Tag Archives: Arkansas State University

Ryan Pannone Named A-State Men’s Head Baskebtall Coach

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Ryan Pannone, Photo courtesy of the University of Alabama

JONESBORO, Ark. (3/30/25) – Arkansas State Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Jeff Purinton announced Sunday that Ryan Pannone, who has gained a reputation over the course of his 23-year career as one of the nation’s top offensive minds and player-development coaches, has been named the Red Wolves’ 18th all-time head men’s basketball coach.

A 2025 selection to Silver Waves Media’s prestigious Elite 75 Future Head Coach Power Lunch, Pannone (pronounced Puh-Known) comes to A-State after most recently spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Alabama.  The Crimson Tide boasted the nation’s highest scoring average both years as Pannone helped lead the program to Final Four and Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively.  However, his path to Jonesboro also went through six different countries, including the United States, China, Germany, Israel, Korea and Slovakia.

“We conducted a thorough national search for our next head men’s basketball coach and had an outstanding pool of candidates,” said Purinton.  “Coach Pannone is highly respected for his work as a coach at all levels, and during the search process it became clear that he was a great fit for our program.  Our System President Dr. Brendan Kelly, Chancellor Dr. Todd Shields and I were completely aligned that he is the right person at the right time to lead our men’s basketball program into the future.

“Coach Pannone has achieved success both nationally and internationally, running high-tempo offenses in systems that emphasize player development.  He is well-known as an elite basketball tactician and great recruiter with the ability to get the very best out of his players.  He truly cares about the young men he coaches, placing a priority on their success both on and off the court.”

An introductory press conference open to the public will be held soon on a date to be announced at a later time.  The press conference will take place in the Centennial Bank Athletics Operations Center, located in the north end zone of Centennial Bank Stadium, and be streamed live on the Arkansas State Athletics Facebook page (/AStateRedWolves).  The press conference will also be carried lived on the Ticket Radio Network (95.3 FM, 96.9 FM and 970 AM in Jonesboro) and through the EAB Media app.

Pannone owns a wealth of experience at numerous levels, including NCAA Division I, NBA, G-League, various professional leagues overseas, junior college, high school and AAU.  He has claimed 204 career wins in nine years as a head coach, including stops with the G-League’s Erie BayHawks and Birmingham Squadron and the Slovak Basketball League’s BC Prievidza.

His background includes 18 years of coaching players with NBA experience.  He has coached 82 total NBA players and 46 players selected in the First Round of the NBA Draft, including 30 Lottery picks.

“I am excited and honored to be the head men’s basketball coach at Arkansas State University, and I want to thank Jeff Purinton, Dr. Todd Shields, Dr. Brendan Kelly and the ASU Board of Trustees for this opportunity,” Pannone said.  “My family and I are looking forward to being part of the Jonesboro community, which shows outstanding support and love for the university and its athletics programs.  I would not be in this position without the support of my wonderful wife, Sarah, who has always been a great source of encouragement while following me all over the world and making many sacrifices during this journey.

“The A-State basketball brand is on the rise amid great momentum, and that is a testament to the amazing job Bryan Hodgson, his staff and the players have done the last two years.  They built a strong foundation, and I’m fortunate to be stepping into a fantastic situation – we’re in a great place to continue elevating this program together.  Our staff and players will be committed to working extremely hard to put a fun and winning product on the floor while representing our community in a first-class manner.

“I also want to thank everyone associated with the University of Alabama, including head coach Nate Oats, Athletics Director Greg Byrne, the coaching staff and the players, for a wonderful two years in Tuscaloosa.”

Serving as Alabama’s offensive coordinator under head coach Nate Oats, Pannone orchestrated the country’s most explosive offenses the last two seasons.  The Crimson Tide averaged over 90 points per game both of his years in Tuscaloosa, including a school-record 90.7 average in 2024-25.  Alabama made an NCAA Tournament-record 25 three pointers in its Sweet 16 victory over BYU.

The Crimson Tide eclipsed 100 points in 17 contests during Pannone’s time with the program, including an SEC-record nine games this year.  Alabama also led the nation in offensive tempo each of the last two years while posting a combined 53-21 record.

“Coach Pannone is not only an outstanding basketball coach, but a man of great integrity and high character who cares deeply about his student-athletes,” said A-State Chancellor Dr. Todd Shields.  “He is a proven winner, as well as an outstanding communicator who will connect with his players and our community on a very authentic level.  We couldn’t be more excited to announce him as our new head men’s basketball coach.”

Pannone spent the season prior to his arrival at Alabama as an assistant coach for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, helping lead the squad to 42 victories and a Play-In Tournament berth.

He served as head coach of both the Erie BayHawks and Birmingham Squadron as part of the NBA’s G-League from 2019-22.  His squads made back-to-back playoff appearances his last two seasons and had 11 combined NBA call-ups.

Pannone was also on the BayHawks coaching staff as an assistant during their 2014-15 campaign, but spent a season before that and the four years after coaching internationally.

His first overseas coaching opportunity came in 2013-14 as an assistant with the Guangzhou Long Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association.  His next international coaching job came with the Hanau (Germany) White Wings, also as an assistant in 2015-16.

The 2016-17 season saw Pannone work as an assistant coach with Hapoel Jerusalem, helping the team appear in the Final Four of the EuroCup and claim the Israel Winner League Championship.  He then spent the following year as head coach for a BC Prievidza (Slovakia) team that led its league in defense, opponent points per game, rebounding and three-point field goals made and attempted.

Pannone returned to Hapoel Jerusalem as an assistant coach for the 2018-19 season, when the squad led the Champions League in points, assists and rebounds.  He also worked remotely as an advanced scout and video coordinator for the Angola National Team in 2019.

“I am thrilled to have Coach Pannone join our team and community,” said ASU System President Dr. Brendan Kelly.  “Our efforts to continue to elevate depend on us attracting great talent and excellent leaders.  Coach Pannone embodies both of those descriptors.”

Pannone began his coaching career in 2003 while working on his undergraduate degree at the University of South Florida, taking an assistant position at Oldsmar (Fla.) Christian School.  He was elevated to head coach three years later in 2006 and served in that role until 2011, posting a 131-42 record that included wins over three USA Today nationally-ranked teams.

Following his time at Oldsmar Christian, and one year before he joined the Guangzhou Long Lions, Pannone spent the 2011-12 campaign as an assistant coach at Wallace State (Ala.) Junior College.  His lone season in Hanceville saw the Lions win the Region XXII Championship and Alabama State Championship.  They were one of 16 teams in the country to qualify for the JUNCO National Tournament.

In addition to his numerous coaching stops from 2006-19, Pannone worked at the Pro Training Center as its NBA Director.  During that time, he oversaw the development of over 50 NBA players, 33 First-Round NBA Draft selections and 22 Lottery picks.

The Clearwater, Fla., native earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies with a concentration of public health from the University of South Florida in 2011.  While working on his degree, he was a student manager for the men’s basketball program under Robert McCullum in 2006-07.

Pannone and his wife, Dr. Sarah Pannone, have three children — Raylan (7), Dahlia (5), Trajan (3).

RYAN PANNONE FILE

Coaching Experience

2023-25 | Alabama, Assistant Coach

2022-23 | New Orleans Pelicans, Assistant Coach

2019-22 | Erie BayHawks & Birmingham Squadron, Head Coach

2019 | Angola National Team, Advanced Scout & Video Coordinator

2006-19 | Pro Training Center, NBA Director

2018-19 | Hapoel Jerusalem, Assistant Coach

2017-18 | BC Prievidza, Head Coach

2016-17 | Hapoel Jerusalem, Assistant Coach

2015-16 | Hanau White Wings, Assistant Coach

2014-15 | Erie BayHawks, Assistant Coach

2012-13 | Guangzhou Long Lions, Assistant Coach

2012 | Wallace State Community College, Assistant Coach

2003-11 | Oldsmar Christian School, Head Coach (2006-11) & Assistant Coach (2003-06)

Summer Experience

2021 & 2022 | NBA Draft Combine & G-League Elite Camp, Coach

2019 & 2021 | NBA Summer League, New Orleans Pelicans Assistant Coach

2017 | NBA Basketball Without Borders Camp, Tel Aviv (Israel) Assistant Coach

2015-17 | Korean Basketball League, LG Sakers Director of Player Development

2013 | NBA Summer League, Memphis Grizzlies Assistant Coach

By the Numbers

1 Final Four appearance

1 Elite Eight appearance

3 different continents of pro basketball coaching experience

5 years of international coaching experience

6th best record in the NBA’s G-League during last two seasons (2020-22)

9 years of head coaching experience

17 total 100-point games the last two seasons combined

18 years of coaching players with NBA experience

22 years of coaching experience

30 NBA Lottery picks coached

46 first-round NBA Draft selections coached

75.2 KenPom offensive tempo ranked 1st in the nation (2024-25)

82 NBA players coached

126.0 KenPom Offensive Efficiency ranked 2nd in the nation (2023-24)

126.8 KenPom Offensive Efficiency ranked 4th in the nation (2024-25)

204 wins as a head coach

Pannone’s Coaching Pillars

Accountability

Organization

Servanthood

Inspiration

Loyalty

Unity

Love

What They’re Saying

“Ryan Pannone is a great hire for Arkansas State.  He has an elite basketball IQ and pairs that with a relentless work ethic that gives him the ability to be a great teacher and developer of talent.  Ryan possesses one of the elite offensive minds in basketball, creating a system for his players to thrive in as Alabama led the nation in scoring during his two years in Tuscaloosa.  His experience in the NBA, overseas and in college basketball has prepared him for the job. He will be a great fit in Jonesboro.

Nate Oats, Alabama Head Coach

“Ryan has one of the brightest basketball minds in the business.  His knowledge, work ethic, passion and experience far outweighs his years.  He will have tremendous success at Arkansas State!”

Scott Drew, Baylor Head Coach

“Ryan Pannone is one of the top basketball minds in the game.  Many of us in the profession have sought him out for ideas.  No one studies the game more than Ryan.  And if you’re a player, you’ll get a chance to play for a guy who has coached the game at every level.  He can help you get where you want to go.”

Stan Van Gundy, current NBA and college basketball commentator and former NBA head coach

“Ryan Pannone is one of, if not the smartest, hardest working coaches I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.  He’s got a devotion for players and a passion for the game, and it shows immensely through his creativity with X’s and O’s and player development.  He’s a leader and a competitor and an elite level head coach.  Any program would be fortunate to have him serving in any capacity.

Bryson Graham, New Orleans Pelicans General Manager

“I am incredibly happy for this next opportunity for Ryan.  He has a tremendous passion for the game of basketball and teaching it to his players.  Every time we speak he is about to watch film or has just finished watching film.  He is always studying how he can improve as a coach and different ways for his players and teams to get better.  Arkansas State is in great hands with Ryan.”

Trajan Langdon, Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations

Carole Farmer Appointed to ASU System Board of Trustees

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Carole Farmer, ASU System Board of Trustees. Image courtesy of the ASU System.

LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has appointed Carole Farmer of Fayetteville to a seven-year term on the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees.


Farmer succeeds immediate past board chair Christy Clark of Little Rock, who served seven years after being appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in 2018 and reappointed by Gov. Sanders in 2023.

ASU System President Brendan Kelly said he welcomes Farmer to the board.


“Carole Farmer will be an outstanding addition to our Board of Trustees,” Kelly said. “Her experiences in health care, management and finance will be welcome on the board and in the ASU System. We look forward to working with her in the years ahead.”


“I’m also grateful to Christy Clark for her service during the past seven years,” Kelly added. “She has been part of many significant achievements in the ASU System, and I worked closely with her as board chair during the last six months as I came on board as president. She’s been a tremendous resource and asset to the ASU System.”

Farmer is a Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) and owns Arkansas Medical Management Consulting, LLC, a medical consulting firm that provides support for physician-owned practices. She worked 17 years for the largest multi-specialty physician medical clinic in northeast Arkansas. Her last seven years, she served as the clinic’s administrator and managed more than 120 employees.

She served for five years on the Board of Directors for Arkansas Medical Group Managers Association, her last year as chair of the organization.  Prior to her medical management career, she worked in the banking industry focusing on internal auditing and regulatory compliance. She is a member of the board of directors of Farmer Enterprises Inc.

“First, I want to thank Governor Sanders for her confidence in me,” Farmer said. “I look forward to working with President Kelly and the other trustees to improve educational and workforce opportunities for our students and all Arkansans.” 

Farmer is a graduate of Arkansas State University with both her bachelor’s degree in accounting (2005) and master’s in business administration (2008). She also served as an adjunct professor of accounting at A-State for two years, primarily focused on managerial accounting. 

A native of Palestine, she is married to Alec Farmer, a 1986 Arkansas State University graduate.  They are 1924 Sustaining Life Members of the A-State Alumni Association and endowed the Dalton A. Farmer Family Scholarship in 2015.

Together they have four adult daughters. Emily, their youngest daughter, is an A-State graduate. The ASU System, based in Little Rock, serves 35,000 students annually through on-site and online options. Member institutions include Arkansas State University in Jonesboro with an additional campus in Queretaro, Mexico; ASU-Beebe, with additional campuses in Heber Springs and Searcy and an instructional site at the Little Rock Air Force Base; ASU-Mountain Home; ASU-Newport, with additional campuses in Jonesboro and Marked Tree; ASU Mid-South in West Memphis; ASU Three Rivers in Malvern; and Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. For more information about the ASU System, visit ASUSystem.edu or follow on X @ASUSystem.

A-State College of Veterinary Medicine to Open Fall 2026

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Rendering of the forthcoming College of Veterinary Medicine at Arkansas State University.

Story by DDNS Reporter Shailey Wooldridge.

The Arkansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) will open in Fall 2026, pending accreditation, giving students an experience differing from the average veterinary medical school. 

Heidi Banse, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said the college will have unique aspects based on how they have structured their curriculum, such as using a distributive model where students participate in clinicals in their final year of schooling. 

Dr. Heidi Banse, Dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Arkansas State University

“It’s a very community-centered program, which I think fits the state of Arkansas and does position us with some educational elements that other programs may not be able to offer. All programs have their niches and own areas that they emphasize, and for us, it’s community.“ Banse said. 

Banse formerly served as associate dean for educational strategy at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU Vet Med).

At LSU Vet Med, Banse led implementation of a new competency-based veterinary program by restructuring the educational framework to ensure students are prepared to enter practice when they graduate. 

“The thing that enticed me here at Arkansas State University was the opportunity to build a program, really starting at the ground floor,” Banse said. “Having just built a new curriculum at LSU, it seemed the next logical step in a career progression to build an entire program.”

In the first three years, Banse said A-State’s vet school curriculum will focus on developing skills, communication, ethics, practice management, and clinical reasoning. In the final year, students will go out into community practices across Arkansas and in other states to hone their skills and prepare to enter into practice.

Len Frey, senior advisor for strategic initiatives and senior associate dean of the CVM, said the distributive model of structuring veterinary medical schools is becoming more common. 

“We’re very comfortable with the distributed model because we saw it work at NYIT (New York Institute of Technology),” Frey said. “Again, it’s not the norm. It’s not the way it’s always been done. It’s a newer theory on delivering practice-ready doctors or practice-ready veterinary medicine physicians.”

Banse said one of the college’s primary goals is to train veterinarians across the breadth of species to prepare them to enter general practice. To accomplish this, something she wants to leave behind as much as they can is the traditional lecture format of education. 

“Our goal is to ensure that our students are engaged in learning and have active learning experiences,” Banse said. “Our classrooms that we’re constructing in our new building are flexible-use classrooms so they can be used for lectures, but we hope we’re doing a lot of small group learning to support some of the clinical reasoning.” 

Banse said around 190 practices, 85 in Arkansas, have signed up to be part of the clinical year teaching network. 

Since there is no veterinary school in Arkansas, students hoping to become veterinarians must go to college out of state to finish their schooling in veterinary medicine.  

“We are one of the most underserved states regarding the number of veterinarians per capita. We have 10 counties currently with no veterinarians, making it harder for clients to seek care,” Banse said. 

Amy Schmidt, director of the Northeast Arkansas Humane Society (NEAHS), said one of the reasons veterinary costs are so high right now is the lack of veterinarians. She said one of the problems in the community they see often is people who love their animals but can’t afford to take care of them. 

“The more vets we have in the area, the more we’ll be able to service the community in an accessible way,” Schmidt said. “I think there’s a great need to have a vet school in the area, and I’m super excited that we’re getting it here in Jonesboro.” 

NEAHS is one practice that will partner with the veterinary school for students in clinicals to give them hands-on experience. 

Banse said students will be able to practice doing physical exams on dogs and cats at the shelter and learn to provide veterinary care under the oversight of a practicing veterinarian. 

“They’ll get lots of experience talking to clients, working with animals in the community to make the quality of life for animals and hopefully make client experiences meaningful,” Banse said. 

Schmidt said a room in the isolation building on-site at NEAHS will be explicitly remodeled so students can learn isolation protocols. 

The NEAHS does a low-cost clinic three days a week that offers spays, neuters, and vaccinations. Schmidt said they have difficulty keeping up with the demand, with low-cost surgeries booked until May. 

“The vet school is going to help us with some of that volume so that they will be helping with low-cost surgeries. Not just helping us, but helping the community,” Schmidt said. “We also have that indoor dog kennel area; they’ve talked about using that to teach students how to make clinical rounds and assess everyone, especially post op.”

Banse said the vet school will include two flexible-use classrooms with tables that can be set up in multiple ways to easily change the room’s configuration. 

The building will also feature an almost 3000-square-foot clinical skills lab where students will learn procedures, an anatomy lab, cooler, freezer, a place to store anatomy specimens, a clinical skills laboratory space, storage for models from suture pads to full sized horses and cows, a practice lab for students that will be set up with 24/7 key-card access, a surgical skills training suite with a pre operative area, a sterile surgical area for their spay experience, for their spay surgeries and kennels for dogs and cats in case they need to be housed overnight.

Banse said plans for continuous improvement include collecting feedback from students, instructors, and course coordinators as the program is built and as students go through and making adjustments as needed. She said they will also use the national standardized exams, the veterinary education assessment, and the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination, all veterinarians take as part of their licensure, to help inform changes immediately.

 “One of the things that’s important for us too is once our students go out into the community, we then collect feedback from them one year out and five years out as well as from their employers one year out, to see how prepared they were when they entered into practice,” Banse said. 

She said it will also be vital for them to keep tabs on the changes and anticipated changes in the field of veterinary medicine and industry trends to ensure they’re responding to any needs within Arkansas.

The college has collaborated with the College of Agriculture and will continue to do so. Banse said they will use the Equine Center and one of the bovine barns to teach students skills-based training. 

“Hopefully, that creates better facilities for animal science students, too. It’s not like those are ours only; we share all of that,” Banse said. “I’m grateful that the College of Ag has invited us in. And feel like part of the same part of the same team training students.”

Sarah Hooper, associate dean for student programs and admissions, joined the CVM on February 27.  She will oversee student programs from recruitment through graduation and refine admission processes and the recruitment of students when that time comes. 

Hooper said she will be working on creating new website content for admissions. 

“I’m just excited to be able to help start the first state vet school in Arkansas. I had the advantage of going to a state university with a vet school in my home state, and it’s beneficial and advantageous when students like myself have our support systems,” Hooper said. “It’s exciting in my mind to help initiate this new school and to give the residents of Arkansas something that they’ve not been able to access before.”

The proposed class size is 120 students admitted once per year in the fall. In-state tuition will be $35,000 yearly, and out-of-state tuition will be $55,000 yearly. 

The groundbreaking ceremony for the CVM was held today at 11 a.m., and construction will begin later this month to early April. 

Banse said they can start recruiting students after receiving a letter of reasonable assurance from the Council of Education, which they may receive after a comprehensive visit this summer. 

“I’m most excited to have students. It’s exciting to build a program and think about how we construct a student-centered curriculum, but ultimately, it doesn’t feel real until the students are on site,” Banse said. “We’re doing it for the students, and it’s really fun to hear the excitement on campus from our students about the vet school, and I just can’t wait for them to get here.” 

Living Legends Awards to Honor Seven Individuals

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JONESBORO — The seventh annual Living Legends Awards will be held at Arkansas State University to honor five new recipients as well as honor two individuals posthumously.  
 
The ceremony honors those who have enriched the community, excelled at their fields, and inspired younger generations.  
 
This year, honorees include the following:

Dr. Jenifer Rice-Mason retired from A-State in 2020 after serving more than 40 years where she led the department of Access and Accommodation Services. 

Dr. Wilbert Gaines, an emeritus professor of physical education, was one of the first Black professors on campus. During his tenure he taught countless numbers of students and helped guide them to success through his work in the classroom and with campus organizations.  

Shamal C. Carter, has spent his career working in the non-profit sector, volunteering in the community, and serving on various boards to benefit Jonesboro residents. 

Dr. Nikesha Nesbitt is dean of the University College at A-State. She is part of several committees on campus and in the community. 

Jervonne Newsome is an A-State graduate who remains the highest-ranked moot court competitor in university history. She works as a partner at a law firm in Dallas. 
 
Legacy Awards will be presented to the families of two late members of the community: 

Rennell Woods was an A-State graduate and a longtime member of the Jonesboro community. He was a licensed minister and received numerous accolades due to his giving nature. 

Tierre Hamilton, a 2005 A-State graduate, was part of Kappa Alpha Psi where he provided metorship and support for others. He was known for volunteering and being an active member of the community.  

“Selections are made by a committee and are based not on the quantity of nominations but the quality of the submitted nominations. We deliberate on both the A-State influence and the impact the nominee has made on the community,” said Ian Buchanan, Living Legends committee chairman.  
 
“This event shines light on those who may not get it elsewhere. It also shows students that the impact they make can be legendary in the future. We believe this honor and distinction help recognize the work and footprints that are sometimes not noticed or given their proper due,” Buchanan added.  

This event is held in conjunction with events at A-State for Black History Month. The Multicultural Center oversees the month of activities with the assistance of campus employees and student organizations. 

Future Housing Scholarships at Arkansas State Being Explored By Student Government Association

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Story by DDNS Reporters Shailey Wooldridge and Jerry Burton

Photo by Jerry Don Burton, DDNS

In its final meeting of the semester, the Student Government Association (SGA) reflected on the work accomplished, including passing a resolution to create a committee for a housing scholarship at the Nov. 20, meeting

Micayla McGowen, SGA president and a senior marketing major from East End, Arkansas, said she is very thankful that they are finally having a good conversation about the housing scholarship.

Louis Gonzalez, a sophomore biology major from Kansas City, Missouri, said the recently passed housing scholarship committee resolution has the potential to help many people.

“I fought so hard for just the scholarship committee. I would say that out of everything I’ve done this semester, it is probably the most rewarding one because I can continue to work with that, and it can turn out to be something big,” Gonzalez said.

McGowen said SGA is still determining the right direction for the housing scholarship, but she hopes students will see more progress and impact from it next semester.

Gonzalez said he plans to continue working on the housing scholarship during the Spring semester.

“If I don’t do it, nobody else will, so I’m most definitely behind that. I’m rooting for that so it doesn’t get abolished,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said students can expect progress when it comes to the housing scholarship next semester, but it probably wouldn’t be active for another year because there is a lot of foundational work that needs to be put in.

Gonzalez said the next steps will be finding donors, forming a scholarship committee, and adding a subsection on the SGA website with scholarship guidelines. He said there is no concrete plan yet on how to get donors for the scholarship, and some senators still oppose the scholarship committee.

“It’s gonna take some time to build up some confidence from the senate and the senators to have a functioning scholarship committee,” Gonzalez said. “If I’m not working on it constantly and making consistent progress, I believe it might end up like the previous housing scholarship, abolished.”

Micayla McGowen, president of SGA and a senior marketing major from East End, Arkansas, said the resolution passing is excellent news because it means SGA is moving in the right direction to make a substantial impact.

“Considering that this is something that has started, I want to say, fall of 2023, this is honestly fantastic,” McGowen said. “It’s getting to a point where we’re going to make some progress, and there’s going to be something that actually happens now.”

Gonzalez said he thinks the reason the resolution didn’t pass unanimously is that some senators believe the scholarship will be detrimental. He said this is because the former housing scholarship resolution proposed pulling from the SGA budget.

“We formed it this way, so it’s not taking anything away from SGA. Rather, it’s just giving to the student body,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a donation-based scholarship, so we’re hoping for donations from alumni and local businesses, which we can give to students.”

McGowen said the resolution was well-written when initially proposed and that Gonzalez did a great job ensuring the resolution had content that would benefit students in need.

The SGA president said she hopes the scholarship committee will help the SGA find a solution for students struggling to pay for housing. This issue has become prominent over the past year, so she is glad SGA is making progress toward helping these students.

Chauncy Betts, a sophomore strategic communications major from McGee, Arkansas, is one of the senators who helped create this resolution.

Betts said he helped Gonzalez with the resolution’s grammar and content. He said they thought a lot about how future senators would react to the resolution, and he is happy it was passed.

“We have all worked on it for a long time, but especially Louis, he’s very passionate about SGA and this scholarship resolution,” Betts said. “College can be costly, and many students now tend to continue to live on campus. So, this resolution will help decrease the amount the students will have to pay.”

LISTEN: Students have a new food delivery service option this semester: Kiwibots.

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Audio and story by Jerry Don Burton

The cube-shaped robots on wheels autonomously deliver from Godfather’s Pizza, Einstein Bros Bagels and Freshens to over 60 locations on campus. The Kiwibots also deliver food from virtual dining services including Mr. Beast Burger and AQ BBQ.

Richard Matthews, Sodexo interim general manager, said Arkansas State University is the first college in Arkansas to use the Kiwibot service.

“This was the technology that Sodexo suggested that might benefit the campus,” Matthews said. “We want to make sure this is something that is not only utilized but something that you guys want here.”

Around 300 Kiwibot deliveries have been completed since the semester began. Matthews said A-State’s current fleet of 15 Kiwibots could comfortably handle 500 to 700 deliveries every day.

Luke Caldwell, a senior history major from Conway, Arkansas, used the Kiwibot service during the first week of school.

“I heard about it, I downloaded the app and I gave it a shot,” Caldwell said. “It was fairly user friendly.”

Orders are placed using the Everyday app. From the app, users can select a delivery location, arrange a time for pickup and choose a payment method. The Everyday app accepts payment via Flex dollars.

Caldwell said his order was cheaper than he anticipated. He said his order cost the same as it would if he had ordered in person because there was no delivery fee.

Justin Lewandowski, retail operations manager for Sodexo, said Sodexo uses Everyday as their food hub app. Kiwibots cannot deliver food from Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks because they partner with Grub Hub, a competitor food delivery app.

Caldwell said his experience ordering with Kiwibot was pleasant overall, but the wait time was slower than expected.

“I think the estimated time was 15 or 20 minutes. An hour and a half later, it had not even left the Union yet,” Caldwell said.

Matthews said Kiwibots may encounter issues in very cloudy conditions or when the network is busy or slow. He said they ordered network boosters to increase the effectiveness of Kiwibots in areas that may see disruptions.

Caldwell said he submitted a support ticket concerning his delayed order. He said a Kiwibot customer employee messaged him apologizing for the wait and offered free orders as compensation.

He said when he received his order, the Kiwibot stopped at a designated location outside his dorm at North Park Quads. Caldwell said he scanned a QR code on the Kiwibot to open the chassis and retrieve his food.

Caldwell said he will keep using the Kiwibot service, but would like to see more accurate wait times in the app.

According to Kiwibot’s website, the bots can detect people, cars, and other bots. Kiwibots utilize GPS, artificial intelligence, cameras and sensors to travel autonomously, plan routes and avoid obstructions.

Matthews said Kiwi Campus, the company that owns the Kiwibot service, sent an employee to A-State for two weeks over the summer to help create routes for the Kiwibots. He said they utilized geo-mapping to plot out optimal pickup locations and delivery routes.

Sodexo employees underwent training over the summer to learn how to use the Kiwibots. Matthews said there are also two Kiwi Campus employees stationed at A-State.

“Each employee has been trained on how to load it, how to accept the orders, how to open the bot and load the food in,” Matthews said.

Lewandowski said employees use a tablet to accept orders and open the Kiwibot. Employees then load the order, close the bot and the rest of the process is hands-off.

Matthews said Sodexo is looking to promote the Kiwibots across campus. He said he wants to raise awareness by having the Kiwibots participate in events like football games and hosting giveaways.

“We are going to make things fun with Kiwi. This October, coming up, you should start seeing more,” Matthews said. “We are going to have you guys name the robots so instead of them having a number they would have a name and they can respond to their name.”

Lewandowski said they run their ideas and plans through Kiwi Campus. He said the two Kiwi Campus employees at A-State also help with planning.

Lewandowski said he wants Kiwibot to become another member of the A-State community.

“We really want it to be a part of this campus where it is a reliable resource for the students,” Lewandowski said. “This is a partnership with Kiwi that we want to see grow and expand in the future.”

Walmart donates to food pantry on ASU campus

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The ASU food pantry and Walmart team up to provide more to campus community

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Dec. 1, 2023

By Avery Jones | Editor

Recently, the Jonesboro Walmart on Highland has been donating to the food pantry on the Arkansas State University Jonesboro campus. The partnership was arranged by Every Child Is Ours, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Tuckerman.

Use of the food pantry is available to anyone with an ASU ID–student, faculty, or otherwise. With the large number of people in need, it can be difficult to keep up with demand, according to Jameson Archer, an ASU student and the president of the volunteer council.

Every year, the food pantry serves 3,000 to 4,000 students and employees. In July of last year, they served 700 people. Usually during summer break, that number would be around 200 since most students are off-campus at that time, so the demand has seemingly increased.

“There are a lot of times where they’re really having to strap to get people food,” said Dean MacDonald, a graduate student at ASU who also works with Every Child Is Ours.

Volunteers Kennadie Hobson and Ericka Hernandez at the food pantry.

Over the summer of this year, they started developing the idea of Walmart donating to the food pantry. The pantry was in need of volunteers since most students had left for the summer. Raven Person, who works in Student Affairs, started volunteering there.

According to Person, she and Bekah Herring, the assistant director of Career Development who also manages the food pantry, started discussing the need for donations. Herring said that almost all of the pantry’s resources come from individual donations.

Both MacDonald and Person personally know Jan Paschal, the owner of Every Child Is Ours. Along with another student, a history major named Alandria Maddox, they set up a meeting with her on June 2 at the ECIO food pantry to discuss what they could do for the community.

Maddox works as an ambassador for Every Child Is Ours. She brings awareness to the cause and helps Paschal whenever she’s needed. She’s been working with them since May when she was introduced to Paschal by Person.

According to Maddox, Person came up with the idea that Walmart might donate to the food pantry on campus. Paschal had collaborated with Walmart before on other projects, and Walmart also often donates to similar causes.

“A lot of hard work was done by Dr. Hogue, Dean, Raven, and Mrs. Jan,” Maddox said.

Paschal said at the meeting that Walmart wanted to donate to ECIO, but it would be better if the donations went to ASU instead. Paschal contacted an executive at Walmart, Carolyn Hembrey, to set it up. 

Hembrey said that she has worked with Paschal many times. She approved the new project and helped to coordinate times for when the volunteers come to pick up the donations.

“I just did not realize that there was a need. I guess we just assume if they’re going to college, they must have the funds to eat, and I was just like floored at the need that there was…” Hembrey said. “I’ve really been encouraged by the participation from the volunteers and just the excitement that they’ve had about the project also.”

The donations occur once weekly. They consist of canned items and other preserved food but also fresh food, such as vegetables, fruit, meat, and dairy. These donations offer a bigger variety than what the food pantry is usually able to provide.

“It’s widened our variety,” said Archer. “It’s always nice because we’re serving so many people, it just gives us something else that we don’t have to personally buy.”

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Avery Jones

Avery Jones is a junior 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 shows volunteers at the food pantry.

Public housing residents shelter in place as extreme weather pounds the region

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College students enjoy the extended break

By William Blake | Delta Digital News Service

The first round of extreme weather hit Craighead County in earlier this month. The combination of ice and snow on the ground was enough to shut down the roads and other parts of the city.

   Even though extreme weather is a disturbance, people must be prepared to be shelter inside their home for a few days if they cannot drive. Carol Crawford, public housing manager for the Jonesboro Housing Authority said, “I try to get all my work done in case the weather is so bad in case we can’t come in.”  

    As a public housing manager, Crawford works with tenants and other staff to keep everything running smoothly. However, it can be hard to keep people happy when they go without power or food due to storms. 

   Crawford said, “[there are] many places that offer Hud housing in Jonesboro which have their own Hud contracts, which is where they may have a food pantry on site.”

   While some public housing may have food on site, the organization lacks the funds to supply resources like a generator or transportation to those without power who cannot leave their homes for work. This can be different from other housing options in the Jonesboro area.

   Callie Tosh works as an intern veterinarian and is a resident of Sage Meadows, a neighborhood on the east side of Jonesboro. Neighborhoods can be the worst place after a snowstorm because trucks do not come to salt the roads, which extends the melt time for ice.

   “It was so bad that I didn’t leave my house until Saturday. I didn’t trust my car to start or to make it down the driveway,” Tosh said. 

“It was so bad that I didn’t leave my house until Saturday. I didn’t trust my car to start or to make it down the driveway,” Tosh said. 

– Callie Tosh, intern veterinarian

   The extreme weather did not hit Jonesboro as hard as it hit other cities in the area. In Memphis, thousands of people lost power due to the freezing rain and ice knocking down power lines. 

   Tosh said, “Luckily we did not lose any power, but I was worried about running out of food.” 

   People first think about food when they hear a storm is coming. People flock to grocery stores and gas stations to buy anything and everything they might need. Since some public housing have a food pantry on-site, was this the best place to be during the snow?

   Jared Baltz, a junior animal science major at Arkansas State University, lives on campus in the North Park Quads. He could not leave campus due to the snow, but at the same time he enjoyed it.

   “The food options were still open, and I was able to go to the Union to get food. We also did not lose power which made it a lot more comfortable,” Baltz said. 

Essentially, everyone in the city got an extended weekend and an excuse to stay inside.

   Neither public housing, the Sage Meadows neighborhood, nor campus dorms had wide area power outages from the storms.

NOTE: Featured Photo: The North Park Quads on University Loop East is inundated with snow earlier this month. The dorms are comprised of five co-ed buildings which are home to first-year and upper-class students.

Pedestrian bike path nears finish line

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By Chloe Short/Aspiring Reporter
Delta Digital News Service

The city comes close to finished plans for the bike path project. Residents will witness construction soon, bringing bike lanes and bridges to connect all the city. The bike pedestrian trail will make one large circle around Jonesboro to allow all areas within the city to experience different ways of traveling.

Danny Kapales, director of Parks and Recreation in Jonesboro, said plans for the bike path are close to finishing. Currently, the design and property acquisition requires completion, then plans move forward to starting construction. Kapales said the project needs scouted property for purchase and further design touches.

“We’re hoping to be starting by the end of this year with the construction or at least by the following year with construction. We should be done with at least land acquisition and design by the end of this year,”  Kapales said.

Final decisions made to design arrangements will then allow progress to finding the construction company. Kapales said when the project releases, construction companies will place bids and once finalized, the project will move to construction.

Earlier in planning, the project awaited clearance for grants to work the University Heights phase, which gives access to open the east side of Jonesboro and will allow safe travel along Aggie Road. Updates revealed the plans received clearance, Kapales said.

Bill Campbell, director of communications for Jonesboro, said the bike path proposal sits at 90% completion. The parks and recreation, engineering, and grants department received the grant money of $500,000 from the Arkansas Department of Transportation and the Transportation Alternatives Program needed to proceed with construction and to continue the bike path phases.

The project plans continued for almost two years after being released to the public. Campbell said after speaking to city Director of Engineering Craig Light, he found money as the hold up in the schedule.

“The project was slowed originally as we looked for additional funding to complete the first phase of construction.  This was ultimately obtained through a second TAP Grant from ARDOT. We just recently received a third TAP Grant from ARDOT to build the final piece of this project which will tie the trail to the A-State campus at the Marion Berry Parkway. We have opted to combine these two project phases into one single project for construction. This decision was made based on a couple of factors, the primary one being that the right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation pieces of the project are expected to take most of the year to complete anyway,” Light said.

New construction brings uncertainty to wildlife in the area, especially if tampered with. Campbell assured that with planning, The parks and recreation, engineering, and grants department must perform environmental studies anytime working with untampered land. Kapales said the bike roads will follow along roads already made, so they do not see any wildlife being interfered with.

Charles Fox, of Gearhead Cycle House, said the community will benefit from the new bike path. Fox said cycling creates a natural high that comes from physical activity, whether the activity runs light or heavy. Active lifestyles can be more conducive to happy living and overall wellness, he said.

“I feel as if it will offer people an opportunity to get out and exercise on their bicycles in a way that they might not have current access to. For a lot of people riding on the streets with automobiles isn’t the most comfortable activity and safer bike paths should give people an entry into the world of cycling,” Fox said.

https://www.jonesboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/4321/BikePedestrian-Plan?bidId=

International Agreement Concerns A-State Faculty

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By Jessica Ladd
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — A recent dual-program degree agreement between Arkansas State University and the American University of Malta sparked concerns amongst A-State faculty. A gap in communication could be to blame.

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Agreement Signing-  Photo of A-State and AUM agreement signing in Malta. (from left) A-State Chancellor Kelly Damphousse, AUM President Dr. Walker and Malta’s Education and Employment Minister Evarist Bartolo. (photo from AUM’s Facebook page)

AUM, a private liberal arts college in Cospicua, Malta, signed an agreement with A-State in March 2019.  The agreement would allow students from A-State to attend AUM their sophomore and junior years, with their freshman and senior years being on the A-State campus. AUM students can take online classes through A-State for their first six semesters. Their senior year, students can attend classes on A-State’s campus full-time. Students would receive a degree from both universities.

Loretta Neal McGregor teaches psychology at A-State. She also serves as president of the Faculty Senate. McGregor said a breakdown in communication occurred and the issue of the Malta agreement didn’t come before the Senate until after it was signed.

“When the Chancellor came to the Faculty Senate, he said that he had talked to some of the deans from various colleges and department chairs from various colleges. But, the Faculty Senate is the governing body for the entire faculty. So, it was almost like there was a bypassing of the Faculty Senate to include deans and chairs. Then it was stated that since the deans and chairs are part of the faculty, their voice was representative,” McGregor said.

She said A-State considers itself a shared governance. The administration should work with the Senate to help make sure the university has policies that are beneficial to students and faculty members, and to help the university run smoothly.

McGregor said the university struggled with communication over the years. It’s important to have clear lines of communication because the faculty are the ones there day in and day out.  She said most of the faculty concerns center around the curriculum and courses students will be engaged in.

When asked why the Malta agreement wasn’t brought before the Faculty Senate beforehand, A-State Chancellor Kelly Damphousse said the Faculty Senate doesn’t have the authority to approve these agreements. The authority resides in the faculty. The administration took the issue to the faculty and they approved it.

The potential communication breakdown occurred as the administration spoke with chairs and deans, who weren’t elected to represent the whole faculty. The communication gap might not have been as big of an issue if AUM didn’t have a questionable history.

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AUM– Photo of the American University of Malta. (photo from AUM Facebook page)

AUM, a relatively newer university, opened in September 2017. The central Mediterranean institution managed to gather tons of publicity in its short operation. The Sadeen Group, a Jordanian construction and property development company, owns AUM. The company’s only background in education comes from its for-profit schools in Jordan. Their main developments include travel, tourism and hotels. In Malta, citizens protested the development of the university.  The two pieces of land granted to Sadeen for the development were considered valuable public property. Once the college opened, more odd events occurred.

Erik Gilbert, a history professor at A-State, said he was shocked after he conducted a quick Google search regarding AUM. He sent an email with a list of sources to all A-State faculty explaining what he found.

“There seem to be so many red flags there. They got fined for misrepresenting who they were, they seem to have mispresented their relationship with DePaul (university) and had to have that explicated. They fired all their faculty one semester into their operation and then rehired a bunch suggesting that maybe they still needed faculty, but they wanted different faculty, perhaps, cheaper faculty,” Gilbert said.

Seventeen students attended in fall 2017, a lower number than expected.  AUM fired 12 of its 13 professors in January 2018 after offering them three-year contracts. Maltese law legally allowed the firings.  At the end of their six-month probationary period, the faculty received notification of their termination. AUM claimed the firings were due to the low enrollment. AUM hired six new professors. They currently have seven faculty members including the provost.

Despite the controversy sounding AUM, Damphousse said he still sticks by his decision. He knows there is concern regarding faculty terminations there. He said, unfortunately, that happens when a university faces financial difficulty. It happens in America as well. Damphousse said he doesn’t have any concerns regarding the firings.

A lot of work goes into an agreement like this. Damphousse, Global Engagement and Outreach director Thilla Sivakumaran and Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications Bill Smith traveled to Malta to negotiate the agreement. Damphousse said he remains confident in A-State’s short-term study-abroad opportunities in Malta.

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Damphousse In Malta– A-State Chancellor at the agreement signing in Malta. (photo from AUM Facebook)

“I went there and visited the place. I met with the faculty who are there. I taught a class while I was there. I met with students who are there. So, I’m very comfortable with our decision to be partnering with AUM,” Damphousse said.

He said A-State is always looking for ways to make itself distinctive. Malta, a country rich in history, brings in students from across the globe. Most of the professors come from America and all classes are taught in English. Damphousse also said Malta can be a great European location for A-State faculty members to plan short-term study abroad and research opportunities. ASU prides itself on being diverse. This agreement would help expand that diversity. ASU has similar agreements with other universities, and they’ve been successful as well as beneficial. He also said A-State did not invest any money into the actual agreement. According to The Sun, travel expenses to and from Malta totaled $7,000.

As for the confusion among faculty regarding the agreement, Damphousse said currently a plan is in motion to keep it from happening again. The provost has been working with A-State’s international program to develop a process to ensure the faculty all have a say in determining when the university gets involved in relationships like the one with Malta. The new policy should be completed shortly.

Audit Leads to A-State Procedural Changes

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by Melissa Palumbo
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — Recruiting T-shirts led to a change in procedures at Arkansas State.

An Oct. 11, 2018 complaint to A-State Internal Audit concerned a large order of T-shirts placed by the Office of Recruitment.

An administrative specialist entered the requisition for the shirts to Procurement Services in July. The order, consisting of 4,000 grey “visit” T-shirts for $8,800 and 1,800 red “Pack Preview” T-shirts for $26,700, totaled over $35,000. The order was miscoded as being under $20,000.

The shirts were nonrefundable due to the different patterns and colors applied.

University regulations and Arkansas law require orders above $20,000 to be bid out to vendors in the community and to receive at least three competitive bids. However, the university only obtained one bid from Running Threads, a vendor that previously worked with the university.

Initially, contact was made with both unlicensed and out-of-state vendors, which goes against university regulations.

Special Events Coordinator Teresa Dunton, a member of recruitment, had no comment.

The purpose for bids from at least three local vendors for larger orders is to allow Jonesboro businesses the opportunity to work with the university, make money and get recognition if they do good work. Choosing to only allow one, previously commissioned vendor obtain the bid took away the chance for local businesses to grow.

The vendor asked Procurement Services if the order should be split into two separate orders. This did not meet regulations as all 5,800 T-shirts were ordered at the same time for the same purpose.

Procurement Services replied, “Two separate invoices please.”

Running Threads received about $9,000 as part of the payment for the approved T-shirts before the order was caught.

The orders were approved by Dunton and Polly Marshall, director of Admissions and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment. Katie Davis, the purchasing technician for requisition and budget, stamped the orders as approved at 2:48 p.m. on Sept. 12. Davis had no comment on the approval.

Even though the orders were separated, the order containing the red “Pack Preview” T-shirts exceeded the $20,000 limit and should not have been approved at this level.

The Purchasing Technician for Requisition and Budget incorrectly wrote in red ink that both orders were under $20,000.

Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Len Frey (photo by Melissa Palumbo)

Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Len Frey said the two levels of approval failed to recognize the error potentially due to employee unfamiliarity with the policies and procedures.

Every year, recruitment orders T-shirts to be distributed during events in the fall and spring semesters. This academic year, more shirts than usual were ordered to give to potential incoming freshmen in the newly finished Welcome Center.

Because of the events that launched this audit, restructuring and other changes have taken place in the Procurement Services.

“We have been working on a number of changes in the procurement area,” Frey said. “As a result of this, there have been corrective actions taking place.”

While training for personnel in the Procurement Services previously stopped, Frey said it should not have been a reason for the mistake to have happened. However, as part of the restructuring, training will be “beefed up” not only for Procurement Services, but also in other departments including Human Resources, Information Technology and security.

At the time of the order being processed, Procurement Director Lola Langley did not report to a higher level in the organization. This caused communication challenges. As a result, the procurement office immediately had Carol Barnhill, director of contract administration and strategic sourcing, begin reporting directly to Frey.

Barnhill identified the mistake that launched the audit in October, after which Frey promoted her to the first Chief Procurement Officer to identify any potential concerns in the future. Barnhill assumed the position after an announcement made Feb. 28. In addition to her responsibilities in the procurement office, she will also oversee Contract Administration and Strategic Sourcing.

Additional changes will be made to the administrative staff and leadership, and the new staff will report directly to Russ Hannah, associate vice chancellor for business and finance.

On March 13, Chancellor Kelly Damphousse announced a new 16-member Strategic Plan Steering Committee. The committee consists of members who have been working in their position for some time, like Hannah and current Provost Lynita Cooksey, as well as newly appointed individuals such as the new Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Bryan Terry.

“Something like this should not happen again,” Frey said. “Something like this should not have happened in the first place.”

Bill Clinton Speaks at A-State

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President Bill Clinton

by Chase Gage
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Former President Bill Clinton spoke to a near-capacity crowd at the Fowler Center Monday night. The man from Hope delivered a speech about hope for the future.

At a time when America is arguably more politically divided than ever, Clinton urged listeners to love one another like human beings, not opposition. He drove home the message of treating people like people and getting rid of resentment and anger towards others.

Arkansas State University Chancellor Kelly Damphousse introduced the 42nd president to approximately 950 people.

“If you live in resentment and anger, it disempowers you. You want to be empowered,” Clinton said. “You have to open your heart and ears before you can open new doors. You’ll waste a lot of your life living in resentment and anger.”

Clinton, founder of the Clinton Foundation, said the current political discourse does not lay the foundation for citizens to have the types of conversations they need to be having. Instead of discussing economic inequality and how to fix it, or the emergence of artificial intelligence (an advancement that may kill more jobs than it creates), people are more worried about tearing each other down.

He proposed Americans should be more concerned about their grandchildren’s future instead of winning the next fight on a television talk show. People in disagreement are still people, and sometimes that is forgotten.

Bryant Moy, a graduate political science student at Washington University in St. Louis, said before the event that he hoped to hear the former president speak on civil discourse in the United States. He got his wish.

“He talked about trying to treat people as people. You can still have these deeply held, strong beliefs and resentment, but you have to cooperate with one another. I loved it. It was exactly what I wanted,” Moy said after the event.

Kaylee Bauman, a medical student at New York Institute of Technology from Michigan, said the speech was refreshing.

“(Clinton) talked about bringing everyone together, and then seeing all the different types of people in the room, it was great. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I thought his overall message was something that could apply to everyone in the room. I found it fascinating,” Bauman said.

President Bill Clinton

President Bill Clinton spoke for about an hour Feb. 11 to more than 900 people in Riceland Hall at Arkansas State University as part of the “Riceland Distinguished Presentation Series.” The 42nd U.S. President previously spoke at A-State on three different occasions. (Photos by Ammar Taqi)

Monday night was not the first time Clinton spoke in Jonesboro. He recounted the story of when he spoke at the Arkansas State University Commencement ceremony in the late 1970s while he was Attorney General of the state. Due to rainy conditions, the ceremony was moved into the field house, where Clinton cut his speech off after only six minutes due to the hot, humid conditions. He most recently visited the university during the 2014 election cycle while campaigning on behalf of Mike Ross for the Arkansas gubernatorial election. He also dedicated the Dean B. Ellis Library in 1995 while in office as president.

Clinton told many stories that showcased examples of people treating others with love and respect. One such story involved fellow former president, George W. Bush and how the duo was able to put partisanship aside to work on creating a better world for the American people. Another story told of how Clinton’s grandfather would give food to those in need. The differences between the two examples demonstrated how respect for others can work on any level, in any situation.

“If you want America to lead the world to a better and more peaceful place, we have to think about empowering people, not putting them down,” Clinton said. “This is not a (partisan) issue. This is not a racial issue. This is a challenge.”

His message of a hopeful tomorrow rang throughout the hour-long speech. The future is up for grabs, for whoever wants to take it.

“We all have our resentments and regrets, but all we really have is tomorrow. You only become old when the weight of all your yesterdays outweigh your hope for tomorrow,” Clinton said. “There will never be a time free of problems. We have possibilities, but you have to face them and the problems they present not with resentment, but with an open hand, a listening ear and a loving heart.”

Listen to the full speech, courtesy of KASU’s Johnathan Reaves:

A-State Women’s Bowling Opens Season

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Taylor Davis approaches the bowling lane.

Taylor Davis approaches the lane during the 2017 season. The team begins its 2018 season in late October. (photo by Taylor Davis)

by Caleb Booker
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – The Arkansas State women’s bowling team begins its 2018-19 season with a lot of fresh faces.

Five freshmen join two transfers and three returnees this season. Even though the team lost five seniors last season, members remain optimistic for the upcoming season.

“We’ll be just as successful as previous years because we still believe in the process with everything we’re doing and are working as one unit,” said sophomore Leah Glazer of Henderson, Nevada. “I can see this season potentially being one of the most successful seasons the program has seen.”

2018 Junior Gold Champion Julia Huren of Westland, Michigan, noted the team is younger, but said she believes it will still have success.

“There has been a lot of excitement for the opening tournament in October,” Huren said. “The team should be successful. I think a very big key to success is being on the same page, as in having common goals in mind and being a well-rounded team player.”

The players aren’t the only ones excited about the season. Entering his 10th season as head coach of the team, Justin Kostick shared his thoughts about the direction the team is taking this season.

“This year is an exciting year. With only three returners and seven newcomers, it is going to be interesting to see how the team gels together,” he said. “I think we can have the same success or even better.”

The season begins Oct. 26-28 in Fairview Heights, Illinois at the Bearcat Hammer Open tournament. The Red Wolves finished in fifth place in the 2017 Bearcat Hammer Open with nine wins and four losses.

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Editor’s Note: Featured photo by Gord Webster [CC BY-SA 2.0]

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