THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER
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WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 Volume 117 — Issue 6
ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST CONWAY
Sports:
Campus Life:
Family Day: Campus community participates in family fun on game day.
Entertainment:
Lil Nas X new album: ‘MONTERO’ causes controversy with shocking imagery.
Bears vs Bearkats: Bears lose 45-35 to Sam Houston Bearkats in second home game.
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4 page 7
Gas leak causes evacuations of multiple UCA properties
Rainy
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BY MIA WADDELL
THE NEWSDESK FROM THE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Shooting at Russian University kills six
A law student at Perm State University in Russia shot and killed six people and wounded 19 people, according to state media, government and university officials. Videos showed the shooter dressed in black clothing with a black helmet and a shotgun. Students barricaded themselves in classrooms or escaped by jumping out of windows and running away. The shooter was identified as Timur Bekmansurov, and a university spokesperson said he was in police custody.
N AT I O N A L COVID-19 death toll same as Spanish Flu COVID-19 has caused the deaths of about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic. The total number of deaths for both pandemics is about 675,000. The Spanish flu killed a larger percentage of the population since the total population in the U.S. was only one-third of what it is today. Experts say that, like the Spanish flu, COVID-19 may never fully disappear.
Two lawsuits filed in Texas, abortion law
News Editor
A gas leak near UCA’s campus caused several buildings and parking lots to be evacuated and left many students unable to access their dorms on Thursday, Sept. 16. The UCA Alert system sent out an evacuation message notifying faculty and students that areas between Donaghey Avenue and South Center, as well as Robins Street and Hillman Street, were being evacuated by personnel. Sergeant Ryan Britton of Conway PD said, “The fire department was dispatched down to that area for a gas leak, and when they got there, they decided to evacuate the area.” The buildings affected on UCA’s campus were Torreyson Apartments, Erbach Apartments, Oak Tree Apartments and Robin Street parking lot across from the College of Business. UCA Alert advised all those affected to evacuate, with special precautions for those smelling rotten eggs or hearing a blowing or hissing noise. The alert advised students to not use phones inside of the affected buildings, turn on lights or appliances, open or close windows, shut off the gas, light candles or enter the building before allowed by Conway Police. Many students were seen sitting outside of the buildings, working on homework, or sitting in their cars while they waited for the all-clear. After mowing yards around Conway, junior Landon Mazur came home to the streets blocked off around his house on Davis Street. “I had to leave my truck and trailer across the street and walk back inside,” Mazur said. While walking to his house, he spoke to a police officer and
photo by Mia Waddell
Fireman gather at the scene of the gas leak at 516 South Davis Street. The gas leak initially caused many buildings on UCA’s campus to evacuate due to wind conditions and worries about widespread harm from the toxic gas.
fire chief on duty who advised him to stay inside his house and do not start any vehicles until further notice. “After about an hour and a half, I was finally able to get my truck and park my trailer so I could get to work on time [at 2 p.m.],” Maze said. Unfortunately, Maze missed a class due to the gas leak. “The fire department decided to evacuate a larger area because of what could happen,” Britton said. “The way the wind was blowing could have affected it. The wind can carry the gas farther than the leak itself.” According to TimeandDate. com, a website that collects
weather data and patterns, wind speeds in Conway on Thursday, Sept. 16 were considerably higher than those of other days of the week and month, which led to concern about the gas leak. The cause for the gas leak is perceived to be local construction at 516 South Davis Street, where CenterPoint Energy was digging a ditch. “They were probably digging and punctured something,” Britton said. Britton believed that the gas leak was most likely caused by construction and that the extended period of evacuation wait time was due to how the gas lines in the neighborhood were
set up. “What ends up happening is CenterPoint came down, they create a loop where they can keep gas going for the neighborhood, and then they are able to patch the broken line,” Britton said. After over an hour of waiting, UCA Alert reported that the evacuation area has been downsized and that students could return to their apartments. “Once they were able to figure it out, they were able to reduce the area down to just this one street,” Britton said. A large police presence was initially dispatched for the situation because the area of evacuation was relatively large.
“Initially, we set up a command post over at the ball fields and had people checking in to be able to go to different areas to start the evacuation process,” said Britton. Police barricades went up at multiple locations near Davis Street, preventing students, faculty and Conway residents from traveling on many local campus roads. In addition to the Campus Alert system, UCAPD and Conway PD released statements concerning the evacuation and gas leak situation. No injuries were reported and the situation was remedied by late afternoon.
SGA
Two lawsuits were filed in Texas against a doctor who admitted to performing an abortion that is now considered illegal under the new Texas abortion law. The law allows private citizens to enforce the abortion ban once cardiac activity is detected, which is usually about six weeks into a pregnancy. Oscar Stilley of Arkansas sued to test the constitutionality of the Texas law. Felipe Gomez of Chicago sued as well, asking a court in San Antonio to declare the new law unconstitutional.
S TAT E
Lowest case count in AR since July
Arkansas COVID-19 case numbers had the lowest daily increase since early July with 396 new COVID-19 cases reported to health officials on Sept. 20. Active COVID-19 case numbers also dropped to 15,004. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said that although case numbers have dropped, Arkansas’ vaccination numbers are still not as high as they need to be. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jennifer Dillaha said she is still concerned about a winter COVID-19 surge in Arkansas.
WHAT’S AHEAD
IN OUR NEXT ISSUE
Students participate in speed dating to make connections.
photo by Vivian Norris
(Left) Incoming SGA senators take their oath during the groups first meeting. The oath consists of swearing to “support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Student Government Association.” (Right) The executive board leads meeting with President Mya Hall. The board passed a motion to nominate Hall and Executive Vice President Davonne Moore for homecoming court.
Student Government Association swears in new members BY VIVIAN NORRIS Staff Writer
The Student Government Association held its first meeting of the 2021-2022 school year Monday, Sept. 27. The meeting followed their annual retreat, where new senators were introduced to their positions and assigned to committees. To commence the meeting, President Mya Hall led the senators in their oath to officially accept and begin their roles as senators. Through the oath, senators swear to “support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Student Government Association” and “advocate for the betterment of all constituents,” according to Article V of the SGA Constitution. There were no new updates for any standing or ad hoc committees. The Internal Affairs Ad Hoc committee was reintroduced this year, after going on a hiatus the last academic year. “Internal Affairs is in charge of finding and correcting mistakes and inconsistencies within the SGA Constitution. We are also in charge of considering amendments and changes to the Constitution prior to voting in the full Senate,” Montana Cramer, junior
vice president and Internal Affairs Committee chair, said. Madison Aldy, vice president of finance, motioned for the Student Government Association to submit Hall and Executive Vice President Davonne Moore as its homecoming court nomination. The motion was passed by unanimous consent. “I think Mya and Davonne are really good candidates because they have done so much for us so far, already...and it wouldn’t be just a nomination. It would be a co-sponsorship because they both have other organizations nominating them as well,” Aldy said. Four new UCA faculty are joining Charlotte Strickland in her eleventh year in advising the SGA. Strickland is the director of Professional Development and Training in the Division of Student Services, where she also serves on the Diversity Advisory Committee for the university. This year, Strickland is joined by María Negrete Padrón, Adam Rose, Taine Duncan and Michael Kithinji. Among many roles promoting diversity at UCA, Padrón is the associate director of the Office of Diversity and Community. “[María] acts as an advocate
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for underrepresented students to ensure that they are exposed to networking opportunities and to enhance their communication and leadership skills,” according to uca.edu. Rose serves as the associate general counsel and compliance officer, as well as the Title IX Coordinator at UCA. According to uca.edu, “[Adam Rose] coordinates the University’s compliance with Title IX and the Title IX complaint response procedures.” Duncan is the chair of the philosophy and religion department as well as an associate professor and director of the gender studies program. Her courses currently consist of Gender, Race, and Class and Feminist Philosophy. Kithinji is an associate professor in the history department and co-director of the African and AfricanAmerican studies program. According to uca.edu, he is also a published author and co-editor. Starting next week, Monday, Oct. 4th, the SGA will be returning to their chambers in the Student Center Room 208 for their weekly meetings for the first time since the pandemic began amid the spring 2020 semester.
Inside:
Opinion:
Periods should not be stigmatized.
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2/September 29, 2021
NEWS
Police Beat
ucanews.live
The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports by Assistant News Editor Sydney Cyr
Harassment over MIP outside of alleged cheating Sig Tau house
DWI outside of Bear’s Den Bar
UCAPD received a UCA Campus Security Authority Crime Statistic Report Form from student Mia Rideout. The report stated that Rideout had received phone calls and text messages from unknown numbers harassing her about her boyfriend cheating on her. Rideout’s boyfriend denied knowing anything about the incident and told her to forget about it. UCA Police marked the case as unfounded.
Officer Phillip Boyd observed a vehicle pull out of the Bear’s Den parking lot and nearly strike the curb. Boyd followed the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on Prince Street. Boyd made contact with the driver, Whitney Kivett, and conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. Boyd determined that Kivett was impaired, and he arrested her for Driving While Intoxicated.
Student Anthony Lorenzana was seen carrying a case of beer into the Sig Tau house by UCAPD. Officers made contact with Lorenzana and noticed an odor of intoxicants coming from him. Officers also found Lorenzana’s fake ID while searching through his wallet. Officer Phillip Boyd arrested Lorenzana and charged him with Minor In Possession of Alcohol and possession of a fake ID.
graphic by Mia Waddell
HOUSE BILL
photo courtesy of unsplash.com
House Bill 1594 passes in Arkansas Legislature. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) residents, also known as dreamers, are now eligible for teaching licenses in Arkansas. Dreamers have parents who came to US illegally and are not technically citizens.
DACA students now eligible for teaching license in AR BY
MEGAN HOLDER
Online Editor
House Bill 1594 has made it possible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients to obtain a teaching license in Arkansas. The law was passed in 2021 by the Education Committee. Gary Bunn, the director in the Office of Candidate Services at the University of Central Arkansas, said “Arkansas’ teaching license rules didn’t allow non-citizens to have a teaching license or a professional license in general. DACA has always been sort of a middle ground because they’re not citizens, but they’re also not here without permission. There has always been some kind of uncertainty.” Before a student can receive their license, they have to complete the educator preparation program. It is a traditional four-year program depending on what area they want to teach in. Bunn said that there have been doubts about DACA students. He
said some citizens feel as if the people were given entry into the U.S. improperly. Some of the people don’t want to continue the program and want to end it. Others support the program and want to increase it. Students of this status don’t usually disclose who they are for fear that they might get identified. Associate Director of Diversity and & Community María Negrete Padrón said, “One of the main uncertainties that these students face are financial issues. DACA students cannot receive any scholarships unless it’s a private scholarship.” Padron said that DACA students who are residents in Arkansas can now receive in-state tuition depending on how long they have been a resident and if they live on campus. Although their tuition can be paid for, they still have to pay for classes. Padron said, “I also need to clarify that DACA students are different from undocumented students. Both of them may be undocumented, but DACA students have to fill out a form every two years, and they have to pay a fee for their application every two years. Their work permit and a
form of social security are only valid for every two years.” DACA students also face deportation and not being able to complete their studies. When students sign up for DACA, they’re asked to give their family’s information, which could put them in danger. Padron said there is not a plan yet to encourage DACA students to study for their teaching license. “Because of the financial strains, a lot of student’s families don’t want them to do teaching because it’s not a high-paying job. They will be in very deep debt if they can’t get scholarships.” To qualify for this license under House Bill 1594, the United States Department of Homeland Security has to approve the individual’s request for exemption under the Childhood Arrivals policy. The individual’s exemption status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy cannot expire and has to be properly renewed. The individual is required to have a current and valid employment authorization document issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.
Campus Accolades
GAS LEAK
The following information is compiled from UCA Inform by News Editor Mia Waddell
ARVEST FACULTY MEMBER OF THE GAME: KEITH PACHLHOFER HONORED
Central Arkansas Athletics and Arvest Bank honored Senior Lecturer of Mathematics in Student Transitions, Keith Pachlhofer during the first home football game on Saturday, Sept. 18. Every home game, a faculty member is honored by Central Arkansas Athletics and Arvest Bank for their contributions to the athletics program and campus community as a whole. The award is part of a regional program “We Love Teachers” created by Arvest. Students can nominate their professor’s through Facebook, and those awarded win cash.
COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENT PLACES
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS STUDENT WINS 2021
SECOND FOR RESEARCH Makenzie Spurling, an undergraduate student in the Computer Science Program, placed second in a statewide research poster competition. Spurling participated in the DART Student Poster Competition. Spurling’s research, entitled “How Reliable Are Crowd Workers?” was chosen for second place in the competition, amongst the 14 other participants. DART’s competition has been running for five years in collaboration with the US National Science Foundation. The project was supervised by Chenyi Hu, professor of computer science and engineering.
INTERN SCHOLARSHIP Daisy Martinez Carranza was awarded a $5,000 academic scholarship for her work interning with Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield during summer 2021. The award is given to an intern in the program who does exceptional work and presents a final project to top BlueCross BlueShield executives. Carranza was a group marketing and member engagement intern within the company, where she attended meetings and participated in projects relevant to her field. Carranza stated, “this is as much a win for me as it is for my advisors and mentors here at UCA.”
photo by Mia Waddell
An officer barricades South Davis Street. No traffic was allowed in the area while the fire department resolved the leak.
SGA
photo by Vivian Norris
SGA senators attend the group’s first meeting. The group had no new updates for any standing or ad hoc committees.
Have a lead for a news story? Write a letter to the editor at ucaechoonline@gmail.com If you’ve noticed something on campus that’s positive or negative, we want to hear about it.
Campus Life
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September 29, 2021
Around Campus:
National Voter Registration On Sept. 29, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., outside of the Student Center, Torreyson Library and Lewis Science Center, there will be tables for students to update or register their voter registration. For more information can be found on CubConnect.
Volunteer Fair From 12 p.m.-3 p.m. on Sept. 30, in front of the Student Center, there will be a volunteer fair for students to meet and get involved with the nonprofits throughout Conway and Central Arkansas. For more information, email Lesley Graybeal at lgraybeal@uca.edu.
Photo via @ucabears Twitter
UCA’s Family Day offers families of students and alumni a time to come together to play games and eat. The event could not happen last year due to COVID-19, but this year was able to have plenty of participants. Local businesses and restaurants had tents set up the event along with inflatables set up for kids. The event took place before the football game.
Family Day hosts afternoon games and food by Emilee Hagewood
Sports Editor
Psychological Society Meeting On Sept. 30, during x-period, in Mashburn room 239 or via Zoom link on CubConnect, a meeting will be held for anyone interested in joining the Psychological Society. Food will be provided.
First Fall Informational SIA At 7:13 p.m.-8:13 p.m., on Sept. 30, in room 223 in the Student Center, SIA, the Latina/Hispanic sorority, will be hosting their first Fall 2021 informational. Students will be able to ask questions about the sorority.
Before the football game against Sam Houston on Saturday, Sept. 25, families and alumni tailgated with UCA students, enjoying food, games and activities for all ages. Tents and booths were lined up and down Bruce Street with families bringing lots of food and even their own televisions to watch other football games while they waited for UCA to play. The practice football field was filled with inflatables for the younger kids, with Tacos for Life and Andy’s Frozen Custard on the side. Associate Dean of Students Jacob Ternes said, “Today we offered a free picnic lunch through Aramark and then President Davis and his wife were out here, greeting people between 12 and 2. We have a
variety of yard games, inflatables, some big inflatables like the obstacle course and the slide.” They had free T-shirts for the first 400 people, which lasted about an hour, and Andy’s Frozen Custard gave away 1,000 free samples of vanilla and chocolate custard. There were booths selling novelty street signs, which were very popular, along with caricatures, letter name writing, face painting and balloon animals. “There seem to be a lot of younger families but also we saw a ton of college students out here walking around so it’s a good mixture of hitting the college crowd and also being family friendly,” Ternes said. Not being able to have the event last year because of COVID-19, Ternes said that he was very pleased with the turnout and he thought there
were plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained. There were different booths featuring local businesses as well. Moe’s has been a sponsor of UCA since the location in Conway opened. Kayla Spears said, “We come out and bring the prize wheel for the kiddos and the students, let them get a chance to win free prizes, food, koozies, some of our merchandise and stuff along those lines.” Moe’s was also recruiting potential employees and telling everyone about the free queso you get when you download the Moe’s app. “We are going to offer a candidate from the crowd that gets drawn. They’re going to kick a field goal from the 15yard line. If they make it, they get a free burrito for a year, every week,” Spears said. The promo took place during the first
quarter and Moe’s had someone dressed in a taco suit to pick out the candidate. Amanda Bledsoe with Bledsoe Chiropractic in Conway, also a UCA alum, had a tent set up where she gave away miniature footballs and talked to parents, students and fans. Bledsoe talked with many student athletes and their parents, saying a lot of them complained of having back problems but didn’t know where to go because they weren’t from Conway. “That’s kind of my hope is to connect, and that way parents can see me and go, ‘I trust you with my kid’ and answer questions,” Bledsoe said. The UCA bookstore also had a tent set up with a corn hole game in the back. Anyone that made two out of five in the hole got to win UCA merchandise like a T-shirt. They had many
participants throughout the day and lots of families went home with prizes from their booth and the others. Carol Scott and Leann Robinson were at one of the many tents set up by families; both had daughters currently attending UCA. Scott had a daughter in Delta Zeta and Robinson’s daughter was in Alpha Tau. Both women graduated from UCA and were happy to be back on campus spending time with their families. Scott said, “It’s a lot different, we didn’t have [family day] when we were in school back in the early 90s. So it’s awesome, we love it.” Although Sam Houston ended up defeating the Bears on Saturday, families, faculty and students got to connect with each other and enjoy the activities provided. The street was filled with smiling faces, laughter and positive energy.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES BOARD
AmigoFest From 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 2, in the Student Center courtyard, the Office of Diversity and Community will be honoring Hispanic Heritage month through food vendors, entertainment and giveaways. To volunteer, contact Maria Negrete Padron at mnegretepadron1@uca.edu.
UCA Students for the Arts Interest Meeting During x-period on Feb. 11 Students for the Arts will have an interest meeting featuring special guest Executive Director of Americans for the Arts, Erin Holiday. Zoom link available on CubConnect.
AFA Mudstock On Oct. 2, at the UCA Mud Volleyball Courts, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., the Association of Future Alumni will be hosting their annual mud volleyball tournament. All students are encouraged to join with their groups of eight.
‘Man Made’ Film On Oct. 5, from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., in Reynolds Hall, the Feminist Union will be showing the movie: “Man Made.” The movie features four transgender men who begin the journey to join the bodybuilding community. This is in honor of LGBTQ+ history month.
Wellness Fair From 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. in the UCA HPER, on Oct. 7, the Health Science Club will be offering free health screenings. These include: cholesterol, blood sugar, flexibility, blood pressure and body fat screenings. The first 400 participants will receive a free hand towel.
Photo by Mia Waddell
Student Activities Board hosts singer/songwriter Alice Kristiansen in the Student Center on Sept. 21. Kristiansen found fame on YouTube after Ashton Kutcher reposted one of her covers on Facebook, gaining over 4.7 million view on the video. Kristiansen’s 2019 EP, “Streetlights,” and her other music can be found on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify.
Alice Kristiansen performs emotional songs for students during rainy-day concert hosted by SAB
by Mia Waddell
News Editor
College tours, writing music and emotional tunes carried singer Alice Kristiansen through quarantine and to UCA, where she performed in the Student Center on Sept. 21. The Student Activities Board hosted the singer on a rainy Tuesday evening, akin to the mood of her music. Kristiansen found her first taste of fame when Ashton Kutcher reposted one of her YouTube covers to his Facebook page. “He put it on a Facebook page, which doesn’t exist anymore,” said Kristiansen. “It really helped as far as my YouTube. I got a bunch
more subscribers, and it was a massive thing that made labels interested.” Kristiansen started her singing career on YouTube, posting covers of popular songs from her bedroom. After Kutcher posted her cover, Kristiansen acquired over 4.7 million views on the video and over 87 million views on her YouTube channel. Blackbook Magazine, an art and culture magazine, compared Kristiansen’s voice and musical stylings to that of Lana Del Rey. “I found ‘Born To Die’ when I was 14. It permeated my mind,” Kristiansen said. “I love her.” The emotional lyrics and dramatic themes in her songs are most similar to the musical work
of Del Rey, who Kristiansen said heavily inspires her. During her performance, Kristiansen covered Taylor Swift’s song “Cowboy Like Me,” a crowd favorite and an obvious inspiration in her work. Singing has always been a large part of Kristiansen’s life, even before she found enjoyment in writing song lyrics. “I was into singing first,” Kristiansen said. “I didn’t realize how easy song writing was.” Writing was a skill Kristiansen had to learn. “I thought it was just a big thing that I could never do. Then it was broken down for me, and I was like, Oh I can do this,” Kristiansen said. “A lot of [the lyrics] are directly related to my
life. Some of the more fun songs are emotionally true, but the sets and details are different.” Kristiansen’s notoriety on YouTube coincided with popular “Heather” singer, Conan Gray. “We were on YouTube at the same time. I talked to him,” Kristiansen said. Gray and popular “Good 4 You” singer, Olivia Rodrigo, also follow Kristiansen’s social media. Despite her peer’s success with labels, Kristiansen has yet to be signed to one yet. “I’m not signed. I didn’t like the ones I met with because they didn’t understand what I was trying to do,” Kristiansen said. The buzz around Kristiansen came at the same time in a rise of
popularity for solo artists in the pop music industry. “They wanted me to sound like somebody else,” Kristiansen said. “I didn’t want to do that.” During quarantine, Kristiansen moved to Maine. “I wrote a bunch up there and sketched out plans for an album,” Kristiansen said. Kristiansen’s EP “Streetlights,” was released in 2019. Since then, she’s been working on her next project. “I moved to Nashville, my plan is to work on the album there,” Kristiansen said. “I’m just trying to find the right people to work with right now.” Kristiansen’s music is available for streaming on Apple Music, Google Play and Spotify.
4/ September 29, 2021
CAMPUS LIFE
Tai Chi helps students learn relaxing exercise by Emilee Hagewood Sports Editor
The Chinese Culture Club hosted Tai Chi on the lawn in front of McAllister Hall on Friday, Sept. 24, providing a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of student life through relaxing exercise. Adam Frank led eight attendees in a form of Qigong, which is not a set of martial arts, but rather shorter sets of exercises that relate closely to yoga. He taught a basic Qigong set that included 12 different sets. Frank had lived in China for five years and trained with numerous teachers, learning multiple new forms of Tai Chi. He began when he saw an ad in the paper for a class at age 17 that said it would only take about six months to learn, “but I’m on year 40 now.” “Most people, both in the U.S. and China, only do [slow form]. In China, you know, at least 90% of people practice Tai
Chi,” Frank said. He led the students through a series of sets, asking them to imagine there was a string reaching from the top of their head and pulling their bodies upwards. They moved their feet in synchronization with their breathing, along with their arms and hands. Frank led them through multiple different movements that focused on breathing deeply and imagining different parts of the body were weighted. “This particular event was organized by the Chinese Culture Club. Former students invited me and they just started last week, this is gonna be our second day,” Frank said. They plan to host these events for the rest of the school year, every Friday afternoon. With COVID-19 precautions still in place, Frank said they will continue to host the event outside, weather permitting. Senior and president of the Chinese Culture Club Kathryn Gooden said, “We knew that
Adam had taught a class in the past, and wanted to teach another one. We were trying to brainstorm ideas, thinking ‘well what can we do this semester with COVID restrictions?’” They reached out to Frank, who was more than happy to teach another class. Gooden said it wasn’t difficult to get the event registered on Cub Connect but it was a challenge to advertise the event. “It was kind of a learning process. Jocelyn was very helpful with the advertising aspect and making posters,” Gooden said. Sophomore Jocelyn Bringer is a Chinese major and said her teacher informed her about the club and she thought, as a lover of Chinese Culture, that it would be a perfect fit. “Chinese Club kinda got cancelled with COVID last year, it just stopped and dissolved like a lot of things,” Bringer said. Now that heavy restrictions have been lifted and more people have been vaccinated, they’re
able to get back out and connect with students once again. The club has high hopes for the rest of the school year, and wants to get as many students involved as they can with something that promotes their well-being. Frank said that consistency is key to getting a person in the frame of mind to relax. “People who stick with it, tend to report feeling like it does help them through rough spots, both physical and mental rough spots,” Frank said. Being that it is such a relaxing exercise, Frank said it helps by working out physical pain in a gentle way. From his personal experience with joint issues, he said it allowed him to move more fluidly and made his joints hurt less with regular practice. Frank will continue to teach classes for the remainder of the school year, and if you’re interested in Tai Chi, you can find them practicing on the lawn by McAllister Hall, Fridays at 4:00 p.m.
SPEAKER
Trumpet professor Joey Tartell gives students advice on the music world
by Bennett Tinnermon Campus Life Editor
Joey Tartell, a trumpet player and professor, gave students advice on his journey in the music world at the Snow Fine Arts recital hall Sept. 21. The event was a part of Tartell’s Artist in Residence series this week. The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences brings in artists of different mediums to speak or perform to add to the learning experience of students. Tartell is a professor of trumpet and the director of undergraduate studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and worked as an indemand lead trumpeter for major symphony orchestras and bands. But, Tartell was not always in a trumpet-centric setting. In the past, Tartell taught kindergarten, math classes and coached basketball. Through teaching non-music subjects, Tartell
learned that, overall, teaching is teaching. Tartell told a story about his time teaching kindergarteners and how he now uses the lessons he learned from it. Before going into a lesson, Tartell told his class that he would be asking them, “you dig?” to check their understanding. If they understood, the kindergarteners would respond, “yeah, man, I dig.” After a lesson, Tartell checked that everyone understood and was met with the entire class saying back their line. Freshman Trenton Rhodes said the talk was informative about getting involved in music and getting jobs outside of college. “Just the whole idea of continuing to be inspired to do this, I think that’s the biggest thing that I took away from this,” Rhodes said. Tartell talked about how the internet has allowed a lot of misinformation to be easily accessible. These days, it is easy
to find a video tutorial online, but it is hard to know if it is reliable. Tartell was sure not to depict the internet as a bad thing. “We’re all online, and we should be,” Tartell said. But he encouraged those online to be discerning about what they take in and ask, “who is saying that and why are they saying that?” Tartell uses his blog, the Tartellog, to create a place online for reputable information about trumpets and the music world, along with his advice for more general subjects. Similar topics from the Tartellog were covered during the Artist in Residence event. A question from Ross Alhorn, the assistant professor of trump at UCA, prompted Tartell to describe the abilities of his best students against his worst students. “Open mind, willing to listen, willing to try and willingness to fail,” Tartell said about his best
students. Tartell also described his bad students as those who are overconfident, the ones who will always say, “oh yeah, I got that,” without letting an instructor finish their sentence. He said that those students often think they already know everything and are just at school to get the degree and not to learn. Tartell was adamant that it is important to be ready to learn when in college. Along with the discussion, Tartell also exhibited a trumpet master class on Sept. 20 and a public concert with UCA jazz ensembles on Thursday, Sept. 23. The next Artist in Residence was Marita Golden, an author of 17 works of fiction, nonfiction and anthologies on Sept. 28 and 29. More information about future events is on CubConnect and at uca.edu/cahss/artists-inresidence.
ucanews.live
STUDENTS SAY is the weirdest “ What thing you’ve seen a professor do? ” Story and photos by Olyvia Gonzalez
Junior Kobe Gill
Freshman PJ Parker
“[My professor] put salt in his coffee. We thought it was sugar, but he was like no. This is to help my health, I’m not sure.”
“She had her husband bring in drums for us to do a drum circle. That was the most exciting and strangest thing I have ever had a professor do.”
Junior Dawn Deckelman
Freshman Daisy Mondragon
“My algebra teacher, singing a quadratic equation formula song to us to help us memorize it.”
“He pulled out his TV remote from his pants and he was just like, ‘oh, my wife is going to beat my ass for this’.”
Freshman Cole Grift
Sophomore Bre Dickerson
“Yell at a student for their political beliefs on Zoom. She would make us write papers about the Capitol incident and whatnot. Which I think there is no place in like college education for a professor to be that unprofessional.”
“One of our professors, he was in his office and he was talking to us and he just took off his shoes. And was walking around barefoot. Like no socks.”
GREEK LIFE
Delta Zeta hosts vendors and fundraiser by Olivia Snelson Staff Writer
Delta Zeta hosted their annual Mocktails event on Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Delta Zeta house. The event aimed to raise awareness for alcohol abuse in support of the sorority’s philanthropy, The Starkey Hearing Foundation. The event took place on UCA’s Family Day and was open to the entire UCA and Conway Community for $10 a ticket. “Mocktails is Delta Zeta’s largest fundraiser on behalf of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. The Starkey Hearing Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose main goal is to provide hearing aids and tests globally. At Mocktails, we have vendors set up booths for customers to come shop at, and proceeds are donated to Starkey,” Mocktails co-chair KatyBeth Coleman said. The event hosted various vendors that sold a range of products including jewelry, clothes, accessories and succulents. “We had eight
vendors including Grow Girl Succulents, Branch Out, Stamped by K, Jade’s Decals, Shade, Serendipity, To a T Boutique and Birdie & Co.,” Coleman said. Appetizers were provided for anyone who attended and
I would consider extremely successful,” Coleman said. “We had to get vendors on board in order for this to be a successful event, and we could not have done it without donations from sponsors. We had been planning this event since the beginning
Photo by Olivia Snelson
People shop at Delta Zeta’s Mocktails event on Sept. 25. Proceeds go to The Starkey Hearing Foundation, Delta Zeta’s phlanthropy.
mocktails were served on the patio. There was also an alcohol awareness booth in addition to the vendors, as well as a makeyour-own succulent station. “I believe we had around 300 people attend the event over the course of the day, which
of May.” Delta Zeta hosted its first-ever mocktails event in September 2015 and has hosted it ever since. Last year, Delta Zeta could not host their event in person but instead had the event online. “We had to have
a virtual Mocktails last year due to COVID. We were able to partner with some of the boutiques/downtown stores around Conway and online to raise money last year,” Coleman said. Jade Cook, the owner of Jade’s Decals, said, “The ladies of Delta Zeta threw an amazing fundraiser. It was well organized, and it made me so happy to be a part of something so great. I had a Delta Zeta reach out to me asking me to do the event, and I, of course, had to say yes.” “The ladies of Delta Zeta had shown my business support even before this event, and I knew I had to help give back to them and their philanthropy,” Cook said. Cook started her March 2018 and sells decals, buttons and accessories. “It was my most successful event I’ve ever done, and I’ve done a lot of them. The ladies of Delta Zeta and everyone else who came to the event gave me so much support and were so uplifting. It was very successful, and I hope to be back next year,” Cook said.
People of UCA: Allison Shook
by Felicity Auxier Staff Writer
Junior Allison Shook is a girl invested in her education at UCA and the future of the world. Shook has loved nature and the environment since she was a little girl growing up in Rogers, Arkansas. She has also been interested in the structure of society since high school. Shook is a student in the Schedler’s Honors College and vice president of Alpha Kappa Delta honor society of sociology chapter at UCA. She also works as the secretary and handles media work for the sociology club. Shook joined both clubs after Douglas George, associate professor of sociology, encouraged her to join. “The people in the club are
great, and we did a really cool research project on tactics of voter suppression that we presented at a conference spring semester of 2021,” Shook said. Shook is a sociology major with a geography minor. Both subjects are ones she is passionate about. “As soon as I took my first sociology and geography classes, I knew that these were both topics I wanted to pursue,” Shook said. Fascinated by how both subjects work, Shook said, “My areas of interest really lie in human interaction as well as our interactions with the physical land because they’re both shaping each other whether we realize it or not.” Being a part of the honors college has also shaped Shook in ways she didn’t expect. Shook
said being in the honors college has been a great experience. It has allowed her to make great friends as well as connections with professors. “I really don’t think I would have enjoyed college the way I have if it weren’t for honors,” Shook said. The honors classes have been interactive and hands-on, which Shook believes makes her more engaged in school. “Overall, being in the honors college means I have to approach learning and issues in a certain way that is meaningful and progressive, and that’s been a very useful tool,” Shook said. Shook plans to use her education to help shape the future of the world and encourage care of the Earth. After graduating, Shook plans on attending law school. “I’m
considering environmental law, and I’ve been starting to prepare for the LSAT,” Shook said. With environmental law under her belt, Shook hopes to work for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the future. While environmental law is her main goal, Shook has other areas of interest that she’s prepared for if things don’t go as planned. “There’s also some backup grad school programs I have in mind that focus on urban ecology, coastal management and city planning,” Shook said. Shook’s love for sociology and geography fuels her passions in life. She credits her professors for her love of these subjects. “Both departments have some great professors that engaged me right off the bat,” Shook said.
Photo courtesy of Allison Shook
Junior Allison Shook is a sociology major and is involved in various organizations on campus, like the Honors College and sociology club.
Sports
5
September 29, 2021
Upcoming Games
MEN’S SOCCER
Women’s Soccer 7 p.m. Sept. 30 vs Kennesaw State Cross Country 5 p.m. Oct. 1 at Chili Pepper Festival Volleyball 6 p.m. Oct. 1 at Lipscomb Football 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at Abiline Christian Softball 2 p.m. Oct. 2 vs Arkansas at Monticello
Editor’s Take
Photo by Olyvia Gonzalez
Freshman defender Kris Naicker controls the ball, playing keep-away with the opponent. The Bears men’s soccer team defeated the Bellarmine Knights 2-0 at their ASUN Conference opener. A few players suffered from dehydration due to the high temperatures and had to be benched, but the Bears were still able to stay on top of the plays and leave their record at 7-1, 2-0 in conference.
Bears claw their way to a win against Bellarmine Knights Arkansas is back BY
ANDREW MCMAHAN
Assistant Sports Editor
The University of Arkansas’s football program, recently in the basement of the college football world, has not only been revived by secondyear head coach Sam Pittman, but they are back at the national forefront. Arkansas is now ranked number eight in the AP top 25 poll and number 11 in the coaches poll. This is the first time since 2012 that Arkansas has been ranked in the top 10, and the first time since 2016 that Arkansas’s been ranked in the top 25. The path for the Razorbacks to reach this position has been a perilous endeavor at best. In the first four games of the season, Arkansas was scheduled to play former Southwest Conference rivals Texas, ranked number 1, and Texas A&M, ranked number seven. Arkansas beat both teams and broke multiple streaks in the process. Arkansas had not previously beaten Texas A&M since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. Arkansas had also not beaten Texas and Texas A&M in the same season since 1988. At that time, all three teams were still in the Southwest Conference. Arkansas’s fans could not have imagined a better start to the season. One of the most prominent story lines is how Pittman, who had only been an offensive line coach prior to Arkansas, is performing and leading as the guy in charge. Prior to the season, doubt was spewed by many who did not believe in a guy like Sam Pittman. This team has erased the negative narrative that clouded the program for nearly a decade. With all Arkansas has accomplished a third of the way into the season, there is still work left to do. Arkansas is in the upcoming college football game of the week with a trip to Georgia, which is ranked number two. “College Gameday,” the infamous ESPN show that has a crew that travels to each weeks’ marquee college football game, will be making an appearance. This is the first time “College Gameday” will be at an Arkansas game since 2006 at home against Tennessee. After number two Georgia, Arkansas will play at Ole Miss, ranked number 12, and then at home against Auburn, ranked number 22. Arkansas is used to playing such tough stretches against ranked opponents. The last two seasons, including the current season, Arkansas has had the toughest schedule in all of college football. With much of the season left to play, we will find out soon if Arkansas’ success is meant to be.
BY
OLYVIA GONZALEZ
Assistant Campus Life / Online Editor
The ASUN home opener was full of leg cramps, sunburns, wind and another 2-0 victory for the Bears against the Bellarmine Knights. After this game, UCA men’s soccer team has been undefeated in their last three games and holds a 7-1 record and a 2-0 conference record. “I am feeling very good after a victory,” senior Pablo Azcona said, “two to zero, for the conference, and seven to one, this season. You cannot ask for more. We want more [wins], and I’m very happy for the team.” Quickly after the players ran onto the field, attempts were made at the visitor’s goal. The first shot was initiated by senior Vicent Abaso. Abaso was determined to score a goal in Saturday’s match against the Knights. Once the defender found his way around the plays made by Bellarmine, junior Edoardo Merci led the ball right to Abaso. The goal keeper was no match for his kick and in
minute 28 of the first half, the team was running into a large group hug after the shot was made. The Knights had zero shots on target in the first half. Abaso said to UCA sports, “We wanted to set a tone at home in our ASUN opener. We showed that we can control the game and play a full game. Once we figure out our passing we are hard to stop. I am so happy to have two more goals in two games in conference.” In the second half, at the 58-minute mark, the second goal was scored by UCA’s midfielder, junior Karim Diao. Two more attempts were made by freshman Jonathan Randall and freshman Sohma Ichikawa, but Connor Range, Knight’s goalie, stopped each attempt. “We were new to the conference so no one knew us,” coach Frank Kohlenstein said to UCA Sports. “The thing is, we are getting better and raising our level. We have to keep it going in training and in matches. It feels good to get a win at home and having multiple guys be influential.”
As the buzzer sounded the end of the fourth quarter, the majority of the players ran to the water stands but others danced to the music for their victory. Bellarmine’s teammates ran over to congratulate the team, but nothing said ‘good game’ more than the handshakes and hugs given by the players to their opponents. “It was a good game, by us,” senior Mathias Bendiksen said. “We controlled the game from start to finish. We got some goals as well, and a lot of people had playing time, so it’s been a good day overall.” Many substitutions were made during the game, and the sun was not in their favor. Senior Ole Kjoerholt’s dehydration sent him to the ground after a full leg cramp on the field. Others experienced the same painful event, which sent them to the bench. However, graduate student Niklas Brodacki said, “It was a lovely day to watch some beautiful soccer.” The Bears travel to Florida Gulf Coast University on Oct. 2 to play in the ASUN conference with kickoff set for 6 p.m. Watch online at ucasports.com.
FOOTBALL
Photo by Madison Ogle
(From left) junior offensive lineman Cameron Webb, senior offensive lineman Toby Sanderson and senior offensive lineman Jaden Salley wait on the line for the snap. The Bears were defeated by the Sam Houston Bearkats 45-35, who are currently the number one football program in the ASUN Conference. The Bears play Abiline Christian on Oct. 2 in Abiline, Texas at 6 p.m.
Bears play impressive game against number one program BY
ROB DAVIS
Staff Writer
The UCA Bears (1-3) faced their biggest challenge of the young football season as they held their own against the number one football program, Sam Houston State Bearkats (3-0). Coming into this game, the Bearkats were on a 13 game winning streak. They continued this streak after defeating the Bears 45-35. The UCA Bears took on the Bearkats, the number one ranked team in the FCS, on Saturday, Sept. 25, at Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas, with the Bears looking to build off of their big win last week over UAPB. Sam Houston State’s offense is known for being able to tack on points in a very short amount of time, having scored 40+ points in their first two contests of the season. UCA’s defense knew they had to find a way to slow them down going in. “Games like this, we can’t afford to have mistakes. We have to be consistent with what we’re doing and stay focused on the small
details,” senior UCA linebacker Dre Matthews said. “They’re [Sam Houston] smart and their quarterback’s smart. He’ll take his reads, but if you get in his face, he’ll panic and turn the ball over.” Unfortunately for the Bears, they didn’t look like a team that was ready for this kind of challenge in the first half. They allowed Sam Houston to score 31 points on offense including a 45-yard touchdown throw within the first 4 minutes of play. UCA also struggled on the offensive side of the ball in the first half with four of their seven drives ending in punts and another ending with UCA’s junior quarterback Breylin Smith throwing an interception. Smith was able to turn the momentum toward UCA’s favor at the end of the half. After completing a 12-play drive with seven seconds left, Smith finished by throwing a 5-yard touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Tyler Hudson and brought the score to 31-14. The Bears came clawing back in the second half after forcing the Bearkats to fumble early in the third quarter. Carrying their momentum from the first half, the Bears were able to completely shut
out the Bearkats in the third quarter on defense. The offense took advantage of the opportunity and tacked on two more touchdowns, bringing the score to 31-28 entering the fourth quarter. The Bearkats showed the nation what made them the number one team in the FCS during the fourth quarter as they were able to shut out the Bears up until the last minute of the game. With UCA’s offense sputtering and the Bearkats shifty quarterback, junior Eric Schmid, starting to take over, the Bears were unable to complete the comeback with a final score of 45-35. “I love the way our guys battled,” coach Nathan Brown said. “Going into half down 17, then you come out and you score 14 straight and you turn it into a three-point game. You could feel the momentum if we could just have one more turnover or one more big play. But gosh, our guys fought. We fought our tails off the whole game. We know we’ve got a good team, and we lost to a great football team.” The UCA Bears will look to bounce back next week as they go up against the Abilene Christian Wildcats in Abilene, Texas on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 6:00 p.m.
Opinion
6
ucaechoeditor@gmail.com
September 29, 2021
The Voice
Stu d e nt s s h ou l d h av e s ay i n fe e a l l o c at i on
The Echo Staff Delaney Van Wilpe Editor-in-Chief Addison Freeman Associate Editor Mia Waddell News Editor Sydney Cyr Assistant News Editor Bennett Tinnermon Campus Life Editor Olyvia Gonzalez Assistant Campus Life Editor Sarah Smythe Opinion Editor Madison Ogle Entertainment Editor/Cartoonist Emilee Hagewood Sports Editor Andrew McMahan Assistant Sports Editor Megan Holder Online Editor Ashley Savage Photography Editor
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Irresponsible landscaping can endanger drivers Do you know what is annoying? Irresponsibly placed landscaping. Why do property owners and businesses think that an artificial bush or tree will attract their customers? As the majority of the shrubs that you see on the outskirts of parking lots are fake, they hold no purpose to the environment. Small animals can not use them for shelter nor food resources as they do not grow any produce. The only thing that they accomplish is being a viewing obstruction to motorists and pedestrians. Not only bushes, but wide brick signs, columns and sometimes street parking can bring drivers’ lack of visibility to the main road. There have been many times when I have attempted by Amber Austen to pull out of a parking lot Staff Writer and have been faced with a big, oversized hedge out my driver’s side window. When this occurs, I can’t see if traffic is coming from the left side of the street. Because of this inconvenience, I have no other choice but to slowly roll forward past the bush with hopes that the hood of my car does not get sideswiped by oncoming traffic. Situations like this raise safety concerns as motorists must gamble their chances and ease the front of their car into the main road to get the slightest visual of what is on the other side of the obstruction. Lampposts and company signs also have this same effect as they create blind spots for those behind the wheel. An example of a viewing obstruction on the UCA campus would be the tall brick columns on either side of the road turning out of Beatrice Powell St. near
Stanely Russ Hall onto Donaghey. These columns have caused a negative chain reaction as drivers turning left pull all the way forward to see around the obstruction, which leaves drivers turning right with the inability to see past the vehicles to the left. Right turns are supposed to be easy, yet this poor landscaping mishap has left heavy traffic backups at this location. Drivers are not the only ones impacted by ill-placed landscaping as pedestrians are also put at risk. Pedestrians, to begin with, are hard to spot. They have a preset disadvantage as they are no comparison to motor vehicles or the commotion they cause. A pedestrian walking along a sidewalk can suddenly appear without warning from the other side of obstruction pieces. When this happens, drivers press on their breaks in an attempt not to hit the individual walking. Not everyone can be so lucky, however. This applies from the pedestrian’s point of view as well. A pedestrian coming up on a curb that is shadowed by a tree can have no idea that a vehicle is coming to the intersection because the tree creates a sense of tunnel vision. They could easily walk out into the street and get hit by a hunky piece of machinery. Irresponsibly placed landscaping is the blind spot that drivers and pedestrians never asked for. Human life is worth more than some artificial, frilly tree that does nothing for the environment.
Period stigma should have never started
I know I am not the only girl tired of feeling like I have also been trying to go out of my way lately to I have to hide my box of tampons underneath my feel more comfortable talking about periods. I no longer hide my box of tampons or pads when groceries in my Walmart basket. It is so strange that half of the population has had I go grocery shopping. Yet, I still can’t help but notice when someone periods for over five million years, yet, as a society, we hesitates just before they mention the can’t seem to normalize it. menstrual cycle. I am ashamed that I was ever ashamed of my I am strong in what I believe and period. who I am, but for girls in high school It is something we as females should own and middle school, or just women that and even be proud of. aren’t as confident in their period yet, Women shouldn’t feel like they have to I feel for them. whisper to ask for a tampon and then slide it in I think tampon commercials should one of their hoodie sleeves before asking stop surrounding their whole market the teacher to go to the restroom. strategy on how discreet their Now that I’m older and in product is. college, I have realized that the It’s small things like this stigma around periods hasn’t affecting a girl’s view on the changed much. cycle that is going on in her I was playing Family Feud very own body. with a couple of friends a few A period is a natural weeks ago, and the question by Kathryn Thornberry thing, and I don’t know was, “What is something a Staff Writer what caused women to feel wife might ask her husband to so embarrassed about it to get her on the way home from begin with. work?” Maybe it starts with our school system. One of the answers was tampons. I appreciate and value privacy. It is also important My friend said he was going to say that, but he to stress the issue of privacy when informing young didn’t think the board game company would put that girls about periods, but we should not exclude the other on there because it was a family game. half of the population while discussing something so What’s more family-friendly than discussing the important about the reproductive system. very reason we are able to have families in the first I have faith in this next generation. place? Periods! I believe that women today are as strong and confident as ever and don’t have the time to feel Survey says: as a society, let’s grow up. I don’t blame my friend for having that perspective ashamed about their period. We’re going to be too busy running the world. — all that I can do is educate them more about the topic.
Why are college students paying hundreds of dollars in fees to schools that we may never see in our time here? With tuition getting higher by the year, how long do we have until the list of fees reaches amounts that are undeniably unreasonable to pay every semester? Every student has to pay these fees that are tacked on viciously to our tuition; as if it isn’t too expensive already. The fees can be found easily online from the 21-22 Board Policy 630 Fee Schedule. It highlights increases in four categories. The facilities fee went up by $2.50 more per hour, totaling $21.25 per hour per student. The fine and performing arts fee also increased by $0.50, totaling $3.50 per hour, and the technology fee increased by $1.50, totaling $16.50 per hour. The athletic fee also increased by $1, jumping from $19 to $20 per hour. These numbers may look small in this context, but a regular student taking 15 hours per semester can expect to pay just under $1000 for only the fees in the four categories mentioned above. There are over 15 categories of fees. Every year or every other year, the tuition is increased for students as well, stacking these fees higher and higher for everyone. A student of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences may never attend a football game at UCA, but the university is quick to charge them fees for it. Likewise, a soccer player or even a band member may never attend a show at Reynolds Performance Hall on campus, but the fees are still enforced. It would be exhausting to try to actually get your money’s worth from these charged fees. There is simply too much happening daily around campus to attend events in all the categories that we get charged for. Some students sure do try though. But the solution is not to stretch yourself so thin in extracurricular groups and activities that your academic grades suffer.
Students should be able to decide what their money goes into on campus, like different clubs or specific departments. As mature adults, many of us know what interests us and what doesn’t. Even if this isn’t true for you, UCA hosts events like Conway Daze at the beginning of the fall semester for those who are interested in trying new things or getting involved with different groups around campus. Get involved with what you’re comfortable with, then try exploring new groups. If you know you’re a social butterfly, maybe try to join a sorority or fraternity. If that idea absolutely repulses you, maybe joining a smaller club would be enticing. What about your dream to always be a news anchor? News6 might be the place for you. Apart from joining different clubs and groups, UCA will continue to charge a multitude of fees on each student, regardless of what they are studying or active in. It’s always a good idea to get involved with others on campus, and the students of UCA do a good job covering almost every aspect of interest. Every student has access to Cub Connect to view new events going on at UCA, but there are several bulletin boards around the campus that house just as interesting events on them. It’s never too late to join clubs on campus!
Have an opinion? Everyone does. Write a letter to the editor at ucaechoeditor@gmail.com Letters to the editor don’t just have to be about Echo content. If you’ve noticed something on campus that’s positive or negative, we want to hear about it. The Echo is printed weekly by The Courier. Decisions about content are made by the student editors. The views published are not necessarily those of the University of Central Arkansas. All material is subject to respective copyrights.
Entertainment
7
September 29, 2021
New This Week
‘Olympia Soirée’ portrays romance in a problematic society
by
Movies Oct. 1 — LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales (PG), directed by Ken Cunningham, starring Jake Green, Raphael Alejandro and Dana Snyder Oct. 1 — Venom: Let There Be Carnage (PG-13), directed by Andy Serkis, starring Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson and Michelle Williams Oct. 1 — The Many Saints of Newark (R), directed by Alan Taylor, starring Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmiga and Ray Liotta Oct. 8 — Night Raiders, directed by Danis Goulet, starring Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Brooklyn Letexier-Hart and Alex Tarrant
Music Oct. 1 — Mod Prog Sic — Black Dice Oct. 1 — In These Silent Days— Brandi Carlile Oct. 1 — Liberté— Doobie Brothers Oct. 1 — Garden Of Burning Apparition — Full of Hell Oct. 1 — True Love — Hovvdy
Olympia Soirée for the Nintendo Switch is a heartpounding otome game, released on Sept. 9. Against all odds, players experience a hierarchical and sexist society to obtain a beautiful or tragic end. Players choose the fate of Olympia, who is the last of her kind. Your goal is to find her love interest in a world ruled by color, class and gender. Olympia must find a husband within a year to maintain her white bloodline. She must overcome all odds to be with the man she loves. Beautiful, bad and even twisted fates await Olympia and her other half. There are six different love interests to choose from. The four main routes are Kuroba, Yosuga, Riku and Tokisada. Once all four routes have been played, players unlock Himuka and, finally, Akaza. The first route I played, Kuroba, was by far my favorite. With a mature, friendly and somewhat flirtatious personality, he is
List compiled by Andraea Aguilera Staff Writer
Soirée was released on Sept. 9, 2021, and follows Olympia, the last of her kind, in her pursuit to find her true love. Olympia
highly likable yet somewhat distant. Kuroba’s route has the perfect amount of societal difficulty that truly has players rooting for the main characters’ union. Finally, the antagonist in this route truly shines in his role as a cruel scoundrel disguised as a kind man. The storyline was well written with both romantic and dark themes throughout. A negative
aspect of the storyline, however, is the prologue. Normally prologues are relatively short, but this one is nine chapters long. It takes at least two hours to read all the way through this before players can make any choices. However, while the prologue is long, it is necessary to understand the setting of the game. The artistry of the characters, as well as
background scenery, are beautiful and otherworldly. Character illustrations are alluring, and some can be very intimate with sexual implications. The voice actors really get into their roles as well, and the voice-overs aren’t stiff. However, these voiceovers are not spoken in English, which may throw players off. In instances such as this, players can
Olivia Snelson
Staff Writer
great song for this album because it highlights a woman’s desire to simply be a good wife. My absolute favorite part of the song is when she whispers, “I just want to be a good wife” at the beginning. The stylistic choices that were made for this song are unmatched. Not to mention the song ‘justified” exerts strong female energy. This song let’s every woman know that it is okay to question what goes on in your relationship, that it’s more than okay, it’s justified. The best line from this song is, “If I need just a little more time to deal with the fact/ that you should have treated me right then I’m more than just a little justified.” This album contrasts largely with the album that preceded it, “Golden Hour.” “Golden Hour” came out around the start of Musgraves’ marriage and was about what it was like to fall in love and be around that person all the time. The only similarity between the two albums would be the way in which Musgraves blended the genres of country and pop, something that she is known for doing. “star-crossed” is labeled as a country album on Apple Music, but in my opinion, it’s far more pop than country in a good way. This album just makes more sense as pop. If you haven’t listened to this album, I highly recommend you start streaming it immediately. There’s something about this album for everyone and Musgraves does an excellent job of telling the story of a relationship and everywhere in between. “star-crossed” can be streamed through Spotify and Apple Music.
turn off the voice-overs and even adjust the sound of the background music. The only character that doesn’t have a voice-over is Olympia, which allows the player to give Olympia any voice they wish as they read her storyline. The controls are also relatively easy to figure out. With the log button and a colored scale after each choice, it makes it easy to control the fate of Olympia and her love interest. It was also nice to have the ability to pull up definitions as they came up in the storyline. This is a stark contrast to exiting the storyline each time to look at the glossary for different terms. This fantasy-type game uses some complex vocabulary, and the glossary helps readers keep up with the story and prevents distraction from the storyline. Overall, I loved the game, and it was well worth the money I paid for it. Olympia Soirée is initially $49.99 at the Nintendo E-Store and is rated M for blood, violence, language and sexual themes.
DEBUT ALBUM
Musgraves releases most honest album
Kacey Musgraves’ new album, “star-crossed,” is her most vulnerable album as it follows the ending of Oct. 1— Love For Sale — Lady her marriage and the trauma Gaga & Tony Bennett she has faced from that. “Presented as a tragedy in three acts, Oct. 1 — Moral Hygiene— star-crossed moves Ministry through sadness, anger, and, eventually, hopeful redemption…” Apple Music said. Musgraves does a good job of highlighting all the different stages of Netflix a relationship—from the honeymoon phase to a traumatic ending and what happens after. Anyone who’s Oct. 1 — Diana, Created by been a part of a relationship, Christopher Ashley, starring especially a marriage, that Jeanna de Waal, Erin Davie and Roe has fallen apart can relate to Hartrampf this album. The most popular song off of the album, partly due to its large presence on Oct. 1— The Guilty, directed TikTok, is “breadwinner.” The song serves as a warning by Antoine Fuqua, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Riley Keough and Peter to other women to watch out for men who can’t handle a Sarsgaard woman’s success. The best line from the song, besides the chorus, is, “But all of his wounds ain’t an excuse for you to Oct. 1 — Maid, created by Molly put up with how he treats Smith Metzler, starring Billy Burke, you.” The line and the way Andie MacDowell, Margaret Qualley Musgraves presents it is way too accurate. My favorite songs off the album are “good wife,” “cherry blossom,” “simple times,” “justified,” Oct. 6 — Baking Impossible, and “breadwinner.” The hosted by Justin Willman rest of the songs, especially “there is a light,” all fell a little flat to me. Among my favorites and the one I consider to be the best off the album is, “justified,” Oct. 6 — There’s Someone but “good wife” is a close Inside your House, directed by Patrick Brice, starring Sydney Park, second. “justified” is the best song off the album Sarah Dugdale and Kayla Heller because everything about it is perfect. The way that it starts slow and builds up to a fast-paced chorus works in the best way. “good wife” is a
Top 5 fall essentials
Photo courtesy of www.aksysgames.com
COUNTRY POP
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Oct. 1 — Let Me Do One More — Illuminati Hotties
Lindzie Lunsford
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of www.welcometomontero.com
Lil Nas X poses nude for the cover of ‘MONTERO’. The album was released Sept. 17, 2021 and featured Elton John, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion and Miley Cyrus.
Lil Nas X “gives birth” to new controversial album ‘MONTERO’ by
Haley Melendez
Staff Writer
For the past few weeks, Montero Hill, also known as Lil Nas X, has been sporting a baby bump that surprised everyone and was featured in People magazine. Lil Nas X has been posting on all platforms that he would be going into labor in the following weeks and even threw himself a baby shower. On Sept. 17, Lil Nas X went into “labor” during a YouTube live feed and brought “MONTERO” into the world. “MONTERO” is an album that not only represents himself but represents everyone else who is a part of the “gay agenda,” as he jokingly said while receiving a VMA on Sep. 12, a few days before his album release. This album was his baby that he couldn’t wait to show off to the world. Overnight, “MONTERO” had caused a wave of support and praise from many people, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community. Each song is made with raw emotions as Lil Nas X
hits the ups and downs of queer love in all of its forms, one-sided and reciprocated. In the song “THAT’S WHAT I WANT,” Lil Nas X sings about entering an intimate relationship with a man who was not openly gay. The man was also in a relationship with a woman and had a child. He retweeted a fan’s tweet that said, “Thank you for making a song about this, it happens more than people realize.” “MONTERO” is an album that leads to a change in the stereotypes associated with rap and its artists. This album shows that a gay Black man can make songs that a straight one could, and they can become just as good and be just as popular. For the past few years leading up to MONTERO’s release, Lil Nas X has been ridiculed, bullied and targeted by the public eye several times since his hit “Old Town Road” was released in 2019. He hasn’t been able to catch a break and still can’t to this day, though the love and support he receives from his fans make everything he goes through
worth it in the end. He doesn’t let the public get to him as much as he once did. He now takes the negativity and turns it into a laughable situation on his most used platforms, TikTok and Twitter. He even calls out the people who didn’t believe in him in his song “INDUSTRY BABY” where he says, “Funny how you said it was the end/Then I went and did it again.” This isn’t the only thing he brings up from his past to put in his new songs. During the same song, he references the Nike lawsuit he received earlier this year for his ‘Satan’ shoes by stating, “I blew up now everybody trying to sue me.” MONTERO is only Lil Nas X’s first studio album. Previously he released his EP “7,” which contained just eight tracks. Lil Nas X reached a new milestone within the first three days of MONTERO’s release as some of the songs had taken up all 10 of the “Top 10” songs in the U.S. on Spotify. MONTERO can now be streamed on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube.
1.Cozy Blankets
2. Candles
3. Baked Goods
4. Soup
5. Fall Playlist
Nothing screams fall more than cooler weather and cuddling up in a nice blanket. I have at least 10 that I’ve collected throughout the past few years, most of them coming from Target or TJ Maxx. Target often has cheap seasonal throw blankets and pillows this time of year. Buying a new throw blanket is an easy way to spice up your fall decor. Throw it over your bed or drape it across your couch, and then you have cute yet practical decor. I keep making trip after trip to Target in search of all their Halloween throws. You can never have enough!
If you love fall, why not make your room smell like it? I’m all for anything pumpkin scented, and candles are my go-to. If you live in a dorm, candles are not allowed, but some alternatives provide just as much scented goodness. In my own dorm, I use a wax warmer. Mine is one that plugs directly into the wall, but they have bigger ones you can set anywhere as well. My room currently smells like pumpkin spice, and anyone who walks in compliments me on it. If wax melts aren’t your thing, essential oil diffusers are a great alternative.
Fall means the holiday season is approaching, and that means baked goods. Not a year goes by that I don’t buy some of the Pillsbury pumpkin or ghost cookies. They aren’t the tastiest cookies in the world, but it’s all about the experience (even when they get burnt). During fall, I see extended family members more often, and we always bake together, whether it be cookies, pies or cakes. If I have a sweet tooth this time of year, I swing by the bakery section at Walmart for a mini pecan pie or apple fritters. Fall treats are a favorite of mine.
Ultimate fall lovers know that soup is a seasonal staple. Cold evenings and warm soups or stews go together so well. Most of the time, they’re super simple to make. One of my favorite and easiest soups to make is Two by Four Soup. It requires two pounds of ground beef, two cans of Rotel, two cans of beans of your choice, and two cans of minestrone soup. After the beef is cooked and seasoned to your liking, the rest of the ingredients are added along with some water. This soup is best served with crackers or cornbread. Fall and soups go hand-in-hand!
Having a playlist with all the fall vibes is the simplest way to get into the fall mindset. Taylor Swift is the queen of my fall playlist, but I’ve also got some songs by Hozier, The Neighborhood, The Lumineers and FINNEAS. Certain songs hit differently when the days get darker sooner. The best part of having a fall playlist is the feeling you get when you’re driving down windy roads as the leaves are transitioning and you are listening to good music. I’d do anything to feel that feeling all the time. Fall playlists are fun to share with friends, and collaborative fall playlists are even better.
ucanews.live
SPORTS
8 / September 29, 2021
UCA STATS CORNER SPORT
OPPONENT
RESULT
RECORD
Football
Sam Houston
35-45 L
1-3
Women’s Soccer
Jacksonville
1-0 W
4-5-0, 1-0-0
Men’s Soccer
Bellarmine
2-0 W
7-1-0, 2-0-0
Women’s Volleyball
Stetson
3-0 L
3-9, 1-2
10-16
3-3
Women’s Tennis
Samford Round Robin FEATURE
Photo courtesy of ucasports.com
Junior forward Emma Hawkins runs for the ball against the Dolphins. The Bears went into overtime and scored the only goal during minute 102, which gave them the win. The Bears will face Kennesaw State at home on Sept. 30 .
Bears go into overtime at first game of ASUN conference, securing win
BY FELICITY
Staff Writer
AUXIER
The Bears women’s soccer team secured its first win of the ASUN conference with a score of 1-0 against the Jacksonville Dolphins, leaving the Bears with a record of (10-0) in conference games. “We played to our strengths and were able to put the ball on frame and score,” senior midfielder Morgan Rollow said. The game went into overtime putting pressure on the Bears and Dolphins to finish. Junior forward Emma Hawkins scored the only goal of the game at minute 102. The Bears had 15 shots, six corners and 13 fouls. The Dolphins had two shots, four saves, two corners and 12 fouls. “Our strongest aspect was that we were able to play as a team and for each other,” Rollow said. The Bears did not allow a
single shot within the first 45 minutes of the game. The Bears were able to limit the Dolphins to two shots, none of which were on target. From the beginning of the match, the Bears pushed to place the ball in the back of the net but were unsuccessful. “I expect that we will have a really good season. This team has a really good chemistry and I think we can go far in our new conference,” Rollow said. Lead strikers of the match consisted of freshman midfielder Kelly Van Gundy and Rollow, both of whom were unsuccessful. Freshman forward Amanda Walsh put up a shot at minute 33, but fell short and landed it in the goalkeepers hands. Hawkins was a lead striker as well, successfully making her attempt with an off-balanced shot that slid right under the goalkeeper, securing the victory. After playing in the Southland
Conference in recent years, the Bears women’s soccer team joined the ASUN conference on July 1, 2021. The ASUN Conference consists of mostly Southeastern United States universities. The Bears overall record is (4-5-0). The Dolphins have an overall record of (5-3-2). This match was significant in setting up the rest of the season for the Bears. “This game helped us prepare for the rest of the season by building up our confidence and giving us more experience playing together,” Rollow said. The Bears played the North Florida Ospreys Sunday, Sept. 26 for their second ASUN Conference game, and won 3-0. Their next game will be Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. against Kennesaw State at the Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex.
VOLLEYBALL
Photo by ucasports.com
Junior Camila Moreno, from Bogota, Columbia has played golf for 14 years, playing at UCA for three years. Moreno has been an impressive and valuable player for the women’s golf team and plans to golf professionally after graduation.
Moreno keeps heritage close in shooting for professional career BY
MEGAN HOLDER
Online Editor
Photo by ucasports.com
Freshman right-side hitter Mackenzie Vernon goes up to block a shot against the Hatters. Stetson showed impressive offense and the Bears ultimately fell short. The Bears play Lipscomb on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sugar Bears defense falls short in three sets against Stetson Hatters BY
ANDREW MCMAHAN
Staff Writer
The University of Central Arkansas’ volleyball team (3-9, 1-2 ASUN) fell short against Stetson University (7-8, 2-1 ASUN) in three sets. The conclusive three sets, ending in the Stetson Hatters’ favor, had scores of 25-13, 25-23 and 25-20. The match-up was UCA’s first meeting with Stetson being conference foes, as this current season is UCA’s inaugural season in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Sugar Bears clawed back, making things difficult at times for the Hatters. UCA, with an eight to seven edge, led the two teams in blocks. UCA senior Amari Mitchell led the Sugar Bears with five blocks while also adding five kills, which tied her for second best on the team. However, that was not enough to alter the outcome in favor of the Sugar Bears. In the first set, the Hatters quickly reached double digits, doubling UCA in points, and took full advantage of a slow
start by the Sugar Bears. The Hatters kept a comfortable lead that continued to nearly double UCA’s point total throughout the first set. This allowed Stetson to finish the first set with ease. The second set of action was the most competitive showing for the Sugar Bears, falling by only two points to Stetson. UCA managed to go on a late run, tying the game at 23. The fierce push by the Sugar Bears was cut short by the Hatters, who scored the next two consecutive points to end the second set in Stetson’s favor. Mitchell shined bright and did most of her damage for UCA in the second set. Mitchell totaled four blocks and three kills in the second set. The third set continued to be a competitive scene, despite the Sugar Bears being down two to zero sets. The third set consisted of both teams giving their all, offensively and defensively, leading to a nail-biter. Stetson finished the Bears off in the third set, sending the Sugar Bears home packing without winning a set against the Hatters. Coach Newberry was adamant
that his team will not be held back by this loss. “It was a very disappointing loss. We did not come out with the same enthusiasm and expectation from the last match… I expect the team to bounce back from this and raise the bar,” Newberry said to UCA sports. UCA Freshman Lily Taylor led the Sugar Bears with six kills. Taylor also led UCA with a hitting percentage of .417. Two UCA players, Junior Alexis Stumbough and Sophomore Lexie Gregory, shared the team lead for digs with 11. Newberry said to UCA Sports, “Amari Mitchell had a great game. She had some great blocks and slowed many attacks down by getting her hands on them. I thought she had a solid attacking game. Lily Taylor came in late and led our team in kills along with playing in all six rotations. Lastly, Jamiryana Hall came in and added life to the team in the 3rd set.” UCA volleyball will be back in ASUN conference action at Lipscomb University, 6 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 2.
Junior Camila Moreno, from Bogota, Columbia, plans to carry what she learns on UCA’s women’s golf team to a future as a professional golfer. She has been playing golf for 14 years and decided to study at the University of Central Arkansas because of her coach, Natasha Vincent. Moreno is currently majoring in business. She has had a couple of ongoing challenges while being in America and attending UCA. Moreno said, “the English language is always going to be a barrier and also living by myself.” Moreno is the only person in her family that lives in Arkansas, so during her free time she likes to paint and watch Netflix. She keeps her heritage close to her by still eating her favorite Colombian dishes. In the 2019-
2020 golf season, Moreno played in all five of the team’s tournaments. She was a part of 15 rounds that year and finished in top25 once. This finish tied her for 10th at the Little Rock Classic with a 218 (+2). Moreno gave a high quality performance during this time of her golf career. She performed a careerbest round of 71 (-1) at the Little Rock Golf Classic. She averaged a score of 77.25, overall, Moreno finished third on the team. Her score relative to par was 5.25. During the 2020-2021 season, Moreno made it clear that people would not forget her name. She played in all eight of the team’s tournaments in which she played 22 rounds. Her best moment was at the Southland Championship, where she placed third with a 228 (+12). Moreno tied her own career-best 77 (-1) at
the Lady Red Wolves Classic. She produced a season-low tournament score of 221 (+5). She finished in the top-25 six times; two of those were top-10 finishes. Moreno came third on the team and averaged a score of 75.59. Her par score, 3.72, was the third on the team. During the Golfweek Fall Challenge, Moreno tied for second place, first place and ended the tournament in ninth place. Showing impressive game play throughout, with a record in match play of 1-3-0. Moreno’s biggest inspiration is Tiger Woods. She said, “he is the best golfer, and his mentality is admirable.” She hopes to carry that similar mentality through her career. Her favorite holiday is Christmas, but her favorite season is fall because of the colorful scenery and nice weather.