THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER
SINGLE COPY PAID FOR BY STUDENT PUBLICATION
WEDNESDAY
APRIL 27, 2022 Volume 117 — Issue 26
ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST CONWAY
Campus Life:
Per formance: Harry Styles wows at Coachella festival.
Baseball: Baseball bears drop game against Memphis Tigers.
Awareness: Take Back the Night event shares support for victims of sexual assault.
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Inaugural Forever A Bear service honors past UCA family
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BY ASHLYNN LITTLE
THE NEWSDESK
Coordinator Mater. At the memorial Williamson ones of the
Staff Writer
FROM THE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Russia attacks fuel and rail stations Russia led a string of attacks against Ukrainian rail and fuel installations on Monday, April 25, striking crucial infrastructure far from the front line of its eastern offensive. Meanwhile, two facilities in western Russia, not far from the Ukrainian border. It was not clear what caused the blazes. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday the West’s united support for Ukraine and pressure on Moscow are having “real results.”
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NY finds Trump team in contempt On Monday, April 25, a New York judge found former president Donald Trump in contempt of court and set in for failing to adequately respond to a subpoena. Judge Arthur Engoron said
On the third Thursday of April 2022, the lives of recently deceased members of the UCA community were “Forever a Bear” memorial. Students, faculty, staff and retirees whose deaths occurred from December 25, 2020, to April 13, 2022, were recognized and honored at the event by family members, friends, colleagues and the campus community. The purpose of this event was not only to recognize the fallen Bears but to also dedicate a memorial garden to those who the campus and community have lost. The memorial garden is located around Ferguson beds. The garden is named “Forever a Bear” memorial garden. “This event is one day out of the whole year, but we thought ‘What could we do that showed the families, the friends, the loved ones of these forever Bears that they’re always in our hearts and in our minds?’ So we thought that a garden would be a really nice space and we like this place because it’s kind of in the heart of campus and people walk by it often
Photos by Mia Waddell
(Left) A family member of a fallen Bear grabs a rose from the stage. (Top right) The memorial gardens pictured outside the Ferguson Chapel. (Bottom right) A man looks over the dedicated gardens after the ceremony.
and it’s easily accessible,” said Robin Williamson, Vice President of Student Affairs and co-coordinator of the memorial. The memorial service was held at the amphitheater, right beside the chapel and the dedicated memorial garden during X-period on April of its kind and will become an annual event hosted on the third Thursday of April each year in the 1:40 - 2:30 p.m. time block. During the service, the name of each fallen Bear was read aloud by respective members of the community.
Student Government Association President Mya Hall shared the names of the students. Faculty Senate President Amber Wilson shared the names of faculty members. Staff Senate President Nadia Eslinger shared the names of current and retired staff members. Following the reading of the names, the Old Main bells were rung three times — one for students, faculty, and staff. A short moment of silence was observed after the bells rang. President Houston Davis opened the ceremony with a few short words about the
MEGAN HOLDER Staff Writer BY
RSO recaps environmental changes; plans for greater student involvement Staff Writer
On Thursday, April 21, authorities in Arkansas say four people were fatally shot at two homes in a rural community, but investigators have not yet determined whether the deaths are connected. According to state police, 77-year-old Shirley Watters and her 55-year-old son, James Watters, were found dead Thursday afternoon by a family member. About eight hours later, William Clinton Trammell, 75, and his wife, Sharon Trammell, 72, were found dead. All people were found with gunshot wounds.
The Green Bear Coalition discussed its plans Thursday to help clean waterways, provide food for UCA and encouraged others to join their movement to further a greener environment. The GBC is a studentled initiative to advance sustainability for the community of UCA. Teams that clean up local waterways, pick up trash on nature trails, and provide food for students on campus are some of the projects they are working towards. Their Stream Team spoke on their new goals moving forward, such as creating a bi-monthly cleaning system for parks and waterways. Within two semesters the team has covered
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three public recreational trails, encompassing approximately 3-4 miles. They have already collected at least 60 pounds of small and large debris and trash, according to the GBC. With local trails and parks usually having low budgets, they cannot keep up with the litter from foot traffic. Urban streams also become reservoirs for pollutants and trash due to illegal dumping, storm runoff and other issues, the GBC said. Along with these efforts is the Osprey initiative, an organization that provides cleanup solutions for local waterways with the Litter Gitter, “a tactical in-stream litter collection device used to intercept floating litter from stormwater runoff,” according to the Osprey Initiative. The GBC has also created a food atrium in
the Lewis Science Center, where they plan to grow produce in partnership with the Food Recovery Network. The network helps the UCA community by providing fresh food directly for anyone in need. “During the [food market] hours of operation, the volunteer will collect a lot of data of what was there at the start, and what was taken … That way, we can have some statistical data to assess how much we’re helping our community,” Chloe Cardin, a student leader of the GBC, said. Their benefits to the community are multifaceted. Their efforts allow “students to have professional and personal development, collaborative sustainability throughout UCA and Central
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end of the ceremony, invited loved fallen Bears to
of 33 white roses, one for each forever Bear. UCA alumni Amanda and Matthew Kelley attended the memorial together. Amanda took a rose in honor of her mother, Linda Horton. Horton worked in the Office of Candidate Services. Amanda said, “This was really nice. We have a long family history at UCA. This event was very meaningful.” Matthew and Amanda agreed that they would attend the Forever a Bear memorial ceremony in future years, as well as visit the memorial garden. Matthew said, “It’s a great excuse to get back on campus.” When the memorial ceremony concluded, friends and family migrated towards the memorial garden and took the time to visit with one another. The Ferguson Chapel was also open for anyone who wished to have more time to quietly reflect on the memorial.
AmeriCorps recruiting
On Monday, April 25, Elon Musk reached an agreement to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion, promising a more lenient touch to policing content on the social media platform. Musk said he wanted to own and Photo by Madison Ogle privatize Twitter because Green Bear Coalition members Hypatia Meraviglia and Kassity Pace speak to students at the wrap-up event for the he thinks it’s not living up coalition. The GBC aims to create a cleaner and more environmentally friendly campus. to its potential as a platform for free speech. Musk said in a joint statement with Twitter he wants to get rid of automated “spam” accounts, and make the service “better than ever.” BY BRAYDEN BAILEY
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sang the Alma
SERVICE
Elon Musk buys twitter for billions
4 people found dead in rural AR
forever Bears and gave thanks to all of the family and friends who were in attendance. Davis said, “Our community is a strong one, just as our mascot, the Bear: powerful, resilient, and enduring. We will continue to move forward, but we will move forward honoring and upholding the memories and legacies of our lost colleagues and friends.” Dean of Students Kelly Owens recited a poem titled “Remember Me.” Patricia Poulter, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Marvin Williams, Student Success
GREEN
appropriate because Trump and his lawyers hadn’t shown a proper search for the records sought by the subpoena. During oral arguments on Monday, Trump attorney Alina Habba said, “Donald Trump does not believe he is above the law.”
Police Beat People of UCA Students Say
Entertainment:
Sports:
6 Opinion 7 Entertainment 5, 8 Sports
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The UCA Outreach and Community Engagement is recruiting members for the AmeriCorps program. Lesley Graybeal, the Director of Service-Learning and Volunteerism said, “AmeriCorp is a national program. There are several types of programs.” In the AmeriCorp State program, which is where the BearServe Leaders participate, Graybeal said, “Local communities come up with the idea for the program, and they compose them. The AmeriCorp state program gets funded through federal funding from Congress. AmeriCorp programs are designed to meet local needs around different focus areas.” The focus areas that they use are education, food and security, and financial empowerment. Graybeal said, “AmeriCorp Vista is a fulltime service year program for people who are wanting to go into nonprofit careers to get the behind-the-scenes administrative experience by working in an office environment for nonprofit government and education agencies.” Graybeal said everyone who is in the AmeriCorp program has been serving all year for about 15 hours a week. “They’re working towards a total of 450 hours for their service term. A big part of our focus is on tutoring and mentoring. Most of the members have been serving at least one tutoring or mentoring site. That includes the Faulkner County Juvenile Court, the
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Boys and Girls Club, City of Hope Outreach, and Conway High School,” Graybeal said. The program has a tutor available at any hour of the day for Conway High School credit recovery classes. “We do take applications for BearServe Leaders on a rolling basis. Right now, we are still interviewing for next year’s program. Even after the program starts, we appreciate it if folks will submit their application whenever they’re interested because we may have a spot open up in the year,” Graybeal said Although the program keeps its application open, its main focus is to recruit in late spring for the next academic year. Graybeal said, “The eligibility for AmeriCorp has some certain citizenship requirements. The program is only open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or lawful permanent residents. We don’t have a GPA requirement or anything like that. Our biggest requirement is that someone is willing to make a commitment to that yearlong program because it’s a big commitment, but it’s a great cohort of students who are really passionate about service.” Mya Hall, a BearServe Leader, said, “We are a part of the AmeriCorps program for the campus. We help out the community. We do things like the Bear Food Pantry. We provide free tax services to anyone in the Arkansas area. We work with the Urban Farm Project. Anything that our community needs, we
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Inside:
Opinion:
Disorganized professors are hurtful to students.
E-mail:ucaechoeditor@gmail.com @ucaecho The Echo ucaecho © 2022 The Echo, Printed by The Courier, Russellville, Arkansas.
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NEWS
Police Beat
UCA student’s film chosen to be shown BY
The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports by Assistant News Editor Kathryn Thornberry
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non-student Marcus Smith for possession of a controlled substance. Hill observed a red Dodge Charger accelerate past his vehicle at 60 mph. and asked for license and registration. Smith said he didn’t have either and was instructed to write down his name instead. Dispatch ran the name Smith admitted that the name he wrote down was not his. Hill searched the car and found 24.8 grams of marijuana, and a bag containing three pills of ecstasy. Smith was placed under arrest.
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dispatched due to a parking lot incident involving UCA students Jayne Warnock and Hannah Savage. There was no damage to Warnock’s vehicle, but there was damage to the rear end of Savage’s vehicle. Warnock said she was backing up when she struck Savage’s vehicle in the rear hatch. Warnock also said Savage was stopped in the parking lot. Savage said she was dropping off a passenger when her vehicle was struck by Warnock’s. Both students were provided cards with incident numbers.
Organization summarizes it’s feats.
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Arkansas and to keep the sustainability conversation ongoing,” the GBC said. Gaining a bigger following was important to their agenda, as they encouraged the students at the meeting to get involved in any way they could. They also plan to communicate with local schools, businesses and
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programs to help their future projects. The GBC projects to gain a higher student engagement, positive comparative efforts from last year’s impact and acquire more donations. GBC volunteer opportunities can be found on their Givepulse page, which lets you see future events, connect
with group leaders and fill out a request to volunteer for many projects. To support their local engagement, the GBC is on Instagram @greenbearcoalition, which will provide links to their GroupMe for more information and live updates.
Program is accepting applications.
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do.” Hall said, “I feel like more people should sign up for the program. It’s good that we get to serve our community and get volunteer hours, but it also provides an opportunity
for people to get paid. A lot of students that want to volunteer can’t because they have to work. The program provides you with a living stipend, which is about $300 every two
EDMUND BURKE
Staff Writer
Student rear ends Illicit substances Students bump campus police car found on campus cars on campus
On Friday, April 22, Officer Gene Hodges and Officer Braden Purvis were rear-ended by UCA student Alexander Noble at the intersection of Donaghey and Dave Ward. The accident happened at around 9 a.m. on Friday, and the officers were sitting at a red light facing north on Donaghey Avenue. Officer Ford requested an outside agency to work the accident and Conway police arrived on the scene. Conway police officer Phillip Boyd worked the accident. There were no injuries or major visible damage.
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weeks for your service, which isn’t a livable income alone, but it does help.” More information about the programs can be found at uca.edu/ americorp.
Filmmaker and UCA alum Noah Arthur Woods’ first feature film was showcased at the Arkansas Cinema Society’s Filmland: Arkansas Showcase on April 20 at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock. Woods submitted their film, “The Lights Are Closed and My Eyes Are Dark,” to the features category and won the Audience Award for Favorite Feature in October 2021. “I remember when it happened, it almost didn’t seem real, I didn’t expect it. There was a lot of really good competition and a lot of really wonderful films in that category, and I’m honored mine was selected, I felt honored just being in the running. It was a little overwhelming when I got the award,” Woods said. Woods started working on the film in their film production II class while at UCA. The film was originally shot as a short. “We filmed for three days for my class project, and it was originally a short film that I had written for class in 2019, so we filmed it, and I edited it,” Woods said. “After that class was over, I kind of wanted to go back to those characters, and then my actors wanted to explore the characters more, so we started writing side shorts out of school.”
“So, when it came time for my film production four class, I wrote another section of the story, and it got picked, and then we shot that. I had written it like a feature since 2019, so after I graduated, I kind of had been building this story together, and I turned it into a feature,” Woods said. Woods worked with a small crew completing twenty-five minutes of the film while in their film production four class. The feature film has a runtime of one hour and six minutes. The film’s production was done in five sections. “I wrote it spontaneously, to where I would get an idea or grab lunch with a cast member and start throwing ideas together, and then we realized we could continue shooting,” Woods said. “I would then go home and write a scene or two, just based on what we would talk about, and then shoot those scenes, but I didn’t let anyone see I was writing a feature out of it,” Woods said. “I kind of had everyone shoot it and act in it as its own short film, so there was five short films in the feature that were shot over two years, with different gear and different crew members, and then at the end, I presented it as I’ve been writing it as a feature and all these characters are intertwined in the story level,” Woods continued. Woods added, “I think
it was a really good learning experience too, not only to make a student project but also trying to formulate how to tell a story in a narrative sense and do it for so long on a feature level. “The Lights Are Closed and My Eyes Are Dark,” is about a character named Henry, who is an alcoholic drug dealer dealing with relationship issues and projects his emotional instability on other people. “The film is a character study about Henry and how he interacts with the people in his life. At one point, he sells drugs to one of his friends who then give them to their partner at the time,” Woods said. “We switch characters to another character who hasn’t been introduced yet who has to deal with the ramifications of Henry’s actions of selling drugs,” Woods said. “It’s one part this character study on substance abuse and alcoholism and another part of being in a place you don’t want to be and being something, you don’t necessarily want to be and how those cross paths,” Woods said. Woods’ next film, “I Do This for A Living,” begins principal photography in May. To keep up to date with Woods’ next feature, visit www.idothisforaliving. com and follow the Instagram account @idothisforaliving.mov.
RAPPER
Freddie Bankroll arrested in Conway BY
SYDNEY AMBRUS
Staff Writer
On Thursday, April 14th rapper Bankroll Freddie, born Freddie Demarcus Gladney, of Conway, was arrested on multiple charges after being stopped for speeding. According to police, Gladney was pulled over during a traffic stop around 6:30 p.m. on Interstate 55, in Marion, Arkansas, when his pickup truck was searched. Authorities then found 21 pounds of marijuana, 171 grams of promethazine and a gun in the vehicle. Promethazine is a prescription sedative. Gladney was then booked in Critten County Detention Center, on the charges of resisting arrest, simultaneous possession of drugs and
firearms, possession of schedule VI-controlled substance with the purpose to deliver felony, possession of scheduled I or II controlled substances, failure to wear a seatbelt and speeding. “Very irresponsible. Celebrities get big and think the law is below them. No, they are absolutely not,” UCA senior Shuntia Hunter said. Reports say Gladney is being turned over to the FBI. This isn’t the first time Gladney has been met with adversity. Back in May of 2021, Gladney was shot in the face while visiting a friend’s mother in Arkansas. “I hope he can weather the storm and come back even better for Arkansas.” UCA junior
Celeste Smedley said. Gladney signed to Quality Control, an Atlanta-based record label, in 2019 after one of his freestyle raps went viral. Since then, Gladney has released two albums with the label titled, From “Trap To Rap” and “Big Bank.” He is most known for his singles, “Drip Like Dis” featuring Lil Baby and Young Dolph, and “Pop It” featuring Megan Thee Stallion. “It’s always exciting to see someone from your hometown make it out and do big things, especially with big-time artists.” UCA junior Waverly Porter said. Gladney has also worked with other popular artists such as 2 Chainz, Moneybagg Yo, Gucci Mane and PNB Rock.
CAMPUS VOICES
SGA celebrates student led news BY
KATHRYN THORNBERRY
Assistant News Editor
On Monday, April 25, SGA met in the Student Government chambers to recognize excellence in students and give thanks to faculty for their support. SGA recognized excellence in UCA’s news organizations and congratulated them on their achievements. “These on-campus news organizations enhance student experiences in journalism students,” Senator Makenna Goss said, “While also allowing our campus community to be informed about what’s happening around campus.” SGA discussed the impact the Dean for the Day event had on students. “Student feedback from those who participated in the event showed that students appreciated the care that deans have for students, and the impact they have on the daily student experience,” Goss said. SGA approved the Student Fee Advisory Committee’s spring 2022 report. The purpose of the report is to ensure openness and transparency
Graphic by Mia Waddell
The logo of UCA’s Student Government Association. The student group, led by President Mya Hall, meets weekly with concerns of students.
in the collection, distribution, and spending of funds garnered from student fees by university administrators. Director of Campus and Wellness Richard Hammond presented at the meeting. He said the last faculty golf tournament was in 2019, before the pandemic. SGA sponsored the last faculty golf tournament in 2019, and Hammond requested that SGA sponsor the one this year, on May 9. “The purpose of the faculty staff golf tournament is for faculty and staff to get a team and try to go out and have a little fun after the end of the semester,” Hammond
said. Hammond said the sponsorships are not what they were in the past, coming out of COVID. “I probably could have held it last year, based on physically distancing,” Hammond said. “But I didn’t want to do it because I still thought people were still struggling with financially coming out of COVID.” The Diversity Committee got first place in the can food drive. The Public Relations Committee got second place. The Sustainability committee and Student Resources Committee tied for third place.
Graphic by UCA
A list of names read at the Forever A Bear service. The service honored UCA family that died between 2020-2022.
Campus Life
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April 27, 2022
Around Campus:
Guest Clarinet Recital From 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Monday, May 2, the Music Department will host a guest clarinet recital featuring Dahré Miller in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall.
Conway Symphony Orchestra Concert From 7:30-10 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, the Music Department will host a Orchestra concert featuring the Conway Symphony Orchestra in Reynolds Performance Hall.
Mock Interviews From 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, Career Services will host mock interviews online for students.
Spring Countdown to Graduation From 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, Career Services will host an online program for graduating students where they can receive daily tips. This is the third week of the program and will provide students with information on careers.
Bears Got Talent highlights student artistry BY EMILEE HAGEWOOD
Sports Editor
Miss UCA Nia Kelley and the Bear Den brought artistic students together to showcase their talents at the Bear’s Got Talent show on April 21 at the Amphitheater. Kelley’s platform as Miss UCA is called Creatively Intelligent, where she hopes to raise money for performing arts centers in Arkansas that will be free and open to the youth. “I wanted it to reflect my platform and give students on UCA’s campus a chance to show their talent,” Kelley said. “How many people want to sing or do poetry or act and are not a part of a group or feel like they don’t have anywhere to do it. So I wanted to make an event where they can have a chance to express themselves.” Four students, including Kelley, performed solo acts of singing, spoken word and monologues. Dancers United, a group of female dancers, performed a hip-hop routine that had the crowd tapping their feet. The first performance was from freshman Anniston Ross who sang an original song while playing the ukulele. Ross is a communication disorders and sciences major and is in the concert choir at UCA. “I’ve been writing music since October, and I recently released a song, and I’ve been writing more. I wanted to have a test audience and see if they actually like it. I wanted to record more, and I saw this, and I was like, ‘I can sing here,’” Ross said. Ross has already released one song, “Forever the Same,” and it’s available now on all streaming platforms. The “Chrysalis” poet, sophomore Allison Toomer, broke out of her shell by giving her first public reading of her poetry following Ross. “This is my first time sharing
Photos by Emilee Hagewood and Madison Ogle
(Top) Dancers united performs their Hip-Hop routine. (Middle right) Allison Toomer performs her spoken word poetry. (Bottom right) Anniston Ross sings an original song. (Left) Miss UCA Nia Kelly performs the song “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin.
my work publicly since I had only recently started sharing my poetry,” Toomer said. Toomer thought it was a great experience for her to get accustomed to an audience saying, “I feel pretty
M E N T A L H E A LT H
Lovefest 2022 emphasizes ‘radical self-care’ BY SYDNEY CYR Entertainment Editor
Wind Ensemble From 7:30-9 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, the Music Department will host a wind ensemble recital in the Reynolds Performance Hall.
Society of Physics Students Meeting From 1:40-2:40 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, the Society of Physics Students will host a meeting in Lewis Science Center Room 168. The Society of Physics Students is perfect for students who are interested in Physics and love performing exciting experiments.
General Recital From 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, the Music Department will host a general recital in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall.
Dead Day All day on Friday, April 29, UCA will have Dead Day. This is a day where no classes will be happening in order to let students prepare for finals.
good. I feel a lot more comfortable with reading aloud to people.” Freshman Crystal Daniels shook the amphitheater with her monologue performance from Tyler Perry’s “Diary of a Mad Black
Woman.” Her character in the monologue, Helen, decides to finally let her husband have it and calls him out for his infidelity. Daniels’ use of props and lively acting shocked the audience. Wrapping up the night and rocking the house was Miss UCA herself. Kelley belted “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin. The crowd snapped and clapped along to the beat until the show was over. The Bear Den had prizes for all the contestants, courtesy of the UCA bookstore, and gave out a few to the crowd as well throughout the show. Audience members would be asked questions about UCA for a chance to win a t-shirt, water bottle, koozie or car decal, along with free taco coupons for Taco Bell. Kelley said it’s important for UCA students to come out and have fun, “... doing what you love to do. I feel like everybody has a place in arts, and sometimes you just need a place to express it or just to see other people do it.” Ross and Toomer agreed that they felt it was important for students to have more events where they can express themselves creatively. They also felt that they should be closer to the beginning of the year so that it could bring incoming freshmen together. “I think it brings people together. I tend to very much keep to myself but afterward, though, I was like ‘I really wanna go over and say good job to Anna,’ and we sparked up a conversation,” Toomer said. Ross also thought that it brought people together and liked the emphasis on the arts that UCA was bringing. “UCA is more than just sports,” Ross said. Both women want to see more events that cater to the arts and have high hopes for the new Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts.
LoveFest 2022 is a mental healthcare event for UCA students hosted by UCA’s Sociology Club and Alpha Kappa Delta Honors Society that will take place at the Student Center Amphitheater Thursday, April 28, 2022 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival will center around harmony, mindfulness and radical self-care. It will start with student, campus and community mental health care and stress relief information displays that students can visit at 11 a.m. At 11:30 a.m., opening remarks will be made by UCA President Houston Davis and Dr. Angela Webster, the associate vice president for institutional diversity and inclusion at UCA. From 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m., Dr. Adam Frank will put on a Tai Chi demonstration on the lawn between McAlister Hall and Harrin Hall. From 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., UCA Campus Outdoors will host a frame challenge. From 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., Ashley Cooksey will lead Yoga for Mindfulness on the lawn between McAlister Hall and Harrin Hall. From 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Scott Lewis will lead
Healing through Poetry. Dr. Matthew Moore, an advisor for UCA’s Sociology Club, said the idea of putting together LoveFest came about in 2019. “Students in the Sociology Club and the AKD Honors Society wanted to hold an event that would emphasize caring and love for all people,” Moore said. Junior Ally Shook, one of the primary organizers of the event, said the overall purpose of LoveFest is to “promote awareness for mental health on our campus and in the community, but also just to bring people together for some fun.” According to Moore, “The goal of LoveFest is to demonstrate that all people are valuable in our society and should be loved,” Moore said. “We have seen many bills, laws, tweets and so on that are aimed at dividing us. The club wanted to show that we all have worth and what makes a great community is embracing our differences.” This is the second LoveFest that has been held at UCA. The first one, which was focused around peace, took place in 2020 and was much smaller because of COVID-19 protocols. “This year, the club wanted to focus on
mental health,” Moore said. “Coming out of the pandemic, many students, faculty and staff are feeling overwhelmed. The students this year wanted to show the UCA community that it is okay to feel overwhelmed, anxious and depressed about the adjustments that we have experienced over the past two years. The club wants to provide a safe and caring environment for people to come at the end of the year to get information on mental health and to just have fun being part of the UCA and Conway communities.” Music at LoveFest 2022 will be provided by Austin Orvin with Thomas Williams, the dean of the college of arts, humanities and social sciences, as a guest DJ. Photos and videography at the event will be done by Alex Blankenship. The event is sponsored by the Department of Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology and the Schedler Honors College. There are several collaborators for the event, including African/African American Studies, Green Bear Coalition, UCA Autism and Neurodiversity Alliance Table, UCA Bear Essentials Food Pantry, UCA Living Unleashed and more.
AWARENESS
Take Back the Night empowers victims of sexual violence BY ADDI FREEMAN Editor-in-Chief
The Student Government Association, along with UCA’s Resident Housing Association and five other organizations, helped students bring awareness to sexual assault and violence with a Take Back the Night march through campus on April 21. Take Back the Night is a 501(c)3 organization with the goal of “creating safe communities and respectful relationships through awareness events and initiatives,” according to its website. UCA’s event featured a selfdefense demonstration by the UCA police department, a welcome from President Houston Davis and a presentation from Sandra Miles. A room in the Student Center was open for students to make
posters and other signage to parade through campus once the campus walk began at 9 p.m., ending with a chance for survivors of assault and violence to share their stories if comfortable. Davis commended the host organizations for hosting an event that highlights some of the ways UCA aims to keep students safe. “I like that a lot of this tonight is about preparing for moments when you either have to be called upon to look out for yourself, but I hope that you’re going to hear over and over again, in the spirit of this Take Back the Night, that it’s also about being ready for the moment when you may be called upon to look out for a friend,” Davis said. “Forget that – look to your right and left. You may or may not know that person. But are you not going to say something if you see something?
Are you not going to raise Cain on behalf of that human being?” Miles, a Global Speaker for Campus Outreach Services, told the crowd that automatically giving a victim of assault or violence a legal hotline number should not be the first step in helping them. “Unfortunately, when a lot of people think about what they can do, most people begin with the end in mind, and it’s usually the least helpful,” Miles said. “Giving someone the phone number to an incredibly effective organization is sometimes the least helpful because often there are at least three other things we could all do before they might have ever needed to make that call.” Miles said these three things are letting women be free, believing women and men and giving the support that is desired.
Students walked around campus, holding signs with encouraging phrases and sayings calling for an end to sexual violence. As they marched, some students shouted, “No means no.” The campus march ended with a candlelight vigil to honor the lives lost or affected by sexual assault and violence. Abigail Greiner, the program coordinator for this event, thanked students and faculty for attending the event and explained the reason for the candlelight vigil. “We shed this light out of respect for our survivors and in mourning of those whose lives are lost,” Greiner said. “We also shine our light in recognition of hope for the future. We can have a future where we end sexual assault and sexual violence on our campus and other campuses worldwide.”
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CAMPUS LIFE
ucanews.live
Sustainable fashion stuns in Trashion Show BY ESTEFANIA MOJICA Staff Writer
UCA Student for the Arts hosted a fashion show on April 21 featuring works made by students as well as pieces made by Irene Chedjieu, a local boutique owner. The fashion show was held paying tribute to Earth Day. Students used 60% recycled materials to create their pieces. Students had three months to create their pieces and presented them during the first half of the show. When creating their pieces students chose to express their thoughts and opinion on controversial topics in our world today. Sophomore Riley Harrelson created a garment that they titled Butcher. Their piece took three weeks to create, the longest part was
looking for materials to use. “My piece is about body modification and plastic surgery … most of the materials that I used I literally pulled out of a trashcan,” Harrelson said. Senior Monika Anne Cunningham created a full gown using recycled plastic bags and scrap fabric that she then braided to create the train of the dress. Her gown took almost two weeks to finalize. Cunningham also created a two piece outfit that was made from unused party napkins, recycled table cloths and recycled leather. “Sustainability is important in fashion because the world we’re in you should take care of it to enjoy it, “ said Cunningham, “We waste a lot of materials but we can be innovative and use those things in fashion.” In the second half of the show,
Chedjieu had the spotlight on her work. Chedjieu’s boutique, Desirene Afrik Boutique, is located in Little Rock. Coming from Cameroon, Africa, Chedjieu always had a dream of opening her own clothing store. Her love for fashion started from a young age and has now been able to achieve her goal. “Coming from a different country, fashion is everything about expression. Choosing different colors can mean happiness or joy,” Chedjieu said. She enjoys showcasing her African heritage through her work. After presenting her work, the event closed off with a Q&A panel led by Dr. Duncan. Students, designers, and Chedjieu were able to give some insight into the inspiration behind their work to the audience.
CONCERT
Photo courtesy of Aiden Barber
Sophomore Aiden Barber edits his short film “Background Noise.” Barber starred in, directed and wrote the screenplay for the film all himself.
People of UCA: Aiden Barber Photos by Maci England
AJR and 24kGoldn take the stage at UCA’s Farris Center after an extensive delay from COVID-19. UCA’s Student Activities Board had to delay the concert after it’s initial announcement on March 3, 2020.
AJR, 24kGoldn rock UCA after COVID-19 delay BY MACI ENGLAND Staff Writer
On March 3, 2020 the UCA Student Activities Board announced that indie-pop band AJR would be coming to campus for a spring concert. Eight days later, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Arkansas. Within a week of the first positive COVID-19 case, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced that all public schools would be closed for two weeks. “I think with everybody, nobody knew what we were going to deal with and nobody really knew the gravity of the situation.” Student Activities Board advisor Kendra Regeher said. The Student Activities Board had scheduled its spring concert featuring AJR and Jon Bellion for April 19, 2020. “We didn’t want to be a super spreader so we knew we were going to have to shut it down, but tickets had already gone on sale and so when we put the word out that the show was in fact canceled, people were definitely disappointed,” Regeher said. “But I don’t think they were surprised because they could see what was happening all over the state of Arkansas.” On March 17 2020, SAB posted an events update across social media announcing all events for the rest of the semester were suspended and that the concert was being rescheduled. “We just had to say ‘We’re so sorry, it’s canceled. We’re going to do our best to reschedule these acts
and you certainly can get a refund.’ and that’s what we ended up doing.” Regeher said. The concert did eventually get rescheduled, but it wouldn’t be until two years later. Karen Orozco was the Spring 2020 SAB President. She, along with the rest of the SAB executive board, had to decide what they wanted to do with the concert. “There was a possibility of hosting the concert virtually,” Orozco said. “However, the entire technology and planning was fairly new and in its early stages back then and we thought we owed the students a proper concert experience.” They eventually decided not to hold the concert at all, which was a disappointment to Orozco who was in her last semester. “It was my last semester and everything we were planning to do got canceled. It was not what I pictured for my last semester in college.” Orozco said. Challenges continued throughout the next fall and spring semesters but as time progressed SAB learned how to adapt to the changes. “We adapted, we adjusted, just like everybody else and provided students with what we could for entertainment. Some was virtual, some was on site, but we had to follow the guidelines of social distancing.” Regeher said. Hazel Bonilla is now the SAB Graduate Assistant but was the executive board’s novelty chair. “2021 was probably harder [than 2020] because we were trying to find ways to still keep events but in
a safe way where students could be comfortable coming.” Bonilla said. “We did virtual and grab-andgo. Those were really big because students could just grab it and leave and do it in their own homes.” Bonilla said. While some things they tried, like hosting a virtual comedian, failed, grab-and-go activities became very popular. SAB began to find its balance again in Fall of 2021 and planning for the concert began again. “It was a little easier because we just came off of going from masks enforced to masks optional,” Bonilla said. “We just really wanted to provide that concert because people really waited two years for it and coming off of seeing that we’re starting to get stability, we decided to put it on.” Bonilla said. SAB were given a list of artists in their budget and 24kGoldn was on the list. “AJR was available. Jon Bellion was originally going to play with AJR but for whatever reason we couldn’t get him back. That’s why we went with 24kGoldn.” Regeher said. After two years, the concert finally happened on April 6, 2022 at the Farris Center. “We made sure we planned ahead to make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible,” SAB President Daisy Martinez said. “We had a full floor and the energy at the Farris Center was over the roof. We know that everyone enjoyed the concert as much as we did and we’re beyond happy to be able to put this together for the students once again.” Martinez said.
BY WILL MCDONALD Staff Writer
What things in life are most important to you? What are you most proud of? Aiden Barber, a sophomore, says that the little things matter the most. “The things I’m most proud of are the little, little accomplishments,” Barber said. Giving his friends a laugh or a good time through playing games are the moments that he cherishes. Barber is a double major in broadcast journalism and film. Many of his friends are in the film community here at UCA. “The film students are just a big community. It’s really cool being a part of it. That’s why I came to UCA,” Barber said. Barber graduated Cabot High in 2020. He came to UCA at the beginning of the pandemic. “I chose [broadcast journalism and film] because those will give me skills that I can use to make me an asset, someone that people want and need to have in their studio. So my goal after college is to use the connections I’ve made here to find a job somewhere as a technical director or some sort of producer whether that is in strictly news, sports journalism, or even just operating equipment,” Barber said. “Once I have that steady paycheck and career I can pursue my dream and eventually put myself through voice acting school at the Katy Conservatory in Texas. The dream career is to be a voice actor.” Currently, Barber is working on his short film titled “Background Noise.” He wrote the screenplay, directed and acted in Background Noise.
“‘Background Noise’ essentially follows the state of a relationship from the honeymoon phase, to growing apart, to the breakup. But it follows all of this in the background as the characters in the relationship are the main characters’ roommates, so the camera stays locked on this one guy sitting on his computer, tuned out as the plot is unfolding behind him. It’s supposed to be a sort of homage to life passing you by. The camera takes the perspective of the guy’s PC monitor,” Barber said. Outside of his film project and coursework, Barber is a resident assistant in Farris Honors Hall. “I try to make connections with the residents because it’s nice knowing the people you live with and work with,” Barber said. “In my personal time, I enjoy video games and movies. I’m a big fan of Dungeons and Dragons. I play with my buddies on the weekends. It’s a fun way to let off steam, and it’s a great form of escapism.” Barber said Barber uses Dungeons and Dragons as a way to practice voice acting. “If I’m running the game, then I’m doing several voices. I’m acting as every character in the game that isn’t played by my players. It’s a lot of work to change up my voice, because every character can’t have the same voice. It breaks the immersion if they do.” Barber said. Looking back on his past, he gave himself these words of advice, “Stop procrastinating. Even while you somehow manage to pull it off, it’s really stressful. Just do the work when it’s due.” Barber is on track to graduate in 2024 with his degree in broadcast journalism and film.
STUDENTS SAY: “What are your summer plans?” Story and photos by Olivia Snelson
Emma Graham Freshman
“I’m going to go home for the summer and I am going to go to the beach with my family and go to the lake a lot.”
Erin George Sophomore
“I’m going to go home and I’m going to do the Health Sciences summer boot camp and maybe an internship for a magazine, but I’m just going to relax.”
Lulu Leon Freshman “My summer plans are to work and try and go camping as much as I can.”
Melissa Crawford Freshman
“My summer plans are to just work and try and make money.”
Olivia Teske Sophomore
“I’m going to do some traveling with my family. And we’re going to two places: the Caribbean and Canada because I’ve got a dance competition.”
Stormy Williams Sophomore
“I’m going to do some traveling with my family. And we’re going to two places: the Caribbean and Canada because I’ve got a dance competition.”
Sports
5
April 27, 2022
Upcoming Games
Men’s and Women’s Track and Field April 28-30 at Penn Relays Baseball 6 p.m., April 29 at Lipscomb University Softball 2 p.m., April 30 at North Alabama
Editor’s Take
Final issue look-back; equality at UCA BY
EMILEE HAGEWOOD
Photo by Emily Kennard
Sports Editor
After two semesters, my time as the sports editor is coming to an end. This past year has been filled with ups and downs, but coming back to this page every week has brought me new friends, contacts and a whole lot of fun. It’s been an honor to serve as a female sports editor for two semesters in a row. Through my time as editor, I have tried to incorporate themes of equality and inclusivity for both genders and all sports. It hasn’t been an easy feat, as a lot of emphasis is placed on male sports from UCA itself. Football, baseball and basketball bring in the biggest audiences and therefore get the most attention and funding. It’s nothing new. Sports are viewed the same way across the nation; equality is something we’re still striving towards. To play devil’s advocate, there is one simple reason why women’s sports aren’t given the same recognition as men’s sports: they don’t bring in the same amount of money. The people with the money are obviously the people in power, which is why the men’s sports seem to get all the attention. If UCA pushed more women’s sports content on their social media pages, and had the players do the same, I bet they would gather a bigger audience at their games. Every team needs to feel the support of their fans as it’s what pushes them to make those winning plays and get the victory. Without the support, who are they playing for? Are they really playing for UCA if none of the UCA student body is there? Trying to answer these questions over the fall and spring seasons, I’ve noticed a small shift in numbers when it comes to attendance. I was very pleased to see so many people at the softball game against the Razorbacks that was played at home a few weeks ago. There was a recordbreaking crowd, which could be partially attributed to the fact that the Bears were playing an SEC team. But it could also be attributed to the fact that more people are starting to take an interest in women’s sports, especially softball, after seeing how well they’ve done this season. In the fall, the women’s basketball team was able to increase their attendance as well, with their last game garnering 884 attendants. The women’s soccer team was about even with the men’s team, and volleyball was on par with them as well, with all three having around 200-250 attendants per game. As I leave, I realize there’s still room for improvement, but I’m proud of the progress made, and I hope the trend continues upwards. I’m happy to announce that I will be lessening my load, stepping down to assistant sports editor, and passing the torch to current campus life editor and cartoonist, Madison Ogle.
Bears lose to Memphis Tigers 3-1 in non-conference game BY
EMILY KENNARD
Staff Writer
The Memphis Tigers defeated UCA’s baseball team 3-1 after the Bears struck out in the ninth inning with loaded bases April 29 at the Bear Stadium. Memphis was the first to score when graduate student Blake Daniels hit a double at the top of the second inning, allowing sophomore Austin Baskin to score an unearned run. The next inning saw another run for Memphis after fifth-year Zach Wilson hit a single and then stole second base. He advanced to third and then home when two batters grounded out. The Bears responded with an aggressive third inning, giving three consecutive singles from senior R.J. Pearson, junior Kolby Johnson and senior Connor Emmet, pushing infielder Pearson home and putting the Bears on the board 2-1. Midgame, both teams slowed down on the offensive, and the next three innings saw no runs and just one hit, which was from the Bears in the fourth. At the top of the seventh, Tiger sophomore Braden Webb hit a single and stole third to score the game’s last run.
After a hitless eighth, the game picked up after the Bears racked up two outs in the last inning. After a pitch hit Emmet, he was awarded first base. Then, he advanced to third after junior Hunter Hicks hit a double. After Memphis’ pitcher delivered four balls, sophomore Drew Pollum walked, filling the bases. The game’s fate was left up to sophomore A.J. Mendolia, who came up to bat for the Bears with the bases loaded and struck out looking at sophomore Dalton Kendrick’s fastball. The game was the Bears’ 19th loss this season, compared to their 16 wins at the time. “They stayed engaged in the game,” coach Nick Harlan said after the loss. “They gave themselves an opportunity to score late, and that’s something they’ve done really well, they’ve scored runs late, so I think everybody thought we were going to get a hit and tie up the game.” Harlan said the Bears expected a challenge from the non-conference match against the Tigers. “We have a lot of respect for their coaching staff. Their head coach has done a tremendous job for a lot of years, so we knew it was going to be a challenge,
and we knew we needed to play clean baseball to win,” Harlan said. “We just didn’t play as clean as we needed to today.” The Bears left 13 players on the base throughout the game. Harlan said the team failed to take advantage of some opportunities. “You have to come to the field every day, and you have to value every pitch,” Harlan said. “I thought there were a couple of pitches that we let slip away tonight, and it came back to hurt us because it was a close game at the end.” The following weekend, the Bears won two of three games in a conference series against the Bellarmine Knights, which saw the Bears win 12-1 in the first game April 22. In a doubleheader the next day, the Bears lost 5-10, then turned the tables to win 10-5, making UCA’s record 18 wins and 20 losses overall. The win against Bellarmine is UCA’s sixth straight conference series win. After their April 26 game against the Razorbacks, the Bears will travel to Nashville to play Lipscomb University in a series beginning April 29 at 6 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Bears end season with 3-2 loss at ASUN Beach Championship BY
MILO STRAIN
Opinion Editor
This past weekend the UCA beach volleyball team traveled to Huntsville, Alabama, to compete in the ASUN Conference Beach Volleyball Championship, where they ended their season after a loss to the University of North Florida. After a mixed season of about equal wins and losses, the Bears were finally at the championship, and the end was in sight. UCA was victorious in their first game of the tournament, beating out the Jacksonville University Dolphins (3-2) in a close game. Faith Hasness and Carol Barbosa won the first match in two sets, 21-9, 21-11. Kelsie Sager and Julia Oravec lost their first and third sets, while Evelyn Griffith and Bria Garmon lost
their second and third sets. Kayla Cook and Payton Sproule won their match in two sets, followed by Ryenne Gepford and Marissa Gilmore winning in two. The Bears weren’t as fortunate in their second game of day one, falling to the University of North Alabama (3-2). The Bears and the UNA Lions traded leads several times in a hard-fought display of technique and teamwork before the Lions finally secured their second victory of the day late in the game. Hasness and Barbosa continued to shine, winning the first match in two. Sager and Oravec were defeated 21-15 and 21-14. Griffith and Garmon beat UNA Lions Taylor Seney and Allison Temple 21-13 and 21-7. Cook and Sproule lost in two, while Gepfrod and Gilmore lost
two of three. Day two began with UCA facing off against the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks, where the Bears dominated with a 4-1 victory. Although Garmon and Griffith won the first set and only lost by three in the last set, they didn’t manage to beat Gamecocks Lena Kindermann and Erin Carmichael. Jacksonville State couldn’t catch a break as the Bears controlled the game from the start, taking advantage of every opportunity and scoring as often as they could, giving the Gamecocks their third straight loss in the ASUN Championship. UCA didn’t fare as well heading into their second game of day two against Florida Gulf Photo courtesy of ucasports.com
See Tournament- page 8 TENNIS
Bears can’t extinguish Lady Flames, end season with 4-2 loss BY
ESTEFANIA MOJICA
Staff Writer
UCA’s tennis team finished their season with a 4-2 loss to the Liberty University Lady Flames on Friday, April 22, during the ASUN championship in Fort Meyers, Florida. The Bears won the majority of the doubles, 2-3. However, during the singles, they didn’t get the results they wanted, losing 5-6 in the matches. Junior Fuka Nonoyama had the only singlematch win for UCA, playing against Liberty’s Eloise Saraty. This was tenth singles win, finishing her season 10-0, winning the match 6-2 and 6-1. Junior Chunxi Xin and her teammate Nonoyama won their doubles match against Liberty’s Kalani Soli and Juliana Romero (6-3). Xin said trust is crucial for a good doubles match. “We trust each other and communicate well. We never blame each other for mistakes, but we will wake each other up if they are sleeping during the
game,” Xin said. The team hoped for a better outcome but still gave this final game their all. “It was for sure not a perfect way to end our season, but life happens — we can not change anything anymore. However, I think we made some good memories here in Florida as a team, and I will always remember that,” Xin said. Xin was proud despite losing her singles match against Liberty player Juliana Romero (7-5). Sophomore Jaeun Lee agreed this was not their ideal end for the season, but for UCA’s tennis team, it’s about more than just winning. “It didn’t end the way we would have liked, but we fought hard, and we enjoyed it. I am so proud of my team. Without these members, we could have not come this far,” said Lee. Lee lost her singles match 7-5, 6-4 against Kalani Soli. This season the team has four seniors graduating, which leaves room for new members for next year’s season.
“We’ve been practicing, studying, working out and playing some games together for three years already and now, I need to let them go, which is sad … but I will always support them in new chapters of their lives. We’ll be separated, but our friendship is forever,” Lee said. Senior Yada Vasupongchai put her full effort into this conference, knowing it could be her last match ever. “I just wanted to enjoy my last conference tournament. I tried my best and had fun with every moment … They made every moment valued and worth remembering for a lifetime,” Vasupongchai said. Despite winning the second match 7-5, Vasupongchai lost the third match 6-0 against Esther Lovato. This game ended the Bear’s season, which will start up again in September at their first fall invitational. They ended their season with a 13-11 record overall and 5-4 in conference.
Opinion
6
ucaechoeditor@gmail.com
April 27, 2022
The Voice Housing costs are a major barrier between poor people and higher education
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Disorganized professors are detrimental to students As a junior in college, I have had a lot of to class. different professors for all sorts of classes. I also have had professors who make The conclusion I have come to over my up assignments as they go with little to no six semesters at UCA is that not only are details on their syllabus. They also neglect disorganized professors frustrating but they to update BlackBoard or Google Classroom. are also detrimental to students’ academic As a student with two jobs, I like to plan performance. out my week to ensure that I have all my One professor in particular has made me assignments done. When assignments are realize that learning can be really easy if the assigned with a one to two-day warning, it subject is presented well and in an organized becomes taxing and confusing to keep up. fashion. Rather than taking time to learn the content, Dr. Dylan McLemore, an assistant I’m forced to rush to get my assignments in. professor of public relations, presented From the pandemic, we’ve his information so thoroughly when I learned that life happens and had him for Media Law and Ethics. adjustments need to be made — Before each unit, he would post that’s understandable. However, PowerPoint slides, recorded professors fail to make these lectures for students to return adjustments known all across the to and additional supplemental board by, for example, updating information, like news articles, the syllabus. all on BlackBoard. I think the complaints I He was very eloquent have against disorganized and direct about the subject professors are not matter he was teaching in necessarily their fault. a digestible way. Most After all, professors at importantly, his syllabus universities aren’t even was up-to-date — that’s required to obtain unheard of for most any sort of teaching professors I have had. certification like BY DELANEY VAN WILPE McLemore’s class elementary and high Online Editor was not only one of my school teachers are. more successful classes, They are simply required but it was also the most to have a specialty in the information I have ever retained from a class. courses they teach. On the other side of the spectrum, I have Although many professors are brilliant had very disorganized professors whom I will people who may be published authors with not name. impressive backgrounds and doctorates, This disorganization bleeds into their they simply don’t have the skill set to teach in teaching, which leads to a delay in the already a way that is helpful for their students. vague or unedited course schedule. Others I think it would be beneficial and useful for don’t even have a course schedule and universities, both statewide and nationwide, honestly don’t seem like they have a lesson to rethink the lack of teaching certifications plan at all. It’s an “adventure” every time I go among faculty.
Why is housing so expensive at universities and colleges? According to several sources, the average cost of room and board for college students is around $11,000 per year. Meanwhile, the amount of Americans living paycheck to paycheck rose to 64% at the start of 2022, according to CNBC. Getting a degree is one of the last few avenues toward financial stability for poor people left in America, yet the cost is typically too high without scholarships for most people, and the majority of Americans don’t pursue higher education. Room and board make up a large portion of tuition costs when most dorms are little more than glorified tenement housing. Even if you have enough scholarships to cover everything, scholarship money that covers room and board costs is taxable. This just acts as a punishment for poor students for having too many scholarships. To UCA’s credit, the average cost of room and board is way below the national average, sitting at around $2,200 per semester for a double room. However, that’s much more in proportion to the extremely low cost of living in Arkansas compared to the national average, and it doesn’t include a meal plan which is pretty necessary if you live on or around campus, especially if you don’t have a car. The meal plans aren’t exactly a bargain either, with the cheapest one being $1,700 for cafeteria access and 200 dining dollars. You could certainly try to budget and plan your meals to eat cheaply, but a meal plan is required if you live on campus, and it’s not very convenient to meal prep in a dorm room or a communal kitchen anyway.
Even if you have enough scholarships to cover everything, scholarship money that covers room Summer is easily the most overrated season and board costs is taxable Spring is here, with summer rapidly park –– if I’m going to do anything summerapproaching, which means the days of related, I’d rather it be at an amusement park sweltering heat in Arkansas are near. like Disney or Universal. I can’t relate to anyone who is a fan of People seriously seem to forget the summer in the South –– the humidity is importance of personal hygiene in the enough for me to want to pack it up and move summer. to Alaska for three months. If you’ve never worked in customer If summer was only three months in service in the summer, you don’t know what Arkansas, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. it’s like to have to wait on a group of thirty But let’s be real, summer lasts till mid- people, sweaty and cranky from sitting in the September, sometimes early October in heat, who smell like the inside of a dumpster. Arkansas. I think people become more I can handle spring and the early part of belligerent in the summer and blame summer, but when July hits in Arkansas, it on the heat. the heat becomes too much for me. As a former server, I can tell As soon as summer hits, everybody you that waiting on kids’ sports I know becomes obsessed with teams in the summer is almost camping. as bad as waiting on the Sunday Why is camping a thing? I. Don’t. church crowd. Get. It. What is so great about The kids’ sports teams sleeping in a converted tarp and their parents descend on on the hard ground? restaurants unannounced Choosing to sleep and demand quick in a tent in the middle service between of nowhere with cabins games. and cottages available is What’s even barbaric. worse is all the There’s no air sports teams in the BY EDMUND BURKE conditioning, it’s humid, summer that camp Staff Writer there are bugs and, if you out in front of retail stay at a campsite, there stores in an attempt are other people around. to raise money for some batting camp or their I don’t get the fascination with spending uniform needs. all day or all week at the lake. I’m not Summer isn’t all bad; it’s nice to have a swimming in water where I can’t see what’s break from classes and hang out with friends beneath me. whenever the occasion arises if it’s inside. The lakes are overcrowded, and so are Cookouts and cold beer are great on a hot the beaches, but I’d much rather spend my summer night. time on the beach than at the lake. I know tons of people who live for Everywhere you go is overcrowded and summer, and that’s great, but I’d rather enjoy congested in summer, with everyone either the warm nights of spring and fast-forward to out of school, on vacation or off work. fall. When it comes to summer activities, I’m Give me foliage, cold nights and lattes not above standing in line at an amusement over hot days, sunburns and crowded places.
Plus, the room and board rates at UCA don’t cover lodging during the breaks for students who need it. Typically one of the only reasons a student would need to stay on campus over a break is that they can’t afford to travel home or it might be unsafe for them to do so, so charging those students extra is just further punishment from UCA for not having enough money. President Davis makes over $200,000 a year and has a car paid for by the university, but UCA can’t afford to keep the lights on for students who need a safe or affordable place to stay every time the campus forcibly de-houses its student body for a break? Seems like there’s an easy re-allocation of funds that could be made. All of these factors make for a situation that is undesirable for poorer students. Either pay too much for oncampus living or live off-campus and become much more isolated from the campus culture and life. You’d better hope you have a car, too, otherwise you don’t really have a choice. Conway has incredibly poor walkability and no public transportation, so unless you find a place to live right next to campus, you’re out of luck. The shuttle service takes international students to local stores. Reducing the cost of room and board for low-income students regardless of scholarships would help chip away at one of the major barriers keeping poor people from higher education.
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Entertainment Morgan Wallen reflects on mistakes in new single 7
April 27, 2022
New This Week
AMBER AUSTEN
Movies
BY
April 29 — The Aviary (R), directed by Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite, starring Malin Akerman, Lorenza Izzo, Chris Messina and Sandrine Holt — Two women desperately try to escape an insidious cult called Skylight, but the farther the pair gets from the cult, the more the cult’s leader holds control of their minds.
Morgan Wallen released his first single toward redemption on April 15, 2022, since his last public altercation shunned him from the spotlight. Wallen’s new single “Don’t Think Jesus” is a redemption song where he admits to his mistakes and shares the emotional toll his actions have had on himself and others. Over the last two years, the country singer has had numerous altercations that have resulted in public scrutiny. The first lyrics of the song, “Boy gets a guitar and starts writing songs, about whiskey and women and getting too stoned,” pinpoint the leading causes of those encounters. Back in May of 2020, Wallen was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct at a honky-tonk bar in Nashville. His mug shot flooded social media the day after the incident, catching a lot of publicity. The lyrics, “Starts chasing the devil through honky-tonk bars” reflect on the time in October of 2020 when he broke COVID-19 protocol
April 29 — Fortress: Sniper’s Eye (R), directed by Josh Sternfeld, starring Bruce Willis, Jesse Metcalfe, Kelly Greyson, Natalie Burn and Welker White — Weeks after the deadly attack on Fortress Camp, Robert tries to rescue Sasha, but it appears that she may have devious plans of her own.
April 29 — Memory (R), directed by Martin Campbell, starring Liam Neeson, Monica Bellucci, Taj Atwal, Guy Pearce, Natalie Anderson and Ray Stevenson — An assassin-for-hire becomes a target after he refuses to complete a job for a dangerous criminal organization.
Music April 29 — A Beautiful Time
April 29 — Alpha Games — Bloc Party April 29 — Blue Water Road — Kehlani April 29 — Forgiveness —Girlpool April 29 — Palomino —Miranda Lambert Information from:
www.metacritic.com
Netflix April 28 — Bubble, directed by Tetsuro Araki, starring Jun Shison, Riria, Mamoru Miyano, Yuki Kaji, Tasuku Hatanaka and Alice Hirose — In an abandoned Tokyo overrun by bubbles, a gifted young man meets a mysterious girl.
April 29 — Ozark (Season 4, Part 2), created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams, starring Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Jason Butler Harner and Julia Garner — A financial adviser and his family must launder $500 million in five years in the Missouri Ozarks to appease a drug boss.
April 29 — Grace and Frankie (Season 7, The Final Episodes), created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Martin Sheen — Grace and Frankie continue to show themselves, their families and their fans what it means to live life to the fullest.
Top 4 summer rom-coms on Netflix List compiled by Sydney Ambrus Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of www.billboard.com
Morgan Wallen has been in the country music scene since 2016 when he debuted his single “The Way I Talk.” Wallen has had five #1 hits throughout his career.
and got pulled as a musical performer for “Saturday Night Live.” A TikTok Video of Wallen partying at a bar, sharing shot glasses and kissing women surfaced on Twitter which resulted in the public shaming him for disregarding social distancing and putting other performers of SNL at risk with his careless decisions. After the first round of the chorus, Wallen expresses the hopeless aftermath of the situation that jeopardized his fame with the lyrics, “Boy’s all
alone, got no one to turn to. He figures he’ll pray, ‘cause what else could he do? He said, “I wish you would’ve woke me up an easier way.” But I don’t think Jesus does it that way.” In February of 2021, Wallen was caught on camera using the N-word and other profanity when referring to a Black man while getting out of a vehicle and entering his house. TMZ released the video where backlash and repercussions started immediately. Following the public’s uproar at Wallen’s racial slur,
his music was pulled from radio stations, he was suspended from his record label, dropped from his booking agency and removed from being eligible for music awards. Three days after the incident, Wallen released a five-minute apology video where he announced he would spend the rest of the year out of the spotlight to work on himself. In that time, he managed to reflect on the hardships he brought upon himself where the chorus shows he hit rock
bottom: “If I was Him [Jesus], I’d say, ‘To hell with you, ain’t no helping you.’ Find someone else to give Heaven to, I’m telling you, I’d shame me, I’d blame me, I’d make me pay for my mistakes. But I don’t think Jesus does it that way.” These lyrics reflect a southern man questioning his faith and his chance at eternal life. They admit committed sins and their acceptance as well as guilt, remorse and selfforgiveness. But do the lyrics prove anything to listeners or reach out to the people Wallen hurt along the way? Do they make up for all the wrong he has done? Does this song provide healing for all affected? With these lyrics, “World likes to rear back and throw a few stones, so boy wants to throw a few stones of his own, but Lord knows I ain’t perfect, and it ain’t my place, and I don’t think Jesus done it that way,” Wallen says it does not matter what the world thinks of him as he is on his own path to redemption that only him and Jesus can bring him. Wallen wrote “Don’t Think Jesus” for himself, his faith, his own approval and for the new path he is determined to travel down.
F E S T I VA L
TUNES
Hatchie’s second album: self-questioning lyrics BY
ESTEFANIA MOJICA
Staff Writer
Harriette Pilbeam, most commonly known as Hatchie, released her second studio album, “Giving the World Away,” on April 22. The Australian singer usually keeps her music within the alternative/indie genre but changes things up with this new album. Hatchie returns with more confidence than ever before and many unexpected changes to her creative work style. “Giving the World Away” is forty-nine minutes long, consisting of twelve songs. All full of new instrumentation and stronger lyrics. Her past works could be considered all pop love songs, but with this release, she writes about new topics. Her last album release was in 2019, before the pandemic. The time of isolation perhaps forced Hatchie to explore new concepts to write about and new ways to create music. “Quicksand,” the most popular song from the album, is a great example of this. The song starts with a deep guitar playing and then bursts into a more euphoric melody. It matches the lyrics of the feeling of ‘sinking into quicksand,’ or, in other words, losing hope. There has always been a lot of personification of feelings in your songwriting. In her lyrics, there’s less about the emotions she feels toward someone else and more about her own emotions. During the press release interview, Hatchie says, “This album really just feels
like the beginning to me, and scratching the surface—and even though it’s my third release as Hatchie, I feel like I’m rebooting from scratch.” She writes a lot of what seems like self-criticism and self-questioning. But the album also includes a lot of advice for herself and others. Every song on the album has its distinct instrumentation as well. A personal favorite is the eighth song which is named after the album. “Giving the World Away” starts with a techno intro and then goes into a dreampop climax. The lyrics in this one are repetitive, but the changing of melodies makes it not boring. Hatchie does a great job at making her songs unique from one another. “Giving the World Away” is by far the most creative, open, and adventurous album Hatchie has released. Hatchie will be touring later this year. Starting with May shows throughout the United States and Canada, and then shows in Australia during the months of August and September. Overall this album has Hatchie’s classic sounds, with new aspects that hopefully will be reused in future releases. Hatchie’s fanbase is still rather small, with only 275k monthly listeners on Spotify. However, I think this album has the potential of being her next big hit. My final thoughts would be that this album is something that you can both dance and cry to while listening. The album is now available on most music streaming platforms.
1. ‘Resort To Love’ “Resort To Love” is an underrated rom-com starring Christina Milian, as she portrays an aspiring pop star named Erica Wilson, who is newly single. At the beginning of the movie, Wilson anticipates a big breakthrough as she is to be featured on a mainstream rapper’s album. Though this train to stardom was derailed after the rapper destroyed the album and never released it as a part of a PR stunt. With the song not being released, Wilson was hopeless and looking for other avenues when her publicist offered her a summerlong singing gig at a resort in Mauritius. Wilson ended up booking the job. Once she gets to the resort, she realizes she is singing at weddings. One of the weddings is her ex-fiance and his new wife. Wilson realizes that she still has feelings for her exfiance and tries to keep their past a secret. It is a sweet, funny and cheery rom-com with an ending that you wouldn’t expect.
Photo courtesy of www.hstyles.co.uk
Harry Styles performed during both weekends of the 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The festival lasted from Friday, April 15 to Sunday, April 24.
Harry Styles delivers striking performance at Coachella ‘22 BY
FELICITY AUXIER
Staff Writer
The headliner for Coachella 2022, Harry Styles, wowed the crowd with a colorful and glittery performance for the first two weekends of the major music festival. Styles wore a glittery and metallic jumpsuit adorned with a large black furry coat for the first weekend of Coachella. This outfit showcased Styles’ signature look that fans have enjoyed over the past three years of Styles’ solo career, which is inspired by other iconic artists like David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. The rest of Styles’ band wore matching denim jumpsuits to contrast his flamboyant attire. For the second weekend, Styles wore a metallic pink vest with mid-sized strawberry decals and matching metallic pink pants. Styles also sported a large furry pink coat during his weekend two performance. “Pink is the only true rock ‘n’ roll color,” Styles said.
2. ‘Someone Great’ “Someone Great” is another great rom-com starring Gina Rodriguez, who plays Jenny Young, an aspiring music journalist in New York, and Lakeith Stanfield, who plays Nate Davis, her boyfriend. “Someone Great” is different from other Netflix rom-coms as it starts with a breakup between Young and Davis. Davis decided to break up with Young after nine years of dating. Young is left saddened by this breakup and crying all day. In an effort to feel better, she calls her best friends to spend a night out together before Young moves away to San Francisco for a job. The movie is very uplifting and shows a brighter side to breakups, as Young really focuses on the relationship with her two best friends. The movie feels like one epic girl’s night and is a great watch for the summer!
Styles performed his new single “As it Was,” which will appear on his upcoming album, “Harry’s House.” Fans also got a special performance during the first weekend of the festival as Styles debuted “Boyfriends,” an unreleased song from his new album. Styles also performed several old hits from his first two solo albums, “Harry Styles” and “Fine Line,” including “Kiwi,” “Watermelon Sugar” and “Golden.” Styles also performed a second unreleased song called “Medicine,” which is a fan favorite during the second weekend of the festival. The crowd lit up when Styles brought out special guest, Shania Twain, during his performance on the first weekend of the festival. Styles and Twain sang “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” together. Twain played the guitar while both musicians sang together in perfect harmony. Lizzo also made a special
3. ‘Kissing Booth 3’ “The Kissing Booth 3” is the final movie of the classic Netflix trilogy, which is based on the titular book. “The Kissing Booth 3” stars Joey King as Elle Evans, Jacob Elordi as Noah Flynn, and Joel Courtney as Lee Flynn. The movie is set in the summer before the characters move away to college. Evans is faced with a hard decision between moving to a college with her boyfriend, Noah Flynn, or going to college with her best friend, Lee Flynn. Evan puts her big decision to the side and tries to live her summer to the fullest before making the decision. While doing so, she discovers an old summer bucket list that she and her best friend Lee created together. Throughout the movie, we see the adorable relationship between Evans and Noah and her completing the summer bucket list with her bestie Lee. It is an overall amusing and exciting movie filled with romance and summer elements.
appearance for the second weekend of the festival, with Styles performing one of her hits, “Juice.” Fans appeared particularly excited for this performance as both Styles and Lizzo made a goofy pair having fun on stage. Lizzo made sure to show her love for the artist while she was on stage with him. “Coachella? You mean the Harry Styles concert,” Lizzo said. Styles closed his hourlong performances by performing his first single as an independent artist, “Sign of the Times,” which he does at all of his concerts. Fireworks illuminated the sky behind the stage as Styles finished his striking performance. At the end of his set, Styles said, “This is such a massive moment for me. I thank you so much for having me here. This is very special. Life is all about moments, and this is one I will not forget. Thank you for making this so special, thank you.”
4. ‘#RealityHigh’ “#RealityHigh” starts with an “I like him, he likes her” situation.“#RealityHigh” stars Nesta Cooper as Dani Barnes, a senior who is focused on her studies and has a passion for animals, and Keith Powers as Cameron Drake, a senior and captain of the swim team, with dreams of being an Olympic star. Barnes has had a crush on Drake since childhood but hides it due to Drake dating Alexa Medina (Alicia Sanz), who is seemingly the most popular girl at school as she has many followers and a reality T.V. show. Barnes and Drake later bond over his dog, once Drake brings the dog in for care at the vet clinic Barnes works at. Barnes was able to help the sick dog, which leads her to be swept into Drake’s circle at school where she gains popularity. Barnes starts a relationship with Drake but then loses her sense of self, and her relationship.
ucanews.live
SPORTS
8 / April 27 , 2022
UCA STATS CORNER SPORT
OPPONENT
RESULT
RECORD
North Florida
4-1 L
17-16
Softball
Lipscomb
12-2 W
28-16, 12-6
Baseball
Bellarmine
10-5 W
18-20, 12-6
4-2 L
13-11, 5-4
Beach Volleyball
Tennis
Liberty University
TRACK AND FIELD
Photo by Andrew McMahan
Softball claims 2-1 victory over Lipscomb Bisons at Farris Fields BY
ANDREW MCMAHAN
Staff Writer
The University of Central Arkansas’ softball team (27-16, 12-6 ASUN) had their senior weekend while playing host in an Atlantic Sun Conference series against the Lipscomb Bisons (17-28, 7-11 ASUN). The Bears won games one and three to win the series 2-1. The two teams competed in a double header on Saturday, splitting those two games, while playing the last game on Sunday. The Bears won game one 7-1. The Bears scored all seven runs in the first two innings, leaving a hole too big for the Bisons to dig out of. UCA sophomore pitcher Kayla Beavers was the winning pitcher of game one with a complete game pitched. She had four strikeouts while allowing five hits. Her win/loss record on the year improved to 15-6. UCA junior infielder Jaylee Engelkes hit her tenth home run of the season, while sophomore infielder Morgan Nelson hit her fifth home run of the year in game one. In game two, the Bears started fast again in the first inning with sophomore infielder Mary Kate Brown knocking in sophomore outfielder Jenna Wildeman with a double to score UCA’s first run. However, this would end up
being the only run UCA would score in this game. The Bisons would go on to double up the Bears with two runs of their own in game two. The final score was 2-1. Brown knocked in her 39th RBI this season, which is the most on the team. UCA junior pitcher Jordan Johnson (10-10) took the loss on the mound for the Bears. Lipscomb’s Kate Peters received the win on the mound for the Bison’s in game two. She is now 8-7 on the season. In game three, the Bears emphatically won the game with a score of 12-2 while also ending the game in run-rule fashion with a grand slam by Morgan Nelson. Nelson had another outstanding day for the Bears in game three, where she contributed two more home runs. Kayla Beavers once again delivered on the mound for the Bears as well. She improved to 16-6 for the year, which is best for second in terms of the number of wins by a pitcher in the ASUN Conference. The Bears would not stop pouring on the runs once the barrier was broken. The Bears scored at least two runs in each inning from the third inning onwards with three runs coming in both the third and fourth innings and four runs coming in the sixth and final inning. Morgan Nelson hit the first of
her two home runs in the game during the fifth inning. As stated earlier, Nelson would then hit another home run in the sixth inning. However, this was the grand slam that put the bow on top of a winning senior weekend for the Bears. Those two home runs by Nelson were her sixth and seventh respectively. Nelson had six total RBI. Nelson was glowing with joy when asked about how things went for the Bears after the game. Nelson did not hesitate to speak on her team first though. Nelson said, “These teammates mean a lot to me, they push me everyday and make me want to work. I would say I push them too and it’s fun to have that competitive type of team around to support.” UCA fifth-year Senior outfielder Reagan Sperling tallied a home run, which was her second of the season. UCA’s Sperling, one of the seniors, was obviously pleased when asked about her team’s performance. Sperling said, “Oh it was awesome. Morgan had a great weekend, we are just really proud of the way we are playing right, playing really well as a team. This is the best way we could have played here this weekend.” The Bear’s will battle for this upcoming weekend at the University of North Alabama.
FEATURE
Honey Bear dance captain shares school spirit with UCA students BY
MACI ENGLAND
Staff Writer
Most people find their passions later in life, but Hannah Jones found her’s at the age of two. Hannah Jones is a junior majoring in exercise science with a focus on athletic training. She is also a captain of the University of Central Arkansas dance team. Jones started dancing as soon as she could walk. Since then, she has danced competitively at Cabot Dance Academy and was captain of the Cabot High School dance team. After she graduated from high school, Jones knew she wanted to continue dancing. This led her to try out for the UCA dance team her freshman year. “I joined the UCA dance team because I love to dance. Once I graduated, I knew I wanted to dance wherever I went to school,” Jones said. Despite being scared to try out at first, Jones gave it her all at the tryouts because she wanted to be on the team more than anything. “I was very nervous my first year trying out, but I was also very excited because I was doing what I love to do,” Jones said. “When you audition, it is important to have fun.”
Jones has made the team every year since then and is now a veteran and captain. As captain, she helps lead the Honey Bears in routines and dances. Jones enjoys being a Honey Bear because she gets to raise the spirit of UCA during pep rallies, games and special events. She also loves getting to encourage and support her teammates. The dance team also
events to perform at is the send off the dance team has before the big trip. The send off is a special performance the dance team puts on for friends and family before going to Nationals. “We have so much fun performing on the stage together,” Jones said. “My favorite thing about being a dancer is that I can perform at games but also be able to compete at events.” A f t e r graduation, Jones wants to become an occupational therapist so she can help people with disabilities. “I hope to go to occupational therapy school,” Jones said. While becoming a therapist, Jones says she will continue to follow her dream of dancing by teaching dance to others. “I definitely want to continue Photo courtesy of UCA Dance Team dancing after I graduate. I teach at a dance studio and hope to stay there a competes at the National long time,” Jones said. Dance Alliance Championship Jones encourages everyone in Daytona Beach, Florida, to follow their dreams and every spring. have fun doing it. The team goes through As a Honey Bear, Jones a “hell week” of rehearsals lives out her dream daily. before leaving for Florida. “Trying out to be a Honey Rehearsals during hell week Bear was one of the best can be hard, but Jones says decisions of my life,” Jones it’s not too bad being with said. teammates. Tryouts for the 2022“We make it through as one 2023 UCA Dance Team are big family,” Jones said. May 12 and 13 from 5:30One of Jones’s favorite 8:30 p.m.
Photo by ucasports.com
Bears break four more records at Crimson Tide Invitational BY
SYDNEY CYR
Entertainment Editor
The UCA men and women’s track and field teams set several UCA and personal records at the Crimson Tide Invitational on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23. On the first day of the meet, Alex Hanson, a graduate student, set the UCA record in the men’s 1500m, placing 12th with a time of 3:46.69. Julian Haessner, a graduate student, also set a UCA record on the first day of the meet, placing fifth in the men’s 5000m with a time of 14:26.52. Graduate student Philipp Haessner got the second-best UCA time in the men’s 5000m, placing eighth with a time of 14:31.23. “Overall, Philipp and I are satisfied that we both could break the school record over 5K,” Julian Haessner said. “It is an amazing moment when you cross the finish line and realize that you ran the fastest time in school history. For the future, a feasible goal for me would be to break the 14-minute mark over 5K.” Sophomore Sara Steimel set a personal record for the women’s team on day one in the 5000m with a time of 17:19.04. Junior Hunter Henderson set a personal record for the men’s team on day one in the 1500m
with a time of 3:51.53. On the second day of the meet, the women’s 4x100 relay team of sophomore Ciara Tucker, sophomore Kendelle McCoy, freshman Talayssia Sanders and freshman Laila Cleare set the UCA record, placing fifth with a time of 45.88. “My teammates have made me extremely proud,” Tucker said. “It took some time, but I knew the day would come. They showed up and showed out.” The men’s 4x100 relay team of junior Kobe Gill, sophomore Tristan LaVan, junior Johnson Adegbite and junior Wesley Suen set the UCA record, placing fifth with a time of 40.25. “The 4x100 was a success in breaking a school record, but we are still on the hunt for our overall goal,” Gill said. “There are a few things we need to touch up on with the relay, and we will be where we truly want to be when that happens.” Senior Tyler Rose set a UCA record in the women’s 400m on day two, placing fourth with a time of 55.10. Rose also set a personal record in the women’s 200m dash, placing 13th with a time of 24.57. “Overall, I felt my performance was great this past weekend,” Rose said. “I would have liked to run faster in my open 400m, but I can’t
Tournament :
complain because it is an outdoor PR. I felt good being able to PR in all my events. It was a nice feeling and a confidence booster.” For the women’s team, freshman Talayssia Sanders set a personal record in the 400m with a time of 57.131, freshman Zadie St. Louis set a personal record in the 400m with a time of 57.75 and sophomore Ciara Tucker set a personal record in the 100m with a time of 12.38. Sophomore Anna Bommes set a personal record in the 800m with a time of 2:17.57 and freshman Laila Cleare set a personal record in the 200m with a time of 24.80. For the men’s team, freshman Jaiden Ventour set a personal record in the 400m with a time of 48.12, senior Shamal Sullivan set a personal record in the 400m with a time of 48.78 and freshman Michaelangelo Bullard set a personal record in the javelin throw with a distance of 65.65m. Junior Kobe Gill set a personal record in the 200m with a time of 21.81, junior Wesley Suen set a personal record in the 200m with a time of 21.88 and sophomore Alex Townsley set a personal record in the 200m with a time of 24.80. The Bears will be traveling to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to compete in the Penn Relays from April 28-30.
Bears lose last game to North Florida
Continued from page 5
Coast University, losing 5-0. FGCU, ranked 2nd in the conference, remained undefeated throughout the first round of pool play, securing a spot in the semifinals, which continue this week. The ASUN tournament is split into two pools of six teams, with the two best teams from each pool moving on to a championship bracket. Heading into day three of the
tournament, the Bears had one last chance to secure a spot in the championship bracket with their game against the University of North Florida, ranked 3rd in the conference. UCA managed to get a point on the scoreboard but were unable to stop the UNF Ospreys, who triumphed over the bears 4-1. This marked the end of the UCA Bears’ run for the
ASUN Beach Volleyball Championship as well as the end of their season, finishing with a 17-16 record. Those wanting to catch a beach volleyball game in the future will have to wait until the Bears’ next season starts. If you can’t get enough UCA sports, there are still several baseball and softball games to come and support the Bears before the semester ends.