Vol 93 iss 4

ARKATECH THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1923

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A R K A N S A S T E C H U N I V E R S I T Y / / T H U R S D A Y, S E P T. 2 9 , 2 0 1 6 • V O L . 9 3 N O . 0 4

Beginnings of El Paso KAREN RICKETTS

Staff Writer

University President Dr. Robin Bowen first talked about potentially developing El Paso three years ago during her inaugural address. That is now becoming a reality with university administration and community leaders working together to begin the development process.

El Paso is a street that lies south of the university and connects to Parkway Avenue. University administration has a vision to turn the street into a place that bridges the university and its students to the Russellville community.

Miller Bockus Lack, P.A., an architecture firm out of Fayetteville, is spearheading the project with Gateway Planning, an urban design and development firm from Conway. The discovery process started in late July and will continue through November. This process includes meetings with Tech faculty, staff, students and members of the Russellville community.

Dr. Jeff Mott, Arkansas Tech University chief of staff said, “It’s really to understand what everyone would like for El Paso to be in the future and getting a lot of different perspectives.”

Three rounds of community discussions are planned, including a charrette, which is basically a community workshop where Miller Bockus Lack will present what it has been working on and facilitate a brain storming session to gather final ideas.

“Right now it is planned for the first week in November, after homecoming,” Mott said.

Mott said the architecture and urban planning firm would then present their findings to the Tech administration and the administration would then begin to look at the properties they own and prioritize the first projects based on what people want El Paso to look like.

“Miller, Bockus and Lack are really guiding us through how we think about this. We’ve never done something like this before,” Mott said.

In parallel with the three sessions, Gateway Planning is doing a formal market analysis of Russellville and the area. The analysis will look at things like the number of restaurants. It’s looking at what Russellville has plenty of and what it does not have.

A local economic study from the fall of 2012 estimated the impact Arkansas Tech University (both Russellville and Ozark campuses) had on its immediate service areas was $219 million.

“I think the economic impact that Tech will have on the

(EL PASO page 4)

SPIRT SQUAD - PAGE 5

News in brief HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

GOOGLE EARTH

HUMANS OF ARKANSAS TECH

Thursday, Sept. 29, in the Doc Bryan Lecture Hall from 7-8 p.m., the Department of Diversity and Inclusion will present Hispanic Heritage month keynote speaker Antonio Gonzalez. Selected by Time Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, Gonzalez will speak to the importance of the Hispanic Heritage in America and why the Hispanic vote is underrepresented.

followed by family time in the Arkansas Tech Bookstore, the Arkansas Tech University Museum, and Norman Art Building. Get ready to cheer on your favorite football team at the Wonder Boys football pre-game tailgate from 3-6 p.m. on Centennial Plaza.

FOOTBALL Don’t miss the game against Henderson State University at 6 p.m. at Thone Stadium. Come help us cheer the Wonder Boys to victory in the Great American Conference battle!

JAZZ ESEMBLE'S FIRST CONCERT CHAMBER CHOIR, The Arkansas Tech CONCERT CHORALE

University Jazz Ensemble will be presenting its first concert of the semester with a selection of standard jazz charts Friday, Sept. 30 in Witherspoon Auditorium, from 7:309:00 p.m. as a part of the Family Day weekend kickoff.

FAMILY DAY JAZZ BRUNCH On Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9-11 a.m. Tech offers a Family Day Jazz Brunch in Chambers,

Arkansas Tech University Chamber Choir and Concert Chorale will be in concert Tuesday, Oct. 4 from 7:30-9 p.m.

NORMAN ART GALLERY If you want to pique your artistic interest and view beautiful art, check out Feral Garden II by David Smith, a ceramicist’s work in Norman Art Gallery, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

"I was recruited to play tennis here and came as a freshman knowing no one. As soon as I got here I met my team, which has turned into my family, and got involved in my sorority [Alpha Sigma Tau] which has helped me get even more comfortable on campus. After I graduate this year, I'll move back to Texas to purse becoming an orthopedic physician's assistant. Given the nursing program here is amazing, I feel very ready for this path. I've been blessed to have the one-on-one attention with my professors and Coach [Davis] has been very understanding of my schedule. Being a student-athlete is tough, really tough. But throughout my time here, I've learned time management skills and the importance of representing more than just myself: my team, my coach, my school."

-Vandella Suico, at the tennis courts of Chartwells Womens Sports Complex Arkansas Tech University has begun a Humans of Arkansas Tech picture, story profile of various people who attend, work or are part of Tech's campuses. To see other Humans of Arkansas Tech profiles go to Tech's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/arkansastech.

Correction In our Sept. 15 issue an article entitled "On-campus organization brings awareness" we stated that Service Members and Veterans of America hosted the suicide prevention event. The correct host for that event was Tech's Counseling Services.

Greek Life to host GREEK 101 seminar ELEXIS HARPER

Contributing Writer

On Oct. 2, students are welcomed to join the Greek programming board at the GREEK 101 seminar.

Megan Edmonds, coordinator of Greek Life, describes the seminar as “an all-day educational program that shares information with them on the topics of diversity and inclusion, social media awareness, our anti-hazing policy, and a few other topical areas.”

The set up and room designation for the presenting groups begins at 9 a.m. and

new Greek Life members and other attending students will be greeted starting at 9:30. They will be swiped in and given a group number, allowing them to take a seat in their starting room.

After check-in, Tiffini Jarvis, the president of the programming board, and Brooks Laffoon, the assistant director of special events, will welcome participants and give the first presentation. On Track graduate assistants will take over, talking to each member about the program.

The rest of the seminar will be divided into break out sessions, with two from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and two from 12:30-1

p.m. with a break for lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a special presentation from Michael Nicholson with the Jerry Cares program.

The four sessions will allow the participants to switch between the four rooms and speakers and hear all of the other mini-presentations in the program.

The rooms will be led by Greek programming board speakers Leah Long, Allison Holloway, Qassye Hall and Olivia Karnes.

The seminar will conclude at 1:30 p.m. with closing statements from Laffoon, Jarvis, and two other members of the board.

UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

This 2015 photo shows the various sororities and fraternities within Tech's Greek Life.

PAGE 2 | Opinion

Karen Rickets Staff Writer

Issue 2: Governor to keep powers when absent from state This seven-part series will examine the seven issues on the Arkansas State ballot for the general election on Nov. 8th. The objective of the series is to provide voters with information about each individual issue on the ballot before Election Day. Issue two seeks to make changes to Amendment Six of Arkansas’ Constitution to allow the governor to retain his or her powers and duties when absent from the state.

Amendment Six has been left untouched since Sept. 6, 1914, when it was added under the Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Amendment.

More than 100 years later, the Arkansas Legislature seeks to amend it.

Currently, Amendment Six of the Arkansas Constitution requires that the lieutenant governor may take the powers of the governor when the governor leaves the state. Issue two was designed to ensure that the Arkansas governor retains power upon leaving the state.

A “yes” vote for issue two will allow Arkansas governors to keep their regular political authority when out of the state, while a “no” vote opposes the proposal to let governors to hold on to these regular powers when they leave the state. In selecting “no,” voters opt to continue letting the lieutenant governor take over during these periods.

Attention to Amendment Six came from a situation in 2013 when then-Governor Mike Beebe traveled to Washington D.C. for a National Governors Association Meeting. While Beebe was away, Lieutenant Governor Mark Darr took advantage of Beebe’s absence and signed a piece of legislation into law that Beebe opposed.

Issue two was designed to prohibit the lieutenant governor from acting in this way in the future.

Issue two was passed through the Arkansas Legislature with a nearly unanimous vote of approval. Only one representative, Sen. Alan Clark (R-13) opposed the issue.

Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin (R) is in favor of issue two saying, “Currently, the governor is unable to retain his or her powers and duties when absent from the state.

Sen. Williams’ proposed constitutional amendment would change this outdated provision of the Arkansas Constitution. In this day and age, with technology and the ability to stay connected, it’s the right thing to do. Just as the president retains his or her powers when absent from the country, the governor should retain his or her powers when absent from the state.”

Visit arkleg.state.ar.us to read the exact changes to be made with issue two. For more information pertaining to issue two visit ballotpedia. org.

Marijuana: Vote your conscience 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.

This upcoming voting session will include two medical marijuana issues on the ballot.

Whether you vote for a president or not in the national election this should not stop you from voting on these issues at the state level.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, medical marijuana is defined as using the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat a disease or symptom. There are many people for and against medical marijuana but before you decide let us explain why we are for it and why you should vote for it.

Current studies have medical marijuana can relieve or cure the side effects of: severe nausea, seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, anorexia, ADHD, autism, glaucoma, lupus, migraines, PTSD and residual limb (phantom) pain, to name a few. Though there were studies done in the 1970s with marijuana it did not have the medical implications as today’s studies have.

There have also been numerous anti-marijuana ads over the years. Ads that say marijuana will turn you into a sloth, making you slow and unable to tell what objects really are or that it is a gateway drug to meth.

“This is all propaganda to scare an uneducated viewer about the effects of marijuana,” Harry Shapiro, author of “Waiting for the Man: the story of drugs and music,” said in his book.

Now don’t get us wrong there are negative side effects.

“Because marijuana impairs short-term memory and judgment and distorts perception, it can impair performance in school or at work and make it dangerous to drive an automobile,” said Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

This is the same effect alcohol has, but you need to do your own research and come to your own opinion.

Volkow continues to say that “it also affects brain systems that are still maturing through young adulthood, so regular use by teens may have a negative and long-lasting effect on their cognitive development. Also, contrary to popular belief, marijuana can be addictive, and its use during adolescence may make other forms of drug abuse or addiction more likely.”

Marijuana is not a gateway drug as the public has known it, because it can be a gateway drug to those who would already have a predisposition to abuse other substances, but it is not for the rest of the populous, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Note that the most harmful time for marijuana on humans is during adolescence, which we agree that a developing adolescence’s mind should not be tampered with.

But there are positive effects that should

USA TODAY

not be ignored.

There are two main cannabinoids, which are any of a group of closely related compounds that include cannabinol and the active constituents of cannabis, from the marijuana plant that are of medical interest are tetrahydrocannabinol or THC and Cannabidiol or CBD, according to the Business Insider-Science. THC increases appetite and reduces nausea. The FDA-approved THC-based medications are used for these purposes. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation and muscle control problems. CBD is a cannabinoid that does not affect the mind or behavior. It may be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and possibly even treating mental illness and addictions.

These positive effects should not be ignored but need to be supported and further researched. This is why we want you to vote for medical marijuana.

But herein also lies a problem.

There are currently 2 issues on the ballot for people to vote on. One issue is founded to protect both the buyers and the suppliers and the other is not. This is important to know when voting because splitting the vote will benefit neither.

We have Issue 6 for medical marijuana, also known as AMMA - Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, which is an amendment that protects the business side, but does not protect the buyers or allow individual growers if a pharmacy is not close by. Issue 6 also does not use the funds to be self sustaining: 10 percent goes to the medical marijuana program, 10 percent goes to the Skills Development Fund, 30 percent goes to the state's General Fund, 50 percent goes to the state's Vocational and Technical Training Special Revenue Fund. Allowing the business side and government to profit.

Then we have Issue 7 for medical marijuana, also known as AMCA - Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, which is an act that protects the buyer, the business and has a higher standard for qualifying conditions (allowing those who need it for medical use, instead of recreational use, to qualify). Issue 7 also requires that all sales tax revenue goes back into the medical marijuana program so that it is self-sustaining.

“The AMCA is a comprehensive blueprint for establishing and regulating a medical cannabis program in Arkansas. This is not a recreational measure,” said Arkansans for Compassionate Care in a press release.

Issue 6 is supported by Maumelle Liquor, Arkansans United for Medical Marijuana and Broadleaf PSG LLC, and is opposed by Arkansas Surgeon General Greg Bledsoe, Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, Coalition for Safer Arkansas Communities, Arkansas Faith & Ethics Council, Arkansas Against Legalized Marijuana and the Family Council Action Committee.

Issue 7 is supported by Arkansans for Compassionate Care, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, Drug Policy Alliance, Marijuana Policy Project, New Approach PAC, and is opposed by Arkansans Against Legalized Marijuana, Arkansas Surgeon General Greg Bledsoe, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, Coalition for Safer Arkansas Communities and Arkansas Faith & Ethics Council.

We support the Issue 7 medical marijuana act and do not support Issue 6. We want you to decide for yourself on how to vote and hope that you will vote in the next voting session.

Shut up and play: musicians blindsiding their fans with politics RYAN HARMON

Entertainment Writer Every U.S. election features a certain amount of commentary, especially from musicians. This year has been no different. My tolerance, however, has been.

In previous years, it was easier to just ignore the comments, regardless of which side of the aisle they fell on. But now, it seems like we lack the ability to have a civilized discussion or to just simply agree to disagree.

I have no problem with people expressing their opinions, just as long as they give those with opposing views the same respect. What I do have a problem with is musicians blindsiding their fans with politics.

A few months ago, Robin Zander of Cheap Trick commented on the band's offer to play at this year's Republican National Convention. Zander made the comment that the band would, "have to make guitars with swastikas to make it make sense." This did not sit well with fans of the band, who viewed Cheap Trick as an antipolitical band.

I make a point in my shows to not make any political commentary, be-

cause that's not what people are there for. They're there to have a good time and forget about everyday life, especially politics. Do I have opinions? Yes, but you don't need to know them to enjoy the music.

Some artists are known for their political commentary, however, so their fans know what they're getting when they buy a ticket. For instance, if you go see Steve Earle, you shouldn't be surprised to hear political references. He's always included that in his music. Some musicians even go on the campaign trail with politicians, like Bruce Springsteen did with President Obama. Those aren't the artists I'm talking about.

I'm talking about the artists that think their popularity is equal to the value of their opinion, or that anyone who disagrees with them is stupid.

If you sing and play guitar, you're no more of a political genius than I am. More importantly, your opinion doesn't matter any more than mine.

Your vote counts the same as mine.

So if I pay $50 to see you play some great music, don't preach politics to me. Preaching wasn't on the ticket.

Grab your guitar and get on the stage.

Shut up and play.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

FLICKR.COM

Campus | PAGE 3

MAN ON THE STREET What do you think about women playing professional baseball?

“You normally see men doing it, so women seeing women do it may persuade them to do more.”

Jayla Mitchell Rehabilitation Science Jonesboro

“I honestly don’t see a reason where there shouldn’t be.”

Doug Pehrson Wellness Science Russellville

“I think it’s really cool. Anything of a female putting themselves out there is really good.”

Cami Hedstrom Fisheries and Wildlife Bentonville

“I believe, if they have the talent to do it, they should be able to.”

KJ Mallett Physical Education Star City

“I think they would go through a lot of hardship.”

Layne Martinez Agriculture Business Gravette

“People think they can’t do as much as men, but I think they’re capable of anything.”

Madison Haney Nursing Dardanelle

A shrine to peace, enlightenment SAM HOISINGTON

Online Editor

Gone are the business-casual clothes of the Western World that Dr. Joshua Fisher, assistant professor of art history, used to wear.

In its place are the looser fitting clothes of India and beyond. He meditates, and has started doing yoga. He has tea every morning, sitting on floor cushions, while ambient sounds play on his office computer.

What is immediately noticeable—the clothes, the music, the tea—aren’t the most important changes that Fisher has made. These outward changes are signs of a deeper, conscious choice to seek internal peace every day.

Stress and insomnia sent Fisher looking for answers during the summer of 2015. Fast forward three months, and he appeared a changed man.

“It was pretty sudden, actually,” Fisher said. “It all came about in trying to deal with my insomnia and my level of stress. You know, I used to think that I thrived on stress, but I think that was sort of the man in me wanting to be tough, wanting to feel like really hard challenges just made me stronger, but I realized there are good challenges and there are challenges that are harmful,” Fisher said.

“So yeah, it happened all pretty quickly over the course of a summer, but it’s still an ongoing process.”

Key to his new lifestyle is a focus on the present.

“I’ve tried not being fixated on things, not being attached to things, just sort of living in the present,” Fisher said. “Not focusing on the future. I think we can be so goal oriented, especially in a job like this where there’s opportunities for advancement, opportunities for promotion, and especially when we’re surrounded by students who I think are goal oriented people. They want to get certain grades; they want to get certain jobs,” Fisher said.

“Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that going to school or teaching or doing research is a good thing in itself, and it's the experience and the challenge that’s the real reward and not the goal or the accomplishment that comes at the end of all that.”

It was in Woodstock, a rural town in New York, where Fisher first picked up the beginnings of his new wardrobe, which features loose linens and kurtas.

“It’s just an environment where it was okay to be who you are. You’ll walk down the street or drive down the street and people will be flashing the peace sign as they walk by along the road. I’m from rural New York myself so it was a place that felt more like home to me and so I want to bring a little bit of that home here.”

The peace he was able to find in Woodstock came back with him to his office, where he has since made drastic changes. Visitors will now see his computer tucked into a corner, with the focal point of the room being the floor cushions in the center of floor. It is here that he has his morning tea, which is open to students too. His time for students is divided between tea time and regular office hours. Office hours are for class business; tea time is for larger thought.

“They can sort of slow down, take a step back and

SAM HOISINGTON/THE ARKA TECH think about what their life means as a whole and how what they do here connects with that. This space and this time is supposed to be sort of a bridge between the world inside and the world outside, and that’s why I make this space kind of like an office but kind of not.

“Now of course if somebody comes in during office hours and wants to talk about a tea-time sort of thing or comes in during tea-time and wants to talk about an office hours kind of thing, I don’t say ‘hey, you’re here at the wrong time,’ but tea time is to kind of just take a moment to de-stress, to be mindful.”

Indeed, his office is a space like none other on campus. A sign outside the door describes Fisher’s space not as an office, but as a shrine of peace and enlightenment— a place for work as well as a place for peace. The two can coincide, Fisher asserts.

“I don't really feel like anymore that my work life and my home life are separate from each other, you know. I think a lot of people think of work, whether it be their job or students with their school work, they think work as stress and then everything else as time to destress but I don’t see that. I see myself as living one life.”

Fisher said he hopes his commitment to peacefulness will come out in the classroom too.

“Well for one thing, I feel like, well I hope at least, my tranquil state, my peaceful state will rub off on my students and that they won’t be so stressed... I think I’m sensing that.”

Hybrid seeds vs. open-pollinated seeds JAMES KNECHT

Contributing Writer

Hybrid or open-pollinated seeds, what is the difference? Why does it matter?

An Arkansas Tech University professor suggests that while there are important differences between hybrid and open-pollinated seeds, hybrid seeds are ultimately derived from open-pollinated seeds.

Joshua Lockyer, associate professor of anthropology and director of ROOST (Revitalizing Ozark-Ouachita Seed Traditions) said, “The hybrid seeds were made from the pool of genes that is the collection of openpollinated seeds.”

ROOST is an on-campus community organization that is devoted to the use, preservation and distribution of open-pollinated seeds.

OK, so what is the real difference?

According to blog.seedsavers. org, “commercially available hybridized seed…is deliberately created to breed a desired trait.” Some of the bred traits are high yield, drought resistance and resistance to common diseases. Hybrid seeds are produced by companies such as Monsanto, DuPont and Syngenta.

Monsanto, DuPont and Syngenta are all producers of genetically modified seeds as well as chemicals, such as herbicides and insecticides, that are produced to compliment those seeds.

On the other hand, according to blog.seedsavers.org, an open-pollinated seed is, “more genetically diverse.”

SEEDSAVERS.ORG

Additionally, “This can cause a greater amount of variation within plant populations, which allows plants to slowly adapt to local growing conditions and climate year-to-year.”

Open-pollinated seeds are normally passed down through families with a history of gardening and are often referred to as heirloom seeds.

So which should you choose?

There are pros and cons to both.

The genetic diversity of an open pollinated variety can help protect an entire crop from being wiped out by disease. Hybrids are resilient against disease, but since they are all genetically the same, “once disease strikes, the whole crop based on that hybrid seed shares the same vulnerability,” Lockyer said.

Additionally, if you want to be able

to save seeds for the next year, you can expect an open pollinated seed to be nearly genetically the same as the mother plant. Hybrid seeds have to be bought year after year because there is no genetic continuity. You can expect a hybrid seed to have different traits than that of its mother plant, if you save seeds from it.

Ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference. Both types of seeds are good to use in a garden. Hybrids are typically good for beginners because they are bred for desired traits that make cultivating them easier.

Open pollinated is more intermediate because you work with the traits that are there which may or may not be favorable.

There is more information available at: http://blog.seedsavers.org.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

PAGE 4 | News

News in brief HOMECOMING SIGN UP DEADLINES CLAUDIA YOUNG

Editor-in-Chief

CLAUDIA YOUNG/THE ARKA TECH Students in the Parks and Recreation Club picked up trash while kayaking on Saturday.

National Public Lands Day CLAUDIA YOUNG

Editor-in-Chief

Students in the Parks and Recreation Club at Tech participated in National Public Lands Day by helping clean up litter at Lake Dardanelle State Park. They arrived at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 and kayaked around the outskirts of the lake, picking up litter and emptying their finds onto a tour boat until lunchtime. A variety of trash was found, including plastic bottles, Styrofoam and a broken buoy.

The clean up was for Tech’s monthly Action Day, which gets students involved in contributing to the community.

Nearly 200 volunteers participated in the September Action Day, across the park and the community; the Tech Agriculture Club also picked up litter on Skyline Drive.

“I want to thank everyone who took time out of their Saturday morning to make Russellville an even better place,” Megan Ayres, park interpreter and Tech alumnus, said. “I love seeing our college students investing in the Russellville community and encourage students to find ways to get involved. “ The staff at Lake Dardanelle State Park has been participating in National Public Lands Day for over 16 years.

Ayres said Tech students are always welcome at the park.

SAM HOISINGTON/THE ARKA TECH Pierce Johnson, right, recreation and park administration major from Lonoke, hands off a litter bag to Jason Baumgartner, aquarist at Lake Dardanelle State Park.

CLAUDIA YOUNG/THE ARKA TECH Students head out on the water Saturday morning.

SAM HOISINGTON/THE ARKA TECH A portion of the litter that was collected on the lake.

OPEN FORUM BRINGS POLICE, COMMUNITY TOGETHER SAM STRASNER

University Relations

SAM HOISINGTON/THE ARKA TECH Trey Fales, recreation and park administration major from Clarksville, brings a kayak full of litter back to the trash boat.

The Arka Tech

GENERAL POLICY

Editor-in-Chief: CLAUDIA YOUNG

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. Opinions expressed in The Arka Tech are not necessarily the opinions of Arkansas Tech University or its students. Individual copies of The Arka Tech are free to members of the Tech community.

Contact the adviser for pricing of multiple copies.

Managing Editors: AMBER QUAID SIERRA MURPHY Online Editor: SAM HOISINGTON Assistant Online Editor: AMBER APPLEBY Sports Writer: MATTHEW EMERY Entertainment Writer: RYAN HARMON Staff Writers: RICCI LOGAN JOLI DUPY KAREN RICKETTS

CONTACT US Office: Energy Center 138 General email: arkatech@atu.edu Ads email: arkatech.ads@atu.edu

Homecoming Week 2016 falls on Oct. 24-29.

There are currently three ways for students to get involved, but they must sign up online.

Registered Student Organizations and Resident Halls have the opportunity to show their spirit at the Homecoming Pep Rally. The group with the most energy and enthusiasm will win a three-foot-tall, green and gold spirit stick.

RSOs and Resident Halls can also create signs for the annual sign competition. Groups must paint a mural of their interpretation of the Homecoming theme, “Beat the Rangers.” First place will win $500, second place $300 and third place $100. Prizes will be deposited into the winning group’s agency account. For more information, visit theLink.

Finally, all students can nominate fellow students for the 2016 Homecoming Queen.

The deadline to sign up for all three opportunities is on Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. All forms can be found at www.thelink.atu.edu/organization/homecoming/ availableforms.

JAMES KNECHT Advertising Manager: AMBER QUAID Faculty Advisor: TOMMY MUMERT

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

An audience consisting of Arkansas Tech University students, faculty, staff and administrators, as well as members of the surrounding community, interacted with three representatives from local law enforcement during a police and community open forum at the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center on Sept.

21.

Captain Dale Saffold, Arkansas state police, Captain David Ewing, Russellville police department, and Chief Joshua McMillian, Arkansas Tech department of public safety, shared their views on their profession’s role in society during a panel discussion moderated by Dr. MarTeze Hammonds, associate dean for diversity and inclusion at Arkansas Tech. Those in attendance had an opportunity to submit questions for the panel.

“It’s important that our officers treat people fairly,” said Saffold. “I have three rules that I talk about all the time: be safe, give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay and treat people like you want to be treated. I don’t care what your job or title is, if you do that, that covers it.”

Part of the discussion sought to provide context for recent incidents involving police officers and individuals of color around the United States, some of which have resulted in the use of deadly force.

“We talk about what happened, but we often miss out on the why,” said Ewing. “Was it poor training?

Was it poor recruiting? I would ask you to be a critical thinker and come up with your own conclusion based upon the facts.”

The panelists also discussed mandatory annual training that all police officers in Arkansas participate in as part of efforts to remove bias and profiling related to race from their profession.

All three panelists agreed that training and building relationships with the community are critical and that all three of the organizations they represent have made significant improvements in those areas in recent years.

“As a profession, we suffer from the bad choices of a few officers,” said McMillian. “Treating other people with respect…that’s professionalism. I would ask you to not judge every officer because one officer treats you wrong. My door is always open. We’re building relationships because that’s the only way we can do our job and do it well.”

GOAT OWNERS, ENTHUSIASTS FROM AROUND THE STATE WILL GATHER TO CELEBRATE Goats are the main attraction at the upcoming Arkansas Goat Festival from 10 a.m. -7 p.m on Oct. 1 in Perryville. Goat owners from around the state are invited to dress up their goats for the goat costume contest and to enter them in the goat races and parade.

The event also includes an art show featuring goatthemed art, a celebrity goat milking contest, cheese making and tasting demos courtesy of Heifer Ranch, live music, food and vendors.

Non-goat owners are

invited to interact with the animals, participate in the “G.O.A.T.” gameshow on the main stage, vote in the art show and enjoy the games and entertainment of the day. Everyone can enjoy music from the Fat Soul Band, The Boomers or enjoy edible treats such as goat ice cream from Loblolly Creamery, tasty offerings from Mustang Sally’s, Mexican fare from Los Alamos. There will be goat petting and cheese making demonstrations courtesy of Heifer Ranch.

The Goat Festival is open

to the public and is free to attend. It will take place at the City Park on Recreation Drive in Perryville. The event, created and presented by Crescent Creek Farm, is intended for goat lovers to come together for a good time, and to stimulate tourism and economic development of the area. There will be information and events for goat-rearing novices and experts alike, and attractions including face painting and games for kids and adults.

Fore more information go online at www.arkansasgoatfestival.com.

EL PASO From Page 1 community once El Paso has been developed will go up a lot,” Mott said. “When you have money going into the city that way, it allows the city to do to do other things outside of El Paso. It’s like a domino effect.”

The development of El Paso will be an on-going process, with initial growth within the next five years and continued development over the next decade.

“People will see that we are doing something and

that we aren’t just talking about it, and that’s when the momentum kicks into gear,” Mott said. “I think once you get down the road, three to five years is when you start to see it more as an experience.”

THE

ARKATECH

Features | PAGE 5

Spirit from sidelines, not from stands SIERRA MURPHY

Managing Editor

The demand on college athletes may not be apparent to some. Universities allow for, and prioritize for, academics to come first, but put an emphasis on community involvement and necessary practices.

Arkansas Tech University is no exception.

The dance and cheer teams, known as “spirit squads”, are 32 strong this semester, including alternates. Of those 32 members, though, only three are male. And while cheer and dance are stereotypically perceived as female dominated, Tristan, Jay and Colton are proving there’s not only room for men, there’s room for personal growth as well.

Jay Anderson, a psychology and theatre double major from Little Rock, said his first semester of cheer has been a learning curve, but “so invigorating.”

“I’ve always wanted to be a cheerleader but I never had the courage to,” Anderson said.

While Anderson always shied away from cheer, he hasn’t been a stranger to the physicality or the time demands the sport call for.

“I’ve been dancing for 10 years,” Anderson said, Ever the athlete, Anderson also participated in basketball at a young age. The shift to cheer, though, is one he’s had to get used to; the terminology and technicality is something he has yet to perfect, he said.

That same learning curve has stumbled even the seasoned cheerleader.

Colton Watson, hospitality major from Harrison, has been involved in cheer since he was a junior in high school.

“I went to a competitive gym and I was awful – couldn’t even do a forward roll, couldn’t do a cartwheel.”

Repetition, he said, was the only way he learned how to master his skills.

“I started working really hard at it,” Watson said. “Always trying to get better. I’ve never been pushed

NATHAN YOUNG/THE ARKA TECH in a sport like that.”

While Watson’s previous athletic career consisted nothing short of little league, fellow cheer leader Tristan Trundle, a rehabilitation science major from Pea Ridge, can second the fact cheerleading is as physically demanding, if not more so, than any other sport he’s partici-

pated in.

Track and field, football, basketball – Trundle was a successful, well-rounded athlete that spent his fair share of blood and sweat on a field or hardwood. However, cheerleading demands something all other sports don’t.

“You don’t have to have as

much strength as you have to have skill,” Trundle said.

Male cheerleaders are generally expected to be able to partner stunt, or work with a fellow female cheerleader. Commonly seen partner stunts include toss hands, where the female is thrown into the air and the male catches her feet, usu-

ally resting his elbows at his side as he bears her weight and keeps her level. A variation of a toss hand is a toss hand extension, where the male proceeds to lift the female above his head, straightening his arms and engaging his entire torso, to keep the form of the hold upright and tight.

Not all partner stunts can be perfected, though, unless the relationship between the partners itself is built.

“You have to stunt with them to get a relationship,” Trundle said.

And the more partners a cheerleader stunts with, the more refined his technique becomes. But it can’t be stressed enough; the level of skill and athleticism involved in cheerleading is something that arguably surpasses a few select sports.

Technique is not the only thing cheerleaders are expected to almost perfect. Just being a Tech cheerleader means signing on for study halls, practices, games, public appearances and volunteer work within the community. And coaches couldn’t be more proud of the time these students devote to their extracurricular activities.

“I don’t think people know how involved they are,” said Breahna McCool, Tech cheer coach.

Tech cheer leaders cheer at football games, basketball games and football games, as well as make appearances at pep rallies and other on-campus organization activities.

So while they put in practice two hours a day, five days a week, they may also cheer at a volleyball game, basketball game and football game – all in the same week.

“It’s very time intensive,” said Aubrey Holt, director of Campus Life.

But to some, their presence is a necessity.

“They’re also the students providing support and spirit for our athletics teams,” Holt said.

“I think they’re a great representation of the spirit of our student body, wanting to support Arkansas Tech and being proud of being a student here.”

Hunting: the natural sport of The Natural State DAKOTA THOMAS

Contributing Writer

There is, inevitably, an almost tangible buzz about rural Arkansas every year when September rolls around.

The air is thinning, the temperature decreasing, and the kids are going to school. Autumn is arriving, with football and dear seasons following on its heels.

Arkansas is a state celebrated for its pride in Razorback football, but deer season is an equal, if not greater, source of pride and determination for Arkansans.

“I don’t really think there ever was a start to me going hunting with my family, it’s just always been there.”

Easton Carter was born and raised in the heart of Yell County, halfway between the two county seats in Danville and Dardanelle.

Carter remembers hunting as a central tier of his personal and family life his entire life.

“Deer, duck, dove. If we have a season for it, I’ve probably hunted it.” And he doesn’t feel like he’s alone in that passion by any means. “Growing up, it was just kind of the thing. Most Yell County schools have a day off specifically for the opening day of deer season, if that tells you anything.”

Today, most people will never have to rely on hunting game for their major source of nourishment. In our time, the deli aisle of the local Walmart is more often than not our feed plot and our wallets our bullets or arrows. The practice of hunting has carried over into what has become a sport for most, and a passion for many.

But without the former necessity of it, some people think that hunting has become an inhumane, cruel practice.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. I may not need that meat as much as another guy, but I eat the ones I kill. And some people really do need that meat,” Carter said.

In a state that consistently ranks among the top five states for food-insecure children under the age of 18, Arkansas is one of the more likely candidates for an area where hunting is, in general, a more natural and viable option for families to find meals.

In an age where hunting has become the chosen sport of so many people, rules and regulations are natural installations in order to control the impact made on the environment and on animal populations. With deer hunting season rolling in, local hunters need to know the proper guidelines for the 2016 season. Below are the individual

WIKIPEDIA.COM

season dates in Zone 7 for the current year, excluding locally decided urban hunts, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC): •Archery: Sept. 24- Feb. 28 (2017) •Muzzleloader: Oct. 15-23 and Dec. 10-12 •Private Land Anterless Only Modern Gun Deer Hunt: Oct. 29-Nov. 2 •Special Youth Modern Gun Deer Hunt: Nov. 5-6 and Jan. 7-8 (2017) •Modern Gun: Nov. 12-Dec. 4 and Dec. 26-28 In the wake of the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) sweep of Arkansas over the last year, certain regulations have also been implemented by the AGFC regarding proper handling of slain deer. Due to data gathered by the AGFC, Zones 1, 2 and 7 are partially or completely

within the CWD Management Zone that the commission has determined.

The applicable regulations may be accessed via agfc. com, which include restrictions on bag limits and terms; the feeding of wildlife; the import, transport or possession of deer or elk from the CWD Management Zone; and special elk regulations. A comprehensive guide to these guidelines may be found at http://www.agfc.com/ hunting/Documents/CWD/ApprovedRegsMap.pdf.

Despite certain concerns in the wake of a particularly hot and hectic year for deer hunters, Carter, like others, remains enthusiastic.

“I’ll be in the stand soon. I have work, and I have school, but I’ll definitely still find time to get some deer.”

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

PAGE 6 | Entertainment Madame Wu’s Food Review

Food Review PHOTOS BY SIERRA MURPHY/THE ARKA TECH SIERRA MURPHY

Managing Editor

This week my mouth was watering and I was starving, but it wasn’t because we were headed to Madame Wu’s. It was because we had to drive to four different restaurants before we found one that was actually open on a Monday evening.

But when we got there, I’m so glad we chose Madame Wu’s.

It didn’t seem as if dinner rush had hit when we got to the restaurant. It was around 4:45 p.m. and we ended up having to wait to get seated. After getting a booth, we were waited on promptly with frequent refills and great service.

The menu instantly caught my eye. Not only did they say they would be able to substitute food to accommodate food allergies, they were willing to reduce spiciness of other foods.

White rice, fried rice, noodles – I thought it was going to be pretty hard to choose.

I ended up ordering crab and crème cheese rangoons and The Delight, which was a veggie, pork, chicken and sea food medley, tossed in a brown sauce and served with white rice or fried rice. When I saw that I also got an eggroll and another crab rangoon, I almost fell out of the booth.

I had so much food left over I had dinner for that night, as well as the next.

Back to The Delight. To be cliché, what a delight it was. I loved the fact that I found an option that had everything in it.

I’m a huge fan of veggies and that night, I wanted a few different types of meat, so I got exactly what I wanted. And I can’t go to an Asian-style restaurant and not get fried rice.

And the eggrolls? Fresh. Crispy. Hot enough to melt your tongue. As an amateur egg roll fanatic, I have to say I do enjoy a good, crispy egg roll that it packed with veggies and a bit of chicken.

I think the only critique I would have would be the crab rangoons. I like crème cheese on my bagels or in a good dip, but I don’t like to consume straight up crème cheese. I personally didn’t find a lot of crab in the rangoons themselves, but I can tell you I’m willing to go back and try another batch to sample them again!

I’m really pleased with what Amber and I have been finding these last few weeks. Madame Wu’s is another restaurant I would absolutely recommend.

The Delight. To be cliché, what a delight it was.

The sauce was pretty spicy and I don't normally love spicy foods, but this was okay.

AMBER APPLEBY

Assistant Online Editor When Sierra and I decided on Madame Wu’s, I was a little apprehensive.

I had been there once before and I was not just extremely impressed with the food, but I was hopeful! Unfortunately, I found my latest experience to be slightly disappointing, but there were a few saving graces.

When we first walked in to Madame Wu’s, there was no one there to seat us.

We stood around for a few minutes and, eventually, Sierra yelled hello towards the kitchen area and someone hurried out to seat us. Something I have always find disconcerting about Madame Wu’s is that there are mirrors placed at just about eye level when you’re sitting at the tables.

It’s very strange to watch yourself, and other people, eat.

I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken Dinner Special which came with a soup, an eggroll, a crab rangoon and a serving of fried rice.

For the soup, I picked the egg drop soup, which came with some little, crunchy, yellow chips. Firstly, I love egg drop soup. And this egg drop soup is by far the best that I have ever had. The soup is nice and thick and the bits of egg in the soup were just the right size to not make a mess when spooning them up, but big enough to taste. The little crispy yellow chips they give you to go with the soup pair perfectly with it. I just dropped them into the soup and swirled them around and ate it as almost a stew.

It was divine.

Sierra also ordered a crab rangoon appetizer. I don’t normally eat crab rangoons, so I’m not really sure how great these were. I can say that they had a lot of cream cheese in them and not a lot of crab, but they were crispy and the flavor was good.

When our entrees came out, I was impressed. The portions were huge!

There was a platter full of the Kung Pao Chicken and a little bowl of fried rice to go with it. The Kung Pao Chicken dinner special comes cooked with vegetables and peanuts in a “tangy brown sauce.”

The sauce was pretty spicy and I don’t normally love spicy foods, but this was okay. The peanuts were the most disappointing part. They were not cooked into the food, but rather they were tossed on top of the chicken meal. They tasted like they had been bought from the grocery store and just plopped on there. They were also extremely salty.

The fried rice had a lot of soy sauce in it. It also didn’t have any vegetables in it, which I found unusual because, in my experience, fried rice comes with a least a few vegetables in it. Overall, the fried rice was pretty bland and not just wonderful.

Next time we go back, I will be ordering something much less spicy, without peanuts and steamed rice instead of fried.

I will definitely be getting egg drop soup again because it was by far the best part of that meal. I will be going back to Madame Wu’s to at least try some different dishes and see if anything else is just as good as the soup.

'Earthbound Beginnings': a new spin to an old game CHRISTOPHER CERNA

Contributing Writer

I’m an Earthbound/Mother fan. Not just that, but I am also a fan of Pokemon, as it was my first RPG game that I played. The Nintendo Entertainment System did not have RPGs for 25 years, until Nintendo announce “Earthbound Beginnings,” also known as “Mother 1” in japan, so now that is is coming to the Wii U Virtual Console, it makes me happy to finally play this game again.

The setting takes place in modernized America in the 1900s where a person plays as a boy named Ninten who has begun his adventure of finding all eight melodies to save the earth from evil mindcontrolling aliens. You character also gets to meet other party members, each of them having their own supernatural psychic powers to attack and defend from tough enemies.

Also instead of just being given swords, sorcery and weapons, a player has to buy these items. The weapons resemble modern American weapons that a person would use today; like a baseball bat which a player uses to raise their stats. Another realistic aspect is when a party member dies you have to take them to the hospital to or you have to withdraw money from an ATM after you defeat enemies to upgrade weapons.

This is a turn-based RPG in which a player has to gain experience points, learn new attacks and psychic attacks, raise stats and retrieve eight of the melodies from certain objects that progress the story. This gives the game an open world style, which fits perfectly for this RPG genre.

YOUTUBE.COM

In this game a player has to talk to people to get hints for certain events or to look for important items to get to the next area so the player can collect more melodies.

While the game plays well there were issues when it comes to enemies, they are hard to beat due to their higher level in later areas.

So the best way to level up a charater is by doing tedious grinding, too much grinding, in order to progress the game.

Another problem that there are too many

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

enemy encounters that make the game feel slow in some parts. You can run away from the battle easy enough a player just has to be sure they have enough psychic points to do that.

“Earthbound Beginnings” is the introduction of the franchise that gave many gamers and RPG fans an enjoyable new type of game. It’s a good game for RPG and Earthbound fans to play. While it is hard to play due to higher difficulty, a lot of grinding and repetitive enemy encounters it’s definitely still worth it for a player’s Wii U collection.

Amber Appleby Assistant Online Editor

I had never read “Forrest Gump,” but, like most people, I have seen the movie at least a dozen times. I am a huge fan of the movie, and not just because Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors of all time.

However, the book, written by Winston Groom, is nothing like the movie.

First of all, the novel is much more crude than the movie. Expletives color the pages and neither Forrest, nor any other character, seems capable of uttering a sentence without some type of curse word thrown in for good measure. Another thing is that a lot of slang terms for Vietnamese people are used in the novel. I understand that this was during the Vietnam War and that is just how people refer to them, but it still caught me off guard because the movie doesn’t have any of that.

The novel also varies from the storyline that is portrayed in the movie. Forrest does go to Vietnam and there is another solider named Bubba. However, Forrest meets Bubba at a university while he is playing football. Forrest has some pretty exciting adventures in the movie and almost all of those, plus some, are in the novel.

Forrest is a ping pong champion and he is in love with Jenny. However, Forrest also goes to space and crashes into the jungle, somewhere in Borneo, with an ape and an astronaut that was sent into space with him. They encounter head hunters, cannibals and the astronaut even ends up falling in love. The novel was obviously a lot crazier than the movie lets on.

I think everyone remembers Lieutenant Dan and how he “ain’t got no legs,” but in the novel, Dan is actually vastly different. In the movie, Lieutenant Dan is a military man, through and through, and comes from a long line of other military men who have all died in wars. In the novel, Dan is a high school history teacher who doesn’t actually believe in the war. That’s a pretty drastic change on the director’s part.

One thing that definitely stayed the same from novel to movie was Jenny Curran.

She still sleeps around and she still strings Forrest along quite a bit. However, Jenny and Forrest do break up and get back together more often in the novel than they do in the movie.

I won’t tell you how the ending is different; you’ll have to read the novel yourself to figure that out. I will warn you, again, that the novel is crude and, at times, disgusting. It is also a little difficult to read at times because the novel is written in the dialect that Forrest speaks in, which is how Tom Hanks speaks in the movie.

All in all, I liked the novel well enough, but I think I liked the movie version too much to really appreciate the novel.

Read it for yourself to discover a whole new version of “Forrest Gump.”

Sports | PAGE 7

Tech loses pivotal game RICCI LOGAN

Staff Writer

This past weekend the Wonders Boys were unable to come away with the win against Southern Arkansas University Muleriders, losing 21-28. This was the 80th meeting between the teams.

Despite the loss, this game was close.

In the first half both defenses fought hard, not allowing much scoring in the first half. Through the first quarter Tech took a three-point lead. SAU would attempt a field goal in the second quarter but it would end up being blocked by Jarrett Clayton from Memphis, Tennessee.

Later in the second quarter at the 1:18 mark, SAU got in the end zone first.

SAU’s Karonce Higgin scored a 27-yard pass from Barrett Renner. Tech would also get into the end zone before half time. Bryan Allen, from Forrest City, scored on a 19-yard run on a six play, 60yard drive. Going into half time the score was 10-7.

Coming out of half time, SAU’s passing game came out on fire. Renner hit Tanner Hudson for an 18-yard pass and a touchdown. On Tech’s next drive they would have to settle for a field goal by Eric Perez, from Green Forest. SAU’s passing attack would show no signs

of letting up as Renner threw another touchdown.

In the fourth quarter Tech drove down the field on six plays for 33 yards to tie the game up. Kristian Thompson, from Dardanelle, scored on a one-yard run. Instead of kicking a field goal Tech would elect to go for a two-point conversion. Chris Eastburn, from Pearcy, would be the one to get that two-point conversion. SAU would try to slow the game down running 12 plays, scoring a touchdown and taking 5:37 off the clock and taking a 28-21 lead and Tech in need of a score.

With less than five minutes left, Tech would fail to get the first down on SAU’s seven-yard line. The Wonder Boys got the ball back again off a SAU fumble.

Tech still was unable to convert and lost the game.

Tech gave up 399 passing yards to the Muleriders, the most since 2012 when they gave up 424 to SAU’s Tyler Sykora.

Tech’s defense forced four turnovers and only allowed 46 rushing yards to the Muleriders.

The Wonder Boys will return home for Family Day against Henderson State.

The game will be Oct. 1, and kickoff will be at 6 p.m.

DILLON RABB/THE ARKA TECH The Wonder Boys face off Henderson State on Saturday at Thone Stadium at 6 p.m.

Answer's for Sept. 15

RICCI LOGAN/THE ARKA TECH Kortilous Ellis runs after a catch during the intermural flag football game.

Intramurals get students involved RICCI LOGAN

Staff Writer

Arkansas Tech has a variety of intramural sports students can get involved in on campus. These sports include basketball, flag football, sand volleyball and softball. Playing intramural sports can be a great way to meet new people, get exercise and improve your college experience.

“I play intramural sports to stay active and compete with other people who aren’t here on an athletic scholarship. It gives students a chance to show their skills and represent where they came from. It gives you an opportunity to have fun and meet people who share similar interest with you,” Curstin Johnson, psychology major from El Dorado, said.

If students want to participate they must create an account at IMLeagues.com and use their Tech ID

and email address to sign up. These sports are split up between men and women, or co-rec leagues, and games are scheduled from Sunday through Thursday.

Each sport has rankings. Only the teams ranked in the top 16 will be in a 16-team single elimination tournament to determine the campus champion for that sport. The ranking of team will be determined by sportsmanship, the team’s record and points scored against another team.

Tech has a couple of sports that one might be interested in. If you like billiards, commonly known as pool, you can sign up for men’s singles and women’s singles tournaments. Registration begins Oct. 3 and ends Oct. 25 at midnight.

Three on three basketball men’s and women’s registration also opens on Oct. 3 and ends Oct. 25.

Finally, intramurals basketball starts Nov. 1 and ends Nov. 29.

GAC wins push Eshnaur’s double-double streak to four MATTHEW EMERY way. The Golden Suns Sports Writer defense allowed only 23 kills, which tied a season The Golden Suns will low for Harding. look to continue a sucFor the third time cessful start to Great this season the defense American Conference of the Golden Suns play tonight in Monti- held their opponent to cello, as they take on hitting under .100, the University of Arkansas other two coming from at Monticello at 6 p.m.

Southern Arkansas and Last week the Golden Lindenwood.

Suns knocked off two Hunter Eshnaur led GAC foes, Harding and the Golden Suns offenQuachita Baptist, mak- sively, tallying 16 kills ing them 3-0 in confer- and 10 digs, giving Eshence play, tied with only naur her third doubleOklahoma Baptist for double in as many games first place. and ninth of the season.

The Golden Suns Madison Nagel pitched defeated Harding in in with her first career straight sets, 3-0, with double-double, with 10 the defense leading the assists and 10 digs.

The second contest was Pack the Stands night at Tucker Coliseum, where the Golden Suns treated the Tech students to a 3-1 victory over Quachita Baptist.

The blemish for the Golden Suns came in the second set, falling 25-22, but the Suns bounced back and won the next two sets 25-19 each.

Amanda Milnick took control of the game for the Golden Suns with a triple-double effort with 13 kills, 24 assists, and 13 digs. The tripledouble is the first of the season for Milnick.

Eshnaur would continue her hot start to the

2016 campaign, hitting .350 while tallying 17 kills and 12 digs, extending her double-double streak to four straight games.

University of Arkansas at Monticello has not found much in the way of success at this point in the season, sitting at the bottom of the GAC standings at 2-11.

They will be coming off sweeps in straight sets against both Harding and Henderson State.

Following the matchup tonight, the Golden Suns will return to Tucker Coliseum tomorrow at 3 p.m. to take on St. Edward’s.

MATTHEW EMERY/THE ARKA TECH The Suns return to action tonight against UAM.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

PAGE 8 | Community

Brass in the Clouds Photos by Karen Ricketts

TOP: Zach Brown, music major of Hot Springs, conducts the Arkansas Tech Brass Ensemble during the Sept. 24 production of "Brass in the Clouds."

LEFT: Audience members taking in the sight of Mt. Nebo and watching the sunset performance.

BELOW: The Arkansas Tech Brass Ensemble performed at the 12th annual Brass in the Clouds.

Arkansas Tech students enjoy the Brass Ensembles.

Horn ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Evan Mino, performed Over the Rainbow.

Members of the trumpet ensemble played under the direction of Dr. TJ Perry.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Among those attending Brass in the Clouds were Hellen Reece, Nishka Desai, Patricia Reece, Jordan Craven and Jonathan Holland.