The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Student Newspaper December 4, 2013 - January 14, 2014

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Jacob EllerbeeExecutive EditorEditor@ualr.edu

CLC food drive surpasses 13,000

With as little as $1, col-lege students can make a difference in

a local, less fortunate child’s life, according to Non-Tradi-tional Student Program Coordi-nator Cynda Alexander. This is the second year that UALR has been appointed to be a drop-off location for Toys for Tots.

The program, which was started by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve over 60 years ago, collects new toys and dis-tributes them to children of fi nancially challenged families in the community surrounding the particular drop-site.

Alexander, who coordinates the Toys for Tots drop-off at UALR, said some of these recip-ients are UALR non-traditional students, many of whom are single parents and of low in-come striving to get their edu-cation.

Alexander said the toys need to be new and unwrapped to ensure safety and so the par-ents can choose the most suit-able present for each child. “That way the children never know, whether they believe in Santa Clause or not, they don’t know that mother did not pro-vide these for me,” Alexander said.

According to Alexander, gifts as inexpensive as a box of crayons, a coloring book, and a story book, which cost about $1, can have a huge psychologi-

cal impact on the kids who are accustomed to receiving hand-me-downs. She said when they go back to school in January and hear other kids bragging on Christmas presents, they will not feel left out. Alexan-der said that she hopes the re-cipients will feel that someone cares about them.

She said these children are usually given photocopy pages and rarely own a new coloring book. “Picture that little kid on Christmas morning, opening

that up and going ‘Aaahh! It’s brand new! It’s all mine! I get to color every pages!’”

The Toys for Tots drop boxes are located in front of the Offi ce of Campus Life, the UALR Book-store, the Diamond Cafe, and Starbucks. Drop boxes can also be found in the main lobby of the second fl oor of the Student Services Center and in the foyer near the cashier’s offi ce in the SSC. Donations will be accepted until Dec. 16.

The Reach 13,000 food drive hosted by the Chan-cellor’s Leadership Corps

has come to a close and the total number of donations is higher than ever.

The organization, which began in 1976 and has host-ed the event for three years, surpassed its goal, collecting 14,247 food items - nearly 200 more than last year.

The initiative was started by the Student Government Asso-ciation and later handed over to the to CLC. It was initially dubbed “Reach 12,000,” but the number increased following trends in enrollment statistics.

Most of the items will be relayed to the Arkansas Food

Bank. A portion of the goods is contributed to the Staff Sen-ate’s Helping Hands program, which plays an active role in the local community.

“They try to put together food baskets for the holidays during Christmas. They need specifi c items for us. They pro-vide meals for staff and fami-lies on campus,” said CLC Pro-gram Coordinator Nick Steele.

The organization and de-partment that raise the most food items are named the winner of the food drive. The AAMI/AAFI/HLI Leadership Institutes was the top orga-nization this year, raising ex-actly 3,132 goods. The back-to-back winner, Testing Services, which raised 1,295, accompa-nies them in victory. The win-ners will be rewarded with a pizza party to be held at a later date.

Toys for Tots provides Christmas gifts to children whose parents or guardians could not otherwise a� ord the expense. UALR’s Toys for Tots Drop-site Coordinator said the program can teach less fortunate kids the broader picture of the world and remind them that someone cares.

THE FORUM’S HOLIDAY PLAYLIST

5thMini-Mindfulness

Meditation5 p.m. to 7 p.m.DSC Room 201R

Law @ Lunch12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.DSC Meeting Room G

Alphas vs. Nupes Basketball Game

6 p.m. to 8 p.m.DSC Fieldhouse

4th

7th

Do you have a non-academic event that

you want posted on this calendar? If so, email

editor@ualr.edu

December

Toys for Tots: ‘Tis the season of giving at UALR

CLC raised the most overall with nearly 5,000 items, but af-ter winning two years straight, Steele decided it was unfair for the host team to win.

“Competition breeds excel-lence,” Steele said. “A lot of the items were Ramen noodles but it doesn’t matter, it’s going to be eaten. I think competition is the key there, to get people in-volved and donating to a good cause.”

Steele also said he would like to have a Ramen noodle drive during the spring.

“That’s it, nothing but Ra-men noodles. Stack up the Ra-men noodles, see how many we can get, take pictures in front of it, call the Guinness World Records and say, ‘Hey we have the most Ramen noodles in one spot ever collected by a college campus. Put us in the Guinness Book of World Records.’”

Kezia NandaStaff Writer

Kananda@ualr.edu

Photo by Kezia Nanda

Photo by Benny Scroggin

KenDrell CollinsEditor

kdcollins@ualr.edu

The Ottenheimer library will be offering extended hours during fi nal exams

this year, with the possibility of offering extended hours in the future if students take advan-tage of the hours, according to Lauren McNeaill, president of the Student Government Asso-ciation.

McNeaill and Trey Gibeault, vice president of the SGA, spoke to J.B. Hill, interim dean and di-rector of pubic services of the Ottenheimer library, about the possibility of extending the op-erating hours of the library.

Hill said he would be willing to extend their hours during fi -nals week to see if students uti-lize the extended hours and to see if it is something the library should do in the future.

Typically, the library is open until 11 p.m. during the week, but beginning Dec. 9, the li-brary will remain open until 2 a.m.

The extended hours will be observed Dec. 9 – 12 and Dec. 15 and 16.

“After great discussion, In-terim Dean J.B. Hill has agreed to run trial periods of extended hours during the week of fi nals, beginning with this fall semes-ter,” McNeaill said in a press release.

“This is an excellent oppor-tunity for student organiza-tions, administrative offi ces, and academic departments to show their support for student success,” she added.

She said that student orga-nization involvement, as well as involvement from admin-istrative offi ces and academic departments, can help boost student turnout.

“If this trial period is a suc-cess, meaning that students take advantage of the exten-sion, this will be an initiative that continues to take place,” McNeaill said in the press re-lease.

If your organization, offi ce or department would like to participate, McNeaill asks that you send her an email for more information at lmmcneaill@ualr.edu.

Library will o� er extended hours

during � nals, SGA president says

8thThe Way Intenational

Bible Study Event12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

DSC Ledbetter A

10thLet it OWT Open Mic

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.DSC Ledbetter A

Volunteer Lauren Coggins and others help organize a fraction of the over 14,000 non-perishable items piled in the center of the foyer on the � rst � oor of the Donaghey Student Center.

PAGE 3BASKETBALL HEADS TO THE TROPICS

PAGE 4CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR CONSUMERS

PAGE 2

Features ualr.edu/forum2 December 4, 2013 - January 14, 2014

PAULINE MOTHU

French PressedLife in America from the perspective of a French foreign-exchange student Alexis Williams

Staff Writeraawilliams3@ualr.edu

Hillary PerkinsStaff Writer

hdperkins@ualr.edu

Rachel WrightStaff Writer

rswright@ualr.edu

Christmas is right around the corner and some of you may wonder how

French celebrate it.I have never celebrated

Christmas with an American family, but from what I have been told , French and Ameri-cans celebrate Christmas dif-ferently.

In France, Christmas is a time for family and for gen-erosity, marked by family re-unions, gifts and chocolate. In the beginning of December, children are given advent cal-endars fi lled with chocolates in anticipation of Christmas. Children have a chocolate each day before Christmas. During that time, the local postman or fi re fi ghter (or both) may knock on every door selling calendars for the coming year.

When it is Christmas time, cities are decorated with lights, candles, Christmas trees and ornaments. Many cities also have Christmas markets where people can buy home-made gifts, food and drink hot wine. In Orléans, there are two Christmas markets held during the Christmas season as well as an outside ice skating rink and a Ferris wheel.

In some cities, Christmas cel-ebrations start at the beginning of December. For instance, in eastern and northern France, the Christmas season begins on Dec. 6 with Saint Nicholas Day. In Lyon (in southeast France), Christmas celebrations begin on Dec. 8 with the Festival of Lights in which inhabitants pay homage to the Virgin Mary by putting candles at their win-dows to light up the city.

Before Christmas, it is com-mon to decorate houses with lights, a mistletoe hung above the door to bring good for-tune throughout the year and, of course, a Christmas tree. On Dec. 24, children put their shoes under the tree or by the fi replace in hopes that Santa Claus will fi ll them with gifts, and they are told Santa Claus will bring them gifts only if their shoes are under the Christmas tree or by the fi re-place.

Children are also told that Santa Claus comes into the house through the fi replace, therefore, no fi re is made on Christmas Eve. Another impor-tant aspect of the Christmas decoration in France is the crèche (nativity scene) fi lled with santons and displayed in churches and many homes.

Although fewer and fewer French attend the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, it is still an important part of Christmas for many families. Churches and cathedrals, large and small, are lit and echo the joyful melodies of carols, bells and carillons.

Christmas Day is the most important day, as it is a sym-bolic awakening to the mean-ing of Christ’s birth and is the culinary high point of the sea-son, which may be enjoyed at home or in a restaurant.

Each region in France has its own traditional Christmas menu, but a typical French Christmas menu include dishes such as foie gras (goose liver), snails, oysters, a capon or tur-key stuffed with chestnuts, and boudin blanc (similar to white pudding). The typical Christmas dessert is the bûche de Noël (Yule log). It is a log-shaped cake typically made of chocolate and chestnuts. Food takes a huge place dur-ing Christmas Day, and some families stay at the table eating lunch for hours, and then have dinner afterward.

After the Christmas festivi-ties, it is customary to leave a candle burning in case the Vir-gin Mary passes by.

I hope you all have a won-derful Christmas break, and Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas)!

Christmas ads come early despite consumer opinion

Illustration by Logan Sturgill

A peek into the nearest re-tail store—even as early as October—might fool

one into believing Christmas came early this year. The real-ity is that many businesses are opting to display their yuletide merchandise weeks before Dec. 1, and they are not asking for permission.

In a CBS Connecticut online article entitled, “Stores Na-tionwide Begin Holiday Season Early Despite Negative Reac-tion,” psychology professor Laura Brannon at Kansas State University explains a possible logic behind this interesting phenomenon:

“Even if the media doesn’t infl uence people’s attitudes to-ward a candidate, for example, focusing a lot on the economy gets people thinking about the economy,” she said. “Similarly, stores are probably trying to get people into the shopping spirit by getting them to think about a shopping season.”

This means that the retailers are not waiting until it is tradi-tionally-appropriate to adver-tise and display merchandise. They are taking an active role in pushing consumers toward earlier Christmas shopping by putting it in their faces sooner than expected.

How does this idea fare with students on campus?

Kelly Montgomery, a sopho-more psychology major, said she liked Christmas’s earlier appearance.

“Retail stores are certainly getting ready for Christmas ear-lier and earlier each year. This year, I saw Christmas decora-tions going up as early as Sep-tember. I enjoy seeing Christ-mas decorations going up right after Halloween. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I like to keep it around as long as pos-sible,” she said.

Though she largely approves of the practice, Montgomery ex-pressed a desire for more inclu-sion of the November holiday. “I do wish that stores would put

out Thanksgiving decorations or advertisements. With retail-ers pushing Christmas almost directly following Halloween, it seems like Thanksgiving is al-most forgotten.”

Montgomery also said that she thinks Christmas decora-tions should start going up the week before Thanksgiving; do-ing so allows shoppers to jump right into Christmas shopping following Thanksgiving.

“As for Christmas shopping, I try to get mine done before Black Friday,” Montgomery said. “It may sound silly to be fi nished shopping by the begin-ning of November, but it sure is nice avoiding the holiday crowds.”

Junior Brittnie Tippitt, an early childhood education major, shares Montgomery’s festive spirit but said she is uncomfortable with early ad-vertising.

“Christmas decorations were out before Halloween this year. I feel it is okay to start shopping earlier, but displaying [decora-tions] earlier and earlier takes away from the joyous season. You can buy a ghost and witch’s costume on one aisle, then a Christmas tree and angel on the other.”

“Right after Thanksgiving is when I start playing my Christ-mas music, decorating my house, and watching Christmas movies. It’s always been that way for me,” Tippitt continued. “Christmas sales and shopping can start early to help those who need it, but it can take away from the enjoyment of the season if [it is] out too early or overly advertised. Seeing Santa while it’s still 85 degrees is not hot!”

One might think that the opinions of these students, as well as of the ordinary consum-er, would seem be top priority for retailers.

However, another psycholo-gy professor, Krystine Batcho of Le Moyne College, disclosed in the CBS article a very alarming outlook about the consumer-producer relationship that this current trend engenders.

“At this time, business own-

ers might ignore consumer complaints [about seeing early Christmas advertising], be-cause they feel that consumers have little choice,” Batcho said.

“Holiday buying is so expect-ed in our culture, that people feel obligated to buy gifts re-gardless of any irritation they might feel about early advertis-ing.”

The decision to move up the Christmas shopping season was not a spontaneous one; it actually arose from a number of factors: the loss of six sell-ing days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the consensus among retailers that “The soon-er, the better” and the recent spike in competition between physical stores and online stores.

Thanks to websites like BlackFriday.com, shoppers can fi lter through available online deals advertised days before the eponymous holiday.

“The largest sales of the year for most retailers is the holiday season. The hope is that we shop earlier and continue to buy during the season and in-crease overall spending,” said Jane Wayland, dean of the Col-lege of Business.

Dean Wayland said that moving up Chrismas does not necessarily increase profi ts.

“Deep discounts eat into profi ts, so profi ts will depend on how deep the discounts will be made just to move the mer-chandise. The economy and the weather will always affect sales.”

Chris Harms, North Little

Rock Hobby Lobby store man-ager , proposed another reason his store displays merchandise earlier: because they need to. Hobby Lobby is not a typical retail outlet in its merchandise.

“Since we are an arts and crafts store, we get stuff out early so that people can begin making their decorations. Our Christmas trees go out in the middle of August. If we wait until closer to Christmas, peo-ple will not have enough time to decorate their homes.”

Harms disagreed with the notion of “too early” for dis-playing Christmas merchan-dise. “[Displaying] gives cus-tomers an idea as to what they want to make.You’ll get some people who will look at or-naments right around when school starts.”

“People say, “Man, you guys already have out Christmas stuff?” Yes we do. People want it in the middle of summer. That’s when they begin looking for trees, “ Harms said. “We are already out of trees, and it’s not even Thanksgiving.”

For Harms and Hobby Lob-by, preparing for the Christmas crowds is not only a tactic but a rule. “Black Friday is not our busiest day. Dec. 17 will prob-ably be our biggest day of the year. That’s when we get hit really hard on decorations for home and things like that,” Harms said. “After Christmas or a little before, we start set-ting up for spring.”

Museum reveals Arkansas ghosts of Christmas past

Christmas in Arkansas is based on traditions, but where did the traditions

come from and has it always been celebrated that way, and how was Christmas celebrated over 100 years ago?

Documents record Arkansas Christmas events as early as 1837. Traveler Robert Brown-lee arrived in Little Rock, Ark. on Christmas Eve and woke the next morning to gun shots and canon fi re. He wrote in his memoirs that no one seemed to care, it was just how they cel-ebrated and at least one man was killed.

The Historic Arkansas Mu-seums’ website also has infor-mation about Hannah Donnell Knight, who moved from New York to Little Rock and wrote

to her family about the events on a Christmas morning in the 1850s. She was awaken by can-on fi re on Main Street and said it was so loud windows in some of the houses broke.

British traveler William Featherstonhaugh, wrote about a party he attended in Little Rock’s early years - a dance that lasted all night and had more men than women. He wrote that the land lord said, “one hundred men and three wom-en. Everyone had a great time, and only a few shots were fi red in fun.”

The Yule Log was another tradition. According to the His-toric Arkansas Museum, slaves were allowed a break the week between Christmas and New Year, but would still have to prepare a fi re for their mas-ters. They would fi nd a huge log before Christmas and soak it in a creek and when it came

time for Christmas they would burn that log, allowing a longer break.

Celebrations quieted down after the Civil War.

In the early 1900s, Little Rock butcher Alex George would dress up Christmas Bulls with garlands of fl owers around their necks and other decora-tions to make them “dressed up, fi t to kill.” In the 1990s, the museum tried to celebrate with a Christmas Bull by rent-ing a bull to dress up (but not kill). History interpreter Starr Michell said they were unable to dress the bull because it had been dehorned and would not let anyone near it.In the late 1800s to early 1900s, the Christmas tree and presents would not come until Christ-mas Eve when the children were in bed. Michell said par-ents would put the tree up that night and children would wake

to lights and presents.The fi rst reported Christmas

tree in Arkansas was in Fay-etteville in 1839. A German put up a tree and decorated it with wood carvings and wax orna-ments.

A more recent tradition is the Historic Arkansas Museums 46th annual Christmas Frolic on Dec. 8, with dancing, ginger-bread and hot cider.

“Some families have made it their tradition to start Christ-mas,” History Interpreter Jane Keathley said. The Museum makes its own malt cider for the Christmas Frolic. “Getting ready for Christmas Frolic makes everyone (at the Muse-um) so happy,” Michel saidl.

Eggnog is a tradition that has European heritage. On Dec. 13, the Museum will have their 9th Ever Nog-Off. TheNog-Off al-lows people to share and make eggnog from historic recipes.

Blues overshadow holiday cheer, experts say

A lot of work goes into pre-paring for the holidays, and that preparation has

both positive and negative psy-chological effects.

People have a good time cel-ebrating the holidays with their families. Then again, people invite a lot of stress during the holidays because their agendas are too full and their expecta-tions too high.

People may feel obligated to buy the perfect gifts for every-one, which can strain their fi -nances. They may also feel obli-gated to buy the perfect dinner. If preparing for the holidays is a way to celebrate love for one’s family, then any imperfection could make someone feel inad-equate.

When it comes to cooking for the holidays, certain types of food are considered traditional.

“It is comfort food,” coun-selor Mike Kirk said. Those tra-ditional foods bring back a lot

of memories, and it might not seem like a holiday without that one special dish.

People may suffer from acute stress during holiday preparation. Acute stress is temporary stress which can make it diffi cult to complete a task and lead to irritability, the most common sign of stress. Stress can lead to a weakened immune system, which could put catching a cold on the list of holiday to-dos.

“People often expect the hol-iday season to be of joy and ex-citement, but some individuals have developed negative asso-ciation s with the holidays, pos-sibly due to sad or traumatic experiences in childhood,” said Robert Hines, a professor in the psychology department.

The long winter nights can also take a toll on mental health. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that occurs during winter months, accord-ing to the National Institute of Mental Health. It can be treated with light therapy, talk therapy and antidepressants, it said.

A positive attitude can make the holidays less stressful, as can sharing the holidays with loved ones.

Illustration by Paige Mason

“Family and friends are a big social protection from stress,” said Elizabeth Sherwin, a pro-fessor in health psychology.

EntertainmentEntertainmentDecember 4, 2013 - January 14, 2014ualr.edu/forum 3

Caleb MitchellStaff Writer

cfmitchell@ualr.edu

xmas mixtapeTHE WAITRESSES “CHRISTMAS WRAPPING”With “Christmas Wrap-ping,” The Waitresses cre-

ated one of few radio-friendly rock alternatives to Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” and the very pressing version of “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby. The Akron, Ohio band was key to the new wave scene of the ‘80s, and their signature song il-lustrates a playfully shallow dilem-ma about a young woman and the object of her affection. Despite the semi-dated sound that’s partially owed to its brass section, the song has become a Christmas mainstay and while people might not recog-nize the name, most listeners know it when they hear it.

1

SUFJAN STEVENS “GET BEHIND ME, SANTA!”Before he scored indie

cred with 2006’s “Illinois,” song-writer Sufjan Stevens released a fi ve-disc box set packed with cov-ers and carefully tailored Christmas originals. “Get Behind Me, Santa!” is a feel-good track smashed between two traditional songs, offering some balance to the sometimes stifl ing nature of older poems and carols. Sufjan’s appealingly soft voice pairs with a choir and multiple instru-ments to concoct a warmhearted song that’s a mix of storybook fi c-tion and witty wordplay.

THE KINKS “FATHER CHRISTMAS”Written by Kinks ringleader Ray Davies and featured on

the reissue of “Misfi ts,” “Father Christ-mas” spins a tale of a mall Santa getting beaten by lower-class ruffi ans. But despite the seriousness of its classist message, the single has become a staple since its initial airplay in 1977 and remains one of few timeless rock stan-dards. Davies’ trademark vocals, which work fl awlessly in conjunction with his brother’s guitars, make for a satisfying alternative to the horrible synths of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christ-mastime” during the winter season.

THE FALL“NO XMAS FOR JOHN QUAYS”Those familiar with The Fall’s

Mark E. Smith know he is the last person anyone would expect to write about any holiday. But the post-punk poet, who came to prevalence as part of the late 1970s punk scene in Manchester, man-aged to pen something entirely nonsen-sical, so much that the meaning of “John Quays” is debated among fans. But the song’s questionable content - along with the yelping of “You, Me, Xmas!” - has made it a classic for fans of the post-punk era, and it somehow manages to work its way into the most avant-garde of Christmas mixes.

5

RUN-DMC“CHRISTMAS IN HOLLIS”Sparing songs by Kanye West and Ludacris, good hip-hop

holiday tracks are hard to come by. But “Christmas in Hollis,” released as a single in 1987, is both infectious and refl ective, radiating with humor only a childhood in Queens could bring. Between DMC rapping about collard greens and Run discovering Santa’s

STEPHEN COLBERT “THERE ARE MUCH WORSE THINGS...”Stephen Colbert’s “A Colbert

Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All” is exactly what one would expect from the political comedian. TheGrammy award-winning special aired in 2008 with spe-cial guests Elvis Costello, Keith Urban, John Legend and others and was re-ceived with critical acclaim. The entire album has become a must-have around the holidays, but if any track is singled out, it is Costello and Colbert’s duet that falls in the vein of They Might Be Giants-type humor. Lyrics can’t even be men-tioned out of context; just give the track a listen and you’ll hear the genius.

7

BOB DYLAN“MUST BE SANTA”Coming straight off 2009’s

“Christmas in the Heart,” Dylan’s most recent testament to Christmas is more of a joke to most. The curmudgeonly sing-er-songwriter ambiguously pairs raspy vocals with reindeer, and it’s hard to tell whether Dylan is paying honest tribute or mocking the capitalist spirit. Regard-less, “Must Be Santa” and its accompa-nying video are new classics designed for those with a slightly off-kilter, “Tim and Eric”-esque sense of humor.

THE POGUES “FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK”Celtic punks The Pogues set a new mark for holi-

day standards with the 1987 release of “Fairytale of New York,” a Sid and Nancy narrative of dark humor and woe. Featuring late English vocal-ist Kirsty MacColl, the song tells a story of disillusioned love fraught with dependency, painting a grim, personal portrait of its two subjects. But there’s also something inde-

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3

scribably moving about it, and it’s “Fai-rytale’s” last verse that makes it time-less, ensuring its spot on any holiday playlist.

wallet, there’s very little room for the nauseating sentimentality that’s usually associated with a typical Christmas; needless to say, it’s worth a few listens.

8

LOW “SILENT NIGHT”Since “Silent Night” is among the more solemn of traditional

carols, no one should do it better than a slowcore band. Duluth, Minn. natives Low are known for sparse vocals and minimalist arrangements, but while this may prove off-putting to the average listener, it works in their favor this time around. Guitarist/vocalist Alan Sparhawk and wife Mimi Parker make the perfect match with this oddly

9

chilling version of “Silent Night,” which is perfect for a cold winter evening paired with hot chocolate and hundreds of stars.

F—– UP“DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS?”“Do They Know It’s

Christmas?” is certainly a radio staple between Halloween and New Year’s Day, and only the original version is well-known. But the single, originally performed for charity by Band Aid in the 1980s, received a makeover in 2009 when Canadian hardcore band F----- Up released their own collaboration with multiple artists, including GZA, Yo La Tengo, Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew, Andrew W.K. and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend fame. Because of this ensemble, the version far surpasses its predecessor in every respect and serves as a time capsule for the indie generation.

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HEAR THIS PLAYLIST ON OUR WEBSITE OR SCAN THE CODE BELOW TO LISTEN NOW!

liz fox, managing editor

Second ‘Hunger Games’ installment gains momentum, catches � re at box o� ce

Actress Jennifer Lawrence returns as heroine Katniss Everdeen in “Catching Fire,” the second adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ “Hunger Games” series.

Photo courtesy of Lions Gate Pictures

happy holidaysfrom THE FORUM!

When the fi rst installment of “The Hunger Games” fi lm se-ries was released in 2012 with

a PG-13 rating, reception from fans and critics was mixed. Some thought direc-tor Gary Ross had done a good job of making an adaptation of a book about children battling each other to the death in highly publicized, gladiator-style games without sacrifi cing the book’s integrity. Others cried foul in regards to Ross’s heavy usage of “shaky-cam” tech-niques to obscure much of the fi lm’s vio-lence, thus avoiding a dreaded R-rating. More of the same arrived when it was announced that Ross would not be re-turning to make the second fi lm, which would instead be directed by Francis Lawrence of “I Am Legend” fame. But with “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” fi nally released, it seems silly to think that anyone ever doubted Law-rence given the caliber of his previous fi lms. This is because “Catching Fire” succeeds on virtually every level that its predecessor failed, and the result is one of the best movies of the year.

One of the areas many found weak-est in “The Hunger Games” was the acting. While the fi lm was overfl ow-ing with a number of big-name actors, many of their performances felt either jilted or over-the-top. Every actor who returns in “Catching Fire” - be it Jenni-fer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson or Elizabeth Banks - puts on a fantastic performance fi tting of their characters, who now feel more in tune with their book counterparts and come across as more authentic.

However, it’s not just the returners who manage to make the fi lm; many of the new faces make waves themselves and fi t right in with the rest of the cast. Newcomer Sam Clafl in is a wonderful addition as the haughty Finnick Odair from District 4, and Jena Malone steals every scene as the hilariously snarky and unabashed Johanna Mason. Other standouts include Philip Seymour Hoff-man as new head game-maker Plutarch

Heavensbee and Jeffrey Wright as the brilliant and quirky Beetee, but there’s hardly anyone in the fi lm that doesn’t stand out in one way or another.

Another aspect of “Catching Fire” that puts its predecessor to shame is the much-discussed violence. Sadists and literary purists can rejoice knowing the fi lm retains the book series’ violent content more than the fi rst fi lm. There’s a couple of scenes guaranteed to make the squeamish squeal and writhe in disgust, and yet the fi lm is still toned down enough to avoid the R-rating with-out sacrifi cing quality or content. This makes the fi lm feel like an honest action movie, and while many were expecting the fi rst fi lm to be full of action, it never managed to come across as a serious at-tempt, largely due to the amount of cen-sorship, questionable CGI and camera techniques being utilized to dispel the violence.

“Catching Fire” also stands head and shoulders above “The Hunger Games” is in its use of humor. While there was a large amount of so-called “comedy” in the fi rst fi lm, most of it felt forced and only contributed further to the over-whelming sensation that someone was trying to appease the MPAA and the teen demographic. The minute amount of ac-tual humor came primarily from Stan-ley Tucci as the wildly over-the-top Cae-sar Flickerman, and this largely remains the same in “Catching Fire.” Banks and Harrelson bring in a lot of laughs as well, but when it comes to comedy in “Catching Fire,” it’s all Tucci’s show.

From the soundtrack to the set de-signs to the fast-paced action scenes, there are many reasons why “Catching Fire” kicks “The Hunger Games.” This is simply a good movie that happens to be based on a book series written for a primarily teenaged audience. If this wasn’t taken into account, I guarantee most viewers would think this is a phe-nomenally entertaining fi lm brought to movie lovers everywhere by a talented director. And really, that’s a testament in and of itself to the greatness of what is sure to be the biggest – and possibly best – blockbuster smash of 2013.

Sports ualr.edu/forum4 December 4, 2013 - January 14, 2014

SPORTS SCHEDULEBASKETBALL (W)UALR AT TEXAS

SWIMUALR CHRISTMAS INVITATIONAL

BASKETBALL (W&M)UALR AT TULSA

BASKETBALL (W)UALR VS. INCARNATE WORD

BASKETBALL (M)UALR AT MEMPHIS

BASKETBALL (W)UALR VS. LSU

BASKETBALL (M)BVI TROPICAL SHOOTOUT

BASKETBALL (W)UALR VS. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

BASKETBALL (M)UALR VS. GRAMBLING

DEC. 4AUSTIN, TEXAS at 7 p.m.

DEC. 5-7DONAGHEY AQUATIC CENTER

DEC. 7TULSA, OKLA. at 1 p.m.

DEC. 10JACK STEPHENS CENTER at 7 p.m.

DEC. 13MEMPHIS, TENN. at 7 p.m.

DEC. 15JACK STEPHENS CENTER at 2 p.m.

DEC. 20-21BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

DEC. 29JACK STEPHENS CENTER at 2 p.m.

DEC. 30JACK STEPHENS CENTER at 7 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL: The season ended with a tough � ve-set loss to Arkanasas State in the � rst round of the SBC tournament. Edina Begic was named O� ensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive time. TRACK: In the indoor season opener, the Trojans were able to win four of the events. Joseph Agular won the 3K, Markus Pearson won the mile, and the men won the 4K distance relay. Re-bekah Grisson won the shot put. The next meet will be Jan. 24.SWIMMING: Coming o� a fouth place � nish at the Drury Invite, the team will have its annual Christmas Invitational at home on the � rst weekend in December. BASKETBALL (W): The team will play two more road games at Texas and Tulsa before coming home for three out of four contests to end the calendar year.BASKETBALL (M): The team will play four straight road contests before facing Grambling at home to end the non-conference schedule.SOCCER: Paige Mason was named the Arkansas Democrat Gazette Student Athlete of the week for the � nal week in November. The team also earned the Team Academic Award from the National Association of Soccer Coaches. The award is given to all teams with a collective grade point average above 3.00.

SPORTS UPDATE

Did you know? Both the men and women’s basketball teams qualified for the NCAA tourna-

ment in the 2010-11 season.

Team prepares for tropical island adventure

Alton YoungEditor

Axyoung1@ualr.edu

The Trojans will play the next four games on the road starting with this weekend’s matchup against

Tulsa in Oklahoma and culminating in the BVI Tropical Shootout in the British Virgin Islands Dec. 20-21.

Players and staff will travel to the Ca-ribbean to face Jacksonville State in the fi rst contest and will play either Coppin State or Southern Mississippi in their sec-ond game.

While the team will get to enjoy warm weather and more importantly competi-

tion on the court, they will be on the road for the holidays as usual. Something that Ted Crass, Director of Basketball Opera-tions, understands well having spent 5 years with the program as a manager and then a player. He knows what a trip like this can mean to the players.

“Overall, it will be a great experi-ence,” Crass said. “Guys that have never been outside their own states, getting a chance to go and see different cultures and see a different world.”

The team continues its tough non-conference schedule this month ending home game against Grambling on Dec. 30, before starting conference play in January. The team is tentatively sched-

uled to leave for the Tropical Shootout on Dec. 18.

The team has been paced by senior Will Neighbour who is averaging 18.3 points and 7.7 rebounds a game.

Photo by Alton Young

“Timeout”ALTON YOUNG

The UALR swimming and diving team will compete in its fi rst home meet of the season during the an-

nual Christmas Invitational meet.It will be the team’s first meet

since finishing 4th at the Drury In-vite in Springfield, Mo., Nov. 22-23.

This year, UALR will be competing against the likes of Henderson State University, Ouachita Baptist, Drury University and Southwestern Uni-versity (Georgetown, Texas.). Okla-homa Baptist will be competing also, but only in the diving portion of the meet.

In the 2012 UALR Christmas Invi-tational, HSU won the meet, logging 976.5 points. UALR finished 4th in that meet, with 671 points.

For this year’s Christmas Invita-tional, senior captain Kara Raney said things will be different.

“We have a lot of new faces and di-versity that I think will help us over-all to be a better team than we were last year.”

10 freshmen are on the roster this season, compared to just three last year (plus one freshman diver). Raney and her teammates are expect-

ing the eager and energized fresh-man swimmers to make an impact in the Christmas Invitational this year.

After the Christmas Invitational, UALR will not compete again un-til Jan. 18 against Southern Illinois, which will be a Missouri Valley Con-ference opponent- their first as mem-bers of the MVC.

After the Christmas Invitational, three of the next four meets will be at home in the Donaghey Aquatic Center.

After that, it’s off to Carbondale, Ill. for the Trojans, as they compete in the Missouri Valley Champion-ships Feb. 13-15 to end the season.

OKLAHOMA BAPTIST

SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Swimmers to compete in first home meet of season

The team gathers during a home game against Southern Arkansas Nov. 26, a 90-58 victory sparked by Josh Hagins’ 18 points and 8 assists.

I’m sure most of you overate last week for Thanksgiving and I’m also sure some of you “over

watched” the NFL on Turkey day.

It’s ok. I’m not going to judge.

Mostly because in a few weeks when

kids will be looking under Christmas

trees for presents, I’ll be looking for

mine on television when the NBA un-

wraps their Christmas day quintuple

header.

There was a time when the holi-

days were about family and friends,

but more and more it seems they’ve

become about overindulgence in oth-

er things like sports, food, presents,

or whatever.

I don’t plan on doing much cook-

ing and my budget keeps making my

gift list shorter, so I don’t have solu-

tions to those problems. However, I

have the sports thing all fi gured out.

There’s no reason that we can’t en-

joy our sports and tolerate- I mean,

enjoy- our families as well. As the

saying goes: everything in modera-

tion. I am willing to sacrifi ce time

to visit with my family. I solemnly

vow that instead of watching every

single minute of every single game I

will take the time to travel to see fam-

ily…between games…at halftime…or

maybe I’ll just call them.

No, I will see them face-to-face.

But, if they don’t let me take over the

living room television, it may make

for a very short visit.

All jokes aside, this year we can

witness the end of the BCS era with

the upcoming bowl games as college

football will implement a four-team

playoff next year. It may even be the

end of SEC football dominance in the

championship game. I guess it only

takes 1 second to go from potential

game-winning fi eld goal to the poten-

tial end of a dynasty (See: University

of Alabama).

It has been a privilege and a plea-

sure to talk to you guys this semester

about sports. I hope the rest of the

year and the sports seasons give you

all great joy. Here at UALR, we have

the men and women’s basketball

teams, as well as the swimming and

diving team to cheer on for the rest of

the semester.

So yes, “I’ll be home for Christ-

mas,” but no, you cannot turn the

channel on the television.

Jacob EllerbeeExecutive EditorEditor@ualr.edu

UALR teams banking on new faces and good luck for Christmas invitational

COMPETITORS

OUACHITA BAPTIST