Thumbs column
Oh, my.
This is a rarity — starting the digit doings column off with a “Thumbs-down.” And this time it goes to the Arkansas Razorbacks for one of the biggest “oops” of the 2018 collegiate football season. One that was just a contributing factor in the Hogs’ embarrassing Saturday afternoon 44-17 home field loss to the North Texas Mean Green of Conference USA.
We’re speaking, of course, about the 90yard punt return for a touchdown by North Texas’ Keegan Brewer, who fooled two Razorback defenders into assuming he had made a fair catch signal and then took off running for Arkansas’ end zone — accompanied by a host of his teammates who made certain he would not be tackled en route.
The North Texas team is now 3-0 and Arkansas is 1-2 and heading into a difficult stretch — with the 2-1 Auburn Tigers ready to pounce at 6 p.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
On the other hand, here is a well-deserved “Thumbs-up” to 40-year-old golfer Angela Stanford, an 18-year LPGA Tour professional who has started 76 majors but on Sunday won her first, bringing home the Evian Championship trophy.
Stanford, who is from Texas and was a four-time All-American at TCU in Fort Worth, came from behind to score a three-under-par 68 and held off four competitors who tied for second place.
In her post-tournament comments, Stanford said she was just a “grinder and a fighter.” Today, we can call her “champion.”
On the home front, let’s give a “Thumbs-up” to Airborne Flying Service that this year celebrates its
30th anniversary of supporting statewide emergency needs.
Specializing in fixed-wing air ambulance services, the company also assists the U.S. Forest Service personnel in fighting fires at national forests across the country. Airborne provides aircraft and pilots, acting as an airborne taxi service.
Interesting details about its operations and personnel may be found in The Sentinel-Record’s Page 1 news story that ran this past Sunday.
On the education beat, here is a definite “Thumbsup” to the means by which Lakeside Middle School teacher Megan Rogers is showing her students how to hone their communication and social skills, and the basic elements of a simple business by calculating expenses and profits.
The students operate a lemonade stand, receive and complete faculty and staff orders submitted via Google Docs, print out orders and deliver them.
Rogers feels the project will benefit the students in and out of the classroom. What a good idea.
By the same token, here is a “Thumbsup” to the eight Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students who were named 2018-19 National Merit Semifinalists. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced the names of the semifinalists for the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program last Wednesday.
The students, whose pictures were in the School News section of Sunday’s edition of the hometown newspaper, represent Newport, Bryant, Benton, Clarksville, Batesville, Fayetteville, Alma and Conway.
As we know, ASMSA has a diverse student population that comes from many communities around the state.
Congratulations to all.
The Thumbs Column appears in The Sentinel-Record the first and third Wednesday of each month. The newspaper welcomes readers’ comments and suggestions, which should be submitted with a name, telephone number and home address for verification and contact purposes. This information is kept confidential.