Last week on spring break, a group of 16 International Business students and three professors traveled to Costa Rica to learn more about sustainable business practices while understanding more about another culture.
The students blogged about their experiences here, but I wanted to highlight a few excerpts that stood out to me. From these posts, it’s easy to see that the students learned a lot while having some fun, too.
“Costa Rica is a small, open economy that heavily relies on the United States’ market stability, making them very vulnerable to changes in the world economy. Main goals of the economy are to promote exports of new agricultural process, to create new technology, and to take advantage of their beautiful county for tourism.” – Sawyer McDaniel
“We also learned about the educational system in Costa Rica which I found interesting because it differs from ours in the US. The difference is that once you reach high school you can choose to stay in general education or choose a specialized program that focuses on technical skills. I was also surprised to learn that college was very inexpensive for Costa Ricans, about $900 a year. Which has me thinking, maybe I should come to school here if I continue my education.” – Evan Nguyen, undergrad in the International Business and Spanish Programs
“While on this visit, I’ve been immersed in the most beautiful settings I’ve ever seen in my life. Lush plants with richly saturated blooms in red, magenta, orange and yellow are everywhere you look. Cloud forest. Rain forest. Butterfly farm. The bus rides have produced views of dramatic mountainous landscapes and breathtaking vistas. The list of aesthetically pleasing sites goes on and on. And I have indulged in incredible food, fun and conversation.”
And this excerpt makes me appreciate our gas prices. I couldn’t imagine paying $6 a gallon!
“Gas prices aren’t advertised at gas stations; rather, the government publishes the price in the newspaper each time there is an increase. Starting this Thursday, gas prices will go up $.80, so that a gallon of gas will cost over $6. Part of the reason gas is so expensive is that Costa Rica does not produce crude oil or have any refineries.” – Samantha Cook, graduate student in the Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor Programs
“The bus ride to the beach is a long one, so we entertained ourselves by singing karaoke to Neil Diamond, Guns N Roses, and of course Fernando’s favorite, the almighty Garth Brooks. That was pretty fun and I especially enjoyed the lyrical wonders of Hotel California sung by a certain professor who will remain nameless.” – Marilyn Breaux, graduate student in the Master of Business Administration Program
To read more about the students’ adventures, visit their blog.
During spring break, the campus is typically pretty quiet. I’ve heard some call it a “ghost town.” But there’s one place on campus that is filled with noise, from the sound of bare feet dancing across the stage to hearing budding guitarists play ‘Smoke on the Water.’
Each spring, the Community School of the Arts offers its College for Kids Spring Break Arts Camp, where children from kindergarten to age 15 can take classes in music, dance, theater, dramatic arts, and more. The students are taught by UALR art and music faculty members and professional artists.
I stopped by the camp near the end of the week to see what the kids were up to. In just a short time, I saw students drawing, painting, dancing, playing guitar, and learning about musical rhythm.
The best part was that everyone looked like they were having fun while they were learning. I think that’s what camp is all about.
But don’t worry if your child missed camp this week. The Community School of the Arts also offers a Summer Arts Camp. Session 1 is scheduled for June 18-22 and Session 2 is scheduled for August 6-10. Sessions are from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuition is $165 per child and art classes are available in musical, visual, dance, theater, literary, dramatic, and even cooking.
I’m excited that my son is finally old enough to enroll in the camp this summer. Now the only question is, which class should he take? Either way, I know he’ll learn a lot and have just as much fun as the kids did this week.
We dropped by a dance class in session last week, capturing video for a larger project. But we wanted to share a small window into UALR Dance with this clip.
How many university courses can you think of, which incorporate live piano accompaniment? A better question: Which one of YOUR courses could benefit from a man playing piano? Chemistry perhaps? Calculus with show tunes?
Every year, a number of UALR faculty, staff, and students participate in the Little Rock Marathon. There is much to celebrate this year, and much to mourn. For the fourth year, alum Leah Thorvilson won the women’s division. Assistant Marketing Professor Karen Hood sang the national anthem and alum Gina Marchese Pharis was the Executive Race Director.
For the uninitiated, the full marathon is 26.2 miles and the half is 13.1 miles. There was also a 10K race (6.2 miles) and a 5K (3.1 miles).
Just to give some perspective, the full marathon would be like running from campus to the Little Rock Air Force Base. ArkansasOnline did a fun video that shows the route in high speed.
If participants did all the training runs, full marathoners ran 567 miles by the time the marathon was over. Half marathoners ran 355 miles.
photo from arkansasonline.com
Congratulations to the following folks on overcoming wind and warm weather to complete a great race!
Full Marathon:
Valerie Brown (TRIO Program Director)
Cindy Gilbert (Associate Professor, Nursing)
Angela Parker (Communications – Media Relations)
Brian Watson (Records and Registration Associate)
Half Marathon:
Dr. Edward Anson (History Professor)
Kelley Bass (EIT Assistant Dean)
Amy Burgess (Head Swimming Coach)
Elizabeth Sloan Davidson (Assistant Professor Nursing)
Dent Gitchell (Bowen School of Law Professor Emeritus)
Karen Hood (Marketing and Advertising Assistant Professor)
Ashley McCafferty (Academic Success Center Advisor
Brad Patterson (Director of Testing Services)
Abbey Ray (Senior in the BSW program)
Ann Schlumberger (Nursing Department Chair)
Eileen Turan (Donaghey Scholars Program Administrator)
Whitney West (Business Consultant, ASBTDC)
Stephen Yanoviak (Biology Assistant Professor)
10K:
Alton Pouncey (Project/Program Manager, Computing Services)
5K:
Elizabeth Vaughn-Neely (Educational Leadership Chair)
There are two UALR runners who are not included in that list, though- Mike Kelly and his wife Ebony. As you have probably heard, they were both running the half marathon when Mike collapsed at the 11th mile and could not be revived.
Mike was a network technician in Information Technology Services. He was 37 years old. He joined UALR as a lab assistant in the student library lab while working on his bachelor’s degree. He was hired full-time in the Desktop Support Group in 2007 and was promoted to his current position in 2009. He was also working on his master’s degree in information quality.
“Mike was a conscientious, dedicated person who did a great job at whatever task he was assigned,” said Dr. Jeannie Winston, vice chancellor for information services. “He was a valuable member of our UALR family and will be missed.”
Mike won’t just be missed for the work he did though. His friends and co-workers say Mike was a good person – kind, thoughtful and cheerful. He had trained to run in the half marathon to get in shape and was down about 40 pounds.
Most importantly, they talk about how much he loved his wife Ebony, who is an administrative assistant in the Department of Information Science. They had been married a little over a year, and would often spend part of their lunch hour walking around campus.
Our hearts go out to Ebony, their family, and Mike’s friends and co-workers.
Thursday, March 15, is the deadline for UALR students to register for this year’s Student Research and Creative Works Expo, a full day where undergraduates and graduates can display their research, scholarship, and creativity on April 16.
Elizabeth Bintliff, interim vice president of Heifer International’s Africa Program, will help UALR celebrate International Women’s Day Thursday, March 8, with a lecture titled “Women and Development.”
Continue reading “Heifer Exec Celebrates Women’s Day March 8”
On Monday, Feb. 27, life as we know it will change forever.
Ok. Excuse the hyperbole. But signing into your UALR accounts is, in fact, changing and for the better.
Haven’t you been frustrated trying to remember too many account passwords? Did you ever shake your fists at your computer and shout to the heavens, “Why can’t I log into my email and Blackboard with just one username/password?!?”
IT Services has been working to remedy this first-world problem, and we’re excited to launch myUALR, a single sign-on solution.
Using myUALR, you’ll be able to access your UALR email account, Blackboard, and BOSS — all using your NetID. Pretty simple, right? Check out this soothing demo from our nifty IT folks:
IT Services is offering public demonstrations and Q&A sessions from 3 to 5 today in Dickinson Auditorium. Feel free to drop in and check it out. If you run into problems, contact the UALR IT Services Assistance Center at 501.916.3011 or send an e-mail to itservices-help@ualr.edu.
Homecoming is always a great time to show school pride, and we have two fantastic basketball teams to get out there and support this weekend. In fact, you should probably wear your UALR hoodie every day this week just to show your school spirit. The most spirited fan will be judged during the men’s game and go home $300 richer. Go Trojans!
Courtesy: Nelson Chenault
Of course, no Homecoming is complete without the royalty. You can vote for Homecoming Queen in the DSC 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 22 and 23.
Read more about the candidates and the organizations that nominated them in The Forum.
But wait, there’s more! Last year, Campus Recreation started a brand new event — the Homecoming Cardboard Boat Regatta. There are prizes for most creative design, best dressed team, most team spirit, and the best prize of all– the Titanic Award for most spectacular sinking.
If you missed last year’s, watch the video for a little sampling of what’s in store.
Come out to the DSC at noon on Friday, Feb. 24, and cheer on your favorite regatta team.
Then on Saturday, support the Trojans against our in-state rival ASU. Let’s show them our school spirit, and Pack the Jack!
The following is written by Cynda Alexander, coordinator for Non-Traditional Student Programs.
Last night, the Office of Campus Life welcomed Hill Harper as the keynote speaker for Black History Month. Harper is an author and American film, television, and stage actor. Harper’s popularity rose on both the mainstream and independent film circuits, thanks to roles in “Beloved,” “Loving Jezebel,” “The Skulls,” and the independent drama, “The Visit,” where he starred as a prisoner dying of AIDS.
But perhaps his best-known role to date is that of coroner-turned-crime scene investigator Sheldon Hawkes on the TV show “CSI:NY.”
UALR was excited about welcoming Harper and hearing him discuss his second book, “The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in its Place,” about how to use wealth building as a tool for joy and fulfillment and placing money in its proper context.
More than 450 people showed up and were inspired by his message to redefine wealth and take responsibility for how our resources are used. He challenged the audience to apply the exercises he used to identify his own wealth factors and define and accomplish goals. Harper’s speech included his own personal anecdotes of his experiences of the revelations he had while writing this book.
After his inspiring speech, he graciously signed books and autographed cards for hundreds of people. He took this time to deliver his message personally to everyone that waited for an autograph.
At the end of the evening, he hung around with the remaining students for group photos and final words of inspiration.
UALR student Shara Buford summed it up best when she said this about Harper, “People like that have so much power when talking to young people because we like to hear someone else’s voice besides our parents. It isn’t every day that we get to interact with people like him who have so much to teach us. To say the least, last night was truly an inspiration.”
The Office of Campus Life looks forward to welcoming more inspiring and friendly speakers like Hill Harper. To find out what the office has planned for the rest of the year and to see more pictures from the event, visit their Facebook page.