Field Day will begin February 10 at 4 p.m. with the first round of the knife and axe throw competition at Forestry Park west of University Apartments. The competition will resume February 11 at 8 a.m. with the final round of the knife and axe throw, followed by pole felling, pole climbing, archery, chain throw, men’s bow saw, women’s bow saw, log rolling, men’s cross-cut saw, women’s cross-cut saw, Jack and Jill (men and women) cross-cut saw, log chopping, and birling. All events except birling will be held at Forestry Park. The birling competition, which involves two people attempting to walk ( or run) each other off a floating log, will he held at Weevil Pond.

Field Day is the culmination of a week long competition to select who will represent UAM at the 2012 Association of Southern Forestry Clubs Conclave competition March 15-17 at North Carolina State University. UAM has won Conclave 31 times in the 54-year history of the event, including last year at the University of Georgia.

During the week leading up to Field Day, UAM students will compete in a variety of technical forestry skills, such as photogrammetry, pole classification, wood identification, and wildlife identification.

For more information, contact the School of Forest Resources at (870) 460-1052.

A public opening and artist’s reception will be held February 10 from 5 to 8 p.m. and will be tied to the Second Friday Art Night Art Trolley.

Richard is a professor of art at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and has been a member of the UAM faculty since 1997. His exhibit includes mixed media pieces encompassing acrylic, gouache, watercolor, graphite, ink, and color pencil on paper. The work addresses issues of history and history making through use of text, images of toys from Richard’s childhood, and historical art references.

The major series of larger works combine more images and quotes, with the quotes coming from contrasting sources such as philosophical essays and pop culture. The quotes are combined in a spontaneous manner with images of toys from Richard’s childhood, painting effects, and art historical sources.

“I want the viewer to have the same amount of fun and interest in analyzing or viewing the work and dealing with the connections, as I had in the creation of the work,” explained Richard.

Richard’s other works are intended to be studies in working out color choices, image choices, painting or other media effects to be used in the larger works, but have now evolved into completed pieces.

Richard’s work has been displayed in selected solo exhibitions, including “Relativities” at Henderson State University (2012); “Jokes and Bombs” at the Baton Rouge (La.) Gallery (2012); “Echelon” at Du Mois Gallery, New Orleans (2011); “Coordinating Conjunctions” at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (2011); “Hands On” at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. (2010); and “Cereal Inquiries” at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock (2008). His work has been included in over 100 national juried and invitational exhibitions including the recent After School Special at the University Art Museum in Albany, N.Y., and is currently included in the Arkansas Arts Council’s Small Works on Paper, which will travel to 10 locations throughout the state in 2012.

Richard is represented by Blue Moon Gallery in Hot Springs, by Du Mois Gallery in New Orleans, and by Baton Rouge Gallery.

A Haunted Love Story, The Ghosts of the Allen House is a nonfiction intertwining of two stories: one family’s experiences residing in the house, and the story of the best known member of the Allen family, Ladell Allen Bonner (March 22, 1894 – January 2, 1949), whose hidden stash of over 80 love letters Spencer discovered under a floorboard in the attic.

The letters enabled Spencer to vividly tell the tragic story of the kind, intelligent, and frustrated Ladell, who deliberately consumed mercury cyanide during her mother’s annual holiday party in 1948.

Available in paperback in bookstores throughout the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, A Haunted Love Story was officially released January 1 and is also available in Kindle and Nook editions. Because of early reviews, it’s a top-20 “Top Rated” title in the “Supernatural” category on Amazon.com, and in its early weeks has been the No. 1 bestselling “Hot New Release” in three Amazon categories.

Barbara Hoyt, in a review for Amazon.com, called the book “intriguing on so many levels. The author has done his research and is incredibly skilled at weaving all of the stories together in a way that held my interest from start to finish. First there is the Spencer family who has to deal with the fact that the Allen House is haunted, and that they are living in it. This is more difficult for the author . . . but ironically, his skepticism and his fear of being perceived as some sort of nut by his colleagues actually lend further credibility to the book. Then there are the inhabitants themselves, the ghosts of the Allen family, and especially Ladell, whose letters the author finds in the attic. It is her story of love and loss that draws Mr. Spencer in further and the reader along with him. Set against the history of the town of Monticello and the social mores of the South in the early to mid-twentieth century, her relationship with a handsome, wealthy and very married man, comes alive – so much so that I felt that I was there, in the moment, with the couple, not reading what the author could only glean from their clandestine correspondence. The way Mr. Spencer pieces together the arc of the romance from beginning to end, while sharing with the reader his family’s experience of coming to grips with the paranormal makes for a compelling and satisfying book. I would highly recommend it.”

Spencer is the award-winning author of three novels, two short story collections, and a history book. His numerous writing honors include the Faulkner Society Faulkner Award, the Omaha Prize for the Novel, the Patrick T. Bradshaw Book Award, and four Special Mentions in Pushcart Prize. He and his family have lived in the Allen House since 2007. Spencer can be visited online at AllenHouseTours.com.

Members of the UAM forensics and debate team are (from left, first row) Chase Roan, Anastasia Duff, Tiffany Tucker, Sydney Davis, Meg Ryan, Sam Montgomery, (second row) Jamie Ward, Jon Hoskins, Bobby Evans, Maggie Parrish, and Jessica Pennington.

The forensics and debate team from the University of Arkansas at Monticello captured the overall Arkansas championship of the Southern Regional Forensics Tournament held last week at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

UAM won the Arkansas championship in competition with teams from Harding, the University of Central Arkansas, Arkansas Tech, John Brown, Henderson State, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

UAM won 30 awards to earn second place in the overall forensics sweepstakes competition, led by Sydney Davis, who won the Arkansas state championship in overall sweepstakes and the Arkansas championship in both program oral interpretation and impromptu speaking. A sophomore creative writing major from Bentonville, Davis won five awards – sixth place in extemporaneous speaking, third place in persuasion, second place in poetry, second place in after-dinner speaking, and third place individual forensics sweepstakes.

In the team competition in the International Public Debate Association category, UAM won five awards. Chris Brown and Kelly Reed of Siloam Springs reached the semifinals of IPDA team debate. Reed, a junior political science major, was named the Arkansas state champion and earned the second place individual speaker award. Brown, a senior communication major, won third place speaker award.

The teams of Bobby Evans, a junior animal science major from Memphis, and Liz Borse, a junior art major from Monticello; and Tiffany Tucker, a senior education major from Cabot, and Justin Walker, a senior computer information systems major from Watson, reached the quarterfinals in team debate.

UAM students won four awards in individual debate. Tiffany Tucker reached the quarterfinals in the varsity division while Walker and Jaime Ward, a senior criminal justice major from Pocahontas, reached the round of 16. In the professional division, graduate student Zack Tucker from Marked Tree also reached the final 16.

Other UAM students competing were Jessica Pennington, a junior communication major from Crossett, Meg Ryan, a senior speech communication major from Camden, Maggie Parish, a sophomore English major from Pine Bluff, Samantha Montgomery, a sophomore political science major from Woodlawn, and Anastasia Duff, a senior communications major, from Dermott. UAM graduate Yvonne Hinshaw of Monticello also competed.

The UAM forensics and debate team was scheduled to compete at the Pussy Cat Swing, hosted by Sam Houston State University February 2-5.

The record is the ninth in 10 years and represents an increase of 205 students, or a six percent increase over last spring.

“Our continued enrollment growth is due to the outstanding efforts made by all of our UAM family,” said Chancellor Jack Lassiter. “The attention given to the admission, retention, remediation, advising, mentoring, teaching, and graduation of our students continues to fuel our success.”

UAM’s spring semester enrollment has grown from 2,696 in 2004 to its current 3,692, an increase of 37 percent in nine years. Spring enrollment grew to 2,718 in 2005, 2,898 in 2006, 3,112 in 2007, dipped to 3,063 in 2008, then increased to 3,233 in 2009, 3,474 in 2010, 3,485 in 2011, and finally to 3,690 in 2012.

“This is truly a significant accomplishment when taken in combination with the decreasing numbers of high school graduates in our traditional recruiting area,” Lassiter added. “It’s a tribute to our recruitment efforts and to the work of our marketing committee in getting the word out about UAM and the opportunities available at this institution.”

Scholarship applications must be received by the admissions office no later than March 1 to receive priority consideration. Scholarship applications are available in the Office of Admissions in the first floor of Harris Hall, online at www.uamont.edu/Admissions <http://www.uamont.edu/Admissions> , from high school counselors, and from the transfer offices of two-year colleges.

For more information, contact the Office of Admissions at (800) 844-1826 or (870) 460-1026.

HopePlace thrives with the assistance of organizations such as the UAM Nursing Students and Faculty. All of our material assistance resources are donated.

Hopeplace Monticello a faith based parenting and pregnancy resource center that is striving to meet the needs of young families by providing material needs through an EARN WHILE YOU LEARN program. For more information about our education program and services view the website at www.hopeplacemonticello.com

HopePlace is open Tuesday-Wednesday & Thursday’s 9am-4:30pm

Sponsored by the Office of Admissions, the event will provide information on admission, scholarships, financial aid, how to select an academic major, athletics and student activities. Representatives from the UAM Colleges of Technology at Crossett and McGehee will be available to discuss technical options on their respective campuses.

Campus tours and tours of residence facilities will be available in the afternoon. Prospective students and their parents will meet with current UAM students as well as faculty and staff.

Anyone planning to attend should RSVP by January 31 by contacting the Office of Admissions at (800) 844-1826 or (870) 460-1026.

UAM students competing in the 2011 State Farm Bureau Discussion Meet were (from left, first row) Amy Hughes, Ashley County; Brittany Harpole, Union County; Brett Stewart, Jefferson County; Dr. Bob Stark, UAM College Farm Bureau faculty advisor; (second row) Andrew Aycock, Chicot County; Zach Altom, Lincoln County; and Chris Church, Bradley County.

Six University of Arkansas at Monticello students joined Arkansas Farm Bureau members from around the state to compete in a discussion of important issues facing the agriculture industry at the 2011 State Farm Bureau Discussion Meet in Little Rock

UAM students representing their home counties in the competition were Amy Hughes, Ashley County; Chris Church, Bradley County; Andrew Aycock, Chicot County; Brett Stewart, Jefferson County; Zach Altom, Lincoln County; and Brittany Harpole, Union County.

The Discussion Meet is modeled after a committee meeting format with participants discussing a current agricultural issue. Points are given for analysis of the topic, problem solving and implementation, a cooperative attitude, and general delivery. Each participant makes individual opening and closing statements of their own composition with all participants engaging in a general discussion period. Harry Willems, Arkansas Farm Bureau associate director of organization and member programs, coordinated the state event. Dr. Bob Stark, UAM Collegiate Farm Bureau faculty advisor, prepped the UAM students.

The opening topic, “How Can We Convince the Public that the Animal Agriculture Industry Balances Production Efficiencies With the Public’s Expectations of Animal Care?” featured a competition between 12 Farm Bureau members. Four members of the 12 were chosen to compete in the final round, including Andrew Aycock of Chicot County. The topic was “Are the Current and Proposed Renewable Energy Policies Beneficial to All Segments of American Agriculture?” Kevin Smith of Benton County won the state competition and represented Arkansas in the National Farm Bureau Convention Discussion Meet held in Hawaii during January.

The scholarship covers tuition for 15 semester hours of course credit, excluding summer terms, and is renewable by maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better on 12 semester hours and providing 10 hours per week of voluntary assistance in an assigned location on campus.

Scholarship applicants must have a composite score of 19 on the ACT as well as scores of 19 in both math and English, a minimum high school grade point average of 3.0 or better, and two letters of reference regarding EAST service and performance. Applications should be submitted by the priority deadline of April 1 for first consideration. Eight students have been awarded the EAST scholarship since it was first announced in 2008.

The EAST program is offered through a number of school systems in Arkansas and nationwide. EAST students perform service learning projects, identify needs in their communities, and work to provide innovative solutions for those needs.

Applications for the scholarship will be available in high school counseling offices or in the UAM Office of Admissions beginning January 25. For more information, contact the Office of Admissions at (800) 844-1826.