Paris High School Winter Court was held last week after being delayed and rescheduled due to winter weather that forced the closure of area schools. The weather also delayed Senior Night for the Paris basketball programs, so, both ceremonies were held last Friday night at Paris Gymnasium.
Members of this year’s Paris Winter Court were:
Freshman Maids: Ashton Ihle and Emerson Komp
Sophomore Maids: Bella Nelson and Hayleigh Sharp
Junior Maids: Stephanie Arrendondo and Aryanna King
Senior Maids: Brailey Forst, Mia Harrison, Reagan Lowery, Hailey Robinson, and Faith Sanders
Timing is everything, and for Paris’s Brailey Forst, that could not be more important to both her team and to her aspirations of playing college basketball.
The Paris Lady Eagles have just completed a regular season that saw the team eclipse their 2021-22 win total by more than double the number of wins than from a year ago. Paris just completed this year’s regular season in third place in their conference and are now competing in post season play. First year Lady Eagles head coach, Jonathan Vire, has done a masterful job in taking a team that did not have a lot of success last year while simultaneously losing to graduation a lot of talent and experience. Vire has brought along a talented sophomore and junior class all season and combined them with two talented seniors who have been hungry for success. The result has been a fun season to watch combined with a team that has the opportunity to play deeper in regional and state tournament play than has been the case for several years.
And as an obligation and sense of duty to our readers, I must once again disclose that I am related to Paris senior Brailey Forst. I am related to her by marriage; she is the daughter of my wife’s daughter, Lauren Trusty. But I believe Brailey is an exceptional person, student, and athlete, and when you run across a story like her’s, it should be shared with our readers.
At the start of this school year, I highlighted her in a story that chronicled her desire to play college basketball. Brailey has exceptional work ethic. She works extremely hard everyday in all phases of her life. She is mature beyond her years, and she has great character. And her senior year has been a showcase for her character. She loves her family and has maintained high academic performance while playing sports, working a part time job, and being there for her younger brother Brantley and her other family members. She is truly remarkable.
Brailey plays the sports of volleyball and basketball, and in a few weeks, will also play high school softball. She just loves to play. But it has not been all fun and games for her as she has battled through injuries since last year. It has been tough at times, but in her true character, she has overcome each setback and is now playing the best basketball of her career.
So, I wanted to sit down with her again and visit with her in an interview and ask her for her sense of perspective on what has happened and what it all means to her now. College coaches are talking to her and she has had an offer to play. She is still looking for the right fit, and she is very hopeful that it may happen soon. For Brailey, it is not just about basketball. In fact, it is about life after basketball. She is very committed to academics and her career after college. So, in her mind, yes, she wants to play college basketball, but more importantly, she knows that she will not play after college to earn a living and academics are the most important aspect of her recruitment.
Approximately six weeks or so ago, she sprained an ankle early in a game at Booneville. It forced her to sit out of practice, getting treatment for the injury, and missing her next game at Hackett. And then, about one week after the injury, she started a home game against Charleston where she was expected to play a few minutes, or, sparingly throughout the game as she eased back from the injury.
But that is not what happened. What did happened turned around her season and placed her on a trajectory of playing the best basketball of her career, just at the right time for her team and for her chances to play college basketball.
The Lady Eagles won a hard-fought conference game that night over Charleston, and Brailey played the entire game. Hobbling on the injured ankle noticeably in the fourth quarter, she not only hung in to play the entire game, but was the game’s high scorer with 32 points. She was a force on both ends of the floor, and her gutty performance inspired everyone. Since that time, she has continued to play extremely well, scoring in double figures each night.
So, I asked her, “What has clicked for you? What do you attribute your success to?” Brailey answered, “It has all come together for me both mentally and physically. After I scored the 32 points against Charleston I gained confidence back. I have battled injuries all season. There has not bee a point this year that I have not been injured.”
In the last story, I detailed how she injured her foot (heel) in the 2021-22 school year and eventually had to have surgery in February of 2022. She elected to have the surgery to allow time for rehab and a return to sports her senior year. She did that, and ended up earning her second All-State Award for the sport of volleyball in 2022. Most recently, she was named by the Arkansas Activities Association to the high school volleyball all-star game this summer.
Brailey Forst was named most recently to her high school homecoming court. Pictured here with her mother, Lauren Trusty and her brother, Brantley Trusty (RNN Sports Photo / Jim Best)
After the 2022-23 basketball season began, she injured herself the week of Thanksgiving in a non-conference game at Dover. She again worked through that injury only to dislocate a finger in the Bill Frye Invitational Holiday Tournament in late December against Elkins.
But she has persevered through all of that, including the ankle sprain in January at Booneville. And people who watch her play would never know any of this has happened unless they were close to her or had been following her throughout the season. In fact, it is very possible that she could collect her second all-state award in basketball in a few weeks.
Academically, she has never wavered. Brailey carries a 3.80 grade point average and has taken a challenging course load that includes concurrent college credit courses as well as advanced placement (AP) courses. She aspires to a career in the medical profession; medical school, nursing, physical therapy…who knows. But she does know that a solid academic foundation in math and the hard sciences is the key to where she wants to go with her career, and that is what she is looking for in a college and a chance to play college basketball.
As a member of the Lady Eagles basketball team, Brailey gives a lot of the credit to their coach, Jonathan Vire. In speaking of their coach, Brailey said, “We have really improved as a team under Coach Vire. Coach Vire has just done so much with us this year. He has us contributing the way we should and we are all working together as a team. We’re third in the conference and you could just tell over the summer that Coach Vire was watching us and had a plan for us. Jayden (Wells) and I have been the senior leadership of the team, trying to build chemistry for the post season. I think our team has done a heck of a job going from where we were last year to where we are now and what we have the chance to do in the playoffs. It’s just good that we have Coach Vire. He’s a really good coach.”
So, I asked Coach Vire for his comments and response, and the Paris coach responded, “I feel like Brailey is starting to come into her own offensively. She has done phenomenal job at scoring at all three levels and has taken pride in getting to the free throw line where she is shooting 89% for the season. She is really starting to show the leader that she is and is helping the underclassmen throughout this season.”
And now, the team has a chance to go to the regional tournament. At press time for this story, the Lady Eagles had just defeated Cedarville in their final regular season game and were looking forward to the district tournament that will be hosted on their floor in Paris. Paris needed to win one game in the district tournament to advance to the regional tournament.
Brailey continued, “I have been to the regional tournament just one time and that was my freshman year. We lost in the first round. I want to advance past regionals this year; I really want to go to state. I really believe we can win in the regionals and make state. Making the regional tournament is our goal, and going to the state tournament is another of our goals.”
Brailey has been quiet throughout her college recruitment. She is considering a lot of factors, and, by personality, is a quiet person to some extent. She is mature beyond her years and thinks through major decisions. And when the time comes, she will make her choices public to her family and others who follow the Paris basketball program.
Late last fall, Brailey was offered by an NCAA Division 3 school in Longview, Texas. LeTourneau University, after an official visit, offered her a spot in their basketball program along with other considerations. It is an excellent academic school, and it was a hard decision for Brailey. But in true Brailey fashion, she did not mention it to a lot of people, as her mind was not made up. Eventually, she decided that she did not want to play and go to school that far away from home. There are excellent programs and academic colleges and universities in her home state of Arkansas, and that is what she wants.
Others schools have looked at her and have invited her to visit, but she is laser focused on her first choices of where she wants to go to school, and that is kept close to the vest for her. But knowing her like I think I do, she will make a great choice that will be not only a great fit for her academic and basketball careers, but a place that she will be happy and will take great pride in being a small part.
So, the “Brailey Watch” is on in her family as we are all excited for her and the opportunities that may lay ahead for her. She is so deserving of such an opportunity, and, as biased as I am on her behalf, she will make a great contribution to any program college, or university.
And when that time comes, we will be there to bring you the conclusion of this great story and the beginning of the next as she ends a storied high school career and begins the next phase of her life as a college student and perhaps a collegiate basketball player!
By Ryan McGeeney U of A System Division of Agriculture
Beef cattle inventories across the United States are at their lowest point in more than six decades, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In its biannual cattle report, USDA reported a total of 89.3 million head as of Jan. 1, 2023 — 3 percent lower than the total reported a year ago, and the lowest since 2015. Beef cattle — those bred specifically for slaughter and meat sales — declined 3.6 percent, to 28.9 million head, the lowest total recorded by the agency since 1962.
In “Cattle Market Notes Weekly,” a newsletter focused on the cattle industry, University of Kentucky’s Kenny Burdine and James Mitchell, extension livestock economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, wrote this week that the decline came as no surprise.
“There was no question that the beef cow herd had gotten smaller,” Burdine and Mitchell said. It was “just a question of how much smaller.”
For many producers throughout the country, 2022 had offered a perfect storm of economic and weather-related challenges: input costs such as diesel and fertilizer doubling or even tripling, and a hot, dry summer that only increased reliance on groundwater in the absence of rainfall. For cattle producers in particular, drought conditions offered no replenishment of dwindling forage supplies, leaving many producers to cull deeper into their herds than they might have otherwise preferred. Elevated beef cull prices contributed to an 11 percent increase in beef cow slaughter, according to USDA.
As Mitchell recently pointed out, however, the reduced supply combined with steady demand from the U.S. consumer at least meant greater profitability for those producers with stock to sell.
“There is a pretty substantial biological lag in the beef supply chain,” he said. “What consumers experience at the grocery store is a product of what cattle producers were going through a year or two ago. It takes about two years for a new calf to become the steak on your dinner plate.
“To the extent that we’ve got historically low cattle stocks today, that will lead to tighter cattle production, which means potentially higher beef prices,” Mitchell said. “From the perspective of cattle producers, this also means higher prices. The recent report from USDA just reinforces a bullish outlook on cattle prices for the next couple of years.”
The downward trend in cattle production does not appear likely to reverse itself in 2023. According to USDA’s cattle-on-feed data, the number of cows on feed as of Jan. 1 fell 4 percent from 2022 numbers to about 14.2 million, marking the first year-over-year decline in beef production in eight years, Burdine and Mitchell wrote.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) recognized the service and sacrifice of Richard McKinney in ‘Salute to Veterans,’ a series recognizing the military service of Arkansans.
Richard McKinney spent much of his Air Force career in a division of the service he says is not usually popular – the Office of Special Investigations (OSI).
He grew up in a military household, following his dad’s Air Force career all over the world, and enlisted himself after graduating from Greenwood High School. McKinney attributed his father’s time on active duty to his decision to enlist. “I just kind of grew up and always knew that I liked that military life, I liked that structure. And growing up on the military bases it was just a very natural environment for me.”
McKinney joined the Air Force in 1973. He trained as an electrician and eventually moved into management with the civil engineering division, but re-enlisted and eventually found his calling when an OSI officer said they were looking for new agents.
He successfully navigated OSI’s rigorous selection process and throughout his career was involved with investigations that ranged from narcotics and fraud to counterintelligence. He also served in Operation Desert Shield and was assigned to help keep secret U.S. military programs secure.
“A commander would come up and say, “Okay. I’ve got this program. I’m not going to tell you what it is. I want you to send a team in this building – it’s where we work – and I want you to tell me if you can find any leaks about information about what we do, what we’re working on, where we’re going. Things like that,” McKinney shared. “We would do whatever we needed to do, just like an adversary would do. Then we would come back after those operations and write up a classified report and then we would go back to the organization.” “We always came in with a non-adversarial approach. We didn’t want to put anyone in jail. It was really a tool to help them plug the holes. Keeps those programs safe, secure.”
After more than 20 years McKinney retired from military service and began devoting time to the needs of veterans in his community. He served as a VFW Post Commander in Greenwood for many years and worked to enhance the organization’s public service work.
“We are recognized nationally at our post there for being a community service post, which we are extremely proud of,” McKinney said. “We are an outreach, we want to do things in the community. You need something done you come to the VFW, we will try to figure out how to get it done.”
McKinney also advocates for hiring veterans. “The veterans are such a huge asset. I tell people in private business: if you get somebody that’s done a hitch in the service, you’ve got a guy who knows how to show up on time. You’ve got a guy who knows how to dedicate himself to a project,” he said.
He has focused on getting a younger generation of men and women who served in uniform involved in local veteran organizations to help increase their influence on policies impacting them and their fellow veterans.
“Richard McKinney honorably served our nation in uniform and was dedicated to maintaining security for U.S. military programs. His time in our Armed Forces, devotion to our national security and concern for his fellow veterans all demonstrate his character and patriotism. I am grateful to collect and preserve his memories of service,” Boozman said.
Boozman will submit McKinney’s entire interview to theVeterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center to collect and retain the oral histories of our nation’s veterans.
The first member of Charleston’s 2022 state championship football team has signed a national letter of intent to play college football.
Tigers’ defensive lineman Roy Hudson signed his intent to play next fall at Ouachita Baptist University last week in a special signing ceremony held at Charleston High School. Hudson’s coach, Ricky May, told the audience in attendance just how special Hudson is and what he meant to the Tigers football program.
Coach May commented, “People say they don’t have favorites, but I beg to differ. Everyone wants what Roy brings. It starts with his leadership on and off the field. He is everything you dream of as a coach, in a player. Hard worker on and off the field, never have to worry about him doing what he is supposed to do. He’s always early, never misses anything, except in the summer when he is on a mission trip blessing others. Great influence for his teammates and younger players because he cares and pours his heart into everything. There is no doubt in my mind that Ouachita is going to be a better place because Roy will be there. Let’s goooo!”
Hudson will be on a partial athletic scholarship that will supplement the financial awards that he will be given due to his outstanding academic work in the classroom. Hudson carries a 4.00 grade point average and has scored 32 on the ACT exam. He is an outstanding student as well as athlete, and he should be a great fit at Ouachita.
On behalf of everyone at RNN Sports, we congratulate Roy on a great high school career and a great future ahead at Ouachita Baptist University!
Paris multi-sport athlete Mason Bradley signed a national letter of intent last Friday to play baseball next school year at Arkansas Tech University.
In a special ceremony held at Paris High School last Friday, Mason, with family at his side, signed his commitment to Arkansas Tech. Mason has played multiple sports for the Eagles during his high school career, including baseball, football, and basketball. He is currently playing with the Eagles basketball team in post-season play in the district tournament.
In high school baseball, Mason has been a valuable utility player that can play virtually any position defensively. He is a fierce competitor, and was the number one pitcher in the rotation last year for Paris. He has been the “go to guy” for the Eagles in big games, including a run to the state semi-finals a year ago.
As a future player at Tech, Mason will be looked to play as an infielder with the Wonder Boys. Tech is getting a great competitor and athlete for their program, and all of us wish Mason the best in his collegiate playing career!
Note to Our Readers:The following story was sourced directly and in its entirety from Mr. Glenn Parrish, Director of Communications, Booneville School District. Mr. Parrish is a RNN Sports contributor and we thank him for bringing this story to our readers.
Bearcat quarterback Peyton Tatum signed a letter of intent to play football for Arkansas Tech this morning in a ceremony held before classmates at Booneville High School.
Tatum had announced his decision to accept an offer from Tech on social media last week but delayed a ceremony due to inclement weather cancelling school on national signing day.
“For the past six years PT has been a huge part of our football program,” Bearcat head coach Doc Crowley said before Tatum picked up the pen. “He’s been a tremendous leader for us on the field, in the weight room and has done some very outstanding things in the classroom.”
Crowley also noted Tatum was chosen All Conference in 2022 and led the Bearcats to a 10th state title game appearance.
Tatum ran for a career high in that game and he directed six 90-plus yard drives last season.
“I know as he continues at Arkansas Tech that he’s going to continue to be very successful at everything he does,” Crowley added. “I know I speak on behalf of all these coaches (when I say) we’re excited to watch you grow. We’re excited to watch you represent this great community and great school district.”
Tatum was joined on stage for photos with senior players, coaches, family, as well as Ross Kent, who helped him with weight training.
Tatum said he chose Tech over Hendrix due to academics – he is his class valedictorian.
“They have a lot better (mechanical) engineering program,” Tatum said.
But regarding football Tatum expects to be used on the defensive side of the ball.
“Not really sure where yet. Maybe like a rover/safety, a D-back, or a linebacker,” he said.
During his Bearcat career Tatum recorded 80 tackles and had two interceptions.
Tatum going to Tech is also a family tradition. A paternal grandfather started the fisheries program at Tech, his father (Todd) played two seasons at Tech, his mother (BJHS teacher Melissa) graduated from Tech in 1999, his maternal grandparents are both Tech alums (1968 and 1975), and his brother (Dalton) will graduate from Tech in May. There are also uncles and other cousins who have been on the Russellville campus.
Hello everyone! It’s a rainy day here in Arkansas. I will gladly take rain over ice any day. You know you’re getting old when you talk about the weather and your joints hurt.
Most of ya’ll know I’m raising my three grandchildren, Ethan, Evan, and Ella. I call them the three E’s. Ethan is in his second year of college and he is very, very smart. But…sometimes not a lick of common sense. Bless his heart, he is so sweet. He worries about his Nana. He checks on me and works part-time at the college. Every Sunday morning at church he leans over and says “what’s for lunch, Nana?” Every evening when we get to church, he leans over and asks “what’s for dinner, Nana?” Never misses a time. The kid has a hollow leg.
Evan, the middle E has had a bad cough for two weeks and I have given him over-the-counter meds and they haven’t helped at all. Friday I called Megan, the school nurse, and she took him to the clinic. They couldn’t find anything wrong, so they ordered a chest x-ray. Ethan comes to me and asks, as seriously as can be, “Nana does Evan have tuberculosis?” How does Ethan even know what that is, was my first thought. No, Ethan, your brother does not have tuberculosis. Crazy kid.
One time when Ethan first started driving and hadn’t driven anywhere but Mansfield. They were all getting haircuts at Symber’s in Greenwood. I had him and the other two followed me over there. I had to be back in Mansfield at a certain time for a city council meeting. I told Ethan how to get back to Mansfield and told him “ya’ll will have to drive back on your own because I have to leave.” He assured me he could do it with no problem. I have my phone on silent during the meeting. It vibrates, so I look to see and it’s a message from Ethan “we are home now and everything is fine, I will tell you when you get home.” My mind is racing wondering what in the world could have happened between Greenwood and Mansfield. When I got home, the stories began. I got lost in the City of Greenwood. I mean completely lost. I have no clue where they were but Ella said they ran over a trash bag and they went to Springdale. I know they couldn’t have gone to Springdale, there was not enough time for all that. I will never know where all they went and how they got home. I’m not sure if they will keep me young or make me crazy.
This week’s recipe is from a sweet lady named Matilda Oxford. I got acquainted with her at the diet club that we attended in Hartford. The Hartford think thin, AKA, the fat farm. As you all can tell it works. We have had lots of laughs and good times over there. Matilda was an excellent cook.
QUICK JELLO SALAD 1 regular can of fruit cocktail 1 small box of Jello (any flavor you like) 1 cup of coconut 1 cup sour cream 1 cup miniature marshmallows 1 regular tub of Cool Whip Chopped nuts (optional) Add dry Jello to the fruit cocktail, mix well and let it set for 15 minutes. Add coconut, sour cream, and marshmallows. Fold in Cool Whip gently. Keep refrigerated. This is great for something quick, to take to a church dinner, or if company shows up unexpectedly! Enjoy and have a great week!
FAYETTEVILLE – Wooo Pig Weekend featuring a day full of Arkansas athletics is set for Saturday, April 15 on The Hill.
Football kicks off the day at noon with the Razorbacks’ spring game inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Just like on game days in the fall, HogTown – featuring live music, food trucks and more – will be open prior to the game in Lot 44 near Gate 14 on the north side of the stadium. Admission to the spring football game and HogTown will be free.
Sam Pittman’s squad begins spring practice on March 9 with five new assistant coaches on staff for Pittman’s fourth year at the helm. The Hogs are coming off their second straight bowl victory with a thrilling 55-53 triple overtime win over Kansas in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Team captain and quarterback KJ Jefferson returns for his senior season with numerous school records in his sight. Jefferson, offensive lineman Beaux Limmer and running back Raheim Sanders have already been named as some of the best players returning at their position in the SEC and nationally.
First pitch for the softball team at Bogle Park is set for 3 p.m. as the Razorbacks take on UAB in the second of a three-game series. Head Coach Courtney Deifel and her team open the season on Friday at the Rebel Kickoff in Las Vegas with a doubleheader against Weber State and UNLV. After back-to-back SEC titles and trips to NCAA Super Regionals, Arkansas enters the 2023 season ranked No. 6 in the ESPN/USA softball poll. Tickets for all three games against UAB are available by visiting arkansasrazorbacks.com or by calling the Razorback Ticket Center at 479.575.5151.
The Razorbacks and Tennessee square off at Baum-Walker Stadium at 6 p.m. to wrap up the day. The Hogs open Dave Van Horn’s 21st season as the head coach of his alma mater next weekend in Arlington, Texas as part of the College Baseball Showdown. No. 8 Arkansas opens against No. 19 Texas on Friday (Feb. 17) night at 7 p.m. before playing No. 18 TCU on Saturday and No. 9 Oklahoma State on Sunday. For more information on baseball tickets visit arkansasrazorbacks.com or call the Razorback Ticket Center at 479.575.5151.
The A Club’s annual spring reunion will also take place during Wooo Pig Weekend with details for A Club members to follow.
Wooo Pig Weekend Schedule
Noon – Football Spring Game (Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium)
3 p.m. – Softball vs. UAB (Bogle Park)
6 p.m. – Baseball vs. Tennessee (Baum-Walker Stadium)
Note to Our Readers:The following story was sourced directly from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Kyle Parkinson.
The Tigers Achieving Greatness (TAG) Program sponsored the EdMobile from Michigan to bring a large Planetarium to the old gymnasium on February 7, 2023.
Up to 90 people were allowed to enter the planetarium at one time. Shows and demonstrations to learn more about our solar system were held at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 4:25 p.m. This was an exciting experiential learning opportunity made possible by the generous grant from the Arkansas Department of Education DESE and Arkansas Out of School Network (AOSN).
The TAG program began one year ago for the Mansfield School District and continues to provide enrichment to the daily academic, social and emotional opportunities for all students. TAG has more than 175 students registered with an average attendance daily of more than 100 students. Gymnastics, dance, martial arts piano, guitar, ukelele and Z-Space are a few of the enrichment activities that occur. Z-Space is a new multi-dimensional technology resource that is also an exciting addition to this free learning experience every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Principal Josh Brown stated “TAG is a great extension of our school day where learning occurs in new ways. My children are excited to participate and talk about the activities frequently.” Lori Lamb, TAG Director encourages students to participate. “TAG truly focuses on helping students expand their potential and aptitude in learning daily. Our STEM, Health/PE and daily learning are making a big impact on our community!”
Lamb is working to offer swimming lessons through TAG summer school days, and in March will host “The Magic of Science” which shows many connections with Math and Science. Lamb went on to note that they will soon be implementing a TAG advisory council, and taking exciting full-day trips this summer for FUN FRIDAYS.
“I was once on the mission field in Brazil, now I have the privilege of serving again ten miles from my home,” shared Lamb. “Mansfield has always been special to me. I am blessed to get these opportunities of sharing my lifelong career here in Mansfield. It’s not about me, it’s about WE. We will work together to revitalize this growing community. Mansfield has much potential and continues to improve opportunities for our students. Thanks for responding. I LOVE being here”
