February 18, 2015

SINGLE COPY PAID FOR BY STUDENT PUBLICATION FEE

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

WEDNESDAY

FEBRUARY 18, 2015 Volume 108 — Issue 5

ucaecho.net 4 TODAY’S FORECAST CONWAY

Campus Life:

Entertainment:

Sports:

Movie:

Basketball:

Hip-hop artist Common visits campus to speak ‘greatness’ 4 page 3

4 THE NEWSDESK

S TA N D A R D S

Better scores, GPA needed for admission

Campus living costs set to increase fall ‘15

FROM THE EDITOR

TEDxHendrix College to host prominent speakers Nine nationally acclaimed figures will take the stage for the fifth TEDxHendrixCollege conference from 1 – 4 p.m.

Feb. 22 at Hendrix College’s Worsham Performance Hall.

Roby Brock, editor and host of Talk Business & Politics, will host speakers from Hendrix President Bill Tsutsi to The New York Times Science Editor David Corcoran. The event costs $15 for non-Hendrix students and will be capped at an audience of 100. More information can be found at tedxhendrixcollege.com

COPA to extend rental times for spring break Anthony Fillippino, Campus Outdoor Pursuits and Activities (COPA) assistant director, said COPA would open the threeday equipment rental policy to a two-week policy for spring break, March 21 – 29. UCA ID holders can rent kayaks, canoes, mountain bikes, road bikes and tents from the COPA desk located in the back of the HPER Center. COPA’s hours of operation can be found at uca.edu/campusrecreation/copa.

Cell phone laws could be altered in legislature State Rep. David Fielding, D-Magnolia, told KUAR that he would continue working to stiffen Arkansas’ hands-free cell phone law, known as “Paul’s Law,” during the 2015 legislative session. The Paul’s Law prohibits drivers under 18 from using cell phones on the road and requires 18- to 21-year-olds to use handsfree devices. Fielding wants to expand it to include all drivers.

Currently, Arkansas police can ticket any driver who appears to be distracted while driving.

New emojis to update to add five new skin tones The infamous smartphone application that introduced emojicons into daily conversation announced users could expect an update in the middle of year that will allow them to choose between five skin tones. The app currently supports one skin tone, a “generic” yellow-orange color, but after receiving requests for diversity, emojis will be getting a makeover to better reflect the app’s diverse users.

E-cig fluid tax proposed Rep. Charles Blake, D-Little Rock, proposed a tax to be implemented at a 7 1/2-cent rate per fluid milliliter of liquid nicotine and other similar products used in electronic cigarettes and vaporizers.

The bill would also require distributors and producers to obtain a license .

4 WHAT’S AHEAD IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

An in-depth look at structural fixes to Short/Denny Hall, what makes a proper lactation station.

by Colton Faull Staff Writer

The UCA Board of Trustees met Feb. 13 at Wingo Hall to unanimously approve a decision to increase the room and board rate, starting fall 2016.

This increase is primarily related to the continuing effort to maintain and upgrade housing facilities.

UCA’s current cost for room and board is $2,889 per semester, and the new room and board cost will be $2,991, for a 3.53 percent increase. Overall, students will pay an additional $102 per semester.

The decision arose from increasing costs in the Aramark

contract to maintain food service and still allow for renovations and upgrades.

“As we are moving our housing options to different parts of campus, we are going to have to look at what we are going to do with food service options over the next three to four years and so we have to be prepared for that,” said Diane Newton, vice president for finance and administration.

UCA’s rise in room and board cost will also continue to help maintain and upgrade housing facilities, and it will keep UCA in the same ranking among other schools.

3 6

Online Editor

photo by Jared Holt

Junior Branden Blume sits on top of his bed inside of the bread truck he renovated as a living space. The project cost him approximately what one semester in on-campus housing costs.

SGA plans summit Downshifting mentality

By Audrey Roberts Staff Writer

The Student Government Association (SGA) will host its first Leadership Summit workshop in the Student Center Ballroom on Feb. 28.

The event will provide students with a day of training to become better leaders on campus. For $15, students receive a five-hour workshop on leadership training, a free T-shirt and two free meals.

Training begins at 8:30 a.m. and should end by 2:30 p.m.

Project Coordinator for Leadership Development Steven Shook said he’s expecting the event to be a success. “[The Leadership Summit is] big on leadership and diversity and getting community engagement,” Shook said.

The Leadership Development Office invited a company called Campus Speak to send in facilitators

to lead the workshop at UCA. One workshop called “Salad” uses an analogy of the many salad ingredients to represent diversity on campus and in the world.

The workshop focuses on the vast differences of people and organizations on campus and how they all fit together to make university life possible.

Shook said UCA’s Department for Leadership Development would introduce the event before turning it over to Campus Speak and SGA. In addition to listening to Campus Speak guest speakers, students will also take part in games and team-building activities.

Freshman Treslyn Fletcher, a freshman leadership team I.D.E.A.L. member, said the event will be an interactive day of leadership training.

“It’s not like [you’re going

Student uses truck to discover necessities

By Jared L. Holt

appealing to him as a low-income college student.

“You learn how much you do need to live happy and how much you don’t need,” he said under the sleeping bags he stapled to his ceiling for insulation. “You learn the difference [between] necessity and luxury.”

Before moving into the truck, he lived in an apartment at the Bear Village complex and paid close to $2,600 for room and board last fall.

Blume said the total cost of his truck was about $2,700. He pays $100 a month to park his truck and receive electricity from the homeowner’s property near Donnel Ridge.

Blume said the truck provides him with everything

News Editor

At 5:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, junior Branden Blume rolled out of bed and filled his 96-squarefoot home with the aroma from a pot of freshly brewed coffee.

He left for a sunrise run along a pothole-laden backroad, home to nothing more than a few old homes and a field glittering heavy with dew. An alarm on his phone let him know he had to run back to his 1982 Chevy Grumman bread truck and depart for his 8 a.m. class at UCA. For Blume, living in a retired bread truck for the spring semester is a personal experiment with an alternative, minimalist way of life. He said media exposure about this kind of alternative lifestyle seemed

See Summit - page 2

See Downshifting - page 2

FA C U LT Y

Department research Senate talks textbooks ACADEMICS

STEM students show findings in Little Rock

by Joe Kramer

Entertainment Editor Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) undergraduates from colleges and universities across Arkansas showed off their scientific work to elected state officials, media and the general public, as well as other undergraduates and faculty Feb. 11 at the state capitol rotunda for this year’s “Arkansas Posters” event.

More than 90 undergraduate students presented 64 posters, highlighting their original research in STEM-related topics.

Students represented Hendrix, Lyons College, University of Arkansas­ —Fort Smith (UAFS) and University of Arkansas—Little Rock (UALR), among other colleges. This is the fourth year for Arkansas STEM Posters.

UCA is the event’s primary organizer, with Chemistry Department Chair Patrick Desrochers spearheading the event with support and participation from other Arkansas colleges and universities.

Students from 15 Arkansas public and private universities

and colleges were equipped with evidence of their research to discuss with state lawmakers, high school students and the general public.

These students hoped to leave their audience with a moderate to full understanding of their work and an appreciation for the work put into the research.

The event’s main goal is to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the level of complex research in natural sciences and mathematics done by the students within Arkansas.

Another goal is to increase enrollment and retention of students in STEM fields, which is critical to programs that are constantly in need of new students.

Approximately 50 high school students and STEM teachers from six high schools across the state attended this year’s event.

Physical chemistry professor William Taylor, senior Benjamin Scheuter and senior Xavier Redmon spoke of their research on super greenhouse gases that exist in the atmosphere and have a global warming potential of hundreds to thousands of times

See Research - page 2

Contact Us: 2

by Austin DuVall

See Rates - page 2

LEADERSHIP

Index: 4Police Beat 4Around Campus 4Entertainment

LIFESTYLE

BOT raises rates

39/10

4 page 7

4 page 6

TRUSTEES

A good day for soup

Coach Rushing earns 450th career win

‘The Voices’ places Ryan Reynolds in spot to show off abilities

Lecture:

4Campus Life 4Opinion 4Sports

3 5 7

Phone: 501-450-3446 E-mail: ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

by Joe Kramer

There was also discussion that turned the blame away from McDonald and onto the students for not filing their Financial Aid documents on time and, therefore, postponing their financial aid refunds, not allowing those students to purchase their books on time.

“Running the bookstore in league with all of the faculty’s needs is a balancing act, and every action and situation has to be handled individually and that is what I intend to do,” McDonald said.

Lewis Science Center renovations, which were outlined during the meeting, stated work has already begun, but the official groundbreaking and demolition will occur May 1 and should be completed by late fall 2016.

There was also a recent agreements review regarding transfer articulation being finalized this week. Arkansas State University­­­—Beebe and Pulaski Tech have reached agreements with UCA about transfer credits for English, history, mathematics and psychology classes. UCA held a meeting with Pulaski Tech officials Feb. 9 to discuss computer science transfer credits, as well.

Entertainment Editor

It was business as usual in Wingo Hall as Faculty Senate met for the first time in the 2015 spring semester.

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Steve Runge opened up the meeting by giving the floor to any senate members wishing to address President Tom Courtway.

The majority of the meeting dealt with issues with Textbook Brokers ranging from shortages, the company’s triumphs and better relations and communication between the bookstore and UCA faculty.

Textbook Brokers manager T.J. McDonald started the discussion by taking questions and concerns from the faculty and discussing efficiency and supply problems from current and past semesters.

“One thing that was a problem was the readings that have been on campus in the past, such as [poet] Jericho Brown,” associate writing professor Garry Powell said. “It is embarrassing to not have any books after readings of that magnitude. It seems to be bad business to not keep the books in stock, especially when those readings are attended by so many.”

See Senate - page 2

Social:

The University of Central Arkansas’ undergraduate admission requirements have gotten stricter for the fall 2015 semester after being approved by the UCA Board of Trustees during its Feb. 24 meeting.

Incoming undergraduate students must have a 2.75 high school GPA and a 20 ACT composite score for unconditional admission. Conditional admission will be given to high school students who have earned a 2.30 GPA and a 17 ACT composite score.

Students accepted for fall 2014 were required to have a 2.5 high school GPA and a 19 ACT composite score for unconditional admission. Students with a 2.25 GPA and a 16 ACT composite score were accepted conditionally.

The university’s admissions standards will increase again for the fall 2018 semester.

Unconditional admission would only be granted to those with a 21 ACT composite score, and conditional admission would be given to ACT composite scores of 18.

“What the admissions committee wanted to do was to allow the university to tighten up its admission standards without causing too great of an impact on the number of students we admitted all at one time,” Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Steve Runge said.

He added that the committee decided to space out their two increases so the admissions and recruitment offices would “have time to catch up.”

“When you raise admission requirements, you do that knowing you will eliminate some students from your freshman class,” Runge said.

Though approved for a variety of reasons, Runge said the increase would mainly help raise UCA’s graduation rate, which has had a marginal decline during the past few years. The university’s goal is to have a 60 percent graduation rate for six-year students by 2023, which would be the freshman class of 2017.

“2017 isn’t that far away,” Runge said. “So we’re looking at this and wanting to be more aggressive, but nothing has been decided yet.”

He said members were hesitant, citing UCA’s increasing enrollment numbers with the fall 2014 semester totaling 9,842 students. Enrollment rates have been increasing steadily since fall 2011.

“If you raise your admission standards and get your graduation rate up, it causes enrollment to go down and then you have another [Key Performance Indicator (KPI)] in jeopardy,” he said.

Out of the two KPIs, the graduation rate matters more to the university because it “influences performance funding,” affecting UCA’s degree production, for which the university has a quota for each year.

Arkansas has a goal of doubling the number of its college graduates by 2025. UCA produced 2,112 credentials during the 20132014 fiscal year and is required to increase its total 4.76 percent every year, Runge said.

An Arkansas DemocratGazette article published Feb. 8 reported that Arkansas’ remediation rate had fallen to 41.4

See Admission - page 2

Inside: Where my positive people at?

@ucaecho

The Echo

ucaecho

© 2015 The Echo, Printed by the Log Cabin Democrat, Conway, Ark.

Feeling down is a normal part of college; find people who make you feel at home

page 5

2/ February 18, 2015

NEWS ucaecho.net

Police Beat

The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Peyton Olsen.

17-year-old nonstudent reports sexual assault in State Hall On Feb. 9 about 11:40 a.m., a 17-year-old female nonstudent reported a 19-year-old male student had sexually assaulted her in State Hall.

The nonstudent told UCA Police Department (UCAPD) the sexual assault happened between 10:30 p.m. Feb. 8 and the time of her report.

UCAPD Community Services Director Arch Jones said the situation is still an active investigation.

“Our detectives interviewed both the suspect and victim, and at no time did we feel the campus was in immediate danger,” Jones said. “It was not a random act; it was an isolated incident.”

Jones said this was an instance of “acquaintance sexual assault,” meaning the victim and the suspect knew each other before the assault.

UCAPD has reviewed the criminal aspects of the report and turned it over to the Faulkner County Prosecutor’s Office.

The report was still under review with UCA administration Monday, Feb. 16.

Jones said, “UCAPD wants the students, faculty and staff to know that there is a safe environment when they can report crimes like sexual assault.”

Golf cart ‘malfunction’ causes administrator to bump into car Shelley Mehl, 56, vice president for advancement and UCA Foundation president, reported the 2006 UCA Yamaha golf cart she was driving had malfunctioned, causing her to bump a 2014 Dodge Dart parked in the Estes Stadium parking lot about 9:18 a.m. Feb. 10.

UCAPD used the Dodge’s parking permit to track down student Kaitlin Tate, 18, to tell her the cart left a small scrape on the passenger side of the rear bumper.

UCAPD estimated the damage at $50. The golf cart was not damaged.

Smoke flows from under hood, alcohol from student’s breath Student Skylar Wright, 21, of Clinton, was arrested and issued a citation for public intoxication in front of the Burdick Business Administration building about 11:24 p.m. Feb. 10.

UCAPD stopped after seeing Wright’s silver 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix with smoke streaming from under its hood. UCAPD asked Wright what was wrong, “but his response was unintelligible.” His speech was slurred, and he tried to open the hood by repeatedly

stepping on the parking brake.

When Wright stood up to get out of the car, he stumbled and swayed back and forth as he stood to speak with the officer.

Wright’s story about where he had been changed several times, and he could not remember his address but told UCAPD that he has lived there “a long time.”

Wright blew a 0.282 into a portable Breathalyzer.

Because UCAPD did not see Wright drive his car, Wright was arrested for public intoxication.

Pro Auto towed and impounded Wright’s Pontiac.

UCAPD issues non-stop ticket to Missouri felon after outburst Nonstudent David Perry, 24, was arrested and taken to the Faulkner County jail on several outstanding warrants from Missouri after running a stop sign about 10:36 a.m. Feb. 11.

UCAPD saw Perry’s white 2000 Ford Mustang roll through a stop sign outside the Student Health Center while playing loud music.

When speaking to the officer, Perry gave the name “Terry Perry” and the birthdate of Sept. 15, 1992. The name did not come back with any record.

At that time, Perry’s brother, Christen Whitfield, came out of the Student Health Center and told the officer that “Terry Perry” was his brother’s real name.

Perry told the officer again that he wasn’t lying and asked to be released with a warning. The officer told Perry he could either give his real name or he would be taken to jail and fingerprinted.

Perry gave UCAPD the correct name and his birthdate. He was arrested for obstructing governmental operations. His name came back with a felony and two misdemeanors warrants out of Missouri.

Whitfield was not able to take the Mustang because he had a suspended license, so UCAPD contacted Pro Auto to tow the car and told Perry that Missouri officers would retrieve him from Faulkner County Unit II. After Perry said, “F*** you, shut the door,” to the officer from the back of the patrol car, he placed his toe in the way of door so that it would bounce back open.

The officer then shut the door and Perry kicked the inside of the door.

The officer told Perry not to kick the car again and placed leg cuffs on him.

The officer reported that he “didn’t have any more problems with Mr. Perry.”

Perry was cited for loud noise, driving without a seatbelt, driving on a suspended license and obstructing governmental operations.

Rates:

Board of trustees approves 2.5 percent room, board rate increase after negotiations between Aramark, SGA 4 Continued from page 1 “We’re still very competitive,” Newton said.

The Student Government Association (SGA), represented by President Ashley Ross, voiced its support for the proposal.

“When it came to student government, the first time it was $126 per semester,” Ross said.

Ross said SGA members appreciated the decrease of the

initial proposal from 4 percent to 2.5 percent.

“We wanted to protect the students who do not have scholarships to make sure they can stay here,” Ross said. “We were in support of this because it is a great compromise between bettering our university.”

The board also unanimously passed contracts with the

sororities on campus for a 30-year lease. The lease’s terms include every member paying a parlor fee to UCA and signing a housing contract with an identical rent to Bear Village residents.

Everyone living in the house will also be required to have a university meal plan.

Admission:

Students required to have 20 ACT, 2.75 GPA

for unconditional admission at UCA 4 Continued from page 1 percent, a new state low since 1988 when officials began to keep records.

According to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, UCA’s percentage of students assigned to remedial classes during the fall 2014 semester totaled 29.7 percent of its incoming class. The University of Arkansas—Fayetteville recorded 8.5 percent.

“Students coming in with a 16 on their ACT are going to need remediation, and by state rule,

if you get below a 19 on any subcategory you have to take remedial courses in that area,” Runge said.

“That’s a lot of students.”

When UCA admits a student, Runge said the university commits to doing everything it can to help him succeed.

“We‘re not going to try and bring students in here who we don’t think will succeed because that’s wrong,” Runge said.

Runge said the university is also repairing articulation agreements with two-year institutions to aid

transfer students who help make up that statistic.

Runge, who advised incoming transfer students when he was a biology professor, said it was “heartbreaking” to see students come in thinking their credits would roll over, but ended up having to start at a freshman level because their completed credits didn’t apply to their major.

“Everyone leaves unhappy because no one told them; no one advised them,” he said. “This will fix that.”

HPER KEEPS RUNNING THROUGH SNOW DAY

photo by Makenzie Evans

Students from Farris Hall carefully walk across the street to the HPER center Monday. UCA canceled classes Monday and Tuesday because of the ice storm that layered Conway late Sunday night.

Summit:

SGA, I.D.E.A.L. organize first leadership conference, opens registration to all students via OrgSync until Feb. 20 4 Continued from page 1 to] sit there and listen to a speaker,” Fletcher said. “There will be some speakers, but it’ll be really interactive.”

She said I.D.E.A.L. members who volunteer in the Leadership Development Office would help staff the event.

The application, available on the OrgSync homepage, urges students to come to the event and “collaborate and be a cohesive community based on values, commitment and shared experiences.”

Shook said the workshop would be most beneficial to students who have never had

leadership training, specifically students who have not been on student government, Student Orientation Staff (S.O.S.) or been part of diversity trainings that work with students and their organizations “to see the bigger picture.”

He said the point is to find something to do on campus, whether it’s a major-specific club or part of an umbrella organization such as SGA or I.D.E.A.L. Forty students were signed up to take part in the workshop as of the week of Feb. 9. Shook expects between 170 - 200 students to turn out for the Summit.

The event is first come, first serve, but attendance will be capped at 200 participants.

Applications and fees are nonrefundable.

If a student has signed up but cannot make it to the workshop, students must notify Steven Shook via email at sshook@uca.edu no later than Feb. 25 so their spot can be opened to a replacement.

The application and registration fee must be submitted to the S.O.S. office, Student Center 206, before Feb. 20 to attend the workshop. Only cash, checks and departmental transfers will be accepted.

Research:

Students gain experience presenting research info to state legislature, media, other students at state capitol 4 Continued from page 1 that of CO-2.

Trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride (SF5CF3) is a super greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 18,000 times that of CO-2. Understanding how this molecule decomposes is fundamental to understanding its ultimate environmental impact.

“Our laboratory examined how this molecule reacts with gaseous copper ions in an effort to shed light on this impact,” Scheuter said.

Scheuter is a chemistry major with a concentration in ACS-certified biochemistry. His research and subsequent paper have been published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry alongside Taylor.

Scheuter was excited to have high school students and the rest of the audience there due to the profundity of everyone’s research and the need for people in government and of the general public to share in that information.

“The capitol’s event is an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students to showcase their research to both the legislature and prospective high school students,” Scheuter said.“For high school students, it is particularly good because they are able to get a tangible example of what can be accomplished with an undergraduate education in the STEM fields.”

Students who normally don’t get the practice they need in their fields while in the undergraduate process get a chance to do work in and become more adept in their chosen disciplines.

It is necessary to make that research available to the public without the risk of misinterpretation or misunderstanding by talking about their research without the unnecessary use of jargon.

“The college students themselves need to practice talking to educated lay people

who are not scientists or mathematicians,” Desrochers said. “We STEM folks are often chastised (justifiably in many cases) for talking over people’s heads and losing them in the techno-jargon. This undermines the efficacy of communicating significant progress in science and math to the people who might benefit most from the research, the Arkansas public.

This is exactly the opposite of what needs to happen.”

Desrochers is pursuing a more literate public in the language that the STEM students are learning themselves. The STEM community is working on merging good teaching with complicated work for the sake of the public.

“Our students don’t often get this experience with such [an informed] public audience,” Desrochers said. “It’s hard for us to do. We need the practice and this event provides that.”

Senate:

Faculty senate debate optometry school, Coke fund allocation, vote to table remaining issues until next meeting 4 Continued from page 1

The new feasibility study on UCA’s possible optometry school went up for discussion. Senators approved the payment of $30,000 to consulting firm Tripp Umbach for the study’s costs, as revealed in a press release last week.

Coke machine fund allocations and UCA’s attendance policy were

discussed toward the end of the meeting, but not in great detail.

The decision was tabled due to time restraints and will be brought forth at the next meeting.

One option discussed was dividing the Coke funding into $500 increments and distributing it among faculty members who

make under $50,000 annually via a lottery system.

Discussions on the attendance policy and filling positions such as online services director, admissions and enrollment services director and college of education dean will be reviewed next meeting.

photo by Jared L. Holt

Underneath a sleeping bag stapled to his ceiling, junior Branden Blume reads through one of his textbooks. His truck-turned-home became his residence for the spring 2015 semester.

Downshifting:

Living in renovated bread truck helps

student live happier, simpler, more efficiently 4 Continued from page 1 that he needs to live day-to-day at college, which is a comfortable place to sleep, somewhere to go when it’s cold and storage space for his food.

He said he enjoyed the amenities of living in Bear Village, but said it wasn’t worth the price to him.

He found he is able to shower after his morning workouts at the HPER Center and that without a kitchen, he was forced to eat a healthier diet of more raw fruits and vegetables.

“I like to spend more time in the books while I’m in college because that’s what I’m paying for,” he said. “I’m not here to try to look good in clothes I can’t afford or to eat a certain way that’s not sustainable. I’m trying to learn the value of a dollar and learn what it costs to live.”

The metallic box-on-wheels has a modified interior that contains a wooden bed frame, microwave, air-conditioner, toilet, sink and cabinets. The walls are decked with various hooks, shelves and pegs to

maximize storage space.

Downshifting into a minimalist living style had a positive effect on his daily life, Blume said. Before he made his transition, he was constantly troubled by a desire to be better than others.

“It’s a mental relief to not have to worry about how many Polo shirts I have or how good I look as much as that I’m doing the best I can,” he said.

Living in the truck changed the way he carries out his daily life in Conway. He said living in the truck forces him to think about how to be more efficient with the things he already has.

While Blume is on campus, he’ll think about what he can do to maximize his resources in the truck, whether that means refilling water or planning his next meal.

He said adopting this sort of efficiency-based mentality has granted him more free time for the things that he enjoys away from school and home, such as yoga and playing at the park, which benefits his mental well-being and overall happiness.

Mechanical problems and his mother’s hesitation proved to be road blocks during his transition into the truck.

Blume had to learn how to work on his truck’s engine and perform basic troubleshooting before the semester began.

“I had grease embedded in my fingerprints for about a week,” he said.

He said though he experienced points throughout his journey where he faced difficulties and felt intimidated by actualizing an alternative lifestyle that most would consider scary, that he’s learning a lot about himself and what he truly requires for a happy, simple life.

“The only way to find out what your best ways of performing are is just to try stuff,” Blume said. “You’re not always going to perform best via the conventional methods. Sometimes you have to think outside the box.”

Or sometimes that can mean inside the box, as in the case of Blume and his bread truck.

Campus Life

3

February 18, 2015

Around Campus:

Bear Facts Day Bear Facts Day will be held 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Feb. 20.

Prospective UCA students and their parents will tour campus and housing and take part in academic and financial aid informational sessions.

Miss Conway Pageant The Miss Conway Pageant will be Feb. 21 at Reynolds Performance Hall. The pageant raises scholarships for competing young women.

Baum exhibit closing “Practice What You Preach” will be taken off exhibit from the Baum Gallery on Feb. 22. The exhibit features new work by the UCA art faculty.

‘The Great Gatsby’ The Montana Repertory Theatre will perform “The Great Gatsby” from 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at Reynolds Performance Hall. Tickets are $30 - $40 for general public and $10 for UCA students with a student ID.

The Isaacs Award-winning family musical group The Isaacs will perform from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Feb. 27 at Reynolds Performance Hall. The vocalists are mother Lily Isaacs and siblings Ben Isaacs, Sonya Isaacs Yeary and Rebecca Isaacs Bowman. Joined by other band members, The Isaacs blend tight harmonies with contemporary music.

photo by Joe Kramer

Common talks about his experience with “Selma,” believing in yourself and social progress during his lecture Feb. 10 at Reynolds Performance Hall.

Hip-hop artist Common encourages self-empowerment

by Jared L. Holt News Editor

Lonnie Rashid Lynn, more prominently known as the hiphop artist Common, walked between the velvet red curtains to a podium at a sold-out Reynolds Performance Hall on Feb. 10 with a cup of warm tea and a notebook.

While at UCA, Common spoke about his role in the movie “Selma,” modern social activism and greatness.

Common portrayed 1960s civil rights leader James Bevel in “Selma,” which depicts Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic march from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama to secure equal voting rights for African-Americans.

He said he hopes “Selma” will provide a blueprint for young activists going forward in modern social movements surrounding race, social status and opportunity.

“I think it gives the new generation a great blueprint to

see how you can be effective through nonviolent protest,” Common said. “I think it will inspire a younger generation to see themselves in what’s going on now and realize that they are the ones that are gonna be the change-makers.”

Achieving that change means having education and opportunity levels at the maximum for all people, which Common said is crucial for social progress.

Common’s mother was an

educator and inspired him to start the Common Ground Foundation, which aims to develop character, creativity and health in young children.

Common began his lecture with a freestyle rap dedicated to his UCA audience, referencing Donaghey Avenue, Bear Hall and Bear’s Den Pizza.

His 40-minute speech addressed achieving greatness through self-empowerment in three stages: finding your path, believing in your path and living

C O PA

your path.

Common said it wasn’t until 2002 that he realized he did not wholeheartedly believe in himself, despite the musical success he had achieved at that point in his life.

“I was afraid to wear my greatness,” he said. “I would dim my light for other people or not be able to stay who I am or stand up proud and just feel the things

See Common- page 4

EXHIBIT

Students learn outdoor water safety skills presented

by Conway Paddling, Arkansas Canoe Clubs at HPER

by Jared L. Holt News Editor

Volunteers from the Conway Paddling and Arkansas Canoe Clubs educated a group of approximately 30 students about canoe and kayak safety and maneuvering at 7 p.m.

Feb. 15 at the HPER pool.

The demonstration session began with talks about general safety and legal requirements for floating rivers and lakes in Arkansas.

Volunteers Couper Chadbourn and Debbie Doss

demonstrated how to enter and exit a canoe and how to use different paddling techniques to turn and propel a canoe in the water.

Chadbourn is one of over 600 members of the Arkansas Canoe Club, which has existed for about 30 years.

He said no one helped him get started when he first became interested in the sport, and he hopes to be the kind of figure he was missing.

“There just wasn’t anyone to show me how to get started,” he said, “and this is kind of a pay-it-

forward thing for me.”

After instruction, seven boats hit the pool where students could try techniques for themselves.

Campus Outdoor Pursuits and Activites Assistant Director Anthony Fillippino said he met Chadbourn and Amy Hudson of the Conway Paddling Club about a year ago when he was looking into what products to buy for the program.

Hudson and Chadbourn who both live in the Conway area, who both decided to work together to get “stick time” in the pool, like University of Arkansas

— Little Rock has, where the pool opens up for canoes and kayaks.

“This opens all these individuals of the UCA community to potential membership and involvement in those clubs with equipment they rent from COPA,” Fillippino said.

The COPA program plans to offer more educational sessions in the upcoming months, including demonstration sessions about setting up tents.

Ten kayaks and 10 canoes

See Canoe - page 4

SPOTLIGHT

by Kendra Beattie

PEOPLE OF UCA Chelcie Dieterle

Opinion Editor

Many students come to college to figure out what type of job they want and choosing a major is generally the first step toward finding their passion.

For senior Chelcie Dieterle, an art history degree from UCA will only supplement a profession she began at 17 years old. Dieterle was a senior at Quitman High School when she started apprenticing at a Searcy tattoo shop. She received her license at 18 and has tattooed ever since.

“I started tattooing people before I even got my first tattoo,” Dieterle said. “Tattooing has been my constant...that’s all I want to do. I love it.”

Dieterle is 22 years old and has around 40 tattoos from various artists. She spent two months at UCA before getting a job at The Rusty Needle Tattoo on Harkrider Street in downtown Conway. She takes two days a week to catch up on homework, but balances most of the week between class and late-night inking.

photo by Makenzie Evans

Senior Chelcie Dieterle poses next to her sketches and art work at the Rusty Needle tattoo parlor.

“Tattooing people isn’t just another canvas,” Dieterle said.

“You have to be empathetic and keep in mind that you’re inflicting pain. But at the same

time, you have to focus on your art.”

Some might wonder why she attends college though she already has a career. Dieterle

photo by Lauren Swaim

Junior Kaylee DeWees draws a figure at the Black Box Gallery’s “Exquisite Corpse” event Feb. 12.

Black Box offers interactive game, printmaking display

by Kendra Beattie Opinion Editor

sees college as the next logical step in advancing her art. Her studies open up new influences, and she is fascinated by tattoo and body modification designs throughout history.

“You don’t want to plateau as an artist,” Dieterle said. “If you’re happy with where you’re at tattooing, then you should probably stop.”

Dieterle has been to 14 tattoo conventions across America, has met and been tattooed by her idols and frequently receives commissions from people who admire her work. She designs her own unique pieces, which she displays on Facebook, on Instagram or in the Rusty Needle Tattoo’s “Book of Flash.”

Sometimes, she even tattoos customers on the spot who have no idea what they want and who only provide her with loose descriptions.

In the future, Dieterle wants to visit international tattoo conventions and expand her work. She also wants to go to graduate school for art history.

No matter where she ends up, she hopes to never stop improving.

Schichtl Hall’s student-run Black Box Gallery held its first collaborative drawing game called “Exquisite Corpse” on Feb. 12.

The event also featured an “Exquisite Corpse” printmaking display by visiting assistant professor John Paul McCaughey, with contributions from assistant professor Sandra Luckett and junior Greg Beene.

“This is a game I’ve been playing with my family since I was 12 or 13,” Black Box co-director Addie Rule said.

“It was created by surrealists, and we’ve been playing it at our Christmases for years now.

I thought it would be fun to try here.”

Around 35 people attended the event and about 25 participated in the game. The three co-directors instructed the drawers to split into groups of three, to grab a folded sheet of paper and a pencil and to draw as crazy as they wanted.

The paper was folded into three segments so each person could draw either a head, torso or legs and feet of a body without

seeing what others had drawn before. All they saw were two lines marking where to begin the next piece.

“The point is to unfold the drawing at the end and see what kind of wild, distorted figure you’ve created,” Rule said.

At the end, each person had created one segment of a body in three different drawings. The works were tacked on the walls, and everyone walked around to see what the others had created.

Most varied in style, but several shared similarities. There were a number of fishnet-clad legs and nude groins, both male and female.

The staff contribution to the game, along with one student, was a print version of a body.

Beene, Luckett and McCaughey each etched a segment onto a copper plate, and McCaughey demonstrated how to make a print during the event.

“The copper plates are covered with what we call hard ground, which is then scratched away to reveal the image on the plate,” McCaughey said. “Then, we expose the plates to the acid

See Game - page 4

ucaecho.net

Q&A

CAMPUS LIFE

be, the aim of PhiRe. There is a hesitance to engage with what is conventionally accepted as philosophy (the ramblings of old, dead, European white guys) because it is seen as anarchic, in a sense, or that it is out to attack one’s most deeply held beliefs or values, to tear one away from a sense of order and stability.

My challenge, then, to the UCA student body is to accept a more inclusive understanding of philosophy, one that simply defines all those who brave the unknown and bask in the collection of new knowledge as philosophers in their own right.”

Entertainment Editor Senior Kirby Richardson from Arlington, Texas is the current PhiRe President.

As PhiRe president, what do you want to accomplish?

“First of all, I would like to say that, regardless of my title, the running of the club thus far has been incredibly dependent upon all three PhiRe officers working in tandem. I am hesitant to regard myself as being in a position of leadership. I simply see myself as the person who has stepped forward and said, I will take the responsibility if things go sour.

The actual planning, directing and execution of events is largely in the hands of the PhiRe officers and members as a whole and I am incredibly grateful for all of them.”

What are the club’s goals for the semester?

“I would love to illustrate to fellow UCA students that philosophy needn’t be strange, foreign, complicated or subversive to held beliefs. We have philosophies for all that we do in life – theories of how we should live, how we should think, how we should define a life of value, what constitutes ‘good’ work, etc.

Everything that we encounter requires some manner of analysis and reflection which helps us to grow and flourish. The Greek roots of philosophy are philo (love) and sophia (wisdom). To love wisdom, to bask in expanding one’s horizons, be it through sport, poetry, medicine or a myriad of other disciplines, is to be a philosopher. My goal is to help my peers to realize that we

Kirby Richardson

are all philosophers in one way or another.”

Where do you see the club going under your leadership?

“We have loosely determined that we want to focus on justice in its many forms. We want to challenge our members to think about the way justice is defined, the way justice is done, and see if there is a disconnect between definition and actualization. That being said, I am simply hoping that we can continue the great work that was done by the club last semester, being one of our most successful to date. I really want to get caught up in that momentum and help to perpetuate it so that PhiRe can continue to grow and inspire our peers to ask questions and think critically about all that they come into contact with.”

What is the connection between the student body and the PhiRe club?

“I think that breaking down the walls between philosophy/ religious studies as disciplines and the student body is, or should

What are the club’s main events for the semester?

“We just had our first public event and it went swimmingly. It was a panel on self-definition by way of relationships, romance and sex.

Next, we have three seminars on Zen Buddhism and karate led by our very own Assistant Professor and Humanities Director Nick Brasovan at 7 p.m. on Feb. 18, Feb. 25 and March 4 in the Student Center (specific room TBA). On March 3, the Philosophy department and the Honors College are co-sponsoring a talk given by Maggie Jackson, author of “Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age,” which is a phenomenal book. Two other ideas we have been throwing about are a debate on economic justice and an analysis of prominent philosophers’ theories of justice as portrayed in Disney films.”

What role does faculty play in the club and how does the faculty and the PhiRe club work together to make events happen?

“The support of the faculty in the Philosophy and Religious

February 18, 2015 /4

STUDENTS SAY

Philosophy-Religion (PhiRe) Club President Kirby Richardson

by Joe Kramer

Studies departments are absolutely crucial to our success as an organization. The aforementioned debate will most likely consist of two faculty from the departments presenting opposing viewpoints. We have collaborated with faculty to ensure that our members are aware of fantastic internship opportunities through the departments. Our panel was moderated by Philosophy Department chair Charles Harvey and several faculty members advocated for our event in their classes. They attend meetings and events, helping to spur things along if students are not asking questions or engaging with material. They really do, simply put, make things flow so much smoother, and I cannot thank them all enough.”

“

What do you think about the bill that would allow faculty and staff to carry their

licensed concealed weapons

”

on campus?

story by Audrey Roberts photos by Makenzie Evans

How much funding does PhiRe receive and how does that affect the club?

“We actually receive no [SGA] funding and, I believe, have not ever received funding since I have been a member (almost three years). Honestly, because most of our events are either student- or faculty-led discussions, we have little need for funding unless we decide to do something extravagant, which has been paid through donations and fundraising such as book sales in the past. Succinctly, I do not think that our lack of funding has had much of an impact on our ability to meet our goals in the slightest. Would it be nice if we had a budget to work with? Yes, of course, but we get along just fine without one. Also, our lack of a budget is expressly a result of our not requesting funding, which often seems like a hassle we do not want to deal with, especially because we rarely need funding.”

Junior Sydney Broyles

Sophomore Alyssa Eadys

“I feel like teachers are just as likely to shoot [people] as anyone else.”

“Absolutely not. I would feel unsafe. I’ve had some crazy professors and I wouldn’t want them to do that.”

Senior Christie Ernsbarger

Sophomore Dallas Forbes

“I think that it would be a good idea. They have the job to protect themselves and their students.”

“In the long run it would be helpful.”

Freshman Melvin Martinez

Junior Kimberlyn Fitts

“[It’s] really cool because I’m from the north and we don’t have anything like that. And you never know who’s gonna shoot someone.”

“I support it. I think of them as respectable individuals. It’s their duty to protect their classroom, and less people would be likely to break laws on campus.”

ADOPT A BLOCK

courtesy of Casey Aceituno

International students, including senior Sinaly Karamoko, from countries such as Japan, China, Niger and the Ivory Coast participate in Adopt A Block, a community initiative where students visti local neighborhoods, playing games and interacting with children to build relationships.

Common:

Speaker defines his

idea of a great person, encourages to always look up

McCaughey explains printmaking

process; next Black Box event will be salsa party featuring food, dancing

even when times get tough

4 Continued from page 3

4 Continued from page 3 God had given me to express to the world.”

Common defined greatness as excellence in all aspects of one’s humanity.

To him, a great man is a great friend, worker and listener and is, overall, great in each unique situation where he may find himself.

This is true, even if a situation puts one into a dark hole, such as the Chilean miners who were stuck in the San José Mine in 2010.

Common said he remembered watching the news when the miners finally

Game:

exited the mine after 69 days underground.

He said a journalist was interviewing one of the miners who insisted there were 34 people in the mine, instead of the actual number 33.

The man said God had been with them the whole time.

“Some of us have been in holes, and we all have holes that we will find ourselves in,” he said.

“And you may see flashes of the devil, but know that God is there with you, with you and inside you and around you, and that you will be able to get out of that hole.”

ferric chloride, which etches the drawing deeper.”

After the lines deepened, McCaughey covered each plate with a heavy coat of ink. He wiped away the ink, rubbed it in with a white cloth and went back over it with a phonebook page.

After each plate was treated, he placed the plates in order and covered them with paper. The printmaker is a hand-cranked roller that presses the image onto a piece of paper.

“The first print is usually weaker,” McCaughey said. “The second one collects more ink so the image is stronger.”

McCaughey did two prints

to demonstrate this effect. The process is the same except the plates are re-inked before pressing the image onto paper.

The groups created titles for each drawing, but few added their names. The co-directors created their own corpses before the show and filled in wall space with them afterward. The works will be on display through Feb. 24.

The next Black Box event will be a salsa party on Feb. 19.

Assistant professor Holly Laws will teach salsa dancing, and visitors are encouraged to make or bring salsa in addition to what will be provided.

Canoe:

COPA has several kayaks, maps, other outdoor equipment 4 Continued from page 3 sit on the equipment room shelves, and Fillippino said he hopes those shelves are bare.

If the program sees success, he will look into purchasing more equipment such as hammocks.

A 6-by-9-foot map of Arkansas hangs in the hallway adjacent to the COPA office, labeled with locations for canoeing, biking, hiking and other outdoor activities.

There are also binders

of information available for cross-reference that include directions, pictures and any rules or costs for the locations.

Chadbourn said he hopes that UCA students will get involved with the canoeing club.

He said trips posted on the Arkansas Canoe Club message board are openinvitation and students are welcome to join future outings.

Opinion

ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

5

The Voice

February 11, 2015

Optometry at UCA looks good on paper

Surrounding yourself with positive people soothes sadness

The Echo Staff Misti Hollenbaugh Editor

Laura Landers Associate Editor

Jared L. Holt News Editor

Peyton Olsen

Assistant News Editor

Morgan Embry Campus Life Editor

Andy Robertson

Sports Editor/Associate Online Editor

Mason Addison Executive Assistant

Joe Kramer

Entertainment Editor/Editorial Cartoonist

Kendra Beattie Opinion Editor

Austin DuVall

At some point in our lives, we’ve all felt some form In 2011, the American College Health Association– of depression. For some, it’s worse and more often than National College Health Assessment found that 30 others. percent of college students reported feeling so depressed Some people honestly can’t help it. It’s not their fault; that it was hard to function normally. their brains are chemically imbalanced.

Speaking from experience, I can tell you this is true.

No, this doesn’t make these people crazy, but the way College is hard. they process and deal with bad situations is harder.

It’s hard being away from home for the first time and One in every 10 people in America has been on your own and not having your high school friends diagnosed with clinical depression. More than 80 percent around all the time. We all learn to cope with things in of these people are not receiving any kind of treatment or different ways. help for this.

Some advice I would give to those of you who feel People may say, “I’m this way is first to remember so depressed” after a tragic that things aren’t as bad as situation, but that feeling they seem.

by Dylan McNiel only lasts for a short time Find yourself a good Staff Writer before people return to their group of friends or just one normal lives. person who will listen to you Not to say those feelings and be there for you, and might not be brought back when you feel this way, don’t again later, just not with the push them away. same intensity.

If you continue having People always confuse this problem or if it gets extreme sadness with depression, though the two are worse, a doctor or counselor could help. nowhere near the same thing.

Never let yourself feel like you’re crazy for being you, People who are depressed don’t just say it to say and remember you don’t have to feel that way. it; they’re struggling and just getting out of bed in the If you have problems with depression, there are morning is hard for them. many ways you can get help.

We are so quick to tell people to retain their actual This is not your fault, and you shouldn’t let it stop feelings so our own fun doesn’t stop. For them, the fun you from living your life. never really started.

Surround yourself with positive people. If they’re Some people might be better at hiding it than others, not positive, let them go; you don’t need to carry their but that doesn’t mean they aren’t dying on the inside. We negativity along with everything else. are all humans, and we all have emotions.

You can overcome these problems and be the best This is a fact, and it’s only natural. We shouldn’t you can. condemn anyone for being brave enough to show these Never refuse help or hold back how you feel from emotions and ask for help. anyone who’s going to help you. If they judge you, you That person already has so many things going on in didn’t need them anyway. his head. If he comes to you for help, always try your best Always remember there is someone who loves you and let him know you’re there. and wants to see you be happy and do great things.

Reduce, reuse, recycle: why reduction should command attention first

Online Editor

Makenzie Evans Photo Editor

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Comments or complaints about content of The Echo or in reference to anything on campus should be registered with the newspaper by letters or e-mail to the editors.

All letters must be limited to 300 words and include the author’s name and phone number. All letters may be published unless they are marked private.

Letters may be edited for style, clarity and length.

Editorials written in The Voice express the opinion of the newspaper and the editorial staff. Individual staff opinions are expressed in individual columns.

The Echo office is located in Stanley Russ Hall 124 Newsroom: 501-450-3446

ucaecho.net ucaechoonline@gmail.com ucaechoeditor@gmail.com David Keith, Adviser

Advertising Advertising: 499-9UCA (822) echonewspaperads@gmail.com Dallas Smith, Business Manager

The phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle” has been at the environmental movements’ forefront for years.

Resource conservation is emphasized through the phrase regarding to ecological concerns for the future of the planet and, therefore, humanity.

Recycling has received greater attention than reducing and reusing.

Recycling alone neither highlights the base issue, nor proposes preventative measures.

The exponential increase of material waste in our society should be addressed as a fault in mentality and our disregard for material possessions viewed in a larger context. First, we have to make reduction a priority.

“Reduce” begins the phrase because it is the first step toward a long-term, preventative approach.

We can recycle everything, but that does not account for ever-increasing product demand.

If consumerism remains stagnant, then this approach would work.

However, the reality is that we have fallen into unsustainable purchasing habits, often for no reason other than personal satisfaction.

The problem lies in many factors, and among them is displaced meaning pushed on us daily through corporate propaganda. Displaced meaning refers to our attention toward money and not what money represents.

Currency is merely a symbol for material goods and in it, we place higher value than possessions.

No longer do we focus on needs, but instead on how much we can afford to own.

This is reiterated daily through advertisements that push heightened consumerism as a status symbol.

Another misconception promoted through propaganda is that “new” and “clean” are synonymous terms. We often dispose of plastic containers and storage bags after one use instead of washing them.

We buy disposable cleaning wipes instead of wash

Have an opinion?

cloths or sponges to prevent accruement of germs.

We are swayed by on-the-go packaging such as individually bagged snacks and 24-packs of water.

Instead, we could reduce materials by investing in water purifiers and reusable bottles, as well as packaging our own snacks in reusable bags.

We are driven by aesthetics and are quick to disregard products that don’t meet those standards.

Slightly damaged goods are often thrown away instead of applying the rational approach that damaged does not always mean unusable.

A large societal issue impeding broader effort toward waste conservation is political stigmas.

Environmental awareness is pigeon-holed as liberal and separates many from hearing its rational side.

Sustainable manufacturing and conservation practices are stereotypes for hippies and egocentric New Age-types, who are regarded as jumping on a cultural bandwagon doused in patchouli.

What should be discussed is the great impact our consumption rate has on many facets of society. With as much as we produce, there is no reason that such an alarming rate of people are starving and are

by Kendra impoverished in our country.

Beattie There is plenty to go around, Opinion but the increase in manufacturing Editor costs leads to corporations taking the easy way out in order to amplify output.

This outsources jobs to other countries, diminishes supplies at a rapid rate and forces prices up.

These environmental issues have reason.

If you consider ever having children, just think of the position you are leaving them in. Think of the ideals you are reinforcing to them.

If nothing else, think of the people living now who are unable to comfortably survive because of our consumerist ideals.

It is understandable to want possessions and to reward yourself for your work, but consider that you can fall victim to those only concerned with maintaining their wealth.

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.

Expanding opportunities at UCA has been the focus of conversation among administration, faculty and students lately.

Current students want to expand campus life, faculty wants to increase educational options and the administration wants to make UCA more prominent in Arkansas.

Building an optometry school at UCA would help satisfy these desires by attracting more students to the biology department. It would increase opportunities for higher education not only at UCA, but also in Arkansas, as well as accrue revenue to aid other expansion goals. However, financing methods should be carefully considered so current and incoming students aren’t stuck with another reason to raise tuition.

Health care consulting group Tripp Umbach is already conducting a study to assess the possibility of building the new school. If the administration decides to do so, it would be a great step toward establishing our importance in Arkansas.

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Dean Stephen Addison said the only anticipated change to the university would be an increase in pre-optometry majors, of which we receive few. The problem with attracting these students is that there are no optometry schools in Arkansas, and pre-optometry students typically go to school out of state. Attracting these students and keeping them in Arkansas would be wonderful, but it is unlikely that it would be the only change to UCA. Unfortunately, building the school would be costly. Conducting the study to even contemplate the idea costs $30,000. While the long-term financial gain from incoming undergraduates and preoptometry graduate students will be beneficial, administration should consider all private funding options before raising tuition to cover the cost.

Not to assume that the university would fund the project solely or mostly through tuition, but it should definitely put forth as much effort as possible to not raise tuition and keep an open dialogue about its funding plans.

There are many yearly grant and award opportunities offered by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) that help colleges build optometry schools. Through these programs, corporations that employ optometrists, such as Wal-Mart, offer financial support.

This is just one option. There are also insurance companies and optometric equipment companies that offer similar aid.

Also, though it is unlikely to get much state funding, it would be worth a try to reach out to the state government for minor aid. It’s possible that the prospect of keeping optometrists in Arkansas would be alluring to state officials. States with optometry schools such as Oklahoma and Missouri report higher numbers of working optometrists than Arkansas, according to each state’s optometric associations.

Yes, we should do what we can to bring this opportunity to UCA and Arkansas. Yes, an optometry school would increase attendance, and therefore money, to UCA. But be cautious in funding such a big project, because tuition is still a factor for incoming freshmen and graduate students.

If the administration works with the biology department to assess private option funding, then we could potentially make money from this endeavor instead of holding students responsible through tuition increase.

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.

Financing methods should be carefully considered so current and incoming students aren’t stuck with higher tuition.

Entertainment

6

February 18, 2015

BOOK

Big message, little guy

New This Week Movies

by Audrey Roberts Staff Writer

Feb. 27­- Focus (R), directed by Glen Ficarra and John Requa, starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie Feb. 27 - Little Boy (PG-13), directed by Alejandro Monteverde, starring Kevin James and Emily Watson Feb. 27 - My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (NR), directed by Liv Corfixen, starring Live Corfixen and Ryan Gosling

Music Feb. 23 -Citizen Zombie - The Pop Group Feb. 24 - Dark Sky Paradise - Big Sean Feb. 24 - First Kiss - Kid Rock Feb. 24 - Just Kids - Mat Kearney Feb. 24 - Complicated Game - James McMurty Feb. 24 - Lost Isles - Oceans Ate Alaska

photo courtesy of filmoria.co.uk

Ryan Reynolds stars as a schizophrenic killer named Jerry in Marjane Satrapi’s most recent film “The Voices.”

Reynolds flourishes in morbid role

by Austin Duvall Online Editor

Books Feb. 24— Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne Fluke Feb. 24—The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery Feb. 24— Mightier Than the Sword by Jeffery Archer Feb. 24— The Lion’s Games by Nelson DeMille Feb. 24—The Heist by Daniel Silva Feb. 24— Effortless Healing by Joseph Mercola

Netflix Feb. 21 — Robocop (2014), directed by José Padiha, starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton.

Feb. 24 — Hawaii 5-0 Seasons 1-4 (2010-present), created by Leonard Freeman starring Alex O’Laughlin, Scott Caan and Daniel Dae Kim. Feb. 26 — Russell Brand: Messiah Complex (2013), written by Russell Brand and starring Russell Brand.

WEEKEND REVIEW ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’: B Directed by Matthew Vaughn ‘What We Do in the Shadows’: B+ Directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi ‘1971’: B Directed by Johanna Hamilton

Seventh Son’: CDirected by Sergei Bodrov ‘Timbuktu’: A Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako *All rankings and reviews by Entertainment Weekly

The first interaction I had with actor Ryan Reynolds was during mid-afternoon reruns of Van Wilder movies on Comedy Central. Reynolds, as Wilder, was self-assured, insightful, witty and good-looking.

The still-incredibly attractive actor returns to U.S. box offices pulling a 180, awkwardly strolling through a black comedy gold mine in a bright pink pair of coveralls.

Reynolds plays Jerry, a schizophrenic average Joe, in director Marjane Satrapi’s most recent work, “The Voices.”

Jerry, who works as a bathtub factory worker, still sees his courtappointed psychiatrist, but has purposefully ignored his antipsychotic prescription for some time, leaving him to the company of his cat Mr. Whiskers and his massive Boxer Bosco — both of which talk to him.

Mr. Whiskers begins degrading Jerry from the moment he comes home, staring intently and speaking through a furry Irish accent, spoken by Reynolds.

Reynolds also voices his redneck dog, who, as man’s best friend, greets his owner with love and reassurance that Jerry is a good man.

It’s weird enough seeing Reynolds do something dark, but it’s even weirder seeing him do it well. Reynolds is unapologetically creepy in Satrapi’s new horror-

Should Never Be Said Again

List compiled by Cody Morris

as a die-hard “American Psycho,” “The Cable Guy” and “Shaun of the Dead” fan, “The Voices” was right up my alley and didn’t disappoint.

I even got to see Anna Kendrick, who’s acting I enjoy to no end.

Still curious as to why Reynolds agreed to play such a new role for him, I did some research.

According to an interview between the actor and the Toronto Star, he sought out “The Voices.”

“I wasn’t asked to do it,” he said. “I chased it. There’s a thing in Hollywood called ‘The Blacklist,’ which is a list of all the great — supposedly unproduceable — screenplays. This was on it and I read it and I thought it was the most entertaining, unusual, dark and genre-bending script I had ever read. I had to do it.”

I watched “The Voices” again after I read the interview’s transcript and really noticed how passionate Reynolds seemed about playing Jerry.

Sure, the Van Wilder character was great, but Reynolds was young and you could see that wasn’t really him, or at least I could.

But here, for whatever reason I may not want to know, he flourished in such a morbidly delicious fashion that this movie has now taken a spot on my top black comedies list.

“The Voices” is now showing in selected theaters and through on demand services. The film is rated R for bloody violence and some language, including sexual references.

MUSIC

Drake’s album transcends previous works

by Joe Kramer Entertainment Editor The long-awaited Drake album “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” dropped Feb. 13.

Drake has always been known as a young gun that kills everything he is on. He has, over the years, been a powerhouse with other rappers, such as his mentor Lil’ Wayne, his crewmate Niki Minaj and the rest of Young Money. But he has truly outdone himself with his newest album.

Artists are often praised for their skill within their niches.

Artists who can transcend their niche are regarded as the daring.

That daring can either be received with open arms and relentless praise or metaphorically stabbed with a dagger in the heart of the artist’s career.

Drake merged industrial percussions with a flowing lyrical sound that mixes like

1. Bae

5 Words That

comedy.

Maybe it’s the neon-pink coveralls splattered with fresh blood. Maybe it’s him awkwardly hitting on the new British girl in accounting. Maybe it’s him chasing his supposed love interest through the damp woods behind a burger joint, stabbing and gutting her in the end.

Yes, that happens.

Throughout the film, Mr. Whisker’s words hit hard against Jerry’s delicate psyche and begin to make him question whether he truly is good or if he possibly liked taking someone’s life a little too much.

The severed head of his crush Fiona, played by Gemma Arterton, resides in his refrigerator for the rest of the film and offers advice, cheerfully suggesting that he bring her friends, as it gets pretty lonely lying next to bologna and curdling milk.

Jerry’s addiction to murder becomes increasingly difficult to ignore. As the film draws to a close, his actions take him to dark places where even Bosco — who stuck by his side when two of his co-worker’s heads sat smiling in the fridge — begins to question his master’s intentions.

I say “horror-comedy” earlier in this review, but aside from some mild gore, there’s really nothing scary about “The Voices,” unless creepy men who spout off Bible trivia while driving down a dark dirt road isn’t your cup of tea.

The film is mainly funny and,

Bae stands for “before anyone else” and is meant to be a pet name for one’s significant other.

It seems to be a pet name for other things, such as a white girl’s Starbucks, a car, food or anything one finds remotely enjoyable. Just like every other popular social media phrase, bae is extremely overused and taken out of context and applied to anything. For example: “OMG this McDonalds is so bae” or “He can’t be bae if he doesn’t like Taylor Swift because she is the ultimate bae.”

sugar in tea. With features such as Lil Wayne, Travi$ Scott and PARTYNEXTDOOR, there is plenty to love in this album.

“If You’re Reading This It’s Too

“Drake merged industrial percussions with a flowing lyrical sound that mixes like sugar in tea.”

Late” echoes Drake’s previous work. However, there is definitely a progression in his writing.

The lyrics are emotional as usual, but with a deeper and darker subject matter. They seem a lot less about women and champagne

2. Swag Swag is a term one uses to let others know how good they think they are dressed that day.

It is overused by douchebags in “Affliction” shirts and shorts that are sagged down so low they look like girl’s capris.It was popularized by rap culture and has since become a trademark for annoying people with low intelligence.

Typically, the word is used like, “Bro, I’m so swagged out bro.

Look at these Rock Revival Cargo shorts and this new Affliction shirt I just got bro. Swag.”

and more about Drake’s struggles as an artist.

But when it comes to the major difference, that is sound. The beats are new wave and definitely hit hard. His sound has melded from the old style Kanye synthesized singing to a sort of Chief Keef style lyrical progression.

This seems to be an ongoing trend with rappers this year, and I can’t help but love this progression.

It seems as though Drake is on the forefront of mainstream hiphop. There isn’t a much better spot you could hope to find yourself in if you were Drake right now.

These songs are not that complex in structure or theory at times, but they definitely hit hard on the subject matter, not to mention the beats themselves.

These songs are bound to win awards next year and I look forward to seeing what he can do in the future.

“If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” is on sale for $12.99 on iTunes and is on Spotify.

3. Fleek Fleek is apparently used to describe something that is good or “on point.” It seems to be used mostly to describe a girl’s eyebrows. Fleek has only been around for a few months, and I am already ready to cut the tongue out of the mouth of the next person I hear say it. I wish Vine would have kept the term.

Please just stick to “on point” or something along that line and stop making stupid people famous.

Internet sensation Kid President is out to win over America with a new venture.

Robby Novak, the charming 11-year-old star of SoulPancake’s television show “Kid President: Declaration of Awesome,” and his brother-in-law Brad Montague deliver heart-warming advice in their new book “Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome.”

The book is stuffed with “pep talks,” celebrity interviews and lists of ideas to help the world be an “awesomer” place.

Originally a family project on YouTube, Novak’s show, “Kid President: Declaration of Awesome,” has inspired millions of people around the world to celebrate life in a more child-like way. The show, which is geared toward children, ranks high in ratings for the adults, too. His simple, yet hilariously entertaining messages of hope and love transcend the generation gap.

“We can make every day better for each other,” Novak says in the book. “But if we’re all on the same team, let’s start acting like it. We got work to do. We can cry about it, or we can dance about it. We were made to be awesome. Let’s get out there.”

Novak, who suffers from a rare brittle-bone condition that makes broken bones a regular occurrence in his life, used his condition to inspire others.

The show and book use Novak’s

personal knowledge of adversity to emphasize the importance of doing rather than being and how children can respect diversity among their peers.

Novak’s creativity, bravery and chipper attitude make “Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome” one of the most inspiring books released in the new year. Novak often reminds people to “be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.” In the book, Novak also reminds America to grab a corndog, settle into a favorite comfy chair and pretend it’s your birthday.

In the most sweet, simple way possible, Novak inspires people to love each other by telling them to treat everyone like it’s his birthday. Innocent suggestions to love the world and the people in it sprinkle each bright page of “Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome.” In addition to uplifting messages, Novak and Montague share stories of child world-changers, an in-depth stepby-step guide to making almost every aspect of life a little more awesome and interviews with some of Novak’s closest celebrity friends, including Olivia Wilde and Josh Groban.

The book also features a special foreward by SoulPancake creator Rainn Wilson.

Novak’s show, “Kid President: Declaration of Awesome,” airs Saturday nights on the Hub Network. “Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome” is available on Amazon for $16.90 and at Hastings for $14.39.

FILM

photo courtesy of www.rogerebert.com

Doug Harris, played by Josh Gad, pays for a fake best man and seven groomsmen to achieve the perfect wedding for his fiancée Gretchen, played by Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, in “The Wedding Ringer.”

Dynamic duo busts guts in new romantic comedy

by Dylan McNiel Staff Writer

“The Wedding Ringer,” written and directed by Jeremy Garelick, hit theaters Jan. 16, bringing a journey of love and friendship.

This film tells the story of socially awkward businessman Doug Harris, played by Josh Gad, who is two weeks away from his wedding and has no best man. In fact, he doesn’t even have people to be his groomsmen.

With the big day just around the corner, Doug’s fiancée Gretchen, played by Kaley CuocoSweeting, is on a mission to make everything perfect, and Doug will do anything to make her happy, even tell a little lie. They go through the usual pre-wedding planning and when asked about names for his best man and groomsmen, Doug faints.

When he wakes up, the flamboyant wedding planner Edmundo, played by Ignacio Serricchio, refers him to the Best Man Services Inc. and hands him a business card. Worried about what he’s gotten himself into, Doug goes to the address on the card, which turns out to be an amusement park, where he then makes his way to the underground office.

Doug meets the head of the

4. YOLO YOLO is an acronym started by the rapper Drake which means “you only live once.” It is most often used by idiots to justify their stupid decisions. The word is primarily said by idiots to justify things such as jumping over a moving car for a YouTube video or ramping one’s bike off of a twostory balcony. Ironically, YOLO is usually said right before one does something that could easily cause the end to this one life he points out that he had to begin with.

operation, Jimmy, played by Kevin Hart.

Jimmy agrees to help Doug for a small $50,000 fee and explains that it’s strictly business.

After this, Jimmy begins the process of becoming the perfect best man for Doug, learning everything about him and even assuming a new identity as Bic Mitchum Army Priest. Along with a new best man, Jimmy also collects quite the motley crew to be his pretend groomsmen.

They all work to learn their new roles as the men Doug told his wife they were. They stage crazy photo shoots to make it look like they have been friends for a long time.

The strictly business policy Jimmy has tried to keep slowly turns into a bit of a bromance between him and Doug.

The pair will keep you laughing as you wait to see if they can pull it off. This movie contains some graphic content, so I would only recommend it for mature audiences. Other than that, it’s a funny movie and I definitely recommend going to check it out.

“The Wedding Ringer” is rated R for crude and sexual content, language, drug use and brief graphic nudity and is playing at Conway’s Cinemark Theatre.

5. Yaaaaasssss Yaaaaasssss is an exaggerated form of yes that one says when he is excited about the outcome of something. Just stare at this word for 10 seconds. If it doesn’t piss you off, then you have an abnormally large tolerance for stupidity. It’s just a complete over-exaggeration of a word that already exists for that purpose. If you want to show excitement and acceptance at the same time, then try containing it to one simple exclamation mark.

Sports

7

February 18, 2015

Week at a glance Tennis honors

Senior Kristina Horsikyan was named the Southland Conference’s Women’s Tennis Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 1-7. She won all of her matches that week. Her play helped the Bears to a 2-0 record after her doubles match with partner junior Bianca Strukelj against Arkansas State University.

Horsikyan and Strukelj won their doubles match without dropping a set, and Horsikyan won all but one game in her No. 3 singles match against Southeast Missouri State University’s freshman Anna Makhneva. She was the only Bear to win her singles match in straight sets, beating ASU’s sophomore Victoria Pisani 7--5, 6-2. The tennis matches against Harding University were canceled Feb. 16. The Bears go on a five-game road trip, starting at 1 p.m. Feb. 21 against Tyler Junior College.

Coach video series Following her hiring in January, volleyball coach Jeni Jones is featured on an interveiw series on ucasports.com. The series features her introductory press conference, player reactions and a “Meet Coach Jeni Jones” series. Jones takes over for former coach David McFatrich, who left for Mississippi State University a week prior to her

Coach Rushing wins 450th career game after victory

by Kelly Hays Staff Writer

UCA’s women’s basketball team lost a game on the road against the Northwestern State University Lady Demons but turned around and won its next game at home against the University of the Incarnate Word Lady Cardinals.

For the second time this season, the Sugar Bears (13-10, 6-5 Southland Conference) faced the Lady Demons (13-10, 8-4 SLC) on the road.

In the last meeting between the teams on Jan. 28 at the Farris Center, UCA beat Northwestern by 17 points.

The win sparked a three-game winning streak for the Sugar Bears until the Lady Demons snapped the streak Feb. 12, beating UCA by two with a 54-52 final score.

The Sugar Bears lost the game in the final seconds when NSU junior guard Janelle Perez drove to the basket, got fouled and sank two free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining.

There were 12 lead changes and seven ties in the game, with the Sugar Bears’ largest lead being four points with 6:14 left in the second half.

Coach Sandra Rushing said the team didn’t play well on the offensive end.

“We didn’t execute our offense,” Rushing said. “The lack of ball reversal and shot selection

Upcoming games Men’s Basketball

Saturday vs. Sam Houston State University. 4 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

Wednesday vs.

McNeese State University. 7 p.m.

Saturday vs. Sam Houston State University. 2 p.m.

Baseball

Friday vs. Eastern Illinois University.

4 p.m.

Saturday vs. University of Memphis. 4 p.m.

Sunday vs. Eastern Illinois University.

1 p.m.

Softball

Friday vs. University of Delaware. 6 p.m.

Saturday vs. University of Arkansas — Pine Bluff. 9 a.m.

Saturday vs. University of Delaware. 6 p.m.

Sunday vs. Western Illinois University.

11:15 a.m.

Sunday vs. University of Louisiana — Monroe.

1:30 p.m.

Tennis

Saturday at Tyler Junior College. 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Saurday at Oral Roberts University. 12 p.m.

Sunday at Midwestern State University. 2 p.m.

photo courtesy of ucasports.com

UCA coach Sandra Rushing celebrates her 450th career win at home after the Sugar Bears beat the Lady Cardinals 58-49 Feb. 15 at home. Sophomore guard Brianna Mullins and Maggie Proffitt led UCA in scoring with 15 points each. was different from when we played at home.”

Overall, UCA shot 38 percent from the field, 50 percent from beyond the arc and 83 percent from the free-throw line.

The Sugar Bears turned the ball over 14 times, and the Lady Demons capitalized on the turnovers, scoring 13 points off them.

UCA sophomore guard

Brianna Mullins led the Sugar Bears with 18 points, also adding five rebounds and a steal.

Junior guard Kendara Watts added 11 points, while junior guard Jameka Watkins brought in nine points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

For the Lady Demons, Perez had 19 points and three steals.

Junior guard Keisha Lee scored 10 points and had four assists,

while senior forward Presley Owens added nine.

After the loss against Northwestern, UCA returned to the Farris Center to play the UIW and won, giving Rushing her 450th career win.

Rushing was excited about the win and had a humble attitude toward her success, giving credit to her assistant coaches and players.

“Over the years, I have been

BLOCK

Bears drop second straight game after losing early nine-point lead

by Andy Robertson Sports Editor

After winning the season’s first game, the men’s basketball team lost two straight games, one against the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions and more recently against the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals.

The Bears (1-22, 1-11 Southland Conference) lost to SLU (8-16, 5-6 SLC) 83-58 on Feb. 10, in Hammond, Louisiana, shooting 51.1 percent from the field, while the Lions shot 63.6 percent.

UCA came home to play UIW on Feb. 15.

Despite missing two of their starters, the Cardinals (15-6, 7-4 SLC) beat the Bears 77-67.

UCA took a 2-0 lead on its opening possession against UIW on a layup by junior center Jake Zuilhof.

Freshman guard Thatch Unruh provided the assist on the play.

The Cardinals tied the game on a pair of free throws by junior guard Kyle Hittle.

The Bears went on a 9-1 run in two minutes and 29 seconds, bringing the score to 12-3 with 15 minutes and eight seconds left in the first half.

The nine-point lead was the largest UCA held during the game as the Cardinals stormed back,

photo by Corissa Calico

Junior center Jake Zuilhof attempts a free throw in the first half of the Bears 77-67 loss to the University of the Incarnate Word on Feb. 13. getting within one point with 7:34 left in the first half.

UIW took a 25-23 lead on its following possession on a 3-pointer by Hittle.

Freshman Jordan Howard said the team struggled making shots, which led to losing the nine-point lead.

“We didn’t make the shots we usually convert on,” he said.

The two teams traded leads

on the next couple of possession before the Cardinals went on a 7-2 run in two minutes and 20 seconds, giving UIW a 36-30 lead.

Closing out the half, neither team made a basket during the remaining two minutes and 45 seconds.

Cardinals senior guard Denzel Livingston led all scorers in the first half with 13 points on five of 10 shooting from the field.

He made all three of his attempted free throws.

Hittle finished the first half one point and two rebounds shy of a double-double.

UCA junior guard Mike Martin led the way for the Bears, scoring 11 points on three of five shooting from the field and making four of five shots from the free-throw line.

UIW outshot UCA by 13 percent in the first half.

The Cardinals took advantage of having the first possession of the second half when Livingston hit a jumper, bringing the score to 38-30.

The Bears went on a 6-0 run, making the score 38-36 with 16:28 left in the first half.

From that point, the Cardinals went on a 11-2 run in three minutes and 13 seconds, giving UIW a 49-38 lead.

UCA struggled the remainder of the half, closing the gap to six

See Drop - page 8

lucky to have great coaches and great players who have bought into the system,” Rushing said.

“My success is only as good as the people around me, and I have had a great cast this far. I hope for many more to come.”

Though UCA won the game against Incarnate Word (5-18, 2-10 SLC), Rushing said it wasn’t a pretty win.

“I was really happy with the win,” Rushing said. “We did not play our best basketball though, again the lack of offensive execution. We didn’t give up though, and we kept fighting.

Even though we didn’t have our offensive flow, we continued to fight.”

UCA student assistant Tyisha Amos also said that the team didn’t play its best basketball.

“The win was decent,” Amos said. “I do believe that the girls could have played better. It wasn’t the best performance of Sugar Bear basketball, but a win is a win.”

The Sugar Bears’ leading scorer, sophomore guard Maggie Proffitt, who played the game with a 101 degree fever, tied Mullins as one of the day’s top scorers at 15 points. Watts also added 10 points.

The win pushed the Bears one step closer to making the conference tournament. With six games left in conference play, UCA sits at No. 6 in the SLC and will play No. 7 McNeese State at 7 p.m.

Feb. 18 in the Farris Center.

WA L K

Baseball begins season 3-0, sweeps ULM tournament

by Joe Kramer

Entertainment Editor The UCA Bears opened the season with a perfect weekend, sweeping the series against the Grambling State University Tigers, the University of Louisiana — Monroe Warhawks and the Indiana State University Sycamores.

The UCA Bears (3-0) slapped together 13 hits, including a pair of home runs by junior infielder Logan Preston.

Preston hit a solo home run in a three-run sixth inning, then added a two-run shot in the seventh inning to give the Bears an 8-0 lead.

Junior first baseman Braxton Phillips went three for four from the leadoff spot, including a pair of walks. Junior pitcher Connor Gilmore (1-0) pitched six innings, giving up four hits, striking out two players and walking one.

The Bears’ offensive showing against ULM this weekend was impressive.

UCA had 15 hits, double figures for the second consecutive game, with Preston blasting his third home run in two days.

Phillips went three for five with three runs batted in and two runs scored.

Preston, junior outfielder Tyler Langley, senior infielder Nate Ferrell and junior infielder Chris Townsend all finished with two hits.

Junior pitcher Bo Stitch

relieved senior pitcher Josh Markel in the fifth and struck out six over three and two-thirds innings to earn the victory.

Junior Brandon Hagerla went seven solid innings, and the Bears won for the third consecutive game Sunday, beating ISU 8-5 at the Warhawk Classic at Warhawk Field.

Hagerla, a righty from Santa Rosa Community College, tossed seven innings, allowing six hits and three runs, and struck out two and walked none.

Junior pitcher Derek Beier pitched the final two innings, allowing three hits and two runs and striking out three as the Bears won the unofficial tournament title with a 3-0 record.

Phillips led the Bears at the plate, going two for four with three RBIs. The Bears got on an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first as senior outfielder Wesley Hoover singled up the middle and advanced to second when freshman infielder Jacob Richardson was hit by a pitch.

Ferrell walked to load the bases before Townsend’s fielder’s choice scored Hoover.

Senior catcher Charles Deckard then got a base hit to left to score Richardson for the 2-0 lead.

The Sycamores (2-1) got a leadoff solo home run in the

See Baseball - page 8

DOUBLE

Softball faces tough competition at 2015 Tiger Classic, falls to 6-5 on campaign

by Mason Addison Executive Assistant

The Bears softball team (6-5) competed in the Tiger Classic on Feb. 13-15 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, getting two wins and three losses in the tournament.

UCA beat Hofstra University 3-2 before losing to Louisiana State University 8-0.

The Bears notched another loss to the University of Notre Dame 4-1 and lost to Hofstra University 8-0.

The Bears beat the Mississippi Valley State University Devilettes (1-10) 11-2 in five innings Feb. 15.

In the top of the first inning, senior outfielder Omeshia Moffett popped up to freshmen shortstop Tori Seasor off a bunt.

Senior outfielder Natalia Covarrubias hit a fly ball out to left field.

Sophomore utility player Deja Talton stuck out swinging.

UCA went to bat in the bottom

of the first.

Junior outfielder Sam Forrest and sophomore outfielder Briana Whisenhunt scored off a double by junior utility player Sarah Bigej.

Bigej scored off of a single by sophomore outfielder Hannah Stirton.

The Bears ended the first inning with two scores by junior third basemen Lindsay Elliot and Stirton off of a double down the line by Seasor, making the score 5-0.

The top of the second started out with redshirt freshmen Ikeyia Alexander hitting a fly ball to center field.

Junior outfielder Tracey Williams struck out swinging.

Freshmen utility player Sharia Cormier hit a fly ball to center field.

Three outs later, UCA took to adding to its lead in the bottom of the second.

Forrest hit a home run out to right field, making the score 6-0.

Whisenhunt singled up the

middle and Bigej doubled down the right field line.

Whisenhunt scored on a wild pith, and Bigej advanced to third.

Bigej scored off a single by junior catcher Jessie Taylor.

Senior shortstop Hayley Parker pinch ran for Taylor.

Stirton hit a ground ball out to third base, and Parker advanced to second.

Elliot walked, and Seasor reached on a fielder’s choice.

Elliot got out at second base, while Parker advanced to third.

Parker scored off a single by senior first basemen Ashley Boswell, and Seasor advanced to second, making the score 9-0.

Junior outfielder Amy Gunnells hit a fly ball out to left field.

In the top of the third, freshmen catcher Brianna Johnson walked.

Senior utility player Brandi Williams also walked, sending Johnson to second base.

Junior outfielder Jahcenda Garrett struck out swinging.

Moffett singled to the pitcher, Johnson advanced to third and Williams advanced to second.

Johnson and Williams scored off of a double to center field by Covarrubias, making the score 9-2.

Talton struck out swinging, bringing the third to the bottom of the inning.

In the bottom of the third, Forrest walked.

Whisenhunt hit a fly ball out to right field.

Bigej popped up to second base.

Taylor reached on a fielder’s choice and Forrest got out at second base.

In the top of the fourth, Alexander grounded out to the short stop.

Williams struck out swinging and Cormier hit a fly ball out to right field.

In the bottom of the fourth, Stirton hit a fly ball out to left field and Elliot walked.

Seasor grounded out to the

short stop, and Elliot advanced to second base.

Sophomore utility player Tylor Dodson pinch hit for Ashley Boswell, and Dodson walked.

Freshmen outfielder Brianna McArthur pinch hit for Gunnels.

Dodson and Elliot scored off a double by McArthur, making the score 11-2.

Freshmen infielder Audrey Pratt pinch hit for Forrest and Pratt hit a fly ball out to right field.

In the top of the fifth, Johnson hit a fly ball out to center field, Williams fouled out to third base and Garrett struck out swinging.

“We finished really strong this weekend and I think that the momentum will carry into this coming weekend,” said Forrest.

The Bears won via run rule and will be back in action against the University of Arkansas–Pine Bluff Lady Lions at 5 p.m. tonight at home.

8/ February 18, 2015

SPORTS

ucaecho.net BASEBALL

DEUCE

Tennis continues hot start, improves Sabermetrics provide more efficient way to analyze player performance record to 5-0 after beating Salukis

by Misti Hollenbaugh Editor

The Bears maintained their perfect record, beating the Arkansas State University Red Wolves (1-4) 6-1 Feb. 9 and beating the Southern Illinois University Salukis (1-6) 5-2 Feb. 14, both at UCA’s tennis courts.

The two wins brought the Bears to a 5-0 record, but were the first two games UCA did not sweep.

Senior Kelsey Williams said the Bears played tougher teams than their previous opponents.

“We knew coming into it that it was most likely not going to be a sweep and that they were never going to just hand us the match,” she said.

Senior Allison Murphy said the tougher teams gave the Bears competition.

“But I still think we have been playing great,” she said.

Williams said all of the players had to give it their all.

“As a team, we can rely on one another to always give our best,” she said. “Especially seeing as four out of our eight players are seniors. Everyone wants to work hard so us seniors can have one big last season.”

The Bears took all three doubles matches against the Salukis, continuing their perfect record in doubles play for the year.

Junior Nataly Yoo and senior Cassidy Crawford defeated SIU senior Natasha Tomishima and sophomore Meagan Monaghan

photo by Corissa Calico

Senior Kelsey Williams serves in her 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 win over SIU sophomore Meagan Monaghan on Feb. 14 6-4 in the No. 1 match, pushing their record to 4-0 for the season.

Williams and Murphy won 6-2 against freshman Vitoria Beirao and sophomore Polina Dozortseva in the No. 2 match, bringing their record to 5-0 for the season.

Senior Kristina Horsikyan and junior Bianca Strukelj defeated SIU senior Ariadna Cairo Baza and freshman Yana Golovkina 6-2 in the No. 3 match, moving to 4-0 for the season.

UCA and SIU split the first four singles matches, leaving

matches 1 and 2 to decide the match.

Horsikyan defeated freshman Athena Chrysanthou 6-3, 6-1, moving to 4-0 for the year.

Murphy defeated Baza 6-1, 6-2, moving to 5-0 for the season.

SIU answered with a 6-3, 6-1 win from senior Gisela Cairo Baza against Crawford, then Golovkina beat Strukelj 6-1, 6-1.

After each being forced to three sets, Yoo and Williams both picked up a win to secure the Bears’ victory.

Yoo dropped the first set before coming back to defeat Tomishima 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the No. 1 match, pushing her record to 4-0 for the season.

After winning the first set, Williams lost the second one before coming back to claim the third, beating Monaghan 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 in the No. 2 match and moving to 5-0 for the year.

The team now faces a month of road games.

“We haven’t played any games on the road so it will be interesting to see if we can keep a perfect record on the road,” Williams said.

“I think every game we play we go into it thinking it will be a tough opponent because you never no whether they are going to be on their game or off it.”

Murphy said the team would play a lot of points and practice matches to get prepared.

The Bears will start their road games in Ruston, Louisiana, facing Tyler Junior College at 1 p.m. Feb. 21 and Louisiana Tech at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 22.

HITS

by Andy Robertson Sports Editor

The way sports teams scout athletes is always changing, but baseball is changing more than any other sport from a statistical standpoint.

It could be argued that Michael Lewis’ book “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game” paved the way for a new way to analyze and scout players.

Based on Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics early 2000s teams, the book focuses on how the team found success despite having one of the lower budgets in the game.

It tells the story of how the team stopped stealing bases, tried to get on base more and found different ways to create runs.

Because of the team’s success, a plethora of new statistics soon rolled in, providing teams across the MLB new ways to build rosters.

These new stats are called sabermetrics, coined by Bill James, Boston Red Sox senior adviser on baseball operations.

Sabermetrics provide a more scientific way to look at players’ value, as opposed to the old stats, such as batting average, earned run average (ERA) and win/loss records.

Batting average and ERA are OK stats to evaluate players, but they are not as good as the sabermetric stats, whereas judging a pitcher’s win/loss record is a horrible way to evaluate a pitcher because a game’s outcome doesn’t fully rely on his performance.

Judging a pitcher by his win/loss record shows a pitcher can have a 20-11 record. Twenty wins in baseball is a “good stat,” but what if the pitcher has a 4.12 ERA?

Junior outfielder plans to continue WINTER BALL school in Tulsa after graduation

by Mason Addison Executive Assistant

Junior outfielder Sam Forrest came to UCA from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where she has been a Bear for three years.

“I grew up in Broken A r r o w , Ok l a h o m a , and went to Broken Arrow High School,” Sam Forrest Forrest said.

Starting softball at a young age, Forrest has always been a softball player, never playing anything else with the same competitive spirit.

“I started playing softball at age 4,” she said. “I never played any other sport competitively and my focus has always been on softball.”

She succeeded in high school, getting not one, but two state championships.

“My best memory of high

school is winning the state championship both my freshman and sophomore years,” Forrest said.

Going to UCA wasn’t her dream growing up, though.

She wanted to be a University of Missouri Tiger, Oklahoma State University Cowgirl or an Oklahoma University Sooner.

“My dream schools growing up were Mizzou, Oklahoma State and OU,” she said. “I wanted to stay somewhat close to home.”

When she came to a UCA camp, she loved the campus.

“I was originally committed to Wichita State, but stuff fell through and I ended up coming to a UCA camp,” Forrest said. “I immediately fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere.”

She chose to be a Bear because of the coaches, the faculty and the university’s overall welcoming atmosphere.

“I chose UCA because of the amazing connection I made with not only the coaches, but the faculty, too,” she said. “Everyone

was so welcoming here at UCA and it was like home away from home.”

Forrest wants to finish her business management degree at UCA before returning close to her hometown and attending the University of Oklahoma—Tulsa to get a degree in physical therapy.

“I eventually want to own my own physical therapy place,” she said.

In 2013, Forrest started and played in all 58 games.

She had a .387 batting average, which led UCA and was fourth in the Southland Conference.

She led the team with 44 runs, which was third best in the SLC. In 2014, she started and played in all 57 games and had a .338 batting average.

She had 198 at-bats with 67 hits and 41 runs.

She also had 43 RBIs and had a .571 slugging percentage.

Forrest and the rest of the UCA Bear softball team will be back in action at 5 p.m. tonight against the University of Arkansas—Pine Bluff Lady Lions.

This shows the offense scored a lot of runs on days the pitcher started, but he also gave up a lot of runs, which is not good.

I would rather have a guy with a 2.93 ERA and a 13-12 record, because that means he pitched well enough to get a win, but his team didn’t score enough runs or the bullpen blew the game.

I’m not saying losing 12 games is great, but a pitcher is not likely to get the same amount of run support every game.

This is where fielding independent pitching (FIP) comes in.

Fielding independent pitching does not rely on the defense’s fielding ability.

The formula for FIP is ((13 times the number of home runs) plus (three times (walks plus hit by pitch)) minus (two times strikeouts)) divided by innings pitched plus constant.

I’ll use a constant of 3.10 and use UCA junior pitcher Connor Gilmore to calculate his FIP as an example.

Last season, Gilmore finished with a 2.98 ERA and 102.2 innings pitched. He gave up four home

photo by Andy Robertson

Due to inclement weather, the Bears game against the University of Arkansas—Little Rock Trojans on Feb. 17 was postponed.

Baseball:

Bears beat Sycamores 8-5 to close out three-game

series in Monroe, Louisiana 4 Continued from page 7

Drop:

UIW Cardinals hand men’s basketball season’s 21st loss; Bears look for rebound against Sam Houston State University 4 Continued from page 7 points with two minutes and 42 seconds left in the game.

The Bears couldn’t break through the UIW defense, failing to capture the lead and losing 77-67.

UCA shot better from the field in the second half, making 42.9 percent of its shots, while the Cardinals made 50 percent.

Unruh said the team had several good looks, but couldn’t get the shots to fall.

“We got a lot of good looks and that was because we moved the ball,” he said. “We move it, we always get a good shot. We just didn’t shoot as good as I know we can and usually do.”

Howard led the Bears in scoring with 13 points on five of 11 shooting.

He went three for four behind the 3-point arc.

Howard finished the game leading UCA in scoring with 17 points.

Martin finished with 15, and freshman forward Boo Milligan scored 11.

Zuilhof finished two points shy of a double-double, scoring eight points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

For UIW, Livingston continued his strong first half play, scoring 18 points.

Spring Training

runs, walked 40 batters, hit eight and struck out 53.

Using the FIP formula, Gilmore gave up about 3.98 earned runs per game, but defense and good luck helped his ERA. That’s not to say Gilmore wasn’t a solid player last season, but he didn’t have as good a season as his ERA shows.

However, he is due for progression this season.

Batting average of balls batted in play (BABIP), wins above replacement (WAR) and weighted runs created (wRC) are better stats to judge a player.

At the collegiate level, WAR isn’t as important as it is at the major league level because it’s hard to justify who is an average player because of lineup changes.

According to fangraphs.com, BABIP measures how often a ball in play goes for a hit in fair territory.

One of the more important stats to measure offensively is wRC because it calculates a player’s offensive value and measures it by runs.

Watching the UCA baseball team over the past few seasons, I have noticed the team uses some sabermetric strategies, which has helped.

The team has reached backto-back Southland Championship games.

It helps the team get on base, which helps tremendously because it puts players in position to score more easily.

The team’s strength is wearing out the opposing pitcher by taking so many walks.

Traditional baseball purists may stick with old stats, which is fine, but the way the game is changing, those stats might not be around forever.

UCA vs. Incarnate Word February 13, 2015 Farris Center

15-6, 7-4 SLC

1-22, 1-11 SLC 67

Score

77

40

Field Goals %

50

38.1

3FG%

31.3

83.3

FT%

78.3

32

Rebounds

33

8

Offensive

7

24

Defensive

26

9

Turnovers

5

4

Blocks

3

3

Steals

7

Assists

12

15

He finished the game with 31 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.

Hittle scored 17 points in the game and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Freshman forward Traylin Farris joined Livingston and Hittle in double figures, scoring 16 points. He also had six rebounds.

The Bears struggled in the

paint defensively, giving up 38 points in the paint to the Cardinals.

Following a trip to Natchitoches, Louisiana to face the Northwestern State University Demons on Feb. 6, UCA returns the Farris Center at 4 p.m. Feb. 21 to face the Sam Houston State University Bearkats at 1 p.m.

second from designated hitter Hunter Owen to make it 2-1.

Preston drew a one-out walk, and James Lacy reached on a throwing error by the ISU third baseman.

Langley’s infield single brought in Preston, and Phillips followed with a two-run double to the wall to make it 5-1.

In the bottom of the eighth, Richardson singled, stole second and scored on a bloop double by Townsend that fell in front of the ISU centerfielder and just over the second baseman to make it 8-5.

Beier then got a pair of ground balls back to the mound and a strikeout to end the game.

Senior outfielder Nick Rougeau was excited to get back out on the field this weekend and was proud of the team.

“The most important thing I feel like we accomplished this weekend was playing as a team for the first time against another opponent,” he said.

This weekend’s pitching impressed Deckard, a senior from Blue Ridge, Texas.

“I think all of our pitchers, both old and new, just keep getting better and better,” he said.

“They’re down in the bullpen doing drills and working hard every day, and I’m confident that we have a bunch of solid arms that are helping us win some games this year.”

Defense was a key for the Bears to return home with a set of wins under their belt.

UCA vs. Indiana State February 15, 2015 Warhawk Field

3-0, 0-0 SLC 8

2-1, 0-0 MVC Runs

5

8

Hits

9

6

Singles

6

2

Doubles

1

0

Triples

0

2

Stolen Bases

0

0

Caught Stealing

0

5

Walks

1

Pitching 0

Strike outs

4

4

Earned runs

7

1

Errors

1

Townsend said once the defense is solid, the rest comes together.

“I feel that our defense is really solid,” he said. “Every day, Coach [Allen Gum] tells us to cover the field like the morning dew, and we go after it every game. Our pitching was strong for us, as well.

We have a lot of new faces, but these guys go out and compete, which gives us a chance to win.”

Even with the Bears’ impressive weekend, Langley said Gum is preaching the “one game at a time” strategy, hoping to keep

the player’s heads in focus.

“The main thing Coach Gum is preaching to us this year is to just stay within the system and stick to the process,” Langley said.

“Baseball is a marathon and not a sprint.”

The Bears start a weekend series at 4 p.m. Friday at home against the Eastern Illinois Panthers. On Saturday, UCA hosts the University of Memphis Tigers at 4 p.m. and finishes up the series Sunday against the Panthers at 1 p.m.