Arkansas Baseball 2011 Preview PAGE 1 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011
Vol. 105, NO. 20 UATRAV.COM
Schedule to Remain Unchanged by MATTIE QUINN Staff Writer
No spring break, classes lasting until June and Saturday classes are just a few of the rumors swirling around campus — all of which are untrue — after six days were missed because of the snow storms that hit Fayetteville at the beginning of the spring semester. “There is no snow day policy like K-12 schools have,” said Daniel Pugh, vice provost for student affairs and dean of students. “Our faculty have found ways to manage despite not having a snow day policy, and we are very lucky that faculty were able to communicate electronically with students. We have great faculty that can manage these days off. A couple of teachers did open up classrooms for Saturday classes, nothing mandatory, just a way for students to catch up.” Electronic communication was a valuable tool for some faculty members during the snow break. “I know a lot of the faculty did not feel as disconnected as they would have even five years ago because of all the technology there is now. All of this isn’t best-case scenario, but this all isn’t as shocking as it appears on face level,” said Ro DiBrezzo, Chair of Faculty Senate. “Most faculty members build a little wiggle room into their syllabus anyway. Every semester has a rhythm and the
worst part of all of this is honestly just that the rhythm of this semester was interrupted.” For students, interruption from the progress of the semester was the worst part of all the days missed. “The snow days, while fun, have really disrupted my rhythm this semester,” said ASG President Billy Fleming. “It’s been difficult to fully adjust to the spring semester when your classes have only met four or five times in four weeks,” Fleming said. Now that snow is melting and there is no sign of more snow to come, Pugh stressed the importance of staying calm about the semester ahead. “We would never delay graduation. Some students may have some readings or assignments over spring break, but that’s it,” Pugh said. If you haven’t heard from a teacher via email, reach out to them about how material is going to be covered now. We should all take a collective deep breath, because we will all get through this. At the end of the day, we are still at the beginning of this semester,” he said. As for those calls and texts telling students classes were canceled, Fleming hopes that the process of deciding that became more transparent this year. GARETH PATTERSON Staff Photographer “Conference calls take A UA staff member clears snow after a winter storm dumped approximately 15 inches of snow on campus. Officials said that despite missed place, and on those calls, we classes, spring break will not be canceled and graduation will not be delayed. see SNOW
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Education Issues Top ASG D.C. Trip by JORDAIN CARNEY Asst. News Editor
Five members of the ASG are going to Washington, D.C to lobby for education-based issues including research money and financial aid for students. “We have confirmed meetings with Womack, Ross, Pryor and Boozman,” said LaShunta Williams, director of student advocacy. They also have appointments with think tanks to help increase their understanding of higher education strategy. “It’s a mix of us lobbying, bolstering our relations with some of the groups that we work with that are there and coming up with through these think tanks a better strategy moving forward for us to pass on to groups coming after us about how to focus our efforts in a way we might not have,” Fleming said. “I think we did a pretty good job with it, but we might not be as in line with it as we should be.” “There’s a limited opportunity for us to really go after anything other than research money or other higher education earmarks that comes fed-
erally rather than statewide,” Fleming said. ASG members will also be discussing funding for Pell Grants and student loans. Year-round Pell Grants and in-school interest subsidy on Stafford loans for graduate students are both proposed cuts from President Barack Obama in the 2012 budget released Monday. They meet with members of the Arkansas alumni chapter and taking a tour of USA Today, which is the UA’s partner for the readership program. “They’re going to let us sit in on their editorial meeting,” Williams said. “While it’s not student advocacy related, it’s one of the fun things we get to do while we’re there.” The members of the ASG going on the trip are ASG President Billy Fleming, LaShunta Williams, director of student advocacy, Jacob White, Amanda Bandworth and Kelsey Kelton. The trip will last from Wednesday to Sunday. The ASG members will also be taking a student advocacy trip to Little Rock March 9-10.
WEDNESDAY, February 16, 2011 VOL. 105, NO. 20 UATRAV.COM
XpressMail Returns Amid Issues by SABA NASEEM Staff Writer
Information Technology Service workers restored XpressMail Monday in response to many complaints about the slowness of UA Mail, an IT technician said. “The main issue has been the UA Mail getting slow during the time of day when many users access the system around the same period of time,” said Walter Green, an IT technician. Students were glad to have XpressMail back, they said. “UA Mail wasn’t always working,” said Othman Boudhoum, a junior industrial engineering major. “Beside that, the options are not that clear on UA Mail.” For example, managing folders or looking for emails that were sent in the past is harder to figure out, he said. Senior international relations and Middle Eastern studies major Kelly O’Connor liked that Xpress Mail is less busy from a design standpoint, she said. “It’s simple, it’s easy to attach stuff, and I was just so used to it. There are too many things going on in the UA Mail I don’t like it at all,” she said. IT Services removed XpressMail because it was an “old, out -of-date mail system,” said Susan
see EMAIL on page 3
Fifty Cases of Flu Reported by SABA NASEEM Staff Writer
As the winter season brought in cold weather, snow and ice to the UA campus, the cold winds also blew in the seasonal viral disease-influenza. At least 50 cases of influenza were reported in the last month, a Pat Walker Health Center official said. Those numbers include only the cases that are confirmed by lab tests. “This is a lot for four weeks, but it is not abnormal,” said Mary Alice Serafini, executive director of the PWHC. “We can tell with these numbers that there are more people out there spreading the flu.” Influenza is a viral disease that can come in three different types: A, B and C. Type A is the most serious with the most acute symptoms and includes H1N1, more commonly known as swine flu. Type B is similar to Type A, although not as serious and Type C is the mildest, with symptoms similar to a cold. “There are far more than 50 cases of the flu, but those 50 are the only ones counted, primarily to see what parts of the state we are seeing the flu
WEATHER FORECAST
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BEN FLOWERS Staff Photographer With approximately 50 cases of influenza reported on campus during the last month, students are encouraged to practice good hygiene when coughing and sneezing to avoid spreading the illness. Students who feel sick should not attempt to attend class if they are contagious, officials said. in and for determining peak season,” said Ed Barham, public information officer for the Arkansas Department of Health. “We can never know exactly how many cases there are because many people simply stay home when they are sick.” Symptoms for the flu include headaches, fever, aching muscles and joints, coughing and fatigue. The flu is passed through the air
THURSDAY 68°
FRIDAY 63°
and infects the nose, throat or lungs. “We ask everybody to use good respiratory hygiene,” Serafini said. “People should frequently wash their hands, use tissues and shouldn’t share utensils.” Students have been getting sick, though it is a common cold as opposed to the flu, they said. “I was sick four days ago and had a terrible cough and a
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SUNDAY 62°
fever,” said Hannah Coffman, a junior psychology major. “My doctor said I didn’t seem to have the flu, just a bad cold when I saw her.” The number of flu cases is alarming, Serafini said. “The best way to prevent illness is full body wellness. Students need to eat healthy, take vitamins, remain active, drink
see FLU on page 3
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TUESDAY 52°