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From
UAM to Iraq Karon Parrish
Since the war began in April
2003, more than 30 reservists from the UAM campus have been deployed to
full-time duty. Whether they are deployed to Iraq or to other stations across
the globe, they are away from their families, jobs, and school.
Ms. Sharon Portis, UAM Veterans
Affairs specialist, assists students with the many details associated with the
paperwork, questions, and concerns of the reservists and their families.
“Students who are enrolled at UAM at the time they are deployed, must officially
withdraw from school.” Portis stated.
UAM reassures the students that
they will be readmitted upon their return from deployment. Portis said,
“Students are also given a scholarship for one semester if they return to
school.” This compensates for the semester they had to withdraw from. However,
if the student has to leave before the first day of class they are not entitled
to the scholarship assistance.
Josh Lamb, UAM student, is
currently in Fort Polk, Louisiana, where he is preparing to be deployed to Iraq
in less than 30 days. His father, Jimmy Lamb, said, “Josh wants to go and is
proud to serve. He will be stationed in Iraq for about 18 months and says he
will be returning to school. “
Several UAM students are
currently training at stateside bases waiting until they are deployed to Iraq.
Two of those are brothers, Sam Wisner and Jordan Wisner. Their father, Bill
Wisner, stated, “Sam and Jordan are both waiting to be sent to Iraq and we are
very proud of them. I’ll just be glad when they return and enroll back in
school.”
Amanda Davis, UAM freshman, is
concerned for her brother Ryan. He is in the Army National Guard currently
stationed in Iraq. Ryan is 23 years old and at the time he was deployed to
Iraq, he was a junior nursing major at UAM. He and his wife are expecting their
first child this summer. He will not return until the child is around 18 months
old.
“It is really hard to deal with a
loved one being away for so long and in danger. I have been writing about my
feelings in my English class and some of the other students have decided to
write to my brother to let him know we are praying for him and all the other
people serving,” Davis says.
For young people in the reserves
today, being deployed to full-time status also means that they will have to take
a leave from their employment. Sgt. Brandon Lee, Arkansas National Guard
recruiter stationed in Monticello, said, “We are very proud of all our
reservists. Many of those already in Iraq and those awaiting deployment have
been taken from their homes, families, school and employment."
"They are eager to serve, and UAM is
concerned and willing to help them. We appreciate the support the
students, faculty and administration have shown and especially helping these
students with the free tuition for the semester they lose when they are called
up. Not all universities show this much concern for our military," Lee
stated.
Sgt. Lee says, “Most of our
reservists will not become rich. But as a young, unmarried person who normally
does not have very many obligations, the average income during full-time status
is around $25,000. This is not very much of course for someone making much more
in their full-time employment but again the average reservist being deployed is
between 18 and 25.”
Senior forestry major, Robert
Nimmo has spent time preparing and serving during the War with Iraq. As a
sergeant in the Army Reserves, Nimmo recently returned from a nine-month
deployment to Kuwait, which borders Iraq. “I am so relieved and happy to be
back home. I missed my friends and family so much. People have no idea what it
is like over there,” states Nimmo.
“There were many difficult issues
to deal with but some of the hardest were the elements. The heat was so
tremendous reaching an average of 130 degrees during the day. The sand was
constantly in our face, hair, and eyes. Sometimes it actually looked like a
wall of sand coming at you during a storm. Every part of your body had to be
covered to prevent burns from simple gust of wind. We were constantly drinking
water to keep ourselves hydrated,” Nimmo said.
Nimmo’s main duty was to supply
the different units coming in with whatever they may have needed. He stated it
was stressful at times dealing with different personalities in such close
quarters. “My unit was there before the war actually began and when the war
broke out we were still there. We just had to keep doing what we’re trained to
do no matter what the situation was,” Nimmo said.
Nimmo had no problems getting his
paperwork together to withdraw from school. After he was deployed, his mother
had to complete some of the paperwork for him. “With the help of the UAM
officials, everything went very smooth,” he said.
There is an old saying about
walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. Robert Nimmo makes his view on the War
in Iraq clear. “There is no greater sacrifice than to serve this country,” he
says.
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Luevonda Ross
to speak at UAM
DaQuita
Hardeman
Deputy
Attorney General Luevonda Ross of the Arkansas Medicaid Fraud Unit will
speak at a special event held Thursday, February 26, 2004, in the
University Center’s Green Room. The Office of Student Affairs, who has
invited all students, faculty and staff members to attend, is hosting
the event.
Ross, a
native of Monticello and a former attendant to UAM, graduated from
Hendrix College where she co-founded the organization, Students for
Black Culture. While in attendance, she received the Raney Hall Resident
Award, was nominated for the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship and she was one
of the first ten students to participate in the Hendrix College Birkbeck
Team at London University. She graduated from Hendrix in 1986.
She went on
to complete law school at Temple University in 1991where she received
her Jurist Doctor Degree. As an alumnus of Hendrix College, Ross
accepted the Student for the Black Culture Alumnus of the year award in
1992.
After
accepting the position as a staff attorney for Central Arkansas Career
Services in Little Rock, Ross was appointed to serve as the first law
clerk to Pulaski County Circuit Judge Morris W. Thompson. In 1993, Ross
went to Philander Smith College where she was an adjunct professor in
the Department of Political Sciences.
In 1996,
Ross’ dream of opening her own law practice in Monticello became a
reality. Since then she was appointed to serve as the Deputy Prosecutor
in the 10th Judicial District and later the Deputy Prosecutor
in the 11th District West.
After
joining the Attorney General’s office in 2000 as an Assistant Attorney
General in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, she was appointed into the
position that she holds today, Attorney General of the Medicaid
Department in addition to the position that she holds as an adjunct
professor in the trial program at the University of Arkansas at Little
Rock’s William H. Bowen’s School of Law.
Considering
Ross’ hometown background, educational background and then career
background, it’s safe to say that hard work does pay off and dreams
really do come true.
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Karon Parrish
UAM has announced the Annual Wellness
Fair to be held Wednesday, March 10, 2004 at the John F. Gibson
University Center from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. This event is free to
students, staff, and faculty.
Each year the university provides free
health screening, informative health related material and personal
contact with local health officials for the campus. There are scheduled
events such as cholesterol testing; body fat mass index testing, eye
exams, health brochures, and a variety of other health related issues
are available during this time.
Terry Richardson, R.N. and UAM
Wellness Fair Coordinator stated, “In previous years, we have been very
fortunate to gain the cooperation of local and regional health care
providers and other vendors who are willing to provide free health
screenings and exams This year, we will again have
booths for cholesterol, blood pressure, vision, hearing, weight, body
fat, grip strength, and blood sugar screenings, as well as informational
booths about alcohol and drug use, diabetes, spiritual wellness,
testicular cancer, second hand smoke, tutoring, flexibility, sexually
transmitted diseases, pap smears, cervical cancer, and stress. There
will also be games and activities such as the Fatal Vision Driving
Course, relaxation techniques and a jump rope physical fitness test."
There are drawings around the clock
during this event and students are encouraged to take advantage of all
the information available. Julie Gentry, UAM Wellness Fair
Co-coordinator said, “We give away t-shirts, mugs, gift certificates,
and many other prizes and hope that all the students will make an effort
to stop by and see our setup.”
With very few events free anymore, it would be in everyone’s best
interest to stop by the UAM Wellness Fair on Wednesday, March 10 at the UC Green room to pickup valuable health
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Debate Squad Ninth in Nation
Jessica Goodwin
Which UAM team has the
best shot at a national title this year? No, not the basketball team or
the baseball team, the most likely answer is the “ninth in the nation”
ranked debate and forensics team. Dean Ray states, “UAM itself, as well
as its debate team may be Arkansas’ best kept secret.”
The program which began
in 1970 has produced national, regional and state champions over the
years. According to Dean Ray, the director of forensics and also the
dean of the Arts and Humanities Department, over the last ten to fifteen
years the team has brought about one hundred awards per year. The UAM
debate team has traveled all over the country to national tournaments
and they have even traveled to and debated in London and Scotland.
The debate and forensics
team is made up of about fourteen students, all of which have state and
national titles. Some of the most recent belong to Betty Dintelman,
Will Whiting and Charlotte Keiffner. Betty earned second place in
persuasive and was ranked third speaker in debate. Will came in third
in extemporaneous speaking and second in informative. Charlotte was in
sixth place in programmed oral interpretation.
The team participates in
several tournaments each year. Junior Brandi Morgan, a two year member
of the debate team explains the different levels of competition. “Those
who are just starting out compete in the novice division. This is the
learning stage. Next you move up to, and most people stay at, the
varsity level. This is the main level of competition. Graduate
students and or coaches have the opportunity to compete in the open
division if they would like to.”
The team is dedicated and
hard working. Dean Ray and their coach, Scott Kuttenkuler, work with
them to prepare for tournaments. “Students practice rounds of debate,
give individual speeches or practice their prose, poetry or
interpretation events,” Dean Ray said. Scott Kuttenkuler adds, “We also
spend time discussing current events so our students will be well
informed. The students on our team must be devoted and have a strong
work ethic. Most everyone has the skills needed for debate, but we need
people who work hard to develop those skills.”
Brandi became interested
in debate her freshman year after judging debate tournaments for extra
credit. “I was taking a class under Dr. Gary Marshall and he offered
bonus points if we helped judge a tournament. I had never had
experience with debate, but after judging a couple of competitions I
knew it was something I wanted to do even though I knew it would be hard
work.”
A debate tournament lasts
two to three days and one individual will debate six to eight times per
tournament. The students are expected not only to work hard for the
team, but in their classes as well. Dean Ray said, “We expect a lot out
of our students. If their grade point drops below a 2.0 they are
ineligible whether it hurts our team or not.”
The debate team is not
only concerned with their own competitions; they are busy hosting
tournaments and being involved with a few high school debate
tournaments. They will be hosting the Big Oak Classic High School
Speech Festival here on February 13 and they have been asked to do an
exhibition for a high school tournament on March 27.
Dean Ray explains what
makes this team so unique, “Most of these students are recruited right
here on campus and have little or no prior debate knowledge or
experience. Some have worked with debate before, but most are new to
this. Watching these students develop their skills is rewarding. We
have had several students in our program who have become lawyers and
some now who plan to go to law school. Debate provides them the
background and experience they need for such a career.”
The debate and forensics
team have two organizations. The Debate Society is a student led
organization, and hosts a talent show each year for the student body.
The second organization, PI Kappa Delta is the National Honor Society of
debate. Some UAM students have held national leadership positions.
Dean Ray is currently the National Historian.
Overall what does one
gain from the experience of being on the debate team? Brandi sums it up
well, “Debate helps us form an intelligent opinion on several topics.
We learn to see both sides of an issue and then make an informed
decision. Debate makes you much more confident. I think everyone
should take a debate class at some point. It will just make you
smarter.”
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