The Herald - Special Edition 4/26

TheHer ald w w w. a s t ate h e ra l d. co m

Special Edition

INFORMING THE CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1921 Volume 96, Issue 23

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017

TLIGHT ON CAMPUS CLIMATE

Campus climate WHAT’S INSIDE has become something of a hot-button issue at colleges and universities 2A • Whitlock talks nationwide. From student life improvements to the changing the rape culture crisis, many campus climate institutions have refocused efforts to improve the overall 2A • Fighting back culture of their campuses to reflect against rape culture the modern students’ needs.

Arkansas State University is no 3A • Whitlock, Cont. stranger to triumphs and challenges on 4A • Students Speak: the student life front. Several reported sexual assaults, racial insensitivities and Campus Climate instances of violence on campus were reported during the fall and spring terms, raising questions about accountability and 1B • Sports action within the university.

2B • News, Interim Chancellor Doug Whitlock took action to address these questions, creating the Campus Crime A-State Campus Climate Council. Inspired 3B • News, by a similar national initiative by the Campus Climate Network Group, the council aims to Horoscopes address behaviors within the A-State community, 4B • Photo ranging from subtle to cumulative to dramatic, that can influence whether individuals feel personally safe, listened to, valued, treated fairly and with respect.

Within this special edition, The Herald’s editorial staff has considered several key elements which have a significant influence on campus climate at the university and analyzed the efforts that are being made to improve student life.

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INFORMING THE CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1921 PAGE 2A

Volume 96, Issue 23

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017

Whitlock talks Campus Climate,

DESTINI LATTIMORE & OLIVIA RIZZARDI NEWS EDITOR & OPINION EDITOR

Interim Chancellor Doug Whitlock is currently working with members of the A-State community to make the university a more inclusive campus.

In a letter sent to the A-State community, Whitlock addressed several issues that led him to begin the formation of a Campus Climate Council (CCC). The idea was originally proposed to him by Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Lori Winn and Assistant Vice Chancellor of Diversity Maurice Gipson.

Whitlock cited an instance of racial insensitivity that occurred in the fall 2016 semester as one of the events that led to the formation of the council.

Last semester, three members of Alpha Gamma Delta were photographed wearing T-shirts meant to depict President Trump’s border wall. The photo was originally captioned “Build that GAM wall.”

The photo received criticism toward both the women pictured and their sorority. Alpha Gamma Delta issued a statement that said the organization in no way endorses any candidate, but does support their members’ rights to free speech.

Several students on campus expressed that the photo angered them, referencing Trump’s campaign promises that made many international students feel unsafe. Responses from the campus community included the social media campaign “#IAmAState” and an open letter sent to the university asking for them to take the matter seriously.

The open letter written by three student activists was addressed to Chancellor Whitlock.

“While we are aware that this issue has been addressed privately, this seems to follow a pattern of situations like this being handled discreetly, or worse, being overlooked,” the students wrote. The three

“A college or university must be a place that celebrates diversity,” — Doug Whitlock, Interim Chancellor

stated the situation violates A-State’s sense of diversity and inclusion.

Greek Life has risen to a prominent position at A-State. Approximately 41 percent of students enrolled at the university are affiliated with a Greek organization.

According to Rick Stripling, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, the positives of these groups “far outweigh” the negatives when it comes to Greek Life.

“Greek Life is a valued cornerstone of student life at Arkansas State University,” Stripling said.

Stripling also noted that Greek students lead various campus organizations and also participate in community service.

The Alpha Gamma Delta incident was one of several precipitating incidents that led to extreme actions by the A-State officials.

In the early weeks of the spring semester, several high-profile incidents were reported to student conduct, including two incidents of violence at registered events in February.

The first was an alleged rape at Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity house, which is said to have occurred in the early morning hours of Feb. 10.

According to a University Police report, 19-year-old James Key Chambless, a member of AGR, was arrested Feb. 16 after voluntarily submitting to questioning at UPD in connection to the assault.

The victim, a 19-year-old A-State student alleged that Chambless

strangled her until she partially lost consciousness. During this time, the victim alleges that Chambless restrained her legs and forcibly assaulted her.

While in custody, Chambless admitted to having what he considered consensual sex with the victim.

Chambless, whose court date is pending, was released Feb. 18, the same day another violent attack occurred.

University Police officers were dispatched to the Kappa Alpha fraternity house in reference to an assault that had already occurred.

Bradway reported that two females has engaged in a physical altercation and one hit another over the head with a glass bottle.

Because of the frequency of reported incidents, A-State officials placed a temporary social ban on all Greek Life events to conduct educational training about social function management, alcohol use and misuse, student conduct, Title IX, bystander intervention and the Silent Witness Program.

These incidents, in part, led to the creation of the campus climate initiative by Whitlock.

In a Feb. 9 email, Whitlock addressed several incidents that have had a negative impact on campus climate in the last year. Whitlock mentioned several key points of concern, including diversity and inclusion.

“This is important to me for a number of reasons,” Whitlock wrote. “Above all is my conviction that a college or university must be a place that celebrates diversity and recognizes that a respectful, civil climate is not only the right thing to do morally, but also the smart thing to do educationally.”

A poll conducted by The Herald surveyed whether the social events ban on fraternities and sororities was fair. The poll received more than 440 responses. Of those, 392 or 88.3 percent, disagreed with the ban.

Some began posting on social media using the hashtag “ThisIsGreekLife” to show the positive side of the organizations.

Students, faculty work together to fight rape culture KIRSTEN LARRISON #LIFE EDITOR

One of the most talked about subjects on campus this past year has been rape and sexual assault. At least two sexual assaults have been reported on campus this semester, and three sexual assaults were reported last semester. However, there are forces on campus who are trying to help survivors of sexual assault and prevent incidents from happening in the first place.

One such force is Chocoletta Simpson, who has been the Title IX Affirmative Action Coordinator since February 2016. She recognizes that the rate of reported sexual assaults on the A-State campus seems to be consistent over the past few years, though this year seems to have more reports than normal.

“I can think of it two different ways,” Simpson said. “I’m thinking that we’re missing something in our education efforts, and we don’t know what’s appropriate and what’s not, so it’s happening more.”

However, there are two ways to look at the increase. Simpson prefers to think of it in the “glass half-full” way.

“I can think that because rape and assault are under-reported anyway, we are educating our students and they know what it means now and are comfortable with reporting it,” Simpson said.

“I would like to think that the positive correlation between our activism and the increase of reports have to do with each other, but I can’t say that for sure,” Braelen Hunt, a well-known activist on campus, said.

Hunt, a sophomore dietetics major of Bergman, became involved in the sexual assault awareness cause last semester when she read a warning posted on her residence hall’s door.

“We had a sexual assault on campus and the protocol is to provide a sexual assault warning sign for all the residence halls,” Hunt said. “It goes on the Union, it goes on the doors of the residence halls, and I read the sign. It was extremely victim-blaming, outdated and inappropriate.”

She posted a picture of the sign on Facebook and it received almost 200 shares.

“We had a rape culture campaign at the arch,” Hunt said. “Tons of people came. We took pictures, people held signs –– we just informed people. These are the statistics. This is the culture we live in.

It’s important just to be aware that we are immersed in a culture where people think that you could possibly do something to keep yourself from being raped.”

At the campaign, Hunt, Madison Hollister, junior health studies major of Jonesboro, and Reagan Williams, junior political science and Spanish double major of Jonesboro, handed out surveys regarding how students felt on campus. They found that male participants were not comfortable reporting sexual assault to UPD, though statistically one in sixteen males will be assaulted on college campuses. Hunt then went to the chancellor with a proposal.

“I had a list of short-term goals and a list of long-term goals,” Hunt

said. “One of the short-term goals was to change the warning sign. I came in and said ‘I respect you, I want to work with you to make it better.’ That was a great preface to use, because it made working with everyone a lot easier knowing that I wasn’t trying to make them look bad or attack them.”

The new warning sign, composed by a combination of Hunt, Title IX, Women and Gender Studies and UPD, urges people to be aware of consent and personal accountability, instead of providing tips on how to avoid getting raped. Another advance made by Hunt’s proposal includes parking passes for student employees who work on campus at night.

Simpson and Hunt teamed up April 10-14 to honor Sexual Assault Awareness Week, where they hosted a table in the Student Union.

“We had these people come spin the wheel for sexual assault statistics,” Hunt said. “We asked whether they were true or false. One of them was ‘only two to ten percent of reported sexual assault is false.’

One person said ‘oh, that’s false,’ but it’s not. It’s true. People are very receptive when you give them information. They naturally want to learn. Promoting conversation between peers is crucial in ending rape culture as a whole.”

Simpson said, “It’s so funny because the older I get, the more I

EMMA WILLIAMS | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF sound like the grown-ups I used to see and hear. For students, I think it is so important that you know. Participate in the training, take it seriously, get the information you need, because when this does happen to you or a friend, you need to know what you can do about it. You need to know how to be a bystander.”

Hunt explained further, elaborating the importance of the bystander.

“Bystander intervention is the biggest thing,” Hunt said. “If you see someone in a situation that you think they’re uncomfortable in, there is no harm in going up and saying ‘do you want me to help you get out of this situation, would you like to leave?’ and give them options. Like, ‘hey, are you comfortable?’ And they can say ‘no, I’m not,’ or if they say ‘yeah, I’m fine,’ but they’re obviously not comfortable, give them options.”

Ultimately, according to Hunt, education remains the most important aspect of sexual assault awareness.

“People want to intervene, but they don’t know how. It’s not that people are horrible and watch and say ‘wow, that sucks,’ and don’t do anything about it. You may not know if it’s your place, but it is always your place. Even just standing by them and not letting them be alone with whoever is important.”

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Greek Life, diversity growth

Ultimately, university officials were adamant that the ban would provide adequate time for risk-reduction education for all members of A-State’s Greek community, and Greek Life was allowed to return to active status on April 1.

“The episode last year with the Alpha Gams and the shirts about the wall, that’s kind of the conundrum that we find ourselves in on a campus,” Whitlock said. “On one hand, what those ladies did was clearly protected speech, but on the other hand it did reflect, in the views of many, cultural insensitivity.”

Whitlock said the population at Arkansas State is very diverse and, as that diversity increases, it’s incumbent to maintain a comfortable environment for all students.

According to Whitlock, an increase in diversity could serve as a valuable educational opportunity for the campus community.

A-State’s student population is 74 percent white. Minorities make up only 26 percent of the student body.

The purpose of the CCC is to identify any issues that impact campus climate and provide recommendations for appropriate responses.

“The CCC will serve as a university-wide resource that provides strategies for addressing issues affecting campus climate,” the interim chancellor said.

Other primary responsibilities of the council will include sponsoring educational and informational projects, supporting individuals who have been affected by an incident, collecting data regarding incidents on campus and building awareness, among other duties.

To ensure that the committee is a collective voice of various student representatives, a member of the following organizations will be asked to participate in the CCC: Student Government Association, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Office of Student Conduct, Campus Police, IFC, NPC or NPHC, Gay-Straight Alliance, Muslim Student Association, HOLA, BSA, Office Global Initiatives, a Christian-based organization, Office of Disability Services, Athletics, Women and Gender Studies and Residence Life. All student ap-

pointments are for one year.

Individuals in the CCC will be asked to create subcommittees that research and address issues that may affect campus climate.

The council will be under the direction of Winn and Gipson.

Whitlock said the council has not had its first meeting yet, but the first meeting will likely occur during the summer.

He also said the council will not be responsible for finding guilt or issuing punishments for guilty parties.

“The climate council is not going to be something that finds guilt and meets out sanctions,” Whitlock said. “It’s going to be an educational, consensus-building group.”

The longevity of the CCC has yet to be determined. It may only be a permanent fixture as long as it is deemed a necessary asset.

“You can’t assume that anything is going to be permanent,” Whitlock said. “I guess it would be conceivable that this climate council could do its job so well that it could get to the point that it wouldn’t be necessary.”

Rape culture is also a problem the council will address and the pattern of victim-blaming that has occurred on campus.

“This whole issue of what a number of people have categorized as ‘rape culture’ is something the climate council can work on ameliorating,” he said. “What I’ve seen in my time here is a tendency of some people, in instances of sexual assault, to blame the victim and further victimize the victim.”

The CCC also will be responsible for creating an inventory of campus climate data.

“They will develop a survey instrument designed to measure the campus climate attitudinally on a variety of things,” he said. “That survey will show areas that might need attention.”

The survey will be administered to A-State students periodically. Whitlock said his previous university had a body that assessed the campus

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climate throughout the year so this is something he is familiar with.

His goal, as he closes out his time at A-State, is to make the campus a place where students can freely express themselves.

“This is important to me for a number of reasons,” Whitlock said.

“Above all is my conviction that a college or university must be a place that celebrates diversity and recognizes that a respectful, civil climate is not only the right thing to do morally, but also the smart thing to do educationally.”

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017

Students Speak: Campus Climate SAM MEURER

OPINION COLUMNIST

Coming to college, you have it built up in your mind that you will be integrated into everything your campus has to offer. With a plethora of clubs, organizations, and groups to be a part of, the very thought of being involved is captivating and intriguing.

Although your high school most likely offered these same amenities, you’re now introduced to individuals from all walks of life to experience your days with. I fully believe the diversity, inclusion, and educational opportunities students experience while on this campus will influence their overall perspective, not only on Arkansas

State University, but every single individual they come into contact with in their life.

This diversity and inclusion at our university can be categorized by one simple term: campus climate. Pennsylvania State University professor Susan Rankin defines campus climate as “the current attitudes, behaviors, and standards of faculty, staff, administrators, and students concerning the level of respect for individual needs, abilities, and potential.”

To me, this definition envelops a broad range of ideas concerning universities in all countries alike. College is meant to be a place of true expression, to find your way in a tortuous world. When this idea becomes

REAGAN WILLIAMS OPINION COLUMNSIT

Campus climate is a phrase that has sparked a lot of debate recently on Arkansas State’s campus, especially in light of the Chancellor’s proposed Campus Climate Council.

The automated email sent out on Feb. 9 came at a time when racial and ideological tensions were rising. However, to an average white, cisgender student, the message may have seemed unprompted -- that is, the campus climate may seem fine. Because the resistance on our campus mostly happened at the administrative level, many students are probably unaware of the increasing threat our minority students face. Unfortunately, we need to update our campus climate on the administrative and personal levels.

Interim Chancellor Whitlock defined campus climate as “behaviors within a workplace or learning environment, ranging from subtle to cumulative to dramatic, that can influence whether an individual feels personally safe, listened to, valued, and treated fairly and with respect.” This definition reveals a few important aspects of inclusivity at institutions of higher education.

Mainly, the effects may be subtle, cumulative, or dramatic. This is an important point

Reagan Williams of Jonesboro is a junior political science and Spanish double major. for many privileged students to understand.

Far too often, majority parties expect minorities to provide them with “perfect” examples of racism or injustice.

That is, they expect the motive of the perpetrator to be clearly stated, the injustice to be dramatic enough to meet the standards of what they think would offend them if the tables were turned, and the person pointing out the injustice to be calm, patient, and understanding of “both sides.”

Such examples rarely occur, so what ends up resulting is a divided group of students, each with their own interpretation of an event in which they were not personally involved.

The campus climate at Arkansas State is plagued by this stagnation. Many minority

constricted and one-sided, students miss out on two of the most beautiful aspects of life: acceptance and open-mindedness.

Although I have only been attending A-State for a year, I have no doubt that our campus is inclusive for all on equal levels, and works to improve our campus climate constantly. As stated previously, there are many organizations and clubs to be a part of on campus -- over 150 registered student organizations to be exact.

These RSOs seek to provide students with the utmost respect and inclusion, while also working together to provide experiences for students to interconnect with other organizations,

and offer programs and activities that all students can participate in. As a member of multiple organizations on campus, I’m thankful I get to experience this firsthand. I am happy to be involved, but I am even happier to provide outreach and get others alike and unlike me involved.

Many professors and staff members on campus are vocal about being LGBTQ+ friendly, making sure these students know they can always have a safe zone and friend to talk to about issues, questions, or concerns regarding themselves or their campus life.

The Multicultural Center promotes diversity education and cultural competence throughout our university. I

A-State students point out the polarizing political views of other students as a point of exclusion. For example, during the 2016 election cycle, the Arkansas Young Democrats asked students to write why they were supporting their chosen candidate on Post-It notes -- one student wrote “Merica! The Wall! White Power! Trump 2k16!” The altright expressions of “white power” are especially disturbing in anonymous forums -minority students have no idea who posted this comment.

The 2016 election was a tense race nationwide, because unfortunately, one of the candidates represented a type of conservatism we haven’t publicly and honestly seen in awhile; the shift from colorblind racist antics to outright prejudice came as a shock to many Americans. Our campus, unfortunately, was no exception.

While A-State is in desperate need of some changes in both campus climate and institutional protection for atrisk students, I am glad to see that Chancellor Whitlock is addressing the issue head-on.

The Campus Climate Council may provide solutions that bridge the gap between the administration and the concerns of subcommunities on our campus.

TheHerald EMMA WILLIAMS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF emma.williams1@smail.astate.edu

DESTINI LATTIMORE, NEWS EDITOR destini.lattimor@smail.astate.edu

MIYA GARRETT, SPORTS EDITOR miyanna.garrett@smail.astate.edu

OLIVIA RIZZARDI, OPINION EDITOR olivia.rizzardi@smail.astate.edu

KIRSTEN LARRISON, #LIFE EDITOR kirsten.larrison@smail.astate.edu

NEIL WILLIAMS, PHOTO EDITOR neil.williams@smail.astate.edu

believe that the Multicultural Center plays a huge part in how much our climate has flourished providing lectures, programs, and celebrations all centered around varying groups of people.

To improve our campus climate even further, I believe that there could be an increased effort to make these issues known.

Campus climate is totally dependent on the students enrolled, and can change on a dime, year to year. Back in February, Interim Chancellor Doug Whitlock proposed a Campus Climate Council be established to improve campus climate and voice concerns of the students on these issues.

I hope this idea is still in

SANDRA L. COMBS, ADVISER scombs@astate.edu

CODY MOORE, MULTIMEDIA EDITOR cody.moore@smail.astate.edu

astateherald@gmail.com The Herald office is in Room 224 of the Communications/Education Building.

Newsroom: 870-972-3076 Ad Office: 870-972-2961 Fax: 870-972-3339

Sam Meurer of Jonesboro is a freshman English major. the works and will come to life during my time here. By educating and inspiring students to pass down what they know to underclassmen, we could build a strong campus climate that cannot, and will not, be shaken.

KAVIN ALEXANDER | STAFF CARTOONIST

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The Herald welcomes comments, criticisms or ideas that its readership may have.

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Editorial Policy

Opinions expressed in personal columns are those of the writers and may not reflect the opinions of the staff as a whole.

“Our View” represents the opinions of the editorial staff and is written by members of the editorial board. The opinions are not necessarily reflective of the students, faculty or administration at A-State.

Columns, letters to the editor, cartoons and other content on the opinion page are the views of the author. Content does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Herald.

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ports

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017

A-State rugby defeats Navy 25-7 in tournament Arkansas State prepares to bring championship home A-STATE HERALD STAFF REPORT

The Red Wolves, now 9-11 overall, will travel to Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara, California on May 6, to play the California Golden Bears, a 35-14 winner over Penn State, in the finals of the Varsity Cup National Collegiate Rugby Championship.

Both teams had to contend with cool temperatures and windy conditions as well as negotiate a field saturated with water from a hard rain in Jonesboro Friday night. But, none of that got in the way of the Red Wolves’ mission.

“Yeah, it was sloppy field conditions, and it was a huge factor,” said second-year head coach Shaun Potgieter. “We had a lot of restarts and made a lot of errors. There were problems with handling the ball and we couldn’t throw the ball well at times.”

However, Potgieter said

that, like last week against Utah State, it was A-State’s solid defensive play that won against Navy.

“We’ve been working hard on defense. We came hard on the line today and really forced pressure against Navy.” He added that the conditions also played a role in tackling.

A-State got on the board first with a try by Sione Fangaiuiha, and the conversion by Valentin Balande put the Red Wolves up early with the 7-0 lead. Tabo Maree was able to recover a Navy ball off the blocked kick and scored the try to put the Arkansas State lead to 15-7 after Balande connected on the conversion. Navy’s only score came at the 14:53 mark in the first half.

Five minutes into the second half, Fangaiuiha took a Zach Young pass for the successful try to increase A-State’s chances of winning at, 22-7. And, as time expired, an A-State player

pitched the ball back to Young who immediately hit the drop kick that fell between the uprights for the final points of the game.

“Sione and Zach both played very well,” continued Potgieter.

“They controlled the game in the back line. They got a lot of touches on the ball and kept

things tight. Zach did a great job of kicking the ball today.

That drop kick was probably 30 meters.

“We’re going to enjoy this

win for one or two days and take some time to recover.

Then, it’s back to the drawing board and prepare to play May 6 in Santa Clara.”

COURTESY OF ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY A-State Rugby celebrates a 25-7 victory over Navy to advance to the national championship.

Blaise Taylor earns A-State Distinguished Service Award MIYA GARRETT SPORTS EDITOR

Two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection Blaise Taylor was announced Tuesday as one of the eight outstanding students to receive a Distinguished Service Award from Arkansas State.

Taylor earned his undergraduate degree in August 2016 in business administration, while also receiving magna cum laude honors holding a grade point average of 3.832. He took only two-and-a-half years

to earn his bachelor degree and is currently working on his master’s in business administration.

“Motivation starts within,” said Taylor. “It comes from how I was raised, growing up everything was a competition, whether it was who could carry in the most bags of groceries or who could make the highest grades. Whether I’m on the field or off the field if they’re keeping score then I want to win.”

As a member of the A-State football team, where his father Trooper Taylor is corner’s coach and assistant head coach,

Taylor has helped lead the Red Wolves to two Sun Belt Conference championships and three consecutive bowl game appearances, including a win over UCF in last year’s Cure Bowl.

The Waco native will enter his senior season with 781 career punt return yards, a school record, the second most ever by a Sun Belt Conference player and the third most in the nation among active players.

Taylor’s three-year career with the Red Wolves have seen him pile up 70 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four

interceptions, 16 pass breakups and one forced fumble.

“I try to win whether it’s on the field or in the classroom, it’s me versus the teacher and the score board is the grade that you get back,” Taylor said.

Among his other academic achievements, Taylor has appeared multiple times on the Arkansas State University Chancellor’s List, Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List and the A-State Athletics Director’s Honor Roll. He was named a Top 10 junior in the College of Business in 2015-16 and is a recipient of the Strong-Turner 3.0 Society

award.

Taylor will be presented the

levels make him an extremely important leader addition to our staff.”

Waldon joins Arkansas State with 17 years of coaching experience.

“I’m thrilled to join Coach Mike Balado and the Arkansas State men’s basketball staff,” said Walden. “Coach Balado comes from a winning pedigree and is a next level leader. The championship vision that he and Athletic Director Terry Mohajir have is one that I want to be a

part of building. This is a tremendous community and my family and I are looking forward to being a part of the Red Wolves’ Nation.”

Walden, a 2017 Naismith Trophy High School Boys Coach of the Year finalist, guided the Ascenders to a 26-2 record this past season and appearance in the DICK’s Sporting Goods High School Nationals as the No. 2 seed.

He helped the team to a No. 1 ranking in the Max Preps poll this past season and

finished with a 53-12 record over the last two seasons.

Trevon Duval, a McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand Classic invitee, shined for Walden this past season at IMG Academy, becoming the first player in the program to be invited to McDonald’s All-American game and third to play in the Jordan Brand Classic.

Walden was an integral part in Liberty’s 2013 Big South Tournament championship run. The Flames rallied to win

four-straight games against three of the top seeds in the tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament. During his tenure at Liberty, Walden trained and developed guard Davon Marshall, who was awarded the Big South Tournament MVP connecting on 17-of-24 3-point field goals. Marshall surpassed Seth Curry (102) for the most three-point field goals in a season with 107 in the 2012-13 season.

Prior to joining the

award Thursday at the Cooper Alumni Center.

COURTESY OF ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Blaise Taylor surveys the field in home match-up.

Balado to add Vince Walden to A-State Basketball staff A-STATE HERALD STAFF REPORT

Arkansas State head basketball coach Mike Balado recently announced that he would add Vince Walden to the coaching staff.

“I am extremely pleased and excited to welcome Vince and his family to Arkansas State,” Balado said. “Coach Walden brings a wealth of experience to our program, both as a leader and recruiter.

His accomplishments at all

Liberty University staff, Walden was national team head coach and recruiting coordinator from 2006-12 at the IMG Academy basketball program. He compiled a record of 146-56 record in that span and has a combined record of 201-68 in his time with the Ascenders. He has coached or developed over 50 professional players including 2014 second round NBA Draft picks Dwight Powell and DeAndre Daniels.

A-State Track and Field captures five first place finishes at home A-STATE HERALD STAFF REPORT

The Arkansas State track and field team won five events on Friday in day one of the Red Wolves Open at the A-State Track & Field Complex.

Junior Cristian Ravar Ladislau took the top finish in the hammer throw with a throw of 58.580m (191-11).

Junior Calea Carr was the top collegiate finisher on the

women’s side with a throw of 54.79m (179-09). Freshman Grace Flowers finished fourth with a mark of 49.25m (16107).

A-State entered six individuals into the men’s long jump competition and four of the six finished in the top five. Junior Jamil Peeples finished with a top mark a leap of 7.07m (23-02.50).

Freshman Coleton Clifft was second (7.02m/23-00.50), junior Jonah Wiley was third

(6.91m/22-08.00), and junior David Phillips was fifth (6.53m/21-05.25). Freshmen Amari James (6.49m/2103.50) and Hayden Hampton (6.27m/20-07.00) finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

Senior Viktoriia Sadokhina won the women’s long jump with a leap of 5.84m (1902.00).

Senior Shemiah Brooks was second with a jump of 5.78m (18-11.75) and freshman Arabriaun Mack was fourth with a

mark of 5.63m (18-05.75).

Junior Anette Gaskins (5th – 5.37m/17-07.50) and junior Hannah Dunderdale (6th 5.32m/17-05.50) were also in the top-10.

On the track, A-State swept the 200-meter dashes.

Junior Jaylen Bacon had a personal-best time of 20.54 seconds to easily win the event. De’Airis Weakley won the women’s event with a time of 24.34 seconds. Elijah Ross (3rd – 21.61) and Chris Hill

(6th – 22.00) also finished in the top-10 of the men’s 100-meter dash while Brianna Hardiman (2nd – 24.53), Chanell O’Connor (4th – 24.85) and Gracee Damron (7th – 25.47) were top-10 on the women’s side.

Also logging top-five finishes on Friday were Jessica Weiss in the 5,000-meter run (4th – 19:44.42), Michael Carr in the pole vault (3rd 5.07m/16-07.50), Hayden Hampton in the javelin throw

(3rd – 53.09m/174-02), Chris Collins in the javelin throw (5th – 50.97m/167-03), Clint Ligon in the javelin throw (6th – 50.46m/165-07), David Phillips in javelin throw (7th – 50.36m/165-03), Coleton Clifft in javelin throw (9th – 41.15m/135-00) and Calea Carr in the javelin throw (3rd – 31.18m/102-03).

Saturday’s action is scheduled to get underway at 10:30 a.m.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017

Meet the Fulbright Grant recipients: Desirae Green and Cameron Mealing DESTINI LATTIMORE & KEITH TURNER

NEWS EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of three stories highlighting the achievements of Arkansas State University’s Fulbright Grant recipients. To read the rest, visit astateherald.com

Desirae Green

COURTESY OF A-STATE

A-State student and Fulbright grant recipient Desirae Green had dreams that were much different than her current plans.

“I initially wanted to be an anesthesiologist because I wanted to be wealthy,” Green said. “As

I grew older I realized that you can obtain wealth in any career industry.”

Once she was accepted to college, Green decided to pursue a career in education.

“My educational emphasis is Spanish because it is heavily infiltrating the American economy,” she said.

Her Spanish emphasis helped her become one of the first Fulbright grant recipients. Green said she is grateful for this opportunity because other opportunities had passed her by.

“Prior to applying to the Fulbright program, I had applied to numerous study abroad opportunities in Spain and wasn’t accepted for various reasons,” Green said. “Being the ambitious person that I am, I didn’t let a few ‘no’s’ discourage me from pursuing my goals in life.”

Green is a Maumelle, Arkansas native and said her experience growing up there was a privilege.

“It was just one large melting pot of differences and it was truly an amazing opportunity,” Green said.

She also said growing up there taught her the importance of having a healthy self image.

“How you see yourself will determine what you decide to do in your life,” she said.

Green cited her family’s indirect encouragement as one of the reasons she chose to apply for the Fulbright program. She is the oldest child of four.

“Without the challenges presented by my family, I don’t believe I would have had the audacity to seek asylum in the hands of an international experience,” she said. “They have encouraged me to aim high and not to allow a ‘no’ to prohibit me from accomplishing my mission.”

Green has worked hard in and out of the classroom during her time in college. She said the most rewarding part of her college experience was earning scholarships to cover educational expenses.

Green’s parents put the financial responsibility on her once she graduated high school.

“They made me pay for every little thing,” Green said. “So since freshman year I have been working diligently to ensure that my expenses were paid in full.”

Because she decided to apply for the program near the deadline, Green spent much of her time ensuring that her applica-

Campus Crime

CLINTON SUMMERS

CAMPUS CRIME REPORTER Campus Crime is compiled from weekly reports from the University Police Departmental logs.

April 21, 2017 1:21 a.m.—Two arrests were made after Officer Micheal Yocum stopped a vehicle for speeding and failing to stop at the intersection of Marion Berry Parkway and Aggie Road.

Upon contact with the driver, Yocum noticed a pistol in the back passenger seat and a bottle of alcohol behind the driver’s seat. The driver, 22-year-old Jonkellie Cooper, told Officer Yocum that he had just been pulled over and arrested “a couple days ago” by JPD for “possession.” He claimed there was nothing illegal in the vehicle now and that Officer Yocum could search it if he wanted to.

Due to seeing the pistol within reach of the two occupants, Officer Yocum had the driver and passenger exit the vehicle. After exiting, Cooper changed his mind on whether the officers could search his car.

At that time a JPD K-9 officer was requested, and the dog gave a positive alert on the vehicle.

Marijuana shake was located throughout the car during a search, and the pistol turned out to be an airsoft gun.

The passenger, 20-year-old Devon Tipton, admitted to drinking a “couple of shots” from the bottle that was in the back of the vehicle. He said the bottle had already been opened.

Tipton was arrested for minor in possession of alcohol after a portable breath test confirmed alcohol in his system, and Cooper was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

April 21, 2017 2:56 p.m.—According to a University Police report, officers Billy Branch and Caleb Loe responded to a call of a possible active shooter inside University Hall.

The officers quickly arrived on the scene but heard no gunshots, and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. There were several students in the area going about their business as usual. The desk attendant appeared to be reading something and did not seem alarmed. Officer Branch spoke to the desk attendant who said she had no idea that anything was going on. The Hall Director also said she had not heard or seen anything unusual.

It was at that time that dispatch informed officers that Jonesboro Police had also received a call with similar information about a possible active shooter. Officer Loe then started checking the outside of the building while Officer Branch remained inside. Dispatch then advised officers that the caller was at the McDonald’s on Johnson Avenue.

Not knowing if there was a real threat or not, the officers made their way to McDonald’s and located the female caller.

Officer Branch asked what was going on, but the 18-year-old began talking in a low voice and began acting very paranoid. The female student then disclosed that she was at an off-campus apartment smoking a controlled substance when she heard something that made her climb out the back window of the apartment.

The manager of the restaurant explained that the girl

came in asking to use someone’s phone and that she made a comment about someone trying to stab her or “something to that effect.” One employee lent the girl his phone, and that’s when she called 911.

According to the report, the student’s actions “clearly showed that she could be a danger to herself or others.” Due to the student being under the influence of an unknown drug, she was placed in custody after refusing to go to the hospital.

She was charged with public intoxication and was referred to Student Conduct for the false alarm of an active shooter.

April 22, 2017 1:50 a.m.—Officer Sean Calaway was patrolling near the parking lot between the Honors Living Learning Community and Sorority Row when he encountered a male and female student cuddled up against the rear of a blue Ford F-150.

According to the report, Calaway entered the parking lot and observed the 22-year-old male and 20-year-old female “in the act of lewd behavior.”

Officer Calaway approached the couple and could smell alcohol coming from them. Both individuals admitted to drinking a small amount, and a breath test yielded positive results for alcohol.

Since neither of the suspects appeared to be impaired, they were released with a warning to check their student emails for a response from Student Conduct. And although both were referred for an alcohol violation and disorderly conduct, the report is not clear as to exactly what type of “lewd behavior” the couple was engaging in.

tion was complete.

“For weeks, I would be up til 2 a.m. making sure that my application was competitive,” Green said. “Also, Jennifer Salo helped me out tremendously.”

Salo is the Fulbright U.S. Student Program coordinator at Arkansas State, and she is also the Honors College special project coordinator.

Green said Salo helped her by proofreading her essay and sending any suggestions she had.

Because of her hard work, Green will work as a teaching assistant in La Rioja, Spain.

While she is excited to be one of the first Fulbright recipients, Green said she does not want her self-worth to be rooted in titles and accolades.

“The first Fulbright grant recipient title has a nice ring to it, but at the end of the day, I’m still a college senior just trying to make a good life for myself and change the world,” Green said.

After her experience in Spain, Green would like to continue her education at Columbia University.

“Rihanna couldn’t have said it better. I’m going to work, work, work, work, work, work,” Green

said.

Cameron Mealing

COURTESY OF A-STATE

Cameron Mealing, a communication studies major from Jonesboro, is one of the recipients of the Fulbright grant. Having served in both the Marine Corps and the National Guard, Mealing returned to Jonesboro to enroll at A-State.

He spent a semester abroad in Caen, Normandy, after which he got involved in the French program at Arkansas State.

He said studying abroad is the most rewarding part of his college experience so far.

Through the Fulbright grant, Mealing will spend a year in Senegal teaching English to students

at the middle/secondary school level. He says he looks forward to going to Senegal, and the orientation in Washington, D.C., that the Fulbright scholars will have in June.

“I get to travel again and this time it’s a great resume buffer,” Mealing said. “The one thing I’m apprehensive about is going back to that starting point of not knowing what anybody is saying anymore.”

Regardless, Mealing was excited to learn he had received the grant.

“The application process was pretty straightforward,” Mealing said. There were multiple essays and letters of recommendation needed. Mealing was among a pool of over 10,000 applicants.

Growing up he had high aspirations for his future. When asked what he wanted to be, Mealing replied, “the first black president.” Although that dream is no longer possible, Mealing is still working hard toward his goals.

After his year in Senegal, he’s considering joining the Peace Corps and eventually going into international politics.

A-State considers campus metal detectors DESTINI LATTIMORE NEWS EDITOR

Arkansas State University is considering metal detectors for the athletic events this fall.

The preliminary discussions for the detectors came after the approval of an act to allow concealed handguns at public colleges and universities.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced that he signed House Bill 1249 into law on March 22. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Charlie Collins of Fayetteville.

Private institutions are the only entities with the option of opting out of the requirement.

The law allows concealed carry permit holders to carry in public spaces such as government buildings, bars, restaurants and churches.

The permit holders must complete an eighthour training course.

Concealed guns are banned from Pre-K, K-12 schools, courtrooms and prisons.

The university owns metal detectors, but a spokesman for the university said they are only used at the request of concert performers.

In Arkansas, more than 220,000 people have concealed handgun licenses.

Faculty Senate presidential election underway DESTINI LATTIMORE NEWS EDITOR

Arkansas State University will soon have a new leader of the faculty legislative body.

Voting for the next president of Arkansas State University’s Faculty Senate began at 8 a.m.

Tuesday.

The ASU Faculty Senate, which is composed of elected representatives from each of the university’s colleges, is the legislative body of the ASU Faculty Association.

Two candidates are vying for the position. The first, Dr. Loretta McGregor, is a professor of psychology and counseling in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. The second, Dr. Shivan Haran, is the director and an associate professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Sciences and Mathematics.

In a letter to the current Faculty Senate representatives, Haran and McGregor shared their views on shared governance and their vision for the future of the organization.

“I believe that no single individual or entity can or should be allowed to take unilateral decisions on critical issues and I think we (at A-State) have made a lot of progress towards achieving

this,” Haran said. “As we continue to improve things on our campus, the system of shared governance has evolved to include more and more representation in the decision-making process.”

McGregor similarly addressed the need for a more inclusive decision making process.

“If elected, I promise to communicate as openly and often as possible about the issues that directly affect faculty on our campus,” McGregor said. “I promise to be inclusive and open to suggestions from all faculty members.”

Haran added, “True and genuine shared governance attempts to balance maximum participation in decision making with clear accountability. That is a difficult balance to maintain and has resulted in enough tense situations.”

McGregor also addressed the need for presenting a cohesive front to the incoming chancellor.

“With the arrival of a new chancellor in June, we have an opportunity to foster and nurture an atmosphere of true shared governance,” McGregor said.

The elected president will succeed Dr. Mike McDaniel, who was elected to the two-year position in 2016.

COURTESY OF A-STATE Top: Loretta McGregor.

Bottom: Shivan Haran

The individual elected will serve as the President-elect for one year and then President for two years.

Members of the Faculty Association will have until 3 p.m. Friday to place their ballots, which will be collected and tallied by IT Services. The results are expected to be announced shortly thereafter.

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Distinguished Service Award Winners Announced A-STATE HERALD STAFF REPORT

Eight A-State students have been nominated for Distinguished Service Awards (DSA). The students will receive their awards at a recognition dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Cooper Alumni Center.

The eight students are: Arnelle Jones of Osceola; Blaise Taylor of Jonesboro; Emilee Taylor of Jonesboro; Erin Langley of Beebe; Jared Gowen of Garner; Kelly Mendes of Jonesboro; Monica Norman of Hot Springs; and Patrick Dietz of Searcy.

The DSA recognition comes during A-State’s Convocation of Scholars, an annual celebration of academic achievement that includes college and departmental awards and recognition events.

The DSA winners are recognized as the institution’s most-outstanding graduates because of their leadership, scholarship and citizenship.

Faculty and staff of the campus community submit nominations for these awards.

All of the nominees have provided countless hours of service to the community, their classmates, their departments and to Arkansas State University.

A committee comprised of students, faculty, staff and past Wilson Award recipients makes the final selections.

Also during the dinner, one of the students will receive the university’s highest honor, the R.E. Wilson Award.

City moves forward with plans for walking, biking trail

A-STATE HERALD STAFF REPORT

Jonesboro is moving forward to secure funding for a biking and walking trail between A-State and downtown.

Mayor Perrin called a City Council meeting Friday to discuss the proposal before the May 1 deadline. The Council passed a resolution to apply for the Arkansas Highway Administration’s transportation alternatives grant.

The estimated cost of the trail is $499,000. The grant would cover $400,000 of the cost, with the city taking on the responsibility of the remaining $100,000.

Mayor Perrin addressed earlier concerns that the chosen route did not fit A-State’s master plan.

“The people understood that this is a concept drawing, it is not set in stone,” Perrin said.

“And what we’re trying to say is that we need to get it down

to Little Rock and if we get approved we’ll be able to come back and before we do the exact route then obviously we’re going to have to get a lot of players involved, including Arkansas State University.”

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Len Frey, Ph.D., said while they have no memorandum of understanding about the specific route, the university does support connectivity

Chancellor advisory committee to meet, no finalists selected EMMA WILLIAMS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The search for Arkansas State’s new chancellor is now in the priority review phase.

According to ASU System spokesman Jeff Hankins, the committee met Monday to review and discuss applications. However, no decisions regarding semifinalists or finalists were made.

“The committee hopes to possibly identify a list of semifinalists or finalists by the end of this week,” Hankins said.

The committee will meet again this week, but the day and time have not been finalized.

Of the 49 viable candidates, four are Arkansas residents.

They include Dr. Neal Barlow, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Arkansas Tech University, Serena Brenneman, change management coach at scbrenneman LLC in Little Rock and Dr. Philip Cavalier, provost of Lyon College in Batesville.

A-State College of Business Dean Shane Hunt is also among the applicants. He announced on April 5 in an email to A-State faculty that he would serve as dean until the end the contract ends on June 30.

Dr. Doug Whitlock is currently serving as interim chancellor of the university following the resignation of former chancellor Tim Hudson. He left the position Aug. 2 amid allegations of misconduct and a series of internal audits that revealed a state of disarray at the executive level of the university.

Whitlock’s role as interim chancellor ends June

30, but allows for additional interim time if necessary.

Nominations and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

While a priority review is a notice to prospective candidates that review of applications has begun, Hankins said this will not automatically exclude applications received past this date.

“Any applications received after the date could be in jeopardy of being received too late,” Hankins said. “However, there is no closing date for applications.”

According to the job posting, the university is seeking a “visionary, innovative, and consensus-building individual” to lead A-State in its second century of service.

In a letter to the A-State community, ASU System President Chuck Welch stated that he will make the final decision. However, the committee will help narrow the list of applicants.

“Our goal is to narrow the list of candidates and ultimately bring finalists to campus during the month of May,” Welch said. “I hope to name our next chancellor around June first.”

Welch also emphasized the importance of open communication during the application and hiring process. According to Welch, any comments or concerns can be directed to any member of the search advisory committee or the system office.

The current job posting can be viewed at www. astate.edu/chancellorsearch.

The names and current positions of all applicants can be found at www.astateherald.com.

For more news, visit astateherald.com

to downtown.

“We appreciate the support and your interest in better connecting the university to the downtown district,” Frey said in a letter to the council. “We look forward to working with you to continue to enhance the quality of life for students of Arkansas State University and residents of Jonesboro.”

Perrin said he plans to meet with A-State System President

Charles Welch to discuss the trail.

The council won’t know if they received the grant until September or October.

Alderman David McClain voiced his concern during the meeting that he doesn’t see a serious plan from the city to connect all of these trails in one big project.

Perrin said he does have a master plan proposal on his desk

now.

“I sent that to the highway department,” Perrin said. “The highway department had some recommendations to change that and I’ve sent that back to the engineering firm that gave that proposal to me. So, we’ll see how it comes from there but I’m not going to bring it to the council until I know how I can pay for it as well as making those changes.”

Horoscopes NIKKI LOGAN

MYSTIC CORRESPONDENT

Aquarius (1/20-2/18): You’ve been barrelling through the past few weeks at an alarming pace, Aquarius, but now you may be feeling burnt out. Don’t let the exhaustion stop you now; you’re almost home free, and you’ll be able to rest once this last stretch is finished.

Gemini (5/21- 6/20): In your efforts to explore all your options, you may have missed an opportunity you really wanted, Gemini. Fear not; maybe this plan didn’t pan out like you wanted because something better is just right around the corner.

Pisces (2/19- 3/20): Multiple aspects of your life are finally converging, Pisces, and overall things are going very well. There is a sense of harmony and peace surrounding you; be sure to take time to enjoy this well-deserved break.

Cancer (6/21-7/22): You’ve been so busy trying to achieve your goals that you’ve become disconnected from some aspect of your life, Cancer. Don’t become so engrossed by one area of life that you completely ignore the rest; the key for you right now is finding balance.

Aries (3/21-4/19): There is a possibility that you’ve been wronged in some way, Aries, but there seems to be no punishment in sight for the wrongdoer. You may be tempted to find your own retribution, but be careful -- if you act hastily, you may only worsen your situation.

Leo (7/23-8/22): Your work is extremely important to you, Leo, but lately you’ve been met with some unexpected setbacks.

Though the fault may not rest entirely on you, this is an important time to evaluate yourself and how you intend to achieve the rest of your goals.

Taurus (4/20-5/20): You may feel like you’re taking two steps back for every step you take forward, Taurus, and you may be feeling frustrated. The problem lies in what you’re trying to achieve; is this endevour really something you care about, or is it simply something you think you’re obligated to do?

Virgo (8/23-9/22): Everyone feels helpless sometimes, Virgo, but right now you may be letting these negative emotions totally consume you. If you allow yourself to wallow in self-pity, you’ll find that it’s that much harder to motivate yourself into moving forward.

Libra (9/23-10/22): You may be questioning yourself a lot lately, Libra, and this self-doubt has probably manifested into some severe stress. Your main focus right now should be on how serious you are about the path you’ve chosen, and if there isn’t something else you could do that would make you happier.

Scorpio (10/23-11/21): You’ve entered into a very hectic period of your life, Scorpio, but this kind of chaotic living is where you thrive. Just remember not to work yourself into a point of total exhaustion; relax and take care of yourself in between all the hard work you’re doing.

Sagittarius (11/2212/21): Lately you’ve been quite the social butterfly, Sagittarius, but all of this extra social interaction may have taken its toll. You may find you feel better after a few days of quiet rest away from the crowds.

Capricorn (12/221/19): Life has been changing pretty quickly for you lately, Capricorn, but you’re adapting well to the faster pace. Dealing with so many changes can be overwhelming, but you’re more than ready and willing to take on the challenges with an open mind.

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Arkansas March for Science

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cientists, engineers, outdoorsmen, and nerds alike gathered in the streets of downtown Little Rock this past Saturday in celebration and support of the institution of science. Organized by the Arkansas Sierra Club, the Arkansas March for Science hosted over 1000 attendees, cheering, chanting, and waving colorful signs all the way to the Capitol steps.

While partisan protest was present in the crowd, many participants and speakers hoped the event could stand as a reaffirmation of the apolitical nature of the scientific process.

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1. The crowd makes its way westward down

Capitol Avenue in Little Rock, Arkansas. Like the Women’s March in January, demonstrators marched the two block stretch from Pulaski Street to the capitol steps.

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Haleigh Eubanks, PhD candidate in the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Studies Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, gives her take on the “magic” of science and how she came to be a scientist herself.

3. Dr. Michelle Merritt, professor of philosophy

at Arkansas State University, addresses the crowd gathered in front of the capitol building. Merritt had a hand in organizing the event.

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4. While many signs in the crowd are general

proclamations, some are more pointed. Many, like the large “Savor the Water” banner pictured here, protest the proposed Diamond Pipeline which would stretch from Oklahoma to the City of Memphis, Tennesee.

5. Speakers march at the front of the crowd, bearing a banner with the event’s title and atomic motifs.

6. A young girl waves a sign with the phrase

“science is not a liberal conspiracy,” a recurring proclamation by many of those in attendance.

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7. (From left to Right) Alyson Clyburn, Ethan

Williams, Hannah Bruner, Neil Hudson, and Ryan Carter, members of the A-State Young Democrats of Arkansas, show their support for the march from the front steps of the capitol building.

8. Several children in attendance charge to the front of the crowd, eager to join in the festivities and lead the charge.

PHOTOS AND PAGE DESIGN BY NEIL WILLIAMS | PHOTO EDITOR