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Doula and midwife services growing demand in Arkansas

Posted on October 8, 2023 by deltadnews

Private maternal care businesses expand throughout the state

Delta Digital News Service

By Avery Jones | Editor

Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023

JONESBORO, Ark. – The community of traditional maternal care known as midwives and doulas, is currently growing in Arkansas. Conventional maternal care, such as OBGYNs and hospital births, are the typical choices presented to expectant mothers, but the high maternal mortality rate in Arkansas along with the high costs of conventional care are causing people to seek other options.

Similar in nature, midwives and doulas differ in practice, albeit with a common goal of providing the best support for an expecting mother. Midwives are trained and licensed to offer medical advice and do examinations while doulas focus more on offering emotional support, coaching, and care. Quite naturally, the two communities often intersect.

Cassi Mason is a midwife in Fayetteville that works with a team of doulas and midwife apprentices. Nicolle Fletcher in Conway is a doula that is also Mason’s apprentice. Taylor McGinnis, Ariel Wisdom, and Dillon Harvey-Williams, all located in the Northeast Arkansas area, are doulas as well. Harvey-Williams and McGinnis are also currently in training to be midwives.

Mason works as The Rural Midwife and has been a midwife since 2017. She travels throughout Arkansas to see her clients. Fletcher, who works through her company Nurturing Arrows, has been a doula since 2009 and started her midwife apprenticeship in 2020.

Fletcher also founded Ujima, a nonprofit organization that aims to address the maternal health issues that black women face by increasing the number of black birth workers in the community. She attends speaking engagements to raise awareness, and the organization does maternal care outreach events in Arkansas.

McGinnis is the owner of His Hands and Feet doula services and has been a doula since 2019. Wisdom of Womb Wisdom Doula Services has been a doula since 2022. Harvey-Williams, Taking Root Birth, has been a doula since 2017 and started training as a midwife in December 2022.

Mason was inspired to become a midwife after she experienced a home birth with a midwife herself. When she had her first child, she suffered from postpartum depression and struggled nursing. Mason decided to do a home birth for her second child and hired a midwife. She didn’t experience postpartum depression this time and fell in love with the concept of midwifery.

“I found a midwife in Northwest Arkansas, and she made my experience a hundred times better,” Mason said. “It was like a night-and-day difference, and after my experience, I just fell in love with the care that I received…you see one person throughout your entire pregnancy, and we really got to know each other, and I just honestly felt safe.”

“I found a midwife in Northwest Arkansas, and she made my experience a hundred times better.”
– Cassi Mason

Fletcher originally wanted to be a midwife, but there were no midwife training programs at the time, so she decided to become a doula first. She felt that it was what she was made to do.

“My objective is to be a part of the solution to the problem which is maternal mortality,” Fletcher said.

McGinnis wanted to become a doula after the birth of her fifth child. It was her first VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean), and she felt underprepared and under supported. She wished that her provider had explained the situation to her more thoroughly.

“I left that birth with quite a lot of birth trauma,” McGinnis said. “In my heart, I was feeling like, if I’m struggling with this, if I had this experience, then I know I’m not the only one.”

In a similar way, Wisdom wanted to become a doula so that women like her would have a better birth experience than she did. For Harvey-Williams, the more she learned about how the medical system treats mothers, the more she realized that being a doula was her calling.

Most doulas go through either Birth Arts International or DONA (Doulas of North America) International for their training. McGinnis and Harvey-Williams went through Birth Arts while Wisdom enrolled in DONA. Both programs are similar in that the students do assignments online, read textbooks, write papers, and attend a certain number of births before they’re certified.

The standard education that most midwives take is the PEP (Portfolio Evaluation Process) established through NARM (the North American Registry of Midwives). To start, the student has to find a preceptor, which is an experienced, NARM-certified midwife, for their apprenticeship.

The student studies textbooks and shadows their preceptor to births as well as pre-natal and postpartum appointments. The preceptor decides when the apprentice had learned enough to become certified. To become officially certified, the student must pass a 300-question exam, which is taken in 2 4-hour segments.

Mason stated that she was fortunate to have a great support system during her training so that she could work and study. However, it was often difficult to connect with physicians who would treat her clients well and were willing to work with a midwife.

“You don’t want somebody to be treated badly just because they made a choice to have a baby at home,” Mason said. “I’ve actually had some people who, maybe they wanted a circumcision for their child after postpartum, and they were calling up pediatricians in different places, and they actually said, we don’t take home-birth babies. Because sometimes they’re considered dirty babies.”

It can also be difficult to connect with preceptors according to Fletcher. In the early stages of her apprenticeship, she had to train with a preceptor three hours away because there aren’t many midwives, and some midwives don’t want to train new midwives due to competition for business.

Doulas have similar problems in how it can be difficult to find clients who will trust them and to compete with medical providers who don’t want to work with doulas, according to Wisdom, Harvey-Williams, and McGinnis.

A further complication is that in Arkansas, patients legally must have a risk assessment in the beginning and near the end of their pregnancy if they plan to work with a midwife for a home birth. They have to see a third party, either the health department or a nurse-midwife, that will look over their history to make sure that they won’t have any complications.

“It’s just like a routine prenatal that’s not needed,” Mason said. “It’s like an extra step that our patients have to do that they don’t really need because we are the ones that are assessing care. Most states don’t require that, but Arkansas does.”

Midwives and doulas offer many types of care, and they can overlap sometimes, but the two are very different. Doulas focus on emotional support and typically don’t offer medical advice or treatments, while midwives focus more on physical and medical services.

Both midwives and doulas typically offer some form of preconception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum support. During preconception care, Mason focuses on detoxing the body, cleansing the lymphatic system, and making sure the patient’s body has the best start possible.

McGinnis offers a similar service. She does fertility support, which means she goes with her clients to fertility appointments and helps them learn how to track their cycles. Fletcher does fertility and nutrition coaching.

Mason also offers regular prenatal appointments with the patient. She does all of her patients’ labs, knows what their diet is like, knows what their family and home is like, knows if they have good support or not, knows how they react to different medications, etc. She tailors her services individually for each person.

“It’s kind of like if you have a whole team of people—the doctor, the nurses, the APRNs, the billing, all of those things—and you wrap it all into one person,” Mason said. “Also, we don’t take as many people as OBs do…whereas you would go to an OB and spend fifteen to twenty minutes in their office, we spend an hour doing our prenatals, educating and making sure that they’re not afraid and whatever their fears are, we can address…we can really tailor that to each individual person.”

Fletcher, McGinnis, Harvey-Williams, and Wisdom also offer prenatal appointments. As doulas, they provide comfort, guidance, and education regarding pregnancy and birth.

“Doulas are huge advocates,” Fletcher said. “I am having conversations that are empowering you to understand what is your baseline, what is normal for you…then you can have a leg up, and you have information, so any time you have information, you have power…the truth is, this is your body…that’s where the midwifery model of care and doula support separates from the medical model of care because it’s individualized.”

Towards the end of a patient’s pregnancy, Mason listens to the baby more, does non-stress testing to make sure the baby sounds good and blood flow is sufficient, and sends off biophysical profiles to analyze amniotic fluid levels and make sure the placenta is still doing what it should.

Mason’s clients get unlimited postpartum support, so she helps with whatever they need regarding the baby. She checks up on them to make sure they’re doing well emotionally and can get them support from a lactation specialist if need be.

McGinnis, Harvey-Williams, and Fletcher also provide postpartum support. For a certain amount of time, McGinnis and Harvey-Williams will cook small meals, care for children and pets, do household chores, or run errands to let the new mother recuperate. Fletcher is also a lactation specialist.

According to Mason, the difference between traditional maternal care and conventional maternal is choice. She makes sure to educate her patients about their body, but she doesn’t force them to do something they don’t want to do, like STD testing for example.

“A lot of my patients have said, They [doctors] made me feel stupid for my choices or they made me feel like I didn’t know what I was doing. When you are instilling fear upon somebody, fear can do a lot of different things to the brain,” Mason said. “If you think about animals, they want to go the most secluded place where they can protect their baby…if they don’t feel safe, they just won’t [go into labor] or things will not happen the way it needs to happen.”

“A lot of my patients have said, They [doctors] made me feel stupid for my choices or they made me feel like I didn’t know what I was doing. When you are instilling fear upon somebody, fear can do a lot of different things to the brain.”
– Cassi Mason

In addition, Arkansas is almost 50% maternal health care deserts according to Fletcher. What this means is there are several areas where maternal health care isn’t offered, and so a patient has to drive hours away into a bigger town. For some, this isn’t possible because they don’t have time outside of work or it’s too expensive.

Fletcher founded Ujima to address this issue and provide more maternal health care options in those areas, focusing specifically on black mothers. Midwives used to be prolific before the advent of modern medicine, especially in black communities where the “grand midwives”—mostly grandmothers—were professionals of birth, medicine, and counseling, and all of this was done in the home.

Since the shift from this mindset, the rate of black maternal mortalities has increased significantly. However, according to Fletcher, 90% of maternal mortalities—not just for black mothers but for everyone—are preventable.

The cause of higher maternal mortality rates for black women are often due to systemic racism, lower socioeconomic status, and lack of education. Within the healthcare system, the mother’s problems and preexisting conditions are sometimes brushed off because of falsities spread about black people, like they supposedly have a higher pain tolerance.

According to Wisdom, it’s been statistically proven that mothers who hire a birth worker are less likely to need a caesarean and rate their birth experiences higher. Additionally, Mason stated that birth is 80% mental, 20% medical. In other words, the more educated and emotionally prepared a mother is for birth, the smoother the birth will go. That’s where midwives and doulas come in.

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Avery Jones is a sophomore in the Department of English and Philosophy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. She can be reached at: avery.jones@smail.astate.edu

Note: Feature photo courtesy of Dillon Harvey-Williams.

Health

NEA looks forward to Hispanic Heritage Month festivities

Posted on September 12, 2023 by deltadnews

Plenty of festivities are planned for Hispanic Heritage Month

Delta Digital News Service

Monday, Sept. 11, 2023

By Caroline Cherry Averitt | Contributor

JONESBORO, Ark. – At 6-months-old, Juanita Acosta moved with her family from Colombia to Arkansas. Growing up, people often mistook her for being Mexican. Since then, she embraced diversity and an understanding of different cultures and feels proud of her Hispanic heritage.

Currently Acosta serves as the project manager and community navigator supervisor at El Centro Hispano, a nonprofit organization serving the Hispanic community of Northeast Arkansas.

Acosta has been working with El Centro Hispano to organize events for recognition and celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

From Zumba classes and festivals, to parties and vaccination drives, residents of Jonesboro can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in a variety of different ways. These events not only honor Hispanic heritage, but will also provide a space for anyone to learn about Hispanic cultures.

“Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and it’s interesting because it’s also around the time of independence for different Latin American countries,” Acosta said.

“Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and it’s interesting because it’s also around the time of independence for different Latin American countries,”
Juanita Acosta

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua celebrate independence Sept. 15. Mexico celebrates independence Sept. 16 and Chile celebrates independence Sept. 18.

El Centro Hispano will begin offering Zumba classes Sept. 16 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Union Park Pavilion, next to United Way at 407 Union St. The classes will be open to the public.

Acosta said El Centro Hispano saw a need for community and connection, as well as health issues, which sparked the idea for the classes.

Salsa for Scholarships, an event under the NEA Professional Network Committee, will also be held Sept. 16 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Brickhouse. This event will be $20 per person and feature a live DJ and Latin dancing.

“It’s a good opportunity to go meet other Hispanics in the area,” Acosta said, “and raise funds for scholarships for students in Northeast Arkansas.”

The Craighead County Jonesboro Library invited El Centro Hispano to do readings and participate in a festival honoring Hispanic Heritage Month.

Claudia Fuentes, the programs coordinator at El Centro Hispano, said each week they will choose a Spanish children’s book to read.

Chrissy Holbrook, the public relations and marketing manager at the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library, said this will be the first time the library will be hosting a Hispanic Heritage Month Festival.

Previously, the library held the Arts & Crafts fair twice a year, but they decided to focus on certain themes.

“In May, we did it for the Asian Pacific (American Heritage Month). So, for September, we wanted to do the Hispanic Heritage Month,” Holbrook said.

“In May, we did it for the Asian Pacific (American Heritage Month). So, for September, we wanted to do the Hispanic Heritage Month,”
Chrissy Holbrook, PR and Marketing director for the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library

The festival will be Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Local food and craft vendors will set up booths and there will be Hispanic storytime in English and Spanish.

El Centro Hispano is partnering with Southern Pharmacy to provide COVID-19 vaccines at the festival.

“We’ve seen that sometimes with minority communities, they can be kind of scared to go to a pharmacy and be unsure– like not knowing if they have health insurance or not sure if they’re going to be treated right– stuff like that. So, we always try to find ways to create accessibility,” Acosta said.

El Centro Hispano will be posting more information and updates on their Facebook and Instagram pages.

In addition to celebrations through El Centro Hispano, organizations on the campus of Arkansas State University also plan to host events to honor Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Multicultural Center, Hermana y Hermano and Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Incorporada will be partnering together to host El Grito. The event will include food, games and dancing.

Heidy Bulbarela-Hernandez, a junior graphic design major from Stuttgart, Arkansas, serves as the co-social and community service chair for SIA, the Latin-based sorority on A-State campus.

“(El Grito) will be a sort of party in Centennial (Hall) and we’re going to do sort of like everything– some games, we plan to have some dancers and dance instructors and music,” Bulbarela-Hernandez said.

The event will be Sept. 15 from 6-8 p.m. at Centennial Hall in the Reng Student Union.

The sorority will also host SIA Week Sept. 25-29.

“We’ll be having a bonfire Sept. 26 for Meeting the SIAs and then (Sept. 27) is Roses with Teacher Supplies, which is our community service. Then (Sept. 28) is Cantaritos which is an educational event where we will be painting plant pots. So, it’s just a part of a bonding activity,” Bulbarela-Hernandez said.

SIA will host Spanish Around the World Oct. 12 to educate about the language and Spanish-speaking cultures.

“We should be learning Spanish and about the Spanish language in different countries– Spain, Portugal, in Latin America– and how that’s changed over time and how each one is unique in its own,” Bulbarela-Hernandez said.

SIA will be posting more information and updates on their Instagram page.

The Multicultural Center will host a Hispanic Heritage Month party Oct. 12 on the first floor of the Reng Student Union from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be a DJ, food and crafts.

Natan Gomez, a senior biotechnology major from Irapuato, Mexico, serves as president of Hermana y Hermano on A-State campus. The organization provides mentorship for students from all backgrounds.

Hermana y Hermano plans to organize more events for Hispanic Heritage Month. For updates, check out their Instagram page.

Trinity Haynes, the education program coordinator at the Multicultural Center, said she tried to make an effort to ensure the Hispanic population at A-State felt appreciated and celebrated during Hispanic Heritage Month.

“ I know being on a campus where a lot of people don’t look like you. It may not always feel like you’re being appreciated or you’re not being celebrated correctly,” Haynes said. “I really hope from this month, they get out of it that we do appreciate them. We love having them here on campus.”

Carolina Elmore, assistant director of El Centro Hispano, said Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes what the Hispanic community contributes to the culture in the United States.

“That’s what the month is, you know, the Hispanic families living here and how much they have contributed to culture,” Elmore said.

Elmore mentioned sports, history and music as areas of influence from the Hispanic community. Fuentes added food as a major contribution.

“So, I think what makes me proud being a Hispanic is that there are so many things we can bring. You know, we tend to be very happy people. We all were hard workers. We like to do our best,” Acosta said.

Elmore said many people in Northeast Arkansas assume all Hispanics come from Mexico or immigrated illegally, but she wants people to know Hispanics come from diverse backgrounds and many work as professionals in the community.

According to the 2020 US Census, Hispanics account for 8.5% of the population of Arkansas, a 38.1% increase since 2010.

“We’re having more and more people arrive to rural areas like Jonesboro, or like maybe Wynne, areas where you wouldn’t even think of there being Hispanics. So, you have to find a way to incorporate those communities and see how we can all come together to be better people to be better as a whole,” Acosta said.

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Caroline Cherry Averitt is a junior at Arkansas State University from Jonesboro, Arkansas. Her major is multimedia journalism with a minor in writing studies concentrating in creative writing. She can be reached at: caroline.averitt@smail.astate.edu

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Jonesboro vs. Lake Hamilton

Posted on September 11, 2023 by deltadnews

Wolves topple Golden Hurricane 27-20

Delta Digital News Service

Sept. 1, 2023

By Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Lake Hamilton Wolves’ air-raid offense attack helped defeat the Jonesboro Hurricanes 27-20.

Lake Hamilton’s Derryn Owens (3) shakes Jonesboro defender Christian Taylor (21) during first half action on Friday, September 1, 2023. Photo by Terrance Armstard

The Wolves’ quarterback Easton Hurley had two first-half touchdown passes of 49 yards or more. His first touchdown pass was a connection to Derryn Owens for 55 yards, giving Lake Hamilton a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Before Hurley’s second touchdown pass, Hurricane wide receiver Chris Stacy recovered a muffed punt by the returner to put Jonesboro at the 28-yard line at the beginning of the second quarter. Running back Markevious Pickett capped off the drive with a goal-line touchdown to tie the game at seven.

Hurley then responded with a 49-yard touchdown to running back Coy Autrey on a play-action wheel route to put the Wolves up 13-7 with less than three minutes until halftime.

Jonesboro Head Coach Tyler George praised Lake Hamilton’s quarterback and discussed Autrey’s touchdown reception from lost coverage.

“We got lost in coverage right there. We knew their quarterback could throw it. I talked to their head coach before the game about how their style of offense with the type of quarterback they have, is hard to prepare for,” George said.

“We got lost in coverage right there. We knew their quarterback could throw it. I talked to their head coach before the game about how their style of offense with the type of quarterback they have, is hard to prepare for,” George said.
–Jonesboro Head Coach Tyler George

To start the second half, Jonesboro quarterback Terrance Brown connected with wide receiver Kelen Smith for 46 yards, but fumbled the ball with Lake Hamilton recovering.

The Wolves capitalized on the fumble recovery with a 65-yard rushing touchdown by Hayden Barton to give Lake Hamilton a 21-7 lead with a little less than five minutes left in the third quarter.

Jonesboro responded with a 40-yard pass from Brown to Stacy to put them in Wolves’ territory. Even with the long connection, the Hurricanes were unable to score and turned the ball over.

“We have to be able to score the ball more and we will. We will continue to get better. We got stuck in the joy of last week. Again, it starts with me,” George said.

Jonesboro eventually got the ball back and took advantage with a long reception to tight end Myreion Taylor at the one-yard line. Pickett finished the drive with his second rushing touchdown, minimizing Lake Hamilton’s lead 21-13 early in the fourth quarter.

Hurricane defensive end K.J. Anderson came up with a clutch third down sack, to put the Wolves in a fourth and 23 situation.

After the sack, Brown threw an interception to lose all of Jonesboro’s hope.

On Lake Hamilton’s next drive, Autrey punched in a goal-line touchdown to put the nail in the coffin 27-13 late in the fourth quarter.

Brown bounced back with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Stacy to put the game within reach at 27–20.

Lake Hamilton was able to run the clock out on their next drive to defeat the Hurricanes for the second-straight year.

Despite the loss, Stacy won player of the game with well over the century mark for receiving yards along with a touchdown reception.

Stacy’s coach had positive words for his performance.

“I don’t know what his stat line was tonight but he proved that he has arrived. His performance was really well and it can’t just be him. It has to be everybody and we have talent to get it done. We just fell short tonight,” George said.

Jonesboro looks to bounce back in week three while staying at home in a non-conference matchup against DeSoto Central. Lake Hamilton will attempt to continue their winning ways while traveling to play Little Rock Christian Academy in a conference matchup.

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Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

Note: Feature photo courtesy of Terrance Armstard

PHOTO: Red Wolves fall to OSU Cowgirls, 0 to 1

Posted on September 7, 2023 by deltadnews

Cowgirls wrangle Red Wolves during home game

Delta Digital News Service

Thursday, Sept 7, 2023

By Atsuki Ohbuchi 大渕純暉 | Staff Photographer

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Red Wolves fell to the OSU’s Cowgirls at A-State Soccer Park on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. The Red Wolves will take on the James Madison Duke Dogs next Friday, Sept. 15 at home.

Red Wolves Emma Riley (6) kicks the ball away from OSU’s Nicole Ray (12) during first-half action at A-State Soccer Park in Jonesboro, Ark. on Sept. 7, 2023. Red Wolves fell 0 to 1 against the Cowgirls. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi.

PHOTO GALLERY

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Atsuki Ohbuchi | 大渕純暉 is a junior in the Neil Griffin College of Business at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at: atsuki.ohbuchi@smail.astate.edu

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Westside vs Brookland

Posted on August 28, 2023 by deltadnews

Brookland’s Sinquan Spratt (6) runs the ball against Westside during Friday night’s game. Spratt scored two touchdowns in the Bearcats’ 39-0 victory over the Warriors.

Big plays send Bearcats to 39-0 rout of Warriors

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, August 25, 2023

By Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – As the Brookland Bearcats dominated the Westside Warriors right from the get-go, with the help of explosive plays, they were able to shutout the Warriors 39-0.

On the Bearcats’ first drive of the game, sophomore quarterback #11 Hayden Elder scored a 70-yard rushing touchdown. The Warriors were then held to a three-and-out, resulting in Elder connecting with sophomore wide receiver #16 Garrett Mays on a 68-yard pass to put Brookland in the red zone.

Junior running back #28 Malachi Stinett rushed for an eight-yard touchdown to give the Bearcats a 12-0 lead along with their first two drives resulting in scores.

Westside’s head coach Bobby Engle had positive remarks despite the loss, along with wanting better awareness from his players.

“The stuff we saw tonight that went wrong, we can fix. We came out flat and stayed flat. Got our butts handed to us,” Engle said.

“The stuff we saw tonight that went wrong, we can fix. We came out flat and stayed flat. Got our butts handed to us.”
– Westside HS Head Coach Bobby Engle

With ticks remaining in the first quarter, junior wide receiver/running back #6 Sinquan Spratt improvised finding an open lane halfway across the field scoring a 68-yard rushing touchdown increasing Brookland’s lead to 18-0.

The Warriors offense unfolded in the first half, with multiple false start penalties and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that set them in poor field position.

“You cannot be undisciplined and get unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. I do not even know how many penalties we had, but we had way too many. We have to get that stuff fixed,” Engle said.

The Bearcat defense opened the second quarter by recovering a fumble straight at the 50-yard line to set the offense up with another opportunity to score. On the next drive, Elder scored his second touchdown of the game with a 10-yard rush on a read-option play to give Brookland a 24-0 lead.

Westside’s offensive struggles continued with back-to-back three-and-outs. While the Warriors struggled for points, the Bearcats scored two more touchdowns before halftime.

Spratt scored a 40-yard rushing touchdown, as well as contributing to the next drive with a 29-yard rush to put Brookland at Westside’s four-yard line. Elder then threw a four-yard passing touchdown to junior wide receiver #18 Barrett Cunningham, increasing the lead to 39-0 at halftime.

Brookland head coach Mark Hindsley has previously stated that a lot of the offense starts in the backfield, and that was evident in their performance.

There were a total of five touchdowns scored in the first half alone by the duo of Spratt and Elder, along with a touchdown run by Stinnett.

The second half was quiet with nobody scoring and lots of rushing plays to drain the clock out.

Hindsley’s offensive plan of run and play-action worked the entirety of the first half.

Engle plans to stick with the same offensive scheme despite the shutout.

“We do not change our system because it is what we run. We just have to do a better job executing,” he said.

In week two, Brookland will travel to Gosnell in a non-conference game, while Westside will travel to Hoxie in a non-conference game as they seek to avenge themselves in non-conference play.

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Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

Note: Featured image courtesy of Terrance Armstard.

Paddlers place in National Senior Games

Posted on August 13, 2023 by deltadnews

Table tennis competitors bring home new friends, medals

Delta Digital News Service

Sunday, August 13, 2023

By Jacob Wicinski | Contributor

JONESBORO, Ark. – After nearly a week of competing, four local Jonesboro residents get to say they competed in a national competition, with three winning ribbons or medals in table tennis last month during the 2023 National Seniors Games.

The competition was held in Pittsburg, Pa., and featured competitors from all over the country.

Anthony “Tony” Tsui, a Bay High School teacher who competed in the events said just being able to meet new friends at the games was a highlight.

“We met a lot of new friends from different states,” Tsui said. “I saw a guy that inspired me to play in 2017. I recognized him and we got on the phone later on. Just meeting friends along the way, playing and practicing with them, was great.”

Fellow competitor Jianfeng “Jay” Xu, Ph.D., research professor at the Bioscience Institute at Arkansas State University, stated that his confidence only increased during the event.

“At the beginning when I found the tournament sheet, I thought that there was no way for me to beat them,” Xu said. “But I thought that we had a chance to beat them when we played in doubles. We still had a chance to beat those [at a higher level].”

Guolei “Jason” Zhou, Ph.D., a professor of cell biology at A-State, said that the chemistry between the four teammates gave them an edge.

“We felt we had a chance as have we played and practiced together, so we felt we had some existing chemistry,” Zhou said. “In some cases, most people find a partner on the same day of the tournament.”

Yanhua “Jennifer” Xie, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical and anatomical sciences at the New York Institute of Technology at A-State, would win gold as a women’s doubles champion. She would also add on a silver and bronze medal competing in singles and another doubles competition paired with Zhou.

On what it was like winning gold, Xie recalled feeling intimidated however, she had confidence in her own game.

“The entire stadium heard me,” Xie stated. “One of the players in the doubles we were playing against was the champion of the women’s singles. We felt a little bit intimidated, but eventually we won.”

The four intend to compete in the games moving forward, with Tsui explicitly wanting to see newfound friends again.

“To see people coming back and to meet old friends, I hope we can do that again down the road,” he said. “I think in 2025, in Iowa, we will make plans to go.”

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NOTE: Featured Photo – From left: Anthony “Tony” Tsui, Yanhua “Jennifer” Xie, Guolei “Jason” Zhou and Jianfeng “Jay” Xu display awards they received while competing in table tennis during the National Senior Games last month.

Jacob Wicinski is a 2021 graduate of Florida State University with a bachelor’s in communication and is currently seeking a masters of science in mass communication with a specialization in journalism at Arkansas State University.

Sports

VIDEO: National Loving Day

Posted on August 12, 2023 by deltadnews

Interracial couples celebrate freedom on national holiday

Delta Digital News Service

June 12, 2021

By Rangsiya Faihin | Staff Photographer

JONESBORO, Ark. – Every June 12th is the anniversary of national ‘Loving Day’. The day recognizes the interracial relationship of Mildred, a woman of black and Native American ancestry and Richard Loving, a white man who were arrested due to violating the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. However, in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban interracial marriages.

Every June 12th is the anniversary of national ‘Loving Day’. The day recognizes the interracial relationship of Mildred, a woman of black and Native American ancestry and Richard Loving, a white man who were arrested due to violating the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. However, in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban interracial marriages.

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Rangsiya Faihin is an engineering senior at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. She can be reached at: rangsiya.faihin@smail.astate.edu

NOTE: Featured photo by Lareised Leneseur on Unsplash

PHOTO: Red Wolves defeat Rangers, 4-0 during exhibition match

Posted on August 12, 2023 by deltadnews

A-State Women’s Soccer vs Northwest Mississippi Community College

Delta Digital News Service

August 11, 2023

By Atsuki Ohbuchi 純暉 | Staff Photographer

JONESBORO, Ark. – Head Coach Brian Dooley and the Red Wolves defeated Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers 4-0 during an exhibition match at A-State Soccer Park in Jonesboro, Ark., Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. The team will head to Fayetteville next Thursday for their regular season opener against the Razorbacks.

A-State forward Emma Riley (6) battles Raegan Tucker (20) of Northwest Mississippi Community College during an exhibition match at A-State Soccer Park in Jonesboro, Ark., Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. The Red Wolves defeated the Rangers 4-0. Head Coach Brian Dooley and the team will head to Fayetteville next Thursday for their regular season opener against the Razorbacks. Photos by Atsuki Ohbuchi

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Atsuki Ohbuchi | 純暉 is a junior in the Neil Griffin College of Business at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at: atsuki.ohbuchi@smail.astate.edu

Arkansas Paws In Prison provides furry friends to inmates

Posted on August 8, 2023 by deltadnews

Arkansas Dept. of Corrections program delivers experience for prisoners to develop behavioral change and personal growth

Delta Digital News Service

August 8, 2023

By Avery Jones | Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Michelle Hill of Michelle Hill Dog Training Academy is a local certified professional dog trainer that has been volunteering for a program called Paws in Prison since 2021. Arkansas Paws in Prison is a nonprofit program started by the Arkansas Department of Corrections to rehabilitate inmates while also training dogs for adoption.

The program partners with dog shelters to bring in untrained dogs for the inmates to train with the mentorship of a professional trainer. The inmates get work experience, and the dogs have a better chance of getting adopted after they’re trained.

“We have a large overpopulation problem in Arkansas for unwanted dogs…what better to do than pair them up with people that have nothing but time?” said Victoria Schilden, the director of the program. “It saves the dogs’ lives, it gives the inmates a skill that they can walk out the door with and get a job right off the bat where typically it doesn’t matter if you check that box, ‘convicted felon.’”

Schilden also explained that the program provides them with a sense of normalcy, teaches compassion and unconditional love, helps them to maintain good behavior and gives them an incentive to be a different person than they had been.

Hill has been a dog trainer for 16 years. The director reached out to her personally and asked Hill if she would been interested in volunteering. Hill had done some research on the program and was eager to be involved.

“Not only are the dogs getting a second chance, but the inmate trainers are getting a second chance, too,” Hill said.

She works for the program 2 days per week. She’s at the McPherson Women’s Prison in Newport on Tuesdays and Tucker Unit for men and Maximum Security Unit on Thursdays.

The trainers pilot an apprenticeship program through the Department of Labor. Hill teaches the inmates different ways to train dogs and what they would need to know to pass a dog training certification exam in the outside world.

Hill creates a lesson plan for each class. She sometimes brings her dog to demonstrate what she wants the inmates to do with the dogs and after they watch her, they copy the action. The dogs are typically in the units for 8 weeks of training; this can vary depending on the needs of the adopter or the shelter.

The dogs learn basic obedience like sitting, leash and crate training, as well as tricks such as rolling over, spinning and even flipping light switches and retrieving TV remotes.

At the end of the training, the dogs complete a final exam to show that they’re trained. The trainers use the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Ready program which terminates in a test that evaluates whether the dog has learned all the skills the program teaches.

The trainers teach all the skills the dog would need to pass the test and then do a mock test. After the dog is adopted, the owners can contact the trainer to have the dog officially certified.

Not only does being trained increase the dogs’ chances of getting adopted, but it also helps them to stay in their homes. According to Schilden, untrained dogs are often returned to the shelter by their owners because of their behavior. Some dogs from this program even go on to be service dogs.

“They’re far less likely to be returned for behavioral issues because they’ve got that socialization and the basic obedience training,” Schilden said. “Sometimes the dogs end up right back where they came from after the family gets them home and they start chewing things up or they’re not potty-trained, so we try to mitigate that and make sure that it’s a successful adoption and that the dogs stay with the person who adopts them.”

According to Hill, almost every single dog has been adopted by graduation because of this program. Schilden said that more than 2,200 dogs have been adopted in this program’s duration. Additionally, many inmates have gone on to become dog trainers; one former inmate now works for the program as well.

Hill is a “positive reinforcement” trainer, which means she doesn’t believe in using pain or fear as a training method. She’s certified under the Certification Counsel of Professional Dog Trainers, so she has to take continuing education classes and build up to a certain amount of credits every three years.

However, not every dog trainer is certified, and nobody has to be certified to become a dog trainer, so the field isn’t regulated. As a result, it’s very common for dogs to be mistreated during training, according to Hill.

“Everything that I do is focused on building the physical, mental, social, and emotional aspect of the dog, so being able to impart those skills and that knowledge onto someone else that can later on build that same mindset and mentality in the dog training industry is a very important thing for me,” Hill said.

The Paws in Prison program was originally started by a group of women, some from the DOC and some interested in inmate rehabilitation. They were inspired by a similar program in Missouri called Puppies for Parole. They appealed to the governor and the director of the DOC to initiate it.

Schilden has been with the program for 7 years. She originally started as a volunteer for a capstone project while she was getting her master’s degree from the Clinton School of Public Service. She now works full-time as the director of the program and the program coordinator for the DOC.

The program currently operates in seven correctional facilities: McPherson Women’s Unit in Newport, Hawkins Women’s Unit in Wrightsville, Randall L. Williams in Pine Bluff, Ouachita River Unit in Malvern, North central Unit in Calico Rock, Tucker Unit and Maximum Security Unit.

They currently partner with five dog shelters: Care for Animals in Little Rock, Last Chance Arkansas in Little Rock, Adopt-A-Stray Rescue in Alexander, Stone County Humane Society in Mountain View, and Humane Society of Independence County in Batesville.

They also work with two other dog trainers besides Michelle Hill. Tracy Owen is a former inmate who went on to become a successful dog trainer due to the program and now works alongside them. Sandy Olivera is another volunteer who has been training dogs for over 20 years.

“It’s such a privilege to…see not only what it does for these animals and our rescue partners, but what it does for these inmates,” Schilden said. “I’ve seen this program truly change lives and change somebody from a hardened criminal into somebody who gets down on the floor and makes baby-talk with little puppies.”

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Avery Jones is a sophomore in the Department of English and Philosophy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. She can be reached at: avery.jones@smail.astate.edu

Public Safety

Author Monica Potts Book holds book signing for first novel

Posted on August 8, 2023 by deltadnews

Memoir explores challenges of rural life

Delta Digital News Service

By Avery Jones | Editor

July 1, 2023

JONESBORO, Ark. – Monica Potts was recently hosted at The Parsonage restaurant in downtown Jonesboro for a discussion and signing of her new book, “The Forgotten Girls”. The event was put together by Verb Bookstore on Saturday, July 1 at 6:30-8 p.m.

Potts is a senior political reporter for the website FiveThirtyEight and has also been published in The New York Times and The Atlantic among others. The book was published in April of this year and is Potts’s first novel.

It’s a memoir about her childhood in Clinton, Arkansas that discusses the obstacles that women in rural communities face. Potts addresses poverty, religion, drug addiction, early motherhood, abuse, mental health, and lack of education.

Potts’s interest in the subject started when she heard of these studies that showed middle-aged white women in rural communities were starting to die earlier due to “deaths of despair”–deaths caused by drug addiction and suicide.

Potts explores how these deaths are linked to the obstacles these women face in their communities, including the fact that many of these women only had high school degrees or less. It was shown in these studies that highly educated women generally live longer.

She saw these obstacles in her own community. Potts mainly writes about the life of her former best friend Darci, who unlike Potts, chose to stay in Clinton for all of her life and ended up struggling with drug addiction, early motherhood, poverty, and abuse.

When Sari Harlow, the owner of Verb and host of the event, asked the room who had cried while reading the book and how much of the issues in the book they had seen in their own lives and community, several hands went up.

“Those first couple chapters were painful,” Harlow said. “I told Monica before I had to put it down and just process for a while and then come back to it because it really hits close to home.”

Potts herself had a similar experience writing the book. She said that she would often take a break to drive around in the mountains for a while to gather her thoughts. However, she also felt like it was a necessary process to endure.

She moved back to Clinton in 2018. She was working on her book by that point, and she stated that this was part of her reason for moving back, but she also had a lot of unresolved feelings about her hometown.

Despite the issues that are explored in her book, Clinton will always be home for Potts. However, it also sometimes feels like living in a fishbowl to her because everyone knows everyone. She misses city life sometimes.

“I actually felt in some ways more isolated than in the city,” Potts said.

When she moved away from Clinton to go to college, however, she sometimes felt guilty that she didn’t stay in touch with people from home, including Darci. She also felt like she had opportunities that many others couldn’t take advantage of.

Potts attended Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and chose anthropology as her major even though she knew she didn’t want to be an anthropologist. However, she wanted the flexibility that comes with a liberal arts degree.

Additionally, as a first-generation college student, she believes that a liberal arts style education is more supportive than that of a state school, where it’s easier to get lost and feel adrift when one is trying to figure out the unfamiliar system.

Going into college, Potts didn’t realize the vast amount of career options that existed. For her, the importance of college was discovering what she was able to do and learning skills that would translate to several careers.

“I just can’t imagine a life without having had that,” Potts said. “It was just about having a different kind of life experience for myself…”

It’s difficult to name an ultimate solution for the kind of systemic and cyclical issues that people in rural communities face, but Potts believes that more opportunities for young people is vital to their growth.

“Figuring out who you are and who you’re going to be is a really hard job. It’s just an incredibly time-consuming endeavor, and I think teenagers have a really hard time…” Potts said. “…I think that the more grace and the more opportunities we can give young people to figure that out with as much support and kindness as we can, the better off they’re going to be.”

Potts said that the benefit of writing her book as a memoir was to connect Darci back to herself and encapsulate the whole life of someone. As for solutions to the issues that Darci and people like her face, Potts thinks that any solution couldn’t be finite or discrete; it’s a never-ending problem that can’t just be “fixed,” but instead must be addressed at a systemic level.

When asked about advice for adults that want to “escape” their small towns, Potts said that one probably has a bigger network than one believes. That person should reach out to anyone they’ve connected to in the past that might have resources or know about resources to help.

After the discussion, Potts signed books for those who had brought their own or those who were buying. Verb Bookstore had set up a table displaying copies of Potts’s book available for purchase, as well as books by other Arkansas authors and some currently popular picks.

“When we heard about her book and that she was an Arkansas author, we felt like we really needed to bring her viewpoint here to Jonesboro,” Harlow said. “It was definitely one that resonated with me personally…so I felt it was important to make those connections.”

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Avery Jones

Avery Jones is a sophomore in the Department of English and Philosophy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. She can be reached at: avery.jones@smail.astate.edu

Bikers show up for 3rd annual Ride Against Trafficking

Posted on August 8, 2023 by deltadnews

Bikers show up to show support

Delta Digital News Service

June 3, 2023

By Avery Jones | Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – On Saturday, June 3, Hope Found NEA, a nonprofit organization located in Jonesboro fighting human trafficking, hosted the 3rd annual Ride Against Trafficking. Participants arrived at 9 a.m. to register at Central Baptist Church and rode out at around 10 a.m.

The event is a fundraiser in which cyclists complete a dice run and enjoy a free meal afterwards. For the run, each individual or group roll dice at each stop and adding up the results at the end to see who has the highest total. The group with the highest wins $100, while the lowest wins $50.

According to the organizer of the event and the founder of Hope Found, Megan Brown, the money will go toward programs to raise awareness in the community about human trafficking and services for victims. She thought a motorcycle ride would also be a good way to raise awareness.

“There wasn’t a lot of bike rides that I knew of in this area, but especially those that were focusing on this issue,” she said. “With bikers being on the road constantly, it was a good way to be able to get them educated on what signs and red flags of a trafficking situation may look like.”

Brown stated that she chose the church as a meeting place because it has a pavilion for shade, and it’s a central location that’s easy to get onto and off the route from. They have chosen a different place each year for the event so far.

There was a large crowd at the event. Along with several bikers, there were many volunteers and workers at the registration stand, selling t-shirts, and providing drinks. Brown stated that she expected a bigger crowd than last year’s event.

Nearly 30 bikers participated last year; she expected about 50 to come this year. Twenty-two bikers pre-registered, with several more registering the day of the event. There were individuals, large groups, and even adults with kids.

A retired Pocahontas husband and wife duo that go by the road names Twisted and Hugs respectively were present representing their NEA chapter of Warriors Empowering Children, a nonprofit organization of bikers who support and protect children that have been through abuse.

If the child is old enough, the group teaches them to ride, while also boosting their confidence. Members of the organization guard the children to make them feel safer, and escort them to school if need be. If the child has to go to court to testify against their abuser, the bikers will escort them to court. Each child receives a vest that proclaims, “I Am A Warrior” on the back.

“We’re all about bringing kids out of the darkness,” Twisted said.

Adam Farmer, an instructor with the Jonesboro Grappling Association, was there with Rachel Thieme. Thieme is a photographer and also works at St. Bernards.

“Megan reached out to us a while back last year to see if we would be interested in sponsoring [the event], and we discussed women’s self-defense, women’s safety, and we believe in the cause, so we decided to sponsor it,” Farmer said.

Both Farmer and Thieme are Jonesboro natives. Farmer has been riding for seventeen years.

There were a few people for whom it was their first time at the event. Jeff McDonald is a software engineer. He’s been riding for ten to fifteen years.

He was there to “raise awareness,” and stated he’s also “learning more about [Hope Found] from the event.”

According to Brown, the ride was slated to last between 2 to 2 and half hours. Their first stop was Lorado Grocery and Grill. Afterwards, the bikers kept going north on Highway 141 into Lafe.

Their second stop was Jordan’s Quick Stop in Oak Grove before going to Paragould. Their third stop was another Jordan’s in Lake City before heading back to the church to finish the run.

Riders were provided with a free lunch, courtesy of Smokes Up BBQ.

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Avery Jones is a sophomore in the Department of English and Philosophy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. She can be reached at: avery.jones@smail.astate.edu

JPD Chief Rick Elliott requests salary increase for officers

Posted on July 24, 2023 by deltadnews

Once ranked high, officer salaries trail behind many other police departments in the state

By Caroline Cherry Averitt | Contributor

Delta Digital News Service

June 21, 2023

JONESBORO, Ark. – Jonesboro Police Department Chief Rick Elliott requested the city increase the salaries for police officers due to inflation, salary changes across the state and recruitment problems.

Elliott spoke made the requests during the Public Safety Council Committee meeting to discuss the Police Pay and Retention Plan on Tuesday.

“We’re seeing the same problem here in Jonesboro, trying to recruit and retain quality officers. So, we just kind of laid out tonight, the makeup of the department, the number of losses over the past several years and what can be done to address that,” Elliott said.

“We’re seeing the same problem here in Jonesboro, trying to recruit and retain quality officers.”…
– Rick Elliott, JPD Police Chief

Elliott said over the past 18 months, 35 officers left the department. Some quit, others retired and a few were fired. He said he believes many officers left because of pay.

“I know several officers that have applied with the Arkansas State Police and again, their pay scale compared to any other state in the state is as off the chart. And you know, I can’t necessarily compete with that,” he said.

He said he wants to provide competitive salaries in order to keep officers, not only from leaving for other forces, but also for leaving to work other jobs that pay more than law enforcement.

Mayor Harold Copenhaver said police salaries have increased since his election.

“We have the largest police force in this part of the state of Arkansas with 175 officers, and I take pride in that. So, when I became mayor, then we have made substantial adjustments to police pay,” he said.

“We have the largest police force in this part of the state of Arkansas with 175 officers, and I take pride in that. So, when I became mayor, then we have made substantial adjustments to police pay.”
– Harold Copenhaver, Mayor of the City of Jonesboro

Even with these adjustments, Elliott said salaries still need to be raised in order to compete with other Arkansas police departments that also are making adjustments to salaries.

“Not five months ago, we were in the top five when it came to starting pay in the state of Arkansas, and now we’re in the middle to lower area of that just in four months,” he said.

The police department is also dealing with issues regarding applicants. Out of the 130 applicants this year, only six have met the department standards.

“We see a lot of applicants. But at the end of the day, they don’t meet our standards to go to work here,” Elliot said.

Additionally, Elliot said some officers leave the force due to the traumatic nature of the job. “These officers go to work and the things that they see day in and day out, is very troubling to them. I mean, we’re seeing bad accidents, we’re seeing death cases. You know, and it’s hard for them to emotionally process,” he said.

Councilman Brian Emison, Ward 1, Position 2 seat, attended the Public Safety Council Committee meeting. He said he believes police salaries need to be adjusted.

“The world has dramatically changed, especially in regards to inflation and in pay, and these are the individuals that allow us to go to sleep at night and able to rest in our beds and not have to worry,” Emison said.

“The world has dramatically changed, especially in regards to inflation and in pay, and these are the individuals that allow us to go to sleep at night and able to rest in our beds and not have to worry.”
– Brian Emison, Public Safety Councilman

He said, as a councilman, he wants to do what he can to address issues and take care of the needs of law enforcement and first responders.

Councilman Brian Emison, Ward 1, Position 2 seat

“No matter how much money we ever pay them, it’ll never be enough for what they do and the sacrifices their family makes. So, just being able to show our appreciation to them and also being able to provide safety to the citizens of Jonesboro, I think should be the utmost priority, because what is a quality of life if you can’t preserve life at the end of the day,” he said.

Elliott said he feels hopeful his issues will be addressed.

“Now, I’m a realist about things and I think we can come to a compromise to have something that will suit the needs of our people,” Elliott said.

The Public Safety Committee Council plans to either begin the next meeting earlier or call a special session in order to have more time to address the department’s issues.

“I believe in our police officers and I believe in public safety,” Copenhaver said.

Public Safety

Local educators to compete in 2023 National Senior Games

Posted on July 24, 2023 by deltadnews

Trio will compete in table tennis in Pittsburg, Pa. this weekend

By Jacob Wicinski | Contributor

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, June 14, 2023

JONESBORO, Ark. – Although Paris will host the 2024 Summer Olympics, three northeast Arkansas educators will compete this week in the National Senior Games in Pittsburg, Pa.

The National Senior Games is an annual event pitting thousands of 50-year-olds and over against one another in over 20 different sporting events. Northeast Arkansans Jianfeng ‘Jay’ Xu, Ph.D., a research professor at Arkansas State University, Yanhua ‘Jennifer’ Xie, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Arkansas Biosciences Institute and The New York Institute of Technology on the campus of A-State, and Anthony Tsui, a Bay High School teacher, hope to bring in the gold for the table tennis, aka ping pong, category.

Xu, Xie and Tsui left Wednesday, July 12, to compete in the games. Before leaving the trio got in a few rounds of practice at the Red Wolf Center on the campus of A-State. In discussing their passion for the game at their age, Xu stated that even though he has been playing for years, his skills had started to improve just recently.

From left: Jennifer Xie, of Jonesboro left, Tony Tsui, of Bay and Jay Xu also of Jonesboro will compete in the National Senior Games in Pittsburg, Penn. this weekend. Submitted Photo

“I started playing ping pong in 2003,” Xu recalled. “My skills were poor, but I’ve made some pretty big progress over that time… I even have a ping pong machine at home to help me practice.”

Tsui, who started in 2016 also owns a ping pong machine but said that Xie really helped to get the group motivated to improve their skills.

“We actually improved during COVID,” he said. “Most of the time when Jennifer was practicing and practicing, she was just pushing us to improve. She was probably the last one to join us and she’s already passed us.”

Xie is team captain and displays a strong passion for the game. She said that her US Table Tennis rating is her inspiration for improving..

“Currently, I’m 1372,” she said. “The average rating for US Table Tennis is 1400 to 1500. I’m hoping to pass that by the end of this year.”

With the games bringing many athletes from all over the country, Xie often jokes with friends about their status in participating in the games.

“This is the first year for me to attend the [Senior] Olympics, as I wasn’t old enough” Xie said. “One of my friends was joking that we were the only Olympians that she knew.”

As the three look to grab gold, Tsui stated that it is much more than winning, at least to them.

“Everyone’s competing, but I don’t see the hostility side of things,” he said. “It’s also to keep us healthy. You see people at 100, or in their 80s and 90s are still competing because they want to stay healthy enough to keep going.”

Tsui believes that winning isn’t everything and that forming friendships is a part of the experience.

“A friendship is a friendship,” he said. “Winning is not the top thing for us. It’d be nice to win, but… we’re friendly and it’s so fun. What else could you ask for?”

The games began July 7th and will end on Tuesday, July 18th.

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NOTE: Featured photo – Jennifer Xie gets in some table tennis practice at the Red Wolf Center on the campus of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, July 18. Photo by Jacob Wicinski