The following is written by Lauren Sukany, marketing and recruitment specialist for the Office of International Services.
As the UALR Communications team was walking around campus on a brisk day at the end of November, we hardly saw anyone outside. We thought perhaps it was the cold weather, until we walked into the Ottenheimer Library. There were so many students! We realized then that it was the END of November. That’s right (drumroll please), FINALS were looming on the horizon.
So we asked UALR students how they prepared for their final exams: red bull, coffee, using notecards to study, and a lot of “cramming” were some of their answers. How do you prepare for finals week?
Imagine what it would be like to work for a rock star. Not just any rock star either — the One. The idol you’ve been the ultimate fan of since age eleven.
Lea Clyburn is living this dream. She took a job earlier this semester helping Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan prepare his autobiography.
We met Lea at the KUAR studios to talk about this latest development in her career. A grad student studying professional and technical writing, Lea is quick to share her excitement, something she describes as similar to a teenage girl’s obsession with Justin Bieber.
One of my favorite things about her story is that this opportunity came to her through Twitter. There you go, all you naysayers. Social media is not a waste of time. Billy Corgan tweeted that he needed a writer, and Lea replied. It definitely made me think about following my favorite celebs in the hopes of similar fortune.
Lea also shared with us what she loves about the Rhetoric & Writing program at UALR. Teaching composition is clearly a passion. And boy, does she have a story to tell her students for years to come. Rock on, Lea.
Have you ever played that game where you close your eyes and point to a random place on a map and then plan to take a trip there? Or at least dream of taking a trip? Well, if you’re a UALR student, you can pretty much do just that in regard to studying abroad. There are countless opportunities for students who are interested in studying somewhere outside of their comfort zone.
As part of International Celebration Week, a Study Abroad Fair was held today where UALR-affiliated organizations showcased the many options students have. Pick a country, and there was probably someone available to talk to you about it. How about traveling to Paris for a week? Or what about a semester in Italy studying history? Or maybe going down under to Australia is more your cup of tea? Whatever you want, the Programs Abroad office can probably help make it happen.
If you’re worried that you can’t get away for a full semester, there are several faculty-lead short-term trips, such as the ones to Paris, Peru, and Poland next summer. I had the privilege of doing just that last May when I traveled to Paris. You can read more about that here and here.
There are also trips during the summer to places like Mexico, Spain, France, and Germany. Additionally, students can travel after graduation.
If you missed the event today and are even slightly considering studying abroad, call the Programs Abroad office (501-683-7566) and they can go over your options with you. Trust me, there are plenty. Along with a variety of locales for you to choose from, there are a variety of price-points that can fit into your budget.
If you need a little more convincing, check out this video of some students who recently traveled abroad. Their stories capture what the experience is all about.
Earth scientists celebrated National Fossil Day on the first floor of the Science Lab Building where nearly 250 visitors viewed actual fossils and casts of fossils from the university’s collection and other institutional collections.
Joe Daniel, a paleontologist and an alumnus of the UALR geology program helped organize the event and gave away some neat National Fossil Day mementos — pins, postcards, posters, magnets, and other items. UALR faculty and students were present to answer questions.
Kids had the most fun. UALR grad students helped them simulate a fossil dig.
Special thanks goes to the Museum of Discovery for bringing some of their teaching resources to National Fossil Day.
Photos courtesy of Buster Schmidt, Recruitment Coordinator for the College of Science and Mathematics.
The following contribution is courtesy of Sarah Lindsey Harrison, manager of annual giving in the Department of Development.
We’re coming to the end of The Fund for UALR Fall Phonathon, a six-week effort conducted every year where current UALR students reach out to alumni, previous donors, and friends to ask for their support of The Fund for UALR. The Fund, UALR’s Annual Fund, provides a source of unrestricted donations that go to support the needs of students on campus.
“The UALR Phonathon has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the university, its history, and the opportunity to talk with people who want to support it,” said junior Mikelle Moore, a business management major from Milwaukee, Wis.
In addition to asking for donations, student callers must be prepared to answer questions about the university, its history, current events or updates on campus.
“At first, it was a little intimidating, but you get into a rhythm and feed off the energy of everyone else,” said Kimberly Gulley, a junior social work major from Magnolia. “It is really great to see that the money we are raising is directly impacting the lives of students such as myself.”
Learn more about the Fund for UALR here.
The following is written by Klansee Tozer, graphic designer for the Office of Communications, and lover of all things Halloween.
Halle-Boo-Jah is what! Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall was filled with many unusual characters yesterday, including zombies, gypsies, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Beethoven, the Phantom of the Opera, a Jedi, many Disney characters, and even a banana. They all gathered to amaze the UALR campus and community with their musical talents.
The concert opened with director Bevan Keating, dressed as a zombie, leading the Concert Choir in a performance of Loch Lamond. Gumby, or J.J. Albrecht, humored the audience by taking his head off to sing his solo part. I never knew Gumby could sing and an Irish song at that! The Great Pumpkin, Olivia Brown, shared her beautiful vocals with a solo part. And later, the Starship Enterprise beamed Spock, aka Luke Angelo, down to sing “Naked Lady.” Count Dracula, Mr. Louis Heard III, made an appearance and performed “Dracula with a Twist,” a piano improvisation. I didn’t know fingers could move that fast!
Other wonderful performances included the trombone, string, and percussion ensembles. In addition to showcasing their talent, the students had a fun time of mimicking their teachers. The percussion ensemble, or “The Four Mr. Chucks,” all had matching hair and made me wish I had taken up the drums way back when.
The two beautiful gypsy queens, Kristina Marinova and Tatiana Roitman, closed the show with a wonderful piano performance that left the audience in good spirits.
I loved seeing a wide range of costumes. They were all creative and great, but my favorites were Mary Poppins and the Mad Hatter.
Thank you, Music Department, for sharing your talent with us and for performing a wonderful Halloween concert! It was fun, entertaining, and a great break in the day, not to mention it was free! UALR is blessed to have you here.
The following contribution is courtesy of Buster Schmidt from the College of Science and Mathematics.
Observe the Moon Night is an international event that you might not have heard about. Darrell Heath, assistant lab animal technician in UALR’s Department of Biology, decided to do something about that and organized central Arkansas’s celebration of Earth’s only natural satellite.
Heath, also a volunteer with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Solar System Ambassador program, planned Little Rock’s Observe the Moon Night at Riverfront Amphitheater so that participants could get a better look at the moon through telescopes provided by UALR physics and astronomy students and faculty.
The observation followed a day of activities at the River Market, including a free showing of Ron Howard’s documentary of NASA’s Apollo Program, “In the Shadow of the Moon,” at 1 p.m. at Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center, a lecture about “black holes” by Dr. Marc Seigar of UALR’s Physics and Astronomy Dept., and a 5 p.m “solar system walk” through Riverfront Park. Led by Dr. Tony Hall, chair of UALR’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, the walk was designed to illustrate the real scale of Earth’s small portion within the Milky Way Galaxy.
International Observe The Moon Night was first established last year and “consists of scientists, educators, and moon enthusiasts from government, non-profit organizations, and businesses throughout the United States and across the globe.
“International Observe the Moon Night has created the opportunity for people to take notice of the moon’s beauty and share that experience with one another,” Heath said. “Through International Observe the Moon Night, we hope to instill in the public a sense of wonderment and curiosity about our moon… a celestial body that has influenced human lives since the dawn of time.”
Viewers checking out the setting sun through high-powered telescopes with strong filters. Viewing the sun without proper protection will damage your eyes.
Setting up the telescope for checking out the moon.
The moon is observed by a variety of viewers. The kids loved it!!
Dr. Tony Hall details the moon’s surface features with viewers.
A Sun Spotter…the safe way to view sun spots.
Darrell Heath (organizer) talks about the observance of the moon.
It was a family affair. Most of the viewers at the moon observance day were families.
Brandon Schmidt catches the last few rays of the day’s sun.
Dr. Tony Hall brings up a Russian meteorite for the audience.
The UALR community continues to mourn the loss of Patricia Guardado, a student who had been missing since Oct. 12. Patricia was majoring in international business.
We are all deeply saddened by the loss of this remarkable young woman, and we offer our condolences to her family and friends.
UALR has contributed $5,000 to a reward for information leading to a conviction. A tip line has been set up at 501.580.8706.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and UALR have established the Patricia Guardado Endowed Scholarship Fund in her honor.
The UALR Department of Theatre Arts and Dance will open its 2011-2012 season with the musical comedy, “Once Upon a Mattress,” Thursday, Oct. 6, to Sunday, Oct. 9, at University Theatre in the Center for the Performing Arts.
“Once Upon an Mattress” is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, “The Princess and the Pea.” Now I’m no Siskel or Ebert, but I got a sneak peak at the rehearsal, and I give this show two thumbs up!
Jay Raphael, chair of the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, says this is the first musical the department has staged since adding dance to its menu. The orchestra pit of the University Theatre has been opened and refurbished, and “Mattress” promises to be a lavish and unique production.
The production debuted in 1959, and theatre buffs will remember that this is the show that launched Carol Burnett’s career. I predict the UALR performance will be instrumental for launching the careers of our own student actors, singers, and dancers.
I met two of the lead actors, Memory Apata and Timothy “TJ” Medel, both from Bryant. Memory is an applied music major. She is a beautiful soprano and is planning a career in the opera and/or acting. TJ is a junior majoring in theatre and has big dreams of shadowing a Def Jam poet after he earns his degree. From there he hopes to join the cast of “Second City” or “Saturday Night Live.”
Performances will be at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday and 7 p.m. on Friday. Matinee performances will be at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $7 general admission and $5 for students. For tickets, call the theatre box office at 501-569-3456.
Associate Vice Chancellor David Millay and a committee of UALR business partners organized a golf tournament at Chenal Country Club to help fund scholarships for his employees who might not otherwise be able to take classes or complete their degree.
While employees do get a tuition discount, there is still a cost associated, along with paying for text books, lab fees, etc. Millay did not want that to be a barrier to his employees to continuing their education. What better way to raise money than a golf tournament? There’s rarely a complaint about spending an afternoon on the greens for a good cause, right?
Because we like to keep our intrepid blog readers up to speed on what’s happening at UALR, I volunteered (begged for) the chance to spend part of the afternoon out documenting the event. I arm-twisted trusted cohort Drew Stephens to man the video camera (check out his fantastic video that accompanies this blog). It took about a second-and-a-half of arm-twisting to get him to agree.
The event was staffed by Facilities Management employees so those playing in the tournament had the opportunity to meet some of the people they would be helping.
This year’s event was such a success that plans are already in the works to make the tournament an annual fundraiser. Watch for information about GolfFEST 2012!