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Next step for sidewalk project to begin ELEXIS SMITH AND AMBER QUAID Contributing Writer

The sidewalk project for O Street has transformed into a two-phase street renovation project. The 4-year idea has found bumps and curves with issues relating to sidewalk size, drainage and bike lanes and went from sidewalk project to street renovation project in January.

“The sidewalk project is still a go; however, the City of Russellville is in charge of moving the project forward,” said Brittny Daubenheyer, assistant to the president at Arkansas Tech University.

The project is currently in a slight holding pattern, as Public Works Director and City Engineer Kurt Jones said.

After the relocation of sewer and waters lines, the city is in the process of executing the next contracts, allowing them to proceed with construction on the sidewalk.

Construction should resume in approximately 10 to 14 days, and will then continue for an estimated 270 days before the completion of the project.

When it is finished, “it will be a complete street with vehicular travel lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks,” Jones said. The projected completion date will ensure the project is finished by the fall semester of 2017; however, if things proceed smoothly and construction is completed early, students could use the sidewalks from Vista Place as early as the end of the spring semester of 2017.

The O Street improvements were originally part of the City of Russellville Capital

ELEXIS SMITH /THE ARKA TECH After the relocation of sewer and waters lines, the city is in the process of executing the next contracts, allowing them to proceed with construction on the sidewalk.

Improvement program, but when a town meeting was held in January of 2015 issues began to arise. At first residents were worried about the drainage issues becoming worse and the sidewalks coming too far into their yards.

The issue of the sidewalks and their size led to talks about a solution. The sidewalks were going to be 8 feet wide to be used by multi-use traffic, such as bicycles and pedestrians.

The solution was the addition of a bike lane, which means

the sidewalks can be made smaller, 5 feet, but the roads would have to be made wider, making the entire road need a rebuilding.

In January, the Street Renovation Project began and was designed to include three lanes; two main lanes and a turning lane, a bike lane on each side, a green space and a 6-foot sidewalk. Phase I, which includes “O Street until it hits the bridge,” will begin early this summer, Jones said.

The sidewalk will go in front

of Vista Place as originally intended in the sidewalk project.

we would own it,” Jones said.

“In this case they [Tech] still owns the property.”

The land used will come from Tech. The city will contract with Tech for a 99-year agreement for an easement, Jones said. The easement will declare Tech will still own the property, but the city has the right to "build a road, improve the road and maintain a road."

This includes the property that will be used for Phase II of the project that will extend Reasoner Street all the way around to connect with O Street.

“Normally with a private individual we would purchase an actual title to the property,

This will create an entire loop that includes H Street, O Street and Reasoner Street, all of which will have been renovated due to this or previous projects.

SGA, Alpha Phi Alpha to host student voter registration tables KAREN RICKETTS

Staff Writer

Food Review - Page 6

Arkansas Tech students have 33 days to register to vote by the Oct. 10 deadline to ensure the ability to vote in the Nov. 8 election.

In an effort to help students register to vote in Pope County, Student Government Association and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity will host registration tables in BazTech and at the Hindsman Bell Tower throughout the month of September.

Tech's Shutout - Page 7

The voter registration tables will be available Sept. 6 to Sept. 26. The tables will only be available for students on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Monday registration tables will be located at BazTech from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday registration tables will be at the Hindsman Bell Tower from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The voter registration tables are part of an election series through the Office of Campus Life with the purpose in getting more students involved in the political process.

Welcome Week - Page 8

Kara Johnson, coordinator for leadership and service, said the

purpose of the voter registration tables is to show students how to register and provide information on the importance of being a registered voter and how to research candidates.

“I think it is important to show students that there is more to a community than just Tech,” Johnson said. “The students are here for four years, but they don’t really realize that outside of Tech’s borders things are happening and it affects them, whether they realize it or not.”

It is also in the works to have mock voting booths at the registration tables, “so students can go through the actual process of voting,” Johnson said.

Malik Oliver, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity said that they hope to get a lot of students registered so Tech students can exercise their right to vote and let their voices be heard.

“Not everybody has always had the right to vote,” Oliver said.

“So now that everyone has the opportunity, why not exercise it.

“I think it will benefit students because it will get them more involved,” Oliver said. “They’ll understand how crucial it is to go

out and vote this year. I feel like this is crucial and very imperative that we get out and vote.”

Russellville’s voting headquarters is located on Hwy 64 East near Brangus Steakhouse. There will be signs on Election Day that will point voters in the right direction.

Students who are already registered to vote, but are registered in another county have several options when requesting an absentee ballot.

The deadline for an absentee ballot application is a week before Election Day. After the ballots are filled out, ballots must be mailed in time to reach the county clerks office on Election Day. Ballots cannot be faxed or emailed.

Bearers, or those who can pick up a ballot for someone else, can pick up ballots the day before the election.

Students can pick up their ballot in person as early as the day before early voting.

For more information call the Pope County Clerks office between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 479-968-6064 or stop by the courthouse on the corner of West Main and Arkansas.

PAGE 2 | Opinion

Out of style, out of business

RYAN HARMON

Entertainment Writer

By now, most people have probably noticed that our local entertainment store, Hastings, is going out of business.

The company announced in July that it would be going through a liquidation at all of its locations.

The stores are expected to close at the end of October.

As I walked through the store recently, I began thinking about the changes I’ve seen since I first went there.

When I was 8, I became obsessed with the rock band, Kiss. I wanted to be Ace Frehley when I grew up.

After seeing a VH1 special about the band, I looked everywhere for a CD. My mom finally suggested going to Hastings. We walked in, and it felt like this gigantic place that I could literally get lost in.

At the time, the music was broken-up into sub-genres. Instead of just a general Rock/Pop section, they had Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, etc.

After choosing and paying for what I thought would be my first Kiss CD, we discovered that the disc had been stolen from the case. Thankfully, the staff knew of a good second choice, with the band’s big hits and some deeper tracks.

Through the years, I saw the store’s selection get smaller and

RYAN HARMON/THE ARKA TECH Hastings in Russellville is going out of business and is expected to close at the end of October.

smaller. There was no more Heavy Metal or Hard Rock. It was all consolidated into Rock/Pop. Some locations began carrying vinyl, which had mixed results. Yet, even through all of that, I never thought the store would actually go out of business.

Streaming services, like Spotify or iHeartRadio, have seen a growth in popularity, which doesn’t surprise me. Although I prefer buying a CD or vinyl record, it’s hard to pass up a service that gives you access to hundreds of thousands of songs for a low price.

The reason for the decline in traffic at Hastings could be attributed to a number of things. You could blame illegal downloading, ease of internet shopping, etc. What I think it comes down to is the fact that the demand for a physical product is becoming lower and lower.

The cold hard truth is the market is changing, and nobody was really prepared for it. Record stores are closing left and right, and the only place you can easily get CDs is a store like Walmart.

VSETKY.COM

Sturgill goes on tirade RYAN HARMON

Entertainment Writer

Rising country music star, Sturgill Simpson, went on a tirade against the country music industry on his Facebook page recently.

The rant, which was unexpected by many of Simpson’s fans, was one of the rare times that the artist has been that vocal.

The ACM’s recently announced that Miranda Lambert would be the first recipient of the new Merle Haggard Spirit Award. Simpson, who was friends with the late country legend, did not approve of the posthumous award, and for good reason.

Simpson gave fans the details of an interview he and Haggard gave for Garden & Gun magazine, where they were supposed to be on the cover. Without notifying them, the magazine put Chris Stapleton on the cover.

This was not the first time the industry has ignored Haggard.

Modern country star, Jason Aldean, disagreed with Simpson, saying he thought everyone in

Nashville was aware of Haggard’s contributions to country music.

Is everyone in Nashville aware?

Probably.

Does awareness equal respect?

Absolutely not.

Haggard received many ACM awards throughout his career, but I feel that most of the acknowledgements he recently got were for his older work, that’s already stood the test of time. Any time Haggard released a new album, it was given the cold shoulder by the industry.

There’s a bad pattern in Nashville of acknowledging artists, just so the industry can benefit from using their names. I feel that this is the case with the Merle Haggard Spirit Award.

I’m not saying anything bad about Miranda Lambert. I feel that she’s one of the few truly talented artists in the mainstream country scene.

I just think it’s disrespectful and unnecessary to use an artist’s name for this kind of purpose.

Haggard’s gone. He has nothing to do with this

award. He can’t choose the winners. If you want to give Miranda Lambert a similar award, great! You don’t need somebody else’s name on the trophy to make it valid.

My final thought on this is about the fact that the award is meant to recognize modern artists who are uncompromising, like Haggard was in his career. That uncompromising is why the industry began to distance themselves from artists like Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, etc.

They like artists who are easily-controllable.

That’s why most of today’s country music sounds so similar. They don’t want original artists who stand-up for their creativity. They want someone who will follow the crowd.

Simpson’s rant likely got him blackballed from the country music industry, but does that really hurt him? They never truly embraced him to begin with.

He’s always been an outsider. He built his career without Nashville, so they won’t be able to tear it down.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2016

But what you can’t get at Walmart is the experience of

digging through the used vinyl crates and finding an album you’ve been searching hard for. You can’t connect with people with similar music tastes. The experience of a record store is gone.

So, as I see more people walking into Hastings just to take advantage of the large discounts, I can’t help but wonder if their business could’ve helped the store prevent this.

Then I remember the words of John Mellencamp: “Nothing lasts forever. Life is short, even in its longest days.”

We've outgrown ourself, when will there be enough Editorial: ed·i·to·ri·al

[ed-i-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-] noun: An article that represents the official viewpoint of a newspaper on a topic of public interest.

Arkansas Tech University made yet another accomplishment since its opening in 1909: record breaking enrollment. Seventeen years to be exact. The feat is not only aweinspiring, and something to strive for, but it’s a reflection of the institution this university has evolved into.

However, one must stop to pause when considering the 12,007 students that broke that enrollment. Are they enough? Growth, in several different relative situations, is a good thing. But is perpetual growth a good thing?

Hypothetically, let’s say Tech were to strive for 20 years of record breaking enrollment. The evolution of degree programs, staffing and security are just a few instances in where university attention must be redirected for continued growth. And while 20 years is still a landmark in the future, the burdens of operating a university of that size are already starting to rear their ugly heads.

First, it’s notoriously known that Chamber’s Cafeteria is not somewhere you want to be during the noon to 1 p.m. lunch rush Monday through Friday. That’s not because the food is bad or the students stink; it’s because the cafeteria is turned over one and a half times in the one main lunch hour alone. Many say the renovation was something that obviously needed to happen, but should enrollment increase, will another renovation be due just years after the last 2013 renovation?

Second, it’s a common complaint of students that parking is an issue. In fact, Wyatt Watson, director of institutional research, said in an email that Tech

sees an average of 6,500 students pass through the main Tech campus during a Monday to Friday school week, as well as 800 employees.

“How many of those people who happen to be on campus at the same time taking up parking spaces,” Watson said, “is much less.”

Let us be clear – we’re not beseeching the university for a parking complex or additional parking. We’re simply commenting on the turn over the university itself sees during the week.

Finally, bed space on campus.

Roush residence hall was forced to close its doors Aug. 20 due to mold found growing under the windows and in other parts of the hall. A total of 108 males were displaced, and forced to double bunk in South Hall, as well as take up residence at Lake Point, a facility owned by Tech and notorious for housing “overflow” students.

Tommy Fields, assistant dean for Residence Life, shared that that brings the current “operational bed count” to 2,772 beds, a number that doesn’t reflect Lake Point housing.

Tech made another accomplishment since its opening in 1909: record breaking enrollment. Seventeen years to be exact. But when we look at the physical state of the university, we see growth that's gotten out of hand.

Growth that, we might have to admit, we haven't kept up with. So what else are we going to have to sacrifice to keep up with enrollment? An increase in student fees? A larger student to professor ratio?

When will there be enough?

Opinion | PAGE 3

MAN ON THE STREET WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE TECH CAMPUS?

Pokemon Go: what the world needs right now MATTHEW EMERY

Sports Writer “Everyone’s really nice. The professors really try with the students.”

Symphony Brown Pre-Med North Houston, Texas

Turn to your preferred news channel or visit your preferred news website. Now, watch or browse for just a couple of minutes.

More than likely you were swarmed by bad news. Upsetting news. Frustrating news. Confusing news.

Awful things happen every day, but usually, we're able to view it from afar and think "I hope things will be ok for them," or "they are in our thoughts."

“Probably Doc Bryan because we get to play ping pong.”

Sardar Samee Electrical Engineering Dhaka, Bangladesh

Within the last several weeks it seems just about everyone has shifted their focus from a "them/ they" mentality to a "we/us" one.

These events are occurring in our own backyards and seemingly all at the same time.

If you kept up with the news in mid-July and early August, there is a chance you saw a news story about something else, something that wasn't filled with dread.

Enter Pokémon Go.

“My dorm Baswell.”

Myah Cass Hospitality Tourism Clarksville

The game from Niantic and The Pokémon Company has taken smartphones by storm, making it to worldwide news and just about everyone's Facebook and Twitter feed.

If, for some reason, you still do not understand what Pokémon Go actually is, let me try to summarize it in one sentence: Your phone is a GPS that leads you to Pokémon that you can catch and use to battle others.

“I like the people.

Everyone’s really nice, really embracive.”

Chris Smith Information Technology Hot Springs

“This place right here: Baz-Tech.”

Deborah Lewis Marketing Management Forest City

“The girls.”

Seth Stewart Agriculture Business Coal Hill

For the past several years, governments and organizations all over have been pouring money into programs that encourage getting outside and playing. Turns out all it took was a decently made game featuring a name that everyone knows.

This has led to huge amounts of people leaving their couches and computer chairs to go outside and seek the pocket monsters, which leads to crossing paths with other players as well.

A video taken at Central Park in New York City documented a mob of hundreds of people swarming the park to catch a rare Pokemon.

MATTHEW EMERY/THE ARKA TECH Tech campus offers Pokemon Go pokestops and a gym.

A large group of people, all uniting in Central Park to catch a Pokémon. No violence, accidents or weapons, but instead, excitement, joy and laughter.

"Lures" are an in-game item that players set to increase the amount of Pokémon that appear in a certain area, benefiting all players.

Even if you ignore the Pokémon Go factor, that is something worth admiring in today's climate.

These are just a few examples of stories that are constantly coming from Pokémon Go players about meeting and interacting with new people and in some cases, making the day of a sick child.

A Reddit user by the name of CodyE36 posted a picture of him and friends playing the game with their local law enforcement.

America’s youth and police in an interaction that did not end controversially or tragically, but cheerfully.

And lastly, an image from an unknown source has made the rounds on various social media websites imploring players to drop “lures” near local children's hospitals due to the fact that the children in the hospitals can not truly experience the game on their own.

While the tragic events that seem to constantly be occurring all over the world should not be met with a blind eye, Pokémon Go is offering an alternative.

It is a flawed game that has room for improvement and it will be a tall task for it to continue this level of buzz in the coming weeks and months.

However, when the next tragedy could occur in a split second, Pokémon Go is what the world needs right now.

Are you interested in medicine?

Management? Finance?

Information Technology? Law? Then Health Information Management may be the right career path for you.

HIM combines all of these disciplines into one curriculum. Because of the unique mixture, graduates can choose from a variety of work settings across an array of healthcare environments.

Visit www.atu.edu/him or contact the ATU Health Information Management Program at (479) 498-6073 for more information.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2016

PAGE 4 | News

Office 365 is free for students AMBER QUAID

Managing Editor

Paying a hundred dollars for Office 365 is not on most students’ list but what if those students could get the software for free?

Being an Arkansas Tech University student allows us access to download the Office 365 ProPlus for free.

“Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus is free for students to use on their personal computers for the duration of their enrollment at the institution,” Sean Carnahan said, enterprise services manager at Tech.

Below are the steps for how Arkansas Tech students may download the software:

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1) Visit http://office365. atu.edu or your Tech email account.

2) Log in using your Arkansas Tech student username and password.

3) Click on the gear icon in the upper right hand corner, and then select Office 365 settings. If using the Tech email system click on the words Office 365 in

the upper left hand corner.

32-bit installation.)

4) Click software in the left menu. For the email link the menu will be on the right hand side- it should say Install Office.

6) Click install to download and install the latest version of Office.

5) Select your desired language (If you are installing Office for Windows, Microsoft recommends the

“Arkansas Tech students may install the software on up to five computers, including Windows and Mac. Mobile applications for Microsoft Office are accessible for iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices,” Carnahan said.

The program will ask you to log in with your Tech ID and password every 30 days to verify that you are still eligible for the free software.

For more information contact the Arkansas Tech Office of Information Systems Campus Support Center at (479) 968-0646 or campussupport@atu. edu.

ATU launches fan loyalty rewards mobile app JAMES KNECHT

Staff Writer

A fan loyalty app for mobile devices was recently launched

by Arkansas Tech University to encourage and reward Tech fans that attend home athletic events.

JAMES KNECHT A few thoughts I have to offer: Make time to study.

It might be easy in the beginning, but as you become an upperclassman, you will have to devote a lot of time and effort into learning, if you want to do well. Keep a planner. There have been a number of times where I forgot to submit something online or turn in a paper because I forgot about it when I thought I would remember.

Assignments from classes are going to stack up, it will help to write them down.

Finally, make friends and get involved in something. During my first and second year of college, I stayed mostly to myself. It is now my third year and I have made many new friends and got involved in a number of things. It has made my college experience a lot more enjoyable and will do the same for you.

AMBER QUAID Get it done early.

This goes for everything you want to do in college.

Paperwork for financial aid, admissions, anything to do with getting ready for classes do it A.S.A.P. Homework needs to get done when assigned. I say this because, come midterms or the end of the semester when all the work is due and you are stressed, all of this could have been avoided by just getting it done. Also teachers appreciate it when you have an

The app, which is called Fight On Rewards, distributes points when fans check in, through the app, at home athletic events.

The points can go toward t-shirts, water bottles, mini footballs, Yeti cups and more.

Fight On Rewards is available to all, but only useful to people interested in Tech sports. The app was primarily developed for Tech students.

Luke Calcatera, athletic event coordinator, had the

idea for the app and said its purpose is to “drive student attendance to our athletic events and provide rewards to our great fans.”

In the app, some of the menu options are: a calendar of events, which shows schedules

and times of Tech events, a ‘fan cam’ where fans can share pictures while at the game and a social option to see the Tech athletics social media news feed.

The app was created

by SuperFanU, a fan loyalty and engagement

Advice for Freshmen (or anyone in college) assignment ready to turn in. We all want to enjoy life but getting things done early will save you the stress and headache you will get from doing things last minute. I am not saying do everything early but if you can, get it done now.

RYAN HARMON If you’re a commuting student, like I’ve always been, you’ll find that every now and then, your schedule has you on campus practically all day. When you get hungry during the day, there are several restaurants in town that offer discounts during lunch hours (varies by business).

Some restaurants even offer discounts to Tech students, when you show your Tech I.D. Take advantage of this! It’ll save you more money than you might think! When it’s not too hot outside, you can probably get away with keeping some snacks, or even a sack lunch in your vehicle. And, if you’ve got a break in-between classes, and you don’t really have any homework or studying to do, don’t be afraid to take a nap. Better to sleep during the day than while you’re driving home.

CLAUDIA YOUNG I’m the poster child for Type A personality.

I have a really hard time letting myself relax if there are still things to do.

Be Type A when it comes to work, but have enough Type B in you to realize when you need a break. Good work ethic gets noticed and gets you great recommendation letters, but mental breakdowns aren’t good for anybody.

Don’t wear yourself thin because then you won’t have the passion or drive to do anything worthwhile.

Know your limits.

Treat yourself at least once a day, even if it’s just a Sonic drink at happy hour or going to see a movie instead of getting ahead on schoolwork.

And don’t beat yourself up about your GPA. Employers look more at your involvement.

Build that resume with things you enjoy. Find what you love and make it fit with your career.

RICCI LOGAN My best advice for freshmen this semester is to make sure to bring a pair of shower shoes.

This advice is very essential, especially if you live in community bathrooms. People in college are not always the cleanest and maintenance does not

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2016

clean the bathrooms on the weekend. Make sure when you leave your room that your key and student I.D are always present.

These things can be expensive to replace.

Also another tip is to bring your own toilet paper and keep up with dates and deadlines; you will thank me later I promise.

AMBER APPLEBY Get involved!

Tech offers great opportunities through Career Services to learn how to create a resume or to learn how to do well in interviews and they will even help you pick a major. I did not take advantage of any of this until I was a senior and trust me, by then, it is way too late. Also take a nap every once in awhile.

I promise it stimulates your brain.

MATTHEW EMERY Put your phone down and keep your head up every now and then. Your wife, husband, or best friend could be sitting next to you, but you're too busy to notice because you're masking the awkwardness with Twitter. Don't let the possibility of a few awkward seconds cost you potential years of a great relationship.

No freshman is going into any class

with the mentality “I hope I don't make any friends.” That mentality doesn't kick in until sophomore year. So embrace the awkwardness and meet some new people. Also, don't be afraid to cry in the shower.

KAREN RICKETTS Get to know your professors.

In a few years you will be applying for internships and jobs, I know that seems like the distant future, but you will be needing letters of recommendation quicker than you think. An easy way to do this: get involved in an organization that is affiliated with your degree.

Chemistry Club, Anthropology Club, and “Because We Can” are just a few examples.

Professors are usually advisors, and by being involved it makes it easier for professors to see all the work you do outside of the classroom.

If you are not interested in joining an organization, I recommend being active participants in class discussions.

This not only benefits the class as a whole, but also makes you memorable and therefore, you have a better chance of receiving a well-

platform for colleges and universities, according to their website. The app became available on Aug. 22, move-in day for Tech.

Fight On Rewards is available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

written letter of recommendation.

JOLI DUPY I wish someone would have told me that it was alright to be unsure of my future educational path.

The first two years of college are typically general education courses which can be daunting but can also be used to your benefit. If you are unsure like I was, pay attention and something may peak your interest and help direct you toward a degree you maybe had never thought of.

When it comes to applying for school, scholarships or financial aid; my biggest piece of advice is to check, double check and then check again to make sure the documents are filled out completely and correctly.

Joining different organizations is important.

The numerous benefits included in joining or even participating are substantial. Not only do you meet other students within your degree plan, but you reap the benefits of working with experts in your chosen field and you are able to gain experience to include on your resume.

SAM HOISINGTON Put your top on after you are done brushing your teeth, if at all possible; we are all human and mistakes happen.

Best life motto? “¯\_(ツ)_/¯”

THE

ARKATECH

Campus | PAGE 5

11

9

12 3

85 74 1 10 2

6 GOOGLE EARTH

Places to go enjoy in Russellville

1 3 5 7 9 11 LAVISH 807 East Main Street

MOVIE THEATER 3800 West Main Street

MIDTOWN COFFEE 407 North Arkansas Ave.

BONA DEA

Ark. 326 off Scenic 7 Byway

LAKE DARDANELLE 100 State Park Drive

THE WALL

1605 North Phoenix Ave.

2 4 6 8 10 12 DISC GOLF

1598 Old Post Road

ART WALK 320 West C Street

MOUNT NEBO 16728 W State Highway 155, Dardanelle, AR

POTTERY WORX 320 West B Street

FUNKY TOWN

1612 South Arkansas Ave

BOWLING 3700 West Main Street

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2016

PAGE 6 | Features

Old South Food Review SIERRA MURPHY

AMBER APPLEBY

Old South has been a well admired restaurant by many in the Russellville area.

While I don’t frequent the establishment myself, I know others that do. The old timey feel of the glass box counter top that the manual cash register sits on, as well as the memorabilia that speckles the walls, is, to me, a direct reflection of most of the patrons that frequent the restaurant. They’re full of stories, laughter and a gentle kindness. It’s age, though, shouldn’t scare off youngin’s from going and checking out what’s up.

At Old South, I had the taco salad, a slice of pecan pie, and we also shared a plate of cheese fries.

Managing Editor

Assistant Online Editor

Amber, Sam and I made our way to Old South on a Friday afternoon. While it was 1:30 p.m., the restaurant was almost packed – a testament to the kind of community you can find there.

We began with cheesy bacon fries with a side of ranch and honestly could not get enough. The fries were crispy and hot, a perfect complement to the ranch. I didn’t much partake of the cheese because I’m not a personal fan of the dairy product, but I could not get enough of those fries.

I decided to order a grilled chicken sandwich, and I was pleasantly surprised. The chicken breast itself looked covered in grease or butter, although it was perfectly browned on both sides. I was

I would have to say the cheese fries were my favorite part. They were topped with shredded cheese and real crumbled bacon. The fries were really crispy and cheesy and I’m getting a craving for them just thinking about it.

They came with a side of ranch and it was just perfection.

I liked my taco salad for the most part. The lettuce, onion and olives were really fresh and the meat had a good flavor. The only thing I can really complain about was that I didn’t really like how the vegetables were all on the bottom and the meat was on top of them. I would have preferred the meat on the bottom.

PHOTOS BY SAM HOISINGTON/THE ARKA TECH The fries were crispy and hot, a perfect complement to the ranch. They were topped with shredded cheese and real crumbled bacon.

The chicken breast was perfectly browned on both sides. hesitant to take a bite out of it, because I didn’t want to take in the grease with it.

However, it was just an outer coating; the chicken itself was perfectly cooked, moist and hot off the grill. I disassembled my sandwich and ate the onions and pickles separately,

The lettuce, onion and olives were really fresh.

abandoning the bun altogether, but quite enjoyed my sandwich.

If I had to complain about anything, though, it would have to be the pie. I ordered a coconut cream pie, not expecting the thickness of the pie itself. I’ve always made my own personal

pies to be far lighter, with no merengue. While I wasn’t surprised at the merengue, I couldn’t stomach how thick and sweet the pie itself was.

I, personally, will be trying another type of pie on my next visit.

The pecan pie was a close runner-up for my favorite part.

It wasn’t too runny or too sticky sweet like a lot of pecan pies. It held its shape and tasted freshly made. The only thing that would have made it better was a homemade pie crust! For the taco salad, a water, and the slice of pie, I paid a little under $12.

All in all, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the meal. I didn’t go in expecting to like it, but I ended up really enjoying it.

The Arka Tech

Editor-in-Chief: Entertainment CLAUDIA YOUNG Writer: RYAN HARMON Managing Editors: AMBER QUAID Staff Writers: RICCI LOGAN SIERRA MURPHY

JOLI DUPY

Online Editor: SAM HOISINGTON

KAREN RICKETTS

Assistant Online Editor: AMBER APPLEBY

Advertising Manager: AMBER QUAID

Sports Writer: MATTHEW EMERY

JAMES KNECHT

Faculty Advisor: TOMMY MUMERT

GENERAL POLICY News stories printed in The Arka Tech must be accurate, fair and as unbiased as possible. Any mistakes in fact found in an issue of The Arka Tech will be corrected in the first possible issue.

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AMBER APPLEBY/THE ARKA TECH The Bookwheel sells new and used books, buys back used books and has a 20 percent discount for Tech students.

Russellville man sees his dream come true AMBER APPLEBY

Assistant Online Editor James Smith is an eighth grade English teacher at Russellville Junior High School by day, but in the evenings, he joins his wife at their bookstore, The Bookwheel.

Plans had been in the works since 2009 when he purchased the URL that is now his bookstore’s website. Smith admits that without the encouragement of his wife, Charity Smith, he never would have opened the store.

“I’ve always had a love and passion for books,” said Smith and with the closing of Vintage Books and the impending closing of Hastings, James said the timing was “just impeccable” for the opening of their bookstore.

The Bookwheel sells new and used books. They also buy back used books and have a 20 percent discount for all Tech students.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2016

The Bookwheel had an unofficial opening on April 4, but made sure to tell their customers the store was still a “work-in-progress.”

their regulars as well.

“I tell people it’s sort of like build-a-bookstore,” James said.

Though The Bookwheel has not been open for long, it will soon be moving.

The store is constantly getting in new and used products and it is all based around what the customers want and are asking for, he said.

The official grand opening was on Aug. 9. For their grand opening, they had Tech professor and local author Dr. Stanley Lombardo do a book signing for them.

Since their grand opening, The Bookwheel has seen a lot of traffic, according to James.

“More and more new people come in every day,” James said.

Though they still cater to

“We have people who come in here like every other day,” said Charity.

Currently The Bookwheel is located in a small shopping center on East Parkway near Vape City.

The Bookwheel will be staying in the same shopping center, but will be moving to a bigger building that used to be occupied by Kaleidoclasm.

James and Charity are currently the only ones who work in the store. They hope to be able to hire sometime next year, but for now, they are happy right where they are.

“This is just, essentially, the realization of a dream I’ve had for a long time,” James said.

Sports | PAGE 7

DILLON RABB /THE ARKA TECH

Tech first shutout since 2002 The Wonder Boys opened the 2016 season at Thone Stadium last week, treating the home crowd to a 46-0 win over Southern Nazarene.

MATTHEW EMERY

Southern Nazarene.

left in the first quarter.

Following their first shut-out win since 2002, the Wonder Boys will look to continue their fortunes against Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee, Oklahoma, at noon on Saturday.

Ty Reasnor, a junior from Cashion, Oklahoma, made his debut in the green and gold and completed 22 of his 26 passes, for a total of 231 yards, and a touchdown.

The Wonder Boys opened the 2016 season at Thone Stadium last week, treating the home crowd to a 46-0 win over

The Wonder Boys’ defense made its presence known almost immediately, as they forced a safety with 11:24

The defense would continue to apply the pressure as Southern Nazarene was not able to breach the 50-yard line into Arkansas Tech territory once during the first half.

Sports Writer

Bruce Livingston, a senior from Bradenton, Florida, set the bar for the Tech defense, as he

led with nine tackles.

Seth Culp, a senior from Temple, Texas, was right behind Livingston, with seven tackles of his own.

came at the start of the third quarter, but the drive ended with a turnover on downs, as the fourth down conversion failed.

Southern Nazarene would be able to make it to the red zone twice in the second half, but left with nothing to show for it.

In the fourth quarter, with 3:03 remaining, Southern Nazarene made it back to the red zone, but it was stopped

by Greg Abrams, a senior from Lakeland, Florida, who intercepted a pass to seal the game

The first red zone trip for Southern Nazarene

for the Wonder Boys.

The Wonder Boys are coming off a nine win season that secured them a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2009, winning the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl.

The GAC pre-season coaches’ poll picked them to finish sixth in the Great American Conference.

Cross Country Opener

RICCI LOGAN

Staff Writer

The Golden Suns Cross Country team kicked off their season Saturday, Aug. 3 when they ran against Memphis Twilight. Last season the Golden Suns finished fifth in the Great American Conference Championship; now the suns are ranked sixth in the preseason polls.

SIERRA MURPHY/THE ARKA TECH On behalf of Tech’s athletic department, Dr. Bowen accepted an award during the Tuesday, Aug. 23 pep rally.

ATU examining legal remedies to NCAA dispute SAM HOISINGTON

part of the basketball program.

Arkansas Tech University’s Board of Trustees gave the go-ahead for university administration to consider or pursue the legal options available to them to reverse sanctions from the NCAA at their most recent meeting on August 18.

The investigation also found that the university had reserved on-campus housing in the University Commons apartment complex for an “indeterminate” number of student-athletes before non-athletes could apply for housing, which also violated NCAA bylaws.

Online Editor

A 2015 NCAA investigation concluded that Arkansas Tech had paid or waived $14,250 in housing security deposits for 57 prospects or student athletes across several sports during a four-year period spanning from 2009-2013. Forty-nine of the 53 athletes involved were

As a result of the finding, the NCAA publicly censured the university, imposed a $5,000 fine and ordered the university to forfeit 205 basketball wins.

It was also ordered that the vice president overseeing housing and the athletic compliance

officer attend an NCAA rules seminar.

These sanctions were on top of the sanctions that the university self-imposed on itself after self-reporting the violation to the NCAA, which included reductions recruiting calendars and available financial aid for the men’s and women’s basketball programs.

The university agreed to all but one sanction, the forfeited wins, which they tried to appeal through an internal NCAA appeals committee.

The

appeals

committee

upheld the original decision in March of this year after hearing oral and written arguments from the university.

Sam Strasner, director of university relations, said any legal action taken would seek exclusively to regain the forfeited wins.

“No decision has been made to pursue a legal remedy, but if that course of action is found to be prudent, regaining the vacated victories will be the only goal,” he said via email.

Further developments are expected to be announced in the next several weeks.

Five of the top runners returned to compete again this season. Coach Tom Aspel said, “the freshmen are leading the way so far.” According to Aspel the team has been practicing hard, but he won’t know the team’s true potential until the first competition. He said he feels like he can mold this young team into winners.

The Golden Suns were one of the 137 teams to make the allacademic list with an accumulative 3.17 GPA average as a team.

This season, Aspel is hoping some of his players will make the individual all academic list. He said if there’s one thing he wants his players to take away from this seasons, it’s to have confidence to know that, “we can compete with anybody.”

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2016

PAGE 8 | Community

Welcome Week 2016 Student sections competed to win a spirit award at last Tuesday's pep rally, spelling out A-T-U in YMCA style.

SIERRA MURPHY/THE ARKA TECH Colton Watson of the Tech cheer team pumps up the student crowd.

SIERRA MURPHY /THE ARKA TECH

JAMES KNECHT /THE ARKA TECH Mitch Thompson, a wellness and science major from Little Rock, takes a bite out of a juicy slice of watermelon that was served at the Watermelon Fest.

JAMES KNECHT /THE ARKA TECH The community came together on the corner of El Paso and L Street to enjoy meals from food trucks and listen to music at The Scene before the first Tech game on Sept. 1.

SIERRA MURPHY /THE ARKA TECH Jordan Watson, wellness and science major from Jonesboro, lead a cheer for the Wonder Boys at the pep rally last Tuesday.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2016

CLAUDIA YOUNG/THE ARKA TECH Students gathered on August 26 to celebrate the start of the school year with a black light party hosted by SAB.