- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to share Moroccan adventures with community, honor Miguel Lopez

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 15:41:14 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a community event on Friday, Nov. 8, recounting the adventures of 17 students who competed at the International Model Arab League conference in Morocco in October.�� The community event, free and open to the public, will take place from 5-8 p.m. at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock.�� The Model Arab League is a student leadership development program created by the. It is a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which represents 22 countries. From Oct. 17-26, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students served as representatives of Sudan, Kuwait, Oman, Tunisia, and Morocco in the conference simulation, followed by a cultural immersion in Morocco. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Public Affairs will present the inaugural ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Model Arab League Alumni Excellence Award to Miguel Lopez, Hispanic resource officer for First Community Bank. Lopez graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in political science, graduate certificate in nonprofit management, and master’s degree in public administration. As an active member in the community, Lopez serves on the boards of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Board, Just Communities of Arkansas, Harmony Health Clinic, Museum of Discovery, and Goodwill of Arkansas Education Initiatives. “Miguel Lopez is an outstanding ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alum who attended our first trip to the International Model Arab League in Morocco in 2016,” Glazier said. “Since then, Miguel has become an active community leader. We hope that hearing about his journey will serve as an inspiration to students who hope to become leaders like him.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students ride camels while camping in the Moroccan desert. Photo by Larry Rhodes.

The event will also feature a silent auction with items brought back from Morocco, including hand-crafted rugs, jewelry, tea glasses, pottery, and scarves. Framed photographs from Morocco taken by Larry Rhodes, learning technology coordinator in the College of Social Sciences and Communication, will also be available for sale. All funds raised from the silent auction will go to the creation of a new scholarship fund to help students who have participated in Model Arab League simulations study abroad. First Community Bank has generously donated $2,500 toward the new scholarship. In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students visit the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, the largest mosque in Africa. Photo by Larry Rhodes.

Little Rock community members discuss race, ethnicity, and popular culture

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 14:32:37 +0000

When Jimmy Cunningham Jr. once visited Hawaii, a group of Hawaiian children surprised him with their ideas on how black people act.�� “Native Hawaiian children, who had seen popular videos on television and social media, told me what it meant to be black,” Cunningham told an audience of more than 70 people at the Racial Attitudes Conference April 17 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “They said, ‘You got to have attitude; you have to be angry; and you have to be able to tear something up,’” Cunningham said. “I asked the kids, ‘Have you ever seen Oprah tear anything up?’ They said, ‘Well, she doesn’t count.’” Cunningham, executive director of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Alliance, described the encounter during a community panel about the survey results that focused on attitudes toward race, ethnicity, and popular culture in Little Rock. According to the survey results, a majority of blacks and half of whites say the way blacks are portrayed in television and movies hurts day-to-day public perceptions about racial and ethnic stereotypes. This encounter, Cunningham argued, is proof that the way blacks are portrayed in popular culture influences how black people are perceived by others. “When you talk about media portrayals, the representation of what it means to be black is impacted profoundly by people who only see what comes across in popular media,” he said. “This was a very eye-opening experience.” During the survey, the Survey Research Center in the School of Public Affairs interviewed more than 400 white and 400 black people in Little Rock by telephone along with 115 Hispanic respondents. This year’s survey covers a wide range of themes related to popular culture including social relationships, social media, television news, media representations of race and ethnicity, music, residence, and sport protests. “The survey reveals the very different ways in which Hispanics, blacks, and whites consume and relate to popular culture, as well as demonstrating some common understandings and similarities,” said Dr. John Kirk, director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity. “Notably, and strikingly, for example, there seems to be a good understanding of and significant support for the NFL ‘take a knee’ protests across racial and ethnic lines.” In the race, ethnicity, sport, and protest section of the survey, a majority of blacks, Hispanics, and whites believe that the football players’ protests are trying to call attention to racism and unfair police tactics and are not trying to disrespect the military or veterans. A majority of all three groups also think that a professional athlete or team who protests an issue by not standing for the national anthem is demonstrating the freedom the anthem represents. Another section of the survey the panel discussed was the results on race, ethnicity, and music. Panel member Stephen Koch, writer/host of “Arkansongs,” a weekly radio program examining and celebrating Arkansas music and musicians, was disappointed with the results that showed people in Little Rock often listened to music along ethnic lines. “We’ve always been told music is a place where our ethnicities don’t matter,” Koch said. “If we are supposed to be sharing culture, we should be sharing our music. Maybe thinking music is a place we can come together is another fallacy.” The survey results found that whites listen to rock, country, and rhythm and blues music often or sometimes, while blacks listen to gospel, religious music, jazz, rap, and hip hop. Hispanics, meanwhile, listened to gospel, religious music, and salsa or Spanish rock often or sometimes. “Who are these white people who aren’t listening to jazz, and I know everybody is listening to hip hop!” Koch said. “We can still come together, but we need to start listening to each other’s music.” Miguel Lopez, Hispanic resource officer for First Community Bank, identified music as one of the avenues that can bring divided communities together. “We tend to say Little Rock is a very divided city, but where we’re not divided is how we interact,” Lopez said. “It’s music or food or sports that can bring us together. We have those avenues where people can come together and realize that we have a lot more in common than we are different. I think the best way to combat racism and bigotry is to interact together.” He was also interested in the survey results that showed Hispanics were the most likely of the three ethnic groups to use social networking sites. “Most Hispanics in Little Rock are first-generation immigrants, so social media is a great avenue for us to stay in touch with loved ones,” Lopez said. “Hispanics are also very entrepreneurially minded, and social media is a great place to boost small businesses.” In a follow-up remark, panel member Kara Wilkins, communications and community engagement strategist, felt that social media offers black and Hispanic people a community space where they can connect. “These individuals see a space for themselves on social media that they may not see in their everyday lives,” Wilkins said. “Social media allows minority groups to discuss things among themselves. People feel like they have a community for themselves.” For more information on the Racial Attitudes Survey, contact the Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity at 501-569-8932 or race-ethnicity@ualr.edu. In the upper right photo, community members speak at a panel at the Racial Attitudes Conference April 17 in the Jack Stephens Center. The panelists include, from left to right, Stephen Koch, Miguel Lopez, Kara Wilkins, and Jimmy Cunningham Jr. Photo by Benjamin Krain.��

Racial Attitudes Conference to focus on race and ethnicity in popular culture

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 15:37:35 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host the 16th annual Racial Attitudes Conference on Wednesday, April 17, to explore attitudes toward race, ethnicity, and popular culture in Little Rock.�� The conference will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Legends Room in the Jack Stephens Center. This year’s survey covers a wide range of themes related to popular culture including social relationships, social media, television news, media representations of race and ethnicity, music, residence, and sport protests. “The survey reveals the very different ways in which Hispanics, blacks, and whites consume and relate to popular culture, as well as demonstrating some common understandings and similarities,” said Dr. John Kirk, director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity. “Notably, and strikingly, for example, there seems to be a good understanding of and significant support for the NFL ‘take a knee’ protests across racial and ethnic lines.” In the race, ethnicity, sport, and protest section of the survey, a majority of blacks, Hispanics, and whites believe that the football players’ protests are trying to call attention to racism and unfair police tactics and are not trying to disrespect the military or veterans. A majority of all three groups also think that a professional athlete or team who protests an issue by not standing for the national anthem is demonstrating the freedom the anthem represents. Some of the other results of the survey include:

��Whites are more likely than blacks and Hispanics to describe the place they live in as mostly upper income or mostly middle income.
��Blacks are the most likely to think the place where they live is worse than other places to live.
��Hispanics are the most likely to use social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter while blacks are the least likely.
��Whites are the least likely to see posts about race or race relations on social networking sites while blacks are the most likely.
��A majority of blacks and whites do not think it is ever acceptable for a white or black person to use the n-word.
��Hispanics are more likely to trust television news to report information fairly than whites and blacks.
��A majority of blacks and half of whites say the way blacks are portrayed in television and movies hurts day-to-day public perceptions about racial and ethnic stereotypes, while a majority of Hispanics say it helps or has no effect.

A panel of community leaders will discuss the results of the survey, including:

��Tanisha Joe-Conway, who has spent over 20 years developing, producing, and coordinating public affairs programming for the Arkansas Educational Television Network. ��
��Jimmy Cunningham Jr., a grant writer, voiceover artist, author, community program consultant, and executive director of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Alliance. Cunningham has been involved in programs focused on the social and cultural development of inner city youth and in research regarding African-American history in the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta area.
��Stephen Koch, an Arkansas Delta native and an award-winning journalist. He is the author of “Louis Jordan: Son of Arkansas, Father of R&B” and writer/host of “Arkansongs,” a weekly radio program examining and celebrating Arkansas music and musicians.
��Miguel Lopez, the Hispanic resource officer for First Community Bank. He serves on the boards of Just Communities of Arkansas, Harmony Health Clinic, Museum of Discovery, and Goodwill of Arkansas Education Initiatives.
��Kara Wilkins, a communications and community engagement strategist, with a background in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. She is the founder and president of K. Wilkins Consulting Group and previously served as the corporate communications specialist at Delta Dental of Arkansas.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information on the Racial Attitudes Survey, contact the Anderson Institute at 501-569-8932 or race-ethnicity@ualr.edu.

Nine new business leaders join ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni ��Board

Janea Snyder — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 19:12:37 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Alumni Association has announced officers and new members on its Board of Directors for 2019. New members are all ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni and include the following: Reteisha Byrd (’14, ’16), research manager with Boyette Strategic Advisors�� Byrd earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management and a Master of Public Administration. While completing her coursework, Byrd worked as a graduate assistant for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Pulaski County and interned at Little Rock Port Authority. She is an annual member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. Josh Davenport (’09), co-founder of Seal Energy Solutions Davenport received a Bachelor of Science in construction management and a Master of Business Administration. He serves the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce as vice chairman of the board of directors, volunteers as secretary of the Argenta Downtown Council, and is president of the Arkansas Association of Energy Engineers. Davenport is a three-year member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. Tonya Franzetti (’99), executive oncology sales consultant, Lilly Franzetti earned a biology degree from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and has had a 20-year career in healthcare. She served as an advisor for the Gamma Zeta chapter of Chi Omega at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and was instrumental in the planning and fundraising during their 50th anniversary celebration. She volunteered with the Junior League of Little Rock for eight years and chaired the Holiday House event in 2010. She has been active with Christ the King schools, the alumnae board at Mount St. Mary’s, and Our House. She is an annual member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. Heide Harrell (’10), director of marketing and business development, Rose Law Firm�� Harrell has a master’s degree in applied communication studies. She has the designation of Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and is a past president of the Arkansas Chapter of PRSA. Harrell is the immediate past chair of the Southwest District of PRSA and served on the 2018 PRSA National Board of Directors Nominating Committee. Previously, she spent eight years at Stone Ward and Mangan Holcomb Partners after five years at the former Delta Trust & Bank. She is a graduate of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Greater Little Rock program and is an annual member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. Madison Hedrick (’09), senior medical writer, Wilson Carroll Research Services, LLC Hedrick earned a Bachelor of Arts in professional and technical writing and a Master of Arts. While she was a student, she served as president of the University Program Council and Alpha Epsilon Delta honor society, was elected president pro-temp of the Student Government Association and membership chair for Delta Delta Delta; and represented the graduate students on the Faculty Diversity Committee. She is a lifetime member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. Patricia (Patsy) Kane (’01, ’12, ’17), Owner, PK Designs After earning a degree from Auburn University, Kane jump-started her career when she finished her second bachelor’s degree from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in political science. She made the transition to Verizon after working in a variety of roles at Alltel, while completing a graduate certificate and Master of Science in information quality. Kane is an active member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority at both the national and local levels and is a previous district president. She currently works at First Orion. Kane is a lifetime member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. Richard (Gus) Leeper (‘15), Hot Springs branch of the Private Client Group at Stephens Inc. Leeper graduated with a bachelor’s degree in management and international business. As a student, Leeper was a star basketball athlete, earning five varsity letters. He served as the team representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioners list. Leeper serves on the Lettermen’s Association Board and is a lifetime member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. Miguel Lopez (’15, ’17), Hispanic resource officer, First Community Bank A native of Sherwood, Lopez received his bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s degree in public administration, and a certification in nonprofit management. During his time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, he was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. After graduating, he became the first director of entrepreneurship and small business programming for the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, where he was instrumental in connecting the Mexican Consulate with the chamber to develop programs aimed at equipping Hispanic entrepreneurs. Lopez serves on the boards of Just Communities of Arkansas, Harmony Health Clinic, Goodwill of Arkansas Education Initiatives, and Museum of Discovery. He is a three-year member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. Nancy Rousseau (‘90), principal, Little Rock Central High School After teaching English at Pulaski Academy for a decade and another five years at Pulaski Heights Junior High School, Rousseau completed a master’s degree in educational administration from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She was then hired as assistant principal of Central High School. In 1998, she became principal of Pulaski Heights Junior High School where she led the school’s transition from a junior high to a middle school. She returned to Central High in 2002 as principal and has been a champion of the school and its students, faculty, and alumni, helping to create a Central High Alumni Association as well as a Tiger Foundation to support the school. Rousseau has served on the boards of The Arkansas Association of Secondary School Principals, Central Arkansas Library and the Stephens Education Trust. Rousseau is a lifetime member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. Officers of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors for 2019 include��Becky Blass, president; James Bobo, president elect and membership committee chair; Gina Pharis, membership committee co-chair; Nancy Secen, scholarship committee chair; Jennifer Owens, scholarship committee co-chair; Mauri Douglass, Taste of Little Rock chair; and Stephanie Caruthers, Taste of Little Rock co-chair. Members are eligible to serve up to two three-year terms, and officers serve one-year terms. The Board of Directors of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association serve as leaders for the university’s alumni family. They work to energize and engage ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni and friends through membership,�� events, and opportunities to give back to support students and scholarships. Pictured are above are new member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni ��Board of Directors. (Top Row) Heide Harrell, Gus Leeper, and Tonya Franzetti; (Middle Row) Reteisha Byrd, Patsy Kane, and Nancy Rousseau; (Bottom Row) Josh Davenport, Madison Hedrick, and Miguel Lopez

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to share Moroccan adventures with community, honor Miguel Lopez

Little Rock community members discuss race, ethnicity, and popular culture

Racial Attitudes Conference to focus on race and ethnicity in popular culture

Nine new business leaders join ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni ��Board

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to share Moroccan adventures with community, honor Miguel Lopez

Nine new business leaders join ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni ��Board