February 12, 2014

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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WEDNESDAY

FEBRUARY 12, 2014 Volume 107 — Issue 4

ucaecho.net 4 TODAY’S FORECAST CONWAY

Opinion:

Campus Life:

Voice:

Professor to appear in PBS anthropology series

Students should be disappointed when classes are canceled 4 page 3

Sports:

Television:

Basketball:

Men remain two games behind McNeese in SLC Tournament 4 page 7

4 page 4

Who’s Who awards presented to student leaders

Mostly Sunny

40/21

4 THE ONLINE WIRE FROM UCAECHO.NET

University to host writing festival UCA’s writing department will host the Arkatext lierary festival from Feb. 17-21 beginning 1 p.m. Monday. The event, which is free and open to the public, is the department’s celebration of Arkansas writers.

Associate writing professor John Vanderslice said , “Arkatext is not just a celebration of the literary arts; it’s also a service to the campus community and the local community.” The full list of events can be found at uca.edu/ writing/arkatext-festival.

Fall 2013 scholars named UCA Dean’s List students and Presidential Scholars were announced Feb. 5 and can be found at uca.edu/news. For fall 2013, 774 students were named Presidential Scholars and 1,207 were named to the Dean’s List. To be on the Dean’s List, students are required to earn at least a 3.5 GPA with a minimum course load of 12 hours. Recognition for Presidential Scholars requires a 4.0 GPA from students, as well as a 12-hour minimum course load.

Record-making ticket sales for Tyson Tickets have sold out for astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson’s appearance in Reynolds Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 27. Tickets for his lecture sold out in 45 minutes on the first day of sales, setting a record time for the performance hall.

To accomodate additional ticket demands, sold-out simulcasts will be shown in Lewis Science Center 102 and College of Business Auditorium. The rooms allow for about 300 more attendees to watch Tyson speak on screen.

Though tickets sold out, some may be available the day of the event. Tickets are free for UCA students and $5-$15 for the public.

Professor named STIRS Scholar Associate writing professor Lynn Burley has been chosen as one of 13 Scientific Thinking and Integrative Reasoning Skills Scholars (STIRS) by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) for 20142015. Burely is the only Arkansas professor invited to the project.

Information about the project can be found at aacu.org/stirs/ index.cfm.

by Ashley Thomas

Assistant Campus Life Editor President Tom Courtway and Vice President of Student Affairs Ronnie Williams recognized 55 students for the 2013-2014 Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges award Feb. 8 during half time of the UCA men’s basketball game.

Who’s Who is an annual program honoring college students who show potential in leadership. During the selection process, an individual student’s GPA, participation within school organizations and community involvement are all taken into account.

Meghan Thompson, Recognized Student Organizations and university events coordinator, said eligible UCA students must have completed at least 90 hours by December 2013 with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Senior Bryce Crabb, one of the recipients, said it was a great experience to win Who’s Who.

“It’s very humbling to be awarded for being invested in UCA,” Crabb said. “It’s almost difficult to accept an award for it when I feel it’s my own great privilege to be a part of these incredible organizations and a student at the best institution in the state. It’s my honor to serve the students at UCA.” Crabb, economics major, is a member of the Beta Upsilon Chi fraternity, the Student Government Association, the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Bear Den and Elevation, a group atNew Life Church.

Senior Emily Beane, a sociology major, UCA ambassador and a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority, said she’s been aspiring to win Who’s Who since she was a freshman.

“I was really excited because the [Bear Den Executive Board] always helps with the ceremony,” Beane said. “I was on [the Bear photo courtesty of Ashley Thomas

See Awards - page 2

Seniors Adrianna Williams, James Van Pelt, Breanna Tidwell, Aimee Tedford, Tianpeng Sun, Hayley Smith and Olivia Skinner line up in the Farris Center Feb. 8 after being recognized during the 2013-14 Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges award ceremony.

SAB

Nick Offerman appearance sparks laughter, causes walkouts

by Jared Holt Photo Editor

About 40 people walked out of “Parks and Recreation” star Nick Offerman’s sold-out performance Feb. 6 at Reynolds Performance Hall.

Offerman’s style of humor was described as “vulgar” and involved controversial subject matter, resulting in some audience members leaving the show as early as thirty minutes into the performance.

Audience members who walked out of the show said the bits of Offerman’s routine that mocked Christianity and promoted various behaviors regarding sexual acts and intoxication offended them.

“He was just very offensive with his language and misquoting the Bible,” senior Rachel Dodson said. “He said the F-word in a verse as a quote. It’s fine if you don’t agree with [the Bible].

He would have got a lot of his point across if he had just been respectful about it.”

Offerman teased Christianity

photo by Jared Holt

“Parks and Recreation” star Nick Offerman talks to audience members during a comedy routine Feb. 8 in Reynolds Performance Hall. in various parts of his show, such as in his cover of Carrie Underwood’s popular song “Jesus Take the Wheel,” called “Jesus Take the Weed.”

Another bit of his show

mocked churches, which he called “really expensive book clubs.”

The dry crudeness of his performance differed from the characters he is best known for, such as Ron Swanson on the NBC

FROZEN VALOR

Professor’s sculptures, shadowboxes featured in Fayetteville library exhibit

by Julia Kramer Staff Writer

WEEKDAYS AT 4:30 P.M.

Online at ucaecho.net/broadcast

4 WHAT’S AHEAD

IN OUR NEXT ISSUE photo courtesy of Jordan King

Ice encases Valor, the wooden bear that resides in front of Wingo Hall, after a mix of frozen rain and snow covered UCA’s campus Feb. 4.

Contact Us:

Index: 4 Police Beat 4 Opinion 4 Around Campus

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4Campus Life 4Entertainment 4Sports

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See Offerman - page 2

ART

4 WATCH LIVE

UCAPD discusses Bruce Street traffic, pedestrian concerns

TV show “Parks and Recreation.”

Other attendees enjoyed Offerman’s performance.

“I thought he was really funny, but he was way more vulgar than I thought he would be,” freshman

Nolan Foster said. “He was definitely not as family friendly as I expected.”

Freshman Ben Eslick said he really enjoyed the show because Offerman had a lot of profound things to say while simultaneously being funny.

Offerman also spoke about working at his woodshop, where he builds various strutures and smaller items, and also about his performance in plays when he is off-screen.

When colleges first asked Offerman to speak, he said he initially declined.

“It’s not something that I do,” Offerman said. “I don’t perform as myself. I’m a theatre-trained actor.”

He said he later reconsidered and decided he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to communicate the messages his mentors taught him growing up to a younger generation of students.

“I’ve been very lucky but I’ve also worked really hard, and I’ll try to make [the crowd] laugh while

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In celebration of Black History Month, the University of Arkansas — Fayetteville is featuring an exhibit of sculptures and shadowboxes created by UCA professor Bryan Massey.

The exhibit will be in the Mullins Library Lobby on UofA’s campus now through the end of March.

“It’s just a mixture of works I’ve done over the past couple of years,” Massey said, “Some of the works I did when I was in Africa, some African masks and bone studies in alabaster and a couple iron cast along with some stone carvings.”

Originally, UofA asked Massey

if he knew of any artists who would be good for the exhibit, but eventually asked Massey if he would be willing to do a show for them.

This isn’t the first time the university has displayed Massey’s work. His Silas Hunt memorial piece resides on the lawn by the “Old Main” building on campus.

The piece was the first work of art to be commissioned by the Public Art Oversight Committee at UofA that was dedicated to the life of the first African-American student admitted into the university’s law school.

In the past, Massey has won several awards for his art. In 2006,

See Exhibit - page 2

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Frugality important for students on budget

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NEWS ucaecho.net SGA

Police Beat

Courtway discusses proposal for increased facility fees; board of trustees to vote soon

The following reports and arrests are from the UCAPD docket. UCAPD reports any tickets issued as arrests, according to ucapd.com.

Public intoxication citation issued outside Baridon Hall Nonstudent Matthew Dussex, 22, was cited for public intoxication after UCAPD saw him staggering while getting out of his car at approximately 1:30 a.m.

Feb 5.

Officers noticed Dussex getting out of his vehicle while parked on Baridon Hall’s south side. Dussex told UCAPD he was trying to get back into his brother’s room in the dorm. The officer noticed that his speech was slurred and that he smelled strongly of alcohol. Officers told Dussex that they had just left his brother Andrew Dussex’s room because the smoke detector was taken off the wall.

UCAPD asked Dussex if he was the one who took the detector off the wall. Dussex said he did, but did not smoke in the room.

Dussex was then asked to provide a breath sample.

Dussex tried to fool the officers by not actually blowing into the breathalyzer. UCAPD was later able to get Dussex to blow into the mouthpiece, which showed his blood alcohol level to be at 0.152.

Officers told Dussex they knew he had alcohol in his car. He had an open container of Miller beer in the center console and several cans in his backback. UCAPD ordered Dussex to pour out the alcohol. Officers arrested him and impounded his car. Dussex became upset, but officers told him his vehicle was not at the parking spot when they arrived and they witnessed him climb out of the driver’s seat.

Dussex said he had just returned to retrieve his wallet, but eventually found it in the back seat of his car.

Nonstudents cited for alcohol, smoking on campus; one banned from campus Nonstudent Brandon King, 20, was banned from UCA after he and nonstudent Blake Cummings, 21, were caught with alcohol in the Oak Tree Apartments parking lot at about 12:18 a.m. Feb. 1.

Officers noticed King and Cummings walking through the parking lot, each smoking a cigarette. While UCAPD spoke to King and Cummings, officers noticed a

slight odor of alcohol. King was holding a teal-colored plastic cup. King told UCAPD the cup had a margarita in it and was then arrested for underage drinking.

King and Cummings accompainied officers to the patrol car and neither seemed to be under the influence of any substance or a danger to themselves or others.

Due to their cooperation with UCAPD, officers gave both men verbal warnings for smoking on campus and gave King a citation for the alcohol. King was then released on his own recognizance. A form banning King from campus was completed later Feb. 3.

UCAPD find hypodermic needles, methamphetamines on Donaghey Avenue Nonstudent Thomas Treat, 38, of Greenbrier was arrested on suspicion of four offenses early Feb. 2 after UCAPD noticed Treat traveling south on Donaghey Avenue erratically.

After pulling over in the UCA softball field parking lot, officers noticed Treat was in an agitated state, not sitting still and scratching himself almost constantly.

His answers to questions from UCAPD were vauge and evasive.

When asked if his license was valid, Treat said “It should be.” Officers were told that Treat’s license had been suspened, so officers advised him to call someone to pick up his car because he would be going to jail.

When asked if there were any drugs or weapons in the car, Treat said there “shouldn’t be.” UCAPD noticed two hypdermic needles in the driver side cargo area of the vehicle. When asked about he needles, Treat said they were for a friend who had diabetes. Treat never indicated that there was contraband or weapons on him or in his vehicle.

After being transportetd to Unit 2 for processing, UCAPD found a small packet of a white crystal substance in Treat’s jean pocket. Officers asked Treat what the substance was, but he only said they knew what it was.

Treat was taken to the shower area and searched, but no contraband was found on him. Officers found $300 inside the vehicle and the needles were taken in for evidence.

NEW GEAR

by Audrey Baumer Assistant News Editor

President Tom Courtway discussed a proposal Feb. 10 with the Student Government’s Association about an increase in facility fees of $3.50 per credit hour and a 4.5 percent increase on room and board.

The first part of the proposal includes a $3.50 increase per credit hour to the existing fee of $9.00. A student taking 15 hours would pay $105 a year or $52.50 per semester.

This increase will be used to build additional lab space to the Lewis Science Center.

The existing building is 110,000 square feet and the expansion would be around 50,000 square feet and three stories tall.

Vice President of finance Diane Newton said about the decision to include this increase in tuition, “It’s interesting to note that every student, for the most part, will go through that building for at least one class.”

Newton said the facility fees are used to pay mortgages on campus buildings and this increase will help pay mortgage on the Lewis Science Center expansion.

“The increase would provide

Awards:

revenue of about $970,000,” Newton said. “The expansion is going to be around $950,000 depending on the interest rate during the time that we fill out the bonds.”

After the addition, renovation on the older parts of the building would begin. Renovations in the oldest part of the building would be first and would then move to the newer parts of the building. The increase would be permanent because the university would sign a 30-year bond for the new addition.

“Arkansas funding does not focus on higher education,” Courtway said. “We hardly get money from the state. To build the Lewis Science Center, we have got $4 million that the state is giving us. That building costs $17 million. Do the math. It’s less than 25 percent of the cost of that building. That’s going to be the smallest percentage of any academic building we have built so that’s the reason for the proposal of $3.50 to each credit hour.”

The 4.5 percent increase to the room and board rate would aid the university in paying back debt and improving campus safety.

“It’s important to know that we are re-investing all of this

money back into facilities,” Newton said. The renovating to campus housing buildings is set to begin this summer.

“We are putting fire sprinklers in Bernard, Short/ Denney and Baridon,” Courtway said, “We’re also looking at a security system upgrade. It will be about $500,000 for sprinklers and $200,000 to upgrade the security system. These increases are not something we take lightly.

This is serious business.”

Junior Representative Juan Mayén said he is worried about how the out-of-state students will be affected.

“I’m just afraid that if this increase happens, it’s going to terribly affect UCA receiving out of state and international students,” Mayén said.

Courtway responded, “If out-of-state students live on campus, they get to pay in-state tuition and we’re much less expensive than most universities.

Compared to that, I think that we’re very competitively priced.

My goal is to increase the amount of international students within the next five years and we can do that with aggressive recruitment.”

UCA’s Board of Trustees will vote later this semester on whether the increase will pass.

Senior Michelle Kerr talks about being selected as Who’s

Who recipient

4 Continued from page 1 Den Executive Board] up until December and I was the president last year.”

Senior Breanna Tidwell, an English major, said she’s always looked up to the people who won Who’s Who in the past.

“I felt extremely honored to win the same award they did,” Tidwell said. “It was enjoyable meeting many different people on campus. If you’re involved in so many things, you get to meet others that you normally wouldn’t have met.”

Tidwell is a resident assistant and Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, Real and Social Justice League member.

Senior Taylor Hicks, a creative writing major, said it felt pretty good to win Who’s Who. “We got cool plaques,” she said. Hicks is the editor-in-chief for UCA’s literary magazine The Vortex, a member of the honors college, a member of Chi Alpha and one of the co-founders of the Write Now! club.

Senior Michelle Kerr, a health and behavioral science major with a physical therapy emphasis, said she was thankful to end her UCA career with the award.

“It was such an honor to receive Who’s Who because it showed how hard work and dedication pays off,” Kerr said.

Kerr is a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority, All Greek Council, the student orientation staff, UCA Ambassadors and the prephysical therapy club.

When asked about how other students could hopefully be recipients of the Who’s Who award in future years, Kerr said they should get involved in all different kinds of organizations so they can meet a wide variety of people.

“Stepping out of my comfort zone and joining organizations outside of my sorority has allowed me to meet some amazing people at UCA,” Kerr said.

A full list of the recipients and their majors can be found on OrgSync through MyUCA.

Offerman:

Student Activities Board president senior Brian Thompson said organization will do more research in future when scheduling 4 Continued from page 1 photo by Jared Holt

UCAPD displays new shields the department purchased for use in tactical training. Last week, command, supervisory, and patrol officers were trained in Immediate Action Rapid Deployment response tactics and techniques in collaboration with Conway Police Department SWAT and FBI SWAT teams.

Exhibit:

Massey’s exhibit will be on display in University of Arkansas’ Mullins Library now through March 31 4 Continued from page 1 he was selected for the Governor’s Award for the Individual Artist of the year. Massey is also one of eighty-four nationally selected artists to be included in “Studios and Work Spaces of Black American Artists”, a 2008 book

by Dennis Forbes.

In 2009, his cast-iron sculpture, “The Jazz Player”, was chosen to be presented to former President Bill Clinton in celebration of five years of the Clinton Library in Little Rock.

Massey’s sculpture now resides in the Vogel-Schwartz Sculpture Garden in Little Rock.

Massey is mainly a stonecarving sculptor, working with materials such as alabaster, soapstone, limestone, marble and granite. Massey occasionally works with iron, which some of the pieces in the Fayetteville exhibit are made of. He also works with aluminum, bronze and steel.

In an interview with the Arkansas Newswire, he credits Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, and Constantine Brancusi for their influence on his work.

“After many years perfecting my skill-set, creating threedimensional work comes to me

as naturally as breathing,” he said.

Massey’s exhibit will be on display

in Mullins Library now through March 31.

communicating some of the ways I think I might have been successful,” Offerman said.

His performance included ten tips, such as “go outside and stay there,” and “use intoxicants,” to comically convey the message he felt the college aged youth needed to hear.

SAB president Brian Thompson said he’s sorry about what happened with the performance.

“I feel that we probably did not realize the level of his ideas that went into his show,” Thompson said. “I hope people

understand that it was just a comedy show.”

Thompson said that because of the reaction given by part of the audience, SAB will do more research when scheduling guest speakers in the future.

“The problem for this show was that [the show] was a new thing for Offerman,” he said.

“He hasn’t been doing these types of shows very long so we really didn’t have much to go off of, aside from his portrayal of Ron Swanson on ‘Parks and Recreation,’ the role he’s most widely known for. I feel bad for what happened, but at the same time a majority of people at the show seemed to really enjoy Offerman’s performance.”

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Opinion

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3

The Voice

February 12, 2014

Class cancelations bad for return on student investment

Personal financial skills important step in becoming adult

The Echo Staff

College is an expensive journey to undertake for anyone who attends. Following basic rules of frugality can help students keep their finances in order.

The basic concept required for managing money is discipline. It can be a difficult thing to teach yourself, but learning to make smart decisions about your money now can make you a much happier and financially stable person in the long run.

Learning when and how to spend money or when you should hold back is a skill often learned through trial and error. To save the cost of overdraft fees and overdue bills, learn how to create a budget and stick to it. Creating a tangible outline showing your budget helps students visualize what money they can spend.

Knowing how much money is available and what needs to be paid is a good feeling. Spending money fast is enjoyable in the short term, but leads to stress and anxiety in the future.

Budgeting doesn’t take much time or effort. It simply requires sitting down and taking the time to think of a realistic plan for spending money.

When you are low on money, the worst thing you can do is ignore it. If you think your bank account is dangerously low, check it. Ignoring it will only make you worry and can lead to expensive overdraft fees or your card being declined at an inopportune time. Keep an eye on your money and this is far less likely to happen.

Students who own credit cards should also be careful. While a debit card only allows spending what is in the checking account linked to it, credit

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Assistant Campus Life Editor

Andy Robertson Sports Editor

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Assistant Sports Editor

Tyler Riley

Entertainment Editor

Jared Holt

card debt can add up fast and leave you paying it off slowly while interest racks up. Unless the payments are made by a parent, the money can stack up and become unmanageable fast.

Expensive credit card payments can be overwhelming and missing just one can mess up the credit score of a student just beginning to build credit.

It is generally advisable for students to avoid credit cards until they have a reliable source of income, but if proper discipline is used, a student credit card with a low credit limit can be a good tool for students to begin building a credit score. This can help you build the credit rating necessary to get loans for a car or house when the time

by Brad Smith comes.

Opinion Editor Students who have student loans should be careful as well. Taking out the maximum amount is necessary sometimes, but all the money taken out has to be paid back with a big chunk of interest. What seems like a good idea right now will become frustrating and stressful when payments start.

Going out and having fun can still be a part of student life while being financially responsible.

However, self control is a necessary part of the fun for students who want to be independent and mature.

Financial responsibility is a difficult thing to learn. Being good with money doesn’t come naturally for everyone, but it is something anyone can learn. In an economy still in recovery and a job market that is less than healthy, learning to handle money in college is an important skill for all adults to know.

Black athletes often overcome adversity to earn positive legacies

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Stacee Gallina Editorial Cartoonist

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African-American athletes have been a controversial topic in recent sports media and news.

The 2013 Heisman Trophy recipient Jameis Winston, who became the first freshman quarterback to win the BCS National Championship, was accused of sexually assaulting a female Florida State University student Dec. 7, 2012. The case was later dismissed due to lack of evidence.

According to ABC News, the FSU star quarterback said the case has taught him to be “more mature.”

Winston is the spark of the Seminoles Football team. Even before the courageous comeback in the last minutes of the Florida State and Auburn championship game, he led his team to an undefeated season as a freshman and finally to the team’s first championship since 1999.

Can you give a young 19-year-old credit or respect for these accomplishments, which represent not only his family’s legacy, but the institution’s as well? These trials and tribulations show the perseverance and determination of a man to overcome the odds placed against him.

Instead, black athletes are often ridiculed when faced with adversity and are often required to exceed unfairly high expectations before they have their legacies solidified.

As we observe Black History Month, it is safe to say these athletes have set the tempo and economic development of how companies market their products to the masses.

Companies such as Nike and Adidas endorse these athletes with multi-million dollar contracts to advertise their brand of sneakers and athletic

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wear to various demographics.

Former National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stein increased the revenue of the NBA by 500 percent, saving the company from near bankruptcy in 1984.

With key athletes such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’ Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James being the cash crops for the NBA’s revenue, ticket sales and endorsement has turned the NBA into a company worth more than $5 billion.

Fredrick Douglass said “Without struggle there can be no progress.”

Can you respect the diligent work of these athletes? The majority of these athletes are not from a high social class and have endured

by Malcolm Worsham the circumstances and Staff Writer odds that faced them.

Rejection isn’t meant to disappoint or discourage an individual but strengthen his faith and character. It grants him the ability to measure and test his potential and resiliency in facing the obstacles ahead.

If you have passion for anything you will martyr to its cause. Everyone will not like the image of what they feel you should be, but to defer these thoughts, you must kill negative images with actions. Actions display effort.

One thing I wonder is, with all the different challenges these athletes may face in the pursuit to become positive role models to inner-city children, which is more important: sleep or a good work ethic?

It is easy to work and earn your living and settle for the fruits of your labor than invest in your community to uplift a movement bigger than the role you play as an individual. It is a hard road to face as we observe Black History Month, but without struggle there can be no progress.

Everyone does.

Write a letter to the editor at ucaechoeditor@gmail.com Letters to the editor don’t just have to be about Echo content.

If you’ve noticed something on campus that’s positive or negative, we want to hear about it.

When school closes due to inclement weather, most students exhale a sigh of relief, turn off their alarms and go back to bed.

While a snow day can be a good break for the overworked, students should be disappointed when classes are canceled.

When students pay tuition for a class, they pay to learn. Every time class is canceled, the class is worth less than it was before.

The best way to get the most out of tuition spent is to go to class every time. If class is constantly canceled, students can’t get the most out of their money.

This is not to say UCA is to blame. If the university cancels class, it does not do it lightly. There have to be serious safety concerns for the entire campus to be shut down. That doesn’t mean students should be happy about it, though.

When campus shuts down, the university still spends money, but gets no return on its investment. Teaching students is the main objective of any university, so when classes are canceled, the university can’t do its job.

Canceling class once a semester is not a big problem. Professors can generally compensate for one missed class.

Classes have been canceled twice this semester. While they were both on different days of the week, many classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday, both days that were canceled.

Professors who teach classes on those days may find it much more difficult to compensate for two classes than one.

College prepares you for a career in the real world. Each time you can’t go to class, UCA is less able to prepare you for your career.

Professors can’t cover as much material or have to cover it in less depth. This means leaving out details important to your future career.

The gut reaction to canceled classes is one of joy, but when students look back over their educational careers after they graduate and move into the workforce, most will wish they went to class more, not less.

Students can’t choose when classes are canceled, but their mindset should be one of disappointment when the classes they pay for are canceled, not excitement.

When a sports game is canceled due to inclement weather, the people who buy tickets are disappointed and often angry, even when they can get a refund on the purchase. Students should feel the same way when classes are canceled, especially since they can’t get a refund on the price of the class at this point in the semester.

Students pay for the classes they take one way or another. With an investment like college that costs most students thousands of dollars, they should be disappointed when classes are canceled and they can’t get their money’s worth.

The Echo is printed weekly at the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway, Ark. Decisions about content are made by the student editors.

The views published are not necessarily those of the University of Central Arkansas. All material is subject to respective copyrights.

College prepares you for a career in the real world.

Each time you can’t go to class, UCA is less able to prepare you for your career.

Campus Life February 12, 2014

Around Campus: Filmmaker visit Miranda July, filmmaker, artist and writer, will visit UCA on Feb. 13. She will present a Q&A session with students from 10:50 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. in Win Thompson 331. At 7:30 that night, she will give a public reading followed by a book signing in the College of Business Auditorium.

Campus Talk President Tom Courtway will host an informal meeting where he will answer questions from faculty, staff and students. The meeting will be during x-period Feb. 13 in the College of Business Auditorium. To submit questions, visit uca.edu/answers.

4

Professor explores U.S. in archaeology show

by Andy Robertson Sports Editor

Visiting anthropology professor Duncan McKinnon is one of three researchers using geophysical methods at various sites on the PBS television s e r i e s “Time Team America.”

“Time T e a m Duncan McKinnon A m e r i c a” first aired 20 years ago in Great Britain and pilot episodes were filmed for a U.S. version of the show five years ago.

The National Science Foundation funded a grant for “Time Team America” to film

more American episodes.

The show originally had two people that focused on geophysical studies, but producers wanted three.

That’s where McKinnon came in.

The show has filmed at the sites of the Lost Pueblo Villages in Cortez, Colo., the Bones of Badger Hole in the Oklahoma panhandle, the search for Josiah Henson in Bethesda, Md. and a lost Civil War prison in Jenkins County, Ga. McKinnon said he didn’t have a favorite filming site, but if he had to choose, he said it would be Cortez, Colo.

“It was pretty fun because I’ve never worked in the southwest before and we had the chance to see the Mesa Verde Range,” he said.

McKinnon said his favorite

part of being on “Time Team America” is integrating ongoing research at each site and working with other researchers on the show, the community and middle school students.

He said when members of the community get involved, they get to learn about their history.

When McKinnon is not involved in “Time Team America,” he teaches a variety of courses in anthropology, archeology and Native American studies.

He came to teach at UCA after he received his Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas – Fayettville in 2013 because he said he liked the people and atmosphere of comradery in the anthropology department.

McKinnon said he also came

to UCA because he likes the way the school is moving and it’s close to his research area, the Caddo Indians.

According to McKinnon’s website, duncanmckinnon.com, the Battle Mound site served as a significant place for the Caddo tribe until they were removed from the area in the 19th century.

The Battle Mound site is located near the Great Bend region of the Red River basin in Lafayette County.

McKinnon is in his second semester of teaching. He said his favorite classes to teach so far have been the Native American studies classes and biological archaeology.

“I really enjoy these classes because I am learning right along with the students,” McKinnon said.

McKinnon said his interest

in archaeology began after spending 10 years selling computers and high-tech at Dell and Apple stores in Austin, Texas.

He said he was always interested in history.

He took a class at Texas State, where he got his Bachelor’s degree, and became interested in Native American cultures.

“I was captivated by Native Americans,” he said. “I wanted to understand their culture more, which caused me to pursue anthropology.”

Freshman sociology student Patrick Wockenfuss said McKinnon’s experience brings a new outlook to the department.

“He brings new aspects of teaching with his experience of going to the different locations,” he said.

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

Communication The counseling center will host a Communicating with Women: A Group for Men at x-period Feb. 13 in the Student Center 307. The presentation will focus on romantic and platonic relationships. Contact Maxwell DeYoung at 450-3138 for additional information.

‘Almost, Maine’ UCA Theatre will present the play “Almost, Maine,” by John Cariani at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21 in the Snow Fine Arts Center Bridges/Larson Theatre.

Tickets are free for students with a current UCA I.D. Reservations can be made by calling 501450-3265 or by visiting UCA ticket central in the Reynolds Performance Hall box office.

Visit uca.edu/theatre for more information.

Nursing applications Nursing applications for admission to the fall 2014 nursing class are available now at www.uca.edu/nursing. The deadline is March 1. Contact Ann Mattison at 450-5526 for more information.

Submissions Please submit events for Around Campus in 50 words or fewer to ucaechoeditor@gmail.com.

Include basic information who, what, when and where information as well as contact information.

photo by Sarah Irvin

Q&A Counselor Reesa Ramsahai

by Laura Landers Staff Writer

photo courtesy of Wei Wei

Little Rock Central High School students perform the lion dance at the Chinese New Year Reception on Jan. 31 in the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center.

Chinese New Year celebration teaches community about traditions, cultures

by Misti Hollenbaugh and Julia Kramer Campus Life Editor and Staff Writer

UCA’s Confucius Institute (UCACI) showcased Chinese culture and tradition in a Chinese New Year Reception on Jan. 31 at the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center.

UCACI Deputy Director Lucy Xiaohong Lu said the Chinese New Year Celebration provides a great opportunity for people from different cultures to connect with each other.

“It contributes to the

RSO

New organization offers sanctuary, refuge for non-religious students

by Austin French Staff Writer

Among the array of faiths and religious cultural groups on campus is Ignite: Pagans United, a new student organization that has recently come into the public spotlight.

Junior John Beegle said the organization has provided a refuge neither he nor many others have previously had.

“Speaking for me, and I would think many others in the group, Ignite has given me a place to speak with and befriend those of similar interests and philosophies,” he said.

The organization promotes itself as a place where anyone of pagan background can come to learn about the beliefs and practices of others in an environment that seeks to foster mutual respect and understanding.

Member sophomore Dallas Smith said the group promotes education and tolerance, as well as kindness.

“We want to be able to show

dynamism and diversity on campus,” she said. “Through the event, UCA students and faculty can have a direct and vivid experience of Chinese culture by enjoying the Chinese music and dance, conversing with Chinese students and faculty, tasting Chinese cuisines, etc.”

Lu said Chinese New Year is the most important event in Chinese culture, which is in many ways like the American Thanksgiving Day. “It is an occasion for family reunions and celebration of a prosperous new year,” she said.

“It is also the time for people to give best wishes and thanks to family members, relatives and friends for their help and support.”

Sophomore Michelle Kennedy said the event provided the opportunity to bond as a community that loves Chinese culture.

“It’s a great time to show the international students and the sponsors of the Confucius Institute that there are students who enjoy the language,” she said.

See Traditions- page 5

What does UCA’s Outreach program do?

“Part of what we do is educate because it takes education to prevent life from getting overwhelming for students to the point that they have to come see a counselor.

So, part of it is educating people and also increasing awareness of certain illnesses so they know where to come and get help and recognize the signs.

It is prevention and education.

We go out of the counseling center to meet people and educate them so life does not

What is your favorite thing about UCA? “The energy level – there is always something new happening. Because of the population we are working with, there is always a lot of energy.

And if you want to be up on the newest and the latest, university campus is where it is at. I don’t think you could ever get bored on a university campus.”

When you aren’t at work, what do you like to do?

“Garden – I have one dog and two cats and I love to garden and be out in nature. When I am not at work, I like to play in the dirt.”

Do you have any advice for UCA students who want to be successful?

“One, make sure college is where you want to be at this time. Second, college is like a job. Work it like a job. School

See Q&A- page 5

black box

everyone that we are also open and kind to others,” she said.

Senior Hannah Moulder said it is a wonderful and peaceful organization.

“It’s here for those who identify with the pagan faith,” she said. “It teaches positivity, love and that we are all one unit made to make the world a better place. I think this world needs more clubs and organizations like this one.”

The OrgSync section of MyUCA shows 15 campus religious organizations.

There are many Christian organizations on campus, but non- religious students have had little choice in finding a group where they can connect to other members of their beliefs.

The only other nonreligious Recognized Student Organization (RSO) is the Secular Student Alliance, an irreligious organization of students devoted to critical thought and scientific discussion.

Smith said she was excited

See Refuge- page 5

Sometimes life leads people in a different direction than they planned. Reesa Ramsahai, originally from Trinidad, worked in mechanical engineering for several years before deciding to change careers and earn a Master’s degree in counseling psychology. Now, she works as a UCA staff counselor and coordinator of the Outreach program.

get overwhelming.”

photo by Stacee Gallina

The interactive “Urban Discourse” exhibit allows students to freely express themselves with mixed media at the Black Box Gallery inside Schichtl Hall. The exhibit runs Feb. 4 -12.

w w w. UCAE cho .n e t / c ampu slife

ucaecho.net

CAMPUS LIFE

WORKSHOP

Students taught effective ways to argue

by Laura Landers Staff Writer

The UCA Counseling Center taught students how to argue effectively within relationships at an interactive “Fighting Fair” workshop during x-period Feb. 6.

Graduate psychology student Christina Christie said the workshop was about improving communication in all relationships instead of focusing only on romantic ones. Christie led the event.

Graduate student Marne Eggleston, who is earning her practicum at UCA, also spoke.

The workshop covered common “deal breakers” found within relationships that prevent communication.

“Just being aware of the fact that you do these things can help salvage relationships,” Christie said.

Other topics discussed were stress and anger relief techniques that can help prevent further conflict.

Such techniques include the use of “I” statements, counting to ten, taking a small break from an argument and controlled breathing.

Less conventional tension release methods, including

fighting while lying down or even singing, were also discussed.

“It is almost impossible to fight while doing these,” Eggleston said.

Eggleston and Christie also debunked the saying “Do not go to bed angry.”

“A lot of people feel like they have to solve arguments right then,” Christie said.

However, Eggleston pointed out that allowing time to sleep on it can often lead to forgetting what an argument was about.

For people who are extremely defensive during arguments, Eggleston pointed out, “It comes down to ‘Do you want to be kind?’ or ‘Do you want to be right?’ Being able to differentiate between the two will help a lot in your relationships.”

The event also included time for discussion, in which audience members were able to ask questions about specific scenarios or problems they were encountering.

Freshman Nick Baltz said the event was informative about the basics of communication.

“It helped me realize how important it is to open channels of communication, especially when one person is stressed or angry,” Baltz said.

Christie and Eggleston

Traditions:

discussed the importance of seeking counseling help if it is needed.

“If you are concerned about yourself or anyone else and the intensity of the emotions when arguing, counseling is great place to start,” Christie said.

Eggleston said counseling is free to students, and that there is no reason not to go.

The event was one of many new workshops the UCA Counseling Center introduced this semester.

Other programs include an anxiety workshop, which covers the stresses of social anxiety, performance anxiety and test anxiety, as well as a “How did I get so busy?” four-week program teaching students how to manage time effectively, a “Dream Interpretation” workshop and a “Look How I have Grown” workshop designed to depict how students grow through artistic expression.

Support groups meeting this semester include the gender identity support group and the survivors of sexual abuse/assault group.

For more information about any of these workshops, visit the UCA counseling website or go to the counseling center in Student Health Center 327.

Chinese New Year celebration opens students’

eyes to UCA’s international community 4 Continued from page 4 The reception featured traditional Chinese New Year music, food and decorations.

Chinese knots, New Year scrolls, red lanterns and colorful balloons filled the room of Chinese and American faculty, staff and students.

A slide show illustrating major UCACI activities and accomplishments in 2013 was shown.

Ten performances included cultural dress presentations, traditional dances and singing.

American students from Central High School in Little Rock performed the lion dance.

Junior Janae Brazeal said she enjoyed the lion dance because it was something she had never seen before and it’s relevant to Chinese culture.

Kennedy and some other students who were studying Chinese sang a song with a title that translates to, “I’m sorry, my Chinese is bad.”

Su said the lion dance, Chinese music and dance performances and American students singing in Chinese were her favorite parts.

The Hanban Chinese teachers ended the reception with a song.

Graduate student Armstrong Hang Yang said his favorite part of the event was the Chinese song provided by students from

Refuge:

different countries who are studying Chinese at UCA. “It not only brings great joy to everyone but also shows the idea that people can share happiness in one world,” he said. “This is also one of original purposes to celebrate Lunar New Year in UCA, that the pursuit of happiness and the wish for fortune are universal and cross-cultural.”

Brazeal said cultural events like the Chinese New Year Celebration open students’ eyes to the fact that there is a huge population of international students at UCA. “Cultural events like this are important to have on UCA’s campus because they allow Americans to experience other cultures’ customs and history and draw them out of their ethnocentric shells,” she said.

“We have such a rich repository of culture on campus, so holding events like the Chinese New Year Festival heightens awareness of these different cultures and gives the host country a chance to share its culture with pride.”

Lu said UCA has many Chinese students and faculty members.

“By hosting the Chinese New Year Celebration, UCACI tries to bring Chinese culture into the community and to share the joy

of the festival among Chinese students, faculty, American students who are interested in Chinese language and culture, and the Conway community,” she said.

UCA President Tom Courtway and Provost Steven Runge gave New Years greetings and expressed their thanks to the UCACI for its contributions to UCA. Other speakers included Michael Rowland from the Arkansas Department of Education, Rogers School District Assistant Superintendent Robert Moore, Faulkner Country Library Director Nancy Allen, UCACI Director Guo-ou Zhuang, and other Chinese instructors.

Lu said as the only Confucius Institute in Arkansas, UCACI takes it as its mission to bring cultural and academic diversity to the community.

The celebration was one of several major events UCACI hosts during the year.

“The event is an overall exhibition of Chinese culture focusing on the theme of festival celebration,” Lu said.

UCACI partnered with Chinese Scholars and Students Association at UCA and other universities in Arkansas to host the Chinese New Year Celebration Gala on Jan. 26 in Little Rock.

Q&A:

STUDENTS SAY

Ramsahai

finds people to be most

“

rewarding part of her job 4 Continued from page 4

“Absolutely. Everyone needs to have a philosophy for life.

Have fun as much as you can.

Life is too short not to have fun.

Don’t take life too seriously, but, most importantly, don’t take yourself too seriously. Because when you start doing that, you become boring.”

Freshman Nathan King

Sophomore Nico Atienza

Freshman Austin Smith

Freshman Amanda Neddles

Freshman Kayla Nation

Freshman Nathan Ortiz

“Go to the parking lot behind the HPER Center and do donuts.”

“Get together with friends and watch Netflix.”

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

“People – I feel very lucky because, in counseling, I meet some of the strongest students who have the strength to survive many things and go on and be successful. I have learned so much from the people I have worked with. I have a lot of admiration for many of our students.”

“I like to go riding around on my 4-wheeler.”

“I usually just watch chick flicks.”

Can you describe some of the new workshops through the counseling center and how these programs are going to help students?

“The reason we have made the workshops is that groups help students realize they aren’t alone. We cannot see everyone at once; we would just be short [staffed]. So groups really help students realize that they aren’t alone in what they are going through. There are plenty of workshops to choose from and help students grow and learn.”

“Sleep, eat, Netflix, look at homework but don’t do it.”

“I like to bake cookies and watch ‘The Notebook’ around a warm fire.”

BE IRRESISTIBLE.

2 CONWAY LOCATIONS

environment, seeks to eliminate discrimination

NUTTERS CHAPEL 2501 Dave Ward Dr. 501-327-8267

4 Continued from page 4 The openness of the group created a friendly and inviting environment.

They also discussed the forms of discrimination people are subject to in various aspects of their life.

Group members said people who practice pagan beliefs are frequently subject to criticism from others that have an incomplete knowledge of their beliefs and practices.

Members found flyers posted in Irby Hall advertising their organization torn down from the wall and on the floor.

The group says it is this sort of discrimination they seek to eliminate and promote unity and peace among the various faiths at UCA. The group plans to hold an informational event composed of multiple events in a day with the Feminist Union, PRISM (Pride, Raising awareness, Involvement, Support and Mentoring) Alliance and other organizations.

The group said they hope to provide knowledge that fosters understanding in the student

”

story by Ashley Thomas photos by Ashley Thomas

Ignite: Pagans United creates friendly, inviting

when she first saw the flyers for the club.

“I knew the campus hadn’t had a specific club for pagans,” she said. “The important thing to think about is that pagans aren’t very popular in Arkansas and are often pushed into hiding for holding different belief systems.

The club was created in order to give us a sense of unity and a common place to worship, much like the Christian organizations on campus. It serves as a reminder that we aren’t alone.”

Pagans United members say they want to connect with more people like themselves: pagan, polytheist or those looking for an interesting group to talk to.

A segment from their constitution defines the group’s purpose as “[seeking] to foster pride in Pagan identity through education, activism, charity and community by promoting Pagan unity and spirit throughout campus and Conway.”

At its last meeting, the organization discussed Greek Hellenistic beliefs then had a group meditation ceremony.

What do you like to do on snow days?

is challenging for many of our students because they are doing many things – they have work, a family. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

If you are overwhelmed, you may want to cut back. These directions for one person don’t always work well for another, so if you do what you can realistically manage, that would really help.”

Do you have a philosophy for life?

February 12,2014 /5

community.

Graduate student and Pagans United President Sheldon Slinkard described his vision of a final goal.

“Our end goal is to have a physical building on campus, or near campus, that mimics the Wesley foundation and other religious entities around the area to offer a place of safe worship and spiritual growth,” he said.

Junior Ernest Goldwood spoke about the things the group has taught him.

“This group has, more than anything else, has taught me the importantance of being honest with myself and standing up for what I believe in no matter what others may think,” he said.

Ignite: Pagans United meets at 7 p.m. every Thursday in Harrin Hall 227.

Those seeking to become a member or check out the meeting can join the organization’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ groups/ignitepagan.

The group posts weekly about upcoming events and meetings on its Facebook page.

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1/27/14 10:38 AM

Entertainment

6

February 12, 2014

New This Week Movies

Feb. 12 ­—RoboCop, directed by José Padilha, starring Abbie Cornish, Douglas Urbanski, Gary Oldman, Jackie Earle Haley, Jay Baruchel, Jennifer Ehle, Joel Kinnaman, Michael K. Williams, Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson

Feb. 14 — About Last Night, directed

by Steve Pink, starring Bryan Callen, Joy Bryant, Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy and Regina Hall Feb. 14 — Endless Love, directed by Shana Feste, starring Alex Pettyfer, Bruce Greenwood, Gabriella Wilde and Robert Patrick Feb. 14 — Winter’s Tale, directed by Akiva Goldsman, starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe and Will Smith

Music Feb. 14 — Hotel Valentine - Cibo Matto Feb. 18 — Burn Your Fire For No Witness - Angel Olsen

Malfunctions, controversy characterize winter Olympics

by Brandon Riddle Editor

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi kicked off Friday with an opening ceremony overshadowed by problems plaguing Russia’s preparedness for the event.

While the opening event was a spectacle of tedious preparation and a symbol for President Vladimir Putin to show his country’s strength, one moment stood out as a noticeable flaw, at least for American viewers. After all, he spent a record $51 billion dollars to bring the Games to Russia, according to NBC News.

A technical glitch left one of the five Olympic rings in the shape of a snowflake. You had one job, ring.

Journalists made note of the construction flaws in nearby hotels and apartment buildings that appear unfinished or lack complete accessibility.

An entire Buzzfeed article is dedicated to showing pictures from an @SochiProblems Twitter feed.

Some viewers also criticized the Sochi mascots – a bear, rabbit and cat. The choices this year were an enormous improvement over the 2012 London mascots though, the one-eyed Wenlock and Mandelville.

On social media I found several spoilers before the event aired live on NBC – one being an

Feb. 18 — All The Pretty Things - Ashley Riley

photo courtesy of www.businessinsider.com.au

Dancers, giant suspended props and projected images depict one of many vivid dreamscapes that constitute a large portion of the Olympics opening ceremony.

Austrian Olympian who fell as his fellow athletes walked into the stadium.

As usual, NBC was criticized for its decision to air the opening ceremony on tape delay, a move that is meant to increase viewership and move one of the most instrumental parts of the Olympics to primetime.

A few features stood out, including a vibrant, colorful

display of fireworks throughout certain portions of the ceremony as well as the emphasis on the arts.

Russia faces criticism from the U.S., especially in regard to the country’s recent anti-gay laws that impose harsh, inexcusable penalties on citizens who wish to express themselves.

I always enjoy watching the Olympics, primarily the Summer Games, but this year has left me

wishing the political climate was different. I’m torn between my love for watching the athletes take pride in representing the U.S. and my deep interest in promoting human rights.

Historical references to Russia’s past were at times skewed to represent a grander vision of the country than what actually occurred. The color red became the theme as dancers performed

“Time Forward!/Suprematic Ballet” to symbolize the Russian Revolution.

Russia’s cultural display also included references to the avantgarde art movement and scientific exploration into space. The country emphasized its interest in dance, music and theater.

Word of NBC editing out a non-discrimination statement made by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach became noteworthy over the weekend. I see the move as a missed opportunity to show that, while Russia on its own cannot align on the right side of the topic, the IOC is committed to upholding its core mission.

Businesses based in the U.S. such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble faced criticism for supporting the Games.

The companies have a strong record of supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and their support of the Games has a strong foundation in the event’s history.

I’ll still be watching my favorite events, hoping that silent pro-LGBT protests will inspire the community to show support while the Games continue.

The Sochi Olympics will air on the networks of NBC Universal until Feb. 23. For more on each day’s broadcast schedule and to watch events online, visit nbcolympics.com.

MOVIE

ACTION

Feb. 18 — CULT - Bayside Feb. 18 — Our Kind of Bossa BossaCucaNova Feb. 18 — Music Speaks - Candice Glover Feb. 18 — Motivational Jumpsuit Guided by Voices Feb. 18 ­— Beloved - I Killed The Prom Queen photo courtesy of www.latimes.com

Feb. 18 ­— ISSUES - ISSUES photo courtesy of www.forbes.com

Feb. 18 — Off Stockton - Kevin Seconds

Plastic building blocks comprise absolutely everything in “The Lego Movie,” creating a stunning visual experience and allowing a smart, allegorical message.

Feb. 18 — Past Life - Lost in the Trees

Star-studded Lego film entertains all ages

Feb. 18 — Voices In A Red Rented Room - New Bums Feb. 18 — Voices - Phantogram

Feb. 18 — Lion - William Fitzsimmons

Video Games Feb. 18 — Rayman Legends on PS4, Xbox One Feb. 18,19 — Strider on PS4, Xbox One Feb. 18 — Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes on PS4, Xbox One

Books Feb. 18 — Concealed in Death (In Death Series #38) by J. D. Robb

Feb. 18 — Moving Target (Ali Reynolds Series #9) by J. A. Jance

The Top Five 20th Century Authors

List compiled by Anastassiya Khvan

by Austin DuVall

Ice Cube (left) and Kevin Hart portray an unlikely cop duo in “Ride Along,” directed by Tim Story.

Comedy fails to impress

by Laura Landers Staff Writer

As someone who was once a Lego owner, I remember them quite fondly. I remember tedious instruction manuals, standing in front of new models with an empty Velcro wallet and the occasional spout of creative genius that led to hours of imaginative entertainment. In retrospect, I think that’s the main reason why I wanted to see “The Lego Movie,” aside from the star-studded cast and phenomenal animation.

I loved these toys as a kid and wanted to see them in glorious, 90-minute, stop-motion action.

Emmet Brickowoski, voiced by “Parks and Recreation” star Chris Pratt, is the animated feature’s main character. Emmet, like most Lego figurines, is indistinguishable from the rest.

He lives life by the book, or instruction manuals, I should say.

He works in construction, never steps outside his programmed routine and possesses no original or unique personal qualities. He simply is not special. But like most animated feature films aimed at those under 12 years old, he soon learns otherwise.

In the background, the audience learns of the blatantly satirical antagonist Lord Business, voiced by Will Ferrell,

and his plan to destroy the Lego universe. Obsessed with order and perfection, Lord Business wants to freeze Lego citizens, and their respective worlds, in place using the infamous weapon called the Kragle. I would love to tell you what this weapon actually is, but it takes away from the overall fun.

The only thing that could stop this terrible weapon is the famed Piece of Resistance, which was lost years ago. And who should find this special relic, but our non-special protagonist Emmet.

Confused and embarrassed, Emmet is mistaken for the “Special”, a person who, according to the prophecy, would find the Piece of Resistance and save the universe. Assisted by a mysterious girl named Wildstyle, voiced by Elizabeth Banks, Batman voiced

by Will Arnett and Vitruvius, voiced by Morgan Freeman, Emmet is taken to the realm of MasterBuilders where he can train and learn the secrets of his newly acquired weapon.

Chock full of pop culture icons such as Superman, Green Lantern, C-3PO, Gandalf, William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln, Shaquille O’Neal and Wonder Woman, this movie was one big nostalgia kick that likely appealed to college students and adults more than the targeted younger audience, not to mention the fantastic wit and emotion used in

the characters’ dialogue.

Now that we have all the details out of the way, let’s talk about the animation. To put it simply, everything was made of Legos. And when I say everything, I really mean everything. From water and bubbles to smoke, explosions and bullets, everything was made of individual and easily identifiable Lego pieces. It was amazing to watch on screen. I saw the 3-D version of the film and I was not disappointed. The animation worked wonderfully with 3-D viewing.

I was also worried that the animation would use too much computer-generated imagery, but was pleasantly surprised to see that wasn’t the case. Aside from the computer-animated facial features of the characters, this movie could easily pass as a stop-motion picture. The little touches here and there that made the characters look as realistic as possible are what I think gave this movie a lot of its magic.

“The Lego Movie” is playing at Cinemark Towne Centre in Conway and is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the same team behind “21 Jump Street” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” The film is rated PG for mild action and rude humor and is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The concept of “Ride Along” sounded hilarious, if a little cliché.

Ben Barber, portrayed by the fiery Kevin Hart, is a wannabe cop and video game enthusiast with dreams of becoming a reallife police officer in the Atlanta Police Department. He is in love with his girlfriend Angela, portrayed by Tika Sumpter, and has plans to marry her. However, there is no chance of engagement until Ben gets the approval of Angela’s tough detective brother James, portrayed by Ice Cube.

James, hoping to drive Ben away from his sister and the police force, offers to take him on a “ride along” through Atlanta streets.

It is a typical case of tough cop, rookie cop.

James orders a day of “126s” in the hopes that it will scare Ben away. The number is police code for an annoying situation that nobody wants to deal with.

However, Ben, with his extensive knowledge of combat video games, manages to uncover some important clues on James’ real goal – to capture a never before seen gang leader called Omar.

After some sleuthing and a strange visit to a strip club, Ben and James are able to track down a large exchange of illegal firearms that is being led by

1. Erich Maria Remarque (1898-1970)

2. Heinrich Theodor Böll (1917-1985)

3. John Robert Fowles (19262005)

4. Daphna du Maurier (19071989)

Remarque, one of the more famous German authors of the 20th century, was conscripted into the German army at the age of 18. His service left its mark on the creative path of this author. One of Remarque’s better books is “Three Comrades.” The action of the story happens after World War I in Germany and has everything that Remarque is remarkable for: love, friendship, wise contemplations, sadness and a great sense of humor.

Böll is another German author, who was distinguished by the Georg Büchner Prize in 1967 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1972. One of Böll’s famous books is “The Clown,” written in 1963. The book is a reflection of a main character who worked as a clown traveling around the country and showing pantomimes. Böll shows his readers the society in which he lived and the conflicts that existed during that time.

Fowles is an English novelist who was influenced by Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. One of his best-sellers is the novel “The Magus”, which tells us a story of a young teacher who moved from England to a small island in Greece to teach English at school. The book’s main character finds an enigmatic rich man.

The intrigue of the story arises because the main character sees strange and inexplicit things that somehow relate to the owner of the villa.

Maurier is an English author and playwright. Many of her works have been adapted into films, including the novels “Rebecca,” which won the Best Picture Oscar in 1941, “Jamaica Inn” and the short stories “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now”. In most of her writings there is a suspenseful twist. One example is from “Rebecca.” Until the last moment it is difficult to predict what happens next, which holds the readers’ attention during the whole story.

News Editor

Omar. When James is captured by two dirty cops working for Omar, what ensues is a scene that is supposed to be hilarious, but draws more groans than laughs.

The whole movie was a farce.

With poorly written scenes, Hart and Cube are scrambling to draw laughs from the audience. Hart, in his true style, relies on his “louder is funnier” approach to comedy, while Cube plays his role so straight it is funny.

That is not to say that this movie doesn’t draw out a few laughs. Some scenes were funny, but laughs were few and far between. What could have been a hilarious movie turned out to be a below average comedy.

What shifts James’s opinion about Ben is the events following Omar’s capture of Angela. James and Ben have to work together to save her. And in turn, James learns that Ben has what it takes to take care of Angela.

What is most disappointing is that the movie lacks a central theme that shows the movie is more than just a few ridiculous scenes thrown together. In an attempt to prove he is more than just a goofy security guard, Ben proves he is just a goofy security guard.

I will give the movie something, though. Ben is able to execute one very well timed flying kick to the face.

“Ride Along” is playing at Cinemark Town Centre in Conway and is rated PG-13.

5. Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) Zweig is an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. In many of Zweig’s books there is a storyteller who meets people while travelling and tells those stories to the readers. One of Zweig’s best novels, titled “Letter from an Unknown Woman”, is a short but very emotional story. It is a story of unselfish and one-sided love that is rarely seen in our world. A person can do everything for the happiness of another, but that other person may not even know about existence of the lover.

Sports

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February 12, 2013

Week at a glance Women’s signees

Women’s soccer added 14 players on signing day Feb. 5.

The 14 players will make up for 11 graduating seniors. The new class will bring five defenders, four forwards, three midfielders and a keeper. The players include keeper Anna Hughes, defender Sarah Mayorga, defender Allie Moroney, defender Jessica Pantuso, center defender Karly Kliever, defender Laura Scholz, center back Stacia Carroll, midfielder Kara Borgstrom, outside midfielder MaKayla Wilson, outside midfielder Peyton Reisch, midfielder/forward Alex Moore, forward/outside midfielder Avery Taylor, forward/outside midfielder Dayna Mounie and forward Micah Tipton.

Men’s soccer additions UCA’s men’s soccer coach Ross Duncan welcomed the newest eight additions to the program Feb. 6. The class consists of five midfielders, a keeper, a forward and a defender. New players include midfielder Patrick Fuchs from Utah, midfielder William Woody from N.C., midfielder Bradly Amos from Oklahoma, defender Tyler Ridener from Oklahoma, midfielder Blake Stricker from Texas, forward Colton Jackson from Oklahoma, keeper Harrison Veith from Texas and midfielder Hayden Cochran from Mississippi.

Coach gets new title UCA golf director Ryke Dismuke achieved the title of Level 2 Certified Golfing Machine Instructor.

Certified Golfing Machine instructors have been the golden standard for golf instruction since 1969. As a Golfing Machine instructor, Dismuke will use his knowledge of geomgetry, physics and biomechanics on golf swings.

This understanding will benefit the members of the UCA team from more productive practice sessions to faster improvement.

Dismuke has been the UCA men’s golf coach since August 2003.

Dismuke, who golfed for the No. 1-ranked University of Arkansas team in 1997, has coached numerous All-Conference and AllRegion golfers, individual and team conference champions and NCAA Regional and National Tournament participants in his 14 years at UCA. He has earned conference and regional Coach of the Year honors on numerous occasions.

Upcoming games Men’s Basketball

Thursday at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. 7 p.m.

Saturday at Houston Baptist University. 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

Thursday at Texas A&MCorpus Christi. 5 p.m.

Saturday at Houston Baptist University. 3 p.m.

Baseball

Friday-Sunday vs. Missouri State University.

Softball

Friday-Sunday at University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Tennis

Sunday vs. University of Tennesee at Martin. 10 a.m.

Men remain two games behind McNeese for SLC tournament

by Andy Robertson Sports Editor

UCA’s men’s basketball team was unable to move in the Southland Conference standings last week after beating the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions 85-71 on Feb. 6 and losing 88-79 to the University of New Orleans Privateers on Feb. 8 in the Farris Center.

The Bears (6-16, 3-8 SLC) struggled early as SLU (9-12, 4-6 SLC) put together a 7-0 run in the game’s first two minutes and 22 seconds.

UCA got on the board after senior guard DeShone McClure hit a jumper to bring the score to 7-2.

The Lions maintained their lead throughout the first half, leading 38-37 at the break.

The Bears looked like they were going to turn around their struggles at the free throw line, hitting five of seven from the line.

UCA was also able to spread the ball around with McClure leading the team with seven points, three rebounds and two steals. He finished the game with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds.

Freshman guard DuShaun Rice and sophomore forward Tirrell Brown followed close behind with six points each.

Rice finished the game with 12 points, four assists and three rebounds. Brown had 13 points, seven rebounds and one assist.

Lions’ senior guard Dre Evans got off to a hot start, scoring 11 of SLU’s first 13 points within the game’s first five minutes.

He would cool down as he scored five points the rest of the

photo by Pham Minh

Freshman DuShaun Rice looks to drive past University of New Orleans Privateer Christavious Gill in UCA’s 88-79 loss Feb. 8. The Bears will travel to Texas for a two-game road trip against Southland Conference foes the Texas A & M — Corpus Christi Islanders and Houston Baptist University Huskies. game. He also led the Lions in points scored in the first half with 14.

SLU senior guard Jeffery Ricard had game-leading two blocks heading into halftime.

The second half was a different story as the Bears outscored the Lions 48-33.

UCA tied the game at 59 with 11 minutes and 24 seconds left in the game off a jump shot from Rice and the Bears didn’t look back.

The biggest lead UCA held was 15 after a layup by senior guard LaQuentin Miles at the 6:15 mark.

This would be the biggest lead either team held during the game.

Miles led all scorers in the second half with 17.

He finished the game with 21 points, four assists and five rebounds. Miles was efficient from the free throw line, hitting 11 of 15 shots.

The Bears shot higher than their season average of 59 free throw percentage, shooting 67.7 percent from the line.

Two other Lions players reached dobule figures.

Senior forward Antonio Benton led the team with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Junior guard JaMichael Hawkins scored 15 points. Junior

forward/center Davonte Upson led all players with 13 rebounds.

Saturday’s game saw the Bears and Privateers (9-10, 6-5 SLC) get into a back-and-forth battle in the first half with neither team breaking away from the other heading into the break with UNO leading 41-40.

Miles built on his strong performance from Feb. 6 and had 16 first half points and four rebounds. He finished with a game-high 28 points, five rebounds, one assist, one block, two steals and three turnovers.

Privateers freshman guard Tevin Broyles led the team at the

half with seven points, one assist and one rebound.

Despite having a decent first half at the line and shooting 70 percent, UCA was unable to keep its consistency as it shot 44.4 percent in the second half.

The Bears were able to grab the lead twice early in the second half, after an alley-oop and layup by freshman forward Phabian Glasco.

Glasco finished the game with 12 points, two rebounds and five blocks. Ten points, both rebounds and three blocks came in the second half as he played only two minutes in the first half.

Glasco said his solid second half performance was because he stayed out of foul trouble, which caused him to be more aggressive.

“I was trying to stay strong and just played the game because I had gotten into foul trouble early,” he said.

UNO senior forward Cory Dixon led the Privateers with 20 points and seven rebounds.

Broyles, senior guard Tradarrius McPhearson and freshman guard Christavious Gill also reached double figures, scoring 12, 11 and 12, respectively.

UNO outrebounded UCA 44 to 32 with 17 of the Privateers rebounds coming from the offensive end.

UCA Coach Clarence Finley said the team struggled to get rebounds throughout the game.

“They beat us on the boards,” he said. “We wanted to get two in a row, but we’ve got to crash the boards better.”

The Bears return to the road for a two-game trip to take on Texas A&M – Corpus Christi on Feb. 13 and Houston Baptist University on Feb. 15.

ASSIST

FOOTBALL

Sugar Bears win two against SLU, UNO

by Mason Addison Assistant Sports Editor

photo by Pham Minh

Head football coach Steve Campbell addresses the audience at National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 5, in Wingo Hall.

Twenty-six athletes sign; recruits commit to team

by Justin Freeman Staff Writer

UCA welcomed it’s 2014 recruiting class with 26 student athletes, 11 coming on the offensive end, 12 defensive players, two special teams players and one athlete.

New UCA Head Football Coach Steve Campbell introduced the 2014 recruiting class for the Bears at 3 p.m. Feb. 5 in the Wingo Hall Board Conference Room.

National Signing Day is the day football players across the country sign their letters of intent to play for the college of their choice.

The event becomes more popular every year, with ESPNU airing live announcements and analysis from 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. this year.

Signing day a year ago saw players such as sophomore wide receivers Jatavious Wilson, Jose Moore, sophomore running back Kelton Warren, sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Toliver and sophomore defensive lineman Terrence Partee introduced to the fans.

All five made an impact for UCA in 2013, with Wilson earning Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance against Incarnate Word in week one.

Campbell’s first signing class and his staff features studentathletes from 10 different states including Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Kansas, California, Florida and Tennessee: • Wide receiver Tyrique

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Edwards Sachse (Texas) High School Wide receiver Tyris Lockhart from Christian Brothers College, St. Louis, Mo. (invited walkon) Offensive lineman John Austin Cook from Grenada (Mississippi) High School Offensive lineman Will Jones from Parkers Chapel (Arkansas) High School Offensive lineman Curtis Parker from North Little Rock (Arkansas) High School Offensive lineman Austin Horton from McKinney (Texas) North High School Offensive lineman David Tachie from McKinney (Texas) High School Tight end Justin Dickey from Highland Community College (Kansas) Tight end Josiah Wymer from Springdale (Arkansas) High School Quarterback Hunter Moore from East Hamilton (Tennessee) High School Running back Dominique Thomas from Jacksonville Alabama) High School Defensive lineman Marseth Andry from St. Augustine (Louisiana) High School Defensive lineman Dalvin

See Recruits - page 8

The UCA women’s basketball team picked up wins at home over conference opponents Southeastern Louisiana University on Feb. 6. and University of New Orleans on Feb 8.

The Sugar Bears beat the Lady Lions 80-70 in the Farris Center.

SLU, sixth place in the conference, looked to stay in contention and make a run at the Southland Conference Championship to get a bid into the NCAA tournament.

UCA, on the other hand, wanted the win to stay atop the conference.

The game started with both teams exchanging baskets. The Lady Lions kept up with the Sugar photo by Sarah Irvin Bears offense for most of the first half. At one point UCA lead by 13, Junior forward Brittany Agee puts up a shot over Southeastern but the lead was cut down to one Louisiana Lady Lions sophomore forward Nanna Pool Feb. 6. before halftime.

Freshman guard Maggie to the free throw line and closed was open tonight,” she said. “They Proffitt made four of six shots out the game, making all six free weren’t defending her so she just from the field and was three of throws. Duever shot her last two kept shooting and making shots.”

The Sugar Bears capped off four from 3-point range. She had free throws with 26 seconds left in the first half by going up 30 points, 11 points and a steal in the first the game.

Coach Sandra Rushing said leading 46-16. half. the offensive explosion by UCA The second half was a The Sugar Bears defense was a positive after SLU started different story for the Sugar Bears wasn’t effective in the first half, making runs. who dominated in the first half. allowing the Lady Lions to shoot “We had 48 points in the Rushing subbed in the second 47.8 percent from the floor. UCA second half and I think in the last team with 16:44 left in the second had the edge in rebounds by two. two games we averaged 19, so I half.

The score at halftime was 32- am pleased with that,” she said.

After junior forward Brittany 31, with the Sugar Bears leading After the win, the Sugar Bears Agee hit a jumper, the Sugar Bears by one. maintained their No.1 ranking in went on a six-minute, 27-second The second half started like the conference. scoring drought.

The University of New Orleans the first, with the teams going The next score for UCA was back and forth, bucket for bucket. came to the Farris Center looking made after Rushing subbed all her UCA would make a run, then SLU for their first win of the season starters back in.

Saturday, Feb. 8. would close the gap.

The Sugar Bears couldn’t get The Sugar Bears played well This went on for the entire on both sides of the ball in the anything started in the second second half. first half. They started on a 15-5 half. They shot 30 percent from Sugar Bears’ senior center run that grew into a 21-9 run and the field and 25 percent form Courtney Duever and junior kept extending their lead. three-point range. forward Terai Sadler combined to UCA held UNO to 24 percent The defense stayed aggressive shoot 15 of 21 at the free throw shooting from the floor and 28.6 and held the Privateers to only line in the second half. The Lady percent from three-point range. shooting 30.4 percent from the Lions shot 12 of 18 from the free Offensively, the Sugar Bears field and zero percent from threeshot 60.7 percent from the field point range. throw line.

SLU tied up the game in the and 33.3 percent from three-point UNO also missed its one free second half three times, but never range. throw attempt in the second half.

UCA also made seven more took the lead.

Though the offense was free throws than UNO in the first The Lady Lions made one stagnant in the second half, the half. of six three pointers and had six Proffitt ended the half with 16 Sugar Bears defense kept the lead. turnovers in the second half. UCA The 30 points UCA gave up points, which equaled the entire wasn’t as effective from threePrivateers team. She shot 50 were the lowest the team has ever point range in the second half, percent from the field and made given up to a Division I team, making two of six attempts. all four of her free throws in the breaking the 37 point mark set SLU brought the score within first half. twice. four points with 57 seconds left in The Sugar Bears won 62Sadler touched on Proffitt’s the game.

30 with Proffitt and Duever performance in the first half. combined for 36 points.

Duever and Sadler then went “Yeah, she’s a shooter and she

8/ February 12, 2013

SPORTS

ucaecho.net

ACE

Tennis begins season against Sun-Belt opponent, drop first match to Lady Techsters

by Brittany Harris

Associate Online Editor

The UCA tennis team played its season-opening match against the Louisiana Tech Techsters on Feb. 9 at the Mabee Center at Hendrix College.

The scheduled seasonopening match against the Harding University Bisons Feb. 8 was postponed due to weather.

UCA had a rough time with the Lady Techsters and lost the match 6-1.

Louisiana Tech won all three doubles games, and three singles games.

UCA picked up one singles win during the match.

Senior Sasha Ruocco won her singles match 6-4, 4-6, 13-11.

Junior Kelsey Williams said the match against Louisiana Tech was tough. “[Louisiana] had recently recruited some international players who outshined us,” Williams said about Sunday’s loss.

Williams lost both of her matches 6-1 and 6-0.

She said she didn’t begin the matches well and had to fight through adversity.

“We didn’t get off to the ideal start after losing all three doubles matches, but we remained positive for the singles matches,” Williams said, “Unfortunately the only win for the day came from number 5, Sasha [Ruocco].”

Coach Jeff Borengasser said the number two doubles team came within a point of winning,

and played well overall.

“All three teams competed well, and our doubles team shows a lot of potential,” Borengasser said.

Borengasser said Ruocco played hard during her match. “[Ruocco] played and competed extraordinarily well, and it was a great win for her,” Borengasser said.

Ruocco said she was motivated by her team’s support.

“I felt really well during the match. I was really focused,” she said. “During the second set I was feeling more tired, which made it harder to keep my consistency but my team kept cheering for me, which allowed me to keep fighting.”

Louisiana Tech finished third

in the Western Athletic Conference last spring.

Borengasser said it was a good match that revealed a lot about the improvements the team needs to make in order to prepare for conference play later this season.

Borengasser also said the team has a lot of confidence this season and will compete successfully against everyone it faces.

Williams said she feels positive about the upcoming season as well.

“We face another tough match on Saturday against Murray State, but I think this loss has only made us more eager to win our next match,” she said. “We all have areas of improvement that we will work on this week and I look forward to what I hope to be a

successful season.”

Ruocco said the coaches did well getting the team ready for the season.

“The coaches have done a great job pushing us and preparing us for this spring season and I can’t wait to see the results,” Ruocco said.

Borengasser said the team’s primary goals are “to compete our best every time we step on the court.” In doing this, he said, the results will take care of themselves.

“The difference between winning and losing is executing at the critical moments in the match, keeping concentration at the highest level throughout the entire match, and competing our best in adverse circumstances,” Borengasser said. “All of the girls

competed well against a very tough opponent.”

UCA’s scheduled match against Harding University was postponed due to inclement weather, and a new date has not been set yet.

The tennis team will travel to Kentucky next weekend to compete against Murray State University Feb. 15 and then University of Tennessee at Martin Feb. 16.

Last year, the team had a 3-6 Southland Conference record and a 12-14 overall record.

It was 5-2 at home and 3-8 on the road.

The conference wins came against the Nicholls State University Colonels, the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles and the Stephen F. Austin State Ladyjacks.

RUN

AT T E N D A N C E

Students don’t show support for sports, Personal, school records set in track meet more invested in socializing with pals

by Misti Hollenbaugh Campus Life Editor

by Andy Robertson Sports Editor

Off the Glass In an Oct. 2, 2013 Echo sports column, senior Hunter Brooks brought up the lack of attendance at UCA sporting events.

Coaches aren’t the only ones who have noticed this problem; I’ve noticed this over the past year as well.

Brooks faulted poor marketing for the low attendence in his coloumn.

“I honestly don’t know when UCA has a home football game or the time it starts unless I get online and look at the schedule,” he said. “There is virtually no hype for athletic events on or off campus. There is nothing that grabs your attention or makes you get excited.”

This could not be truer for me, as well. The only reason I know sporting events are going on is because I’m the Echo sports editor.

UCA’s sports website is wrong on a lot of the stats, so how could I rely on the times they give?

In my column last week, I argued that a new basketball arena would bring people to games.

I believe this to be true for non students.

I can’t bring myself to believe it for students because there is poor student support.

One example of this was the last home football game of the season against then No. 9 Sam Houston State University, who shared the 2012 conference title with UCA. Sam Houston State is arguably the biggest challenge in football every season, as they contend for the Football Championship Subdivision title every year.

On the Nov. 23, 2013 game against the Bearkats, the attendance at Estes Stadium was 4,227.

The capacity of Estes Stadium is 9,000.

The picture in the bottom right of this column shows how pathetic the student section looked.

There were more SHSU fans than UCA fans and it was a home game.This happened on more than one occasion.

Former football head coach Clint Conque said too many students stay on Bruce Street to tailgate.

Students are more invested in socializing than going into the stadium to watch and support the football team.

The Student Government Association has discussed a “Red Cup” policy, which allows students to legally drink alcohol at UCA sporting events.

The hope for this is to have more participation in tailgating and football games.

That doesn’t help bring attendance in, but possibly makes it worse.

Another thing I have noticed is students who do come to games leave at halftime.

This was the case at the most recent men’s basketball game against the University of New Orleans.

At halftime, students were honored for Who’s Who. After the students were honored, many students left the game.

I noticed this happen at the homecoming game too.

After homecoming court was announced, several students left the game.

It frustrates me to see people not showing up or leaving at halftime.

That shows that students don’t care about UCA sports.

I realize people either have jobs or don’t care about sports, but there are several people that do and want to support the teams.

On the season, the men’s basketball team is averaging 944 people per game at the Farris Center.

That’s pathetic, considering Conway has more than 50,000 people and UCA has about 13,000 students.

I know UCA isn’t the University of Arkansas, where people all around the state can rally around the team, but as students, we can be more supportive to the athletic program.

A lot of teams thrive off the crowd noise at games.

Some football fanbases are known as the 12th man, which hypothetically adds a twelfth player on the defensive side of the ball.

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Stice placed 13th with a time of 15:49 and freshman Andrew Simpson placed 19th with a time of 15:55.

Senior Ben Barker completed the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.11.

Junior Chance Tanner finished 15th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.14.

Junior Trey Carter finished 39th with a final time of 22.84 in the 200-meter dash.

He also finished 22nd in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 7.19.

Freshman Tryin Watts finished 68th with a time of 24.18 in the 200-meter dash.

Sophomore Anthony FarisKing placed twelfth in the men’s long jump with a jump of 7.01m.

Freshman Travis Nagle placed fifteenth in the men’s pole vault with a jump of 4.30m.

The men’s 4x400 meter-relay team — freshman Tevon Boyd, Ray, sophomore Darrell Johnson junior Chance Tanner — won its heat with 3:20.

The men’s distance relay medley — Williams, juniors Connor Ryan, and Powell Bryant and senior James Leonard — placed fourth, running a 10:15.

The teams will return to Birmingham, Ala. for the 2014 Southland Conference Indoor Track Championships on Feb. 2627.

The NCAA Indoor Championships will be in Albuquerque, N.M. on March 6-8.

Softball has rough start to 2014 season, goes 1-4 at LSU Tiger Classic tourney

by Elise Woods Staff Writer photo by Andy Robertson

Sam Houston State University fans outnumber UCA fans tremendously at Nov. 23, 2013 game, which UCA won 49-31. UCA went 7-5 on the season and 4-3 in the Southland Conference.

National Signing Day brings new 26 student-athletes to UCA, Campbell welcomes first recruit class 4 Continued from page 7 Simmons from Little Rock Central High School (Arkansas) Defensive lineman Cadrell Best from Little Elm (Texas) High School Defensive lineman Aikeem Coleman from Hattiesburg (Mississippi) High School Defensive lineman Eric Jackson Apoka (Florida) High School Defensive back Iziah Skelton from San Mateo Junior College (California) Defensive back Martavis Moore from Mississippi Delta Community College (Mississippi) Defensive back Jacob Sisk from Colleyville Heritage (Texas) High School Defensive back Tremon

Freshman Grant Williams placed fourteenth in the mile with a time of 4:25.

Junior Jonathan Burgess placed eighth in the men’s 5K run with a time of 15:08.

HOME RUN

Recruits: •

The UCA track and field teams broke several personal and school records over the weekend at the Samford Multi and Invitational in Birmingham, Ala. Sophomore Corentin Louis said the team is set for the upcoming conference championship.

“It was a good meet with a lot of competitive schools, which is good in preparation for conference in two weeks,” he said.

Senior Erika Seltzer said one thing she took from this race was the competitive aspect with so many good racers.

“There were a lot of good girls in every single heat, so it was good for us to learn how to run in a pack or get out quick in these big races,” she said.

Sophomore Kelton Ray said the team would try to remain healthy and stay focused for their upcoming meets.

“We got a chance to see some of our conference opponents compete, so we’ll know some of what to expect at the conference championships in two weeks,” she said.

Sophomore Kenneth Stice qualified for the Southland Conference Indoor Track Championships by winning his heat of the 5K. Stice said after being injured all of last indoor season, it feels great to be able to compete at the Indoor Conference Championship.

“Since Ed Limo left the team to join the U.S. Army, all of our distance runners have been trying to step up to fill his shoes,” Stice

said. “Although I do not expect to earn points for our team this year, I am hoping this experience will help me earn points for UCA when I am a junior and senior.”

Junior Jordan Chadwick broke the school record in the women’s 800 with a 2:17.

Sophomore Brooke Cassar placed first and broke the school record in the 3K run with a 9:46.

Setzler and freshman Brigette Caruthers both ran personal records in the 3K with times of 10:12 and 10:42, respectively.

Freshman Marine Lecart ran a personal record in the mile with a time of 5:05.

Senior Tanesha Maxwell placed 20th in the women’s 200-meter dash with a time of 24.94, and finished the 60-meter with a time of 7.54 in her seed.

Junior Anilah Bashir finished 62nd in the women’s 200 with a time 26.09.

Freshman Medley Hinman threw 10.98 meters in her final weight throw.

Junior Tyaniah Cash ran a 7.72 in the 60-meter dash.

Junior Jean Black ran the 60-meter hurdles in 8.86.

The women’s 4x400 meterrelay team team — juniors, Kiara Armstrong, Khadijah Smith, Jean Black and Jordan Chadwick — finished with a time of 3:57.

Smith finished 52nd in the women’s 400 with a final time of 1:00.08.

Armstrong finished 70th in the women’s 400 with a final time of 1:02.17.

Freshman Tianuana Jefferson finished 77th in the women’s 400 with a final time of 1:03.55.

Louis won the men’s mile and set a new school record with a time of 4:13.

Smith Saks (Alabama) High School • Defensive back Chris Chambers Pearl (Mississippi) High School • Defensive back Artez Williams Greenwood (Mississippi) High School • Outsider linebacker Matthew Hall from Spanish Fort (Alabama) High School • Long Snapper Jordan Flemming from Holmes Community College (Mississippi) • Punter Matthew Spencer from Holmes Community College (Mississippi) • Athlete Toney Hawkins from Morrilton (Arkansas) High School (invited walkon) Campbell said recruiting is a

rewarding process.

“When you are recruiting, you are always looking for that next guy,” he said.

Campbell is not fully responsible for this class after being hired in December 2013, but he will look to find more players like Wilson in this year’s class as UCA hopes to continue its success next season.

Before closing, Campbell said UCA will begin recruiting for the 2015 class Feb. 7 and that recruiting is an ongoing process.

“We are always searching for new talent, whether it’s by email or YouTube, video or in person, we’re always interested in finding guys who might fit our program,” he said. “It’s a 24/7 thing and you always have to be building relationships with people.”

The UCA Bears softball team played in the Louisiana State Universtity Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, La. last weekend where it went 1-5.

On Friday, the Bears missed grabbing a lead against Murray State Racers in the sixth inning when freshman left fielder Hannah Stirton came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, with the Bears straggling behind 7-4.

She hit the ball that was caught over the wall by Racers’ freshman outfielder Cayla Levins.

The Racers ended the game with another run making the Bears’ first game of the tournament an 8-4 loss.

Later that day, against Oklahoma State, the Bears had only three hits and gave up no walks, getting shut out by the Cowgirls 3-0.

Junior pitcher Ciara Clampitt pitched the entire game for the Bears, giving up two earned runs on six hits.

The Bears won their first game of the season Saturday against Southern-Illinois UniversityEdwardsville Cougars.

Freshman outfielder Randi Wallace hit a two-out, two-run home run to centerfield in the bottom of the fifth to break a tie with the Cougars.

“It felt great being able to contribute to the team win,” said Wallace about her first collegiate home run. “We never let up and it paid off. That is exactly what it is going to take to accomplish our goals this season and that effort will take us to conference.”

In the top of the seventh against the Cougars, the Bears hung on, surrendering one run to claim their first 2014 victory 2-1.

On the same day, the Bears lost 7-0 and were held to three hits against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who moved on to 4-0 after defeating Murray State and LSU Friday, and SIUE on Saturday.

The Golden Gophers scored one run in the first inning and then six runs between the fourth and sixth inning.

The Bears had their first runner in scoring position in the sixth when Stirton doubled with one out and advanced to third on a fly-out by sophomore catcher Jessie Taylor. Wallace was hit by a pitch and moved Stirton to third, but was unable to push a run across.

No. 17 LSU defeated the Bears Sunday, in the Tiger Classic Finale.

The LSU Tigers scored four runs in the first inning and kept UCA scoreless through the first five innings.

LSU added two runs in the third inning and another in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead against the Bears.

In the top of the fifth inning, sophomore outfielder Amy Gunnels was hit by a pitch and waited until sophomore outfielder Sam Forrest hit a double to deep left field to bring her home.

The Tigers finished the fifth inning with a homerun by freshman catcher Sahvanna Jaquish.

“The competition this weekend was very tough,” Coach David Kuhn said. “We played hard and gained lots of experience.”

Forrest, sophomore second baseman Sarah Bigej, senior first baseman/designated hitter Taylor Dear and sophomore catcher Jessie Taylor each recorded hits for the Bears and Bigej, junior shortstop Hayley Parker and Wallace all reached first base via walk against the Tigers.

According to an article on ucasports.com, Dear was named to the All-Tournament team after recording a team-high five hits in the tournament, going 5 for 15.

The Bears will travel to Lafayette, La. next week to play in the Ragin’ Cajun Invitational where they will assemble Valparaiso, Boston College, No.4 Michigan and No. 15 LouisianaLafayette.

The Bears will make their home debut at Farris Field on Feb. 21 for the Central Arkansas Invitational.

The Bears will play a midweek double header Feb. 26 against the University of Arkansas — Pine Bluff.