An ice storm warning is in effect for areas in Arkansas that include Conway and the 小草影院 campus. In anticipation of freezing rain and ice, we will have reduced hours for campus services beginning this evening.

• Christian Cafeteria and all other dining and C-Store operations will end service at 8:00 p.m. For the most up-to-date dining hours, remember to check the 小草影院 Campus Dining Instagram account and Twitter account.
• The Ronnie Williams Student Center, HPER Center, and Torreyson Library will also close at 8:00 p.m.

We anticipate making a decision about Tuesday classes and business operations early this evening, and that information will be communicated to the campus. Please monitor your email for this communication.

The following buildings will be without air conditioning during spring break week:

• Doyne Health Science
• Math and Computer Science
• Thompson Hall
• Burdick Building (Information Technology has it’s own a/c system)

If all goes as planned no other buildings will be without air conditioning. However, if valves happen to not hold in some instances, there is a possibility that additional buildings could be without air conditioning for a period of time.

This week, we鈥檙e spotlighting the Student Government Association鈥檚 leadership in the installation of feminine hygiene product dispensers in academic buildings across campus. Amber DiPersia, an english and criminology major who is SGA鈥檚 junior class president, and Jennifer Cale, a biology major who serves as SGA鈥檚 vice president of finance, spearheaded the proposal for the dispensers, which were installed last year and provide free products. Cale and DiPersia spoke with us about why they joined SGA and what access to free feminine hygiene products means for students. They also shared their top picks of songs written or performed by women, which you can hear on this .

How have women helped shape the 小草影院 community?

DiPersia: Women are constantly making an impact on 小草影院, and they have been throughout our school鈥檚 history. Just this past weekend, we had an alumni event with SGA, and I was talking to someone who attended the school in the 鈥�60s, and she said that whenever she was here, women weren’t allowed to wear pants other than on Fridays. She, along with a cohort of others, worked toward changing that. Additionally, the women weren’t allowed to go in certain areas of the campus. A large group of women organized a protest to say, 鈥淲omen should be allowed to be here,鈥� and they almost all got kicked out of the school.

Cale: Current day, people in administration鈥攍ike [Vice President of Finance and Administration] Diane Newton and [Provost and Executive Vice President] Patty Poulter, Chief of Staff Amy Whitehead鈥攖hey’re power women. They go in, and they’re determined to accomplish whatever they need to get done to help the university as well as the students. I’ve never seen anyone more passionate than Patty Poulter about how much she genuinely cares about students and their success, particularly as provost, but also just as a person. She will make a point to come up to me and genuinely asks me how I’m doing personally, and not just with student government and 鈥淲hat’s your next project?鈥� kind of thing. She’s actually wanting me to grow and be comfortable, emotionally and as a person. That’s not even including faculty. There’s so many strong women and faculty and staff. This campus is built on their backs in a way. We’re just carrying everything.

DiPersia: Even a significant amount of the buildings on campus are named after women, and I don’t think people fully realize that there’s just been so many influential people on campus. It鈥檚 also important to keep in mind 小草影院 is a female-dominated school, so without a doubt, decisions are being made by women and ideas are being pitched by women behind the scenes that we may not even know about.

Cale: It’s nice to see a university that changes with the times. We have Sugar Bears now. Fifty years ago, they weren’t even allowed on the court. So it’s nice to have a university that’s always pushing to be better and better for women as well.

How should others on campus take part in honoring Women鈥檚 History Month?

Cale: I would recommend people to just pay attention to things that they normally wouldn’t, like what buildings are named after women and why are they named after women. Even knowing who the female board members are and the women in administration, knowing women are impacting campus on a daily basis, from staff to administration to Board of Trustees. There’s a cascade of things that constantly need to be worked on within women empowerment, specifically, but also that they’re in a university and in an environment that allows them to do so.

DiPersia: I was actually thinking about it earlier today, and I think 小草影院 should do some sort of awareness event; maybe we can put up little signs in front of all the buildings that are named after women: Baridon, Bernard, Carmichael, the Christian Cafeteria, Schichtl, etc. Because I think women do make a big impact, and it’s just not something everyone thinks about on a day-to-day basis.

Cale: Also, this university, it’s over 100 years old. We have a really rich history, and one of the first student government presidents was female. And that was back in 1910. I just think that this community fosters female empowerment, but in an underground, unspoken way. It’s a constant rumble. It never erupts. It just constantly pushes us toward a new horizon every year. It’s a silent movement, in a way.

DiPersia: Everyone should write a card for their favorite woman on campus.

What inspires you?

DiPersia: Whenever I see someone struggling with something, I want to do whatever I can to help them. If I see a problem, I want to find a solution to it, and I don鈥檛 stop working on it until I鈥檝e reached some sort of resolution. Seeing a need for change inspires me to take part in that change.

Cale: I joined SGA because I wanted to make positive change on campus. What keeps me going day to day is seeing the physical livelihood changes that can happen once you pass a resolution, or once you pass funding for this, or after [the Student Activity Fee Allocation] decides allocations. You get to pick something that you’re passionate about within SGA, and within college, and just go after it. The university is really receptive to critical feedback. They truly listen to students, not just student government. They listen to all students. Student government is just a channel for that. I joined it because I wanted to make tangible change, and I also wanted to help people, and that’s what keeps me going. That’s what keeps me in SGA.

DiPersia: Another thing that really fuels me is seeing other people make a difference. If other people are working on making an impact, I want to know how I can contribute. I never want to be idle. Whenever I first joined SGA, I didn鈥檛 really know what I was doing or what I was getting myself into. After a bit of time being on SGA and seeing the way 小草影院鈥檚 operates, I was truly inspired to be part of the change.

Cale: It’s also nifty to just do something that people aren’t expecting. I think the free tampons totally blew everybody away in a good way, where they were like, 鈥淥h, that’s new, and it’s good.鈥� There was no drawback, really, and even being a woman in finance is a bit rare. I get comments all the time from other student governments and students. They say, 鈥淥h, you have a female in charge of finances,鈥� and I’m like, 鈥淪o does our university.鈥� Literally, the VP of finance is a woman here. It’s just nice to push the envelope sometimes.

How has access to free feminine hygiene products affected women on campus?

DiPersia: I think it makes a huge impact because it gives you one less thing to worry about. Sometimes you never know when your period鈥檚 going to start, but knowing that they鈥檙e there just in case something happens is a huge relief. I know it is for me. I’ve heard from other people that it is. You’re able to spend more time thinking about school rather than worrying.

Cale: The products are strategically put where they are in academic buildings to ensure that students stay in class. I think it’s definitely helped a lot because if you start your period in the middle of class and you’re unprepared, you really have no other choice [but] to go back to your dorm or your apartment. That’s sometimes not an option because not everybody has transportation. Also, even if you do leave, the odds of you coming back once you’re home are slim. It’s just really nice to know that we’re not only helping them in an academic way, but we’re helping them in a personal way as well. We’re taking their health, their dignity and their academics into consideration with this project. I hope that they feel that love.

DiPersia: We’re always open to suggestions鈥擨 think everyone on campus is! So feel free to reach out and make those suggestions.

Cale: We have an SGA office, Student Center 208. We’re open, and if we’re not open, then send a submission on CubConnect.

What are your top song picks written or performed by a woman?

DiPersia: 鈥淏itter With the Sweet鈥� by Carole King
鈥淭rip, Stumble and Fall鈥� by the Mamas & The Papas
鈥淪hake It Off鈥� by Florence + the Machine
鈥淲oman鈥� by Etta James
鈥淔eeling Good鈥� by Nina Simone
鈥淩un the World (Girls)鈥� by Beyonce

Cale: 鈥淒og Days Are Over鈥� by Florence + the Machine
鈥淧raying鈥� by Kesha
鈥淕reen Light鈥� by Lorde
鈥淒on鈥檛 Stop the Music鈥� by Rihanna

Listen to the聽.

The following buildings will be without air conditioning during spring break week:

• Doyne Health Science
• Math and Computer Science
• Thompson Hall
• Burdick Building ( Information Technology has it’s own a/c system )

If all goes as planned no other buildings will be without air conditioning. However, if valves happen to not hold in some instances, there is a possibility that additional buildings could be without air conditioning for a period of time.

This week, we鈥檙e spotlighting the influence of the Women鈥檚 Leadership Network, which connects women in and around Conway to mentors and mentees. Shaneil Ealy, associate vice president of the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement, is a founding member of the network and is in her second year of mentoring senior Jaelyn Cooper, a health services administration major. Ealy and Cooper shared their take on the importance of mentorship and the impact women have on campus. They also gave their top picks of songs written or performed by women, which you can hear on this .

How have women helped shape the 小草影院 community?

Cooper: All of them have such a great spirit. They have creativity, which they incorporate into their talents and their skills to create organizations and trailblazing establishments, and they help the university have longevity. Also, they set high standards for themselves, which makes people like me follow those standards and also uphold those standards for myself. They’re just natural leaders who are good at collaborating. Not to mention, they’re naturally good caretakers and nurturing. For some people, such as Ms. Ealy herself, they’re like a mom away from home.

Ealy: The majority of the students on a national level in higher ed are women. So it’s not just those of us who are in leadership roles, but the students themselves shape the university. When I look at 小草影院 specifically, though, from the highest level鈥攁s Amy Whitehead is chief of staff now and Dr. [Patricia] Poulter is the first female provost that we’ve had鈥攖hose are great examples of leadership and strong leaders in some very important roles on campus. For the university to take that leap into hiring women in those roles says a lot about administration.

For Outreach itself, for me, I’ve had a lot of great women leaders, role models in my position before me. Kim Bradford, when I started 16 years ago, was that for me and provided such mentoring roles. Kim Bradford and Dr. Elaine McNiece, who we reported to at the time, were the ones that challenged me and helped me to see what leadership could look like from a woman. They were examples of women leaders in roles that I could aspire to.

How should others on campus take part in honoring Women鈥檚 History Month?

Cooper: First, I think that they should thank just any woman who’s inspired them or who’s helped push them to be better for themselves, whether it’s just a nice gesture or just the act of service. Complimenting other women on their hard work and empowering them; learning about other women who’ve done phenomenal things, just to educate themselves and try to model
after those women; taking opportunities that are self-developing; and to treat yourself every here and there because sometimes as women we forget to take care of ourselves because we’re naturally just givers.

A lot of times, we can’t pour from an empty cup, so you have to make sure that you also give back to yourself. If you鈥檙e an undergrad here, just to get involved in certain organizations that will help you just embrace your creativity and let it shine. For instance, I’ve participated in some, such as Real Beauty and Women of Excellence. I’ve seen Ebony Models do great things, just anything that’ll help give you a confidence boost. Because when you鈥檙e confident, you can do anything.

Ealy: Don’t just be observers or go to a program, but find ways to get engaged and participate. Serve as a mentor for other women. We all have something to give. No matter the position that you hold as a woman, you have something to share and contribute to other women. I would challenge folks to get involved. Donate to a group that you want to support. Volunteer for a group. Come to Women’s Leadership Network events in March and advocate for women’s rights.

What inspires you?

Cooper: I鈥檓 inspired by a lot of things. I’m inspired by compelling stories, personal stories, just from people who I know and whatever I see in the media. I’m also inspired by great causes, anything that gives back to the community or just the world in general; being around people who are passionate and determined to pursue their goals and dreams while also giving a hand to others to bring them up as well; seeing other people do things, that pushes me to advance myself and to try to be a better person; my personal circle such as my friends, my family, my mentor and, most of all, my mom. My mom, she is an amazing woman. She’s always been very passionate about everything, and she’s supported me through whatever I wanted to do. One thing I admire about her is she pushes through adversity, and she makes things happen and always gets something done.

Ealy: I’m inspired by my mom as well. My mom raised three of us in a single-family household. I saw her model what work ethic looks like and what faith looks like. She instilled that in me, and so I think she’s my greatest inspiration from early on. Now, I’m so inspired by women like Jaelyn, young leaders who have dreams that when I was their age, I was not thinking as big and as visionary. They just have everything accessible to them that we didn’t have. They just dream so much bigger than we ever could at their age. I’m inspired by them.

And then, I’m inspired by women in our network. I’ve seen folks who are taking risks like, 鈥淚’ve had a career for 20 years, and you know what? I’m not really happy in that, and I’m going to go and do something that’s meaningful to me and purposeful.鈥� Those women inspire me. With the Women’s Leadership Network, our mission is to elevate, empower and embrace women. We do that from all levels, and that really keeps me going. I’m also the director of our youth leadership program. We mentor and develop leadership skills in 11th- and 12th-graders. Here at 小草影院, I have college students like Jaelyn, but I also get an opportunity to support high school students. Those kids are doing amazing things. They inspire me.Whatever I can do to empower them to get where they want to be is just really fulfilling for me.

Why is mentorship key to the experiences of women?

Cooper: I think mentorship is needed in order to have consistent growth and learning, to make life easier by learning from people who are just more experienced and willing to help you understand and to learn. When you grow, then you can make other people around you grow, and then you can make the community grow. Also, it鈥檚 a continuous cycle. So when you pass something down, it gets passed down. It’s also impossible to do everything yourself. You have to collaborate with others. That’s why everybody is different. We all have creative aspects that are different, and that’s what makes individuals special. Never be afraid to ask for help. Why make it harder for yourself?

Ealy: Mentorship was really key for me to get to where I am right now. I feel a responsibility, especially as a black woman, responsible to carry that legacy on and help and mentor and support others however I can. For me, I was challenged. My mentors challenged me, and I hope that that鈥檚 something Jaelyn can say. I challenged you to think bigger and broader. I am also blessed with strong women mentors such as Dr. Angela Webster and Dr. Brenda Yelvington who I can always rely on to show me the truth about myself and my situation. The ones who were in my role before me, Kim Bradford, Dean McNiece, Shelley Mehl, who was my predecessor, challenged me: 鈥淵ou need to get that terminal degree because, yeah, you just got your master鈥檚, but you’re going to need it down the road,鈥� and, 鈥淲hen are you going to get that terminal degree?鈥� They’re pushing you and challenging you and giving you opportunities to develop professionally. 鈥淵ou should go here. You should learn this.鈥� These were folks who saw more for me than I could see for myself as a young professional, and so I just feel a great responsibility to use my influence now to do that for others.

What have you learned from having a mentor or mentee?

Cooper: Specifically from Shaneil, I’ve gained so much knowledge. She’s helped me through life issues. One thing that I was lacking the most was just professionalism. She has been a model for me. She’s just awesome, and also, she’s amazing. It’s really hard to put it into words how she personally gets to know you and then tries to help you based off your personal need. So that’s something that I want to take away and then give to other people, too. She鈥檚 very attentive and thoughtful.

She has such a big heart made of diamonds. She鈥檚 super hardworking, and I love that she does so many different things that bring her enjoyment. I feel like that’s something that we both have in common. A lot of times we’re busybodies, but it’s just because we just enjoy so many different things. We can鈥檛 just do one thing because we get bored easily. She’s obviously highly educated and well-spoken, and that’s something that I aspire to be and I’m still constantly working on. She’s done so much to support me and given me guidance on life issues and professional development. She’s also extremely loving and has a calm ambiance about her, which is something that I like. Anytime when I’m around her, I feel very mellow, and I like that about her. On top of everything, she’s a great cook. She inspires me to keep going and is a great example who I look up to in order to motivate myself.

Ealy: Women, no matter our role, we all are human, and we all have the same fears, no matter what title you have. I’ve learned that, just working with women the last few years, we all are human. We all have those same fears. We all face impostor syndrome鈥攖hinking we aren’t good enough or smart enough. My passion is to help us move through those and navigate those fears to get to where we want to go. It’s just a great passion. I’m just so blessed, seriously, that I get to do this as part of my job. I鈥檓 more blessed in that aspect.

I hear a lot of women say, “I don’t have anything to give.” It’s not about what you have to give, but what does your network have to give? So don’t just think about you. She’s in health administration. None of that is in my wheelhouse. But I have friends. I have professionals, and so I invited them all to my house to meet with them. I don’t have those skills, but I know folks who do. I just encourage folks to think about mentoring broader than just what they have to give themselves or what they鈥檝e experienced, but what does your network or your circle have that you could lend to someone else?

What are your top song picks written or performed by a woman?

Cooper: 鈥淗ow It Feels to Fly鈥� by Alicia Keys
鈥淒iva鈥� by Beyonc茅
鈥淪cars to Your Beautiful鈥� by Alessia Cara
鈥淕od Loves Ugly鈥� by Jordin Sparks

Ealy: 鈥淒on鈥檛 Judge Me (feat. Missy Elliott)鈥� by Kierra Sheard
鈥淕od in Me鈥� by Mary Mary
鈥淕irl on Fire鈥� by Alicia Keys
鈥淭he Breakup Song鈥� by Francesca Battistelli

Listen to the .

Who is a black figure in your field of study that you admire? Why?

A black figure that I admire in my field is Dr. Kim Scriven. She is a Bahamian audiologist and speech language pathologist who encourages young people interested in the field to work as hard as they could to have the ability to give back to the community through the field. Dr. Scriven is amongst one of the most qualified people at hearLife Clinic and was the first Bahamian to install a cochlear implant at the clinic.

Why do you celebrate black history, and how do you honor black history on campus?

I celebrate Black History Month because this is a time to honor the work that those before us have done for the black community. Whether you鈥檙e of African American, African, Caribbean or Afro-Caribbean descent, black history should be valued. When I worked in the residence halls as a peer coach, I honored Black History Month by making it the theme for my bulletin board.

What can 小草影院 learn from its Caribbean student population?聽

From the Caribbean student population at 小草影院, you can learn that black culture extends far beyond just African American culture. It should be understood that there were black individuals who came to the U.S. and made a difference in the black community, especially with the U.S. being influenced by so many other cultures with it being a melting pot.

How would you encourage others on campus to take part in honoring black history?

I would say that a small action can cause a chain reaction. Doing something as simple as posting about monumental figures in the black community on social media or starting a conversation about it with friends can raise awareness by educating others.

What book, album, film or historical figure would you encourage others in the 小草影院 community to learn more about during Black History Month? Why?

I would encourage the 小草影院 community to watch 鈥淪elma.鈥� I would encourage watching this movie because it is great in educating about the Civil Rights Movement and freedom march of 1963.

There will also be ongoing work by AT&T at the same intersection of Donaghey Ave. and College Ave. This work is being done at night starting Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m. through the end of this week.

For questions or concerns, please contact Larry Lawrence at larryl@uca.edu.

Who is a black figure in your field that you admire? Why?

As a creative writing MFA student, Tayari Jones is an author that I admire. Tayari visited 小草影院 in the fall of 2017. During her visit, I had the opportunity to chauffeur her around town and eat dinner with her. At that time, I had not read any of her books or even heard of her. As a new student, she poured into me and spoke of the importance of creating space for my writing in the midst of the chaos of life and the value of showing up no matter how much it pays. At that moment, I didn’t know of the success that she was about to embark on. A few weeks later, her book 鈥淎n American Marriage鈥� was selected by Oprah’s Book Club, and it was announced that her novel was going to be made into a movie. Tayari has shown that time and consistency is the key to excelling.

Why do you celebrate black history, and how do you honor black history on campus?

I celebrate black history on campus because it creates a sense of community. It is not every day that people come together to choose to recognize, educate and honor the achievements of black people in any capacity. Coming together allows everyone to learn more about someone successful that they already knew and also about someone they have possibly never heard of.

How would you encourage others on campus to take part in honoring black history?

Some ways that others on campus can take part in honoring black history is by connecting with the community of black people of various backgrounds on the campus. Attend a new black organization meeting and find out how they are making a difference. Attend a black culture event on campus or in the local community. Travel to an African American museum (), visit an art gallery () and/or purchase something from a local black business owner.

I value being a black woman every day of my life. I love my complexion, the kinkiness of my locs and the DNA of my ancestors flowing through me. We can all honor black history by recognizing that our greatness cannot be restricted to one month. By studying the struggle of our own ancestors and other trailblazers who paved the way for us, we can tap into our own strength and who we truly are.

What book, album, film or historical figure would you encourage others in the 小草影院 community to learn more about during Black History Month?

This month, I would encourage the 小草影院 community to learn more about civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson. Recently, I had the opportunity to watch 鈥淛ust Mercy,鈥� a film that captures a snippet of Stevenson’s struggle to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner. Stevenson has truly committed his life to helping create justice for individuals who are not afforded proper representation when it comes to our legal system.

What are ways that we can serve our communities during Black History Month?

One way that we can serve our communities during Black History Month is to get involved with organizations that are fighting inequality and promoting social change. Set your intentions and purpose for getting involved and strive to commit to making service a regular part of your life, whether you decide to give one hour every two weeks or one Saturday a month. Uniting with others to serve over a consistent period of time is one of the ways we begin to enact change.

One opportunity that we are promoting currently is the “” with the Community Action Program for Central Arkansas (CAPCA). Now through March 20, you can help by scheduling a time to visit and read to Early Head Start and Head Start kids. It is vital that we show up for our youth because they are our future and will carry the torch when we no longer can. Also, there are plenty of other opportunities that can be accessed via GivePulse: .

Who is a black figure in your field of study that you admire?

A black figure that I truly admire is Mr. Kenneth Frazier, who was the first black man to lead a major pharmaceutical company. Mr. Frazier started as general counsel for Merck & Co., a major pharmaceutical company. He rose through the ranks, where he obtained a management position until he reached his current status of leading a major pharmaceutical company. My goal is doing just that, which is obtaining my degree, then pursuing a career in the field of sales as either a medical device sales representative or pharmaceutical sales representative, and taking that dream as far as I can.

Why do you celebrate black history, and how do you honor black history on campus?

My history, which is black history, has always been stressed as I was growing up. As a kid, I would listen but never truly fathom the value of my history. Time will truly give you a sense of understanding and clarity of why you should take a step back and not take Black History Month for granted.

Many milestones have happened within the last centuries within black history, and to highlight a few: In 1619, Africans were brought to Jamestown and sold into slavery; Juneteenth, which commemorates emancipation from slavery in Texas in 1865; in 1963, we had the March on Washington, in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous 鈥淚 Have A Dream鈥� speech, which focused on economic rights for African Americans; and one of our most recent moments took place in 2009 when Barack Obama was elected as our first black president of the United States.

Black history on campus should not be something we just think about during the month of February; it is a large part of American history that seems to take a backseat to other histories. I believe everyone should appreciate the diversity that makes up our campus at 小草影院. We have come a long way; however, we do have a ways to go in learning and appreciating our differences. I do believe that President Davis has done a great job, and he continues to close that gap.

What can 小草影院 learn from its black student population?

First of all, I believe 小草影院 could learn that African American students have the same goals and aspirations as all other students on campus. We want to obtain degrees and have successful careers. Also, they should understand that our journey to getting and staying in college is quite different than other students, whether it鈥檚 due to our educational foundation, financial circumstances or other issues.

How would you encourage others on campus to take part in honoring black history?
I believe that black history has historically not been covered in the school systems at the same magnitude as the history of other cultures. I would encourage everyone to research the contributions that African Americans have made that are being used today. African Americans鈥� plight over the centuries is quite amazing. We have endured so much and continue dealing with circumstances that are not always to our benefit.

What book, album, film or historical figure would you encourage others in the 小草影院 community to learn more about during Black History Month?

A paramount figure that I believe everyone should read about is Richard Wright. Wright is a novelist who specialized in short stories, poems and nonfiction. He was one of the first African American writers to write on racial themes and protest white treatment of blacks. Some of his notable writings include 鈥淣ative Son鈥� and his autobiography, 鈥淏lack Boy.鈥� Wright gave us a perspective on life not only in his shoes but as an African American man within a society that wasn鈥檛 built for black success. Wright鈥檚 stark portrayal of racism, as well as his role in highlighting civil rights, makes for an eye-opening read.

How do you hope your Homecoming win is inspiring other students on campus?

Hopefully, it inspires other students that everything may not be perfect, but we (society) have made positive strides to decrease racism. African Americans and other minority groups can achieve success if everyone is willing to accept each other based on character and not based on what we鈥檝e heard about another race, or based on a personal encounter we鈥檝e had. My grandfather, who is from Arkansas, was so proud that I was selected as Homecoming King because he remembered a time when African Americans were not allowed on 小草影院鈥檚 campus.