Lofty Goals page 10 PAGE 1 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2011
Vol. 105, NO. 18 UATRAV.COM
SNOW STORM HITS CAMPUS For continuing coverage, head to uatrav.com. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter @uatrav Report a power outage: Ozark Electric 1-800-521-6322. Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) 1-888-218-3919 Nicky Dzwonkiewicz Contributing Photographer Students braved the cold Wednesday morning to eat at Brough Commons. With between four and six inches of snow on top of one-quarter inch of ice, officials canceled classes.
SNOW, ICE COVER CAMPUS AND NWA REGION
SNOWBOUND STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DAYS OFF, CREWS WORK TO RESTORE SAFETY TO THE HILL by Nick DeMoss News Editor
The sound of snowplows scraping asphalt could be heard across campus Tuesday and Wednesday as crews worked to clear nearly five inches of snow that blanketed Northwest Arkansas early this week. Despite those efforts, the UA closed for business both days, giving students and nonessential staff their third and fourth snow days of the semester. Essential staff members, however, reported to work and kept students fed and warm. Brough Commons, Pomfret and the Northwest Quad all remained open to feed snow bound students, along with RZ’s coffee shop in the Arkansas Union and Club Red. UA students stayed mostly in their residence halls throughout the day, braving the sub-freezing temperatures only to eat, or for the most adventurous, to take advantage of the hilly campus for sledding.
Grace Gude Staff Photographer For Associated Student Government President Billy Fleming, the snow day was a mixed blessing. “It’s hard to complain about having time to sled or spend time with friends, but it does disrupt the rhythm of the
semester,” he said. Official response was effective and helpful for students, Fleming said. “I think what officials have been most concerned about is making sure everyone has enough warning that they can plan accordingly and nobody
has to come to campus when they don’t have to, so that people have ample time to get to places like Little Rock or Tulsa,” he said. UAPD and university relations officials could not be reached for comment.
Multicultural Inclusion Sought at UA
Diversity about More than Race for University Officials bySaba Naseem Staff Writer
More than 50 years ago, the University of Arkansas admitted one of the first African American students into the UA School of Law, marking its name as the “first public university since Reconstruction to admit an African American student for graduate or professional studies at an all-white Southern university,” according to the Arkansas History and Culture Encyclopedia. Silas Hunt left a legacy of possibility and inspiration for
Chi Alpha Ministry Bridges Campus Culture Gaps
colored people across the nation. Today, the UA is home to more than 20,000 students from all walks of life. While the UA is predominately Caucasian, the number of minority students has increased throughout the years, in an effort by the university to bring diversity to the campus. “As we continue increasing in our diversity, we are sending a message to the state that we support equal opportunity for the people of the state,” said Charles Robinson, vice provost
THURSDAY, February 3, 2011 VOL. 105, NO. 18 UATRAV.COM
for diversity at the UA. The total breakdown for the 2010 school year shows that of the 21,405 students enrolled, 508 are Asian, 1,128 are African American, 861 are Hispanic and “any other race”, 337 are American Indian or Alaska Native, 16,813 are Caucasian, 19 are Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1,163 are Non-Resident Alien, 461 are two or more races, and 115 are unknown, according to enrollment records. From the year 2009, there have been increases in almost all the categories. The num-
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ber of Asians has increased by 22, African Americans by 88, American Indians or Alaskan Natives by 6, Hispanics and “any other race” by 162, and people who identify themselves as two or more races has increased by 189 people. “We are more diverse than we have been in the past, but still need to expand our numbers,” Robinson said. “I think diversity is the effort to create a multicultural campus community in which all of the in-
see DIVERSITY on page 5
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Courtesy Photo Members of Chi Alpha ministries have been working international students to bridge cultural gaps. The motto for their Free Food Friday event is “No preachin’ or prayin’, just eatin’ and playin’.”
by Hailey Ray Staff Writer
The UA chapter of Chi Alpha Campus Ministries is connecting American and international students through a universal need — food. The group welcomes all university students to a “Free Food Friday” in the Chi Alpha house on the corner of Leverett Avenue and Douglas Street every Friday at 6 p.m., and as often as twice a month this event is held in conjunction with an international student organization. Chi Alpha networks with international students through student orientation, the Office of International Students and Scholars, the Spring International Language Center and by helping students with needs across campus. Staff members pick international students up from the airport, take them to Walmart, help them open bank accounts, find and furnish housing and cover many other important details as they transition to American life, said Tim Petty, who handles international
relations for Chi Alpha. Petty has even given driving lessons to international students, provided they first receive a driving permit. “I’m motivated from the heart,” Petty said, “to [help them] belong to a community that loves them in this new land.” As well as helping international students with their spoken English through conversation clubs, they help students keep in touch with their own cultures by showing them where various cultural stores are located. “Naturally, they become part of our lives,” Petty said. “They want to share their culture, and we offer our house to give them that opportunity.” The invited culture group helps prepare an authentic menu for its Free Food Friday, and is given the opportunity to share its customs and traditions
see CHI ALPHA on page 5