Issue 11, Volume 117, Homecoming Edition-- November 10, 2021

Volume 117 — Issue 11

WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

Homecoming

2021 photo by Madison Ogle

Savannah Lindsey covers her face in shock as the news of her winning Homecoming Queen is announced. Tyler Cox was crowned Homecoming King, with his twin brother, Skyler, winning Homecoming Prince. Eryka Williams was crowned Homecoming Maid.

Savannah Lindsey, Eryka Williams, Cox twins crowned as UCA royalty

BY MADISON OGLE

Following the crowning, Cox said that he felt completely shocked and overwhelmed by the announcement.

Entertainment Editor/Cartoonist

Tyler Cox and Savannah Lindsey took home the crown at this year’s Homecoming Coronation.

Alongside Tyler Cox and Lindsey, Eryka Williams was crowned Homecoming Maid and Skyler Cox was crowned Homecoming Prince.

The four were among more than 16 other students nominated to the court: Trey Miller, Mya Hall, Caleb Roaf.

J’Tyia Thomas, Nic Nash, Caroline Hart, Katie Love, Jackson Hull, Davonne Moore, Lydia Martin and Kylee French.

Prior to the coronation during the halftime of Saturday’s game, the entirety of the homecoming court was formally introduced at the Nov. 2 Homecoming Pep Rally.

very thankful to be here for this opportunity to be the next Homecoming King. I just hope that I can represent it well and Lindsey shared the same feelings as Tyler and said, “I “I’m just so excited and was honestly not expecting that at Lindsey said she would like to thank her sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau, and Pi Kappa Alpha for nominating her to the court.

Cox expressed appreciation for his nominating

associations as well.

“I want to thank the lovely ladies of Sigma Kappa for “And I’d like to thank my family and friends and the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon for always supporting me and loving on me While Tyler Cox made Homecoming King, his brother, Skyler Cox was able to share in the excitement after being crowned Homecoming Prince.

Tyler said that having his brother alongside him meant the world.

“Family is a very big thing to me and to have my family to support us here today, and then to have my brother come up there with me as the runner up, it’s extremely, extremely

Photos by Madison Ogle, Delaney Van Wilpe and Ashley Savage

HOMECOMING: Stock the Pantr y brings in 1,400 pounds of food to campus pantr y.

page 4

NEWS: Mobile BearCards introduced for fall semester.

page 5

CAMPUS LIFE: Latino Student Association celebrates Dia de Los Muertos.

page 7

SPORTS: Homecoming football game on the purple stripes.

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2/ November 10, 2021

HOMECOMING

ucanews.live

S T U D E N T P E P R A L LY

GREEK STROLL OFF

B E A R WA L K

Photos by Madison Ogle, Ashley Savage, Felicity Auxier and Delaney Van Wilpe

3/ November 10, 2021

HOMECOMING

ucanews.live

UCA Bear Bash Alumni Tailgate ‘helps continue the sense of pride’ DELANEY VAN WILPE

BY

Editor-in-Chief

In the Buffalo Courtyard on the corner of Bruce street and Farris road, alumni gathered to celebrate this year’s Homecoming at the Bear Bash Alumni Tailgate Nov. 6.

Landon McClain, class of 2013, said that tradition is the most important reason to return to UCA for events like homecoming. “It’s been in my family 45, almost 50 years. My grandparents were here when it was State College, my parents went here, I went here and hopefully my kids will go here,” McClain said.

Karina Van Brunt, senior and member of Association of Future Alumni, said events like the Bear Bash “helps continue the sense of pride.”

Van Brunt said, “Whenever the alumni are together, it helps them be passionate about the current students… I think that alumni support for the schools can help with student morale as events. You know, tailgating is mostly alumni. And so if they didn’t show up to support the students, then there wouldn’t be

much for the students to do.”

Over the years, the best thing to come out of alumni McClain, Stevie Massey and Emma Baird’s experience with UCA are the connections they’ve made along the way.

“It’s given me a lot of networking opportunities, and I moved away and I moved back and once I moved back, it felt like it was a lot easier for me to community also went to UCA and so we had similar connections,” Baird, class of 2016, said.

Baird and Massey, who were both apart of Alpha Sigma Alpha during their time at UCA, believe that their sorority was integral to their experience as well.

“I think that Alpha Sig was really relational. I built a lot of my friendships that I like still have now from the sorority and it kind of taught me that people are the most important and like that’s how you succeed in life is through other people and like building those relationships,” Massey, class of 2018, said.

Not only does Massey believe that the relationships she built with her peers was long-lasting but she believes the faculty truly cares for the students and their

futures.

“UCA really is a special school because faculty actually does care about where their students end up, which is different from a lot of schools and so it’s easy to stay in touch with like, people who work at UCA because they actually do care… UCA is a really great community once you graduate from it because there are people everywhere from UCA and it is a tight-knit community,” Massey said.

The reconnections that come about from alumni events and coming back to campus is also a bonus for past bears.

“I think it’s nice to come back just to see how things have changed and grown. I think that’s one thing that we noticed today.

Even with the alumni building, we’re like, ‘oh, this is new.’ Just seeing how all the changes have made the university better,” Baird said.

“Connecting with other alumni and having a sense of community is important. Like I know, for [Baird and I], we were hoping to like see other people in our class because it’s always fun,” Massey said.

STUDENT AC TIVITIES BOARD

photos by Delaney Van Wilpe & Madison Ogle

SAB Fall Fest brings crafts, funnel cakes, rides to UCA BY

MEGAN HOLDER

Online Editor

Delta Sigma Theta takes first place at Homecoming Greek Stroll Off

BY MADISON OGLE & DELANEY VAN WILPE

Entertainment Editor/ Cartoonist & News Editor

The Homecoming Greek Stroll Off Competition brought the organizations of UCA’s National PanHellenic Council (NPHC) to the stage as they competed for prize money toward their philanthropies.

The event took place in Farris Center Nov. 5 and was sponsored by both the UCA National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Students for the Propagation of Black Culture. Kaylon Blake hosted the show.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. took third place and $500 prize, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. took second place and $750 and Delta Sigma Theta and $1,000 prize.

“This is a really important show,” NPHC advisor Tajaro Hudson said. “We’re coming back after COVID and we didn’t have a show last year.”

Hudson said that this year’s competition was scaled

down to a stroll off this year, when it is normally a step show. This was in an effort to allow students to get used to the lights and stage again.

“It’s great for them to get that experience,” Hudson said. “It’s like an expression of our culture. Strolling is embedded in our history as African Americans.”

The competition featured three rounds of performances

by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. themed around music of the 70s and 80s, while the second round was themed after music of the early 2000s. The third round was themed “New Kids on the Block,” meaning music from today.

An alumna of Delta Sigma Theta, April Scheffer, said she was very happy to see the sorority win.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been back,”

Scheffer said. “So, to get to see them win, I was excited and happy for them. I’m proud of them, I thought they did a great job.”

Although Scheffer is not as involved with sorority functions anymore, she said that being around friends again was enough to prompt a return for the Stroll Off. Kaley Hale, a participating member of Delta Sigma Theta’s performance, said that she felt great after winning the stroll off.

“Me and my sisters, we did a lot of work and had a lot of help. We’re feeling really good about it,” Hale said.

Hale said that the boxing theme adopted by her group made the second round of the competition her favorite.

“It was just really great to come up with that,” Hale said. “We really haven’t seen it before, so it was something new to bring.”

Hale encouraged students to be on the lookout for future programs by Delta Sigma Theta, as well as staying active and getting out on campus.

The Student Activities Board (SAB) of UCA hosted a Fall Fest Monday, Nov. 1 in the HPER parking lot.

The event was a part of the homecoming festivities and was to enjoy. There were rides, food, t-shirt making, balloon making and much more.

SAB member Brianna Barrett said, “Most of the ideas that we come up with are from visiting other festivals such as the National Association for Campus Activities Conference and getting ideas from the things we think are interesting.”

She said that SAB has been hosting events like these for a while. “We always look forward to putting on something big like this for the students to come out and enjoy themselves.”

Barrett’s favorite part of the Fall Fest was being able to help out and interact with the

different students on campus.

Senior Natasha Hill had a ball at the Fall Fest. She said, “Me and two other friends arrived at Fall Fest around 2 o’clock. We went to a table where we made our own tie-dye shirts. That was a really humbling experience.”

Hill said she got to tap into her creative side. She was glad to be able to make her shirt instead of someone making it for her.

Hill and her friends couldn’t miss out on the rides, so they hopped on the swinging cars that gave them a fast ride.

She said, “It wasn’t terrifying for me because I was too busy crying tears and laughing at my friends who were in a panic the whole time. I laughed so hard I literally couldn’t breathe.”

Hill and her friends then jumped on the Zero Gravity ride.

Zero Gravity is a ride where people stand against a wall and quickly spin around. Hill said she’d been looking forward to that ride.

She said, “Once again, my friends quickly fell into hysteria

and I laughed the whole time.”

Hill wasn’t looking forward to riding the last ride. She is usually the friend who loves the big rides nobody wants to take part in, but not this time.

She said, “I just wasn’t prepared to have my heart stop then start back up again.”

As Hill and her friends got strapped on what Hill called Death Drop, she said she realized that she made a “huge mistake.”

“In all, the ride feels like you’re falling to your death and you can’t do anything about it except die,” Hill said.

After being completely frightened on the last ride, Hill and her friends only rode the smaller rides and ate food.

She said, “I was elated to have a funnel cake, something I hadn’t eaten in years. Once the rain started around four, we decided to take our leave and we talked about how much fun we’d had. P.s. My tie-dye shirt turned out perfect.”

FUNDRAISING

photo courtesy of Michael Frost

SCHOOL SPIRIT

Pep rally promotes university Kappa Sigma participates in Game inclusivity during Homecoming Day Relay, delivers game day ball

BY FELICITY

AUXIER

Staff Writer

Spirit squads and staff kicked off Homecoming Week with a bang to excitement for the rest of the week’s festivities.

“Are we going to have student activities? Yes we’re going to have student activities,” UCA President Houston Davis said.

In regards to the past year of restrictions with the coronavirus, making events like this not possible, Davis made it clear that Homecoming Week would be full of life and activities for students to participate in and show their school spirit.

“We believe in you guys.

I want to thank you all,” Davis said.

Davis recognized the struggles for students and staff within the past year

and a half and encouraged excitement and motivation to those ready to get back on track to some normality.

The Homecoming football game is a huge part of the week that everyone involved with UCA looks forward to. Football coach Nathan Brown made sure to remind everyone that it’s not just about football; it’s also about our campus and every individual within the university.

“Homecoming is more than just football. We’re just happy to have a small part. We’re going to put the cherry on top of the ice cream Saturday night,” Brown said.

The cheer and dance squads at UCA play a major role in raising excitement for homecoming week.

Both teams performed encouraging hollers and eagerness for the week from

the crowd.

“My favorite part of the pep rally is the atmosphere and the ability to showcase my team’s talent and hard work for the enjoyment of our fellow classmates as well as UCA faculty,” freshman cheerleader Garrison Carroll said.

Carroll also stressed the importance of pep rallies and school wide events for the university.

“I think it’s important to have pep rallies and school wide engagement activities in general, not only to provide a space for students to interact on a wider scale but also to give students the ability to see and celebrate the diverse spectrum of UCA’s student associations and athletics,” Carroll said.

Homecoming court was also announced at the pep rally.

BY

OLIVIA SNELSON

Staff Writer

UCA’s Kappa Sigma fraternity hosted an event called Game Day Relay during this year’s homecoming on Nov. 6.

The event consisted of members of the fraternity running the football that would be used in the Homecoming football game from the State Capitol in Little Rock to the 50-yard-line at Estes Stadium.

“The event was sponsored by different companies and individuals and all the money Heroes Campaign,” Michael Frost, member of Kappa Sigma and organizer of the event, said.

“This gives money to charities like Homes For Our Troops, homeless veterans.”

Members of the fraternity were assigned to groups and each other. Each group had 4-5 runners so that everyone ran no more than a mile. Each

runner was trailed by a car that contained the other members in their group to allow for them to easily switch out. The game day ball was passed from group reached the stadium.

Houston Davis, president of UCA and former Kappa Sigma, was waiting at Estes Stadium to group arrived.

The route totaled 34.3 miles and took a little over 5 hours to complete. make because we wanted to make sure people were safe and we wanted to avoid the interstate,” Frost said. “The route ended up taking the runners through back roads and neighborhoods, but mostly followed Highway 365 “This event is one of Kappa Sigma’s biggest fundraisers for charity and a Homecoming tradition,” Frost said. “It’s also a great opportunity to bond with each other during the run and a good way to connect with

the community through the sponsorships.”

Sponsors for the event included, United Financial Advisors, H3 Home + Decor, Hambuchen Lighting, Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Arkansas National Guard, Heathscott Photography and Big Money Purchases Co..

Spencer Pope, member of Kappa Sigma, enjoyed participating in the relay.

“It was a lot of fun,” Pope said. “We got to see videos of the guys cheering each other on and playing music while running. It was also very rewarding to make it to the end. I ended up running three miles, it wasn’t too bad at that made it harder. I was super glad to be a part of it though and again in the future.”

Kappa Sigma was able to raise $1,000 for their Military Heroes Campaign that donates money to multiple military charities like Homes for Our Troops.

4/ November 10, 2021

HOMECOMING

ucanews.live

Alumna Callie Sterling secures first

place at second-annual virtual 5k BY

COURTNEY SHEPHERD

Staff Writer

UCA alumna Callie Sterling ran a personal best of 00:29:03 in the Alumni Homecoming 5k, securing supporting the Alumni Scholarship fund in the process.

The second annual 5k, organized by the Alumni Association, kicked off on Oct. 15, giving participants the opportunity to run the race at any time, or in any place, until Nov. 6.

Participants paid $40 to sign up for the competition and received a t-shirt, a custom medal and a race bib, according to the Alumni Association. Proceeds from the race helped to support the scholarship.

Sterling, who graduated with a degree in journalism in 2013, participated in She began running in 2015 as a way to remain active and healthy after college. From there, she discovered her love for running and the way it made her feel physically and mentally, she said. “I

I was hooked,” Sterling said.

Sterling has since ran over 10 half marathons and anticipates completing two more by the end of the year.

“When the pandemic began, and all local live race events were cancelled, the virtual options were a great alternative for the running community,” Sterling said.

“They provided a way to stay competitive, all while social distancing and being safe.”

The virtual alumni race allowed Sterling to run the 5k in her neighborhood in North Little Rock.

“They’re more challenging in a sense that you’re alone and there are no water stations, no amenities and not any positive crowd reinforcement,” Sterling said.

She took these limitations in stride, adapting her typical practices and accepting that this was just another adaptation in the running world, she said.

Sterling saw this as a nice stepping stone in her training for an upcoming half marathon in Little Rock, one that she runs annually. “It

helped push me a little harder than I normally would on just a regular training run,” she said.

As a three-year member of the Young Alumni chapter at UCA, Sterling is able to remain involved with the Student Orientation staff and with Alpha Sigma Tau, where she serves as their chapter adviser. “Those organizations help me stay plugged in at UCA as alumni,” she said. Sterling works as a professional photographer and photographs events for various organizations on campus on occasion.

Sterling hung her UCA medal with her others and enjoyed seeing the names and race results of her classmates after the run. In second place, with a time of 00:31:16, was Jasmine F. Third place runner, Amanda S, was not far behind with a time of 00:32:42.

“The race brings together alumni in a world that feels very isolated, supports scholarship and promotes a healthy lifestyle through exercise—all were great reasons for me to participate,” Sterling said.

S T O C K T H E PA N T R Y

photo by Edmund Burke

Drive brings in 1,400 pounds of food to Bear Essentials shelves

BY EDMUND BURKE Staff Writer

The University of Central Arkansas’ Homecoming 2021 Stock the Pantry food drive resulted in over 1,400 pounds of food donated to the Bear Essentials food pantry in four hours from across the campus community.

“The Bear Essentials Food Pantry received over 1,600 pounds of food in donations on Thursday, Nov. 4, and I would just like to say thank you to everyone who participated in making the food drive a success; the pantry would not be possible if it weren’t for kind-hearted people,” Will Baker, UCA transportation and food pantry coordinator, said.

The food drive was organized by Associate Dean Diversity and Community Angela Jackson, Associate Director of Diversity and Community Tajaro Hudson, Assistant Director for Residence Life Sherita McGee Kern, and Director of Marketing and Promotions for Athletics MacKenzie Magwire on behalf of the 2021 Homecoming Committee.

In the spirit of Homecoming Week, the Stock the Pantry food organizers created a competition with three divisions competing to bring in the most donations; the divisions included Greek life, RSO, and Departments with a winner from each category.

Organizations and departments were able to drop off donations during the food drive, in-person from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Bear Essentials food pantry. The total number of donations during the four hours by 10 groups reached 1,808 items said Angela Jackson.

The participating organization winners are decided based on the number

of items donated. If an item has six to pack, they count that as six items instead of one, Jackson said.

each division in the 2021 Homecoming Stock the Pantry food drive are Athletics (Department winner) with 854 items donated totaling 646.4 pounds, the Ivorian Student Association (RSO winner) with 100 items donated totaling 109 pounds and Sigma Kappa Sorority (Greek Life winner) with 160 items donated totaling 113.3 pounds.

“A traveling trophy for each category will be presented once updated with an additional plate with the new winner’s name it,” Jackson said.

On the day of the food drive, donated items were sorted by food and donation type by Will Baker and volunteers. Donations are stacked on shelves like that of a grocery store aisle, allowing students who visit the food pantry to come in and shop for what they need.

“When students visit the food pantry, I witnessed them being able to get what they needed. However, there are limitations to the number of items they can get of each item during the visit.

They can, however, shop as often as needed during the posted hours for the pantry,” Jackson said The Bear Essentials Food Pantry is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.

When asked about the food drive, Magwire said, “Athletics tries to do a few events a year tied into a game to collect donations for the pantry. Due to COVID, we haven’t had a game like that in a while, but we are actually having a food drive for the pantry at our Women’s basketball home opener on

Friday, Nov. 12, when they take on Hendrix.”

“I think every organization on campus plays a key role in the student experience and well-being, but the pantry gives students and even faculty and staff the opportunity to have substantial food and hygiene needs. It’s amazing what they do, and I love seeing other organizations and campus departments putting on fundraisers/food drives for the pantry. Just shows how Central Arkansas is a true family and wants to help every student and employee,” Magwire said.

“Donations can sometimes be a hit or miss, but we have seen an increase for the month of November, due to all the food drives we have going on,” Baker said.

There is a donation box outside the pantry, and donations can always be dropped off during opening hours. Items needed include cereal (sugar-coated), peanut butter, jelly, pasta sauce, spaghetti, canned fruit, snack sized chip bags, granola bars, ravioli, tuna, canned soup, ramen noodles, and seasoning such as salt, pepper and garlic powder.

For those interested, a monetary donation can be made out to the UCA Foundation. Checks can be made out to the UCA Foundation, write Food Pantry in the memo box.

According to uca.edu/ food pantry, the UCA Bear Essentials Food Pantry is a member (#149) of the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA).

CUFBA is a professional organization consisting of campus-based programs focused on alleviating food insecurity, hunger and poverty among college and university students in the United States.

For more information visit iwww.cufba.org.

photo by Rob Davis

BinGLOW reintroduces in-person events with overwhelming turnout BY

ROB DAVIS

Staff Writer

Homecoming Week was in full swing at UCA as students gathered in the Student Center ballroom to compete for prizes at the BinGLOW event as they continued to build Homecoming spirit in events.

The UCA Homecoming Committee got students together Nov. 3 to compete against one another in games of bingo for some prizes, including a pair of Beats

by Dre headphones, as a way to build the students Homecoming Week spirit.

With free food, a photobooth full of props to take your own Homecoming picture, and a DJ surrounded by the glow of glowsticks, students were able to get involved in the Homecoming festivities a variety of ways.

Homecoming experience really and this has been

really nice [and] different.

It was also nice to see some of my students on the Homecoming court so getting to see themselves advocate for themselves was a great experience. I’m just looking forward to making new memories,” Sadeja Harper, graduate assistant Community, said.

The Homecoming the BinGLOW event back in 2019 as a way to boost the Homecoming spirit on campus and get the students involved and it was a success.

Shertia Kern, one of the co-chairs of the subcommittee that handles all student-led events, said that bingo cards had to be put on a waiting list due to the amount of people who showed up.

Kern and the committee had hoped to bring the inperson event back last year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic they couldn’t hold their usual event. They were

the event virtually though and they were still able to have success.

With the university back to having in-person events again, Kern is excited to start something special this year with the reintroduction of the BinGLOW event.

“We’ve just wanted the students to come out and enjoy Homecoming Week so they can feel the energy and so they can get hype. We really want to keep this as a tradition now so this year we’re just happy to be back in person and give the students some ways to win prizes and to be able to have the students enjoy Homecoming,” Sherita Kern said.

Kern wanted to make sure that all of UCA was anticipating the in-person Homecoming festivities this year since they had to miss out last year and with all the additions they made to the event this year, Kern and the committee were excited for the UCA community.

CAMPUS CLASH

photo by Milo Strain

2021 Homecoming Banner Competition: lack of entries BY

MILO STRAIN

Staff Writer

The Homecoming Banner Competition was held last week as part of UCA’s Homecoming activities, with the Students for the Propagation of Black Culture taking home the overall prize.

The competition was organized by Associate Dean Diversity and Community Angela Jackson and Assistant Director for Residence Life Sherita Kern. The contest was open to RSO’s, housing and Greek life with prizes in each category and one overall winner. Submissions were due by Oct. 29, with the banners scheduled to go up on Monday and be on display all of Homecoming Week in front of the Student Center, with the winners to be announced that following Friday. Instead, the winners of the competition were announced early at the Homecoming pep rally on Tuesday and the banners were not on display until Friday.

This year’s contest had

a superhero theme. Several groups submitted banners and the winners were chosen with the Homecoming event committee.

The overall winner of the competition was student organization Students for the Propagation of Black Culture, which won $100 in prize money and a plaque signifying their achievement for their “Black Panther”-inspired design.

In the housing category, winning $50 dollars and a plaque. The Bear Village banner featured a bear in superhero costume, complete with a mask and cape, ready to The Greek life category was Delta Zeta, winning $50 and a plaque with their retrocomic book style banner, followed in second place by Sigma Kappa, whose banner depicts a super powered football player catching a pass, earning them a $25 prize and plaque.

“I think all went well,” Jackson said, who is also

primary advisor to the Students for the Propagation of Black Culture. “I was happy with things but I truly wish we had more participants.”

There were only four winners in total, and four banners on display outside of the Student Center. There was no second place winner in the housing category of the banner competition, and the only RSO to enter was Students for the Propagation of Black Culture, meaning there was prize money left over at the end.

It’s unclear why the competition suffered from a lack of entries and why it took so long for the banners to go on display for students to see. The competition wasn’t as promoted as other Homecoming events and there is little information to be found online, possibly a contributing factor.

Regardless, the competition was a success, and Jackson hopes to see it grow next year.

Campus organizations interested in designing and entering a banner should be on the lookout for next year’s competition.

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WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER 10, 2021 Volume 117 — Issue 11

ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST CONWAY

Campus Life:

Entertainment:

Sports:

Texas vs. Wesleyan Bears dominate 63-3 in homecoming game.

People of UCA: Cheer keeps Garrison Carroll motivated in life and beyond.

New Release: New amazon exclusive details the life of Kid Cudi.

page 7

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UCA second school in Arkansas to launch Mobile Card

Partly Cloudy

71/55

BY DELANEY VAN WILPE

THE NEWSDESK

rest are Apple users, so battery life shouldn’t impact too many students.

Freshmen and transfer students this fall semester were required to use the Mobile BearCard. Romine said that most students living in residence halls have started to get it as well.

However, anybody on campus can get the Mobile BearCard.

Editor-in-Chief

In fall 2021, the University

FROM THE ASSISTANT of Central Arkansas partnered with Transact Campus to do the NEWS EDITOR

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

Putin planning to tighten air defense

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed Russia’s need to strengthen its air defenses after NATO’s military activities near Russia’s borders. Putin highlighted the deployment of NATO’s U.S.-led missile defense components and frequent NATO ship missions near Russian waters while speaking with military Moscow has repeatedly expressed concerns over NATO forces near Russian borders, describing it as a threat to Russia’s security.

initial rollout of BearCard Mobile, also known as Mobile Credential.

UCA is the second Arkansas university to launch Mobile Credentials, behind ASU in 2019.

Rather than hard copies, students, faculty and staff will have their Bear Cards on their mobile devices. However, they cannot have both physical and mobile copies.

“Give it a chance. I know a lot of people are scared of technology, and they fear it, but I guarantee you’re going to like it once you get it,” Heather Romine, associate director of Bear Card, said.

Romine outlined the Mobile BearCard in a PowerPoint for the Faculty Senate Sept. 23. The

are that it is more reliable, secure, convenient, technologically advanced and environmentally and economically friendly.

Romine said the pandemic is what uncovered a need for contactless N AT I O N A L Bear Cards.

“I think because I have a NY workers choose generally forgetful personality, unpaid leave over vax I prefer the digital Bear Card.

Thousands of New York However, I have run into issues municipal workers, when my phone is dead, and it prevents me from getting into my dorm. Overall the digital card is a seven out of 10,” freshman unpaid leave instead of Garrison Carroll said.

COVID-19 vaccination as In the past, if you lost your New York’s vaccine mandate Bear Card, you had to pay $15 for went into effect. Over 2,000 a new one. With the new Mobile of New York’s 11,000 Credential, you don’t have to worry about losing your card and paying the fee. the week before the mandate This will also help those who went into effect. New York’s get locked out of their residence halls. “Most people always have challenged the mandate in court, but the courts rejected requests for an emergency order to halt the mandate.

of the rollout have been successful thus far, despite a rush to rollout.

“We did it in six months instead of three years,” Romine

graphic by Mia Waddell, photo courtesy of UCA

The rollout of mobile credentials at UCA began in Fall 2021. Students can now load their Bear Cards onto compatible devices. UCA is only the second school in Arkansas to employ this method.

their phone on them, even if they’re just going down the hall to the bathroom. They’re going to take their phone where they’re not going to take plastic cards…

They may not have their wallet or carry their ID when they go across campus, but everybody’s going to have their phone,” Romine said.

The Mobile Credential is compatible with Apple iPhones, Apple Watches and Android Smartphones; it is not compatible with Android Smartwatches. For students who do not have the devices listed, a plastic BearCard can still be issued.

For Apple iPhones, the BearCard is accessible in Apple

Wallet. For Android Phones, it is accessible in Google Play. For both Apple and Android, your ID number can be displayed by tapping the three dots in the right-hand corner of your screen.

The eAccounts app must remain on your phone as long as you are using a Mobile BearCard.

This app shows you the balance for BearBucks and Dining Dollars. Additionally, you can easily add money to your account, especially if you already have your credit card information saved.

To use your BearCard anywhere on campus, you don’t have to unlock your phone for it to go through. All you have to do

is tap it on the Transact system, where the chip is located in your designated device.

For Apple iPhones, the chip is near the camera; for Apple Watches, it is on the face of the watch; for Androids, the chip’s location varies, but it is normally somewhere on the back of the phone.

According to Romine’s PowerPoint, iPhone Xs and models made after that model after the battery has been depleted.”

Those who already have Mobile BearCards make up only 7% of Android users, while the

JOBS

of the rollout was 3,000 people, and they went over that by approximately 300.

The estimated rollout will take about four years, but Romine said she thinks it will take less time than that with the rate that they are going.

The next step is to start iValidate, an event check-in system, which should be available for any RSO, group, etc. on campus to use once after it’s ready in the spring. After that, Romine said the vending machines on campus will transition to being able to use the Mobile BearCard as well—this will be ready anywhere between spring 2022 and fall 2022.

To set up your Mobile BearCard, visit https://uca.edu/ bearcard/.

“If you’re wanting to add [your Mobile BearCard], try to do come see us. We’re very happy to help you. We want everybody to try it, so the instruction gets better, and we can get feedback on it,” Romine said.

If you are having trouble setting up or have questions about the Mobile BearCard, contact the 5818 or email bearcard@uca. edu.

COVID-19

Vaccine approval for children coming soon The Biden administration said it is assembling and shipping millions of COVID-19 vaccines for 11 years old. As the global COVID-19 death toll tops 5 million, the U.S. hopes to avoid another wave of infections during the winter months by vaccinating children. The U.S. is anticipating vaccine approval for these children from vaccine advisors soon.

$13.8 million grant awarded to UAMS The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences was awarded a $13.8 million grant from the National Institute of Health’s drug abuse institute to fund research on a drug that could be used as a pharmaceutical treatment for methamphetamine drug abuse. The drug is called IXT-m200 and it has demonstrated the ability to reduce or prevent the rush that meth users get by preventing meth from entering the brain. UAMS will start a phase two clinical trial for IXT-m200.

Career Fair brings 60 employers to UCA

BY ANDREW MCMAHAN Assistant Sports Editor

The annual University of Central Arkansas’ Career Fair took place Nov. 3 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. in the Student Center ballroom. Students were dressed to their best with over 60 potential employers in the building.

UCA and faculty made it possible for students who could not afford or attain proper clothing attire for the event to have what they needed.

This event made dressing appropriately in business professional attire a requirement for the student if they wanted to attend.

Kathy Clayborn, UCA’s director of career services, oversaw the event as it happened and helped students sign-in walking into the event. “I hope students get a part-time job, full-time job or employment. If a student gets a job here, it is a success for the student, faculty

and me,” Clayborn said.

This career fair is an annual event, however, the event was held online last year in a substantially different setting.

Multiple students at the event had not missed the annual career fair since they had arrived at UCA. It was noted that some of those students were impressed at the overall turnout.

Matthew Aylesworth, senior

just trying to meet new people and network with people I can really connect with. I think they [UCA] are doing a really good job. There’s a lot of people here and I have been to a few of these and I think this is the most I’ve seen at one.”

The overall common opinion of the event that the students shared was that the career fair is a real success. The students appreciated what was happening and sensed that these were real opportunities here for them.

Contact Us:

Index: Police Beat People of UCA Students Say

photo by Andrew McMahan

Representatives from Penske, a truck leasing company, speaks to students in attendance. Sixty employers convened in the Student Center Ballroom to network with students.

6 8 8

9 E-mail: Opinion Entertainment 10 ucaechoeditor@gmail.com 11, 12 Sports

Brett Borchert, senior and marketing major, said, “This students a lot of options for what they need. I think they [UCA] provide plenty of opportunities for students after college. I think sometimes options can be a little bit limited depending on your major but I do think the career fair has a lot of options.”

The employers view this career fair as an opportunity for them to network and market their company to a large group of students. Lukas Burroughs, assistant regional manager at Penske truck leasing, said, “It is great that these students get to talk to employees that are actually with the business and at one point were in a similar situation. To actually get to talk student.”

The opportunity provided at the career fair is something that is valued in the UCA community. The career fair will be back again next year.

graphic by Mia Waddell

Social: @TheEchoUCA

Opinion: @ucaecho The Echo

Tithing in church is wasteful and needs to change.

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see page 9

6/November 10, 2021

NEWS

Police Beat

ucanews.live

The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Sydney Cyr

Students receives alcohol violation saw a group of six young people walking toward Baridon Hall. He noticed that one of the people appeared to be intoxicated because she was stumbling the woman who appeared to be intoxicated as Arieyuana Collins. Collins admitted that she had been drinking alcohol. Wise said that Collins could not perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests due to her intoxicated state. The other members of Collins’ group advised they would take her to her dorm room for the night. An alcohol further action was taken.

State Hall party leads to violation

UCAPD heard music coming from a window of State Hall. The music was extremely loud in and several doors were open throughout the hall. and saw multiple alcohol containers in plain sight.

Upon further investigation, that there was a large amount of alcohol in the Boyd collected everyone’s each person was a student.

The alcohol was poured out and the students were told to dispose of the empty bottles. An alcohol

Two students steal Aramark golf cart

UCAPD received a call that two students had stolen an Aramark golf cart. Aaron Moody and Jose Magna Rivera were intercepted by an Aramark employee that chased down the vehicle.

Kalz that he and his friend were having a bad day so they decided to drive around in the golf cart to get some fresh air. assisted Kalz in arresting the two students. Both students were charged with disorderly conduct and unauthorized use. The the students to Faulkner County Unit 2 where they booked in.

graphic by Madison Ogle

INSURANCE

BeWell program helps lower costs; incentivizes healthy living in staff

BY ASHLEY SAVAGE

in group Yoga, hiking with their families and other activities that can be logged under BeWell accomplishments.

The video also shared data which showed that, last year, participants logged a total 603 biometric screenings and 372

Photo Editor

Wellness Coordinator, Moriah Bruner, hosted the 2021-2022 “BeWell New Years,” a yearly update to the university’s voluntary BeWell health program.

Bruner took to Zoom on

participants earned BearBucks.

Bruner said, “BeWell’s innovative wellness programming reduces employees’ health risk factors and absenteeism, increases healthy behaviors and productivity, and lowers health care costs for UCA’s self-funded health plan.”

Participants of the program can log a plethora of activities, each worth a different point amount.

The ability to accrue BearBucks depends on the number of points a participant has collected. For example, 150 BeWell points is equivalent to $50 in BearBucks, whereas 250 points will earn members $100 in BearBucks.

“It can often be a challenge

Wellness Committee to award various BeWell 2020-2021 participants and cover the BeWell updates and incentives.

The committee displayed a visual web of “BeWell Champions” across an array of UCA departments, elaborating on how these individuals seek to encourage healthy habits across campus and in the personal lives of those around them.

“At UCA, we believe healthy and happy employees drive student success,” Bruner said. “A robust employee wellness program is also employee experience, helping to recruit and retain a high quality workforce.”

According to the Wellness Committee, the UCA Wellness Champion Award “provides recognition of the importance the university places on employee wellness in all dimensions: physical, environmental, spiritual, and intellectual.”

UCA employees and BeWell participants, Emily Cooper Yates, Maria Negrete Padron and Art Gillaspy were each awarded BeWell Champion awards for the 20202021 season.

The BeWell program strives to encourage healthy behaviors among

screenshot by Ashley Savage

BeWell Champions named during the BeWell New Years event. The BeWell program promotes healthy living with the incentives of lower insurance premiums and cash rewards loaded to Bear Cards.

employees, in an attempt to better the participants’ quality of life within the workplace and in their personal lives. The 2022 incentives include: health insurance premium month and up to $100 loaded to participants’ Bear Cards.

The 2021-2022 BeWell year

JOBS

comes with changes made to the old requirements. According to the Wellness Committee, “BMI and waist circumference are no longer included in health scoring and measuring waist circumference is optional during the biometric screening visit.” The 2021-2022 BeWell lifestyle reward categories

now feature HPER group activities and nutrition counseling.

Additionally, the committee showed a short video highlighting participants in the previous year under the BeWell program. The images showed various UCA employees kayaking, participating

in higher education,” Bruner said.

“By investing in the well-being of its workforce, UCA is sending a bold message to its employees that they matter and that their well-being matters. UCA is also practicing we can to identify and control high cost medical spending to keep medical insurance premiums as low as possible.”

All questions, comments and concerns relating to the BeWell program can be directed to Moriah Bruner at mbruner1@uca.edu.

SGA

Sugar Bear name change fails by majority

BY MIA WADDELL News Editor

The resolution to change the Sugar Bears and Honey Bears team name failed to pass, 7-28, during the Monday, Nov. 8 SGA meeting.

Sophomore class Representative Lexie Mosby said of the resolution: “It’s not fair for us to decide.”

Mosby pointed out two individuals in attendance representing UCA athletics.

“They care enough to show up...we should respect their wishes,” Mosby said.

During the discussion segment of the resolution, a majority of the senators rose in opposition.

Sophomore class Vice President Kaya Mason began the discussion by mentioning a conversation with a member of the dance team that expressed disinterest in changing the name.

A Sugar Bear alumni said, “The name carries and tradition beyond what the student body can understand.”

Multiple members of the senate gave anecdotes of conversations with former and current members of teams photos by Andrew McMahan affected by the resolution that described the tradition and rich networking. Students were recommended to dress in business casual and have their resumes on hand. history of the team name.

(Bottom) Employers presented to students at booths lined up in the Student Center Ballroom. Last year’s career fair A lone senator and graduate was held virtually due to COVID-19.

representative, Abigail Greiner, stood in support of the resolution during the discussion, stating SGA’s goals of diversity and inclusion.

The importance of the name to team members ultimately took precedence over any perceived harm within the name.

Senators echoed distaste with the lack of communication with teams before the resolution was presented. The faculty and staff senates did not speak to either the volleyball, basketball or dance team before proposing to cut their names.

Senator Brad Lewis, Freshman Representative noted that in talks with members of the with athletics, students did not like the names Sugar Bears or Honey Bears.

“Many new students did not like the name,” Lewis said.

Lewis extrapolated that many freshman and non-athlete students disliked the name and suggested tabling the issue for the prolonged future, when the idea may gain more popularity.

Additionally, the cost of a name change was brought up as a barrier to the resolution.

Senator Clawson brought up the cost of changing uniforms, signage and promotional material.

Mosby presented an update on the senate’s ongoing mental

Have a lead for a news story?

Write a letter to the editor at ucaechoonline@gmail.com If you’ve noticed something on campus that’s positive or negative, we want to hear about it.

health initiative, most notably stating that the Integrated Health Sciences Building is considering hiring a full-time counselor.

Mosby claims that the counselor would most likely be available to the student body.

Peer coaches, utilized in University housing, are looking to increase their publicity to support students in their mental health.

Additionally, RA’s will be semester.

SGA is also working to put mental health-centered language in the required syllabi. It would include signs to look for in students, resources they can recommend, and how to help a struggling student. voted to fund Beta Alpha Psi $1,650 after tabling their budget proposal last meeting.

The Student Health Center will resume charging $20 for missed appointments.

Two new senators were inducted, a freshman and graduate representative.

The senate’s meet and greet event was postponed to Tuesday, Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students in need of volunteer hours can contact SGA for need volunteers on Monday from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and Friday

Campus Life

7

November 10, 2021

Around Campus:

DU Paint Night On Nov. 10, from 6:30 p.m.9:30 p.m., in Student Center Room 213, Dancers United will be hosting a paint night.

The night will involve a way for students to get creative and build friendships with free food.

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 be hosting a canvas painting party with ZETEO coffee.

Space is limited, but there will

Artist in Residence, Tiffany Jackson On Nov. 11, from 4 p.m.-5 p.m., in Win Thompson Hall room 331, Tiffany Jackson, a Young Adult novelist, will be teaching a writing master class hosted by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Photo by Bennett Tinnermon

Attendees of Baum Gallery’s senior exhibition talk and view students’ art during the opening reception of the exhibition on Thursday, Nov. 4. The exhibition will be on display until Dec. 2 and features art from six seniors. The students used a range of media in their artwork, including paint, mixed media, watercolor, graphic design and even yarn.

Senior art exhibitions on display at Baum Gallery

by Bennett Tinnermon

Campus Life Editor

Baum Gallery is currently displaying its BA/BFA Juried Senior Exhibition until Dec. 2 after opening the exhibition with an opening reception on Thursday, Nov. 4.

Six students, one Bachelor of Fine Arts and five Bachelor of Arts, had their work on display as they approach graduation.

“If you’re a younger student who’s thinking about being a BA or BFA student, it’s a good idea to see what they’re making, to kind of see what work looks like by an advancing senior. So it’s

a good preview of what you might expect, or what might be required of you,” Baum Gallery director Brian Young said.

For the students displaying their artwork, Young said it is a culmination of what they have worked towards as well as a preview of what they will keep doing as artists.

Elizabeth Smith, associate chair and associate professor of the UCA Department of Art and Design, also spoke at the event. “The faculty are so proud of the students’ work every semester when we have these shows,” Smith said.

Smith said the exhibition shows the commitment of the students along with their

developed ability to create a concept and communicate it to an audience. Smith pointed out each artist’s section of the gallery and the media they used for their art.

Senior Shelby Bennett, who is majoring in art education, had four, frogthemed pieces on display using materials like yarn, felt and beads.

“I always knew my work would be in the Baum Gallery since it is a requirement for my degree, but I was happy that all four of my pieces were let into the show. It made me feel proud as an artist,” Bennett said.

Bennett said she was challenged by “A Frog in My

Throat,” a quilt made from cloth and beads, as it was her first time sewing a quilt and she had to figure out how to create the face she wanted.

Friends and families of the artists attended the event as well, Young commented on the amount of people present for just six students. “So I hope those six individuals are flattered,” Young said.

Senior Olivia Henderson, who is majoring in art education, had one, mixed media installation, titled “Roots,” at the exhibition.

“These components serve as a portrayal of heartaches, joyous moments and realizations,” Henderson said in her artist’s statement.

The installation features pictures, polaroids, a ceramic piece, a newspaper clipping and even a toilet.

“While attending Arkansas Governor’s School, I discovered the re-imagination of ugly items, such as toilets, to prove that beauty is found in the mundane,” Henderson’s artist’s statement said.

“I want the viewer to take this work bit by bit and see how it applies to their stories,” Henderson said.

Baum Gallery’s senior exhibition is open to the public for free viewing. Viewers can read artists’ statements for each piece to gain an insight and explanation for the artworks.

HOLIDAY

Vodou: Danced Culture and Contemporary Dance From 7 p.m.-8 p.m. on Nov. 11, Center for Global Learning & Engagement will be hosting a Zoom meeting with Mario Lamothe, a University of Illinois professor on Haitian contemporary dance. Go to CubConnect for the link or register at uca.edu/go/ HaitiMarioLaMothe

Artist in Resident: Fabiola Jean-Louis Starting Nov. 15, at various locations and times, Haitianborn, New York artist, Fabiola Jean-Louis, will be giving free classes on ceramics, sculptures, women of the arts and africana art history. For more information, go to CubConnect or contact the Department of Art and Design.

Photo by Delaney Van Wilpe

Holiday Service Event On Nov. 16, during x-period, in the College of Business room 206, students will be taking a making holiday cards for a local charity. The event is open to all students.

Latino Student Association historian Christopher Velazquez presents a small replica of what an altar looks like during a Día de Los Muertos sugar skull painting event on Nov. 2.

Altars are used to commemorate loved ones; they normally have a photo of the person and a personalized knick-knack to remember them by.

Latino Student Association invites students to paint sugar skulls in celebration of Día de Los Muertos

by Delaney Van Wilpe Editor-in-chief

Stuffable Reindeer and Snowmen On Nov. 16, from 12 p.m.-3 p.m. in the Student Center lobby, Student Activities Board will be handing out stuffed snowmen and reindeer.

Slap Out Hate From 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., on Nov. 18, in front of the Student Center, the Health Science Club will be hosting a banner event to promote awareness of diversity issues around the world. The with handprints from students, faculty and staff of anyone who has suffered from any racial bias or discrimination.

The Latino Student Association (LSA) hosted an event for members and non-member students alike, to decorate sugar skulls in celebration of Día de Los Muertos Nov. 2 in the Student Center during x-period.

Día de Los Muertos is a twoday event on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 where people remember and celebrate the lives of those who have passed away.

“I think it’s very unique. [I] also like that we commemorate the dead instead of making it so sad that someone has passed away, you just remember them for who they were, what they like and things like that, which brings a little bit more joy about those people that have passed away,” LSA historian Christopher Velazquez said.

Junior Tania NuñezFernandez, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, came to the event to cure her homesickness.

“I wanted to come because I usually celebrate this with my family and being so far away, this was a way to not be as homesick,” Nuñez-Fernandez said.

Next to the skulls and art supplies, LSA also had a small replica of an altar set up at the event. They have a bigger one set up in Bernard Hall, room 207.

“A lot of families do altars in order to commemorate their friends or family members,” Velazquez said. In the altars, Velazquez said that families normally have a photo of the person they are remembering and a knick-knack to remember them by.

About her hometown, Nuñez-Fernandez said, “We usually have an altar competition in school. Every grade has the opportunity to compete for who

has the best one.” She said the celebration is also supplemented with food, friends and family.

To relieve themselves of daily stress, students took a second out of their busy days to paint sugar skulls.

Sophomore Mackenzie Rowley, who was in attendance, said, “It’s a good way to just chill out. Sit down, have a nice relaxing minute [with] no thinking.”

Maria Negrete Padron, LSA advisor and associate and community, gave those in attendance 20 minutes to decorate their skulls. She said they were going to put on a small Instagram contest, which will prove the winner of the sugar skull contest. The winner will receive an unknown prize.

Although the event focused on painting sugar skulls, its main purpose was the education of those who don’t know what Día

de Los Muertos is.

“I’m happy to see people that are not from Mexico here just learning what this is all about,” Nuñez said.

“We are here to just let people know what the Latino Student Association is. We’re very inclusive of anybody and

everybody, and we just want to show other people what Latinx culture is about,” Velazquez said.

LSA will host a Salsa Night Tuesday, Nov. 16 during International Education Week for those who want to get plugged in with the RSO.

Photo by Delaney Van Wilpe

Junior Tania Nuñez-Fernandez paints her sugar skull at the Latino Student Association’s Día de Los Muertos event on Nov. 2.

8/ November 10, 2021

CAMPUS LIFE

Joshua Ang Price speaks on anti-Asian hate

by Sydney Cyr Assistant News Editor

Diversity hosted an Asian faculty, staff and student checkin on Zoom Thursday, Nov. 4.

Angela Webster, the chief the event with a message for Islander members of the UCA community.

“One of the reasons for this gathering is to let you all know that we love you and we appreciate your contributions to the campus,” Webster said.

The guest speaker for the event was Joshua Ang Price, an election commissioner for Pulaski County.

Price started by discussing immigrant experiences and why immigrant stories are so important to share.

“No matter where we are from, we are all in America now.

We are here for freedom and to make a better life for ourselves

and our families. These stories are important because they are part of who we are. It is a part of our culture and our history,” Price said.

Price discussed two recent Asian hate crimes that occurred in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

In one hate crime, an Asian man was standing outside of Oaklawn in Hot Springs when

Price explained that he and a hate crimes bill in Arkansas, but they weren’t completely successful.

“We got a watered-down version of a hate crimes bill that

sentenced to 60 days in jail, which was the harshest sentence that he could’ve been given.

In the other hate crime, a man went into a Pho restaurant with knives and a machine gun and threatened to shoot up the store because he suspected the store owners were running a

said.

Price discussed ways in which people can respond to anti-Asian hate when they witness it.

“With the rise in anti-Asian hate that we’ve seen in the past year, it is important for everybody to call out racism when they hear it or see it,” Price said.

Price spoke about the racism that many Asian Americans have faced since the COVID-19 pandemic, with phrases such as the “Wuhan

“I was very vocal in speaking out against these incidents. There is no law

commonly used in America.

Price explained how it is easy for people to blame certain

Bentonville threatened him and physically assaulted him.

“It’s important for allies to call out that behavior as well.

That is the only way we can get ahead of this and stop these things from happening,” Price said.

Price also encouraged Asian Americans to get involved in their local communities so that they can be represented.

“We have to be active members of our community. We have to be seen, and we have to be heard. I would urge each of you, if you’re not civically engaged, to get engaged in some way,” Price said.

At the end of the Zoom session, Price shared multiple educational resources with attendees.

Price encouraged students to email him at joshua.ang. price@gmail.com if they want access to additional resources or have any questions about how to support Asian American

ucanews.live

STUDENTS SAY you come back for “ Will Homecoming after you graduate? ” Story and photos by Olyvia Gonzalez

against anti-Asian hate. addresses hate crimes,” Price said.

really responsible.

T H E AT E R

‘From Up Here’ cast performs dark comedy that asks tough questions, says play’s director

by Amber Austen Staff Writer

UCA’s Theatre performed its fall production of “From Up Here” Nov. 3-6 in the Bridges Larson Theatre in Snow Fine Arts Center.

Liz Flahive’s play “From Up Here” follows main character Kenny Barrett and the challenges he and his family have to face after he experienced a psychotic break that resulted in him bringing an unloaded gun to school.

“I would say that it is a dark comedy with a great deal of domestic drama and is very much a play of the heart,” director Kevin Browne said.

Photo courtesy of uca.universitytickets.com His “Director Notes” say that the play asks tough questions The UCA theatre program performed “From Up Here” from Nov. 3 to Nov. 6. Their next performance will be “Little Shop of Horrors.” about work, time and our ability to listen to one another, along audience was introduced to the hike mountains and sleep in a tent with our ability to forgive both Barrett family, where it quickly than be tied down to one place others and ourselves. becomes apparent that there is an forever.

“I want the audience to be overall stressor in the house.

From there, the audience able to understand the theme and Kenny and his sister, Lauren, was greeted with the whimsical the messages in the play,” senior are not fond of their mom’s new presence of Charlie, who is cast member Dalton Carroll husband, Daniel, nor is their determined to capture the said. “I want them to take into mother, Grace, when he mentions stubborn heart of Lauren account that these things are real that he would like to add to the regardless of her being “that and that humans make mistakes, family by having children of his boy’s sister” who also makes an that there is always time for a new own. effort to befriend Kenny in the beginning.”

Next walks in, from the process.

The performance executed wilderness, the siblings’ Not long after that, Kenny’s those emotions well, as each estranged aunt who only visits student mentor Kate makes her scene held underlying meanings. every two years and would rather appearance and offers to help In the beginning, the

Kenny write his public apology that he must give to the school regarding the incident. Toward the end of the show, it is revealed that she was only in it for the about in her college essays that were then recognized by the press.

Throughout the performance, audience members were encouraged to read between the lines and pinpoint the realities that make life hard. While it did this, it also showcased the possibilities of how to overcome those hardships.

“I have never been involved in a cast that is more committed to the work and to each other,” Browne said about the accomplishments of the performance, “All of the actors have really grown and have uncovered, throughout rehearsals, the ability of expression.”

The cast and crew had seven weeks to perfect their craft as rehearsals started Sept. 13, a week after auditions.

“Putting in the time [20 hours per week] really allowed for a more realistic and heartfelt approach,” Browne said.

UCA’s Theatre will take the stage again in the spring semester with their performance of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Senior Anika Sultan

Sophomore Ryan Coan

“I probably don’t plan on coming back after I graduate, but just because I’ll probably be back home in Dallas.”

“Probably would come to them for a few years after I graduated and maybe just to see some old classmates and friends from college.”

Graduate Student Khalil Oumimoun

Sophomore Maggie Bamburg

“I don’t think so. I am only here for my Master’s, so I will be working in a different state. So, it would just be hard to come back here.”

“Probably not, if I’m going to be honest. I am not a big sports person. I am a fine arts major.”

Sophomore Mckinley Green

Junior Mathias Bendiksen

“I probably will. Just because I have made friends who live off in different states or just like further areas of Arkansas, so I think that would be a good time to do like a reunion.”

“I don’t think so because I come from Norway, which is probably where I am going to move back to so, it’s going to be pretty far to travel just for the Homecoming weekend. But I would love to if I had the opportunity.”

CELEBRITY

Comedian Gabriel Iglesias performs at UCA

by Christian West Staff Writer

Well-known comedian Gabriel Iglesias performed at UCA in Reynolds Performance Hall on Nov. 2.

Iglesias was opened by fellow comedians Martin Moreno and Alfred Robles, who each did 15-minute performances before Iglesias came out. The moment Gabriel came out, the crowd was roaring, and nearly everyone rose to their feet. Every joke gained an abundance of laughter and cheering.

Gabriel Iglesias is one of

the most watched comedians on YouTube, according to his website. He has had many notable feats in his career including being one of the shortlist of individuals to headline and sell out seats at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. In 2018, Iglesias was also part of the Hollywood Reporters “Top 40 Comedy Players.” Other notable members of the list include Along with the success of his comedy shows, he has also had success in the TV and movie

industry. He has already had one show titled “I’m Sorry For What I Said When I Was Hungry” on his live show in Chicago where he had 20,000 people in attendance, and his own movie titled “The Fluffy Movie.” He has another show coming to being taped.

Iglesias also has a threeseason show on FUSE TV that recently concluded titled “Fluffy’s Food Adventures” where he and guest comedians travel around the country eating local food and then work out following their huge meals.

Iglesias was the youngest of four raised by a single mom in Long Beach, CA. He found his way to the comedy scene when way to deal with his problems.

He would later use this talent to gain crowds for his stand-up comedy shows. He would go to bars and hole-in-the-wall joints to gain attention and popularity, and not too long later he was at the top of the game.

Iglesias’ current show will continue into this coming summer. He will continue to travel across the United States and later begin hitting European countries.

People of UCA: Garrison Carroll

by Felicity Auxier Staff Writer

Freshman Garrison Carroll is an engaged student, ready for his future at UCA. Carroll is also a member of UCA’s cheerleading squad and is determined to make campus life better for everyone around him.

“The University of Central Arkansas was an appealing choice to me because of its proximity to home, student and professor ratio, as well as a diverse student body and its reputable cheer program,” Carroll said.

Carroll is a pre-nursing major and is planning to minor in English.

“I chose my major for two reasons. From an emotional standpoint, I thought why not apply my compassionate and

empathetic nature to a career that requires both qualities.

From a practical standpoint, the emergence of the coronavirus showed the world that medical field positions are always needed,” Carroll said.

Carroll also holds the cheer team very highly and loves what he represents while participating.

“To represent such a highly regarded program here at UCA is an honor in itself. I chose UCA cheer specifically because of the hard-working yet enjoyable atmosphere that I witnessed during my first visit to a collegiate practice. Representing the school through cheer has not only provided me with opportunities to get to know my peers, but it has also shown me the importance of community in the foundation

of UCA as a college,” Carroll said.

Originally, cheering at the University of Central Arkansas was not part of his plan.

“I actually wanted to join the University of Arkansas cheer program, however, if I was going to continue athletics in college, I wanted to compete. Since [the] UofA does not compete, I figured why not go to UCA with one of the best collegiate cheerleading track records in the nation,” Carroll said.

Being able to compete with UCA’s cheerleading squad is important to Carroll and keeps him motivated to compete in the real world for his future.

“Competing through athletics is something that I have done from a very early age, and I value it because it

provides insight into how the world operates. So cheer and school actually align in the sense that dedicating physical and mental work is the best way to achieve a goal, which is what drives me to do my best,” Carroll said.

Coming from his ethnically diverse hometown of Rogers, Arkansas, Carroll loves the way UCA’s campus life incorporates diversity.

“My favorite part about the social life here at UCA is its willingness to accommodate every personality, subgroup and background into events.

It is important to me that my school campus and social life reflect the ideals instilled upon me by the environment in which I was raised,” Carroll said.

Photo courtesy of Garrison Carroll

Freshman Garrison Carroll is a member of the cheerleading squad at UCA. Competing in cheerleading helps Carroll stay motivated.

Opinion

9

ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

November 10, 2021

The Voice

U C A s p or t s n e e d t o h av e m ore c on s i s t e nt l i v e up d at e s on at h l e t i c e v e nt s Now that UCA is moving toward in the team names, by proposing to remove sugar from sugar bears on the women’s volleyball and basketball teams, there is still a hierarchy when it comes to which sports provide live updates during games. The name change is in conversation currently by the university.

While the athletic department

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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Hot girls don’t actually have stomach issues Across Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and practically every other social media platform, there is an ongoing joke that reads, “hot girls have stomach issues.”

The joke is that it is a common occurrence among girls to experience stomach issues on a day-today basis.

Honestly, I think the punchline stems from the fact that there is so much truth in the stereotype. But, the reality should be: hot girls don’t have stomach issues; hot girls heal their guts.

“Healing your gut” is an initiative

gluten intolerant or having a gut that doesn’t process certain food groups well.

once you make the changes, it’s beyond worth it.

Healing your gut can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t mean you have to eat more or less or stick to really bland, horrible diets.

Intuitive eating and being aware of your gut’s health will drastically improve both your physical and mental health.

For many of us, it’s hard to ever know that your gut is “sick” until some stranger on TikTok is telling you that it needs to be healed.

months and encourages learning to eat whole foods and learning to create habits that don’t edge on stomach issues.

That is stomach issues that are so consistent that they A simple search of “healing land in a never-ending meme your gut” or #guthealth on trope.

Youtube or TikTok will It is possible to avoid showcase a plethora of

BY ASHLEY SAVAGE stomach bloating, cramps Photography Editor and irritation and, although those seeking to understand the running joke pokes fun how to have a healthier gut. at women directly, this message is for everyone.

Healing your gut sounds scary, but it’s quite from detailed gut-friendly recipes to exercises and simple. mindfulness for your gut.

Small tips like drinking warm or room temperature water instead of cold water can prompt of delicious gut-friendly recipes and a handful of tricks healthier digestion and less bloating. (like the temperature of your water), feeling equipped Simplifying food sources also helps. to heal your gut comes sooner rather than later.

When you’re craving fries, instead of going to the One deep dive on “gut health TikTok” and you nearest McDonald’s, make fries from home. might just come out of it with a mac and cheese recipe It allows you to have the same snack, but the that doesn’t leave you hunched over in bloated agony for hours after. with ease compared to the list of add-ons that come Hot girls (and guys) take the time to heal their with processed selections. gut, listen to their body and put an end to avoidable Sometimes there are larger issues like being stomach pains.

Tithing needs to be more transparent to congregation Churches are seen to many as a place of worship for Christians where community and learning take place, but as I’ve gotten older, common church practices have made me believe that churches operate more as sketchy businesses.

Growing up, I attended a small baptist church in Jacksonville, Ark., and I can remember learning about tithing during a lesson of Sunday school class and how we’re supposed to give a portion of our money to the church every week so that it could go to God. Of course, I didn’t think anything of it as a kid, but as I got older and the more I thought about and heard the practice taught, the more it didn’t make sense.

Where does the money actually go?

Now, I’m sure a lot of this money may go towards helping others through churchled programs or by investing in the church itself,

BY ROB DAVIS but when I see the pastors of Staff Writer these successful churches and the way they live, it doesn’t look good to me.

According to salary.com, in 2021, pastors are making a little over $100,000 on average. journalists make on average about $42,000, less than half of what a pastor makes for what I would consider a more dangerous and important job. Journalists do everything they can in order to give the world information, whereas a pastor’s goal is to grow their church and congregation. swept through Houston and other parts of eastern Texas, leaving 35,000 people away from their homes

as they were evacuated from the areas.

Joel Osteen, one of the most popular Christian pastors of the modern era, refused to open the doors to his ginormous church, which is located in Houston and holds nearly 17,000 people, to people who were seeking refuge after this tragedy struck.

This decision not only displays the lack of qualities of a devout Christian, but it also shows me that money being tithed to Osteen’s church isn’t being used for anything useful when it matters the most.

In the Bible, there’s a passage from Leviticus 27:30 that says, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord: it is holy to the Lord,” which basically means that the world, and everything in it, belongs to God and that Christians are supposed to offer something of value to them to thank God. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never felt any sort of appreciation after seeing the leaders of churches post their big houses, fancy cars or other aspects of their lavish lifestyles on social media for everyone to see.

I have nothing against religion or worship, but I’m tired of seeing churches pushing tithing on their congregation and seeing those resources used poorly.

It feels predatory and scam-like.

Churches need to be more transparent and responsible with the allocation of resources, especially when a large portion of it comes from their congregation.

should be expected that every game would be updated live, no matter the sport or if that game is home or away.

Live updates on scores are However, some sports offered by UCA will never get live updates made for them.

The live statistics are available for regular-season home teams, according to the site.

The sport that is always updated live and occasionally broadcast live with video and audio is football.

Men’s and women’s basketball are both updated with live statistics, as well as men’s and women’s soccer.

These are some of the most anticipated sports in college athletics, so this should come as no surprise.

A few other sports that are also updated live are baseball, softball and volleyball.

While you can view the scores for these sports live for free from any device, UCA Volleyball is available to live stream during the games on ESPN+.

And no, ESPN+ is not included in our tuition here at UCA. It makes no sense why a college sports game would be broadcasted to a service that is only available after purchasing it.

The sports department is heavily promoting where the away game can be watched but doesn’t mention that it will cost you for that subscription.

This can be solved by either getting ESPN+ for students to watch these away games or broadcasting the game somewhere more convenient and accessible with no charge to view.

UCA students pay the athletic department $20 per hour every semester, so this solution isn’t outlandish at all.

So, what about the sports that get no live coverage or updates? The ones that don’t get recorded or live streamed at all?

Sports like cross country and track updates. This leaves the rest of the campus wondering about results.

Other sports that are not covered live are golf and tennis.

The sports that seem to be getting the most attention and updates predominately have big teams or a spirit of thriving competition within them.

However, tennis at UCA can get very competitive and intense, yet the updates come in hours or even days after the match or tournament concludes.

No sport deserves to be live updated or streamed more than any other sport, no matter how competitive the game is.

UCA needs to continue to work towards more inclusivity in sports and should allocate resources so that every sport can have live updates on the website.

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Entertainment

10

November 10, 2021

New This Week

‘A Man Named Scott’ continues to change the world BY

Movies Nov. 12 — Belfast (PG-13), directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Jude Hill, Lewis McAskie and Caitriona Balfe

Nov. 12 — Clifford the Big Red Dog (PG), directed by Walt Becker, starring Darby Camp, Jack Whitehall and Izaac Wang

Nov. 12 — Apex (NR), directed

by Edward Drake, starring Neal McDonought, Bruce Willis and Corey Large

Nov. 12 — Night Raiders (NR), directed by Danis Goulet, starring Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Brooklyn Letexier-Hart and Alex Tarrant

EMILEE HAGEWOOD

Scott Mescudi, known as Kid Cudi, has continually changed the world through genre and delves deeper into his musical journey through his biopic “A Man Named Scott.”

Director Robert Alexander created a beautiful timeline centered around the making and the release of Cudi’s songs including interviews with other artists, producers and famous fans.

Pharrell Willams, Dot Da Genius, Travis Scott, Kanye West and Schoolboy Q spoke about the impact that Kid Cudi had on the hip-hop/rap genre and their own lives.

Most people associate popular song “Day N’ Nite.”

What many fans may not know, which is revealed in the biopic, is that it was and he was considered one

Music

to have his work published. multiple

Nov. 12 — Between Us — Little Mix

Nov. 12 — Things Take Time, Take Time — Courtney Barnett Nov. 12 — The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows — Damon Albarn

interviews

are

List compiled by Andraea Aguilera Staff Writer

No one likes to think about those times when they were at rock bottom but seeing Cudi’s battle and victory over his demons was truly inspiring.

It highlights how he masterfully molded both individuality and art, Photo courtesy of www.Kidcudi.com

played featuring the people closest to Cudi that were there through every moment of his journey.

They knew that he was something special from the very beginning, they knew that he would shape the hip-hop genre forever.

Shia Labeouf,

Timotheé Chalamet and Lil Yachty opened up about how Cudi’s music gave them the freedom to open up emotionally and express themselves without fearing ridicule.

Their partnership continues to touch the hearts of their listeners

and I especially loved diving deeper into their collaborations.

A$AP Rocky called him “wizard.”

Rocky also refers to him as someone who showed people they could break away from the systemic pressures of society, especially people of color.

change he brought about.

The rare musiciancentered documentary brought attention to the man behind the music through the help of industry professionals and and inspiring as Kid Cudi.

You can watch “A Man Named Scott” on Amazon and for free with Amazon Prime now.

U P B E AT T R A C K L I S T

SANDBOX ST YLE VIDEO GAME

‘Rider’s Republic:’

unique open-world BY

ANDREW MCMAHAN

Staff Writer

“Rider’s Republic” is a new video game that was recently released on Oct. 28. “Rider’s Republic” is Nov. 12 — Imposter — Dave a giant world that consists Gahan & Soulsavers of multiple national parks pushed together to make a playground for skiing, snowboarding, mountain Nov. 12 — Heavy Load Blues biking, road biking, — Gov’t Mule jetpacking, wingsuiting, snowmobiling and more.

Doing well in events, like racing or a truck contest, Nov. 12 — Crawler — Idles can help unlock better gear or better events to take on.

This game is one of a kind. I have played nothing Nov. 12 — Music For at the scale or style of this game. This style of video Psychedelic Therapy — Jon game is a racing type game but also an open-world or sandbox experience, Nov. 12 — In Virus Times— Lee meaning one can travel amongst the map and choose Ranaldo the experience they want to have. The map includes freestyle arenas throughout Netflix that players can go do tricks off of ramps and have fun.

These arenas also include Nov. 10 — Passing, directed their own events.

There are an unreal

by Rebecca Hall, starring Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga and André amount of trails and lines one could take going down Holland the mountains or through the canyons. Most of these trails are tied to an event in the game that if one beats, Nov. 10 — Gentefied (Season 2), created by Linda Yvette Chávez they unlock better gear.

These events can be racing, and Marvin Lemus, starring Joaquín downhill speed trials, a trick Cosio, oseph Julian Soria and Karrie contest and even more. All Martin of these events that one completes as part of the main game go toward the character and help them earn sponsorships that Nov. 12 — Red Notice, directed will, in turn, get you better

by Rawson Marshall Thurber, equipment. starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan I personally love this Reynolds and Gal Gadot game because it provides so much to do for all that the game tries to take on. I love mountains and studying topography as well, so this

Top 5 Ways to Beat Seasonal Depression

Cudi’s producers, Plain Pat and Emile Haynie, spoke about his rise to fame, and how as he started to become successful, things became dark.

Hearing about Cudi’s struggle with addiction, depression and suicide put knots in my stomach and a lump in my throat.

That toll is wholly felt when watching Cudi relive his darkest moments and

Sports Editor

1. Establish a night routine With daylight savings time ending, it is especially important to maintain some sort of routine before bed. We are already thrown off enough when the clocks change again, so make things easier on yourself and keep things simple before you sleep. Whether you silence your phone an hour before you plan to sleep, read 10 pages of a book or do a full skincare routine, make sure to stay consistent.

A consistent nighttime routine prepares you for better sleep, which is important for your overall mental health. The better you physically prepare for the fall and winter, the more mentally prepared you’ll feel as well.

game is special for me. It is also fun for me because the topography affects what I do and the things I see. Seeing a little bit daunting even.

There is also something called a mass race that can take place. The mass race is up to 64 players racing together for larger rewards than usual. The competitive side of most riders will come out during this event, as only the best will win.

Coming back to the customization now, it is not something to overlook at all.

For some, this game’s customization may be the main draw to the game. Bikes, skis and snowboards all have different versions. For skiing and snowboarding, there are downhill skis as well as park skis for doing tricks. For biking, there are mountain bikes and street bikes. However, there have been rumors that BMX bikes will be coming in a later update. Each bike or ski has different statistics that would make it better for a certain situation, but that means some gear is not as good in others.

The game map is made of national parks, as I stated earlier. Each national park area has a landmark to check out to earn gear.

The Half-Dome in the Yosemite section is awesome. Looking out when you are on the Half Dome, one can see the Little Yosemite Valley, something the developers did a great job in with their rendition of it. There is plenty more to discover in the national parks that I have not had time to see yet.

Overall, this game would receive an eight and a half out of 10 for me, equalling a four-star review.

2. Get outside more Spend time outside in the daylight each day. You can minutes of outdoor time daily.

It’s getting colder, but take a quick walk around your apartment complex or walk to your next class instead of driving, if possible. Sit outside to drink your morning cup of coffee, or drive with the windows down at the very least. Intentionally take the time to get fresh air.

The amount of daylight gets shorter during the fall and winter months, and people tend to get sad around this time of year due to the lack of sunlight. Make the most out of the short daytime hours while you can.

Photo courtesy of www.edsheeran.com

Ed Sheeran showcases altered style in ‘Equals’

BY

AMBER AUSTEN

Staff Writer

Ed Sheeran dropped his new album “Equals” October 29, 2021. That puts four and a half years between his newest work and the release of his previous album “Divide,” which came out in March 2017.

Sheeran has kept with the pattern of using mathematical symbols for his album covers and names as a bold equal sign with his latest release.

The album consists of 14 songs that amount to 48 minutes and 30 seconds and follows the releases of his two latest singles “Bad Habits” and “Shivers” that built up four months of anticipation.

Jumping into the album, Sheeran strategically lined introduces listeners to the new version of the redhead.

He states in his lyrics that he has grown up, is a father now, and how everything has changed, yet that he is still the same.

This set the tone for the rest of the album as it is based 3. Keep a journal Journaling has helped me so much in the past through my seasonal depression stages. The darkness outside can take a toll on the mind, so it’s normal to feel lower during this time of year.

Sometimes friends and family are busy, or you just don’t feel like talking. Try keeping a journal as a healthy way of expressing your emotions, even when no one is physically around to listen.

Journaling can help release some of the tensions holding you back because you can vent about whatever you want and then move forward. My mood is boosted almost immediately after writing when I’m not doing well mentally.

around the events that led him to his maturity.

To put into perspective, when Sheeran released his previous album in 2017, he was insecure, not yet married and suffering from social anxiety caused by his fame.

Throughout his musical hiatus, Sheeran’s mental state progressed for the better as it is apparent in the changes of his new album.

Unlike his previous albums, “Equals” presents a more upbeat and faster appeal.

The music leans away from Sheeran’s famous acoustic sound and implements more sounds from a soundboard. Another notable difference in the album compared to his others is the lack of sad songs.

Instead of depressing lyrics showcased in his previous albums about heartbreak and selfinsecurities, “Equals” sits on a healthy lovers point of view and expresses the brighter side of things.

For example, in “Visiting Hours” Sheeran sings about how he wishes Heaven had visiting hours

4. Take your vitamins I’ve been told by a family member that folic acid can help alleviate feelings of sadness, so I recommend doing some research on vitamins that have benefits for the winter blues.

Vitamins such as B6 and B12 are known to help as well, but it’s important to talk to a doctor when deciding which supplements may be best for you. As unimportant or silly as it may seem, I’ve seen differences in my mood since taking vitamins. It used to feel like such a drag to remember to take them each day, but now I see the importance.

so he could stop by for a quick chat and advice from those in his life who have passed.

Instead of focusing on the dead, he focuses on the quality of life his daughter will have based on the impact the deceased had on his own life which brings more of a bittersweet approach.

The songs on this album almost bring a sense of happiness to listeners the love that he had been searching for and the life that he had been chasing since the beginning of his career.

The changes in his music stand hand in hand with his opening piece that gives listeners a heads up that not all change is bad and that it is something that takes time to accomplish.

This new album would appeal to Ed Sheeran stans who found his music when they were once broken hearted and have now also tuned in with their identities like Sheeran and created a solid foundation for themselves.

“Equals” is now streaming on Spotify and Apple Music

5. Avoid too much alone time We’ve all been in the position of feeling sad and wanting nothing to do with the world, so we shut ourselves in our room and begin to feel even more upset.

No matter how tempting, this is the last thing we should do in times of seasonal depression.

So instead, drop the sad playlist and take this time as an excuse to draw closer to friends and family. It may be colder, but there’s still plenty to do. Try baking with a family member or going out for a mocha latte with a friend. There are such fun seasonal activities to look forward to despite the somber season.

Sports

11

November 10, 2021

Upcoming Games

Men’s Basketball 5:30 p.m., Nov. 12 at Butler Women’s Basketball 5:00 p.m., Nov. 12 vs.

Hendrix Volleyball 6:30 p.m., Nov. 12 vs.

Jacksonville State Football 4:00 p.m., Nov. 13 vs.

Stephen F. Austin Men’s Soccer 6:00 p.m., Nov. 13 at Lipscomb UniversityASUN Championship

Editor’s Take

Photo by Olyvia Gonzalez

Senior defender Vincent Abasso protects the ball against freshman defender Rikard Cederberg for the Bellarmine Knights. The men’s soccer team won 2-0 on Nov. 7 during the ASUN Semi-Finals. This game determined who would go to the ASUN Championship where they will play Lipscomb University. The game will take place at Lipscomb on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m.

Should the Sugar Bears drop Sugar?

BY

EMILEE HAGEWOOD

Sports Editor

As of now, the Faculty Senate is debating the name change of the women’s volleyball and basketball teams to no longer include sugar in their title.

Amber Wilson, Faculty Senate president, brought up the argument behind the change, stating the word has certain connotations that in another setting could warrant an HR visit. The Student Government Association decided to not pass the motion after discussing the change with athletes.

As a woman who is often called sugar, honey, darling and baby by several customers throughout the day, I had my own opinion on the name change. This name has been around for what seems like ages at UCA. It’s something that, as a sports writer, I find to be synonymous with team names across all sports for either gender. Living in the South, most of us have grown up around people that use these words when referring to just about anyone they interact with.

Aside from my time with this publication, I also work in the customer service industry. A happy customer calling me sugar has never offended me or made me feel uncomfortable.

Because of where I live now and where I grew up, it just seems normal to me.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the women on the teams also held that sentiment in regards to their name.

I don’t think it separates the women’s team from the men’s team in any way. I don’t see it as derogatory or sexist or as anything other than a name. It is a tradition at this point and a part of UCA’s history now.

I don’t see a point in the change; it’s a sentimental name that I am happy I get to write.

Bears beat Bellarmine, claims spot in ASUN Championship BY

OLYVIA GONZALEZ

Assistant Campus Life Editor

Soccer fans gathered in the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex for an intense match of injuries and a Bear victory with the Bellarmine Knights for a place in the ASUN Finals on Nov. 7. with an ending score of 2-0.

“I’m buzzing, like, it’s what we wanted,” sophomore A lot of hard work has gone into it, so it’s paid off till this point, but now we have a big week ahead of us and we could be hosting, either way, we have the full support of everyone coming out, which was really nice and yeah, I’m I’d do anything to make sure that happens so, I’m really happy.”

UCA’s volleyball team brought out supporters to the game and continually hyped up the crowd as the encouragement and waved posters in the air in support of the UCA team.

“We are one match from internationals, so it was a

really important game for us because we have been looking forward to this since the beginning of the season,” senior forward Jose Carlos Gonzalez said, “We just have to win one more game to go onto the international tournament.

I feel great. You know, that is why we practice, for this moment, you know, that’s joy and why we play soccer.”

to score as many goals as possible,” Diao said.

Teammates of the Knights took this as a challenge and fought back hard. Due to this intensity, Gill, Gonzalez, and Bellarmine’s Micah Linscott faced multiple injuries.

“I’ve got a few [injuries],” Gill said. “My ankle, I’m kicked me, but it has been hurting for a while, so I’m just

by the Bears on Sept. 25.

Shots on the goal were slim. Freshman forward Jonathan Randall took a chance at the goal but was pushed to the ground by a Bellarmine defender, causing one of many painful moments. soccer ball into the bottom corner of the goal after an assisted kick from junior forward Mathias Bendiksen. better the second, and we got two beautiful goals from Karim.” until Diao was back in front of the goal with the ball. Diao secured a 50/50 challenge and kicked a curled shot off the post and into the goal.

“At my position, I am always hunting goals, so it’s

are a bit tense, but it should be good. We have amazing therapists and athletic trainers with us. Throughout the week, we just meet once with them, and they give us all the tools to recover and make sure our bodies will be ready for the game. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to play.”

Fans caught onto the tension that was rising on the pulled during the game -- 17 for the Knights, 15 for the Bears.

“That was a very intense game,” freshmen Victoria Neal said. “I have to say, very good communication skills between [UCA’s] team and good teamwork. The other team... seemed to have tension between their own players and just could not play well together, while UCA was very The Bears will travel to Nashville, Tennessee to take on Lipscomb University in the ASUN Finals Nov. 13, with kickoff set for 6 p.m.

SEASON PREVIEW

Basketball teams prepare for first ASUN Conference season BY

AMBER AUSTEN

Staff Writer

UCA’s men’s and women’s basketball teams Conference.

UCA athletics, who had been a part of the Southland Conference since 2007, announced in early January that the Atlantic Sun Conference would be their new home come the 2021-2022 season.“It [the conference switch] was a good move for the university as a lot of conferences],” men’s basketball coach Anthony Boone said. “The ASUN Conference matched up better and similar to us.”

Spending 14 seasons in the same conference made it easier for the teams to prepare for upcoming seasons in the past. This year, however, they are faced with new challenges and uncertainties as they attempt to navigate the ASUN conference. the right gyms, put thought into our environment that

will take time away from being on the court,” Boone said. their place as at least half of both teams is made up of freshmen.

“We have six freshmen and one junior college transfer,” women’s basketball coach Sandra Rushing said. “We will face a lot of challenges being very young and those young players adapting to the speed of the game and adapting to how we run our program.”

This is a task that requires a lot of trial and error.

“We are seeing things that work and seeing things we need to take care of,” Lucy Ibeh, junior forward for the women’s team, said. “Waiting for the right time to put everything into action is key.”

The men’s team is going through similar transitions as a lot of its players are versatile.

“We have a lot of guys that can play a lot of different positions. We play with a lot of different lineups in practice to try and tackle that challenge, so any group could be ready for in-game situations,” Masai team, said.

Last year’s game stats for the men’s team were 4-12, In-depth improvements are predicted for this upcoming season.

“Taking care of the little things to get us to where we need to be and overseeing people’s expectations is what we are striving for,” Ibeh said.

Something big that both teams are looking forward to this season actually has nothing to do with the court but rather who surrounds it.

“I am glad that we are able to be at full capacity in the Farris Center. I am excited for the fans to be able to be back and just the excitement of a new season,” Rushing old.”

“We have a really good group of young men that have high character, get along well, and work really hard and well on the court,” Boone said. “It is an exciting thing to watch and fun for people to come see.”

Both teams will play Friday, Nov. 12. The women’s game will be at home against Hendrix, while the men’s team will play in Indianapolis against Butler.

VOLLEYBALL

Sugar Bears pull through on close game against Bellarmine BY

SARAH SMYTHE

Opinion Editor

against the Bellarmine Knights in Louisville, Ky., in a slow-starting game that ended in victory for the UCA volleyball team.

The Sugar Bears ended with a score of 3-1, losing second set, 25-21 in the third set, and 25-20 in the “We won in three, the sets were all close, but we played a very disciplined and competitive game,” middle block and right-side hitter Amari Mitchell said. of the game, bringing in high scores for the remainder of the game.

“I thought our team did exceptional today. We had to overcome some adversity during set one and part of we talked about in the locker room before the game was

that we need to be resilient and talked about what that meant.”

The game, which seemed to take off in the second set of four sets, was upheld by the freshmen on the team, right-side hitter Mackenzie Vernon, outside Vernon was put in after her teammate, junior outside hitter Alexis Stumbough, went down in the game. This made Vernon go on to secure fourteen kills and two blocks during the whole game. how to get her [Vernon] to be successful consistently, and today I thought she played a very smart game. She knew when to tip, and she knew when to swing hard.

That was really crucial for us because we needed those kills from her, and she got them in various forms.”

Newberry also said that Taylor had a “tall order” freshman and that she did “an extraordinary job with her passing” through the game. Taylor hosted eight kills and matched with eight digs on Friday against Bellarmine.

During the game, a personal change took place Newberry said, “In the last three sets, the sets that we won, I thought they rose to the occasion and did a great job on their new responsibilities that were put right in front of them.” game. Another player to mention is junior setter Anna Williams, who pulled 38 assists for the Bears. The Bears got 65 points total on Friday.

Newberry said that resilience is “exactly what we talked about after the win, that after we overcame the match to overcome that adversity.”

After being eliminated from the postseason competition on Saturday, Nov. 6, from a loss against two more scheduled opponents before the season concludes.

The next two games will be home games against Jacksonville State University on Friday, Nov. 12, and the University of North Alabama on Sunday, Nov. 14.

ucanews.live

SPORTS

12/ November 10 , 2021

UCA STATS CORNER SPORT

OPPONENT

RESULT

RECORD

Football

Texas Wesleyan

63-3 W

5-4

Volleyball

Eastern Kentucky

3-2 L

6-17, 4-10

Men’s Soccer

Bellarmine

2-0 W

11-5, 5-2

TENNIS

Photo by ucasports.com

Haupt’s UCA choice was ‘no-brainer’ BY

KATHRYN THORNBERRY

Staff Writer

For sophomore Derek Haupt, an offensive lineman for the UCA football team, choosing UCA was a “no-brainer.”

“Choosing UCA was a big decision for me. Being so far away from home, I had to really think about if this is where I wanted to go. Ultimately, it came down to what I wanted to do with my major and the football program at UCA,” Haupt said. “I wanted to major in exercise science, and the department here at UCA is football program has been a successful one in recent years, so really, it was a no-brainer.”

Haupt attended Dr. Phillips Florida, and received offers from Florida Tech, West Florida and Bethune–Cookman in Daytona Beach Florida. He

received many more offers from across the country but knew UCA was the university for him.

Haupt’s love for UCA reached his expectations— even after he landed here at his destination.

“My greatest accomplishment up until now would probably be having the opportunity to play Division I football for UCA,” Haupt said.

Although juggling both a sport and classes can be very Haupt said it is doable, and that it is all about balance.

“To be a student-athlete you just have to make time for your classes. The two most important things for a studentathlete are their sport and their classes,” Haupt said.

Haupt also mentioned the importance of classes when it comes to scouting and gave advice for players that want to continue their

sport at a college level.

“Some advice for players wanting to play in college would be just keep working and stay patient. If you’re good enough in the class Haupt started playing football at nine years old. His passion came from no one in particular but the sport itself.

“No one really inspired me to start playing. It was more of the fact that I just loved watching football on Saturdays and Sundays with my family, and I wanted to start playing,” Haupt said.

Haupt wishes to continue playing for the UCA football team and has set other goals for himself outside of the sport that he loves.

“I would like to go to PT school to become a physical therapist in the future,” Haupt said.

Photo courtesy of ucasports.com

Chunxi Xin and Fuka Nonoyama brought home the Blue Flight Championship from the Hurricane Invite in Tulsa Nov. 5-7. They won their doubles match against Houston, 6-3.

UCA brings home Blue Flight Championship at Hurricane Invite BY

SARAH SMYTHE

Opinion Editor

5-7, the Bears competed in the Hurricane Invite in Tulsa for gain experience heading into the upcoming spring season.

The Hurricane Invite was full of tough bouts for the women’s tennis team, as they took on opponents like Tulsa, Houston and Wichita State.

The invite was held all weekend, with matches beginning at 2 p.m. on Nov. 5,

HOMECOMING

on Nov. 7 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa.

The invite was mostly focused on individual play versus team play, which allows every player on the team to “host their own momentum heading into the spring season,” according to UCAsports.com.

Photo by Madison Ogle

Lairy and senior defensive lineman A’Javius Brown (right). The Bears will be playing Stephen F. Austin Nov. 13 at 4 p.m.

Bears take victory over Rams, end game with 60-point lead BY

MADISON OGLE

Entertainment Editor

The Texas Wesleyan Rams proved to be no competition for UCA, as the Bears ended on a 60-point lead against the Texas team.

UCA kept steady pace with scoring while also holding back the Rams for nearly the entire game.

The Bears racked up points in the first quarter, having 14 points against Texas Wesleyan’s zero with a comfortable 12 minutes and 21 of the first quarter was 21-0.

Beginning of the second quarter the ball was in UCA’s possession. Junior quarterback Breylin Smith’s pass to sophomore wide receiver Chris Richmond was good for the first touchdown of the quarter, leaving 14 minutes and 6 seconds on the clock.

By the end of the second points, Texas Wesleyan still zero.

The ball was in Wesleyan’s

possession at the start of the third. The team gained a few yards after an incomplete pass, but were flagged for a false start with ten minutes and 17 seconds left on the clock.

UCA brought the score up to 63 by the end of the quarter, Texas Wesleyan still at zero.

The Rams maintained zero points until the first half of the fourth quarter when Wesleyan’s freshman kicker Daniel Trejo’s field goal from the 24-yard line was good for three points.

UCA came out of the third quarter with 63 points and held it through the fourth, leaving the final score 63-3.

Sophomore wide receiver Tyler Hudson broke another University record for receiving yards in a career following a 25-yard touchdown pass from Smith.

“He’s a big time player. I mean, I think that’s no secret,” Smith said. “He’s an awesome player and I’m just fortunate to get to play with him. He’s a great football player, but he’s a good dude too. That’s what

makes it fun for me. And I’m so glad I got to throw it to him to break the record.”

Hudson said he came into the sport wanting to break every record he could.

“I came in freshman year thinking I was going to break every record that I could whenever I finished here,” Hudson said. “So to be able to accomplish this one already, that’s kind of motivating for me to go and do some other records.”

Football coach Nathan Brown said his biggest takeaway of the night was that both teams played “clean football.”

“We were efficient when we had the football.

Defensively, we didn’t give up any big points in that last fourth quarter play,” Brown said. “It was a total dominating effort, and that’s the way it should’ve been.”

The Bears will face Stephen F. Austin next at home Nov. 13 at 4 p.m.

pair Fuka Nonoyama and Chunxi Xin, juniors at UCA, claimed a 2-1 doubles record for the Bears.

This pair went on to win the Blue Flight for the Bears during the invite.

In the singles matches during the invite, Nonoyama also posted a 2-1 record for the Bears.

Within the competition, the UCA Bears had mixed results,

with the most wins coming from the last match against Houston. vs.. Tulsa, the doubles scores are as follows: Nonoyama/ Xin vs.. Rozenkova/Berlanga 7-6; Hutchings/Naranjo vs..

Vasupongchai/Ishimura 6-4; and Poppe/Benedejcic vs.. Lee/ Gledic 7-6.

Continuing into singles in UCA was unable to lead in any scores.

The scores in single matches are recorded as follows: Rozenkova vs.. Xin 6-0, 6-2; Poppe vs.. Nonoyama 6-1, 6-4; Benedejcic vs.. Vasupongchai 6-3, 6-4; Berlanga vs.. Lee 3-6, 6-1, 6-3; Hutchings vs.. Gledic 6-7, 7-5, 6-3; Naranjo vs..

6-0.

In the second match, UCA fought against Wichita State, securing victory in the doubles match, 7-5 Vasupongchai/ Ishimura vs..

Kong/ Rademacher. against Wichita State resulted in Kurahashi/Stamat vs.. Xin/ Nonoyama 6-2; and Whitaker/ Zheng vs.. Lee/Gledic 6-3.

UCA was able to pull two wins against Wichita State in the singles matches, with scores from

Nonoyama vs.. Kong 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, leading out, and Hamanaga vs.. Whitaker 7-5, 6-2, ending strong.

The other singles scores against Wichita State are as follows: Kurahashi vs.. Xin 6-3, 7-5; Stamat vs.. Vasupongchai 6-0, 6-4; Zheng vs.. Lee 6-4, 6-2; and Hamilton vs.. Gledic 6-3, 6-3.

Hurricane Invite, Xin/ Nonoyama won their doubles match against Houston, 6-3, leading Nonoyama to dominate her singles match against Gerits, 6-0, 3-0 retired.

Vasupongchai/Ishimura and Lee/Gledic duos also competed against Houston but were not able to close the gaps in scores.

Before this invite, the UCA Bears had multiple hard encounters with powerful opponents, all of which took place in a short time.

The Bears won multiple matches in the ITA Central Regional, and more before that.

Just like in the Hurricane Invite over the weekend, Xin and Nonoyama were able to dominate in the ITA Central Regional, making it all the way to the sweet sixteen round, according to UCAsports.com.

There is no telling what this powerful duo will bring to the court for UCA tennis when it