The Weevil
On-Line
 February 6, 2003
Volume 3                                                        No. 3
Staff:  Eric Gaston, Meghan Gladden, DaQuita Hardeman, 
Heidi Rowland, Paul Smith
Advisor: Dr. Linda Webster
News
NASA/UAM Partnership
Online Registration Implemented at UAM
MLK Campus Event
Profile: Austin Carr
Four Inducted into Speech Honor Society		 Sports
Second-year UAM Baseball Coach looks forward to the future
UAM Defeats ATU
NASA/UAM Partnership

With the tragic explosion aboard the space shuttle Columbia on Saturday, February 1, it became important to remind UAM how closely the institution is tied to NASA.  The following is a brief commentary on that relationship by Dr. Rose McConnell, Professor of Chemistry.

     UAM students should think of NASA as a partner and a friend.  NASA has been very good to UAM by sponsoring several research projects providing more than $250,000 in support to students.  NASA sponsored the UAM Summer Nurse camp for several years, and has been a big supporter of K-12 education as well. 
     NASA has provided travel grants for UAM students and faculty to visit NASA centers and attend professional meetings.  I recall one trip I made with students to Kennedy Space Center where we were given a VIP tour through the labs and through the buildings where the space shuttle was being prepared for launch.  In fact we walked all around the Columbia and watched as they replaced tiles on the bottom. 
     One thing I remember about that was a large drawing on the wall made by the children of the astronauts who were to go on the next mission.  The drawing is displayed to remind everyone working on the orbiter that the crew were real people with families and children. 

 The NASA person who showed us round explained that the mural (drawing) made children of the Challenger 17 years ago was made into a permanent wall mural there at KSC. Needless to say
the trips made by UAM faculty and students to Kennedy Space Center, Langley Space Center, and Stennis Space Center were quite memorable. 
     NASA has long extended an arm of friendship to UAM faculty and students and we should support them in their time of mourning.
     Many of the things Americans take for granted as part of their standard of living were developed by NASA.  Much of the technology used in movies, video games and computers was developed by NASA engineers.  Much of the equipment,
pumps, and surgical technology used in hospitals was developed by NASA. Without NASA the GIS-GPS programs used in Forrest Resources here at UAMwould not exist. 
     In fact, NASA has affected the lives of many people developing everyday things as common as the household smoke detector as a result of its space research.

 
Online Registration Implemented at UAM
by Eric D. Gaston
     “Students can now register for fall, spring, and summer I/summer II sessions at their convenience from any internet-accessible computer in the country," stated Tim Schickedanz, Director of Information Technology, "as long as they are registered with Campus Connect."
     Online registration allows students more versatility in their class scheduling and more control of their scheduling.  In addition, it will give students more time to plot out their academic planning with their advisor.
     Schickedanz added, “The basis of this high-end implementation was simple; to provide a greater degree of accessibility and convenience for students, and to make it easier for our growing number of distance learning students.  And now with the new FAS system, these same features can be offered to our faculty.”
     Online registration will also benefit students living a greater distance from the campus; everything can be completed via the internet.  However, online registration will also benefit students on campus to prevent registration lines, and can also be a great help to students with disabilities. 
     Online registration is not costly for the student or the university.  This procedure is included in the yearly budget for the university’s Poise administrative system.   As for the students, there are no additional charges. 
     Online registration is available for graduate students, and under graduate students with sixty (60) or more hours, with a cumulative GPA of 2.5.  Not eligible are those students on conditional standing and suspension. But it is at the advisors discretion to over-ride the standard requirements.		     Keep in mind, these were the default requirements last semester, they may or may not change, pending further research for the upcoming semester.
    As unveiled in the summer of 2002, UAM has taken fleet in the technological advance that many universities nation-wide are participating in.  Online registration has been hailed as an excellent innovation for college campuses.  Dr. Collins, Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and other valuable faculty and staff  comprised the Online Registration Committee.
     The effectiveness of online registration will be based upon student acceptance of the procedure.  Actual numbers of users at Weevil press time could not be obtained, but it is said that less than 10 % of the student body have taken advantage of this unique new feature.  This may be due to the lack of knowledge the students have of the registration in general and on-line registration in particular. 
     The university has ensured several methods of publicity, including email sent out to students with UAM accounts and information links on the UAM webpage site. 
     To date, there has not been any “glitches” or problems with the system.  The entire process is very student friendly, as are the Campus Connect features.  Students are encouraged to use online registration for their registration needs, as this will help the committee to understand how the system  is being used, and then better tailor its design to our educational needs
MLK Campus Event
by DaQuita Hardeman
     The voice of Charles Brown, a senior speech manor and a member of Omega Psi Phi, rang throughout the UAM University Center as he read Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 March on Washington’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
     On Monday, January 20 approximately 25 students, faculty and staff members gathered in the University Center Green Room at 6:00p.m to celebrate Dr. King’s life.
     The event was arrange under the direction of Sara Waltermire, Director of Student Programs. 
     “Dr. King was such a great man and a great speaker, very inspirational,” said Waltermire.		      The program was planned so that those attending could hear Dr. King’s speech in its entirety, instead of through excerpts. 
     In addition to the speech, the program included Michael Perkins, a freshman from Denton, Texas serving as president of the debate team and a member of both SGA and SAB, c reading Dr. King’s bibliography and SGA President Dorothy Thompson, a senior from Fountain Hill, Texas, who led the African-American Hymn, "We Shall Overcome" during the 
Candle Lighting Ceremony. 
     At the close of the program, Dorothy Thompson said, “So why don’t you and I join together and live the dream that this man has dreamed? The war is far from being won, but if we work together, we shall overcome.”
Profile: Austin Carr
by DaQuita Hardeman
     Austin Carr, from Gainesville, Florida, and a graduate of Harding University, is the new Bankston Hall Area Coordinator. 
      “It’s a beginning opportunity for me to work on a collegiate level," explained Carr about his decision to leave Florida for UAM.  "I enjoy the job and it keeps me busy and at the same time gives me the opportunity to interact with students. It’s been great working with the other AC’s [Thompson, Ratliff] and all of the other Residence Assistants are hard workers and fun to be around. It’s fun to work with students and see them grow.” 
   An Area Coordinator (AC) handles basically every aspect of on campus residency.  Working with Area Coordinators 		   Renea Thompson and Crystal Ratliff, Carr is responsible for taking judicial disciplinary action towards Hall residents, handling on-campus residence life emergencies, arranging residence hall programs and activities, conducting parties and educational programs, maintenance, and housing placement for those who are interested in living on campus.  These are just the basic responsibilities listed in an AC’s job description.
     “The RA’s need to see the benefits of working with students because it’s truly a great experience,” said Carr. “Even with Bankston’s reputation, it’s been good getting to know the residents and rather entertaining living in the Hall.” 
     Even though Carr doesn’t foresee any changes that need to take place within residence life or Bankston, he has set short-term goals for fulfilling his position as AC “to keep things organized and cohesive with the dorms, AC’s and RA’s.” As a way of keeping things on a positive level Carr says that he basically try to look at everything from a humorous perspective. 
Four Inducted into Speech Honor Society


Lesley Nelms (left) and Kelly Doggett. Not pictured: Janson Martin and Meghan Gladden.
   Four students were inducted into the national speech honor organization Lambda Pi Eta on Tuesday evening, January 28.
Gamma Gamma chapter president Paul Smith welcomed Kelly Doggett, Meghan Gladden, Janson Martin, and Lesley Nelms to the organization by presenting them with embossed membership certificates.  David Ray, Dean of Arts and Humanities distributed lapel pins to each of the new members as part of the ceremony.
     Doggett, a resident of Monticello, is a junior speech major and a member of the UAM forensics team. 		  Gladden, also a Monticello resident, is a junior speech major with an interest in public relations.  Martin is from Camden and is a senior speech major.  Nelms, from Montrose, is a senior speech education major doing an internship at Monticello High School.
     Graduating seniors Nelms and Paul Smith were given honor cords in red and white by chapter advisor, Dr. Linda Webster.
Graduating seniors Nelms (left) and Smith.

     Students qualify for membership by maintaining a 3.00 overall grade point average with a minimum 3.25 in their major area after completing 60 hours of college work.  Membership is by invitation.  Members are not required to be speech majors or minors; any student who has completed a minimum of 12 speech hours and meets other eligibility standards may be invited to join the honor society.
Second-year UAM Baseball Coach looks forward to the future
by Paul Smith
     Becoming a baseball coach was an easy choice for second-year University of Arkansas-Monticello head baseball coach Kevin Downing.
     “I always knew I wanted to be a coach, from the day in elementary school when my teacher asked us to write a paragraph about what we wanted to be when we grew up, that’s all I’ve ever wanted,” said Downing.
     The choice was natural to follow in his father’s footsteps, as his father, Eddie Downing, was a football and baseball coach for several years at Dermott, Warren, and Watson Chapel.
     Downing earned All-State honors in both football and baseball, while also lettering in basketball as a prep star at Watson Chapel High School. 
     “We won a Class AAAAA state championship in baseball in 1988, and were the runners-up in 1989. Obviously, playing in a successful program prepares you to run a successful program. It makes winning a realistic goal rather than some farfetched dream you can’t achieve. By learning how to win as a player, I learned the things that helped me win as a coach.”
     After graduating with honors from Watson Chapel High School in 1990, Downing played baseball at the NCAA Division I level before graduating from Henderson State in 1994. Upon graduation, Downing began his coaching career at Arkansas High School in Texarkana, where Downing was a part of teams that were an immediate success, as Arkansas High’s baseball team went to the state championship game three consecutive years. 
    “I’d been on successful teams as a player, but to be a part of a successful program as a coach let me experience success from a whole new perspective.”
    Downing became the head baseball coach at Mills High School in Little Rock, where he led the Comets to a thirty-win season and a trip to the Arkansas state championship game in his first season. After moving up to Class AAAAA in 1999, the Comets won 33 games en route to an Arkansas state championship. After his successful run, Downing was named Arkansas Activities Association Coach of the year. 
     His continued success at the high school, where he was a part of teams that went to five state championship games in the 1990s caught the eye of the University of Arkansas-Monticello’s athletic department, which was looking for a new head coach after the departure of Michael Martin.
     “When I came to UAM, I really looked forward to the challenge of taking over a college baseball program that had, and still has tremendous potential,” said Downing. 
     After winning 22 games in a transition season, Downing was able to sign his first recruiting class over the last summer and looks forward to the upcoming season. 
     “We’ve got a tough schedule,” said Downing “but I think with a tougher non-conference schedule the team should be better prepared for an even tougher conference schedule.” 
     With the success Downing has had at all his previous coaching stops, winning is a realistic goal.
UAM Defeats ATU
By Meghan Gladden 
     The Weevils shook Arkansas Tech Monday night at Steelman Field-house. First, the Cotton Blossoms took a victory against the Golden Suns in overtime, beating them 49-41. Then the Boll Weevils beat the Wonder Boys 76-60. 
 Before Monday night’s game, the Golden Suns (16-3, 7-2) were ranked number 8, had a six game winning streak, and were tied for first place in the GSC West Division.
     With less than 10 minutes to go in the second half, the Blossoms (10-7, 3-6) were down by 7 points, but cut it down to a 4-point game with five minutes left to play. Shana Woodruff made it a 38-36 ballgame with her tip in. Four turnovers later, Casper Bobo stole the ball and raced down the court to tie the game with a lay up that would force the game into overtime. 		      In overtime, the Blossoms scored nine points to the Golden Suns Zero leaving the final score 49-41. Shana Woodruff led the team with 17 points, Casper Bobo made 14 points and 7 rebounds and Freshman Wendy Young managed 17 rebounds.
     The Boll Weevils (8-12)(3-6) attacked the Wonder Boys(9-10)(3-6.)  They never gave them a chance for the lead, and defensively never gave them any slack .  Billy McDaniel scored 26 points and managed 14 rebounds. And also notable was Idrion Reed who added 26 points for UAM.
     Coach Newell said after the game that the Weevils defense took over the Wonder Boys offense in the first half but let up in the second half, adding that back-to-back halves are hard for the young team. He said that he is proud of this team, and at this point, they are playing for individual improvement to build momentum for next season, not just the playoffs.