The Herald for March 11

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Informing the campus and community since 1921

ofacesA special edition dedicated to students and their acheivements

www.ASUHerald.comVol. 92, Issue 39 March 11, 2013

f ASU

What’s InsideKelsey..........................2Colea...........................3

Rosey...........................5Zach.............................4

Clinton........................6‘Q’...................................7Hunter..........................8

LINDSEY BLAKELYEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Behind the crownAfter Kelsey Dow won the title of Miss ASU, she went

onto an even bigger world of pageants. She captured the Miss Arkansas USA title and Fan Favorite in the Miss USA pageant. She tells her story of what it’s like behind the

crown.

Perfectly poised with a permanent smile displayed, she nervously holds her breath as she awaits the opening number alongside girls from almost every country in Arkansas.

Kelsey Dow, a junior at the time, carried a sash across her body reading “Craighead County” as she danced her way across a brightly lit stage in a sparkly dress.

It was her first time to ever compete in the Miss USA pageant system, and her very first time to compete for the title of Miss Arkansas USA.

Although Dow competed in the pageant expecting nothing but experience, her world began to change as the contestants were steadily weeded out and Dow remained.

“Winning wasn’t in the cards for me,” Dow said. “It was my first time there, I didn’t expect anything.”

Dow continued through the pageant until there were only five girls left. As each runner-up was handed flowers and plaques, Dow’s practiced smile became shock as she realized she was the last one remaining with no award yet.

“I think you could see the surprise on my face in the pictures of that night,” Dow said. “I came in thinking I had no chance, and I was crowned as Miss Arkansas USA at the end of it all.”

Flashback 18 years and Dow’s toddler years began as most beauty queens do: with dance.

At the age of three, Dow had already become a mini-master of tap, ballet and jazz dance; the latter of which she would use in several pageants, and win.

Although she had the potential for a successful, and early, beginning in the pageant world, Dow wouldn’t compete at a young age.

“I wanted to do pageants when I was little,” Dow said. “My mom always told me that they were ‘out of season.’”

Now, her family is her biggest group of fans, but it wasn’t always that way.

“They didn’t see the educational aspect at first,” Dow said. “It’s a lot of money and very time consuming. It wasn’t until they saw the philanthropy and giving back that was involved, that they actually started to support the idea.”

In fact, the Brookland native’s first pageant wasn’t until her ninth grade year at Nettleton High School.

Miss Raider, Dow’s first pageant ever, was open to high school girls at NHS.

While most beauty queens have a team composed of hair, makeup and pageant specialists, Dow only had someone to fix her hair.

“I had a hairstylist, that’s it,” Dow said, laughing at the past

memory. “Luckily, she had done other girls’ hair for pageants, so she showed me how to walk on stage. After that, I practiced almost every day at home.”

For the high school pageant, Dow said she prepared like crazy – especially for the onstage question portion.

It worked.Only a freshman in high school, and fresh to the

pageant world, Dow won the competition, beating even the experienced upperclassmen.

“It was my first pageant ever, and I won it,” Dow smiled. The Miss Raider Pageant was a precursor to the Miss

Northeast Arkansas competition, which she placed First Runner-Up; second place in the pageant world.

Astoundingly, Dow didn’t give up on her goal. The following year she returned to take the title, sash and crown.

Finally attaining her long-time goal of being a beauty pageant queen, Dow steadily competed, and won, several small town pageants – including the District Fair Queen.

As her college life began, and busy schedule grew, Dow continued to compete.

In only her first year at ASU, she was sponsored by her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, and competed in the Miss ASU Pageant, placing Second Runner-Up.

Not discouraged, she came back to the competition her sophomore year, this time sponsored by the Kappa Alpha Order.

Her personalized platform, “Texting and Driving: It can wait,” moved the judges and audience as she told the heartbreaking story of sorority sister Hillary Davidson.

Davidson’s father, Paul, was killed in a car accident where the other driver was texting and lost control of the vehicle.

Davidson rose to action, fighting for “Paul’s Law,” named for her father, which now regulates cellphone usage while driving in Arkansas.

While the personal and localized platform drew the audience in, it’s easy to say that her kick-ass jazz routine won the show (and the Overall Talent Award).

Leaving the crowd and judges thinking “Hot Gam,” Dow triumphed that year and took home the title of Miss ASU.

Miss ASU is a preliminary to the Miss Arkansas America pageant, which Dow left with not just one, but two, awards.

As a newcomer to the Miss Arkansas America pageant, Dow won the Alpha Award in the evening gown portion, meaning she was the best of the new pageant competitors. But, she also took home the overall evening gown award, meaning she beat out every girl in that category – both rookies and veterans.

After taking home two awards, but no title, Dow went on to compete in Miss Arkansas USA, which she won.

Although the beauty queen competed for both titles, the pageant systems are very different.

According to Dow, the America organization is focused on education, where contestants usually become doctors or lawyers.

However, the USA system is based more on opportunities involving modeling and acting.

Unfortunately, with a schedule packed with modeling,

acting and travel, Dow didn’t have many options when it came to college.

“I won in January, and I had to drop my classes before we started back,” Dow said. “I was going to constantly be on the go, and I knew I couldn’t help my scholarships if I stayed enrolled. So, I put them on hold.”

And “on-the-go” she was. For a year, Dow went across the country modeling, acting and making appearances at several events.

“My favorite part was going to all of the school and seeing the girls who thought we were princesses,” Dow said. “I had never been a role-model before, and I was one to these little girls.”

In the final months of her journey, Dow made her last pageant attempt in a long trip to Las Vegas.

Dow, along with several other contestants, was on more than one TV show during that period.

From “The Today Show” to “Live, with Regis and Kelly,” with several in between, Dow met quite a few famous characters.

But, at the end of the day, it was a competition, which is exactly what Dow prepared for.

In a whirlwind night, girls were slowly released and Dow remained. Finally, during the announcement of the Top 16 contestants, Dow was shocked once more, along with almost the rest of Arkansas.

To the surprise of almost everyone, Dow took home the Fan Favorite Award, meaning she had the most “fan” votes of every contestant.

“I really didn’t expect it at all,” Dow said. “In hindsight, I remember being really nervous and a body guard patted me on the back and said ‘you’ll be OK.’”

After the competition, Dow was approached by Miss USA representatives who told her that she won by a landslide. They wanted to know how she did it.

“In reality, it was all thanks to my mom and sister,” Dow said. “They put paper slips in Sonic bags and with movie theater tickets everywhere. It also helped that I was really involved with the Miss USA system, so I got to know a lot of people.”

Flash forward a year later and there is no sparkling trophy case in Dow’s room. In fact, there is no special display showcasing any awards from her over 20 titles.

Surprisingly, her pristine crowns and satin sashes sit in her attic, gathering dust in their original boxes.

“I’m not ‘Toddlers and Tiaras,’” Dow laughed. “I don’t have a pageant room.”

In the absence of a display, the quiet blonde’s personality is what actually shines through.

“Everyone thinks I’m really outgoing because I do pageants,” Dow said, who is now in her final year of obtaining a degree in communication disorders. “Actually, I’m really shy.

Even though she is done with her time competing in pageants, she said she enjoys another side of the life.

“I’m still involved with pageants,” Dow said. “Only instead of competing, I’m on the other side: Judging.”

Photos provided by Kelsey DowDow introduces herself on stage in Las Vegas at the Miss USA Pageant; later she comes on-stage in her evening gown wear, before winning the Fan Favorite Award.

TANYA GIRALDONEWS EDITOR

From tospunkyshy

How Colea Blann went from being a shy jock, to president of the Student Activities Board

Being SAB president is not just about choosing events and getting cool T-shirts. Nor is it something else to put on a resume. Being one of the head honchos of the Leadership Center is exactly what one might expect, being a leader.

For Colea Blann, a junior interdisci-plinary studies major of Little Rock, it was something more; it was about letting go of her extreme shyness.

Those who know Blann would never imagine this bubbly girl who goes a mile a minute and speaks to the entire student body of ASU on a daily basis could’ve ever had a quiet side.

“I was really shy growing up, which you would have never been able to tell now,” she said with a smile. “I was painfully shy, to the point where being with a group of people that I didn’t know made me anxious and sick to my stomach.”

As SAB president, Blann is expected to speak to over 6,000 people at the Order of the Pack as well as to over 1,000 people at basketball games, something that Blann would have never volunteered for in the past.

“It doesn’t phase me. I just don’t think anything of it. That’s something that I look at now and I think, ‘wow,’” Blann said. “The crazy thing is that I never would’ve thought, if you told me five years ago, that I would be SAB president or any of the leadership positions that I’ve had, I wouldn’t believe you. but there really has been a difference.”

In high school, Blann was used to being busy and staying involved. At Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Blann was part of the student council as well as juggling a variety of sports; basketball, cheer, track and cross-country.

“I knew I wasn’t going to play sports in college, so my first semester I said, ‘I’ve got to do something because I have too much time on my hands,’” Blann said. “Leadership became my ‘sport’. Whenever I do something, I do it 120 percent.”

While her friends decided to attend universities like the University of Arkansas and University of Central Arkansas, Blann decided to go to the same school her mother attended to get her master’s degree.

“When I came to orientation I saw all the leadership that was around me and they were just ordinary students that got involved,” she said. “At Camp ASTATE, the president of the time, Adrian Everett, comes to talk to you about how he got involved. I knew that I wasn’t playing sports and then I started thinking about what Everett said and how it had really impact-ed his life and I thought, that could be me one day.”

I didn’t think by any means that I would be where I am now, but I thought, ‘you know, I can do this. If he can do it, I can do it.’”

During her freshman year Blann applied to be a freshman student government senator, but with over 20 people applying for seven seats, she had to set herself apart from the rest.

“No body here knows who I am. I’m a freshman and I’ve got to do something in order to stand out or people won’t remem-ber me,” Blann said. “I could be shy, but if I don’t just suck up my pride and go out there and meet people, I’m not going to get votes. That was my starting point. If I can’t get votes then I can’t get on SGA.”

Blann had to fight against her inhibitions and introduce

herself to random people in order to get enough signatures to apply for the senate. Blann was part of the senate her fresh-man year and that pushed her to apply for SAB her sophomore year. She was appointed Traditions Director in which she was in charge of planning Homecoming and Springfest.

“It was way better than I could’ve expected. I got to work with so many students,” Blann said. “Homecoming week that year was just phenomenal. We had our largest student turnout that we have had in years. It was a lot more work than I expect-ed, but it was better than I could’ve expected.”

Her experience as Traditions Director encouraged her to pursue a higher position in SAB.

“I had already served my year as being the director and kind of thought that I had what it took to be the president,” she said. “I had worked with all the directors and seen what they did. I worked closely with the president last year and saw her responsibilities and how much work she had. I thought, ‘you know I can do this.’”

Once she stepped up to the plate as president, her worka-holic nature took over and helped her what was going to be a busy junior year. Blann’s schedule starts around 10 a.m. She goes to classes, and then spends time in the Leadership Office, conducting meetings and preparing events. Next, she goes to her second job at Zenspin Studios, a fitness boutique. After work she works out, eats dinner and goes to bed.

“I work all the time. When people usually see me, I’m walk-ing full pace, trying to get to the next place. It’s busy but I enjoy it,” Blann said. “It’s funny. Whenever I go to a social event or peo-ple see me out at dinner they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re out!’ I don’t live un-der a rock; I’m just really busy.”

For an ex-shy girl, Blann has jumped from not talking to anyone, to do-ing constant interviews, to speaking to organizations, the president of student affairs and even the chan-cellor. She has been an icon of leadership on campus to the point where organiza-tions within the communi-ty ask her to volunteer.

“This is really having a domino effect,” Blann said. “I’m confident in what I do, and I have self-assurance.”

As the semester inches closer to the end, Blann has been considering her next goal.

“People keep asking me if I’ll do SAB again and I’ve said no,” Blann said. “The

reason is because I’ve had two amazing years here and now it’s time to allow someone else to experience what I’ve experi-enced. The best gift is to share the gift.”

Blann wants to continue working in the Leadership Center, but wants to try a different branch or work with volunteering. She urges students to participate in the Leadership Center and for those who want to be in her position to step up to the plate.

“I really encourage students to get involved. Not just be-cause of getting to plan events, but there are a lot of things that you learn as a person,” Blann said. “For me, I found my passion and I found that my passion is serving people. People come to college to find their major, well I think it’s more important to come to college to find your passion. Your passion will take you further, than just finding your major.

Blann’s experiences on SAB helped shape her into the per-son she is today.

From a shy girl who wouldn’t be caught in a crowd full of strangers, to a young woman who speaks crowds of thousands, Blann has felt herself change and grow in ways she never ex-pected. Yet, her ultimate goal was to play a role in the memo-ries students will have about their ASU experience.

“At the end of the day if nothing I’ve done matters, if people don’t remember my name or my position, at least they had fun on campus,” she said.

Some students can claim their research at ASU helped them become a doctor or chemist, but Zach Marsh’s entitle-ment has an interest-ing twist. His lab work

with ABI will guide him with his Peace Corps work and has even aided in brewing homemade beer.

Marsh, a senior biology major of Hot springs, works with immortalized, hairy roots that are created when adding bacte-rium to plants.

After the conversion the roots are grown in a liquid medium.

“It never dies,” Marsh explained. “It continually grows.”

This constant growth allows for differ-ent experiments with the plants, which contain anti-cancer and anti-inflammato-ry properties.

“We’re trying to enhance these yields so we have a natural product that we can use to sell to the public that they can supple-ment their diet with,” he said.

Marsh received a summer internship at ABI after his sophomore year, along with a $2,500 stipend.

“My boss that I was working with of-fered for me to stay on with him,” Marsh said. “I’ve been working in that lab for two years.”

Amazingly, this work will tie in with Marsh’s plans to join the Peace Corps and work in developing countries.

“A lot of problems are agricultural is-sues,” he explained, adding that his scien-

tific background could help him increase nutritional value of food.

Like many students entering college, Marsh came to ASU with a direct career plan. Eventually, that idea evolved into something else.

“As long as I can remember I wanted to be a doctor,” he said. “It wasn’t until my ju-nior year that I decided that it was no lon-ger my dream to become a physician, and that I wanted to serve wherever I was in a different way.”

From there, Marsh decided to look into the Peace Corps to serve at a local level.

He is interested in helping with public health issues, and plans to obtain a mas-ter’s in public health with an emphasis in epidemiology.

With that degree, Marsh would be able to study the spread of disease. “I’d like to work in a developing country, maybe through the CDC,” he added.

Marsh will be entering the Peace Corps before going back to school for his mas-ter’s. In four to six weeks he will learn where his first assignment will be.

He hopes that he will travel to a Spanish speaking country but is comfortable with almost anywhere.

His commitment will include three months of training and then two years of serving.

The volunteer work will be nothing new for Marsh. During his four years in college he has been actively involved with Vol-unteer ASU and is the Alternative Spring Break Chair. This spring break Marsh will be traveling to Austin, Texas with 10 other

students to participate in volunteer activ-ities.

Behind the microscopes and philan-thropy, Marsh has discovered a new hobby with brewing beer.

“It’s kind of applying my biology to cooking, in a way,” he said.

He discovered the emerging trend on the Internet last summer and decided to give it a try. It started off as something fun to do in his free time but developed into more.

“It’s a good time for me and my dad to bond,” he said with a smile.

The beverage comes out tasting good, Marsh added. His “beer-snob” friends enjoy it and haven’t died from it yet. The process is also a cheap one, producing beer at around $1 per beer.

“You can make it as scientific as you want,” Marsh said of how he applies his bi-ology knowledge towards the process.

In addition to the beer, he has also started making mead after reading in-structions on Reddit, a popular Internet site. The procedure can be done indoors so Marsh is able to brew year-round.

“I knew there was something different about ASU,” Marsh said when explaining his education route.

The difference that he saw has led to incredible life opportunities with his lab work and prospects with the Peace Corps.

The soon-to-be graduate is a prime ex-ample of how despite spending years in a lab and volunteering, time can be found to kick back with a bottle of beer and enjoy the simple things in life.

Behind themicroscope

Beginning ASU as a hopeful physician, Zach Marsh now aims to use his research

experience with ABI to join the Peace Corps (and brew his own beer, too).

CAITLIN LAFARLETTEPHOTO EDITOR

Breaking the barrierOne international student’s story of overcoming language barriers and emersing

herself in leadership opportunities

ust picture it for a moment. You are realiz-ing the dream you’ve had since you were a child. You have to pinch yourself to make sure you’re awake because this is the mo-ment you’ve daydreamed about more than a dozen times. You are awake though, and it’s real.

That’s the feeling Rosey had when she realized she was standing on U.S. soil, about to start her de-gree at Arkansas State University.

My “Rosey” Nguyen is a normal college student. She studies hard. She makes lots of “to-do” lists. She enjoys spending time with her boyfriend. But Rosey goes beyond the responsibilities of a student at ASU.

“It brought tears to my eyes when she de-scribed how absolutely thrilled she was to realize her dream, and how she had to practically pinch herself when she was first here, as she was so over-whelmed with joy and so thankful for the opportu-nity to make her dream come true,” said Professor Heather Coleman, adjunct instructor of music. “I wish that all students would see their education as an opportunity and a gift like Rosey does.”

Rosey’s commitment to her studies didn’t start when she enrolled in classes at ASU; she was a hard worker before she entered high school.

As a 16-year-old, Rosey was accepted into The High School for Gifted Students, a prestigious high school in her hometown of Hanoi, Vietnam. After being accepted, Rosey was diligent to concentrate on her work so that she would receive a high GPA at graduation, and hopefully be accepted into a col-lege in the U.S.

During high school, one of Rosey’s teachers told her about ASU. She did some research on ASU’s website, clicking on activities and pictures, which convinced her that ASU was the school for her.

Rosey likens her excitement at arriving in the U.S. to a child receiving a gift.

“I just couldn’t believe that I was in America.

I was so excited. It’s kind of very awesome and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Right now I’ve been here for almost two years. Wow,” Rosey said. “You can imagine my feeling. It’s kind of like a child when they receive a gift. That child must be so excited, and I have the same feeling when I came to Amer-ica.”

Rosey has learned a lot about herself during her time at ASU. Although a lot of her time is spent studying for classes, she has found her niche. Rosey loves to volunteer.

During her time at ASU, Rosey has volunteered at 20 events with Volunteer ASU. She first heard about the program through ASU Digest. She checked for events daily, and signed up for as many events as she could. Rosey wanted to continue vol-unteering because she saw the benefits it had for international students.

Before becoming involved with Volunteer ASU, Rosey said she didn’t join in any activities at ASU. Through volunteering, she has improved her En-glish, made friends and bettered the community. She now has many friends and goes to ESL classes, encouraging other international students to volun-teer and telling them the advantages it has.

Rosey has impacted many lives. After speaking with an ESL class last semester, three students de-cided to volunteer. She also wrote an article for The Herald about volunteering and how it has changed her life. You can access the article on The Herald website.

“I think Rosey is influential because her per-sonality rubs off on others. Her joy is contagious and she challenges others in a good way. She shows great leadership at ASU through her constant ser-vice and involvement,” said Jodie Cherry, assistant director of the office of academic internships at the University of Memphis.

Professor Coleman taught Rosey in a Fine Arts Musical class in the Spring of 2012, and since that time they have become friends. Coleman said

Rosey has excellent leadership and time manage-ment skills, is organized, positive, undaunted by new challenges, caring and determined. She also said Rosey was “a delight to have in the classroom.”

“Rosey’s smile and her positive attitude are in-spiring, and I can easily see how her personality and her energy would influence students on this campus,” Coleman said. “She has a wonderful work ethic and is incredibly determined. She is one the most disciplined and devoted students I have ever observed on this campus.”

Rosey’s two role models are Jodie Cherry and Hillary Clinton.

Cherry was the coordinator of student affairs at ASU, and began the Volunteer ASU program. She worked closely with Rosey and knows her well.

“Rosey is an extremely hard worker. She doesn’t commit to things unless she can give them 100 per-cent. I loved working with Rosey because I knew she would get the job done and do it with a smile on her face,” Cherry said.

Rosey works as a math tutor for the learning support center at ASU. She is also the co-president of the ASU chapter of National Society of Colle-giate Scholars, Multicultural Center Ambassador, fundraising chair of Phi Beta Lambda ASU chapter and student engagement chair of Volunteer ASU Council.

She hopes to continue to make a difference at ASU by giving more students the opportunity to volunteer. She has applied for a position on the SAB, and if accepted, hopes to use that position to make a great impression on students.

“When I do anything I try my best; invest all my time, all my energy. I just try my best and if oth-er students see and think it’s good, then I’m glad,” Rosey said, smiling.

Rosey is just a sophomore accounting major, but has worked hard and accomplished a lot. She has made her dreams a reality and is an example to stu-dents everywhere.

PAIGE WALKERSTAFF WRITER

J

s a music major, you’re ex-pected to have a deep seed-ed knowledge of musical history and theory, be able to play multiple types of instruments frontwards, backwards and using only

your toes, and be able to identify a compos-er of a musical piece just by hearing it once; and no, Taylor Swift doesn’t count. But what if you appreciate and love music like any oth-er non-music major, and happen to be really great at what you do?

Clinton Curtis, a senior music education major of Trumann, is one of the many talent-ed students in the ASU music department. But although Curtis has accomplished much during his time at ASU, he hasn’t always been involved with the world of music.

“It’s kind of funny because when I was younger I would profess to people that I didn’t really like music at all, I didn’t listen to stuff, which is weird to say as a music person,” Cur-tis said.

Coming from a musical family it seemed only natural that Curtis would take up the mantle of a musician as well, and when the 6th grade came around Curtis began his ca-reer in music, wielding the alto saxophone as his chosen weapon.

“I didn’t play trumpet because I didn’t want to play the same thing my dad and my brother did,” he said. “I wasn’t really interested in the brass stuff, I didn’t have enough coordination for percussion and I certainly didn’t want to play the clarinet or flute as a 6th grader,” Cur-

tis said with a laugh.Curtis’ decision to come to ASU and

pursue a degree in music education partly spurred from his older brother Joseph’s en-rollment at ASU. Through his brother, Clin-ton attended almost every athletic event and concert at ASU.

“Early on, when Joseph came here I knew where I was going to go. I wasn’t really inter-ested in going anywhere else,” he said. “I knew this is where I want-ed to be.”

Since coming to ASU, Curtis has been involved with numerous ensem-bles, quartets and bands.

He has been in the wind enseble since his first semester and has played the prin-cipal chair for saxo-phone in that ensem-ble since his second semester. He has also played the principal chair in jazz band.

Curtis remembers his freshman year when the famous Monroe, La. composer Frank Ticheli came to ASU to give a concert featur-ing several of his musical compositions.

“That was a big deal for the saxophone quartet. It was also kind of nerve racking, because here you are one semester removed from high school, from a small school in Tru-mann, and here’s Frank Ticheli on campus,”

Curtis said.Curtis has also played for the Honors Re-

cital, where both band and choir students au-dition to perform a special concert at the end of the semester.

Aside from playing in many of the various facets of concert bands, Curtis has also lead the Arkansas State “Sound of the Natural State” marching band through three seasons of Red Wolves football.

“I was really excited to do it once I came to ASU. It’s some-thing I definite-ly wanted to do once I graduat-ed high school,” he said. “When I was in high school I never really thought I wanted to be drum major, but I saw the list of people trying

out one year, going into my junior year, and I was like ‘I don’t want any of these people to be drum major.’”

Curtis said his love for both sports and music has made his involvement with the athletic band and being a drum major one of the most exciting things he has done since at-tending ASU.

“It’ll be nice to go strictly as a fan next year to the football games. I’ll still probably be in-

terested in the band and what they are doing for halftime though,” Curtis said.

After graduating, Curtis plans to get an internship and teach band at the high school level. Curtis said he has no aspirations to teach at the collegiate level and since high school he has always wanted to teach high school band.

“Students are different at the high school level than at the collegiate level. When a stu-dent first gets an instrument (at that level) it’s really exciting for them, and to some degree that excitement really isn’t there anymore when you get into college,” he said. “When you’re young and you first get your instru-ment even if you don’t really like to play that much or you’re not very good you’re still ex-cited to play. Every day in band you are just like ‘dude, let’s play something!’”

Curtis admits he differs from some people in the music department. He notes most peo-ple seem to think academic music is the only type of good music once you get into listening and playing that type of music, but he still lis-tens to the popular music heard on the radio.

“I still consider the stuff you turn on the ra-dio, the top 40 stuff, as good music. I don’t see how somebody can criticize a pop artist who writes about a breakup, and puts the time and effort into the music, and consider it not mu-sic,” he said. “I don’t like all of it, but I don’t like all academic music either.”

Curtis is a prime example of a student who works hard to pursue what he loves to do and excels at it, despite having a slightly different outlook on music than most other music ma-jors.

CALEB HENNINGTON#LIFE EDITOR

Taking stagetheArmed with a saxophone in hand, Clinton Curtis came to ASU to explore his musical talents and leave with the skills necessary to teach music to budding musicians.

“When you’re young and you first get your instrument, even if you don’t really like to play or you’re not very good, you’re still excited to play. Every day in band you are just like ‘dude, let’s play something!’”

Clinton Curtis, senior music education major

A

DANIEL MCFADINSENIOR STAFF WRITER

o say Quinishia McDow-ell is experienced would be an understatement.

For the last four years, the redshirt senior guard has been the most consis-tent presence on the court

for Arkansas State’s women’s basketball team, playing in 105 straight games dating back to a 77-65 win over North Texas on Jan. 2, 2010.

The streak of games puts her in rare com-pany, as only two other Lady Red Wolves have ever started in more than 100 games in their careers: Adrianne Davis and Rudy Sims started in 113 and 112 straight games respectively from 2004 to 2007.

Head coach Brian Boyer, in his 14th sea-son as the Lady Red Wolves, said the reason he’s sent the Monroe, La., native out with his starting five for 105 straight tip-offs is her leadership.

“She’s dependable. One, she’s a good leader. Number two, she always going to play and compete hard,” Boyer said. “She’s very dependable defensively; she’s good team player. She’s not always going to be your highest scorer, but she does every part of the game well.”

While about 90 points away from cross-ing the 1,000 point mark entering the Sun Belt tournament this weekend, McDowell, often referred to simply as “Q,” is ranked in the top-10 on the all-time steals list with 175, but says there’s no secret to her staying healthy for four years.

“I just drive off my energy. I just come in very excited to have another opportunity to do something I love doing,” McDowell said.

However, as much as she has enjoyed playing for ASU at the Convocation Cen-ter the last four years, this post-season was final time McDowell donned a basketball jersey.

As a Health Promotion major, McDow-ell will pursue a career in nursing once her basketball career and schooling have con-cluded.

“I love people, I love helping people, I love being around people,” McDowell said. “I just want to help people get better and help people (while) doing what I love.”

McDowell was influenced to enter the nursing field after growing up helping her mother take care of her diabetic grand-mother and spending summers looking after a nephew who suffered from cerebral palsy and died two years ago at the age of 13.

“He used to come back and stay with me and my mom; he (lived) in Houston with my sister. I used to take care of him; feeding and bathing him.”

The decision to shift gears comes as the senior feels the wear and tear of playing basketball since high school finally start-ing to take their toll on her body. McDowell had to redshirt during the 2008-09 season because of a knee injury.

“Physically I think my body is wearing down,” McDowell said. “I still want to be able to run and play around outside of bas-

ketball, so I think it’s time to give my body a break and focus on my career after this.”

McDowell also tore her ACL while play-ing in high school and it was then her par-ents, who the senior cited as being her main inspiration in life, told her it was important to have a goal to work toward that wasn’t just basketball.

“That was an eye opener and my parents used it to tell me your ball (playing abilities) can deflate at any moment,” McDowell said. “You need something in your brain, be-tween your ears, that’s going to carry you, not just basketball.”

Her mother, Loretta Young, works with a government-assisted program back home in Louisiana that helps the elderly receive medication through SenioRX. Her father, Bernard McDowell, is the owner of two res-taurants.

McDowell, also fond of babies, is leaning toward a career in obstetric nursing, which focuses on the wellbeing of an expecting mother and her child during a pregnancy.

“I have family members that are nurses as well, and they were telling me that you get to see a little bit of everything,” McDow-ell said.

Five years from now, McDowell hopes to have earned her bachelor’s of science in nursing degree, but after that she doesn’t know if she’ll continue in school or begin her career.

Before that could happen though, Mc-Dowell took to the court Saturday in the Sun Belt Tournament in Hot Springs for the

final time. The Red Wolves faced Florida International in what would be McDowell’s final collegiate game.

“It’s like go hard or go home. It is in a sense like another game, because every night we want to go out and leave it all on the floor,” McDowell said last week. “But Saturday, you want to come into the locker room and feel like there was nothing left you could do.

In a 57-50 loss to the Panthers, McDow-ell put up four points and grabbed six re-bounds while leading ASU with three as-sists as the Lady Red Wolves finished the year with a 15-15 record.

Senior reflects on four years‘Q’ McDowell looks into her past, present, future of basketball

T

His alarm buzzes at 6 a.m. as he barely manages his eyes open. Things were easy when he was a freshman and could wake up at 10 a.m. and just go to class. But now as

a senior, and SGA president, Hunter Petrus finds himself constantly juggling his time.

His days are filled with typical presidential duties. Meetings, proposals and paperwork fill his Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Meanwhile, classes and homework take over his Tuesdays and Thursdays.

But, when the clock hands slowly make their way to 5 p.m., Petrus is usually out of his office and balancing the other large portion of his life located at the corner of University Loop and Aggie Road: The Sigma Chi house.

“The hardest part is time-management,” Petrus said. “I’m constantly working on resolutions and trying to get a good education. All the while, I’m trying to balance my personal life and my fraternity. “

During the day, Petrus sports a diplomatic attitude and a smile. Both of which have carried him far since his freshman year.

Now a senior, soon graduating, Petrus has a hefty list of resume builders that began growing in his first two weeks at ASU.

In only his second week, he became an SGA freshman senator, which led to his position as an orientation leader that same year. Petrus stayed on as an orientation leader for another year and was granted the position of group leader.

Soon after, Petrus was offered the spot of Student Union events director with the Student Activities Board, which is where his leadership really came into play.

“The SAB had always done a good job at marketing their events,” Petrus said. “I wanted to help in continuing to bring those great events that students really enjoy.”

Finally, Petrus decided to run for his biggest position yet, as SGA president.

“I had watched Adrian Everett and Beaird through the years, and they both had a great amount of wisdom,” Petrus said. “They really inspired me to run, and so I did and won.”

Petrus said that he believes his first year as president was a successful one, in which they accomplished almost everything they had promised.

And when elections came back around, Petrus decided he wanted another go-round.

“I had done a lot in my first term as president, but I wanted to do more,” Petrus said. “It wasn’t about having a second term, it was about accomplishing things for the university and the students.”

Zachary Brogdon, a sophomore at the time and fellow Sigma Chi, decided to run for the president’s position as well.

And he almost won.The race was the narrowest margin in SGA history,

making it also one of the most exciting.“It really came down to the last minute,” Petrus said, who

only won after announcing to his class to vote for him, only minutes before the polls closed. “When you look back and see how close it was, it still makes my stomach churn.”

But, Petrus said he is confident his fraternity brother would have done a great job in the position had he won.

“I had full confidence in him if he won,” Petrus said. “But the thought of losing is still nerve-wracking.”

Now representing the student body and university for two consecutive terms, Petrus has learned how to handle his fraternity life and business life.

“When I’m in meetings, I’m serious,” Petrus said. “There’s a time and place for everything. I can always joke, and I’m a mean prankster, but if my name is in the role, then my heart is in the work.”

However, all work and no play makes any boy dull, and Petrus is no exception.

“Work hard, play hard,” Petrus said with a chuckle. “I’m not going to go ‘Project X’ style, but I like to have fun as much as anyone else. There definitely won’t be any cars set on fire though.”

Surprisingly, his resume for Sigma Chi is even longer than his leadership resume from ASU.

Holding positions such as historian, website developer and treasurer came easily to Petrus.

However, it was the position of annotator that brought the biggest challenge, and the most fun.

“I’ve always had a big heart for philanthropy and charity work,” Petrus said. “That’s exactly what that position allowed me to work with. We raised money for so many organizations, I was proud to say that I helped accomplish that.”

While several events raised beau coups of money, nothing will remain on Petrus’ mind more than the wild night he had for charity last year.

During their annual “Derby Days,” a week long event filled with sororities competing against each other and giving money to charity, Petrus hosted their annual member auction to real in the big bucks.

“The member auction is a list of volunteers, guys, officers and new members who get on stage and dance and have a good time,” Petrus explained. “The girls would bid on the guys, and whoever bid the highest amount got to go on a date with that guy.”

Since Petrus was the annotator for Sigma Chi that year, his job was the be the auctioneer that night.

“I’ve always wanted to be able to do that,” Petrus said. “I got to interview the guys and give them nicknames. It was a pretty fun experience.”

The night went on with each volunteer showcasing themselves, and girls winning dates with them. When the list of men ran out, Sigma Chi President Hunter Hinton began to tally the totals.

“I was in the DJ booth entertaining the crowd, and Hinton came up to me and said we had a problem,” Petrus said. “We had auctioned off all of the guys, and two sororities had a tie of who had bid the most money.”

During “Derby Days,” ASU sororities compete to be the champions of the week-long competition, and a portion played into winning is how much is bid at the auction.

“I didn’t know what to do, honestly,” Petrus said. “We had sent all of our guys out there. I didn’t know how we could decide a winner.”

Hunter made a decision, that turned his job as auctioneer into a wild ride.

“I unbuttoned the top button of my Polo shirt, cracked my neck and said ‘the show must go on,’” Petrus relayed. “I put on Nellie’s ‘Shake ya tail feather,’ and started strutting up and down that catwalk.”

Ultimately, Petrus was auctioned off for $650, a Sigma Chi record for their annual member auction.

While that night turned out wild for Petrus, he said that most nights end up with a couch and watching a game on TV with his fraternity brothers.

“I hang out, I kick it and I go home early,” Petrus said. “A lot of the guys call me ‘Paw-Paw.’”

Petrus said his responsibilities to the university keep him in line on the weekends, and when other opportunities, like the member auction, arise.

“I like to have fun, but I balance it,” Petrus said. “I was elected by the student body and have to look out for the university. I know what my responsibilities are and I take care of them first.”

LINDSEY BLAKELYEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

‘Work hard, play hard’Petrus manages life as both SGA president and fraternity brother

“I was elected by the student body and have to look out for the

university.”

Hunter Petrus, SGA president