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The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Student Newspaper
January 30 - February 11, 2014
Kelly Clarkson. Ruben Studdard. Kris Allen. Carrie Underwood. Spencer Lloyd? Kendrell Collins Editor KDCollins@ualr.edu
U January 30th Experience UALR
12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. DSC Meeting Room D
February 3rd Study Abroad Info Session
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Meeting Room G
6th
ALR sophomore Spencer Lloyd got one step closer to American Idol stardom when he wooed the judges during his January audition in Austin, Texas. Lloyd is no stranger to singing competitions. After having a brief stint on NBC’s The Voice last year, Lloyd decided to abandon the idea of competing again. Lloyd changed his mind, however, when he heard the American Idol tour bus was coming through Little Rock, stopping near the Clinton Library – only 15 minutes away from his house in Bryant, Ark. “A lot of people were saying, ‘Hey, Spencer, you should go audition for this.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know, I just got done with that other thing and I don’t think I really want to go into it.’ [Trying out] was just kind of off of a whim. I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I’ll go do it.’” Two weeks later, Lloyd was up at 5 a.m. preparing for what would be the first hurdle of his journey. “There were a bunch of people that made it from Arkansas and I was one of the last people that made it from Arkansas with their calls,” Lloyd said. Before traveling more than 515 miles to his next audition in Austin, Lloyd and his mother
made an agreement. “I was like alright mom, here’s the deal,” Lloyd said. “’If I make it this far, then I don’t have to go back to school next semester.’ She was hesitant at first and then afterwards she was like, ‘OK. But only if you make it this far.’” Lloyd found it difficult to keep his cool minutes before performing in front of some of the biggest names in music: Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr., and Keith Urban. As if that wasn’t pressure enough, the show introduced a new feature – the American Idol Chamber. The contestants stand in an elevator-sized room surrounded by lights and cameras, waiting for a green light to flash. “So you’re sitting in there with this giant mirror on you and you’re just standing there with all these cameras and microphones around you waiting to go in there. It’s like that was the most nerve wracking part I had of the whole entire experience,” Lloyd said. “It seemed like forever, but it was probably only like a minute.” The tension Lloyd felt inside the chamber melted away when he was met with an outburst of astonishment from superstar Jennifer Lopez. “Oh my God, are your eyes blue? Green? You’re a pretty guy,” she said, during Lloyd’s televised audition.
See Lloyd, page 9
Diversity Council Lunch and Learn
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Meeting Room G
photo by Brandon Batemon
Spencer Lloyd, a Finance major in the College of Business, decided to take a break from school this semester to purse his dream of becoming an American Idol.
“Faith, Family, and Ducks”: Fundraiser
brings Duck Dynasty cast members to UALR
Referee Training
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Basketball Court 2
Do you have a nonacademic event that you want posted on this calendar? If so, email editor@ualr.edu
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Jayme Goad
Staff Writer JMGoad@ualr.edu
W
illie and Korie Robertson, best known for their reality show, “Duck Dynasty” on A&E, made a special appearance at the UALR Jack Stephens Center Saturday, Jan. 18.
One lucky couple won the auction for a $5,500 painting by artist Trey McCarley (left). The back of the painting was signed by TV personality Willie Roberson. His wife, Korie Roberson is pictured on the right. The event, billed “Faith, Family, and Ducks,” was organized to promote the Spark of Life fundraiser in Little Rock, which raises money to fund the organization’s grief recovery retreats. All of the proceeds
from the event and the silent auction that took place during the fundraiser will help fund the free retreats. Spark of Life is a non-profit organization that offers grief recovery retreats to help fami-
photo by Jayme Goad
lies cope with a loss. A loss doesn’t have to only be of a loved one, it can also be of a job. The organization’s motto is “living forward.”
See Ducks, page 3