best of ualr edition fall 2014
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Well, the moment you've been waiting for is finally here. Hundreds of UALR students have voted and named the winners of our Best of UALR competition. In this issue, you will get acquainted with some of the best, brightest and most notable students on campus. Cheers to a great semester!TRANSCRIPT
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BESTUALR
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FALL 2014
2 ualr.edu/forumDecember 10,2014 - January 20, 2015 Best of UALR
Best dressed male Jermaine marshall
Best dressed femaleadoree bridges
Grant FoxStaff Writer
Brian GregoryStaff Writer
Jermaine Marshall says ‘Stay classy UALR.’
Posing for pictures is something Adoree Bridges loves to do.
The award for best dressed male at the UALR goes to Jermaine Marshall. The
senior computer science major has a style that he says adopted just a year ago.
“All it takes you have to do is spend a little money, know what style or look you are going for, and start your wardrobe. From there you just add on to what you have,” Marshall said.
Marshall keeps up with the lat-est trends of Polo, Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein by doing his research. Reading magazines, checking out social media, and
just staying in the loop. The 22 year old has four tips for any guy looking to build his own look and style.
First, look at the pro-fessionals in your field. Whatever it is you want to be, see how they dress at work and then com-bine with a more col-lege, youth-ful look. Make it your own.
Second, check out magazines that are known for having good
style.Third, stay up to date on the
latest fashion trends. This means be aware not only of profession-
als and magazines, but also what people around you are talking about or what you see worn in
movies.Finally, and most importantly,
know how to match colors. This is probably the most crucial of all the tips.
“My favorite colors are blue, brown, and light red, sometimes green too,” said Marshall. “The key to it all, is being able to pres-ent yourself as a professional without walking around in a suit all the time. Mixing the profes-sional and stylish college student and knowing how to balance them is really the key.”
Marshall hopes to get his PhD and work for either a web design compa-ny or a video game designer. With a plan for success and a style that will appeal to future employ-ers, he is pre-pared for his g r a d u a t i o n and life after-
wards. Plus, being voted best dressed male for your college doesn’t look bad on a resume.
“All it takes you have to do is spend a little money, know what style or look you are going for, and start your wardrobe. From there you just add on to what you have,”
-Jermaine Marshall
When it comes to fash-ion, Adoree Bridges has made it her life goal to
make sure that she’s not only looking good, but that she feels good in the clothes that she is wearing. This is one of the rea-sons that she was able to win the Best of UALR, Best Dressed Female Award.
Bridges has made that commit-ment by entering fashion shows across Central Arkansas, and also doing photo shoots for anyone
that asks. Her interest in fashion came as result of her coming to college. “I have been interested in fashion ever since I got to college. I started to get interested into modeling and then I just became drawn to fashion,” Bridges said.
Bridges is a 4th year student from Magnolia, Arkansas and a Magnolia High School graduate. She is very close with her family, especially her mother and grand-mother. It was her grandmother that began to take her shopping and heighten her interest to the world of fashion. Bridges said, “ I remember me and my grand-mother would wake up early every Saturday morning and go out to shop. My mother although she would sometimes go with us, never really cared for shopping.”
The experiences with her grandmother have made her a pro at looking for deals. Bridges explained that when going out to look for clothes especially since she’s in college, she’s a bargain shopper. Her top 5 places to shop: Express, Forever 21, Go Jane, Macy’s, and Dillard’s. However, she shops by this philosophy “If it’s cute and I look good in it, I’m going to buy it no matter the cost.”
One of her favorite things to wear is high heals. She absolutely loves them; she even was wear-ing them during the interview. However there was a point were she didn’t know if she would be able to wear them, or even be able to live. In 2011, she got into a really bad accident were she
hit an 18-wheeler head on and flipped 3 times. After the acci-dent, she had broken her neck, leg, and her foot. “When I went to the doctor, the only thing I was concerned about was whether or not I would be able to wear high heels again,” she said. In the end “by the grace of God” she was able to wear high heels again. Her first show after the accident she had tears in her eyes and was walking down the runway crying because of all that she had to go through. “It truly was an emo-tional experience,” she added.
When Bridges graduates from UALR, she hopes to be able to open her own clothing store and hopefully it becomes fran-chised. Bridges also wants to be an actress and be able to model across the world. Her goals are to be on magazine covers, become a designer, and hopefully to become an actress. In the end the quote she lives by is when Taraji P. Henson visited the campus last year. “You have to have faith over fear, no matter what just have faith over fear,” she said. Bridges lives this out every day and she believes that it will lead her to accomplish her dreams.
Photo by Victoria Hickey
Courtesy of Adoree Bridges
3ualr.edu/forum December 10,2014 - January 20, 2015Best of UALR
Best student organizationchancellor’s leadership corps
Best professordr. david briscoe
Out of all the student organizations on campus, CLC in on top of the heap. Aliyah Joseph, Kristyn Scott, Micah Parker and Robyn Oglesby talked about what it’s like being apart of this organization.
Maggie RogersEditor
Four student organizations competed for the title of best student organization.
Student Government Association (SGA), International Club, Chancellor’s Leadership Corps (CLC), and University Programs Council were nominated, but CLC received the most votes for the victory.http://ualr.edu/forum/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif
There are 513 students cur-rently in the organization, and the numbers of students have increased over the past five years according to Nick Steele, Coordinator of CLC.
“The program has doubled in size since I took over in July 1, 2011,” Steele said. “I think around then we had probably around 250, 260 students in the entire program.”
Sophomore Ambassador and
Secretary Kristyn Scott named some of the responsibilities stu-dent leaders have in this organi-zation.
“We have to work office hours and be mentors to seven or eight students,” Scott said.
Fellow Sophomore Ambassador and Vice President Aliyah Joseph added that they also plan volunteer events, take roll in class, and have special relationships with the students they mentor.
“More than likely we’ve taken the same classes that they’re taking now, so we can suggest professors and offer homework help,” Joseph said.
Treasurer and Sophomore Ambassador Robyn Oglesby says to her, the most important thing about being an ambassador is to be the mentor they need at that moment. She added that the stu-dents call her just to hangout or if they’re having any problems, she is there for them.
CLC does various fun activities throughout the year. President
and Sophomore Ambassador Micah Parker said the activities they do before classes start are a lot of fun for everyone involved.
“Instead of just moving into your dorm and not having any-thing to do, we have all kinds of events planned out for them,” Parker said. “I know one of the things we all distinctly remember from our freshman year is a scav-enger hunt, clues were all around the campus.”
Parker said that the scavenger hunt helped him learn his way around the campus better and he learned interesting facts about UALR, like discovering where a movie scene was filmed at on campus.
Joseph said that it felt good after hearing the news that CLC won this title.
“Not to toot our own horn, we do a lot on campus,” Joseph said. “I really think we deserved it.”
“It’s certainly an honor being
recognized as the best organiza-tion,” Steele said. “I really believe that CLC is the pulse of campus life, I think without CLC it would be difficult to sustain campus life here at UALR.”
Steele said that campus life is
more revolutionized and there is more involvement in all of the student organizations. By being leaders and being active in not only those organizations, but also in the community.
Natalie DorisStaff Writer
UALR’s Dr. David Briscoe has been voted the best professor at UALR for the
second year in a row. Thanks to his enthusiasm for his students and the passion that he puts into the subjects he teaches, Dr. Briscoe has been selected as the best of the best and he continues to teach with the same gusto as when he first started a little over twenty years ago.
Briscoe earned his bachelor degree in sociology and a mas-
ters in criminal justice as a stu-dent at UALR before going on to earn his phD in family sociol-ogy. He taught at a university in Illinois for two years before he moved to Little Rock and began teaching at UALR.
“I am a family sociologist by training,” Briscoe explains, “and I teach family sociology, family violence, and social problems. I teach them because they are my discipline and also because I am a big supporter of family life.”
Briscoe explains that he finds issues such as domestic violence to be incredibly detremental to family life and he would like to
see a decrease in instances of such cases.
“I have always enjoyed peo-ple,” Briscoe says, explaning what motivated him to steer towards the field of sociology and even-tually teaching, “i grew up in a community in which my parents were very active. It was just a very natural thing for me. I am a teacher, I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he concludes with a smile.
Briscoe finds his students to be an important part of his teaching style. Teaching at UALR, Briscoe has found that his students come from all walks of life. He is
enthusiastic about the value that comes from being able to have discussions about actual issues in our society with students who come from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, ages, and walks of life. He believes that his stu-dents are incredibly diverse, and is grate-ful for having such diversity represent-ed in his classroom.
“I believe that teaching is recipro-cal,” Briscoe states, “I believe in the power of small group work, making my students come into contact with different kinds of people. I think that it stretches them as people and gives them the opportunity to become lead-ers in a group setting.”
Briscoe describes his teaching style as both informal and inter-active. He is more than willing
to hear the opinions of everyone in his classes and he believes
that this enhances the learning experience and enhances him as a person. He believes that his teaching style is “down to earth and natural” and invites an atmosphere in which students feel free to share their thoughts without reproach.
One thing that Briscoe finds most important when it
comes to how he teach-es and interacts with students is his faith. “My faith is a driving force for me,” he asserts, “I talk my faith and I live my faith. That is very important to me.” He goes on to explain that he does not believe in judging others, “I look for the good in my students and I push them and tell them to never give up. Just don’t give up.”
Courtesy of CLC
Courtesy of UALR
4 ualr.edu/forumDecember 10,2014 - January 20, 2015 Best of UALR
Best Fraternity
Delta Chi
Best sororityDelta sigma theta
Best male personalitycorrigan revels
The votes are in, and students voted Delta Sigma Theta as the Best Sorority on campus.
With 28 members in fall 2014, Delta Sigma Theta: Mu Kappa is the largest National Pan-Hellenic Council sorority at UALR.
“The nomination makes our hearts smile,” said Mu Kappa President Renata Shirlee.
Shirlee said the chapter had been fairly small for the past cou-ple years. She said it was smart to “have big numbers” with the cur-rent line since the previous mem-bers were all graduating. Since joining DST, Shirlee has noticed positive changes in herself and her sisters.
“[Becoming a] Delta has brought out the maturity, endur-ance and patience in me. You don’t notice things about yourself until you’re put in situations for it to show, and now my mind is more open. I pray more, and I’m more understanding. And it’s working with a lot of people; I’ve seen it change them for the bet-ter.”
Shirlee believes what separates the Deltas from the other sorori-ties on campus is their “energy, drive, and dedication.”
“We dance, we stroll, but we also work. School is always at the top of our priority list, but so is Delta. We make it our priority,” Shirlee said.
She said DST recently com-
pleted training to work with a headstart. The sorority will play with the chil-dren and open presents with them closer to Christmas.
“We want to make a differ-ence. We’re doing what we said we’d do when we decided to become Deltas,” she said.
“And I think we were nominat-ed because we’re all neos, we’re all new faces. We already had our big picture of what DST was going to be for us. And now we actually have the opportunity to paint that picture, because we don’t have any outside people trying to make it into something they already had. I think that’s the main thing [we work toward]: taking the pic-tures in our heads and making them real.”
Shirlee said Delta Week in November was “phenomenal” and many people attended the events. She recalled one event that week in which a speaker dis-cussed stereotypes.
“People came from the dorm and from home to hear [the dis-cussion]. It was a big deal! People show their support for us, so we give it back,” Shirlee said.
Shirlee is a senior speech pathology major with a minor in American Sign Language. She is applying for graduate school, and she feels comfortable in her deci-sion to have joined Delta Sigma Theta.
“This is helping my future and my now.”
The votes are in for the Best of UALR and the winner of Best Male Personality is
Corrigan Revels.Revels is a senior majoring in
Mass Communication with an emphasis in Motion Pictures and a minor in English.
Taking part in activities such as the University Programs Council, the Student Government Association, the African American Male Initiative and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated the Kappa Psi Chapter, Revels is a very well rounded individual.
In the future, “I hope to one day direct one of my own mov-ies. I really love films and I feel like they have been a big part of my life, with me being an only child for sixteen years. That was part of my entertainment and I feel like I learned a lot from film. I feel like film can teach you a lot about life.” He also plans to one day produce films, as well as working to receive his Master’s in Student Affairs.
“I believe I was nominated just for the simple fact that I believe that character takes you a long way in life. It’s one thing to have the work ethic or the connec-tions but character brings out a lot that it could your connections, it could be that one little chance that barely anyone ever gets, and they give that to you just because they believe in you and you make them comfortable around you and that can open up a lot of doors, having a good personality is a part of your character.”
To Revels winning this award means a lot because it means that people appreciate his presence. He focuses on having positive vibes and that comes with having a good personality. “So I guess I am succeeding.”
One of Revel’s favorite quotes is “Hope for the best but expect the worst.” It is very evident that Revels work hard to make a posi-
The Best of UALR left Delta Chi on top as the Best Fraternity. New to the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock, Delta Chi wasted no time leaving their mark.
At the beginning of the semes-ter, Eric Vicente, a leadership con-sultant came to campus and gath-ered seventeen men and initiated them into the UALR chapter of the Delta Chi Fraternity.
Davis Butterworth and Blake Odom took the positions as President and Vice President, leading the fraternity to accom-plish their main goal which is, “To change the stereotype of fraterni-ties,” said Odom.
Odom said, “I think we deserve to be the Best of UALR because we are different, we don’t want the same thing in every person we want everyone to be their own person.”
Although they haven’t been around very long, they have already hosted one major event, the first annual Delta Chi Sweet Heart Pageant. There were six contestants and numerous audi-ence members participating in their event. The event was a huge success with over $400 being raised for the V Foundation.
Delta Chi welcomes individuals who are well rounded and want to make a change, encouraging those who are interested to give them a shot. “We have people from all walks of life and somehow, even though, we are all so different we click perfectly, and I wouldn’t trade any of them for the world,” said Odom.
As for the future, Delta Chi hopes to participate in philanthro-py events and continue to help improve the campus community at UALR.
“We want to make a change and we want to help you.”
Photo by Victoria Hickey
Taking part in numerous activities around campus, Revels is a very well rounded individual with a good head on his shoulders.
tive impact on those around him, which makes it no surprise that out of the numerous nominees, he took home the prize.
Victoria HickeyEditor
Alexis WilliamsEditor
Victoria HickeyEditor
5ualr.edu/forum December 10,2014 - January 20, 2015Best of UALR
Best Female Personality
Madeline Whitemost school-spiritedalexa treml
Courtesy of Madeline White
The votes are in for UALR’s “Best of,” and Madeline White from Sherwood
has been voted “Best Female Personality.” White, a 19-year-old sophomore, graduated from Sylvan Hills High School. White works as a daycare teacher at Pleasant Valley Church of Christ.
She has chosen American Sign Language as her major at UALR and is minoring in Spanish. White said she was inspired to pursue a career in ASL after a mission trip she recently took to New York with her church. The trip, which also encouraged her to minor in Spanish, was an all-speaking Spanish church. “There was a language barrier. I thought how cool would it be to help them learn more about God in their own language,” she said.
As a counsel member of her sorority, Kappa Delta, White never meets a stranger. She has recently been appointed as a “new member educator” for her sorority as well. As an educa-tor she said her duties include teaching all new members what the sorority stands for and their values.
White is also a Chancellor Leadership Corporation Ambassador and plans to apply to become a junior mentor next year for her peers. The list of organizations White is involved in is impressive. She is also a member of the UALR Concert Choir, given her love for singing. She also is the lead worshiper of her church’s youth band. She has not only caught the attention of UALR students; White recently got engaged. She met her fian-cé she said on a single’s retreat. They are set to marry in July. Her ten-year goal is to have a family with her soon-to-be husband and go on a mission trip together. White, who is planning to gradu-ate in 2018, said her advice for
student success is for students to “get involved as much as you can, it really does keep you con-nected with school.” She said having friends and a support sys-tem when there are bumps in the college road is important to help students stay focused and reach their goals.
Jayme GoadStaff Writer
Courtesy of Alexa Treml
Alexa Treml, a junior double majoring in biology and music performance, came
to UALR after graduating from Cabot High School. She is embrac-ing her college life at UALR by being involved in events and organizations.
Treml plays the clarinet and can frequently be seen perform-ing with the pep band during Trojan volleyball and basket-ball games. She is also a CLC scholar, a member of sorority Kappa Delta, serves as president of the Music Student Association, vice-president of the Baseball Diamond Dolls, and treasurer of the Executive Council for the Chancellors Leadership Corps.
School spirit is important for Treml, and she mentioned she attends all the UALR games she can.
“My roommate is on the soc-cer team and many of my friends play on sports team so I try my best to go support them. I love
UALR and support the teams no matter what.”
Treml hopes one day UALR will be as school-spirited as stu-dents in other Arkansas universi-ties. She also hopes that since the Razorbacks are only playing once or twice a year in Little Rock, the community will be more involved in UALR events. According to her, the key is to find a way to get freshmen involved, and show how great UALR is.
“UALR may not have a football team or a high school spirit with students wearing UALR gear,” she said, “but it is one of the only schools I know that allows stu-dents to have two majors in dif-ferent areas. The faculty and staff help students achieve their goals and want them to succeed in life.”
Whenever she is not involved in UALR organizations, studying, doing homework, or attending games, Treml likes spending time with her friends, going to the movies, and listening to music.
Treml makes the most of her college life at UALR, and men-tioned she is involved with the school because she wants to make
Alexa Treml makes the most of her college experience by being part of student organizations and attending Trojan games. She also ran for Homecoming Queen last year.
Pauline MothuStaff Writer
the most of it, not for recognition or popularity.
“I like to stay busy but try not to overload myself,” she said. “Time management is important when you are taking 20 hours a semester [23 hours next semes-ter], are part of school organiza-tions, and attend the games.”
“I am thankful and blessed for even being nominated. UALR makes it possible for students to enjoy their college life, and I do everything I do because I love it, but it is nice being recognized as one of the most school-spirited students.”
After graduating from UALR, she plans on going to medical school to become a pediatric sur-geon.
6 ualr.edu/forumDecember 10,2014 - January 20, 2015 Best of UALR
Brandon Gil has been picked as the best male athlete for the best of UALR.
Gil is a Miami native and a junior here at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is double majoring in Marketing and Economics. He is also a member of the UALR baseball team.
Baseball has been one of his true loves since he learned to walk. Throughout his early edu-cation career, he played on numer-ous different baseball teams.
“UALR has been an amazing place for me to grow as an ath-lete,” Gil said. “I’m living the dream right now.”
Gil believes his best accomplish-ments are making the academic honor roll and the academic all-conference team.
“It takes more hard work than people realize until they are actu-ally doing if at a higher level,” Gil said.
It is assumed when athletes from different teams come togeth-er to compete, it’s usually about winning that competition. Gil says the opposite.
“You play a bunch of kids that are from different areas and come together as a team and become brothers in a short period of time.”
Gil said it would be a dream come true if he could play baseball on a professional level, however,
Best male athleteBrandon Gil
Most dedicated student
dustin brown
Hillary PerkinsStaff Writer
UALR junior, Brandon Gil, is a baseball player and a Marketing and Economics major.
Dustin Brown was voted as UALR’s Most Dedicated Student. In hindsight of The
Forum’s interview with him, that is no surprise.
Brown is a junior and will be a senior in the spring. He is dou-ble majoring in Biology and an Interdisciplinary Studies degree of History, Chemistry and Nonprofit Leadership Studies. This is Brown’s third year of school.
He began UALR with college credits that he earned in high school. Brown attended Hermitage High School in southeast Arkansas. Brown is a Junior Mentor for the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps. The Friday Fellows Program, Science Scholars, Delta Chi frater-nity, Nonprofit Leadership Student Association and the Student Philanthropy Council are several of the other organizations Brown belongs to.
Brown’s interests reflect is dedi-cation to school and serving his community. He enjoys volunteer-ing at the Reptile Rescue Center in Little Rock. Brown has volun-teered at Boo at the Zoo with his fraternity, Our House and Heifer International. He spent his sum-mer in New York working with inner-city youth. He taught them coding and JavaScript and man-aged the organization’s nonprofit aspects. Brown likes to read a mix-ture of fiction and ethnographies.
With such an impressive cur-riculum, Brown’s estimated date of graduation is Spring 2017. Brown plans on attending medical school after graduating from UALR. His dedication to school and impres-sive grades isn’t something that not every student achieves. Brown is honored to have been voted UALR’s Most Dedicated Student.
Alyssa CauseyStaff Writer
Senior Paige Mason was selected as UALR’s Best Female Athlete for the 2014-
2015 Best of UALR Awards.The Fresno, Calif. native played
four years of collegiate soccer, where she played her first two years at Fresno City College and finished her last two seasons at the UALR. “I grew up watching my sister play,” she said. “I really enjoy the physicalness and tough-ness you need to have to play soccer. I began playing at age five or so.”
After playing soccer at an early age, she took her skills to a new level when she competed four seasons at Edison High School. “I adjusted playing on the high school level by getting my fit-ness up, and had to learn that it wasn’t just about being physi-cally strong, but mentally strong and really playing and competing with heart.”
Paige also competed five years in a club soccer team for California Ballard VFC. While competing at Edison High School, she only played in her freshmen and senior year. After her fresh-men season, Mason was forced to sit out for her sophomore and junior year due to an ACL inju-ry. “When that first happened, it seemed as if i was prone to con-stantly tear my ACL,” she said. “I ended up tearing my ACL twice on both knees within a two-year time span. With that being said, I only had the chance to play soccer my freshman and senior year of high school.”
Recovering from an ACL inju-ry, Mason came back for her
senior season and was named the defensive MVP for the Tigers. Despite not getting recruited out of high school due to two ACL injuries, she went on to compete for Fresno City College for her first two seasons.
Paige described her experi-ence playing soccer at the junior college level. “My junior college experience was one of the best experiences of soccer I have ever had. We were very successful the two years i played there, and I really experienced what it was like to be on a successful team who played with heart.”
In her sophomore season, she scored five goals and six assists, which earned her all-conference honors. She received interests from a few schools with UALR being one of them.
After her season ended at Fresno City College, she signed with UALR in March for the 2012-13 season. She was one of six play-ers that was apart of the recruit-ing class.”I made my decision for UALR because I was really intrigued by their art department and felt welcomed by a lot of the girls on the team.”
The midfielder started in all 36 games throughout her last two seasons at UALR and scored six goals. She scored four goals and played more minutes in her senior year. Mason also received Sun Belt Academic Rolls during her two seasons after maintaining over a 3.5 GPA.
Paige is currently finishing up her degree in studio art and serving as a residence assistance for UALR Housing. After gradua-tion, the senior plans to return to California and pursue her dreams of illustrating for articles, chil-dren’s book, and illustrating a daily newspaper comic strip.
Best female athlete
paige masonClayborn Waters
Staff [email protected]
he is ready to use the knowledge he has gained from college cours-es and the life lessons he has gained from baseball and make a career from that.
Photo by Hillary Perkins
Illustrations by Logan Sturgill
7ualr.edu/forum December 10,2014 - January 20, 2015Best of UALR
Best staff memberleanna payton
most entertaining/comedic male
eddie lee
most entertaining/comedic femaleAnesia Scott
This year the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s students have voted Leanna
Payton the best staff member of the year and she cannot be more excited.
Payton is the director of West Hall. That means she is the per-son in charge of all the students who live in dormitories over there. Her job involves a lot of meetings and a lot of paper fil-ing but she prefers working with students. The students are the reason that she does this for a living. Her passion is to help stu-dents in succeeding at college. Payton’s favorite part of her job is helping freshmen figure out how to survive college life.
This is Payton’s third year working at UALR, fourth year working full time, and her sixth
year working in this field. She attended college at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and was a grad student at University of Oklahoma. Those two huge schools are very different from UALR. After being at large cam-puses she prefers to be at a small-er campus like UALR. One of the main reasons is because it is actu-ally possible to establish relation-ships and get to know people here. She has built friendships here with many of the students.
She is very proud of this recog-nition and even more so because it was the students that choose to support her and vote for her. “It’s moments like this that remind me why I do what I do. The students. I wasn’t nominated by my boss, it was the students that gave me this.”
When she was informed that she had won this category she was shocked and overjoyed. Payton would like to think every student that voted for her.
Tanner NewtonStaff Writer
Want to laugh until it hurts? Go talk to Eddie Lee, who is now known as the Most Entertaining/Comedic Male on campus.
Courtesy of Facebook
Maggie RogersEditor
Out of the six men entered in the most entertaining/come-dic male category, UALR
junior Eddie Lee pulled through for the victory. Lee said that he was overwhelmed with excitement when he found out about his nomi-nation.
“I was kind of ecstatic that I was even nominated,” Lee said.
This might seem like déjà vu for Lee because among his peers in his senior class at Sylvan Hills High School, he won this same award.
After graduation, he came here and is pursuing a business manage-ment degree. Lee is also president of Brother’s Keeper, a student orga-nization on campus.
As for his comedy skills, Lee realized he made people laugh when they wouldn’t take him seri-ously when he was angry. Lee said that those people said it’s hard to because he’s so funny to them.
“I can be real deal mad at some-body, shouting at them and they’re just laughing,” Lee said. “I’m like, ‘I’m being serious right now, why is everybody laughing at me?’”
Lee is a spontaneous jokester, funny situations pop up and he says the first thing that comes to his mind. He watches Katt Williams and DeRay Davis, two of his favorite comedians. There is another factor that he says makes him humorous.
“I think I’m funny because of
the people I hangout with,” Lee said.
There are some jokes that Lee later regrets doing and some that don’t receive laughter from the crowds, but there is one prank inspired from television that he didn’t believe would
work. Lee put whipped cream in his friend’s hand, with results that ended any doubts Lee had about the stunt.
“I was tickling his face and he slapped himself and I recorded it,” Lee said. “I put it on Instagram, but I had to delete it because he got mad.”
There is one concern he has about this award. Lee said he’s worried about people coming up to him and asking him to make them laugh. He doesn’t have jokes, but said that he’s a funny guy to hang around.
“I’m kind of like a funny person to be around,” Lee said. “If you’re around me I just tend to make jokes.”
Lee offered advice to potential comedians out there; he said the best thing to do is not to try to be funny.
“I don’t try and I come off as funny,” Lee said. “When I do try to make people laugh, it’s not as funny.”
Shashank AvvaruStaff Writer
I am Anesia Scott (known on-campus as “Nesi”). I am a dou-ble major in Criminal Justice &
Dance. I am also a Resident Assistant in East Hall.
What makes you entertaining?As an RA I take it upon myself
to ensure people who approach me have a good experience. To me there are no strangers; just friends waiting to be made. I can talk to anyone and make them laugh. I can sit down with someone I have never met before and have a good conversation with them. That is not something I picked up somewhere; it’s just who I am as a person.
Being an RA is not easy, is it?
I love my job as an RA and wouldn’t trade it for the world. More often than not, you have two types of people coming in. There are people who are outgoing, kind and grateful to be here. Then there are those who don’t want to clean their room.
East Hall is a challenge though. There are sophomores, juniors, seniors and freshmen here all in one building. There is a learning curve to the job but I conquered it.
UALR in general is an incredible school but the staff and faculty aren’t appreciated as much as they should be. Michael, for instance who works here cleans the East Hall from top to bottom but he doesn’t get the appre-ciation he deserves.
What are some of your expe-riences and honors as an enter-tainer?
Dancer in piece “Lucid” by Courtney Self
Winner of the Nae Nae dance competition at the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity-hosted Greek Renaissance
Host of The East Hall ParlorMiss Congeniality in the Miss
Black & Gold pageantUnited Dance Association All
American DancerTell us about your philosophies
and beliefs as an entertainer.I believe in making the impossible
possible. When I hear music I dance, I fear no danger, I am invulnerable. I believe that you can achieve any-thing in life if you set your mind to it. After having overcome hard-ships and obstacles my belief in this philosophy has only strengthened. I am a first generation college student from my family and I am thankful for having come this far. But this isn’t the end, this is just the beginning.
What does the future look like for you?
I love to travel. I don’t want to be in just one place or be just one per-son. I want to build an empire. My goals are endless. I want to be a part of the Criminal Justice department. I want to expose all the talents I was born with to the world.
“A legacy is the most important thing to me in life. What is the point of life if you don’t leave a legacy?”
Courtesy of Leanna Payton
8 ualr.edu/forumDecember 10,2014 - January 20, 2015 Best of UALR
The votes are in, and the best male resident assistant is Dustin Rhodes. Rhodes is a
senior theatre arts major in the hopes of becoming a professional stage manager after graduation.
Rhodes is a third floor West Hall RA for the male side. This is his second year as an RA.
“My favorite thing about being an RA is meeting new freshmen and helping them get ready for their new school year and all that stuff.” He said he really enjoys the job, but doesn’t enjoy being the one to get residents in trouble and punish them, even though that it is a part of the job.
A big part of being an RA means planning a variety of events throughout the semester for the residents.
“[Some events I have planned are] movie nights, floor parties, and a lot of video game tourna-ments. Next semester I plan on doing a drunk goggles Mario Kart
Recently crowned win-ner of the 2014 Delta Chi Sweetheart Pageant, Quay
Allen-Smith also snags the win for the Best of UALR female RA category.
The senior Business Marketing major in her second year as a resident assistant for West Hall and she loves it.
“My residents they keep me going. This job requires a lot as far as programming, paper work, meetings, and different situations that happen. Sometimes it can be overwhelming but when you have a program and your resi-dents come out it just gives me that reassurance that I’m here for the right reasons.”
Over the last three semesters as an RA, Allen-Smith has had the opportunity to meet lots of people and make new friends. Mixing and mingling, as well as, getting involved with campus events are both just a few things that Quay recommends to her residents. She feels that it is important to look for activities to partake in around campus in order to find and promote positive interac-tion and socialization while liv-ing away from home.” Look for things to do and then out of that comes people you hang out with and ultimately become friends with.” she said.
When it comes to a supervi-sory position, there are rules and regulations that have to be set. For Allen-Smith’s floor residents
there are two main objectives: cleanliness, especially the kitch-en, and general respect. These guidelines along with recognition of loud hours are highly expected on the floor, but overall, Allen-Smith said her residents are great and problems are minimal.
“Technically I’m supposed to be there for them [residents], but they don’t realize how much they make me happy. When I see them on campus or I see them in class or out there studying, that just gives me life.”
Surviving the earthQUAYke hasn’t been vary hard this semes-ter according to residents that describe her as easy-going, ener-getic, and dependable.
“I like that I’m close to the people on my floor, it’s like a community and everybody’s all good friends,” said freshman and Accounting/Finance major Adrianna Dodson, “Quay is a
Courtesy of Lela-Tamara FlukerIn her second year, Allen-Smith has worked the floors two and six of the ladies side of West Hall. ‘The view from the sixth floor was great!’ Allen-Smith said.
Ericka HensonStaff Writer
Courtesy of Benny Scroggin
tournament.”How do his residents really
feel about him?“I would consider my RA to
be exceptionally good, said fresh-man resident Samuel Byrd. “He doesn’t lord himself over his resi-dents or treat us like inferiors; he acts towards us with respect and a sort of charismatic one-of-the-guys attitude. His attitude is very likable and respectable”.
Wondering if Rhodes will be an RA next year? He says he isn’t quite sure yet, but he had a few words for residents who plan to become an RA.
“Get involved with hall coun-cils, go to programs your RAs put on, and apply when it comes time in the spring semester”.
An RA lifestyle is a busy one. They not only have classes, but also take care of all of their resi-dents every day and life can become a little hectic at times.
Rhodes said a quote by Robin Williams inspires him daily, “You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”
really good RA. She holds these events that allow us to do things together. She’s really friendly; it’s easy to talk to her [so] there’s no need to be scared to interact with her.”
Due to her complexity and excellence, it is tough to describe our winner in one word.
“She’s laid back and always there when you need anything. She’s nice but don’t push her to her breaking point.” said fresh-man Kiauna Rome a business management major.
For anyone wanting to become an RA. campus involvement, a positive reputation, and mainte-nance of a good GPA are vital qualifications. For Allen Smith, being at UALR and having the chance to be in such a position is wonderful. A humbling, challeng-ing, and exciting experience has stemmed from it. “I love it.,” said Allen-Smith.
Best male RAdustin rhodes Best female RA
quay allen-smithLela-Tamara Fluker
Staff [email protected]
Thank you, Alexis Williams and Pauline Mothu for your outstanding service to The Forum Newspaper. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.