The Weevil
On-Line
 March 27, 2003
Volume 3                                                        No. 6
Staff:  Eric Gaston, Meghan Gladden, DaQuita Hardeman
Paul Smith, Will Whiting
Advisor: Dr. Linda Webster
News
Tuition Budget Plan for 2003 Students
SGA Elections Slated
UAM Hosts Debate Tourney
African Educator To Speak At UAM April 3
SAB Plans Spring Fling
UAM Lions Club Underway
Maxwell Construction in Final Phase
Profile: Rob Leonard 
United Nations Report: African Forests in Peril
Art Exhibition
Spring Fling Activities Announced
Symphony/Choir Concert
Relay for Life in April
TeachArkansas to UAM		 Sports
Blossoms Charge Into Conference Season
 

 
Tuition Budget Plan for 2003 Students
by Will Whiting
     To help meet students educational expenses, the University of Arkansas - Monticello is now offering FACTS, a convenient budgeting plan for students tuition expenses.  FACTS is a tuition management plan that provides students with a low cost option for budgeting tuition and other educational expenses including the cost of books.
     This program, which will be available beginning Fall 2003, is not a loan program.  There is no debt, interest, or finance charges assessed for students opting to use this method of payment.  In addition, no credit check is required to be admitted to the system. 
     According to Mrs. Lindy Hester, a UAM Accounting Supervisor, “The only mandatory charge for students is a $25 per semester non-refundable enrollment fee which will automatically be deducted within 14 days of enrolling into the system.”
     Students choosing to use this system should find it quite simple.  The system, which was designed by Facts Tuition Management Company of Lincoln, Nebraska, developed it with the idea of it being student friendly.  Students will have the opportunity of paying their expenses out in payment plans through one of two methods. 
   “UAM students may now have their expenses deducted from their checking or savings accounts or may pay be credit card,” said Hester.
    Registering for the new service is simple.  Students log on to the UAM homepage and follow the link.  However, before beginning the registration process, students should have a few things handy. 		      According to Hester, “The student pin number and I.D. number, the name, address, and e-mail address of the person responsible for payments, and account information for whichever method of payment the student is using will be required for successful registration.”     The idea behind the FACTS system is that students will be able to avoid the line at the UAM Cashier’s office and pay online.  Payment schedules are available through the system.  Students enrolling early in the system will gain the benefit of avoiding a down payment. 
    According to Hester, “Students enrolling at the beginning of the semester after registering for classes will not face paying a down payment on their college expenses.”
    While the idea at UAM is new, Hester believes students will take advantage of this new service. 
     “This is something that has never been available to UAM students.  The university is not making a dime off of this service.  Rather, we brought FACTS to campus because it allows students needing a convenient, inexpensive and easy way to budget their tuition and expenses to do just that.” 
     With the FACTS system now in place, many students will have the luxury of being able to complete all of their registration processes online.  From registering for classes to paying the bill, it can all be done by the click of a mouse.  Commuters, on-campus residents and anyone in between now will be able to register and pay for their classes at one time and avoid the line at the Cashier’s office.
     Brochures are available campus-wide detailing the payment schedules and major rules and regulations of the FACTS service.  For more information, log on to the UAM homepage or contact the UAM Cashier’s Office.
SGA Elections Slated
by DaQuita Hardeman
     It’s time again for the Student Government Association (SGA) elections to kickoff. Candidates interested in running for Senatorial or Executive positions can pursue their goals on April 8-10.
     All candidates interested in running for a position must possess and maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and uphold that average through out the duration of the term served. Also all candidates who are running for these positions must be enrolled at UAM as a full-time (12+ hours).
      Executive candidates have to submit an official “Petition for Nomination”, which should contain at least fifty (50) signatures of supporting students. Senators are required to submit twenty (20) signatures from students to the Election Committee through the Student Programs and Activities Office no later than the week of March 31 to director, Sarah Waltermire.
 

 

     Candidates must also sign an “Acknowledgement” saying that they’ve read Article VI of the SGA Constitution and submit it along with the “Petition for Nomination” to the Election Committee to the Student Programs and Activities Office.
     Campaigning is not permitted until after 6:00pm, Monday, March 31 and as mentioned before, elections will be held next month on the days of April 8, 9, and 10. 
     On or before April 15, candidates are required to complete the Campaign Expenditure Form also to the Election Committee through the Student Programs and Activities Office.
     All candidates who are considering running Presidential or Vice-Presidential positions must have completed at least forty-five (45) semester hours before election to office. Those who are considering Secretarial and Treasury positions must have completed at least twenty-four (24) semester hours before election to office.
UAM Hosts Debate Tourney
by Will Whiting
     The University of Arkansas - Monticello was host to the Last Call Classic Debate Tournament March 8 through March 9.  Ten teams from four states competed in debating activities including the UAM Debate team.  The LSU-Shreveport campus took the top award.
     Three UAM debaters brought home awards from the Last Call.  In the open division, Stuart Jones was a semi-finalist.  Jones, a 2001 UAM graduate now residing in Little Rock came back to compete with some of his former competitors.
     In varsity debate action, Brett Eckert, a senior accounting major from Ft. Smith, Arkansas, was a quarter-finalist.  Eckert was one of eight people who made it to the quarter-finals in the varsity division. 
   And in novice debate, Matt Baumgarten, a freshman pre-law major from Monticello, was a semi-finalist. 
Baumgarten, who joined the debate society this semester, won his first award of his debating career at this tournament.
    Betty Dintelman, April Jacks and Will Whiting, all novice debaters, decided to chance their luck by debating in the varsity division.  All three, as expected, did very well.  Jacks had a 4-2 win/loss record and Whiting and Dintelman both had a 3-3 record.  Others competing in the Last Call Classic from UAM included Roy Vaughan, Charles Brown, Kristi Brannon, Brandi Morgan, Bryce Wrzsinski, and Lydia Rice.
     Several UAM students volunteered their time to make sure the tournament ran as smooth as possible.  UAM students served as official judges in many of the debate rounds.  In addition, some faculty from the university also volunteered their time.
     The UAM debate squad is preparing for the Pi Kappa Delta national tournament in Baltimore, Maryland.  The tournament will take place March 25 through March 30 on the campus of Morgan State University.  UAM will be represented by eight debaters. 
African Educator To Speak At UAM April 3
Jim Brewer, UAM Office of Media Services
    MONTICELLO, AR — Dr. Raymond N. Osei, head of the department of classics and philosophy at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, West Africa, will discuss poverty and underdevelopment in Africa and their threat to democracy as part of a free public lecture at the University of Arkansas-Monticello April 3.
    Osei, who is currently a Fulbright-Hays Scholar-in-Residence at Kennesaw State University in Marietta, Ga., will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the Spencer Gallery of the UAM Fine Arts Center. 		 He will also visit UAM history classes and meet with English and social studies students at Drew Central High School.
    Osei was invited to UAM by Dr. Richard Corby, a professor of history who met Osei while leading a group of public school teachers on a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program in 2000. Corby and 16 American social studies teachers studied Ghana’s history and culture under Osei at the University of Cape Coast.
    Osei holds a Ph.D. from the University of Liverpool in ancient Greek philosophy, and African social and political thought.
    For more information, contact Corby at (870) 460-1047.

The presentation has been moved to the Forestry Auditorium, according to a Media Services press release.
SAB Plans Spring Fling
by Eric Gaston
     The weekly Student Activities Board meeting came into session at 2:00 p.m., on March 26 in the Conference Room of the Library and Technology Center.  The items on the agenda for this meeting were to review all of the now-finalized plans for Spring Fling Week, the different prizes for events of Spring Fling Week, and the  discussion of the SAB elections.
     With Spring Fling Week less than one week away, scheduled for the week of March 31 through April 4, the final touches for this event where discussed.  Agreeable solutions were also decided upon involving the scheduling conflicts with various businesses.  The group also discussed the theme of Spring Week, which is sort of a Hawaiian theme, which will make us think of spring time. 		     Another item of business was the discussion of the different types of prizes that would be given away during different activities during the Spring Fling Week.  Some of the discussed prizes are as follows:  tons of door prizes, phone cards, movie rentals discounts, t-shirts, and gift certificates that can be redeemed at different businesses of the area, including Wal-Mart. 
     SBA also discussed their plans to sell Spring Fling inspired t-shirts during the week and some will be given away as door prizes.
     Also discussed were the upcoming SAB elections and deadlines.  The deadline for the SAB officer elections is Monday, March, 31.  The dates of the elections are: April 9, 10, and 11.  To vote, a student ID will be required, and the voting will take place at various locations on campus. 
     The Student Activities meeting concluded at about 3:00, with all of the items on the agenda discussed. 
UAM Lions Club Underway
by DaQuita Hardeman
    Seven Lions gathered as their third official meeting began.
    During the course of these three meetings officers were elected and goals were set.
     “The club is mainly working on getting twenty paid members so that we can have a charter and become an official club,” said Lions Secretary Tiffany Tiewell, freshman from Shreveport, Louisiana.
     The Lions are people  who have the desire to make the community and world a better place to live by providing eye exams and glasses for children, sponsoring boy and girl scout troops, providing Holiday Food Baskets for needy families, sponsoring high school juniors in boys and girls state, and by sponsoring Peace Poster Contest for 11-13 year old students.
     Directors Wanda and John Barnett see that there is a need for help here on UAM’s campus and this is why the organization has been brought to UAM.
     “There are advantages to being a member of the Lions Club,” said Barnett.  “We provide eyeglasses for those who are in need, corrective operations for those who can’t afford it, we help with illiteracy and rehabilitation and job training for the blind.”		      “Being a member of the Lions Club looks good on your resume and gives you leadership abilities because as a member you’re conducting project for the needy. When one of our members graduate from college, they’ll have the opportunity to become a member of another Lions Club and this allows for business network because there are other members that will help you along the way.”
     The Lions Club is the youngest service community-based organization, yet they have grown to be the worlds largest. They have succeeded because of the fact that they have embraced all those committed to building a brighter future for the world and for them-selves.
     Linda Barnett explained, “We find satisfaction in helping the needs of others. We focus a lot on our youth because they are our leaders for tomorrow.”
     The foundation receives contributions from Lions and others, reaffirming the strong belief that many people working together can achieve more than individuals acting alone. And with a new generation of enlightened members, Lions Clubs are working smarter and faster with greater commitment than ever. 
Maxwell Construction in Final Phase
by Eric Gaston
      During its forty-two years of service, Maxwell Hall has seen many improvements and modernizations. 
     Head RA Mitch Meredith said, “These improvements make for more visual appeal, and therefore will make more people interested to live here.” 
     Maxwell Hall is a men’s dormitory adjacent to the John F. Gibson University Center.  Maxwell Hall was named after Dr. Ray Maxwell who was on the Board of Trustees and also Secretary of The Board of Trustees of the A&M College 4th district in the 1960s.
     Maxwell Hall officially opened in 1961, under a one million dollar construction program in 1960 to expand the university and to have more space to accommodate more people deciding to live on campus.  With the completion of this dormitory, this gave the University six accommodations for men. 
     Over the years, Maxwell Hall has seen lots of renovations and improvements to the dorms living conditions. 		      Dr. Mark Davis, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration explained, “These modifications will improve the look of Maxwell Hall, and the University, and will help the complex blend in better with its surrounding buildings.” 
     One more section of the current renovations is slated to be complete before Spring Break, and the entire project to be completed by fall 2003.  There will be sixty-seven rooms, which is about one-hundred and thirty tenants. 
     Resident Director Renea Thompson stated, “Students will feel better about living here with the improvements. The nicer the place, the better the students will be likely to care for them better.” 
     Maxwell Hall will have two lounges with games, televisions, and a ping pong table.  It also has a laundry room, cable, and Internet access. 
     Dr. Davis stated, “With the recent and upcoming renovations, hopefully Maxwell Hall will be around another fifteen to twenty years from now.” 
Profile: Rob Leonard 
by Meghan Gladden
     The Missionary Student Fellowship (MBSF) located on UAM campus is currently lead by Robert Leonard.  The organization is funded by Pauline Baptist Church in Monticello, where Leonard is also the Music Director.  March 3 marked his 20th anniversary at the MBSF. 
     According to his wife, Carla, in 1982 he took on the challenges of developing a strong outreach for the students at UAM as well as revamping the church choir.  He began noticing that the youth group in the church didn’t have anyone reaching out to them. He thought it was a shame to have special programs for the college students and not their own youth. He felt that someone needed to take on the job.  That someone ended up being him. He became the church’s youth director with no extra pay.
     At that point he had acquired 3 jobs for the price of one, and gave all three 100%.  The MBSF alone is enough to keep him running. 
        According to Jody Gladden, a longtime member of the church that often helps with MBSF activities, Leonard has 		   gotten the “MBSFers” involved in Thursday night Bible studies, weekly lunches and the annual fish fry with 500 students in attendance last year.
     He has also gotten them involved in the community by volunteering their time at the Salvation Army, organizing the annual Halloween food drive and just last week he and some of the “MBSFers” help with the Morgan Nick ID’s at Wal-Mart.
    At times he and his wife have even had students live with them that otherwise may have had to quit school for lack anywhere to live.
     He also, found time in his busy schedule receive a bachelors degree from UAM. He majored in English with a minor in Music.
     Leonard has the ability to inspire others by just watching him.  Even with his plate full and his schedule packed he still, on most nice days, rides his bike from his house in town to the college.  In fact he rode it to school for a solid year rather than by a new car.  He seems to never tire but, according to his wife, he does sleep every now and then.
United Nations Report: African Forests in Peril 
from Dr. Lynne Thompson
     March 11 -- According to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, unless Africa adopts new measures to protect the environment, its forests will continue to deteriorate rapidly, resulting in a depletion of both timber and nontimber forest products. In addition, the report offers a framework to help combat illegal logging and implement a sustainable harvest of wood for products and energy. 
     For more information about the report, visit the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s website at www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/15160-en.html 
      March 18 -- A steadily growing gray wolf population in the western Great Lakes states and a highly successful reintroduction program in the northern Rocky Mountains have prompted the US Fish and Wildlife Service to change the status of gray wolves in these areas from “endangered” to the less serious “threatened” designation under the Endangered Species Act. The threatened designation, which now applies to all gray wolves in the lower 48 states except for those in the Southwest, is accompanied by special rules to allow some take of wolves outside the experimental population areas in the northern Rocky Mountains. 		     The Service will now begin the process of proposing to remove gray wolves in the western and eastern United States from the endangered and threatened species list, once the agency has determined that all recovery criteria for wolf populations in those areas have been met and sufficient protections remain in place to ensure sustainable populations. 
      For more information, visit the FWS website at http://news.fws.gov/newsreleases/r2/7E125387-EC61-4A46-85B415926D56A03E.html
      March 15 -- The USDA Forest Service has billed Plum Creek Timber Company more than $11 million for firefighting and rehabilitation costs from two wildfires ignited by company loggers at Lolo Pass and near Powell, Idaho, during the 2000 wildfire season. According to Forest Service officials, both the Crooked and Bear Camp fires began on Plum Creek timberland and then quickly spread into the Clearwater National Forest. Agency officials add that investigations following the fires attributed both to negligence in the operation and maintenance of harvesting equipment. Plum Creek has acknowledged receiving an invoice from the Forest Service but has not made any further comment about the charges.
     Information about Plum Creek’s timber operations are available via the company’s website at www.plumcreek.com.   For more information about the Clearwater National Forest, visit its website at www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater

 
Art Exhibition 

"About Face," a traveling exhibition of portraits from the Collection of Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr. from the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, is currently on exhibition through March 30 in the Spencer Gallery of the Fine Arts Center on the UAM campus. 
 

 A public reception will be held 
Sunday, March 30, from 2 -3 pm.  This reception will be just before the SEARK-sponsored performance of the Pine Bluff Symphony and Chorus to be held in the Auditorium of the Fine Arts Center at 3:00.

For more info and images, go to:
http://cotton.uamont.edu/~richardt/aboutface.html
Spring Fling Activities Announced

MONDAY, MARCH 31 
11:00 am-2:00 pm    UC Lawn   Free Food and Music
  7:30 pm-9:30 pm   Intramural Field  Drive-In Movie
        10:00 pm- ??   Intramural Field  Dance Party

TUESDAY, APRIL 1 
10:00 am-4:00pm   UC Lawn    NASCAR Simulated Racer
         7:00 pm-??    Patio Café    Mocha Madness

 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2 
5:00 pm-10:00 pm   Intramural Field  Spring Fling Luau

THURSDAY, APRIL 3 
7:00 pm    Fine Arts Center  Comedian Kivi Rogers

Contact  Sarah E. Waltermire, Director of Student Programs & Activities, with any questions.

 
Symphony/Choir Concert

     On Sunday, March 30, at 3:00 PM, the UAM Concert Choir will join with the Vesper Choir of UAPB and the Pine Bluff Symphony Orchestra in a concert presented by the SEARK Concert Association.  The choirs will perform Te 
Deum (1886) by Anton Bruckner and Chichester Psalms (1965) by Leonard Bernstein.
     Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) set the words of the Te Deum, a 4th century hymn of praise, for mixed chorus, four soloists, and the traditional large Romantic period orchestra.   For Sunday’s performance, soloists Mary Finnie, Martha Antolik, Thomas Poole, and Louis Nabors will join an 
orchestra of 74 and a chorus of over 100 voices, to present the work. 
     In Te Deum, Bruckner juxtaposes massive choral-orchestral climaxes, serene passages for choir alone, and contrapuntal writing for an immensely effective and emotional work.  Bruckner considered the work to be one of his finest.
     It is reported that when a conversation turned to 
the topic of death, Bruckner said, "When the good Lord finally calls me and asks ‘What have you done with the talent I gave you?’ I’ll hand him the score to my Te Deum, and He will judge me mercifully."

     Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), perhaps the greatest American musical mind of the 20th century, burst onto the international music scene at the age of 25 when he replaced ailing conductor Bruno Walter in a performance by the New York Philharmonic.  From that time until his death, he remained a major force on the international music scene.
    Well respected as a conductor, composer, concert pianist, educator, and author, Bernstein’s musical compositions encompass a wide variety of styles, ranging from Broadway musicals to operas, and from symphonies to movie scores.  Chichester Psalms, one of his most popular choral works, uses as its text several Psalms in Hebrew of contrasting mood and character. 
     The work begins with a boisterous setting of Psalm 100: "Let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands."  In the second movement, which features a solo boy alto, Bernstein first contrasts and then combines Psalm 23, with its beautiful message of comfort through faith, with the fierce words of Psalm 2: "Why do the nations rage, and the 
people imagine a vain thing?" 
     In the final movement, Bernstein brings the work to an end with the particularly poignant and timely words of Psalm 
133: "Behold how good, and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity."
     For additional information, please call Teresa Flaggert at 460-1021.
Relay for Life in April

     The eighth annual Drew County American Cancer Society Relay for Life will be held on the UAM campus on April 25-26 from 6:00 pm until 6:00 am. Last year we had several teams representing UAM at the Relay. The UAM Cancer Support Group will be heading up the team(s) of faculty and staff members, if you would like to be a part of that team please contact me. 

 

      Also, if your organization would like to have a team this year,  you can contact me and I will get you in touch with the Relay team recruiters.
     If you have not been involved with the Relay for Life before, please consider joining us this year. If you need more information please contact me.   Gay Pace, Purchasing Agent
TeachArkansas to UAM

      TeachArkansas hopes to bring two hundred of the area’s most outstanding college graduates, career changers, and licensed educators to teach in some of the state’s hardest-to-staff school districts.  No previous education experience is required to apply to the program, but all those with education experience are also welcome to apply.
     A special event was held on Monday, March 10th, at the Great Rivers Education Service Cooperative Building on the Phillips Community College Campus in Helena at 6:00PM to further announce details of this new teacher recruitment initiative and to provide candidates with the opportunity to hear more about how they can begin teaching in Arkansas public schools this year.  Representatives from TeachArkansas and local teachers currently in the classroom were featured on the program.
     TeachArkansas recruits teachers for the 13 school districts of the Great Rivers Education Service Cooperative and the 19 school districts of the Wilbur D. Mills Education Service Cooperative in the central and eastern Delta regions of Arkansas. The mission of TeachArkansas is to attract talented candidates to teach in some of the hardest-to-staff districts in the state. While the program looks for people from all backgrounds and walks of life - current teachers, education majors, working professionals who want to become teachers, 

 and retired teachers looking to return to the classroom – it is also focused on recruiting individuals interested in teaching in the high-shortage areas of math, science, and special education. 
   All candidates must be dedicated to impacting our children's education and strengthening our communities. 
TeachArkansas offers a managed application process from submission of materials through the interview process and is a 'one-stop shop' that enables applicants the opportunity to be considered by multiple school districts with one application filing. 
     Candidates can file their applications via the program website, www.teacharkansas.org, free of charge.  Because of the importance of delivering high quality teachers to these under-staffed areas, TeachArkansas is a partnership between the state, cooperative, district, and school levels that provides multiple channels for support and communication at every step of the way.
     The project is being facilitated by The New Teacher Project, a non-profit organization that works with school districts, states, and other educational entities to enhance their capacity to recruit, select, train, and support outstanding new teachers.  The New Teacher Project has partnered with numerous states and school districts around the country including New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.
Blossoms Charge Into Conference Season
by Paul Smith
     The University of Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms have spent the early part of this season proving just why they were the favorites to win their fourth consecutive Gulf South Conference-West Division championship. After a doubleheader sweep of Williams Baptist University, the 
Blossoms will enter this week’s doubleheader against Henderson State with a 12-2, 1-1 GSC record and high hopes for the remainder of the season.
      The Blossoms have been boosted by the emergence of freshman Kelli Little (West Monroe, LA). After missing several games early on, Little has impressed fans and opponents with her blazing fastball and knack for getting batters out. In her first appearance of the season, she pitched three scoreless innings in an 8-0 rout of NCAA Division I Grambling State University. Little retired the first two batters she faced on three-pitch strikeouts before getting her third batter to ground weakly to second. Little followed up her 
successful debut with a complete game shutout victory over Williams Baptist. 
     In ten innings this season, Little has fanned 13, issuing only three walks and allowing only four hits.
      The strong pitching of junior Lindsey Kight (Raymond, MS) has been at the center of the Blossoms’ success in recent years.		  The holder of almost every UAM career pitching record, Kight has raced out to a 5-1 record, striking out 
55 batters while only walking three.
   The pitching of senior Heather Blacke (Sheridan, AR) and Ashley Burkett (West Monroe, LA) has been a valuable asset to the Blossoms thus far as well, as Blacke has racked up a 4-1 record as a starter, while Burkett has notched a 1-0 record working mostly in relief.
     While the pitching has been at the center of the Blossoms’ success, their ability to produce runs at the plate has allowed the pitchers to breathe more easily. Freshman Nicole Henderson (Benton, AR) junior Melissa Guillot 
(Shreveport, LA), Carley Burkett (West Monroe, LA), Jodie Scott (Benton, AR), and Blacke lead the Blossoms in batting average early on, while Scott, and juniors Laura Lockaby (Panama, OK), and Casey Anderson (Panama, OK) power the Blossom lineup with a constant home run threat.
      While the early success of the Blossoms gives UAM fans a great deal of excitement, the excitement has been tempered by the fact that the road simply does not get any easier from here. With perennial powerhouses such as Delta State and Southern Arkansas on the horizon, the Blossoms know that they can not rest on their laurels and coast to a fourth consecutive GSC-West Championship. However, upcoming match-ups against Henderson State and Christian Brothers should give the Blossoms an idea of what the rest of the 
conference has in store.