Issue 10, Volume 117-- November 3, 2021

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

SINGLE COPY PAID FOR BY STUDENT PUBLICATION FEE

WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER 3, 2021 Volume 117 — Issue 10

ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST CONWAY

Campus Life:

Sports:

Entertainment:

Volleyball Feature: Vernon in starting lineup, despite only being a freshman.

Pumpkin Smashing: Phi Sigma Kappa raises money for philanthropy.

New Release: ‘Hypnotic’ follows all the horror cliches.

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UCA’s cyber security teams place second and third in JOLT

Rainy

45/32

BY CHRISTIAN WEST

THE NEWSDESK FROM THE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

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

Afghan evacuees donated tickets

Major airlines are donating over 20,000 airline tickets to Afghan evacuees to help them get to the U.S. The donation matches an additional 20,000 flights contributed by the public, the White House and others.

The 40,000 flights would cover the majority of Afghan evacuees on domestic military bases. About 3,200 flights with donated miles have already carried Afghans from temporary housing at U.S. military bases to new homes around the U.S.

N AT I O N A L

Trump executive privilege denied

Staff Writer

Two UCA cyber security teams placed second and third out of eight in the JOLT cyber challenge at the Venture Center in Little Rock that lasted from Oct. 15-17.

Team Gr4ndm45 C00kie5 placed second, and Team Fancy Bears placed third. The competition involved teams solving various cyber security problems.

Each team had four students ranging in classification from freshman to senior.

“The concept behind a hackathon is to test your knowledge of various cybersecurity disciplines through the use of various tools and techniques in realtime,” Senior Kenny Vo, member of team Gr4ndma5 C00kies, said.

According to Vo, learning these skills takes time and practice, but hackathons are great for someone to put what they have learned to the test while also learning new skills along the way.

“You’re not expected to know everything when you’re in the tournament, but you should definitely expect to learn a lot when you’re there,” Vo said.

The White House rejected Trump’s latest executive privilege request over documents desired by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. White House counsel Dana Remus told the National Archives that Biden determined that Trump’s effort to keep a new selection of Jan. 6 records away from Congress was not in the best interests of the U.S. Biden administration officials said they plan to consider requests from the BY MADISON OGLE Entertainment Editor committee case by case.

photo courtesy of UCA Inform

Cyber security teams Gr4ndm45 C00kie5 and Fancy Bears represent UCA at the JOLT cyber challenge in Little Rock.

The teams placed second and third, respectively.

Competitiveness is a large component of the hackathon events. However, Vo and his team were ready for it.

“The competitive nature of the event forces you to think of as many solutions as possible when you inevitably hit a brick wall on a

challenge,” Vo said.

Vo gave praise to the UCA Cybersecurity Club for bringing him and his peers together to help them in their goals.

“The UCA Cybersecurity Club helped cultivate a community of students with interests, who

motivate, learn and support each other,” Vo said.

Similar to other teambased events, the hackathon takes good teamwork to succeed. Vo gave credit to the team for their success.

“We had a terrific team dynamic at the competition, and each of us had a unique

aptitude for a specific discipline,” Vo said.

Team Fancy Bears won the JOLTSNAKE distinctions award for being the closest team to solving the challenge no other team could.

Senior Skyler Austen, a member of Fancy Bears, won the Bright Idea award for coming up with an innovative solution to a challenge.

“The event was fantastic, and I know everyone there was happy to attend an inperson competition after [COVID],” Austen said.

For anyone interested in cybersecurity, Vo recommends joining.

“For those who want a unique way to learn cybersecurity, CTF tournaments are, bar none, one of the most interesting ways to learn and apply cybersecurity and computer science technologies and concepts,” Vo said.

Both teams are looking forward to more challenges and tournaments as they continue to practice the skills that may help them in their future endeavors.

The next JOLT tournament will be in fall 2022, and both teams look to improve on their previous performances.

IMPROVEMENT

RESEARCH

Faculty members present

research on technology

Woman killed on set of new movie Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on set for the upcoming film “Rust” after a prop gun went off during a rehearsal. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was shot in the shoulder. Actor Alec Baldwin was practicing drawing his gun for the film, but the gun fired a real bullet. Baldwin said he is cooperating with the police investigation. No charges have been filed in the incident.

S TAT E

Legalization of marijuana ballot

Responsible Growth Arkansas has filed a statement of organization to advocate for a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana use in Arkansas. Responsible Growth Arkansas is a group chaired by Eddie Armstrong, a former Democratic state representative from North Little Rock. The group is aiming to put the question of legalizing recreational marijuana to Arkansas voters in 2022.

Correction on SGA article, Issue 9, page 2:

The joint resolution on renaming the Sugar Bears was not passed by the Student Government Association. The motion was tabled and will be revisited at their meeting Nov. 8.

Faculty members were tasked with presenting their data in under three minutes at this year’s second Faculty Research Symposium, which focused on the theme of technology.

The Oct. 26 Zoom event featured five presenters as they discussed personal research and findings that related to their individual departments of study.

The first presenter of the session was Alexander Chen, a faculty member from the College of Business.

Chen’s research focused on what he referred to as the “Four Major Areas Related to Technology.”

These areas focused on E-payment, Primary Health Care (PHC), Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and technology usage among the senior demographic.

Jeremy Lusk, a faculty member from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, focused his research on supernovas, stars that increase in brightness and eject mass after explosions.

Lusk focused on measuring the amount of radioactive nickel produced by these supernovas.

This research, though led by Lusk, required the assistance of his students and the use of technology that could calculate the nickel mass produced by supernovae.

“To do all this, I need tools and talented students that use them,” Lusk said. “One of the tools that we use is a little, baby supercomputer we built.”

Scott Meador, a faculty member from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, discussed the use of technology in digital displays for concerts, sporting events, industrial shows and theatrical productions.

“For a long time now, both professionally and in teaching,

Index: 4Police Beat 4People of UCA 4Students Say

I’ve worked to blend art and technology by combining traditional visual art and performance with computer graphics and various display technologies,” Meador said.

Meador now continues his work through UCA with theater productions and other projects.

The final two presenters, Michael Mills and Sunjung Kim Thao were separate in their research, but both presented findings that pertained to the technological advancement of educational environments.

Mills, a faculty member of the College of Education, presented studies that related to the advancement of culturally responsive practices in K-12 and teacher education.

“The reality is we still have schools where the teaching and the learning does not match the cultural needs of our students,” Mills said.

Mills believes that pedagogical environments benefit from providing psychological safety to students.

Mills provided a list of nine principles, one being enacting transparent grading policies and another being to embrace productive failure within institutional contexts.

Thao, a faculty member of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, discussed research that could be used in better aiding the education of students with learning difficulties.

Through the use of eye-tracking technology, Thao observed what areas of infographics that students with dyslexia look at first.

When compared with the eye-tracking of students with typical reading skills, Thao found that those with dyslexia spend more time on the text portion of infographics.

Thao also found that students with dyslexia still answered infographic questions correctly, but at a slower pace.

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photo courtesy of College of Education

The College of Education located in Mashburn Hall. The College of Education was given the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement, following a multi-year observation.

Murray Leadership awarded to COE

BY EMILEE HAGEWOOD Sports Editor

The College of Education was awarded the 2021 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement award after a multi-year evaluation.

This was announced by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

There were 26 recipients selected from the educator preparation providers.

College of Education Dean Victoria Groves-Scott said to uca.edu, “Providers were selected for recognition based on their commitment to equity and excellence in educator preparation. COE was praised for its thoughtful self-study and evidence-based reporting that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 learning.”

The recipients have shown continuous improvement in their preparation of educators that are both diverse and innovative.

“This recognition speaks to our efforts to identify strengths and work on areas where improvement is needed.

No organization is perfect, but the pursuit of excellence makes us stronger,” GrovesScott said.

“Our leadership, faculty, staff and students are deeply committed to improving educational outcomes for all children. We share an insatiable hunger to make a positive difference in the world, and we are willing to do the hard work to make that difference,” Groves- Scott said.

Director of Assessment and Accreditation Donna Wake said, “We were evaluated through a multi-year process and were found to be an exemplar of continuous improvement.”

The award was named after the founding President of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. He advocated a single set of teacher preparation standards that recipients of the award have fulfilled.

It was received by colleges and universities in 17 different states along with the United Arab Emirates for their leadership and continuous improvement. Arkansas Tech University also received the award.

Caep.net said, “The recipients of the 2021 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement provided evidence and data trends to achieve accreditation with no stipulations or areas for

Social:

improvement.”

The recipients have been examined for numerous years on everything from their research methods to their data trends. The CAEP aims to look for programs that produce capable graduates ready to take on the frustrations and challenges of being an educator.

CAEP President Chris Koch said, “These recipients reflect the creativity that CAEP affords in achieving excellence, by meeting the standards in a variety of ways, for the diverse populations that they serve.”

The CAEP considers all institutions; small and large, public or private, faith-based and minority-serving. They pride themselves on holding others accountable and pushing them to improve and expand upon their good work. It is the only educator preparation program recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Karen Symms, Chair of the CAEP Board of Directors, said, “CAEP accreditation is a sign of commitment to quality through the purposeful use of evidence. The Murray Leadership Recognition recipients should be proud of their accomplishments.”

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2/November 3, 2021

Police Beat

NEWS

ucanews.live

The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Sydney Cyr

Student screaming Man asking for inside of library hugs banned

A woman was located by UCAPD in Torreyson Library. When Officer Philip Boyd attempted to make contact with her, she became very agitated.

She began yelling and screaming out that she was “going to die today.”

She told police that the Lord had given her a vision. At one point during the interaction, the woman stood up and ran away from UCAPD. As UCAPD escorted her to the ambulance, she dropped to the ground and began screaming loudly. The woman was eventually secured to the stretcher and her handcuffs were removed. She was transported to Baptist Health in Conway.

A man identified as Brian Reams was reported harassing students. The first caller, Lexie Newman, reported her friend, was approached and harassed

by Reams. The second caller, Kelsey Morris, witnessed Reams harassing other students. UCAPD located Reams on campus and made contact with him. Reams stated that he had no association with UCA and was just walking through campus. Reams stated that he was saying hello to students and asking students for hugs.

Reams was issued a ban from UCA campus and was notified that if he was seen on campus, he would be arrested for Criminal Trespassing.

Man charged with DWI on campus

UCAPD initiated a traffic stop on Jonathon Freeman. Officer Anthony Tufu administered a field sobriety test and determined that Freeman was over the legal alcohol limit. Freeman was placed under arrest for Driving While Intoxicated. At the department, Tufu began his observation period of Freeman to perform a test on the intoximeter.

Tufu noted that two times during the observation period, Freeman let out an audible wet belch, so Tufu had to restart the observation period. The final result displayed blew a 0.25, which is three times over the legal limit of 0.08.

He was charged and taken to jail.

FOOD

Bear Pantry in need of items, break hours affecting students &

News Editor & Staff Writer

With holiday breaks approaching, Christian Cafeteria and UCA’s Bear Essentials Food Pantry on campus will be closed, leaving students to figure out alternate ways to get a food source and plan ahead.

“The cafeteria being closed definitely made me feel like UCA just forgot about students like me who are a long way from home,” Junior international student Daniel Perez said.

For many international and out-of-state students who stay on campus for breaks, the cafeteria and food pantry are their main sources of food.

“Students should get what they need from the pantry to get them through the break. We also have information about other local pantries on hand that we hand out to our clients,” Will Baker, food pantry coordinator, said.

The Bear Essentials Food Pantry makes an effort to inform students of their holiday hours to give students time to plan for their closure.

The pantry shared multiple food pantries and sources of food in Conway ahead of its Fall Break closure.

“We will be handing out the information of

the other local pantries, posting information in the pantry and on our websites.

The main thing is making sure we have food in the pantry so that no Bear goes hungry,” Baker said.

In an effort to inform students, the pantry updates its website and social media with any hour changes.

Additionally, employees at the pantry are also positing signs to inform the many students that rely on its services.

“The pantry numbers have increased overall so there wasn’t much of an increase before, during or after fall break. The week before fall break we had 104 clients. The week of fall break we had 109 clients and the week after fall break we had 113 clients,” Baker said.

Tracy McGarrity, a program support assistant for the Division of Student Services, claims that the pantry has been “super busy this semester.”

“We had been averaging 80 client visits per week, but in September, we added 95 new clients,” McGarity told uca.edu.

The pantry is currently in need of half-gallon 2% milk and bread loaves, McGarity said in a post on UCA’s information-sharing platform, UCA Inform.

In addition to giving food, McGarity shared that anyone can donate money

SGA

Counseling center overwhelmed, mental health RSO training

MILO STRAIN & MIA WADDELL BY

Staff Writer & News Editor

graphic by Madison Ogle

BY MIA WADDELL FELICITY AUXIER

graphic by Mia Waddell

to the pantry.

“A $5 one-time donation will cover the purchase of two [containers of milk], half-gallon size,” McGarity said.

“The need is strong this year, and we’ve been able to feed many,” McGarity said.

As part of Homecoming Week, the Bear Essentials Pantry is hosting Stock the Pantry, a food drive competition from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4.

Three teams are competing, RSO’s, Greek Life, and departmentassociated individuals.

Needed items for Stock the Pantry include: sugarcoated cereal, peanut butter, jelly, pasta sauce, spaghetti, canned fruit/ fruit cups, snack-sized chip bags, granola bars, ravioli, tuna, soup, ramen noodles and seasonings such as salt, pepper and garlic powder.

The food pantry is located in the Physical Plant room 40.

The pantry’s current hours are Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

The food pantry is available for any current UCA employee or student and is free of charge.

UCA ID is required and individuals must follow all current COVID-19 protocols.

graphic by Mia Waddell

The Student Government Association convened in the SGA Chambers on Monday, Nov. 1, to discuss online training, upcoming events and the counseling center.

UCA’s Counseling Center has reported being overwhelmed with new and current patients. According to the senate, students have been reporting long wait times to see a counselor.

SGA is seeking to find solutions to alleviate pressure from the center including training students and putting barriers between students and one-on-one counseling sessions.

According to the senate, it costs $45,000 a year to hire a new counselor, which could potentially be afforded by adding $5 to every student’s tuition.

Rather than immediately suggesting that students seek one-on-one counseling, SGA proposed beefing up support groups and referring them to more group-oriented activities.

One-on-one counseling would still be readily available,

but group activities could lower wait times.

Sophomore representative Lexie Mosby proposed training for all RSOs in mental health to give members the ability to check in on their members and potentially decrease the volume of patients at the counseling center.

The senate allotted a large amount of time to Beta Alpha Psi’s budget proposal.

Beta Alpha Psi requested $2,095 but the proposal was tabled for the next meeting due to typos within the document. The individual expenses proposed did not add up to $2,095.

The two open seats on the SGA senate will be filled this week. SGA has been accepting applications for freshman and graduate student representatives; they will be interviewing applicants this week. The new senators will join as full members at the next SGA meeting on Monday, Nov. 8.

The senators heard from faculty members regarding a new online training hub.

Dr. Amy Hawkins, associate professor of Public Relations and assistant provost of Teaching and Leadership; Steven Shook, director for

Student Leadership; and Charlotte Strickland, director of Professional Development and Training discussed the new training tool.

Still in the preliminary stages of development, this online hub would help provide training to staff and faculty as well as emphasize the importance of UCA’s values: intellectual excellence, community, diversity and integrity.

SGA discussed several upcoming events they are planning as well. There will be an SGA Town Hall meeting in the SGA Chambers on Tuesday, Nov. 9, where students will be able to come and ask questions or raise concerns and learn more about what SGA is currently doing on campus.

On Dec. 6-7, be on the lookout for the Donut For Finals tent, where you can grab a sweet treat to help you through your exams. SGA is also accepting donations for the Angel Bear Tree drive based on the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program, which provides toys and new clothes for kids in need every year.

SGA’s next meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 8.

FISH

photo courtesy of UCA

Creative writing professor Mark Spitzer holds a large fish. Spitzer’s research on strange fish, detailed in his book “Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West,” was recently narrated on KUAR radio station.

Creative writing professor’s writing featured on KUAR Little Rock show BY

KATHRYN THORNBERRY

Staff Writer

UCA creative writing professor and author Mark Spitzer was featured on KUAR, a Little Rock radio station program, on Friday, Oct. 22.

Spitzer’s appearance was in contribution to his book titled “Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West,” a book about the strangest, most misunderstood fish.

“Since the age of six, I’ve been catching and studying the most bizarre, most monstrous fish I could find, and I’ve always marveled at how a lot of people don’t even want to see such plasma-curdling freakazoid creatures,” Spitzer said.

Spitzer’s research surrounding the book involved a lot of reading and hands-on research, with some help from UCA. “I can say, however, that UCA helped me focus specifically on fish of the American West when I proposed this study as a sabbatical project and it was accepted and supported through research funding,” Spitzer said.

This was not the first time Spitzer has worked with KUAR.

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He has worked with them twice before and enjoys the narrative aspect the radio show takes for his writing.

“The show’s host has always been enthusiastic about translating my aquatic-monster research into action-packed radio shows that combine music with adventurous narratives that make sense of the plights of hellbender salamanders, gars, eels and other wiggly, squiggly underdog creatures,” Spitzer said.

“More importantly, there’s an audience out there that enjoys learning about what they don’t want to touch, which is important for spreading awareness during a time when our planet is experiencing its sixth mass extinction,” Spitzer said.

Spitzer has written over 20 books, and each one goes through a lengthy process of both research and editing.

“Of course, revision is the main time-consuming process when it comes to these books, and that usually takes a few years. Then comes the editing process in which I work with editors, copy editors, layout editors, marketing and specialists to package the whole enchilada,” Spitzer said.

Spitzer said that sometimes the process is painful but that’s how you get something to the point that it can’t be refuted and you make it as solid as it can be.

“The book that took the most research, though, was a totally different creature altogether.

‘Investigative Creative Writing’ was a much more academic book focused on the teaching of creative writing. I wrote that book for an entirely different audience [teachers, students, program administrators], and it took a lot of effort to not just give up during the revision process,” Spitzer said.

“My editor was an extremely savvy specialist in the field, and she drove me to revise and research and reenvision to an extent that I had never done before,” Spitzer said.

While the books that Spitzer have written vary from novels, to poetry collections, to plays, Spitzer said his favorite to write are the ones regarding fish.

“From here on out, I’m going to stick with what I know best: the grossest, grodiest fish us humans can imagine,” Spitzer said.

Campus Life

3

November 3, 2021

Around Campus: Jon Metzger Events

From Nov. 3-4, at various times in the Reynolds Performance Hall, the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will be hosting Jon Metzgar, a three-time Grammy nominee.

He will hold a jazz combo workshop on Nov. 3, an improvisation masterclass on Nov. 4 and two improvisation clinics on Nov. 3 and 4. Further information available on CubConnect.

Becoming a Resilient Bear On Nov. 4, during x-period in Burdick room 205, Academic Success will be conducting a workshop called Becoming a Resilient Bear. They will be learning skills to manage anxiety through cognitive restructuring, mindfulness techniques and self-care.

Football Ticket Pickup During x-period in the student center lobby on Nov. 4, students can pick up tickets for the Homecoming game.

Student ID is required for a ticket. There will be a booth set up every Thursday before a home game.

Make a Stamp Event From 5:30 p.m.-6:15 p.m., Nov. 4, in the Student Center room 213, the Students for the Arts will be showing students how to make their own stamps that they will be able to take home. All materials will be provided.

Photo by Madison Ogle

Atlanta based drag queen Brigitte Bidet (far left) poses with other drag queens after the “EdUCAted Queenz” event in Ida Waldran Auditorium Oct. 26. Bidet and Conway’s Klassy Jean Kouture (far right) hosted the first drag show in Old Main. The Feminist Union, the Office of Diversity and Community and other UCA groups hosted the event.

Drag show celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month

by Addi Freeman Associate Editor

UCA’s celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month finished with “EdUCAted Queenz,” a drag show consisting primarily of Arkansan drag queens.

The show was located in Ida Waldran Auditorium on Oct. 26. It was the first drag show to be hosted in Old Main.

The event was hosted by multiple UCA organizations including the Feminist Union, the Office of Diversity and Community along with the gender studies, philosophy and religion programs.

The hosts of the evening were Brigitte Bidet of Atlanta, Ga. and Klassy Jean Kouture of Conway.

Throughout the show, the

hosts asked the crowd if they would be interested in another drag show in the future, to which the audience responded with cheers and applause.

“I would say that it [drag in the South] is probably a lot different from being in…

Los Angeles and New York and Atlanta. I feel like it’s definitely celebrated more freely there than being here in the South,” Kouture said.

“It’s a different thing, but it’s still enjoyable, you know, and I haven’t had any lifethreatening situations or anything as far as that. I think people are coming around and really enjoying it.”

Other than Bidet and Kouture, three other queens — Akasha Adonis, Miss Gay Arkansas Athena Sinclair and Kitty Kouture, Klassy’s drag

mother — took part in the show.

Attendees ranged from students to community members, and everyone was encouraged to tip the dancers during their sets.

Klassy Kouture’s dances were the main event as she is a former student of UCA. She is fairly new to the drag community as she has only been participating for a little over a year.

“My boyfriend watched ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ and I started watching it with him. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. These people are living their life.

They’re enjoying themselves.

They’re actually happy,’” Kouture said. “I tried it on my birthday last year and that night I just knew it was just destined for me to be a drag

queen. I love to perform; I’ve been performing all of my life.

I feel like my life has been leading up to this point.”

The show included moments of audience participation in which members of the audience volunteered to go on stage and perform in mini competitions.

Winners won free tickets to another drag show happening at King’s Live Music in Conway in November.

The audience was involved every moment of the show with its high energy levels reverberating in the auditorium.

“This is my second time coming out to a drag show.

The first time was absolutely amazing,” audience member Bruce White III said. “I’m really looking forward to

understanding it from a different perspective because the first impression can only go so far.”

Coinciding with UCA’s goal of the celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month, Klassy Kouture hoped the show would help people see that being themselves is worth it.

“What I want them to take away from this is that it doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like, where you are, just see that these people are being themselves and that we all are human beings, and we’re just spreading love and happiness.

I want them to know that it’s okay. We’re people just like everyone else, and we love just like everyone else,” Kouture said.

CAMPUS EVENTS

Star-be-que From 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Nov. 5, at the Crafton Alumni Pavilion, the Society of Physics Students (SPS) will be hosting a cookout and stargazing party for all students. It is free to attend, but $5 for a plate of food. For more information contact SPS via instagram, or email at sps.uca@ gmail.com.

2021 Homecoming Greek Stroll Off On Nov. 5, from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. in the UCA Farris Center, the National Pan-Hellenic Council will be hosting the annual Homecoming Greek Stroll Off.

Gameday Relay On Nov. 6, from 6 a.m.-12 p.m., Kappa Sigma members will relay a football from the state capitol to the 50 yard line of Estes Stadium on the morning of Homecoming.

The run will be sponsored by local companies and proceeds donated to the Military Heroes Campaign.

Getting Smart about Sex On Nov. 11 during x-period in Burdick room 205, Academic Success will be having a workshop on Safe Sex. Students will listen to professionals talk about safe sex, communicating about physical intimacy, sexual assault and overall sexual health.

Canvas and Coffee On Nov. 11, during x-period in the Student Center Ballroom, the Student Activities Board will host a canvas painting party with ZETEO Coffee. Space is limited so it is first come, first serve.

There will be two sessions.

Photo by Bennett Tinnermon

Senior Raven Nobles (left) tells students about the School of Communication during a “Picnic and Paint” event hosted by the Public Relations Student Society of America at Harding Centennial Plaza Oct. 25. The picnic offered students free boba while they painted. Communication Week aimed to inform more students about what it has to offer.

CommWeek hosts multiple events to introduce more students to the School of Communication

by Amber Austen Staff Writer

UCA’s School of Communication hosted Communication Week Monday, Oct. 25 through Thursday, Oct. 28, to bring awareness to its program on campus.

This year’s Communication Week, also known as CommWeek, was a four-day event that consisted of daily activities that would help UCA’s community better understand what the School of Communication is and the benefits students could gain from being a part of the organization.

“Communication Week gives us [students and faculty] the opportunity to highlight what we do,” Donna Stephens, director of the School of

Communication, said.

One of Monday’s events was an afternoon “Picnic and Paint” by the fountain at Harding Centennial Plaza with the UCA Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), where students were encouraged to grab a canvas and paint their worries away while sipping on free boba.

“We thought it would be a really interactive event and give students a chance to network,” PRSSA President Raven Nobels said.

With each brushstroke, leaders of the organization promoted their department by striking conversations with attendees. “[The School of Communication] has so much to offer. If you are looking to meet new people, network or

even create a community, this is the place to do it,” Nobels said.

“It allows students to diversify themselves through these people and events.”

The first day of CommWeek concluded with the debate team covering the topic of school and work post-pandemic.

On Tuesday, an Alumni Panel took place via Zoom during x-period as four former School of Communication alumni spoke to students and faculty about how UCA prepared them for the real world.

Wednesday evening in Stanley Russ Hall, students from Principles of Communication classes were awarded for their outstanding academic efforts in the Hillard Speech Showcase.

The finale to CommWeek was School of Communication Jeopardy where students

gathered to share their knowledge Thursday afternoon in Thompson Hall.

Communication Week has been an annual event on campus since 2013 -- before the School of Communication was born, and the original department of communication only offered the degree programs of communication and public relations.

Today, the School of Communication is its own entity that offers degree programs in communication, public relations, journalism and writing.

“There is more discipline across the programs now as it is a more cohesive unit,” Stephens said.

Since the school opened in 2016, the four programs have had the opportunity to pay

better attention to one another and come together as a team to celebrate its accomplishments.

The week-long event was not solely for students already a part of the organization, however, but for UCA as a whole.

“Outside students are introduced to the possibilities that the school has to offer,” Stephens said. “Anybody with any major can get involved; there is no limit.”

Communication Week was held with hopes of increased numbers.

“Not very many think of majoring in communication and writing. They have an idea of what they want to do, they are just not sure how to get there.

That is where we step in and lead them in the right direction,” Stephens said.

4/ November 3, 2021

CAMPUS LIFE

Pumpkin smashing, painting raises money

by Emilee Hagewood Sports Editor

Phi Sigma Kappa raised money for the Special Olympics through a pumpkin smashing event for students held outside the Student Center Oct. 29 and Oct. 30. The chapter set up a couple of tables in the grass with five painted pumpkins displayed from each of the five sororities on campus.

Jars were set out next to the pumpkins where passersby could vote for their favorite one by donating money. Sigma Kappa ended up getting the most money in their jar, determining the winner.

They displayed a professional-looking whitepainted pumpkin with a truck bed full of pumpkins, and a plate that read Sigma Kappa.

All of the other pumpkins were painted one color with their letters displayed, but Sigma Kappa had a design different from everyone else.

Sophomore Cameron Phipps said, “Sig K’s breaking the record. Usually, each jar is filled more proportionally.”

They wanted to raise enough to send someone to the Special Olympics.

They hope to all go one year and cheer on the person they helped get there.

“Honestly, it doesn’t really matter how much we raise. I’d like to raise, definitely more for the Special Olympics though, and for the other sororities’ philanthropies as well,” Phipps said.

Phi Sigma Kappa has other fundraising events in the works Photo by Amber Austen and is looking to partner with Pumpkins, painted by participating sororities, sit on a table for voting another fraternity. at the Student Center lawn Oct. 29-30. Sigma Kappa won the event.

“We’re trying to do [a fundraiser] next month, and it’s The money raised from the for a good cause. Originally going to be in [collaboration] painted pumpkins was split it had cost $5 to smash a between Phi Sigma Kappa pumpkin, but Phi Sigma Kappa with another fraternity. We’ll be doing the same thing where and Sigma Kappa for their lowered the price to $1. half goes for them, and half goes philanthropies.

They planned to stay out for us,” Phipps said. He said Phi Sigma Kappa’s from 8-3 but had run out of they will be looking forward to philanthropy is the Special pumpkins to smash by 11:00 partnering with Sigma Nu or Olympics. It only takes around a.m. cheaper pumpkins Kappa Sigma and want to do a 100 dollars to send someone to were being pursued so that carnival-themed fundraiser. the Special Olympics, and they costs would remain low for Phi Sigma Kappa has suffered raised just enough to do that. participants, but they were not in recent years with recruiting They had about thirty found. members and being active in pumpkins on the first day, The men had some where they invited students expectations for the fundraiser, Greek life, but they plan to bounce back and be more active to take out their mid-term although they didn’t expect on UCA’s campus. frustrations with a baseball bat to raise an enormous amount.

ALUMNI

Milton enters fashion industry with SHEIN after graduating from UCA

by Sarah Smythe Opinion Editor

The Office of Diversity and Community led “Networking with a Pro: Designer Edition” on Tuesday, Oct. 26 via Zoom with UCA alumni and fashion designer Felix Milton.

Milton was born in Little Rock and graduated from Central High School, where he continued his education in Public Relations.

Milton has multiple clothing brands at the moment and shared tips on how he got to where he is now.

Angela Jackson, director of the office of diversity and community, hosted the event and led a question-based discussion with Milton about how he achieved his goals thus far in this career.

Jackson opened up the discussion by stating that Milton “followed his dreams of being a world-renowned designer, and he moved across the country.”

Milton was open and candid with the audience and took questions at the end from the students in the chat.

Milton talked about how his past jobs leading up to his break in the fashion industry were not all that glamorous but came with lessons that he still holds close today.

From working at Walmart in Conway to moving to a new apartment in Los Angeles with a few friends, Milton touched on what drives him to be the best he can be and what he brings to the fashion industry.

Milton led his monologue with strong tips like always “understanding humans and understanding the market” that you are going into.

Milton discussed that he could never see himself as a college student going to spend $200-$300 on any type of designer clothing, but he wanted those styles to be available to people who may not be ready to drop that amount of cash.

After graduating from UCA, Milton focused on his clothing brand, ROPES Clothing, with this goal in mind.

Milton said, “ROPES is actually an acronym. So it stands for ‘Respect Other People’s Edgy Styles.’ When I first started out, like I said, I was doing upcycling. So all of

my pieces were very unique.”

Milton described how he went to thrift stores and found pieces of clothing for cheap, like women’s blazers, and customized them with “spikes across the shoulders” or “chains going through the back.”

These “stand out pieces” were what Milton saw his clothing brand as, and continues to do this now with the clothing pieces he designs.

Another clothing brand that Milton has curated in recent years is called “Selfish.”

Milton described the name of the brand as dealing with the “fact that you have to worry about yourself first then you worry about others.”

Milton has been involved in a collaboration with the popular fashion company, SHEIN. He explained the process of how he got the collaboration offer and what it meant to him.

Milton promised that anyone can do what they dream if they try hard and want it enough.

Milton can be found on Instagram @ whoizfelix, and his brand can be found @ropesclothing or online at www. ropesclothing.com.

ucanews.live

STUDENTS SAY What is the most “overdone Halloween costume? ” Story and photos by Olyiva Gonzalez

Sophomore Charlotte Watson

Junior Isaiah May

“Space cowgirls because like every sorority girl I have ever seen did that last year.”

“A pussycat. You know the all black ones. But, if we are talking overdone as being exotic, then I would say Avatar, you know?

Like the blue paint.”

Junior Collin Gallimore

Freshman Elizabeth Eggebrecht

“I want to say Superman, but I also don’t see it a lot. I just think I see it a lot. When people ask me what they should dress up for, I always say spider man cause it is an easy costume to get. ”

“Scarecrow. I feel like I see that a lot. I’ve been it twice, so… ”

Sophomore Nandi Hervey

Senior Bradey Walker

“Probably the Joker.

Especially the Joker and Harley Quinn couples costume thing. I have went as the Joker and I have went as Harley Quinn, so I know it’s overdone.”

“I am going to go with the traditional sheet ghost. I just see it all the time. I still really like it.

If done well, it’s a very good outfit.”

GARDENING

Green Bear Coalition seeks greener campus The Green Bear Coalition is headed by Grant Williams, a graduate student and graduate research assistant at UCA. Williams has a passion for a green change and has set the roots of the Green Bear Coalition here at UCA quite recently. However, positive movement within the organization is already occurring.

Williams secured the Lewis Science Center garden area, which had been abandoned for a few semesters, to create an organic garden for the Green Bear Coalition. This garden will teach members how to garden Photo by Bennett Tinnermon organically among other skills.

Senior Christina Lucas grabs a The garden is hoped to one piece of wood for a raised bed in the day supply the Bear Essentials Lewis Science Center atrium.

Food Pantry with vegetables and

by Andrew McMahan greens.

Staff Writer The garden is still currently undergoing work to be ready for At the University of Central use. When the garden is ready Arkansas, the volunteer based to open, there will be a garden Green Bear Coalition looks to party. lead ecological change at a local “The current farming level here in Conway. method our farmers use is

not sustainable. Farming methods right now will only be sustainable for 60 more years.

For us, our generation will not be the ones impacted. It will be our kids and grandkids struggling if we don’t do something now,” Williams said.

The Green Bear Coalition does not stop there and has other ways they are involved with the community. The group is involved with clean-up efforts at Jewel Moore Nature Reserve and Stone Dam Creek, both located on UCA’s campus. The group initiates cleanups in other parts of the community as well.

The Green Bear Coalition is rather new, meaning funding is needed to help further this group as well as their efforts.

However, since they became an official group at UCA, it has opened more doors for them, including funding.

The Green Bear Coalition has their own web page at uca. edu/greenbear. This page tells more about the group and serves as the location where interested

People of UCA: Janie Lee

by Sydney Cyr Assistant News Editor

Sophomore Janie Lee, 19, is a dedicated student who is on a journey to discover what she truly wants for her future.

“I don’t have a concrete plan for my future. I know that I want to pursue things that will make me happy and help me grow as an individual. I don’t want to get caught up in pursuing something that will make me a lot of money but won’t bring me happiness,” Lee said.

Lee grew up in Benton, Arkansas, and attended a private school for the beginning of her education.

“Going from private school to public school was a big life change for me. It strongly influenced how I made

connections with people and what type of connections I was able to make growing up. The private school I went to was extremely small, so I’m more comfortable feeling connected with a small group,” Lee said.

One of the things that matters the most to Lee is her friends and family.

“I am very passionate about my friends and family. My family shaped who I am. I have a very big and loving family.

Throughout everything, family has always been one of the most important things in my life. My friends are the family that I was able to choose myself, so they are extremely important to me too,” Lee said.

Lee has experienced a lot of personal and academic growth throughout her time at UCA.

“I feel like all of my academic skills have improved. I’m much better at thinking critically and forming my own opinions. Little by little, my career and my future have become more attainable, and I’m able to picture it more,” Lee said.

Lee is thinking about pursuing a career related to fashion merchandising or fashion marketing.

She is in Delta Zeta and is on the Big Event Committee.

“The Big Event Committee got me much more involved in Conway. It has helped me see more parts of Conway. The Big Event Committee has given me opportunities to be in leadership positions too,” Lee said.

Lee has been exploring her identity and focusing on being her best self throughout her

students can sign-up.

This program is volunteer based and led by students.

Williams said the group is open to ideas and willing to take action on those ideas.

“If a student had an idea and approached us with it, as long as it’s green and has to do with sustainability, we would be all for it,” Williams said.

On Nov. 20, the group will be going to Belle Slough in Conway, Arkansas, to do a seed collecting event. The Green Bear Coalition plans on creating a seed bank, a place where the group can get seeds of all types for their garden. The seed bank will allow the coalition to have what they need and have sustained gardening efforts.

The Green Bear Coalition is actively recruiting right now and wants anybody interested in the group to ask questions if needed. The group is open to all and there is plenty to look forward to as a member of the Green Bear Coalition.

college experience so far.

“I am very focused on growing as a person right now.

At the end of the day, I have to wake up with myself, I have to go to bed with myself, and I have to be happy with who I see in the mirror every day. If I’m not progressing in any way, I’m not going to be happy with who I am, and I know I will struggle to feel accomplished. I just want to always feel like my life is fulfilling,” Lee said.

Lee believes that being her truest self is one of the keys to living a good life.

“There is this quote that was told to me when I was much younger, but it has stuck with me. ‘If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire.’ It’s by Saint Catherine of Sienna,” Lee said.

Photo courtesy of Janie Lee

Sophomore Janie Lee is a member of Delta Zeta and the Big Event Committee. Lee has considered pursuing a career in the fashion industry.

Sports

5

November 3, 2021

Upcoming Games

Tennis Nov. 5 at University of Tulsa Volleyball 5 p.m., Nov. 5 at Bellarmine Football 4 p.m., Nov. 6 vs Texas Wesleyan Women’s Basketball 6:30 p.m., Nov. 9 at Kansas State Men’s Basketball 7:00 p.m., Nov. 9 at Saint Louis

Editor’s Take

UCA men’s and women’s basketball first ASUN Conference BY

ANDREW MCMAHAN

Associate Sports Editor

The University of Central Arkansas’ women’s and men’s basketball teams will begin their seasons in the next two weeks.

This upcoming basketball season for UCA will be the Bear’s first season in the Atlantic Sun Conference. UCA succeeded from the Southland Conference, a conference that is not known for its basketball prowess. The ASUN’s basketball brand is more impactful in a plethora of ways.

The Southland conference basketball seasons were dominated by a handful of teams more times than not. In the ASUN basketball conference, there are more contenders than pretenders when it comes to the number of teams that can compete for a conference championship.

It must be noted that the conference tournament champion gets an automatic bid to the NCAA basketball tournament.

The better conferences will have teams that did not win their conference’s tournament make it in the NCAA tournament.

That is because if a team had a good enough regular season, they would receive a bid to the NCAA tournament no matter what happened to them in the conference tournament. The worst conferences only get their conference tournament champion into the tournament.

The Southland Conference was one of the conferences that only got one team into the tournament. The ASUN Conference has the chance every year to get at least two teams into the tournament, which is twice as many as the Southland. This means that UCA has its work cut out for them on both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

UCA men’s basketball has struggled in the past few seasons, maybe the thought is that a fresh start in a tougher conference can springboard them to where they need to be. For the women, they should do well and compete for the conference each season.

Overall, the women have higher expectations coming into the conference. However, the UCA men can use this conference competition boost to sharpen their own skills. One could say “iron sharpens iron.” This is an exciting season for both UCA teams to see where they shape up against their competition initially. The competition will be stiff, as some of the schools in the conference not only made it to the NCAA tournament but also did some damage.

Photo by ucasports.com

Graduate student Julian Haessner leading the men’s team at their Oct. 30 championship meet in Orlando, Florida. Haessner placed 42nd out of 98 runners. The men’s team finished seventh out of 12 while the women’s team finished sixth out of 12 teams. Four women broke personal records and the men broke two. This is the end of the season for men’s and women’s cross country.

Cross Country misses mark at ASUN Conference Championship BY

MIA WADDELL

News Editor

The men’s and women’s cross country teams failed to make their mark at their first ASUN Conference Championship.

The women placed sixth out of 12 total teams, while the men’s team placed seventh out of 12.

Leaders of the teams, respectively, junior Sara Steimel who placed 18th of 98, and graduate student Julian Haessner who placed 42nd of 98.

“We ran as best as we could today,” head coach Beau Theriot said. “Today just was not our day and we will improve upon it.”

Steimel broke her personal 5k record and was notably high in rankings compared to other members of the cross country team. Steimel finished with a time of 17:52.3.

Behind Steimel, senior Kennedy Timmerman finished 28th with a time of 18:14.7. Timmerman broke her personal 5k record at the meet.

Haessner made a personal 8k record with a time

of 25:42.5, his finishing time in the race.

Close behind Haessner, junior Parker Jackson placed 49th with a time of 25:53.7.

Despite falling short in team rankings, many strides were made in terms of personal records for team members.

The women’s team achieved four personal records, Steimel and Timmerman included. Freshman Felisa Saheib broke her personal 5k record with a time of 18:44.6. Lastly, freshman Ali Nachtigal broke her personal 5k record with a time of 18:46.7.

The men’s team achieved one personal record other than Haessner’s. Senior Tate Whaley set a personal 8k record with a time of 26:15.7.

“I’m excited about the direction we are going as a program,” Theriot said.

The women’s team placed sixth with a score of 179, topped by Liberty- 36, Lipscomb- 48, Eastern Kentucky- 82, Jacksonville- 109 and Kennesaw State- 146.

The men’s team placed 7th with a score of 220, topped by North Florida at 41, Liberty at 55,

Lipscomb at 60, Eastern Kentucky at 73, Florida Gulf Coast at 193 and Bellarmine at 204.

In the women’s division, sophomore Marie Møller Schmidt placed 48th with a time of 18:46.7.

Sophomore Anna Bommes placed 64th with a time of 19:14.1. Junior Anna Jeffcoat placed 71st with a time of 19:23.8. Freshman Emma Selph placed 76th with a time of 19:35.0.

In the men’s division, freshman Fionn Harrington placed 50th with a time of 25:58.4 and senior Hunter Henderson placed 52nd with a time of 25:58.4. Freshman William Ryan-Johnson placed 56th with a time of 26:13.2. Senior Tate Whaley placed 58th with a time of 26:15.7.

The women’s team had an average time of 18:29.9 in the 5k race, and their average mile was 5:57.0 The men’s team had an average time of 25:58.0 in the 8k race, and their average mile was 5:14.0 The meet brought the cross country season to a close with positive advancements for players with a strong female lead in Sara Steimel.

FEATURE

Freshman volleyball player makes waves on starting lineup BY

AMBER AUSTEN

Staff Writer

Volleyball player Mackenzie Vernon defies the odds against freshman athletes by conquering a spot on UCA’s Sugar Bears volleyball starting lineup.

Vernon, originally from San Antonio, went through years of her youth unaware of her athletic abilities until her eighth-grade year when her school’s volleyball coach saw potential in her stout and demanded that she join the team.

“I was a theatre kid; I liked to perform and be on stage,” Vernon said, “ I was never ‘the athlete.’”

Her natural-born skills did not take long to show themselves.

A year after she started playing, she was awarded volleyball’s Freshman of the Year for her talent on the court.

Another quick turn-around occurred as not even a year after that, Vernon was scouted out.

“I participated in some

[volleyball] camps at UCA while in high school and while doing that I got to tour the campus and see what it was all about,” Vernon said.

This is when she verbally committed to playing volleyball for UCA, the summer between her freshman and sophomore year of high school, to then officially becoming a Sugar Bear once she fully committed and signed her senior year.

The transition between high school volleyball and college volleyball was not the easiest, however.

“In college [sports], there is a certain way everything runs.

The coaches strip you back down to the basics where you are then made to relearn techniques and instincts,” Vernon said. “Staying on top of that and traveling every weekend -- it is really hard.”

An even harder endeavor happened for Vernon when she was faced with the challenge to either show up and show out or let her team down completely.

The first weekend of tournaments for the Sugar Bears was approaching when the team’s starting right-side hitter was exposed to COVID-19, causing them to be unable to attend the event.

“As a freshman, I got thrown into the deep end. There are only two girls in my position, [right-side hitter] so, with them being out, I had no choice but to step up and perform the role,” Vernon said.

Vernon was provided with an opportunity that she took full advantage of as her skills aligned perfectly with the momentum on the court.

“That weekend was one of my best weekends playing for UCA volleyball,” Vernon said.

That first weekend of tournaments was the start of an empowering season as Photo courtesy of ucasports.com she became a regular on the Mackenzie Vernon, freshman right-side hitter, is apart of the starting lineup for starting lineup. the Sugar Bears volleyball team.

She has been a key figure on the team already and “It was nerve-racking, but after that tournament, my name looks forward to next season.

See Volleyball- page 8 stayed on the starting roster

NAME CHANGE

Faculty Senate debates deleting sugar from Sugar Bears BY

OLIVIA SNELSON

Staff Writer

Faculty Senate President Amber Wilson has proposed a name change for the UCA women’s basketball and volleyball teams from Sugar Bears to just Bears.

The women’s volleyball and basketball teams at UCA are the only ones who are referred to as the Sugar Bears.

This name does not apply to any of the other women’s sports teams.

Wilson believed that “by women’s sports being named something different meant that the men’s sports teams would be the default. She felt as if we should all be bears,” the Student Government Association President Mya Hall said.

Wilson had not spoken to any players because she was worried about a power differential.

Alexis Stumbough, a player for the Sugar Bears volleyball team, is against the name change. “It’s disappointing that someone who wants to make this change does not even come to our games,” Stumbough said. “We are proud to be Sugar Bears and do not find

this change necessary. Being a Sugar Bear gives us an identity that is different from a male sport, but not any less than.”

The name change was originally brought up to the Faculty Senate where it passed with 18 in favor, two against and two abstain. The resolution was then discussed at the Student Government Association meeting that took place on Monday, October 18, 2021.

“I was approached by Faculty Senate President Amber Wilson about recommending the name change.

She had been doing so much research on the topic. She wanted the name change because she felt as if sugar was an outdated term that should not be used to represent our sports teams,” Student Government Association President Mya Hall said.

Wilson spoke at this meeting about why she felt it was necessary for the university to change the name. Wilson was asked several questions by members of SGA about the resolution. One of those questions was for her to describe further how the term sugar diminishes women.

“Sugar has connotations…a talking point that I did not come up with, but that somebody brought up in Faculty Senate the other day, is that if someone, either

students or faculty members, were to call me sugar in the course of our regular everyday interactions, I can take that to HR as creating a hostile and unwelcoming work environment,” Wilson said.

Senator Montana Cramer then brought up how sugar is not the only term that is sometimes used to refer to specific teams at UCA. For example, the dance team is referred to as the Honey Bears. Cramer wanted to know whether Wilson could foresee this resolution being applied to those team names as well.

Wilson said, “I hope we can start a conversation about all of the teams. Honey has many of the same problems that sugar has… we stuck with the two athletic teams because these are our NCAA sanctioned teams, so that was where we focused. However, we would definitely be open to conversations about other team names.”

Ultimately, SGA voted to table the resolution until they could talk to players on the teams and get their opinions.

SGA will discuss this again at their Nov. 8 meeting after conferring with students.

Opinion

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November 3, 2021

The Voice

Hom e c om i n g w e e k d o e s n’t h av e t o re v o l v e arou n d G re e k l i fe on c ampu s

The Echo Staff Delaney Van Wilpe Editor-in-Chief Addi 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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Editorials written in The Voice express the opinion of the newspaper and the editorial staff. Individual staff opinions are expressed in individual columns.

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Dangers of college stress levels are no joke Unmanaged stress is a catalyst for a myriad of issues, no matter if you’re a college student or not.

Life has a way of coming at you fast, even when you think you’ve managed your time wisely.

You can stick to a schedule, make a list, check it off and still feel like you don’t have it all under control.

The thing with stress as a college student is that it has a way of snowballing into a bigger issue once it starts.

Seriously, I’m not sure what happened this semester, but some days it feels as though I’ve been bulldozed over.

The closer I get to finishing college, the more stress I seem to find myself struggling to manage.

This semester, I made the regrettable decision to take on too much.

I know every college student understands what it’s like trying to manage a full course load, work a job and continue to meet or exceed expectations, whether they are your own or a professor’s.

Stress can come to you from every facet of life.

Everyone experiences or

by Edmund Burke has experienced stress in one Staff writer way or another—do I even need to mention 2020 or the pandemic?

The pandemic just exasperated the daily stress that comes from being a college student.

Not to mention having to pay for education through Zoom classes.

Read any psychology study, and you’ll find the following: stress leads to tension which can lead to physical and emotional health consequences, including fatigue, muscle tension, headaches, and changes in sleep and appetite.

In addition, stress can also lead to more serious issues such as high blood pressure, anxiety, panic attacks, social withdrawal and depression.

I can feel that seasonal depression looming in the distance. Anyone else?

WebMD categorizes stress as the “body’s reaction to harmful situations—whether they’re real or perceived.”

When someone feels threatened, a chemical reaction occurs in the body that allows you to act in a way to prevent injury.

WebMD refers to this chemical reaction as the “fight-or-flight” or the stress response.

Some people are better at managing stress than others.

I can handle stress up to a point before my fight-or-flight response kicks in and takes over.

But, unfortunately, that results in me shutting out the world, which, as a college student, isn’t necessarily the best way to handle stress, especially not in the last half of a semester.

When it comes to stress, I consider myself someone who falls more on the emotionalstress spectrum scale and less on the physical-stress spectrum scale.

Stress only heightens my anxiety, which leads to me wanting to distance myself from others.

That’s not so easy when you work in customer service.

Seriously, ask anyone who has worked in customer service ever and see what they say to you.

I think stress should be taken more into account for college students.

Life happens, and sometimes professors forget that we students live in the real world, where things get complicated and messy, and that stress is a very real issue that affects everyone.

Not enough people talk about stress and anxiety and their effects.

There is still such a stigma around mental health that it should be canceled.

That word is so overused now in popular culture that it should be canceled. Using it stresses me out.

A letter to the male screenplay writer

To you, the gatekeeper of female representation characters in the plot of a young man.

What do you think this teaches the young men on the big screen, I ask, what makes you so qualified in the study of women that you get to create the tropes who watch them?

Surely, they come to this same conclusion. that they are forced into?

Your actions perpetuate a false narrative that I ask solely to dissect the many poorly written condenses a woman’s worth to what she female characters you have manufactured—those can do for a man or how beneficial she is who seem to exist uniquely for the betterment to a man’s journey in finding himself. of some misunderstood and brooding male You are complicit in the character. negative consequences that these The “Manic Pixie Dream Girl,” a tropes have for women in the bubbly, quirky and whimsical woman real world, a world where who is tasked with saving her male we are still seen as inferior counterpart from himself, is often to men in our homes, our accompanied by low regard for workplaces and in the herself and her needs. media.

Prime examples of this trope If you aren’t skilled include Romana Flowers in enough as a writer to “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” create female characters or Sam Feehan in “Garden with substance, or if State.” your work won’t pass What is it about the Bechdel test, an evaluation of the quality women that gives you of female characters in the notion that they are pieces of fiction, maybe expendable sex objects who writing isn’t for you. lack a backstory or a reason

by Courtney Shepherd You should take some to live other than pleasing a Staff Writer notes from the talented man? women who have developed I direct these questions to the male screenplay writer, the one who fabricates this strong, intricate female characters in their screenplays.

If you’re having some trouble understanding harmful trope of women in film.

Do you avoid putting effort into your female women as they are, I implore you to take a look at the characters because you don’t understand them, or do characters created by screenplay writers Diablo Cody (“Jennifer’s Body” and “Juno”) and Sheila Callaghan you really hold women in such low regard?

If you understood women, maybe your characters (“Shameless” and “United States of Tara”), or simply ask any woman. I’m sure you know one. wouldn’t lack substance and complexity.

Women are complex, diverse and worthy of screen If your writing abilities were up to par, maybe you wouldn’t have to rely on sexualizing women to fill time that doesn’t include a low-cut blouse or an even lower sense of self-worth. theater seats.

You are doing us a disservice by standardizing us Your tropes are damaging to the young eyes that into your clichés. consume them.

We are all different and deserving of our own Many young women watch your movies and leave under the assumption that they are to be background stories.

For many students, Homecoming week is a time to come together within their comfort zone, with their specific group of friends from their sorority or fraternity and basically attend as many events as possible to party all weekend.

For other students who do not participate in any Greek life at UCA, Homecoming week may seem like just a big show for popular people to flaunt their wealth and friends.

Some people may be thinking that there are no events or meetings that they would enjoy because of Greek life, and that simply is not true.

At our university, different organizations are trying their best to be more inclusive for students, other than just having parties for students who are involved with Greek life.

Students are quick to forget that there are so many different ways to get involved with Homecoming week, even if you aren’t in a sorority or fraternity.

There are also so many opportunities to have fun this week on campus that it doesn’t matter if you have never attended an extracurricular event at UCA or are just getting interested in something on campus.

It’s never too late to join a club or get active on campus, especially with Homecoming week events happening left and right.

So, instead of focusing on how Greek life can seem to overrule Homecoming, let’s focus on how anyone can get involved and have a really fun week provided by all kinds of different student groups that you may not even know exist at UCA. Events like BinGLOW, which is exactly what you’re thinking it is, is a good example of how Homecoming can be fun for everyone.

BinGLOW will be hosted by Sherita Kern and Angela Jackson at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the Student Center Ballroom, and is open to all students to attend.

If you feel like giving back this week, the Bear Essentials food pantry will be hosting a large competition involving RSO, Greek life and department staff on Thursday from 12 p.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Physical Plant Building on campus.

Again, this event is open for anyone to attend and will be beneficial to others.

There is another event that students may be interested in that will be hosted

by Kendra Scott on Friday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the McCastalain Hall Ballroom Lobby.

Students can register for a chance to win a prize and qualify for some insane savings on their online store.

Some other tips to make sure that your Homecoming week is the best it can possibly be are to be sure to step out of your comfort zone by going to different events than you normally would.

At its least, this week gives students the opportunity to dress up and attend a roaring football game on Friday.

If you haven’t been to a football game yet, this is the one to go to. The Bears will play Texas Wesleyan University, on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 4:00 p.m on our home turf.

During the game, there will be the crowning ceremony at half time, revealing who won Homecoming King and Queen.

But it doesn’t stop there. Before game day on Saturday, on Friday night at 7 p.m. in Farris Center, there will be a Homecoming Greek Stroll Off that even if you aren’t involved with Greek life needs to be seen.

All of these events and more are what drives Homecoming week, so don’t get discouraged if it feels like Greek life has invaded your Homecoming plans.

Just look harder at things that you actually are interested in because they are out there on campus.

Have an opinion? Everyone does.

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Entertainment

7

November 3, 2021

New This Week

‘Hypnotic:’ a less than thrilling Netflix thriller by

Movies Nov. 3 — The Grand Duke of Corsica (NR), directed by Daniel Graham, starring Timothy Spall, Peter Stormare and Matt Hookings

Nov. 5 — Eternals (PG-13), directed by Chloé Zhao, starring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden and Angelina Jolie

Nov. 5 — Spencer (R), directed

by Pablo Larraín, starring Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spalland and Jack Nielen

Nov. 5 — Ida Red (R), directed

by John Swab, starring Frank Grillo, Josh Hartnett and Deborah Ann Woll

Nov. 5 — The Beta Test (NR), directed by Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe, starring Jim Cummings, Virginia Newcomb and Jessie Barr

Sydney Cyr

Assistant News Editor

“Hypnotic,” a thriller film that follows a woman who seeks counseling from a dangerous hypnotherapist, was released on Netflix Wednesday, Oct. 27.

The film stars Kate Siegel, who appeared in films such as “Midnight Mass” and “The Haunting of Hill House.”

The film creates a dark, mysterious tone, but not to the point where the atmosphere of the movie appears unrealistic.

The film showcases action and suspense right off the bat with a scene of a woman having a full-blown panic attack in an elevator after receiving a suspicious call from an unknown number.

Then, we get to meet our main character, Jenn, played by Siegel, a woman who is traumatized from having to endure the birth of her stillborn son.

Due to the trauma she experienced, Jenn was having relationship troubles, was unemployed, and was feeling too unmotivated in general

Photo courtesy of www.Netflix.com

“Hypnotic” stars Kate Siegel, known for her appearances in both “Midnight Mass” and “The Haunting of Hill House.” Siegel plays a mother that visits a hypnotherapist to cope with the loss of her baby.

to do anything positive or productive for herself.

Jenn decides to seek help from a mysterious therapist who suggests that she should try hypnotherapy.

There are so many red flags that Jenn should have noticed when interacting with the therapist,

including the fact that he is inappropriate with some of his patients.

The hypnotherapist’s office was also decorated with red angular triangles and strange metallic accents, which doesn’t seem like something the average person would expect to see

S C I - F I FA N TA S Y

H A L LO W E E N S H O W D O W N

Nov. 5 — Voyage — ABBA

Cowboys scare off stiff competition

Nov. 5 — Queens Of The Summer Hotel — Aimee Mann

by

Music

Nov. 5— Night Divine — Brian Fallon

Nov. 5 — If Words Were Flowers — Curtis Harding

Nov. 5 — Thank You — Diana Ross

Nov. 5 — Against The World — Hanson

Nov. 5 — The Future— Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Netflix Nov. 3 — The Harder They Fall, directed by Jeymes Samuel, starring Chase Dillon, DeWanda Wise and Julio Cesar Cedillo

Nov. 5 — Love Hard, directed

by Hernan Jimenez, starring Nina Dobrev, Lochlyn Munro and Rebecca Staab

Nov. 5 — We Couldn’t Become Adults, directed by Yoshihiro Mori and Hayato Kawai, starring Rich Ting, Takehiro Hira and Masahiro Higashide

Megan Holder

Online Editor

The Dallas Cowboys, 6-1, beat the Minnesota Vikings, 3-4, and gave me the greatest scare of Halloween night, October 31, 2021.

The game was extremely close until the last 50 seconds of the fourth quarter.

Let me rewind to the beginning of this treacherous yet victorious night.

The Cowboys’ star quarterback, Dak Prescott, didn’t play in the game because of a calf injury.

The crazy thing is, he was doing his regular pregame warmup as if he was getting ready to play.

The joke was on us, a guy with red hair and a red nose to match, Cooper Rush, substituted as quarterback.

I was hoping Rush would bring the heat.

Rush delivered for his team but had some delays beforehand.

His eyes couldn’t focus and his throws weren’t connecting. At times I wondered if there were actual ghosts on the field because he was throwing so many balls into thin air.

Rush eventually got it together in the second half and passed the ball to Cedrick Wilson for a touchdown, which made the score 10-10.

The Cowboys only scored two touchdowns this game, but those touchdowns and a couple of field goals secured the win.

In between the first and last touchdown, there were some magical moments that kept the momentum of the game.

Running back Ezekiel “Zeke” Elliott always puts

List compiled by Amber Austen Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of www.dunemovie.com

Timothée Chalamet plays Paul Atreides in “Dune,” released Oct. 22. Chalamet stars alongside Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac and Josh Brolin.

Star-studded cast of ‘Dune’ makes for stellar sci-fi flick by

Edmund Burke

Staff Writer

“Dune” is director Denis Villeneuve’s masterclass in film, a tour de force of a cinematic sci-fi epic that is one of the best films of 2021—in this writer’s opinion—best viewed on an IMAX screen.

After a year of pandemicrelated delays, “Dune” debuted on Friday, Oct. 22, in theaters and on HBO MAX, grossing $69.5M in its debut weekend.

After its successful debut, Warner Bros. and production company Legendary wasted no time officially greenlighting “Dune: Part Two,” announcing the film is slated for an Oct. 2023 release.

Director Villeneuve’s “Dune” is the second film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s iconic 1965 science-fiction novel.

The star-studded blockbuster features Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momma, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista and Zendaya.

Screenplay writers Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth joined

1. Memorize dates of finals

2. Attend class!

3. Turn in assignments

Go ahead and look at the fall

As finals week is about a month

Every point counts. Sometimes

final exam schedule and write

Top 5 Ways to Prepare for Finals

on a good show. He’s a beast at bulldozing through the defense to get those first downs.

Cornerback Trevon Diggs has been getting an interception each game, in one game he got two.

He was pretty close to getting one tonight but just didn’t get the chance.

Another one of my favorite players is wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

He’s a guy that can make a play no matter how the ball is passed to him unless he has some Crisco oil leftover on his gloves like he did tonight.

Lamb still did well but not as good as I’ve seen him do in previous games.

It’s okay because his looks make up for it.

Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons did great on the defensive side.

He took the Vikings down with ease. Wide receiver Amari Cooper is who turned this nightmare into paradise.

It was the last 56 seconds of the game when Elliott caught Rush’s pass and landed on the 5-yard line.

At 51 seconds, Cooper caught the ball in the end zone, which made the score 19-16.

The extra-point kick made the final score 20-16, Cowboys getting the win.

At this point, I was jumping on my couch and clapping rapidly because of the anxiety I felt the whole game.

I never knew I’d be interested in watching football, but here I am, yelling at the television and trying to catch my breath.

My neighbors are going to hate me throughout the football season.

down which exams you have on what day. Having the dates and

out, showing up to class is now more important than ever. As some professors incorporate students’ attendance throughout

it is easy to blow off smaller assignments worth five or 10 points, but now is not the time to be lazy. Collecting zeros should

times physically visible to you

the semester into final grades,

will provide you with a layout

you do not want to have made it

not be an option leading up to

this far in the semester and get

finals week, as it is crucial to be at

dropped or failed from a class

a good academic standing before

of the rest of the semester and allow you to keep tabs on just

because your absences tallied

how fast finals are approaching.

up. When you are in class,

Looking ahead will give you an

you can ask questions and get

idea of what the week will look like and how you should go about studying. Doing this will also

clarification on material that might potentially show up on the

taking a final exam worth a good percentage of your grade. There is a good chance that the material presented from now until finals

test. Being present guarantees

week will be the same material

that you will stay on top of your

covered on the exam. This means

help you prioritize which classes

attendance, assignments and any

to study for first.

vital information regarding final

learning the material, doing the

exams.

in the office of a safe, normal therapist.

After Jenn’s first hypnotherapy session, Jenn starts to experience chunks of missing time.

Things go downhill from there as Jenn learns more about the hypnotherapist’s complicated past.

The film doesn’t skip out on action-packed scenes, featuring a highenergy chase for the truth.

As Jenn struggles to find freedom from hypnosis, an intuitive cop tries to help her.

The cop is methodical, and he is careful about how he attempts to gather evidence.

The film features many twists and turns, keeping the viewer on their toes throughout the entire 90-minute movie.

The movie’s plot didn’t explore any new or uncharted ground in the world of thriller cinema, but it was still entertaining to watch.

Overall, the film was good, but it definitely wasn’t ground-breaking.

The film followed the typical layout of any basic thriller movie, but the action scenes and talented actors that were featured in the film make it worth watching.

Overall, the film was good, but it definitely wasn’t ground-breaking.

“Hypnotic” is available for streaming on Netflix.

homework and turning it in.

Villeneuve in bringing to life the sci-fi world of Frank Herbert’s vast imagination alongside cinematographer Greig Fraser.

The film is set thousands of years in the future.

The film follows Paul Atreides—the son of a noble family—played by Chalamet and his parents, who relocate to the planet Arrakis that contains the most valuable resource and asset in the galaxy known as melange or the “spice,” as with any sci-fi film that is more to the story.

The scope and scale of “Dune” is massive, an utterly brilliant feat.

Villeneuve’s dedication to the film is evident in every frame.

From the exquisite costume design, and set design used to create a visual treat for the eyes to the storytelling, the film requires the viewer’s full attention.

“Dune” takes its time building the plot and character development but keeps the viewer intrigued and engaged by the sheer beauty and complexity of the universe cultivated by Villeneuve and his team.

4. Extra-Credit Take advantage of any extracredit opportunities that arise.

These are free points that can make the difference between an A and B if it comes down to it. Bonus points also act as a safety net just in case you do not get the desired grade on an assignment. As a good portion of the semester has passed, and a decent amount of grades have been added to the grade book, you now have a better idea of where your grades stand. If you have to take 30 extra minutes out of your day to type up a reflection page, so be it. You will thank yourself for putting in the extra effort in the end.

Every element of “Dune’s” production is filmmaking at its absolute best. The production is engaging; the sound design is brilliant.

The music is quite possibly Hans Zimmer’s best score to date.

Each part of the film’s production is intricately designed.

What makes Villeneuve’s “Dune” so exceptional is the refreshing storytelling used to set up the magnitude of a new universe.

The exposition is heavy and slow at times but is used to guide the audience through the story, especially for those who have never read Herbert’s novel.

Still, Villeneuve brilliantly uses visuals to help convey the narrative’s meaning.

“Dune” will undoubtedly be a massive contender come award season in every category.

“Dune” is the type of film that transports the audience member to an other-worldly place that encapsulates the imagination and a film not to be missed, even if it’s watched on HBO Max. 5. Start studying now Waiting

until

the

week

before to start studying for a semester’s worth of class will be detrimental to your mental and physical health. Trying to cram everything into your brain at once will leave you feeling stressed and exhausted. This is usually when lack of appetite and overconsumption of energy drinks come into play. This combination will have you on edge and make you lose the motivation you barely have.

Starting the studying process early and grasping the material a little at a time throughout the next few weeks will be beneficial to your overall well-being.

ucanews.live

SPORTS

8 / November 3, 2021

UCA STATS CORNER SPORT

OPPONENT

RESULT

RECORD

Football

Jacksonville State

38-14 W

4-4, 1-1

Women’s Soccer

Kennesaw State

3-4 L

9-9, 6-3

Men’s Soccer

Lipscomb

1-0 L

10-5, 5-2

Volleyball

Lipscomb

3-0 L

5-16, 3-9

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Photo by Delaney Van Wilpe

Freshman outside hitter Jamirayna Hall goes up for the block against the Bisons. The Sugar Bears ended up losing all three sets and are now 3-9 in the ASUN Conference. Their next game is Nov. 4 against the Bellarmine Knights.

Sugar Bears fall to Bisons, 3-0 loss in Prince Center

BY

DELANEY VAN WILPE

Editor-in-Chief

The UCA Sugar Bears (3-9 ASUN) fell to the Lipscomb Bisons 3-0 on their home turf at the Prince Center Oct. 29.

Although the Sugar Bears came out with a .295 hitting percentage, the Bisons’ offense prevailed to score them a victory.

Despite losing, the team performed well statistically.

Junior outside hitter Alexis Stumbough had 17 kills and 11 digs and sophomore libero Lexie Gregory had 13 digs.

“I thought we had a really competitive game for the majority of the match.

Lipscomb is one of the toughest serving teams in the conference… Really proud of Lexi Stumbough with her double-double and tallying up 17 kills against a very good team in our conference.

Also really proud of Amari Mitchell. She is playing in a new position and has been doing extremely well,” Coach John Newberry said to UCA Sports.

During this game, the Sugar Bears were adding variety to their playing. “I think our offensive players mixed up their shots a lot. If a kill was working in a certain spot, we kept doing it. If it wasn’t working in another place, we stopped doing it, and I think we adjusted well on offense,” Stumbough said.

The Sugar Bears started with high energy in the first set, but Lipscomb gained on them at 12-8, and they held the lead for the entirety of the set. The Sugar Bears attempted to pull themselves

together at the end, but the Bisons scored the final point off of a block and won the first set 25-21.

The Sugar Bears kept the momentum from the end of the first set into the beginning of the second set as they held a lead of 8-3. However, the Bisons started to gain as the two teams became neck and neck at points 11-11 and 1212. Finally, the Bisons took the lead again at 15-12 and continued the lead until they took their second set win of the game.

In the third set, the Sugar Bears found their fire at the end but started slow—yet again bringing energy from the previous set into the current. Lipscomb led 15-8 at the beginning, but the Sugar Bears had enough when Lipscomb was leading 21-16.

UCA hit its stride and started to lead 22-21.

“Our defense was stopped in the right position here getting the ball up, and then our hitters were ready, and they were putting balls away, and just one thing after another just kind of kept them kind of going. Our serving was tough, and we just had a lot of energy,” Stumbough said.

The game’s intensity picked up as both teams fought hard to win the set, but Lipscomb eventually won the final set 25-22, ending the match 3-0.

“Usually when we get in those ‘do or die’ situations, unfortunately, that’s when we start to work harder. So if we are in the moment that it’s ‘do or die,’ I think we can be way more successful [than] not waiting towards the very

end. We got to start playing like that from the beginning,” senior middle blocker Amari Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the Sugar Bears were lacking in their serve-receive and “communication aspects” during the game. Mitchell said, “If we would’ve fixed that minor thing, the ball would have been in our court, and we would have been controlling the game all day.”

Stumbough said the thing that would make the Sugar Bears more successful would be working together as a unit.

“I think there’s some times during this game where we would come together, and we just kind of wouldn’t say anything productive. It’s kind of ‘okay, come on, guys.’ But, I think going forward, we need to be able to help each other and be like, ‘hey, that serve got you deep, you need to move back,’” Stumbough said.

“In the middle of every single set, we just kind of turned our brains off and stopped playing and lost focus, and I think that lost the game for us,” Mitchell said they cannot afford to shut down midgame. “We don’t have the opportunity to take a play off because when we take a play off, teams really take that opportunity and go off on us, and that’s when we get caught behind. So we got to stay in it,” Mitchell said. “Just hopefully we come back next game, knowing [and] learning from mistakes and continue to excel each match, each set.”

The Sugar Bears will play in Louisville, Kentucky against the Bellarmine Knights Nov. 4.

FOOTBALL

Bears defeat Gamecocks 38-14

interceptions assist with win BY

BENNETT TINNERMON

Campus Life Editor

The Bears ended their rainy, Saturday football game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks with a 38-14 win in Alabama.

Three interceptions for UCA during the game was an important part of the Bear’s win.

“The defense played really well.

The turnovers for points were huge for us,” junior quarterback Breylin Smith said.

The Bears began with a strong first quarter, outscoring the Gamecocks 14-0. The first touchdown, a pass from Smith to senior tight end Sam Camargo, happened in just under five minutes.

Jacksonville State’s first possession was cut short when a pass from redshirt senior quarterback Zerrick Cooper was intercepted by UCA’s Cameron Godfrey, returning the ball to the Bears after a single play.

Godfrey hurt his ankle during the game and was not able to

play for the remainder, coach Nathan Brown said to UCA Sports.

Smith scored a touchdown a minute later with a rush up the middle.

During the fourth quarter, junior Christian Cain made an interception and returned the ball 87 yards for a UCA touchdown. Cain’s interception touchdown would end the scoring for the quarter at 17-0 against the Gamecocks.

Cain said his, Godfrey and Trenton Dunn’s interceptions were standout moments of the game. “I feel like our win vs Jacksonville State will give us the boost we need to win next week’s game,” Cain said.

“Unreal by our defense,” Brown said to UCA Sports, describing the defense’s great job both defensively, but even offensively. The UCA defense saw 14 points scored on them

by Jacksonville State but responded by scoring 14 points themselves to allow the UCA offensive points to gain them

the win.

Cain led UCA’s defense with nine tackles.

The second quarter saw the Bears and the Gamecocks equal in points, each with seven.

Jacksonville State held their own during the third quarter, shutting out the Bears with seven points to the Bear’s zero.

Brown praised Smith for his performance as quarterback during the second week in a row of wind and rain on the field, according to UCA Sports.

Cain offered a similar sentiment about the weather, “we didn’t let the weather control how we were going to play,” Cain said.

Next week, the Bears will play in Conway for the Homecoming game against Texas Wesleyan University Saturday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. The team looks to make the Homecoming game their third win in a row. “I haven’t gotten a chance to watch much film on them yet, but it will be a good one. I am excited for another chance to play,” Smith said.

Photo courtesy of ucasports.com

Junior forward Emma Hawkins runs the ball to the goal. Hawkins led her team against Lipscomb, scoring two out of the Bears three goals and broke an athletic record for number of points in one season, finishing with 37 points total.

Bears finish ASUN Conference, Kennesaw wins 6-3 in overtime BY

MIA WADDELL

News Editor

The Bears ended their women’s soccer season 4-3 with a loss to Kennesaw State over Halloween weekend.

Despite an initial lead, the Bears fell in overtime, ending their season and placing them in second place in the West Division of the Conference, finishing 6-3 in their first ASUN conference.

Junior forward Emma Hawkins, recently named to ASUN All-Academic Team, made the first two goals for UCA and was an important player in the match.

Hawkins ended the night with a total of 37 points in one season, taking the athletic record at UCA. Additionally, Hawkins tied a previous record for goals scored, with 15 in one year.

The Bears and Kennesaw State failed to take a lead in the first half of the game, each team attempting to score ten times.

The Bears went back-and-forth with Kennesaw State until

KSU’s Macie Rainwater scored first with 20 seconds in the first stanza. She scored again at the 57th-minute mark, giving them a two-point lead over the Bears.

Kennesaw continued with its lead until approximately the 59th minute of the game, where Hawkins made her first goal.

Her second goal came in the 61st minute, assisted by Gracie Hair.

Eventually the tie was broken by junior midfielder Abby Gibson, taking the Bears to a 3-2 lead.

Kennesaw State’s freshman Macie Rainwater tied the game with another goal in the 81st minute, leading the game into overtime. Kennesaw took the game in the 94th minute with a goal by Tianna Rivera.

Hawkins led the team with a total of 2 goals, 9 shots and 5 shots on goal.

Hawkins and Gibson were recently named to ASUN’s AllAcademic Team, representing students that work hard in the classroom as well as on the field. “[We] finished at the top of our division and historically

approached a 3.5 team GPA,” head coach Jeremy Bishop said. “There’s no doubt we have many deserving studentathletes.”

Hawkins was nominated for having a cumulative GPA of 3.42. She majors in exercise science.

Hawkins’s prowess does not end at her grades. She led her team throughout the season, nearing records for UCA and the ASUN conference itself.

Hawkins had a total of 13 goals, seven assists and 33 points. According to UCA Sports, “[Hawkins is] nearing almost every offensive record at UCA for both a single season and career marks.”

Senior midfielder Anika Sultan, who carried one assist in the Oct. 29 game, was also named on the All-Academic Team.

Sultan has maintained a 4.0 GPA while pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration. Sultan’s work as midfielder has been one of the best-scoring in the conference.

MEN’S SOCCER

Bears end ASUN regular season

co-champions with Lipscomb BY

ROB DAVIS

Staff Writer

All of the work that the UCA Bears (10-5) put into their season came to fruition on Saturday night after being named co-champions of the ASUN Conference this season along with the Lipscomb Bisons (10-4), who put up a tough fight against the Bears for their portion of the title.

The UCA Bears regular season came to an end on Saturday, Oct. 30, in Nashville, Tennessee, after falling to the Lipscomb Bisons 1-0 in an overtime thriller, but the Bears were still named co-champions of the ASUN Conference regular season along with the Bisons, with both teams finishing with a conference record of 5-2.

The Bears, known for their potent offense in the regular season, had a tough time getting anything going against the Bisons in the first half of this game as they weren’t able to play

to their standard, accruing eight fouls as a team in the half.

What the Bears weren’t able to produce on offense, they were able to make up for with their stout defense as they limited the Bison’s to only one shot in the first half, compared to the Bears three.

After only being able to get a shot at the goal one time, the Bisons came into the second half with a plan to be more aggressive as they were able to push the pace and get nine shots on the Bears’ goal. Fortunately for the Bears, they were able to defend these attempts well, not allowing a goal in the second half.

Sophomore goalkeeper Zach Schawl was responsible for the Bears’ two saves of the night, both coming late in the second half with the Bisons attempting to put the game away.

The Bears brought all they had in the second half as junior midfielder Karim Diao and senior defender Ole Kjoerholt shot and came close to goals

Volleyball : 4 Continued from page for the first half of the season,” Vernon said.

Her new starting position is not the only thing keeping her motivated, though.

“The dedication I have and all the hard work from prior years helps keep me on track,” Vernon said. “All of what has been and the chances of what I could be makes me want to better myself.”

5

but ultimately were unable to make it.

With both teams at a defensive standstill, the Bears looked to end it all as they took the Bisons to an overtime period.

Junior midfielder Edoardo Merci got the Bears only shot of the overtime period, but the Bisons were able to capitalize during the 98th minute. Sophomore forward Javanne Smith kicked the game-winning goal against the Bears, solidifying the Bisons as co-champions of the ASUN Conference regular season along with the UCA Bears.

The Bears will look to bring home another championship as the ASUN Championship tournament begins on Nov. 5.

The Bears will have a first-round bye after earning the number two seed, facing the winner of the FGCU vs. Bellarmine on Sunday, Nov. 7, at the Bill Stephens Complex at 1 p.m.

Vernon learns hard work pays off

The support from her teammates also plays a part in this.

“Being with a team has its perks. Yes, we [athletes] get to register for classes early, but nothing beats the family mentality that goes along with being a part of a team,” Vernon said.

Vernon described how the sport of volleyball goes beyond

the court as her peers are no longer teammates but a family who are there to get through all the highs and lows that college has to offer.

Mackenzie Vernon walked into her first year of UCA volleyball with a freshman mentality and faced the reality that hard work does pay off.