GAME ON! A recent New York Times article, "Saluting the Women Behind the Screen," examines the gender inequality in the gaming industry and notes the contributions of former Atari employee and Little Rock native Dona Bailey to the development of the classic 1980s video arcade game Centipede.
When Bailey, who graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1975, was hired in 1980 by Atari, the company creating the game, she was one of the few women there and the only female programmer in its arcade division.
So what's Bailey, who left Atari in 1982, doing now? After living in California and New York, she returned to Little Rock about 10 years ago. She earned master's degrees in education and arts from UALR, and she now teaches rhetoric and writing there and serves as coordinator of online composition.
LANDING A ROLE: Former Cabot resident Caleb Ruminer (Cabot High, class of 2011) has landed a part on MTV's drama Finding Carter. He landed the role of bad boy Crash on the show in April and was originally to appear in just five episodes, but due to the popularity of his role, it was expanded. The show airs at 9 p.m. Tuesdays.
Shortly after graduating from Cabot High, Ruminer, who'd been performing locally as an actor since he was 9, moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He previously had a guest appearance on the show Castle.
TAKING THE FIELD: Former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner joins KTHV, Channel 11, to assist with football analysis. He is set to provide a breakdown of the NFL games airing on CBS on Thursday nights beginning this week and will also appear on The Hog Zone on Saturdays.
ROLL 'EM: Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone will visit Little Rock on Sept. 20 for a film screening at Little Rock Central High School's Roosevelt L. Thompson Auditorium. During the event, a 60-minute episode of Stone's recent documentary, The Untold History of the United States, titled "The '50s: Eisenhower, The Bomb & The Third World," will be shown. The episode focuses on President Dwight D. Eisenhower's role, including his sending the 101st Airborne to Little Rock to enforce the Brown v. Board of Education court decision and prevent interference with court-ordered school integration.
A moderated discussion and question session will follow the screening. Admission is free, but seating is limited. The screening begins at 6 p.m. with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.
The event is hosted by the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site and the National Park Service in collaboration with the Little Rock Film Festival, Little Rock Central High School, the city of Little Rock, Central High Museum Inc., Conyers Institute of Public Policy, Arkansas State Film Commission and Beacon Hill Scholars of Boston.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or lhaymes@arkansasonline.com
SundayMonday on 09/07/2014