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Volume 106 — Issue 8
March 13, 2013 Wednesday
Campus Life:
4 TODAY
Mostly Sunny
Competition: Event invites students to taste contest; Marco’s Pizza wins
58/35
4T H U R S DAY
65/37
Sports:
Voice: Indirect legislation may have more direct impact than thought 4
Basketball: Men down Oral Roberts 86-84 on senior night 4 page
page 6
4 page 3
Mostly Sunny
Opinion:
7
UCAPD investigating alleged assault, video voyeurism
4F R I DAY Mostly Cloudy
by Brandon Riddle
74/52
News Editor
Fountain of News College Goal Sunday provides advice to high school students Students from area high schools attended College Goal Sunday March 10 in the College of Business. The annual event provides financial aid advice to prospective students interested in college. UCA was one of 30 college, university and high school campuses across the state that hosted College Goal Sunday as the final event during Say Go College Week. The Arkansas Department of Higher Education and U.S. Department of Education sponsored the event.
UCAPD is investigating allegations of second degree sexual assault and video voyeurism following an incident at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house. The police report states that students produced and distributed a video featuring a 19-year-old female student Feb. 8. The female is a member of the Delta Zeta sorority, according to the Log Cabin Democrat. UCAPD Project Manager Arch Jones said he is limited in the information he can provide about the ongoing investigation.
“UCAPD had no knowledge of any type of incident,” he said. “We contacted Student Services and based on their subsequent inquiries, we determined an investigation was warranted.” Three people are listed as suspects in the police report, including two Sigma Phi Epsilon members: Zach Abbott, 20, and Nicholas Simpson, 19. It is not clear if the third suspect, 21-year-old Travis McGill, is a member of the fraternity. Abbott is also listed as a witness. Lindsey Osborne, director of sorority life, contacted UCAPD March 1 to report the video taping of the female student. According to The Fountain, the cellphone video may have been circulated
to the Greek community, featuring a fraternity member and sorority member engaging in a sexual act. “On the morning of March 1, we received an inquiry that mentioned the Delta Zeta sorority and a video,” Jones said. Police met with Prosecuting Attorney Cody Hiland to discuss the case, according to the Log Cabin. Eight of 11 witnesses in the police report are UCA students and two are faculty members at the university. The faculty members are William Shaw, management instructor, and Rebekah Fincher, communication instructor. It is unknown whether the other
-POLITICS-
- S TAT E G O V E R N M E N T-
Bills affect university finances, policies by Stephen Reynolds Entertainment Editor
UCA is tracking the movement of several bills at the Arkansas 89th General Assembly. Bills introduced during the 2013 legislative session cover a wide range of the political spectrum, from financial changes to social changes. House Bill 1243, now Act 226, allows university faculty members who have a concealed carry license to carry concealed firearms to work. Vice President of University and Government Relations Jeff Pitchford said the bill is clear in limiting who can carry concealed weapons. “It would be reserved for full-time faculty and staff only, not student staff,” he said. “Student staff would not be allowed to carry, regardless of whether they have a concealed carry permit or not.” Pitchford said the law has an opt-out clause for public colleges and universities. UCA’s Board of Trustees will decide annually to opt in or out of the law. President Tom Courtway said he will recommend the board opt out, but that the decision ultimately lies with the board. The current UCA policy prohibits students, staff and faculty from carrying, storing or possessing firearms on campus, in any UCA-owned building or at any UCA event. The Arkansas legislature approved the bill Feb. 25 by a senate vote of 31-4 and Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe signed it into law March 1, making it Act 226. Pitchford said that although the bill was approved, it will be some time before the decision to opt out is made. UCA is tracking another prominent bill, Senate Bill 54, which would require iron, steel and other manufactured products used in public buildings and public works projects to be manufactured in the U.S., provided the cost does not exceed 25 percent above the initial estimated cost. “This bill is important to UCA
Online farmers market organization coming Farm2Work, an online farmers market, is planning to establish a Recognized Student Organization on campus that focuses on selling high-quality produce and other organic pantry items. Senior Michael Murphy, UCA Farm2Work treasurer, said the program is close to gaining its RSO status. Founder Diane Rose started the farmers market in Little Rock to help busy people purchase quality farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. For more information about buying local farm goods through the program, visit farm2work.com.
Wi-Fi upgrades coming this semester, continue throughout summer Freshman Class President Kaitlyn Thompson told the Student Government Association March 4 that the Department of Information Technology is working on improvements to university wireless Internet access. The Wi-Fi improvements will begin in Torreyson Library, she said. Plans include saturating the signal to make two floors of the library more wireless accessible. Upgrades to Wi-Fi access in residence halls will begin this summer. The project will cost about $290,000.
photo by Pham Minh
Suzanne Overgaard, Planned Parenthood development director, speaks about women’s health to Young Democrats meeting attendees March 5 in Irby Hall.
Planned Parenthood attends Young Democrats meeting; organization discusses abortion law by Stephen Reynolds Entertainment Editor
UCA’s Young Democrats discussed recent abortion laws passed in Arkansas’s state legislature during x-period March 5 in Irby Hall. The hour-long meeting covered the group’s position on abortion issues in the states. Two representatives from Planned Parenthood, Development Director Suzanne Overgaard and Regional Organizer Christina Mullinax, were guest speakers at the meeting. Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization
providing reproductive, maternal and child health services. It also lobbies for pro-choice legislation, comprehensive sex education and access to affordable health care in the United States. Planned Parenthood is the largest U.S. provider of reproductive health services, including cancer screening, HIV screening and counseling, contraception and abortion. Contraception accounts for 35 percent of Planned Parenthood’s total services and abortions account for
See Abortion - page 2
Chlamydia number one STD among students tested positive in 2011, 2012
The UCA College of Education and the Faulkner County Retired Teachers Association collaborated in early March to provide mock interviews for spring 2013 Internship II students. Students spent 10 to 15 minutes one-on-one with retired teachers to simulate a job interview. The interviewer gave suggestions and written feedback to students.
by Marisa Hicks
Stories featured include articles written by Fountain writers.
Associate Editor
The number of students tested for STDs at the Student Health Center climbed to 834 in 2012 from 296 in 2011. Rochelle McFerguson, Student Health Center director, said the climb was probably because the screenings are more confidential for students now that Student Health Center employees conduct the tests. Chlamydia was the number one STD students tested positive for in 2011 and 2012. Herpes simplex virus came second, followed by genital warts. Of the students screened on campus the past two years,
Around Campus page 3
4 Campus Life 4 Entertainment 4 Opinion 4 Sports
152 tested positive for chlamydia, 101 were positive for herpes simplex virus, 81 were positive for genital warts, 39 were positive for gonorrhea, 35 were positive for trichomoniasis, five were positive for syphilis and three were HIV positive. Of the 296 students tested in 2011 for STDs, 55 percent of them were STD positive. Of the 834 students tested in 2012, 30 percent were STD positive. Overall, 37 percent of the students screened at the Student Health Center the past two years tested STD positive. Of the 180 students tested at the Student Health Center in January and February, 51 were STD positive. In 2011, the last year for which numbers are available, the Arkansas
Next Issue:
Index: 3 5 6 7
Young Americans for Liberty host ‘Free Markets, Free People’
Arkansas 89th General Assembly: •
HB 1243/Act 226: Allows concealed carry for university faculty and staff
•
SB 54: Requires American iron, steel and other manufactured products for buildings
•
HB 1420, HB 1621, SB 664, SB 666: Provides money for improvement projects
•
HB 1295: Changes Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship award amounts
•
HB 1402: Raises the state minimum wage from $6.25 to $8.25 an hour
because this July, we’re going to be breaking ground on the new HPER [Center] expansion,” Pitchford said. “UCA has always gone with Arkansas metal as a priority. The materials for Bear Hall, our most recent construction project, were provided by local contracts. However, cost is always a factor.” The Senate’s Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee met March 12 to discuss the bill. District 70 Rep. David Meeks, (R) Conway, said it is important to buy American products as much as possible to help create jobs in the U.S. “However, someone shouldn’t be forced to buy American [products], especially if there is a significant cost difference,” he said. “It is imperative we cut taxes and regulations so that our steel and other industries can be competitive when it comes to prices.” UCA is also tracking several appropriation bills in the legislature. An appropriation bill is a bill which authorizes the government to spend money and set aside money for specific spending. In Arkansas, a general appropriations bill must be passed before
See Bills - page 2 -CONSTRUCTION-
- H E A LT H -
Retired teachers partner with College of Education
View more stories at MyFountainOnline.com
19-year-old witness is a student. Police findings from a 2011 sexual assault case involving the fraternity were turned over to Hiland’s office. The incident involved an 18-year-old female student accusing a 21-year-old student at a Sig Ep party of sexually assaulting her. Sigma Phi Epsilon was suspended from spring 2011 to spring 2012 after two alcohol violations and the beating of two Sigma Tau Gamma members. According to university documents, the beatings resulted in swelling, bruising and cuts requiring hospital attention. The two Sig Tau members were found guilty of threatening or attempting to cause physical harm.
Health Department reported 16,054 positive cases of chlamydia statewide, 4,691 cases of gonorrhea and 394 cases of syphilis. The health department’s website did not include numbers for the other STDs that are screened at UCA. Since the UCA clinic began STD tests, employees have worked to make the experience more confidential for students. When the Student Health Center initially gave STD screenings, it had an STD clinic where the Arkansas Health Department would give screenings periodically at UCA. The Student Government Association sponsored the initial movement for the
See STD - page 2
by Hunter Brooks Assistant Sports Editor
Construction on a student recreational field, which was scheduled to begin March 4, has been delayed. The project will allow for two flag football games to be held side-by-side with a 30foot run-off area. The fields will be located behind the HPER Center and the Physical Plant. Campus Recreation Director David
See Field - page 2
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Campus recreational field project delayed
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© 2013 The Echo, Printed by the Log Cabin Democrat, Conway, Ark.
Wi-Fi improvements
Wireless Internet access upgrades good move for students page 6