, what the likely outcomes of those policies would be and how to evaluate those outcomes.

In other words, the informed voter must have a decent understanding of specific facts and the social sciences, and most voters do

not.

Brennan said some people should take it upon themselves not to vote if they don’t have a firm grasp on the issues.

“I’m not saying they don’t have the right to vote, because you have the right to do all sorts of things you shouldn’t,” Brennan said. “For example, I have the right to join the KKK. I shouldn’t do that, that would be really evil.”

Brennan said that because the policies put in place by the majority of voters are imposed involuntarily on all citizens, whether they voted for those policies or not, voters owe competence to society at large in much the same way that a jury does.

ACRE scholar Jeremy Horpedahl said the organization brings in three to four speakers per year.

Most of those speakers are in the economics field, but because ACRE teamed up with the Campus Election Engagement Project, the organization decided to bring in a speaker to talk about the organization election.

Horpedahl said he was impressed with the audience turnout.

“This was some of the best [turnout] I’ve seen,” Horpedahl said. “He gave two talks today, and both of them were at least 75 percent full in the auditoriums.”

ucaecho.net

CAMPUS LIFE

November 2, 2016 /4

STUDENTS SAY

“

We are getting a new president at UCA.

What would you like to see from this new

”

president?

story by Mary Kate Mansfield photos by Lauren Swaim

photo by Paden Moore

[Top left] Junior Caylin Thompson represents Kappa Sigma with a Suicide Squad theme at Greek Goddess Oct. 25 in Ida Waldran. [Top right] Sophomore Hallie Banning represents Alpha Sigma Alpha during Greek Goddess. [Bottom left] Sophomore Alexa Meyers represents Delta Zeta at Greek Goddess. [Bottom right] Junior Ja’Brea Joiner represents the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

UCA fraternity Sigma Nu hosts 2016 Greek Goddess pageant

By Victoria LaFave Entertainment Editor

The Ida Waldran auditorium was the epicenter of Greek life on Oct. 25 while Sigma Nu hosted its annual Greek Goddess pageant.

The Greek Goddess pageant has acted as a philanthropy event for the men of Sigma Nu for the past 10 years. All of the proceeds from admission, pageant entry fees and the people’s choice award are donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

From the roughly 950 people in attendance, Sigma Nu projected their total donation to St. Jude Children’s hospital to be anywhere from $3,700-$4,200.

This year, 13 contestants represented their personal Greek chapters by competing for the People’s Choice, a toga or letter round, talent round, formal round and overall pageant winner. Each contestant chose a theme for her performance that ranged from Bollywood to Marilyn Monroe to Winter Wonderland

to the Olympics and everything in between.

A large portion of the talent rounds were dances.

Some some contestants put a spin on the traditional dance routines to combine a color guard element. Senior Sydnye Condray performed using both a flag and a saber along with her back-up dancers.

On the other hand, some contestants completely bypassed the idea of a dance.

Junior Ja’Brea Joiner focused entirely on stepping for her talent portion and sophomore Cameron Willis chose to perform a vocal number from the classic Marilyn Monroe film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

After the talent competition, contestants arrived on stage in formal wear for on-stage interview questions.

This was their last chance to impress the judges before scores were tallied and the winners were announced.

This year’s judges were prominent UCA community members. History department

chair Wendy Lucas, Officer Chris Vasquez from UCAPD and alumna Marilyn Porterfield sat front and center to judge the competition.

Porterfield was a Sigma Nu White Rose and served as a judge during the first year of the pageant.

Joiner won the toga and letter round, while representing the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Her favorite part of participating in the pageant was hearing her friends and family in the crowd keeping her motivated.

Joiner offered advice to future participants. “Never compare yourself to anyone else. Be the best you you can be and everything else will fall into place,” she said.

Junior Ashton Purtle, Miss UCA 2016, won the talent round with her Snow Whiteinspired dance and gymnastics routine.

Purtle represented the men of Sigma Tau Gamma. Junior McKenzie Kyzer, representing

Sigma Kappa, took home the People’s Choice award based on the most audience donations.

Sophomore Megan McAfee, who represented the men of Pi Kappa Alpha, won both the formal round and the overall Greek Goddess title. “It really is an honor to win because I’m representing a great organization on campus along with amazing Greek women. I feel like I almost don’t deserve it because everyone on this stage really is loved so much by their organizations,” McAfee said.

The pageant’s success can be attributed to junior Reed Atkinson, the Commander of Sigma Nu. Having previously acted as social chair for Sigma Nu, Atkinson set his sights on even larger goals.

Atkinson wanted to continue the tradition of the Greek Goddess pageant because he values how “it gives the Greek community a chance to voluntarily come together” to raise money for a good cause.

PSYCHOLOGY

Two honors students design haunted house for thesis project

by Jordan Johnson News Editor

Schedler Honors College seniors Danielle Bishop and Seth Wilson partnered with Kappa Sigma to put on a haunted house on Martin Street as part of their Honors thesis.

The haunted house, which was open Oct. 28 through Oct. 31 from 7 p.m. to midnight, was changed nightly in an attempt to make it scarier.

Bishop and Wilson surveyed random groups who came through the house each night to determine which elements of the haunted house were the scariest and which were less scary.

“Hopefully by Halloween night, it’ll be the scariest I can make it,” Bishop said.

The haunted house was located at 2012 Martin Street, in a house locally known as the Yellow House. Inside, the walls were covered with

red-and-white striped wallpaper and black trash bags.

Volunteers dressed up as clowns, zombies and ghosts.

Bishop and Wilson also dressed up and participated.

Neither Bishop nor Wilson started with a haunted house thesis – Bishop’s original thesis was a cookbook, and Wilson was researching the psychological effects of working in hospice.

Neither of them were satisfied with their theses, and Bishop began to formulate the idea of a haunted house thesis.

“I really like scary things, I have since I was younger, so I thought, ‘How can I do something that’s associated with things that are scary and things to do with fear and psychology?’” Bishop said.

“And I thought I could make a haunted house to test all of those things.”

Bishop is not a psychology major, though – she’s an English major.

“I’ve always been interested in [psychology]. I really think people are fascinating in general, and I love the

psychology of fear and why things scare us and why we’ve evolved to be afraid of certain things,” Bishop said.

Wilson and Bishop got to know each other on a canoe trip on the Buffalo River last semester with an honors class about the centennial of the National Park Service.

Wilson and Bishop were canoe partners, which is how Wilson found out about Bishop’s intention to do a haunted house.

Wilson said he ran into Bishop on campus a little while later and found out she hadn’t gotten enough funding from the Honors College to pay for the venue or workers.

“I saw the perfect opportunity because I had the location, I had the workers and I could get the money, so that’s how we joined up and decided to do this,” Wilson said.

Wilson was able to get a venue and workers because he is the president of Kappa Sigma.

Wilson and Bishop raised the money they needed – which turned out to be around $2,500 – through sponsorships from local businesses by early October.

Bishop began buying supplies and planning out the rooms at the end of September, but because people live in the house, she couldn’t start setting up until a week before the haunted house opened.

“The main effort of the work came about four days before the event actually started,” Wilson said. “It was a very fast-paced event to get ready, but it’s been awesome.”

Proceeds from the haunted house went to the Arkansas Dream Center, a Conwaybased group that provides Thanksgiving meals to impoverished families every year.

Bishop said that for each ticket sold, one person will be fed. More information can be found at screamsfordreams.com.

Junior Lydia Whale

Freshman Desi Johnson

“Maybe more food places, more healthy choices in the Student Center since we have a lot of fast food restaurants.”

“There is a lot of master’s classes that are trying to push for online classes and I would like to see more online classes for those who have to work at the same time.”

Sophomore Armani Famous

Senior Jeff Homstad

“Better parking.

More study areas in Torreyson and more power strips.”

“More outdoor seating to study outside. We need more outdoor tables.”

Freshman Shana Robinson

Senior James Word

“From the new guy I would like for none of my expenses to change.”

“I would like this new president to be more involved with student life.”

SPOTLIGHT

PEOPLE OF UCA Erin Weindorf

by John Anderson Staff Writer

photo by Lauren Swaim

Erin Weindorf is pursuing a major in theatre and a minor in business administration. She enjoys playing golf, bowling and Texas Holdem poker.

Junior Erin Weindorf made the decision to transform into a woman. The transition has not been easy for her.

Weindorf said she started to transition in 2007, when she was 27. It was not smooth sailing for her. Her family was not very accepting of her transitioning into a woman.

“My brothers would make fun of me and my mom would sit at the table and let them do it,” Weindorf said.

She lost a lot when she began her transition including her friends, biological family and job. She started taking hormone replacements in March of 2007. She retired from wrestling as Joey T. in July 2007 and tried to come back, but the wrestling organization didn’t let her because they still looked at her as a man.

“My transition was like waves and hurricanes. It was really hard for me to accept myself,” Weindorf said.

Weindorf had to start going to therapy in order to start her transition. She had to be able to be comfortable with herself. In mid September of 2007, she started putting on women’s clothing in order to feel comfortable in public.

“I had to have documents to be approved

to start my transitions into a female,” Weindorf said.

She had to leave her biological family because they would not accept her. She thought there was no way out of the pain, but she found a new family who took her in as their own.

The woman who helped her was Deana Weindorf, who is also transgender. Deana saved Erin in May 2010. Deana is now in her mid-sixties.

“Deana was like an angel,” Weindorf said.

Weindorf was able to change her name because she felt it was right.

She is now an aunt to two children.

Weindorf said wrestling is about partnerships and trust. She started in April of 1999.

When you first start wrestling you learn the basic of chain. When any wrestler first starts you have to know how to fall.

“If you don’t know how to fall on the floor of the ring, it is going to be like falling on a brick floor,” Weindorf said.

Before Weindorf goes into the ring she makes sure she and her partner are talking about two things: the game plan and communication.

“You have to be in shape in order to wrestle because accidents can occur when you are not,” she said.

Opinion

5

ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

November 2, 2016

The Voice

Blackface is offensive, not Halloween apparel

The Echo Staff Maggie McNeary Editor

Morgan Embry Associate Editor

Jordan Johnson News Editor

Brent Wilson

Assistant News Editor

Amanda Nettles Campus Life Editor

Mary Kate Mansfield Assistant Campus Life Editor

Jennifer Buckley Opinion Editor

Victoria LaFave Entertainment Editor

Zach Keast Sports Editor

Denn-Warren Tafah Assistant Sports Editor

Julia Kramer Online Editor

Des’ree Dallmann Assistant Online Editor

Lauren Swaim Photo Editor

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Bears football team should have higher rankings in polls The UCA football team deserves to be ranked higher than 17th in the latest Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches Poll released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on the organization’s website.

I’m not saying that the Bears should be the top ranked team in the nation right now, but based upon their credentials and the performance of other higher-ranked teams, UCA deserves to be ranked 12th.

Rankings are mainly based upon three things: win-loss records, strength of schedule and momentum.

Right now, UCA has seven wins and one loss. Only two teams ranked in the top 25 of the FCS Coaches Poll are undefeated: The Military College of South Carolina and Sam Houston State.

With a better record, it’s an easy choice to rank these above UCA right now.

There are some teams, such as number two FCS-ranked Jacksonville State, whose only loss comes from a Football Bowl Division (FBS) school. In Jacksonville State’s case, the team only lost to Louisiana State University. A loss is a loss, but losses such as this are almost excusable because of the higher classification of the opponent. Other teams have only one loss, but are considered “good losses” against FCSranked opponents. Number three FCS-ranked Eastern Washington University got its only loss from number four ranked North Dakota State, for example.

This is where UCA would fall, as its one loss is to Samford University, which is ranked 18th in the FCS Coaches Poll.

Things get a little more complicated when you look at teams with two losses, even though they are considered “good losses.”

According to the latest FCS Coaches Poll, there are six teams with two losses that are placed higher in the rankings than UCA. South Dakota State University, also ranked above UCA, has three losses. To put this in perspective, if

you were to go by that statistic alone, UCA could be ranked in the top 10 FCS schools nationwide.

However, some teams have one “erasable loss” to a higher classification team from the FBS and one “good loss” to an FCS-ranked school.

South Dakota State is ranked 15th in the FCS, with a record of 5-3. They have an “erasable loss” to Texas Christian University, who at that time was ranked 13th in all FBS schools.

South Dakota State University also has a “good loss” that came from a game against California Polytech State University, which is ranked 16th in the FCS Coaches Poll. It is hard to argue against losses like this, especially since SDSU also beat previously FCS top ranked North Dakota State.

If “good losses”

by Cody cause gray areas Macomber like this in rankings Staff Writer then you have to look at the strength of schedules and see the wins that these teams have against top competition.

According to simmonsratings.com’s last update on October 25, UCA has the 67th toughest schedule in the FCS. This isn’t an impressive stat, but the team could at least be higher ranked than Montana, which has a weaker strength of schedule (71), and has a record of 5-2. A win against FBS opponent Arkansas State definitely helps UCA’s case too.

UCA has the FCS top ranked rush defense, allowing only 58.6 rushing yards per game, and only allowing 17.1 points per game (sixth best in the FCS). On offense, UCA ranks 13th in the FCS for offensive yards per game (455.9) and 18th in rushing yards per game (219.3). Even in its loss to Samford, UCA ran the ball for 232 yards, while holding Samford to -25 rushing yards.

A few teams above UCA in the FCS rankings seem to have excellent ratings for either offense or defense, but UCA provides a good balance of offensive and defensive numbers.

Based upon UCA’s one-loss record, the team’s strength of schedule and the momentum it has, I believe UCA should be ranked 12th in the FCS. UCA will be able to prove itself when it faces FCS top ranked Sam Houston State Nov. 19.

Sign language should be offered as foreign language course At UCA and many other colleges across the country, American Sign Language (ASL) does not fill the foreign language requirement for entry or graduation to get a Bachelor of Arts. Although it has the word “American” in it, ASL contains several elements that define it as a second language: it is a separate language from English, it has bodies of literature surrounding it, there is a distinct culture associated with it and, though not explicitly foreign, it serves a purpose to those living in the country.

There is a common misconception that ASL is the equivalent of signed English or that the signs have the same grammatical structure as spoken English. However, this is not the case. “ASL is a fully developed human language, one of the hundreds of naturally occurring signed languages of the world … it contains structures and processes which English lacks (such as ASL’s rich verbal aspect and classifier systems),” Sherman Wilcox of the Department of Linguistics at University of New Mexico said. “There is abundant linguistic research on ASL demonstrating that the grammar of ASL is radically different from English.”

ASL contains its own sentence structure that differs from English, as well as words with dual-meaning. ASL also contains a variety of idiomatic phrases inherent to the language.

These things separate ASL from English, thus making it a unique language.

ASL has bodies of literature surrounding it, but not in the traditional sense. This literature includes poetry, stories, theatrical productions and songs specifically told in ASL. “In much the same way that the poetry of non-signed languages use sound-play and rhyme, ASL

poetry uses visual play and sign-rhymes,” Karen Christie and Dorothy M. Wilkins wrote In “A Feast for the Eyes: ASL Literacy and ASL Literature.”

According to Christie and Wilkins, “These basic ingredients need to simmer for a long time, as these features contribute a strong foundation for the literature.”

Signed literature functions in similar, yet distinct, ways to literature in any other language.

Like in any other foreign language, deaf people create works unique to their lifestyle and their cultural experiences.

ASL is not explicitly foreign, yet it has distinct roots and a multitude of benefits. Including ASL as a foreign language would be highly beneficial to students empirically and intellectually. Sign

by Emily Gist language makes students more employable. Being Staff Writer able to communicate with deaf people can be useful in a multitude of situations.

Ad d i t i o n a l l y, “Applying linguistic and anthropological methods to the study of ASL and deaf culture is an excellent intellectual exercise for students,” Wilcox said.

“It leaves them with a better understanding of another people’s language and customs, as well as a deeper appreciation of their own language and culture.”

Wilcox said that University of New Mexico students who learned ASL were shown to have a deeper appreciation for their own language and even become more interested in other foreign languages.

By making ASL count as a foreign language requirement, students could more easily be able to fit the class into their schedule, have more time to learn, understand the language perhaps to the point of fluency and have a greater understanding of new cultures as well as a deeper appreciation for their primary language.

Have an opinion?

In light of the recent incident where a former member of Sigma Tau Gamma wore black paint on his face as part of his Halloween costume, it is important that people understand why dressing up as another race or minority group can be offensive.

It is also important to bear in mind that dressing up as a person or character who has a race different from your own does not necessarily have to involve blackface or be offensive. A white person can dress up as a black celebrity. That itself is not a problem. If that same person paints his face black as part of the costume, that changes the circumstances.

Blackface is racist. It is part of a long history of white people disenfranchising and belittling people of color.

Ignorance of that history is not a sufficient excuse for such actions. Racism is still racism, even if someone doesn’t think of himself as a racist.

Blackface isn’t just offensive because of the fact of a white person painting his face black. It’s offensive because of the history involved, because of the repeated disenfranchisement that it symbolizes.

“The history of blackface is complex, but it’s inescapably rooted in the notion that black folks are inherently less than white people, and that they shouldn’t be allowed to portray themselves onstage,” according to an article from the Huffington Post. “While you may think it’s harmless to paint yourself black for Halloween, it’s not.

This is the tradition you’re joining, whether or not you know it.”

Intention is not the only thing that matters when it comes to racist actions.

Good intentions don’t excuse bad behavior.

You don’t have to identify as a racist to do or say racist things; not every racist is a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

Racism isn’t just burning crosses. It’s treating people as less than you because of the color of their skin. And that includes racially motivated insults as well as exploiting black people for Halloween costumes.

The issue of racism at UCA does not end with a single member of Sigma Tau Gamma. It includes the two young men who stood next to him in that photo, smiling with drinks in their hands. It includes every person at that party who didn’t speak up, everyone who saw his face and didn’t say, “Hey, that’s a bad idea. And also racist.”

The national chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma did condemn the costume.

The fraternity brother in question did apologize, which some would say counts for something.

Thankfully, the university plans to investigate. UCA prides itself in diversity. What this student did was not a representation of UCA’s values.

According to uca.edu, “UCA is dedicated to attracting and supporting a diverse student, faculty and staff population and enhanced multicultural learning opportunities. We value the opportunity to work, learn and develop in a community that embraces the diversity of individuals and ideas, including race, ethnicity, religion, spiritual beliefs, national origin, age, gender, marital status, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, physical ability, political affiliation and intellectual perspective.”

At least he does seem to realize now that he did something wrong. The fraternity brother in question shouldn’t have chosen to wear blackface in that costume, but he also shouldn’t be receiving death threats.

The student made a mistake, but he didn’t commit a crime. He and his family should not have to worry about his personal safety. While outrage about this situation is understandable, responding with violence and threats is unacceptable.

The best thing to do in this type of situation is to inform and educate the public. We can’t just be upset and tell someone he did something wrong. We have to tell him why.

Racist actions have been around for centuries in America, but it is 2016 — it’s time to stop. It’s offensive and insensitive.

Everyone does.

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

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

The Echo is printed weekly at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, 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.

The issue of racism at UCA does not end with a single member of Sigma Tau Gamma

Entertainment

6

November 2, 2016

New This Week Movies

November 4 — Doctor Strange (PG-13), directed by Scott Derrickson, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rachel McAdams.

November 4 — Hacksaw Ridge (R), directed by Mel Gibson, starring Teresa Palmer, Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn and Sam Worthington.

November 4 — Trolls (PG), directed

by Walt Dohrn and Mike Mitchell, voiced by Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Russel Brand and Gwen Stefani.

Music November 4 — Here - Alicia Keys November 4 — This House is Not for Sale - Bon Jovi November 4 — Black America Again - Common November 4 — Babes Never Die Honeyblood November 4 — Until the Hunter - Hope Sandoval & The Warm November 4 — Simplicity - Jaws November 4 — Eternally Even - Jim James November 4 — FLOTUS (For Love Often Turns Us Still) - Lambchop November 4 — Centerfold - The Darcys November 4 — Velcro Kid - Thomas Giles

Video Games November 4 — Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, for XBox One, PS4 and PC November 4 —Football Manager 17, for PC.

Netflix November 4 — The Crown: Season 1 (2016), created by Peter Morgan, starring Claire Foy, Daniel Betts and James Hillier.

November 4 — Dana Carvey: Straight White Male, 60 (2016), directed by Ron Howard, starring Dana Carvey.

November 4 — The Ivory Game (2016), directed by Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani.

Gaga releases new album after three years

by Hunter Moore Staff Writer

Lady Gaga’s newest release, “Joanne,” is titled in homage of her late aunt who died as a young teenager. Though Gaga never met her aunt, Joanne has been of central inspiration to her, providing her a constant sense of peace and hope.

To say Gaga named the album in remembrance of her aunt would be incorrect; more accurately, Joanne’s name was tagged onto the work as a notion of wistfulness, incomplete yet fulfilled all at once. This theme of making the most out of what we are given is poignantly carried throughout the album, highlighted with other supporting themes like lost love, truth and youthful yearning.

The third track on this album, titled “Joanne,” has a slow acoustic indie-folk feel that permeates this titular track, further creating a nostalgic mood for a past one did not live and a future one may never have.

Lady Gaga has previously explored many different variants of music, from top 40 style pop hits like “Just Dance” and “Love

photo courtesy of yahoo.com

Lady Gage poses with Bud Light, her sponsor for her promotional “Dive Bar Tour.” The tour kicked off on Oct. 5 and ended in Los Angeles on Oct. 27.

Game” to the experimental synths in “ARTPOP,” and has even dabbled with classical vibes on tracks like “Speechless.”

With “Joanne,” Gaga returns to a soft-rock, shy funk feel, similar to tracks on her iconic 2011 album “Born This Way.” The album contains many pop songs that could better be classified as rock, such as “Diamond Heart,” “Sinner’s Prayer” and “Perfect Illusion.”

Songs that initially sound like slow ballads about a sad lover rapidly skyrocket, and the slow strumming on the bass explodes into songs that can undoubtedly

be classified as femme-rock anthems. With this album’s heavy usage of electric guitar and drum sets, these tracks establish a strong and solid tone for the album.

“A-YO” exemplifies Gaga’s new, and successful, experiments with a kind of country-pop feel, a side of hers that is previously unseen.

Essentially, this song has the same grooving digs as a country song might, but transcends all that is normal country music because of Gaga’s lyrics.

Speaking notes of the new-found sensuality in a relationship,

VIDEO GAMES

PERFORMANCE

‘Gears of War’ stays consistent Queens slay at Sway

by Zach Keast Sports Editor

“Gears of War 4” delivers the same thrills and humor as it’s predecessors, while adding almost nothing new to the series (which is a good thing).

This is the first game in the series made by new developers: The Coalition. The past four games in the series have been created by Epic Games, who decided to move on from the project in 2013. The “Halo” series did the exact same thing, as well as “Star Wars.” “Gears of War 4” actually has a lot in common with the latest “Star Wars” film.

“Gears of War 4” takes place nearly 30 years after the last game om the planet of Sera, which is still recovering from the war with the Locust.

The Locust are essentially Orcs from the “Lord of the Rings”: underground beasts that have very little intelligence other than the urge to wipe out humanity for whatever reason.

You get to play as J.D. Fenix, the son of Marcus Fenix, the main character from the original games. Fenix has recently abandoned the military group

that his father was famously involved with because of disagreements with the leaders.

Fenix and his buddies are soon thrown into an adventure that has them discovering that the Locust might be coming back from the dead.

Much like the most recent “Star Wars” movie, this game is essentially a soft-reboot. It’s not a complete remake, it’s still in the same universe as the past games, but has basically the same plot as the very first game. Insert the old characters meeting the new characters (and a lot of “old man” jokes) and you have a safe sequel that doesn’t try anything new.

But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The story is entertaining, the characters are interesting and the dialogue is a great improvement from the previous games.

In the past, the “Gears of War” games were known for their over-the-top violence (you have a chainsaw attached to your machine gun) and their cliche over-masculine dialogue. While the over-the-top violence is still alive and well (thank goodness) the dialogue has been replaced with genuinely funny one-liners and a surprisingly good amount

of heart.

John Dimaggio, who is best known for playing everyone’s favorite robot Bender in “Futurama,” voices Marcus.

Dimaggio is still as sarcastic as he can be.

While the story mode is a great reason why “Gears of War” is one of the more popular franchises, it’s not why millions of people buy it. The main sell is the game’s famous “Horde Mode.” In “Horde Mode,” you and four other nerds duke it out against waves of increasingly difficult Locust until all of you die or get to wave 50. This time, developers added classes, who each have their own perks and bonuses that can help players fend off the nearly endless waves of enemies.

“Gears of War 4” is absolutely not for the faint of heart. But if you can stomach the sheer amount of gore (it gives Quentin Tarantino a run for his money) and violence, or if you’ve enjoyed the past games in the series, you should pick this game up. Just don’t expect anything new.

“Gears of War 4” is only available on Xbox One and PC, and is rated M for mature.

FILM

November 4— Just Friends (2005), directed by Roger Kumble, starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart and Anna Faris.

‘Jack Reacher’ falls short of expectations

Live in Little Rock

Despite the discouraging reviews and the fact that the sequel employed a different director, producers, screenwriter, editor and cinematographer, I held out hope for “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.” I hoped that even if the movie was horrible I could allow myself to fall into the blissful oblivion of fast cars, guns and explosions. I was wrong.

November 4 — Ball Room, Latin & Swing Dance Association Gathering - Centers for Youth and Families. Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for non-members.

November 4-6 — The Wiz - The Weekend Theater. Tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for students and seniors.

November 5 — Urban Nerd: A Comedy Show - The PUBLIC Theater. Tickets are $15.

November 5-6 — Winnie the Pooh - Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theater. Tickets are $12.50 and $10 for AAC members.

by Waid Rainey Staff Writer

The film starts with its coolest scene, which is in the preview. Tom Cruise’s character, Jack Reacher, is sitting in a restaurant after beating a group of corrupt police officers. The sheriff walks in and starts to arrest Reacher only to find out that Reacher has already turned him in for human trafficking.

Reacher later attempts to meet Major Susan Turner, 1. Waking up late

Five Challenges of Being a Cat Parent List compiled by Lauren Swaim

“A-YO” is undeniably a future radio hit, eternalized by the iconic pink cowboy hat seen on the album cover.

“Dancin’ In Circles” contains a whisper of funk and auxiliary percussion intertwined with the same soft-rock feel of this album. Singing about the ability to simply enjoy being happy with yourself, Gaga preaches gospel about how we don’t need a male companion.

Picking up the pace once more, track number four is called “John Wayne.” The theme of this track could easily be described in two words: boys

suck. Gaga wishes for a true wild man of the past, calling for all other modern guys too focused on the niceties and other priorities to move along.

She poses the question: “Where did all the cowboys go?”

“Million Reasons,” one of the three songs Gaga released before the album came out, is a unhurried expression of her rawest inner emotions. Be warned, it easily brings tears.

Tracks “Come to Mama” and “Hey Girl,” featuring Florence Welch, are hymns to female youth, conveying that in your highest of highs and lowest of lows, girl power will be there to support you if we all band together in love.

With such strong themes of feminism, independence and the exciting, yet strenuous journey to inner peace, Lady Gaga has finally returned to pop music in the deepest way possible. Showing that strength and sensitivity are often one and the same, “Joanne” will be remembered and loved for a long time to come as Gaga’s internalized reflection of raw honesty.

“Joanne” is available for purchase on Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon.

If you were hoping to sleep in, think again. Kitty won’t let you sleep past 7 a.m. At first it may be subtle, by jumping on the bed and walking on top of your sleeping body. Then, it will be a more direct approach.

Poking out your eye will do the job. After a while your cat will grow impatient and start to meow loudly as if to say “Get up, human. I’m bored.” Then you will have no choice but to rise from your bed and greet your kitty, which is wearing a somewhat smug expression.

played by Cobie Smulders, a woman who has been helping him. He finds out she has been arrested (wrongly, he suspects).

He springs her free and they set out on a mission for the truth.

Reacher is brought together with a girl who he believes is his daughter. The girl, Samantha, is used as emotional leverage against Reacher throughout the movie. While surviving several assassination attempts, Reacher eventually learns Samantha is not his daughter.

In this follow-up to 2012’s box office hit, Reacher may have lost some of his original charm.

This could be due to a lack of drive in the cinematic elements or the fact that the franchise may be slipping into the current trend of endless sequels.

“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” is cliché, predictable and a bland copy of the original.

Throughout the movie I found myself guessing lines before 2. Cat food It’s true that your kitty prefers wet to dry food. But not all humans will feed their perfect felines what they deserve, whether for health reasons or because they are too cheap. The labels may say that the dry food is flavored, but wet food more resembles meat. Cats come from a long line of great hunters that live on raw animals for survival. Maybe one of the reasons your cat brings you dead birds is because it wants you to eat it, to see what it’s like to eat something disgusting.

they left the actors’ mouths. I didn’t keep up with the specific amount of times this happened but I was often able to do so accurately.

The characters and their circumstances are just as bad.

As soon as I found out Reacher might have a daughter, I knew that the bad guys would try to hurt her and that Reacher would inevitably succeed in rescuing her. Had he failed, that would have been a true plot twist, one that could very well have made the movie worth watching.

Take into account the conspiracy and fugitive aspects and you have a movie that was safe — a movie made from a formula. What was my favorite part about the film? The popcorn.

“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” can be seen at the Cinemark Towne Centre and is rated PG-13 for violence and some language.

3. Lack of attention Here’s a little cat psychology: your cat believes it is the ruler of the universe and you are its servant. It will want your attention any chance it can get. Want to do homework?

You can’t: there’s a cat on your laptop. Going to the bathroom?

So is kitty. Cooking bacon?

Watch where you step. There’s a cat sitting directly under your legs. When you do have time to give your kitty some love, it hasn’t forgotten how you abandoned it all day. So don’t be surprised if it is ticked off at you.

by Taylor Fulgham

of the production, even in her short time onstage.

On Oct. 29, I entered Little Rock’s Club Sway to attend a production of “The Rocky Horror Show,” Richard O’Brien’s parodical homage to science fiction and horror movies from the 1940s through the 1960s. I had no idea what to expect, as I had never seen the production live.

We were introduced to our heroes of the evening: Brad (Caleb Feeney) and Janet (Anthony James Gerard, better known as his drag queen persona Queen Anthony).

Brad and Janet are a plain and unassuming couple lured into the clutches of Dr. Frank ‘N Furter, played with expertise by Reggie Gavin, better known as Symone the Ebony Enchantress.

Staff Writer

“Let there be light and let there be lips.” With these nine words, an evening of madness, comedy and “sweet transvestites” began at Club Sway’s production of “The Rocky Horror Show.”

When I was a freshman in high school, I had my first encounter with the film version of the musical, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Again, I had no idea of the cultural significance of the film, and was completely unaware of its cult status amongst the film community. I simply watched the DVD version of the film with a friend, thinking to myself “What on earth is going on?”

The film is a wacky, zany romp that aims to entertain.

The small space of Club Sway allowed for a personal setting, a configuration that works perfectly for “Rocky Horror.” So much of the musical relies on audience call-backs, or rather, the audience shouting often profane comments toward the performers, all in good fun.

Because of the added audience participation, the production benefited from the nightclub environment. The production wasn’t set in one particular space, such as a single unit stage. Performers utilized every inch of available space in the club, and even a few inches of unavailable space too.

I sat along the back wall on the floor level of the club, a few feet from the main portion of the stage. Before the show began, I observed other members of the audience in order to gauge their level of expertise in the production. There were men in fishnets, women in corsets and diversity overflowed through the club.

As the lights dimmed over the audience, the Usherette, played by Bright Woodward, explained the rules to the audience, acting as a sort of conduit between our world and the fictitious world of the play.

Her comedic timing and lively energy made her a stand-out 4. Too much attention You can’t stand how cute your little kitty is, so it’s natural to baby talk to your cat and pet each adorable part of its furry body. However, your adorable ball of fur can’t stand how you are always messing with parts of the feline physique that it would rather you leave untouched. A delicate nose, fuzzy ears, and such soft paw pads. And its tail … OUCH! That’s a kitty no-no.

Humans must realize that their babies need a little space once in a while, even if kitty did want your attention.

Throughout the play, we were engaged in the story by Frank ‘N Furter’s minions, Riff Raff (played by Brittany Sparkles), Magenta (Rhiannon Cortez) and Columbia (Shelley Taylor Smith).

Sparkles proved herself to be a powerful force, her growling voice soaring over the ensemble.

Criminally underused, Cortez and Smith also gave endearing

photo by Taylor Fulgham

Sway brings the classic “Rocky Horror” to hundreds in central Arkansas. The show ran from Oct. 27 to Oct. 31.

and comedic performances, even though their characters weren’t utilized as much as they could have been.

The titular Rocky was played

by Samuel Peoples, making his stage debut. Peoples seemed a little uneasy in front of a crowd, but made his physicality work for the character. Rocky is “truly beautiful to behold,” you know.

The production value got a little spotty after a while, with a few cues being missed and mic issues not fully resolving themselves. However, they were generally pretty forgiving.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience with a live production “Rocky Horror.” It was a wild night and I look forward to attending future productions of the play.

For more information on events happening at Club Sway, visit www.clubsway.com.

5. Getting rid of the box Remember last Christmas when you bought your cat that expensive toy plush? Your cat doesn’t. But it remembers seven months ago when you took away its only joy in life: the box your Christmas microwave came in. It is waiting patiently to plot its revenge against you, so save yourself the trouble and just buy another microwave already. This way your cat can be appeased. The other one probably isn’t that good anyway, ever since kitty recited satanic rituals around it.

Sports

7

November 2, 2016

Editor’s Take

First week of NBA, chemistry is key

By Denn-Warren Tafah Assistant Sports Editor

The NBA season has had an interesting beginning because most people expect the finals to be a rematch between the Cavaliers and the Warriors.

However, the Warriors lost their first game to the San Antonio Spurs, which doesn’t say much in a 82 game series, but it shows that they are beatable and don’t have great chemistry.

The Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard stepped into a leadership role this year and the veterans, Tony Parker and Manu Ginoblli, are comfortable with that decision.

On the other hand, the Cavaliers blew out the Knicks.

That game was predicted to be a tough matchup, but wasn’t a test for the Cavs.

The teams that will give the Cavaliers problems in the Eastern Conference are the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks.

The Lakers no longer have Kobe Bryant, but they have a lot of young players with his bravado. Anthony Davis is going crazy in New Orleans.

He scored 50 points and 17 rebounds in the first game and then 45 points in the second.

James Harden playing point guard for the Rockets is funny in many ways. The Houston Rockets have officially given up and wants to rebuild with a high draft pick.

Paul George and the Indiana Pacers are still underrated.

Bradley Beal and John Wall could really be dominant if they stay healthy and involved their team more.

The Philadelphia 76ers have hope with Joel Embiid, and maybe Ben Simmons after he recovers from his injury.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are very exciting to watch, with dunk contest champ Zach Lavine, Andrew Wiggins and the seven foot guard Karl AnthonyTowns.

Finally, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are overlooked but they have NBA final potential with a good pick up before the trade deadline.

photo by Shiori Soya

Junior midfielder Alex Moore attempts to take the ball away from sophomore forward April Ficarrotta from Northwestern State during their match Oct. 28 at Bill Stephens Field. Moore played 76 minutes during the game, and she made one goal for the Bears.

Bears end regular season undefeated in conference

By Denn-Warren Tafah Assistant Sports Editor

On Oct. 28, the University of Central Arkansas women’s soccer team (15-3-1, 10-0-1 SLC) beat Northwestern State University (10-7-1, 7-3-1 SLC) 2-0 in the last game of the season at the Bill Stephens Track/Soccer complex.

“Last year we beat them 3-1 so it wasn’t one of our harder games, I think we went into it like they’re good but not [Stephen F. Austin] good. So we

knew could win but we had to play hard,” junior midfielder Alex Moore said.

Since it was senior night, midfielder Allie Coleman, midfielder Kelsey Johnson, forward Chele Naudin and forward Shelby Wilson all received honors.

“It was so great to be able to send our seniors off with a win, first off, but also in a game like this, where they had to dig deep, was great,” coach Jeremy Bishop said.

The first half the Bears defense held Northwestern

State’s offense scoreless, while the Bears’ offense was trying to get something going. At the end of the first half, the score was still 0-0.

“In practice we scrimmaged each other in their formation and our coach told us they’re going to have three in the back, four in the middle and they’re going to have three up top. So outside-mids have to get back to defend,” Moore said.

During the game, junior forward Dayna Mounie was given a red card for kicking Northwestern State freshman

Andrea Rodriguez Flores.

“She has to sit out for the next game which is our conference game, but hopefully we will win and we could have her back for the championship,” sophomore midfielder Ashley Smith said.

The red card resulted in her getting kicked out the game and the Bears having to play with only 10 players. Following the red card, the Bears dominated the second half, attempting 11 shots while Northwestern only had five shots.

“After halftime we told

Bears win in a blowout, continue their win streak Staff Writer

Upcoming Games Volleyball

6 p.m. Nov. 1 vs.

Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana Women’s Soccer

7 p.m. Nov. 4 Southland Women’s Soccer Tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas photo by Lauren Swaim

5 p.m. Nov. 5 vs.

Missouri State University at Bill Stephens Track/ Soccer Complex

Football

2:30 p.m. Nov.5 vs.

Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas

See Bears- page 8

FOOTBALL

V I C TO RY

By Brody Arnold

Men’s Soccer

ourselves we are down a man but we have to win this game. So we did whatever it took to score a goal,” Moore said.

In minute 54, Moore scored with an assist from sophomore midfielder Kirsten Ricks. Then at 82 minutes, Moore gave an assist to Smith for the goal.

“I looked for the goal and looked for the shot, also you have to be at the right place at the right time,” Smith said.

“We all were full of emotion

Sophomore middle blocker Amanda Dimon (4) celebrates with her teammates after gaining a point in a match against Abilene Christian University on Oct. 29 at the Prince Center.

Sugar Bears back to business after win

By Malachi Thornton Staff Writer

The University of Central Arkansas volleyball team (1113, 5-7 SLC) pulled out a tough win this past Saturday when they faced the Abilene Christian Wildcats (8-19, 7-5 SLC) in the Prince Center.

It was a back and forth affair with UCA gaining the advantage and momentum, thanks to strong defense play.

Central Arkansas returned to face the Wildcats following two previous losses against Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston. Both teams hit at a low percentage, which started the first set with UCA only attacking at .140 percent and ACU only .080.

Sophomore outside hitter Kellen Dunn led the first set with six kills, while freshman setter

Elizabeth Armstrong put up a strong 12 assists to help UCA take the first set.

The second set began similarly but with more efficiency.

UCA struggled in the second set, still hitting at a low percentage of .275 to ACU’s .419.

ACU forced Central Arkansas into a timeout with the score 11-3 in favor of the Wildcats.

UCA didn’t give up the set easily as the team fought back to tie the scores at 15-15.

The team continued its offensive attack with Dunn tallying eight more kills and junior middle blocker Megan Nash with seven, while Armstrong added on 19 assists.

The lead changed six more times in a close battle as the teams fought hard until ACU eventually gained the advantage and took the set 31-29.

Abilene Christian returned in the third set with the same intensity and began to play more-technical offense.

The teams continued the high competitive play but took the edge early, hitting at a game high of .357 and lowering ACU down to .179 percent.

The Sugar Bears took the set with a 25-18 score thanks to another 16 assists from Armstrong and sophomore outside hitter Haley Tippett’s six kills, making the score 2-1 going into the break.

UCA didn’t let up going into the final set, hitting a slightly lower .321 percent, but the team was able to limit ACU to -.071 percent closing out the match.

UCA pushed the margin to

See Sugar- page 8

The UCA Bears football team (7-1, 6-0 SLC) faced the Southeastern Louisiana Lions (4-4, 4-2 SLC) in what became a blowout in Hammond, Louisiana.

The first quarter didn’t see much action.

The second quarter, however, was a different story.

The Bears blew things wide open, scoring a total of 24 points in the quarter.

Junior quarterback Hayden Hildebrand got things started for the Bears with a four yard touchdown run to cap off a 12 play, 69-yard drive.

Shortly after, sophomore kicker Matt Cummings tacked on three more points with a 47 yard field goal.

Senior defensive back Tyler Williams came up with a 32yard pick-six.

The Lions scored next with a 31-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Jonathan Tatum.

The Bears struck back as Hildebrand found senior halfback Cody Dauksch for a seven yard touchdown.

This was the end of a 24 point quarter for the Bears.

The third quarter saw more of the same.

Senior tight end Scott Matiaha was on the receiving end of a six yard touchdown pass from Hildebrand, capping off a long six minute and 37 second, 14 play drive.

Four minutes later, senior wide receiver Desmond Smith was the next beneficiary of a Hildebrand touchdown pass, this time for seven yards.

The Lions then scored their only touchdown of the game on a 25-yard punt return by Fuller.

Sophomore wide receiver Jakari Dillard scored UCA’s last touchdown in the fourth quarter, this time recovering a

fumble in the end zone.

Hildebrand finished the day with 207 yards, 21 completions and three touchdowns.

Junior running back Jarvis Cooper added 69 rushing yards, and junior wide receiver Roman Gordon had 61 receiving yards.

The game seemed to go flawlessly for the Bears, but things can always be improved upon, Hildebrand said.

“There’s always things to improve on but one thing that stood out to me is we need to get it going quicker as an offense. We always start slow, but if we could start fast and finish strong it would be even better for us,” Hildebrand said.

Coach Steve Campbell wants the Bears to focus on getting the lead early.

“We gotta make sure that we’re concentrating on doing the little things right. Our issues have been little red zone issues,” Campbell said.

But Campbell said he is proud of his team for keeping their winning steak after losing to Samford.

“Our kids worked tremendously hard against Samford. You’re gonna have to deal with adversity, that’s part of the deal. Life’s full of adversity. It’s all about how you handle it,” Campbell said.

According to UCA Sports, the Bears had possession of the ball for 40 of the 60 minutes of the game.

After this win, the Bears are now tied for the best record in the conference.

“We just need to focus on one game at a time and prepare well for each team,” Hildebrand said.

The Bears go back on the road once more on Nov. 5 to face the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in Nacogdoches, Texas at 2:30 p.m. UCA beat Stephen F. Austin last season.

8/November 2, 2016

SPORTS

ucaecho.net

UCA STATS CORNER

SPORT

RESULT

SCORE

RECORD

Football

W vs. SLU

45-10

(7-1)

W-Soccer

W vs. NSU

2-0

(15-3-1)

M-Soccer

W vs. Drake

3-2

(6-7-2)

Volleyball

W vs. Abilene

3-1

(11-13)

photo by Valentin Sawadogo

Senior wide receiver Jatavious Wilson has earned All-Conference and All-American awards while playing football for UCA. Wilson currently has the most all purpose yards in the Southland Conference.

Wide receiver breaks records

By Brandon Jones Staff Writer

UCA wide receiver Jatavious Wilson is spending his senior year at UCA helping the football team make the season a successful one.

Wilson has played since he was about 7 years old, when he played flag football.

“What made me wanna play it is I would see my daddy playing and I would watch him play,” Wilson said. “I always saw it and wanted to play.”

Wilson said although he plays football, he doesn’t watch much football from college teams or the NFL. However, he does pay close attention to the game that he plays.

The season has been going well so far with six wins and one loss.

“We doing good, we just gotta keep going,” Wilson said.

“We can get a ring if we keep our heads straight and stay focused.”

Wilson was also hopeful that the team would be able to continue its success for the rest of the season.

Wilson is also a successful student.

He is majoring in physical science, but is unsure what he wants to do after he graduates from UCA. Wilson’s mother, who has been his greatest supporter, is also the person he talks to about his goals.

“That’s something me and my mother talk about each and every day,” Wilson said.

“I haven’t really sat down and thought about what I wanna do, but if it came down to it I would probably wanna be a coach one day. I’m really just going with the flow and letting the Lord lead me in the right direction for when the time comes,” Wilson said. “With the team it’s good; we’re like brothers,” Wilson said.

“We have each other’s backs no matter what it is, on and off the field, in the classroom, if one of us needs a ride somewhere, and we always come together and hang out together.”

Wilson had a similar view of head football coach Steven Campbell.

“Coach Campbell, we have a good relationship,” Wilson said. “We talk every day, and he

always makes sure I’m having fun for my last year.”

Likewise, Campbell had a positive view of Wilson, who he said is a hard worker.

“He works very hard on the practice field, in the weight room and in the classroom,” Campbell said. “He is a great leader for us because of his work ethic. During the off season and summer workout program he sets the tempo for work every day. He never has a bad work day. That is great for the young guys to emulate when they see a great player that has gotten there through hard work.”

Campbell said Wilson is also an excellent student and earned a 4.0 last spring.

Wilson has won multiple awards at UCA and is a joy to coach, Campbell said.

“Jatavious has earned AllConference and All-American honors during his time at UCA,” Campbell said. “He owns the school record for kickoff return yards in a career. He is leading the Southland Conference right now in all purpose yards. He is also the leading receiver in the Southland Conference with the most catches and yards.”

VOLLEYBALL

photo by Shiori Soya

Sophomore middle blocker Savanah Allen hits the ball over the net at a match against Abilene Christian University Oct. 29 at the Prince Center. The Sugar Bears took the win 3-1.

Bears:

Women’s soccer team heads into the SLC tournament with

zero losses in conference 4 Continued from page 7 because of senior night but we knew what we needed to do.”

Goalkeepers junior Anna Hughes and sophomore Lauren Mercuri combined for their 11th shutout of the season.

“Lauren and Anna have been huge in goal all season long, but it’s team defense.

When we do that well, we’re

Sugar:

pretty tough to get behind and pretty tough to score on,” Bishop said. “They’re both evenly matched in talent.”

The Bears remain unbeaten and earn the top seed in next week’s Southland Conference Tournament by winning the regular season title. Their next game is determined by who wins

Sugar Bears shift their focus

toward their next two road games 4 Continued from page 7

photo by Lauren Swaim

Physical therapy professor Steve Forbush attempts to block a pass from nonstudent Matt Hepburn during the “VolleyBOO! at UCA” event Oct. 29 at the Intramural Fields.

Club team organizes Halloween-themed game

By Brandon Jones Staff Writer

Fun and funds rose from the men’s club volleyball team’s “VolleyBOO! at UCA” event Oct. 29 at the intramural field behind the HPER. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., teams competed in volleyball games to raise funds for the men’s club volleyball team.

Participants played on teams of four and there were three nets set up so that matches could take place at the same time.

Five teams started the event with a round-robin competition, followed by bracket matches.

Starting at 9 a.m., there were 18 matches in total, and the event concluded early at around 4:30 p.m.

According to junior volunteer assistant Reid Malone, the event was planned as a fundraiser and also intended to take advantage of the nice day.

The event was supposed to include a costume contest for Halloween, but it was too hot out for anyone to wear costumes.

UCA graduate Tim Byrne said there was also a sand volleyball tournament

recently where costumes were encouraged, and those who attended simply took the costumes off while they played.

For this day, those who had their costumes left them in their cars and chose instead to wear shorts and T-shirts for the most part.

Participants treated the event both as a fundraiser and simply as a fun game.

“There are prizes but we’re mostly just coming out to have fun,” Malone said.

Music played while people played volleyball, and participants took occasional breaks so they could relax and drink water.

When no teams were playing, some people stood around bumping volleyballs back and forth or tossing a football.

When teams waited for their turn in the tournament, participants stayed under a tented area and watched.

As teams were eliminated, the players congratulated each other and said goodbye to the remaining teams as they left.

Malone said he would like to see more UCA residents to come out for future events,

and hopes to be able to get the word about events out.

“We’ve had a lot of people from the Little Rock area come out,” Malone said. “We’d like for more people from Conway to come.”

The teams were more about having fun than trying to win in the end, and even losing the championship match wasn’t too bad.

“First set was really close, like 25-22, then we kinda fell apart in the second set; it was like 25-9,” Byrne said.

Though everyone was playing to have fun, they still tried their hardest to win their matches, as teams often set up the ball in order to slam spikes and countered everything they could, with many people running out of bounds or bumping the ball backwards to prevent the other team from scoring.

The game successfully raised a “couple hundred bucks,” Malone said.

The team is hoping to plan more events like “VolleyBOO! at UCA” in the future.

“It was great,” Byrne said.

“It ran really smoothly; there haven’t been a lot of grass games, so it was good to get out to the grass.”

24-11 with game point but ACU didn’t go easily. The team fought back for two more scores before UCA put the game away with a 25-13 win over the set with a final score of 3-1.

“It was a lot of fight in us today. We had to make a team effort and match the same intensity,” Dunn said.

Central Arkansas had a productive day from a variety of Sugar Bears. Armstrong finished the match with 57 assists, a career high that ties for the fifthmost in program history.

Dunn had a career-day as well, racking up 23 kills with Nash scoring 13. Tippett

scored 12 kills and 13 digs and sophomore right side Samantha Anderson scored 10 kills.

On defense, the Sugar Bears collected 63 digs with sophomore Amanda Dimon picking up a team high of 15 and freshman defensive specialist Rayna Jefferis adding on 14.

“Moving forward we have confidence. Looking at the rest of the schedule we’re excited actually,” Sophomore Amanda Dimon said.

Central Arkansas’ next match will be on the road.

The Bears head to Natchitoches, Louisiana to face Northwestern State on Nov. 5.

the matchup between Houston Baptist and Southeastern Louisiana.

“If we are aware of that and have the right mindset, and we can continue doing the things we’ve been doing all season long, we’ll have a pretty good chance in all of our games,” Bishop said.