Mar. 30, 2011

Anderson Back Home page 10 PAGE 1 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Vol. 105, NO. 25 UATRAV.COM

Housing Struggles to Serve Disabled

UA campus complies with Americans with DisabilitiesAct, but many residence halls remain off-limits

by SABA NASEEM Staff Writer

Although residence halls at the UA are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, many that were built long before ADA remain inaccessible to students with disabilities.

The ADA is a federal law that recognizes and protects the civil rights of people with disabilities.

It addresses access to the workplace, state and local government services, places of public accommodation and commercial facilities and telecommunications. “ADA covers a wide range of disability, from physical conditions affecting mobility, stamina, sight, hearing and speech to conditions such as emotional illness and learning disorders,� according to the ADA website.

The law took effect in 1990 and does not apply to facilities built before the law. “If we could make every room handicap accessible, we would,� said Reggie Houser, assistant director of University Housing. “However, the decisions are never

solely in the hands of one department.�

Residence Halls such as Futrall, Gregson, Gibson, Buchanan-Droke and Gladson-Ripley have no elevators. “Futrall Hall is an extra special challenge,� Houser said. “The shaft for the elevator is built, but the elevator was cut out of the project.�

Housing has looked at the possibility of installing an elevator in Futrall, however, even if an elevator was added, the residence hall would not be completely accessible. “It has a mezzanine level, which means there are three steps to get to the actual office level, which means we’d have to also build a ramp,� he said.

Installing an elevator can cost anywhere from $250,000 to $260,000, he said.

University Housing is an auxiliary and receives money through rent and resident dining fees. “We feel that we need to be responsible to our students and when we consider renovations, we have to consider our resi-

dents,� he said.

The Associated Student Government and Residents’ Interhall Congress have both unanimously voted to pass a bill that supports handicap accessibility in Gibson, Gregson and Futrall Hall.

The bill was co-authored by sophomore James Ardis, who lived in Futrall Hall his freshman year. “I had a friend who had a chronic leg problem who was also living in the same dorm. At first it was okay, but as time went on, he couldn’t walk up the stairs,�

Ardis said. “He had to leave all his friends and move out to the other side of campus.�

Ardis presumed that facilities was low on funds, which is why they were not working on installing an elevator, but “housing renovated the entire basement of Futrall. The common room got new wood floors and they added a new theater room,� he said. “After that I knew that funds were available, they were just not being used for handicap accessibility.�

Every student should have access to every facility on campus,

Southern Methodist University student Pablo Aguilar stays after class to talk with psychology professor Robert Hampson. he said.

Housing staff may not have done everything students would like with regard to ADA accessibility, but they have made some renovations to make residence halls accessible.

In the 1990s, they made $1.2 to $1.5 million renovations to Holcombe Hall.

“We modified showers, widened the doorways and fixed the elevator,� Houser said.

The UA has approximately 4,200 rooms for students, of which 62 are ADA accessible.

These rooms provide 62 bed spaces: 12 in Duncan C and E, four in Humphreys Hall, six in Maple East, 13 in Maple South, nine in

COURTESY PHOTO

Maple West, 10 in the North West Quads, two in South Walton Hall and six in Yocum Hall. “We provide these special accommodations in the halls where the terrain is not as challenging,� said Florence Johnson, interim

see ADA on page 2

ASG Candidates Discuss Campaign Platforms President and Vice President

Kayln Williams and Afshar Sanati

President and Vice President

Presidential Candidate: Kalyn Williams, junior Hometown: Edmond, Okla.

Major: International Business and Economics Current ASG Position: Chief of Staff

Presidential Candidate: Michael Dodd, junior Hometown: Leawood, Kan. Major: Transportation and Logistics Current ASG Position: Chair of Ethics

Vice-Presidential Candidate: Afshar Sanati, sophomore Hometown: Little Rock, Ark. Major: Business Current ASG Position: Director of Athletic Relations

Vice-Presidential Candidate: Lauren Waldrip, junior Hometown: Moro, Ark. Major: Marketing and Advertising/Public Relations Current ASG Position: Senator

Platform Goals: t *NQMFNFOU .Z&EV XFCTJUF GPS QSPGFTTPS HSBEF IJTUPSZ TZMMBCJ EBUBCBTF TUVEFOU SFWJFXT of UA faculty t *NQMFNFOU 3B[PS 3FXBSET GPS "UIMFUJD 340 FWFOUT t *OTUBMM ĕMUFSFE XBUFS TUBUJPOT UP FYJTUJOH XBUFS GPVOUBJOT t "EE 4BGF 3JEF TIVUUMF GSPN %JDLTPO UP DBNQVT NBJOUBJO EJTQBUDI TFSWJDF t *OTUBMM (14 GPS 4BGF 3JEF 3B[PSCBDL USBOTJU t 1SPWJEF MFBEFSTIJQ TDIPMBSTIJQT UISPVHI "4( "MVNOJ "TTPDJBUJPO t 4PMJDJU PČ DBNQVT SFTUBVSBOUT UP BDDFQU 3B[PS#VDLT t &YQMPSF FTUBCMJTIJOH BMM (SFFL KVEJDJBM DPNNJUUFF t -FBE 4&$ EFMFHBUJPO UP 8BTIJOHUPO % $

Michael Dodd and Lauren Waldrip

Platform Goals: t 8PSL XJUI +VEJDJBM #PBSE BOE 1BU 8BMLFS UP QSPNPUF IFBMUI BOE TBGFUZ PG TUVEFOUT t *NQSPWF DBNQVT BOE %JDLTPO QBSLJOH QPMJDJFT XJUI B TUVEFOU T Ä•STU GPDVT t #SFBL EPXO DPNNVOJDBUJPO CBSSJFST GPS BMM TUVEFOUT t 1MBO B NPSF DPMMBCPSBUJWF FYDJUJOH )PNFDPNJOH t *NQSPWF TDIPPM TQJSJU UISPVHI 3B[PS 3FXBSET QSPHSBN t 8PSL UP JNQMFNFOU B NPOUIMZ QBZNFOU QMBO GPS QBSLJOH QFSNJUT t 0QQPTF UIF SFDFOUMZ TFU MJNJUT PO TUVEFOU QSJOUJOH t *ODSFBTF UIF OVNCFS PG QFQ SBMMJFT t *ODSFBTF WJTJCJMJUZ PG *OUFSOBUJPOBM &EVDBUJPO 8FFL BOE PUIFS *OUFSOBUJPOBM QSPHSBNNJOH t %FWFMPQ BO BE DBNQBJHO UIBU GPDVTFT PO UIF QIJMBOUISPQJD BDDPNQMJTINFOUT PG TUVEFOUT

Treasurer and Secretary

Austin Reid and Sydney Dunn

Treasurer and Secretary

Treasury Candidate: Austin Reid, junior Hometown: Broken Arrow, Okla.

Major: English Current ASG Position: Assistant to the Treasurer

Treasury Candidate: Matthew Bakke, sophomore Hometown: Bentonville, Ark. Major: Political Science and Business Current ASG Position: Senator

Secretarial Candidate: Sydney Dunn, junior Hometown: Rogers, Ark. Major: Marketing Current ASG Position: Director of Campus Safety

Secretarial Candidate: Emily Fitzgerald, junior Hometown: Colleyville, Texas Major: Advertising/Public Relations Current ASG Position: Senator

Emily Fitzgerald and Matthew Bakke

Treasury Platform Goals: t "TTJTU 340T JO GVOEJOH QSPDFTT t 3FGPSN 340 BMMPDBUJPOT QSPDFTT CZ DIBOHJOH UP FWFOU CZ FWFOU GVOEJOH SBUIFS UIBO GVOEing a semester in advance

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Secretarial Platform Goals: t 6TF TPDJBM NFEJB UP DPNNVOJDBUF JODSFBTF WJTJCJMJUZ PG "4( UISPVHIPVU DBNQVT t 3FTUSVDUVSF 'SFTI ) 0 ( 4 UP NPSF FÄŒFDUJWFMZ JOWPMWF GSFTINFO JO "4( t 1SPNPUF B CFUUFS SFMBUJPOTIJQ CFUXFFO UIF QSFTJEFOU BOE WJDF QSFTJEFOU XJUI TUVEFOUT

Secretarial Platform Goals: t *NQSPWF "4( BDDFTTJCJMJUZ t 3FWBNQ "4( GSFTINBO QSPHSBNT t *ODSFBTF DBNQVT JOWPMWFNFOU JO FMFDUJPOT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 VOL. 105, NO. 25 UATRAV.COM

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY 53°

THURSDAY 59°

FRIDAY 63°

SATURDAY 70°

SUNDAY 78°

MONDAY 58°

TUESDAY 62°

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 PAGE 2

ABOUT THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER The Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper at the University of Arkansas, is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring academic sessions except during exam periods and university holidays.

Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Traveler. The editor makes all final content decisions.

One copy of The Arkansas Traveler is free to every member of the UA community. Additional copies can be purchased for 50 cents each. Mail subscriptions for delivery within the continental United States can be purchased for $125.00 per semester. Contact the Traveler Business Manager to arrange.

CONTACT

119 Kimpel Hall University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 479.575.3406 [main] 479.575.3306 [fax] traveler@uark.edu

Call The Traveler

ADA from page 1 director of Housing. “Neither Buchanan-Droke nor GladsonRipley have any ADA bed spaces because these buildings are constructed along the side of a steep hill. The terrain would not make ADA accommodations logical.”

This summer, Housing is working on a $4.2 million renovation of the south end of Walton.

They will be adding three ADA accessible rooms, which will meet the new 2010 standards.

The Department of Justice made revisions to Title II, which deals with public institutions and Title III, which deals with nonprofit institutions that went into effect March 15, 2011 for all newly constructed and altered facilities. Full compliance with these new standards will be required one year later.

For facilities with at least 25 beds, these new regulations require that at least five percent of rooms must have clear floor space to accommodate mobility impairments and at least two percent of rooms must be designed to accommodate communication impairments.

For facilities with at least 50 beds, if common bathing facilities are provided, at least one shower with roll-in capabilities and a seat must be included, one for each gender if facilities are separate for men and women, kitchens in housing units or on floors containing accessible rooms must meet 2010 accessibility standards, and any housing unit with multiple bedrooms, one or more of which includes mobility features, must have an accessible route throughout the unit, according to the 2010 revisions.

Hotz Hall might be reopened as a residence hall and if that is the case, then it will be renovated to fit ADA regulations, Johnson said.

All residences on campus have a uniqueness to them and all students on campus should be able to share and experience that, Ardis said.

“It’s not fair to say a certain number of dorms are handicap accessible and therefore ADA standards are met,” he said.

“We are all part of the Razorback community and should all have the same rights.”

E-mail The Traveler

EDITORIAL LANA HAZEL

BAILEY ELISE MCBRIDE

Managing Editor for New Media 575-3226

Editor -in-Chief 575-8455 traveler@uark.edu

NICK DEMOSS

MILLE APPLETON

News Editor 575-3226 travnews@uark.edu

Managing Editor 575-7694 travmgr@uark.edu

JORDAIN CARNEY

LINDSEY PRUITT

Asst. News Editor

Features Editor 575-7540 travlife@uark.edu

ERIN ROBERTSON

Asst. Features Editor

JIMMY CARTER Sports Editor 575-7051 travsprt@uark.edu

SAMANTHA WILLIAMS

ZACH TURNER

Photo Editor

Opinion Editor

SARAH CHAMPAGNE

Asst. Sports Editor

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Circulation Manager travcirq@uark.edu

Sales Manager 575-3839 travad1@uark.edu

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Campus/Non-profit 575-7594 travad4@uark.edu

Local Advertising Sales 575-2223 travad2@uark.edu

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DESIGNERS KRISTEN MARY WEAVER News Designer

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CORRECTIONS The Arkansas Traveler strives for accuracy in its reporting and will correct all matters of fact. If you believe the paper has printed an error, please notify the editor at 575.8455 or at traveler@uark.edu.

CAMPUS NUMBERS NEED EMERGENCY HELP? CALL UAPD 575-2222

The women and men of the University of Arkansas Police Department, in partnership with the community, are committed to protecting the future of Arkansas by promoting a safe and secure environment.

HAVE A TICKET? CALL 575-7275 TO RESOLVE IT

The Transit and Parking office handles parking permits and passes and transit for students, including bus routes and GoLoco Ride Sharing. Students with parking violations can contact the office to appeal their citation.

NEED A RIDE AT NIGHT? CALL 575 - 7233

Otherwise known as 575-SAFE, the mission of the Safe Ride program is to provide students with a safe means of transportation from any uncomfortable or inconvenient situation. Safe Ride brings you home safely.

NEED TICKETS? CALL 1-800-982-4647

Don’t forget to call early and reserve your student football tickets for the 2010-2011 season. The ticket office is located on Razorback Road next to Baum Stadium.

PAGE 3

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

ASG Exec State Amends NWACC Appropriations Act, Campaigns Cuts Faculty and Counselor Positions Begin

by DELCIE KINCAID Staff Writer

A March 18 article in Northwest Arkansas Newspapers reported state agencies realigned 90 positions at NorthWest Arkansas Community College, however, documents obtained by the Traveler show 130 were realigned, which is more than 15 percent of the college’s allotted workforce.

The NWACC director of public relations, Mark Scott, provided the amended House Bill 1364 for the 2012 fiscal year when asked which positions had been realigned.

Scott said that 90 was an approximation.

“We arrived at that number by taking the amended House Bill and comparing it with the original,” he said.

After an investigation of NWACC by the Office of Personnel Management staff and a review by the Department of Higher Education staff, the agencies worked with the college to realign positions, Scott said.

The original version of HB1364, which appropriates positions, salaries and number of employees at NWACC for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, had increased the number of academic advisers from last year’s number of eight to 10, but the amended

version of the bill reduced this amount back to eight. This bill was amended before the legislature’s Personnel Subcommittee released it to the Joint Budget Committee.

The amendments increased the number of top administrative positions allotted to NWACC by 15, but diminished the financial impact of these new positions on the overall budget by reducing a number of positions that directly serve students, such as faculty, counselors and career planning/placement staff.

Although the amended bill reduced the number of administrative positions by 15, from 92 to 77, the cumulative maximum salary amount was nearly $100,000 higher than the original HB1364.

The amendments decreased the number of full-time faculty positions from 214 in the original version to 207 and the number of part-time faculty dipped from 544 to 513. The number of counselors decreased from 11 to five in the amended version.

The original version of House Bill 1364 increased the total of the salaries for top non-classified administrators by $953,277 above last year’s appropriations act, taking it from $5,802,474 to $6,755,751.

The amended version of HB1364, which has been re-

leased to the Joint Budget Committee by its Personnel Subcommittee, decreased the administrative salaries of the bill to a total of $5,894,997, an increase of $92,523 over the original appropriations act.

Comparisons of the original and amended HB also show that 19 top paying classified positions were added, mostly in the information and systems technology area.

A review of position group analysis reports provided by NWACC shows that many of the state positions allotted to the college by last year’s appropriations act were not aligned with the duties of the employees assigned to the positions.

The state position of chief student affairs officer, which has the NWACC title of vice president for college relations, held

by Adam Arroyos, is responsible for public relations, marketing, and projects for the president and board of trustees. His job description does not mention any processes related to student affairs, such as admissions, enrollment, financial aid or academic records.

The college’s organizational chart indicates that Arroyos supervises employees in the marketing and public relations departments, but does not show any supervisory relationships to

student affairs employees.

Arroyos was hired June 16 in the state title of division chairperson/dean with an NWACC title of executive dean for strategic initiatives. Two weeks after his hire, NWACC changed his state title to chief student affairs officer, which has a higher line item maximum salary of nearly $7,000. His NWACC title is listed as vice president of college relations as of March 18, according to NWACC’s position analysis.

The amended appropriations act shows the vice president of college relations as a new position for 2012.

Arroyos was hired at 21 percent over line item maximum, which schools are allowed to do if the candidate is exceptionally well-qualified, according to HB1414. Arroyos resume shows no higher education administration experience.

“ADHE does have standards that ensure general positions at universities are in line with each other,” ADHE communications coordinator Brandi Hinkle said in a March 22 interview.

Institutions do have latitude to fill their appropriated positions as they choose, Hinkle wrote in a March 28 email regarding the Arroyos position and hiring practices.

“We have to trust that the administration and trustees know

US Treasury Secretary Visits NWA

GRACE GUDE Staff Photographer United States Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner visited the NanoMech Factory and Laboratory in Springdale on Friday, March 25. Following his tour of the facility, Geithner released a new report detailing the economic benefits of PresidentBarack Obama’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget proposal to expand and make the Research and Experimentation tax credit permanent. The credits will benefit innovative companies like NanoMech, whose cutting-edge technologies have applications in advanced manufacturing, next generation lubricants and the electronics, military and biomedical industries. Products can be found under trademark names such as Tufftek, NanoGlide, nGuard and ElementX.

what is best for the school,” she said, adding that the board of trustees answers to the Governor.

Similar alignment discrepancies exist within the counselor positions, according to the position analysis.

The associate vice president for operations, James Hessler, has been assigned to one of the counselor positions by NWACC. His job duties include directing and overseeing campus functions such as construction projects, maintenance and security, according to documents retrieved from NWACC. The duties of a counselor are to serve as an academic advisor or personal counselor for students and oversee programs that respond to the needs of local communities.

Other positions NWACC is using as counselor are the associate vice president for global business and development, the director of budget and analytical service and the executive director of community and government relations.

The decrease in these key positions comes during a time when the college has seen significant increases in student enrollment. The Joint Budget Committee must approve HB1364 before it can move forward.

by JORDAIN CARNEY Asst. NewsEditor

Increasing student involvement and representing individual students are just two of the many things mentioned in the platforms for ASG Executive elections.

Official campaigning for ASG Executive Elections started at midnight Monday. Two people are running for each of the four positions: president, vice president, treasurer and secretary.

“Our platform is solely about serving the students and doing what is right,” said ASG Senator Michael Dodd, a candidate for president.

Dodd cares about each student as though they were his “best friend,” he said.

His strength as a leader comes from his ability to communicate across diverse groups, he said.

Kayln Williams, also a candidate for ASG president, said that she and vice-presidential candidate Afshar Sanati, were trying to represent as many students as possible with their platform.

Sydney Dunn, a candidate for secretary, wants to be a “link between students and administrators,” she said.

ASG should be a “study body that represents you,” said Emily Fitzgerald, an ASG senator and candidate for secretary.

Austin Reed, ASG’s assistant treasurer, and ASG Senator Mathew Backke, both candidates for treasurer, stressed being the voice of students on campus.

“The real pulse of this campus is the small events,” Reid said.

Voting for ASG executive elections is from April 4 through April 7; ASG election results will be announced Friday, April 8.

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

You can check out the Traveler online at uatrav.com or by scanning here:

PAGE 4 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

EDITOR: Bailey Elise McBride MANAGING EDITOR: Mille Appleton

FROM THE BOARD The Traveler editorial staff conducted 30-minute interviews with each ticket to determine who we believe will best serve the campus in the next year. After a careful review of those interviews, the candidate’s platforms and websites, we believe the ticket of Williams, Sanati, Dunn and Reid will best serve the campus in the next year.

Williams, Sanati For President/VP The power of our Associated Student Government does not come from student votes or the constitution; it comes from the ability of executives and senators to effectively negotiate with administrators. Because of their combined five years of experience, clear dedication to students and the groundwork they have established for a successful administration, the Traveler supports Kayln Williams for president and Afshar Sanati for vice president.

The Traveler editorial board believes that the previous conversations between Williams, Sanati and administrators across campus will allow them to hit the ground running on their goals and initiatives.

Williams’ role as chief of staff during the 2010-2011 school year has given her the skills needed to communicate effectively between members of the administration, executive cabinet and students, and Sanati’s proven ability to negotiate with administrators through his work with the athletic department in the last two years has been and will continue to be an important asset to the student body.

Though Williams and Sanati have a range of exciting proposals on their platform, of particular interest to the Traveler Editorial Board were their MyEdu initiative and plans to increase the productivity of the ASG senate.

MyEdu is a website that seems to be a more professional and wide-ranging version of Rate My Professor. At no cost to the university, the program would make available professor grade histories and student reviews to all students before they selected classes, and allow them to create a four-year plan of study.

After a year of minimal activity in the senate, Williams and Sanati’s plans to increase collaboration between senate members and executive cabinet members and suggestion of more opportunities for students to meet one-on-one with senators could also make for a more productive senate year.

More than just Williams and Sanati’s ideas on paper, however, the Traveler Editorial Board appreciated the professional demeanor and well-researched conversation that took place during our interview.

Every time we asked how a given program would be implemented, the pair had a thorough answer, informed by administrator and student input, and this level of preparation left our editorial board confident that Williams and Sanati will do the best job as ASG president and vice president.

Although Michael Dodd and Lauren Waldrip are highly involved across campus and have good ideas, their interview left us with some concerns. When asked about their best leadership quality, they both noted their extensive involvement. Though involvement is important, in the opinion of this board involvement does not equal strong leadership.

The board also felt that many of the items on Dodd and Waldrip’s campaign platform are not well researched, have already been done or are convoluted. Initiatives such as adding more bicycle stands and bringing Rolling with the Razorbacks to baseball have already been accomplished this year under President Billy Fleming and Vice President Emily Evans. Other platform items, such as “Allow for a forum to consistently analyze how someone might be discriminated against and where we need to draw the line,” left us extremely confused as to their intentions.

If Dodd and Waldrip had been working with the administration and current ASG execs more extensively, they would have realized the discrepancies in their platform. These inconsistencies are concerning because they indicate a potentially underdeveloped relationship with the administration. Because of their confidence, preparation and experience we must instead support Williams and Sanati.

Marcus Ferreira STAFF CARTOONIST

Dunn, Reid for Secretary/Treasurer After reviewing the platforms for ASG secretary and treasurer candidates, the Traveler has chosen to support Sydney Dunn and Austin Reid. Their platforms demonstrate a greater understanding of the functions of student government and the ways in which they can expand their roles as student leaders and improve the campus community.

Dunn, who is running for secretary, touts a broad range of experience from interning for a public relations firm in Washington D.C., and has worked directly with ASG as Director of Campus Safety. She has expressed a detailed plan that draws from universities like Texas A&M that will aid in “recruitment and cultivating knowledge of ASG and leadership involvement opportunities” for freshmen.

Additionally, she has put forth several fresh, new ideas that

could improve the visibility of ASG on campus. Dunn proposes a new Twitter account that would serve as a link between students and the administration. Students could directly contact ASG members in a more comfortable setting, and ideally receive timely responses to their questions and concerns.

The UA has seen unprecedented growth in recent years — an issue Dunn believes will take time to address.

Although she said adjusting to rapid growth is attainable, the challenges facing the university must be communicated to students.

While Dunn’s opponent, Emily Fitzgerald, shows a genuine desire to build upon her ASG career, we believe that Dunn is more qualified and has a better, more specific plan of action.

Although Fitzgerald claims her strongest attribute as a leader

is her outgoing personality, when asked why she did not submit any legislation in the past semester she revealed that she was too afraid to approach ASG President Billy Fleming for advice on writing a bill.

“I wasn’t just going to go up and ask Billy who knows the ins and outs of ASG,” she said. It is for this reason that we cannot support Fitzgerald for the position of secretary.

The role of treasurer is specifically important to students because it controls the funding of their involvement on campus through Registered Student Organizations. Both Reid and Matt Bakke have impressive resumes and the enthusiasm necessary for such a position, but Reid’s previous role as ASG assistant treasurer and secretarytreasurer of the Residents’ Interhall Congress make him the more qualified candidate.

Reid has already begun speaking with various administrators such as Chancellor Gearhart and officials from Florida State University to implement his plan for restructuring the funding process for RSO events.

Instead of having RSO’s submit a funding request a semester in advance, Reid proposes an event-by-event budget process that would allow RSO’s easier access to fund their events.

Bakke had several compelling ideas as well, but when pressed for specifics, he sometimes could not deliver. He advocates greater transparency but did not communicate how he would make the office of treasurer more transparent. Although Bakke and Fitzgerald do have a lot to offer, based on ASG experience and readiness to jump in from day one, we support Dunn and Reid.

Dodd,Waldrip Response To Traveler We are extremely disappointed that the Arkansas Traveler has chosen not to support the campaign of Michael Dodd and Lauren Waldrip, however, this has not deterred us from our goal.

It is our firm belief that these two students exemplify what is great about the University of Arkansas. It is misguided to say that they have been vague or anything less than on point.

They have numerous goals that they have already begun to work toward accomplishing.

These candidates’ platform is solid and clearly answers their plans for ASG. We believe that these candidates will be able to work well with every facet of the administration. Look at experience alone; you’ll be blown away.

Michael Dodd has served two terms on the Inter-Fraternity

Executive Council and worked with ASG for two and half years.

He has founded an RSO, grown organizations substantially and been successful as a leader in every one. He has been to Africa on a mission trip, fundraised more than $15,000 during various events, and is always a big part of the blood drive promotion on this campus. He is a man worthy to be called your president and your greatest friend.

His love for people and this campus is second to none.

Lauren Waldrip has been a huge part of the Razorback family forever, truly embodying what school spirit and dignity stand for. She’s got the mindset and the drive to make the event-planning tasks given to her overwhelmingly successful.

She always has a servant’s heart and a joyful spirit. These candi-

dates have proven track records of advocacy for the students here at the university. Just this past semester alone, Michael presented legislation that was later passed regarding medical amnesty for students. These candidates have taken up the causes of the students and made them their own.

When looking for accountability, one needs look no further than either of these individuals.

They uphold the highest standards that this campus promotes and stands for. From the beginning they stated that they wanted this campaign to be about what the students want and need and not about the politics. As representatives of the students to the administration and the entirety of the state of Arkansas, they would promote us both in a positive light and build a foundation for the future. Moreover,

they have been leaders within our campus.

As Associated Student Government president and vice president they would undoubtedly do a superb job as their records have shown and would be willing to do whatever is necessary to continue to meet the high standards that have been set forth by the students. What this university needs in leaders is more than just a politician.

That is why in this election we have placed our unyielding confidence in these two candidates and will continue to do so for the remainder of not only the campaign but for the remainder of our time here as a student.

We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to share our passion for ASG and serving students.

We are fortunate to have a voice on campus like The Traveler that cares so deeply about Student Government. It’s with this gratitude in mind that we would like to address the reasons given for not supporting our ticket. In the denial message from this paper you listed a lack of experience. This may be true on a strictly ASG level, but we bring a wealth of outside

knowledge to our respective positions from outside of ASG — a fact the student body has been relating to us that they appreciate. Emily’s experience as a new member educator in her sorority, coupled with her background in advertising and PR makes her a prime candidate for the voice of ASG to the campus. She understands how to communicate student governments activities to students- and wants to establish full transparency by creating a full directory of campus ser-

vices for students on the ASG website.

Matt was the former manager of Cold Stone Creamery and catering business, managing hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales as well as an entire crew of employees.

Through this experience he brings a deep background in planning and management to RSO Appropriations, a process he wants to revamp with an emphasis on event planning with RSO’s by creating a planning

committee, to help RSO’s with every aspect of the event planning process.

Having experience planning and executing events in his catering business with more than 5,000 people for companies like Wal-Mart, Frito Lay, Kellogs, and more — he is uniquely qualified for that role.

DEREK MOORE, BAILEY MOLL, & GRAHAM TALLEY Campaign Managers for Dodd/Waldrip

Bakke, Fitzgerald Response To Traveler

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR OPINION EDITOR NEWS EDITOR

Bailey Elise McBride Mille Appleton Samantha Williams

Nick DeMoss The Arkansas Traveler welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be at most 300 words and include your name, student classification and major or title with the university and a day-time telephone number for verification. Letters to the editor can be sent to traveler@uark.edu. Letters are edited for grammar and length, not content.

It would be an honor to serve you, MATT BAKKE AND EMILY

PAGE 5

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Growing Disabled Population Finds Help at CEA

by SABA NASEEM Staff Writer

The UA is home to more than 21,000 students of different races, ethnicities, genders and physical or emotional capabilities.

Of those, there are 876 registered students with disabilities, according to the Center for Educational Access’ Fall 2010 record.

They include 343 students with Attention Deficit Disorder, seven with Autism Spectrum Disorder, 25 with a hearing disability, 141 with a learning disability or disorder, 150 under the Medical/Chronic Health group, 28 with a mobility or orthopedic disorder, 95 with psychological or psychiatric conditions, six with traumatic brain injury, 21 with a visual disability and 60 with temporary conditions.

Those numbers include just primary conditions, said Anne Jannarone, director of the Center for Educational Access.

The number is expected to increase to approximately 1,100 by the end of spring semester, she said.

The Center for Educational Access staff help students with disabilities obtain the accommodations they need for equal access to classroom activity.

“We hire note takers, we have people who convert textbooks to Braille and we work with professors to make sure all accommodations with students are met,” Jannarone said.

The center is doing “well above minimum” to help out students, she said. When freshmen come on campus, they come to the center to register and employees make sure they get everything they need and more, she said.

Students with mobility, vision or hearing handicap are usually not seen on student tours, said Matt Hargis, associate director of the Office of Admissions.

“I don’t think we’ve seen a person in a wheelchair come for a tour in years,” he said. “However, we have had students come with parents in wheelchairs, and we usually just use a golf cart if that is the case to give them the best experience at the university.”

If a student with crutches were to come and wanted to go on the student tour, we would alter the tour routes to fit the needs of the student, he said.

As the number of handicap students continues to increase, so does the need for an accessible UA campus.

Associate Professor for Rehabilitation Education Brent Williams believes it is important that students realize that a disability has less to do with a person and more to do with the task, he said.

“Take, for example, Michael Phelps and Stephen Hawking,” he said. “When you ask them both to swim, Stephen Hawking will be the one with the disability. However, if you ask Michael Phelps to get in a Mini Cooper and drive it around, then he will be the one with the disability.

We all face times when we are disabled from doing a certain task.”

Williams, who has a genetic condition called retinitis pigmentosa that limits his vision, sometimes faces environmental barriers that limit where he can go and what he wants to do, he

Walkways Trouble Disabled at UA

by SABA NASEEM Staff Writer

As Renisha Rivers was applying for graduate school more than two months ago, she encountered an unforeseen problem—steep slopes and drainage holes.

She was heading towards the Stone House South off of Arkansas Avenue during her lunch break.

“When I got to the sidewalk, I was a bit worried because it was steep and didn’t seem to accessible, but it was the only way to go, so I went ahead,” she said. “I was going pretty fast and there was a drainage with holes the same size as my tires.”

Her wheelchair tires got stuck in the drainage and she was thrown off her wheelchair. She suffered scrapes on her hands and elbows.

“Thankfully, there were two men there to help me back into the chair. When I went in the building and told them about what happened, the first comment I received was ‘Well, we have never had anybody in a wheelchair come here before’,” she said. “That made me really mad.”

To this day, the sidewalk and stone grate obstacle remain the only way for a person in a wheelchair to get inside the building, however, Rivers has received notification that people are looking into the problem.

Rivers, a vocational rehabilitation counselor, was in a car accident her freshman year of college. She suffered a spinal chord injury and now uses a manual wheelchair for mobility.

Her experience at the UA is very limited, she said. Cracked sidewalks and ramps make it difficult for her to maneuver around, so she mostly stays in the Graduate Education building.

The problem lies in people’s attitudes, said Brent Williams, associate professor and program coordinator for the Rehabilitation Education and Research Program.

“When people are planning buildings, there are people that think along the lines of ‘those people’ or the ‘others’ and they have a begrudging attitude that ADA compliance is something they have to do,” he said.

The ADA is a federal law that recognizes and protects the civil rights of people with disabilities.

“If we look at campus from an aerial point of view, the first thing we will see is parking issues,” he said. “Accessible parking seems to be an afterthought.”

There are 12,757 parking spots on campus, of which 290 are accessible parking spots, said Andy Gilbride, education and instruction specialist for Transit Parking.

“It is not enough,” Rivers said.

“There have been days when I’ve had to miss class because I couldn’t find a parking spot. I would just have to sit around and wait for hours for a spot to clear.”

On top of parking, sidewalks, ramps and buildings are issues that need to be addressed, she said.

“There might be poles in the middle of sidewalks or cracks in the middle of ramps,” she said.

“These cracks can be very dangerous for a person in a manual wheelchair.”

With all the snow, freezing temperatures and changes in weather, cracks are bound to appear, said Jay Huneycutt, director of planning and capital programming at facilities management.

Sidewalks with cracks that affect accessible routes have been replaced. Although there are still deficiencies in creating a completely ADA accessible campus, facilities management has been working since the ADA went into effect in 1990.

“Fifteen years ago, we had a campus-wide ramp installation project and we went through fixing ramps in different locations,” he said. “We also made bathrooms handicap accessible in 15 buildings where there was not a handicap option previously.”

Campus Architect Larry Smith has devised a 10-year plan to make buildings on campus as accessible as possible, he said.

“Before I came to the university, there was a Campus Access Committee that went through all the buildings and reviewed them for deficiencies,” he said. “I made a transition plan to correct those deficiencies.”

He addressed many categories of accessibility work including accessible routes, ramps, stairs, doors, elevators, handrails, detectable warnings, hardware, toilets, drinking fountains, signage, visual alarms and assisted listening devices, he said.

“We’ve done millions of dollars worth of remodeling,” he said. “Not only have we been doing what is in the plans, but each time any building is remodeled, accessibility is met.”

However, not all buildings will be changed.

“The Agriculture Annex and the Academic Support Building are two buildings that are an accessible challenge because their entry levels are several steps above grade level and they have multiple floor levels inside,” Smith said.

Not all existing buildings are required to be made accessible, but all services, programs and activities are so in the case of nonaccessible buildings, the service, program or activity can be relocated to an accessible building to comply with requirements, he said.

Huneycutt and Smith are also in a group for a campus-wide ADA plan and are beginning the second phase.

They will be analyzing all the buildings, parking lots, sidewalks, transit system, residence halls and athletics facilities.

Architects working on the 25-year master plan for the UA will design buildings in compliance with the 2010 ADA regulations.

“We have a tight budget and may not be able to do everything we want, but we will make sure that building are within regulations of ADA,” Huneycutt said.

However, even though new buildings are “within regulations of ADA”, they are not necessarily accessible, said Brent Williams, associate professor of Rehabilitation Education.

“Take a look at the new bookstore. The elevator is located outside the building, in the parking garage. So if a student in a wheelchair wanted to shop for clothes on the first floor and then go up to buy a textbook, he or she would have to go out of the store to access the elevator,” he said.

“What has happened in the past is that students who did this have been stopped and accused of stealing, when they were actually just trying to get to the elevator.”

Williams was very upset this would be a problem in a new building, he said.

“The elevators are in a centralized location so they can be accessed by both people in the garage and the bookstore,” Huneycutt said. “It was a matter of trying to meet the requirement and meet the budget.”

The elevators are not the only problem that students have identified with the new bookstore.

Student Haley Scholes, who has a visual impairment condition, “has a hard time getting up the stairs,” she said. “It is very poor that in a brand new building, the stairs up to the second floor have no contrast at all. I have a really hard time getting up and down the stairs because they are not marked and I wish it was not that way.”

Bookstore Director Ali Sadeghi sees this as a problem that needs to be addressed as soon as possible, he said.

“I have not been aware of the problem that shoppers had been accused of stealing or about the stairs,” he said.

Sadeghi has a daughter who was in an accident a few years ago and paralyzed from the neck down and is “very sensitive to this issue” and sees it as very important, he said. He wants to talk to the students and walk the floor with them and with campus planning, so that the problem can be fixed as soon as possible.

“We want to be problem solvers, not problem creators,” he said.

said.

Although many students have identified the UA campus as “not very handicap accessible,” they are very appreciative of the accommodations by teachers, they said.

“All my professors are very understanding and do everything that is in my accommodations,” said Haley Scholes, a freshman business major. “They always have handouts or the work that we are doing ready for me in larger print if it is not online or on blackboard. The professors are very vocal so they always talk about the material and say what they are writing so that I can copy it.”

Scholes has retanopothy of prematurity and has no vision in her right eye and vision but no light perception in her left eye.

“The University of Arkansas is great in every area except being handicap accessible,” she said.

“None of the stairs or sidewalks are marked, which I think is poor. There are several cracks in the sidewalks where the concrete is uneven and I have no depth perception, so I am con-

stantly running over the parts of uneven sidewalk.”

Facilities Management staff is doing what they can to fix sidewalks that affect accessible routes, said Jay Huneycutt, director of planning and capital programming at Facilities Management. In a few cases a pressure grout has been used to lift the sidewalk if it has settled.

Scholes also wants to see improvement in certain computer labs and computer programs, she said.

“The math department labs are not so great. I don’t like the MyLabsPlus software, not only because it is all online, but also because I have a very hard time seeing it. I have to stick my nose up to the screen to be able to read it,” Scholes said. “I wish that the math lab would buy a software called ZoomText.”

When Scholes first decided to come to the UA, she didn’t really consider all the aspects of accessibility.

“I had a choice between the UA and the community college, and because I wanted to study business, I decided to come here,” she said. “Even to-

day, if I had known that I would encounter all these problems, I think I would still come because the business school is very good.”

When she did arrive on campus, she went through an orientation and mobility training and hired someone privately to help her.

“If I had known ahead of time that I would have difficulty here, I would have set up a meeting with people to see how they would fix it,” she said. “Right now, I try to deal with issues as they come up. If I find the right person, they are pretty responsive, but the problem is actually finding the right person.”

University staff has improved over the years in handicap accessibility, but still has progress to make.

“There is nothing we can do to make northwest Arkansas flat, but we can use what resources we have to make it the most accessible we can,” Jannarone said. “Before anything is designed or built, we can start by keeping a diverse group of people in mind.”

Disabilities Awareness Week is April 18 - 22 Students at the UA have come together to bring awareness to an issue that many have overlooked – students with disabilities and accessibility on campus.

“Sometimes people see a person with a disability and they just look the other way,” said James Ardis, a UA student involved in Disabilities Awareness Week. “The handicap community is part of our family and everybody needs to be able to understand that.”

Disabilities Awareness Week will be April 18 to April 22.

There will be two disability relays Tuesday and Wednesday that will focus on the experience of being in a wheelchair and focus on visual impairment, said George Turner, coordinator of Disabilities Awareness Week.

Students will get a chance to experience what it’s like to have a certain disability and this

will open up grounds for more understanding among them, he said.

The relays will be outside the Union. Following the relays, is a Speakers and Education Forum Thursday, for students to listen to people who experience disabilities everyday and for students to ask questions.

Turner wants to highlight the strength and capabilities of students with disabilities, he said.

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

You can check out the Traveler online at uatrav.com or by scanning here:

PAGE 6 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

EDITOR: Lindsey Pruitt MANAGING EDITOR: Erin Robertson

Zac Brown Band Students Walking for Change Expands from Bars Students Raise Awareness and Money for Multiple Sclerosis

to Mountains

by BRADY TACKETT Staff Writer

Courtesy Photo

Walkers raise awareness at a previous MS Walk. Registration for the Fayetteville MS Walk can be completed online through the Facebook fan page or at 9:00 a.m. in the HPER building on April 16. Participants can sign up as teams or as individual walkers. While there is no fee for registration, donations to the MS Walk are highly encouraged and appreciated.

by ANDREW VAN GENDEREN Staff Writer

The third annual Fayetteville MS Walk is scheduled for April 16, and the projected turnout appears to be the largest in the event’s history. The goal of the MS walk is to raise money for multiple sclerosis research, a debilitating, progressive and currently uncured disease of the nervous system.

“Our goal this year is to make the walk as public as possible,” said sophomore Jordan Carr, president of Students Supporting Multiple Sclerosis Research. “In past years it has been successful, but not as big as we wanted it to be. We hope to change that.”

This year’s event will feature not only a one-mile walk, but a 5K race as well.

The Razorback cross country team has volunteered to lead the way on the latter event, Carr said. The walk route will wind through the University Gardens, while the 5K portion will encircle the UA campus and parts of downtown Fayetteville.

“The more people know about multiple sclerosis, the better,” Carr said. “The ultimate goal is to find a cure for MS. Raising money and raising awareness are the only ways we can achieve that.”

UA graduate Shannon Blackwell will be participating in the MS walk for the third year in a row.

“I expect this one to be even better than the others,” she said. “That is how they have been every year, and I expect nothing different this year.”

Blackwell believes in the walk’s cause so much that she is commuting all the way from Tulsa to participate. “Regardless of whether I am a student or not, I

will still be there,” she said.

Carr, an Air Force ROTC cadet majoring in criminal justice, has deeply personal reasons for taking the reins of this year’s walk. Wes Carr, Jordan’s older brother, held the first ever event in Fayetteville in 2009 after their mother, Jan, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

The diagnosis was particularly shocking to the family since Jan was a triathlete and a lifelong fitness enthusiast.

“Normal people have MS, and can get it, and do,” Carr said.

According to the National MS Society, the disease affects twice as many women as men. Caucasians of northern European ancestry are particularly prone to the disease, although it affects people of all ethnic backgrounds. About 2.5 million people worldwide have MS, and 400,000 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with it.

“Once you know one person with MS, you can immediately sympathize with anybody else who has it,” Carr said.

The effects of MS are devastating, and can have rapid onset. According to the National MS Society, symptoms can include blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis and blindness.

MS is in no way a contagious disease, but scientists think it is genetically inherited.

MS comes in two varieties: progressive and recessive. Progressive MS marches mercilessly through different parts of the brain and nervous system, methodically damaging and disabling the patient’s body with a linear regularity. Unless prescribed medication – which can

reduce, but not reverse the effects of MS - the disease will continue to worsen. In rare cases, if left undiagnosed, the disease can be fatal.

Recessive MS behaves differently, flaring up in short spurts of weeks or months and leaving the patient temporarily very weak, sometimes helplessly so. Carr, who has been around many MS patients, said the effect of this type of MS was similar to that of “having a really bad flu for an entire month.”

While treatments exist to treat MS and alleviate some of its immediate symptoms, no cure exists that can reverse the effects of the disease or prevent its acquisition.

“It’s a hard thing to track down,” Carr said. “If we even knew the cause, it would be easier to find a cure.”

He said that seeing others who had to live with the reality of multiple sclerosis was a very humbling experience. “It makes you sensitive to the fact that you take a lot of things for granted in your own life when you see them taken away from someone else,” Carr said.

The result was the creation of an event that, in the last two years, has raised more than $41,000 for the National MS Society. “You come to a choice,” Carr said. “You ask yourself, ‘Am I going to do something about this, or just hope that others will?’”

Registration for the walk can be completed online through the Facebook fan page, “Walk MS/5K Fayetteville,” or at 9:00 a.m. in the HPER building on April 16. Participants can sign up as teams or as individual walkers. While there is no fee for registration, donations to the MS Walk are highly encouraged and appreciated.

Neil Berg Shows Off 100 Years of Broadway

Courtesy Photo

Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway cast will perform at the Walton Arts Center March 29 through April 2 Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m.

Grammy Award-winning country breakthrough artists from Zac Brown Band sold out George’s Majestic Lounge in 2009, but that was before a barrage of Grammy nominations, and before their second major-record album, “You Get What You Give,” conquered Billboard.

When they return to Arkansas Friday, April 15, they won’t be gracing George’s, where so many other country acts have boot-scuffed its stage. The venue can no longer hold the modern country stars, who will instead perform a special show at Mulberry Mountain.

Who could have guessed that Mulberry Mountain, a vast stretch of land outside Ozark, a town about an hour south of Fayetteville, would slowly become the state’s hottest outdoor venue? For the past few years, festivals like Wakarusa and Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Festival have brought thousands to an otherwise quiet river valley.

The venue rarely hosts concerts for a single artist – for Zac Brown Band, Mulberry made an exception.

Their ascent was a swift one, (bandleader Zac Brown called it “a violent growth”) and it followed 13 years of bar band anonymity. Now the group is a high-dollar headliner, and Brown is the curator of a food and music festival in Clemson, S.C. – you’d be forgiven for doubting him when he sings, “no, we don’t have a

lot of money,” in the 2010 hit, “Free.”

The attention has certainly afforded Zac Brown Band a slicker sound – the band’s trademark has always been its glorious harmonies (ZBB won Best Country Collaboration with Vocals this year for “As She’s Walking Away,” a moving Alan Jackson duet) and, they sound even better on the decidedly hi-fi “You Give What You Get.” Every band claims their music is “unclassifiable,” as if their melodies and rhythms were channeled from some mystic beyond, as if their songs have no precedent. The Zac Brown website makes the same claim, but actually quite the opposite is true. The breadth of influences – southern rockabilly, folk, country and, sometimes, hints of reggae or metal – makes for the band’s delightfully nuanced sound.

If the fame has brought the band a louder, more commercial sound, perhaps it’s strengthened their whitecollar pride. Zac Brown Band revels in simplicity. “Toes” finds the singer with a cold beer, his “toes in the water” and his “ass in the sand.”

In “I Play the Road,” the band yearns to come home from a long tour. (This song soundtracked a recent NASCAR commercial) But unlike most modern country acts, Zac Brown never swings from fleshly pleasures to contrived sentimentality. Each song is a pocket of sunny gratitude, and this is their strength.

IF YOU GO:

Zac Brown Band will perform at Mulberry Mountain on Friday, April 15. Tickets start at $39.50, and can be purchased by calling 785-749-3434.

Local Restaurant Introduces Musical Perks

by ANDREW VAN GENDEREN Staff Writer

At 6:15 on Monday evenings, band members trickle into The Perk on Wedington Drive.

They come from all areas of the country and all different backgrounds, ranging in age from as young as 15 to as old as 75.

Most of them know the barista behind the counter by name and greet him with a warm hello.

Within five minutes, they have brought in amplifiers, six microphones, a keyboard, three guitars, an electric bass and a banjo. What they do not have, however, is sheet music.

“I play the bass and the guitar, and I can sing,” said UA sophomore Stephanie Petet, who has been a part of this jam group for two and a half years now.

“Of course there are the regular people that always come, but sometimes there are new people, and it is great when you get to play with them.”

The rules of the group are simple. First, show up with your own instrument. Second, be willing to play it with gusto.

Skill here matters less than enthusiasm and a willingness to try new things. The purpose of

the group is to hold regular jam sessions as an outlet for a week’s worth of pent-up musical creativity. They are not classically trained musicians, but they are musical purists nonetheless.

They are innovators, improvisers, masters of the impromptu.

“It is a great place to learn,” Petet said. As she spoke, a man behind her struck a badly fretted chord, and discussed ways to correct it with the bass player, who offered advice.

Cory Hart, a former NWACC student who is now raising her teenage children, finds time every week to play with the group.

“Some people come in and they are shy, but the next thing you know they are playing on their own,” she said. “They have confidence now.”

Pat Hall, who studied at North Texas in his college years, heard of the group by word of mouth. He is now a regular guitarist in the band.

“I had a couple of bands that played here [in The Perk], and I saw the fliers for this,” Hall said.

The group is known to meet at various places around Fayetteville, including the Pig-NWhistle, but meets at The Perk

see MUSICAL PERKS on page 8

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 PAGE 7

Red Hill Gallery Opens Doors to Fayetteville Art Lovers

PROFILES FROM THE HILL A Conversation with Brady Cox

by KRISTEN CAPPOLA Staff Writer

Brady Cox is a professor with Civil Engineering. He came to the UA almost five years ago after finishing graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin. One of the expert faculty on campus, Cox specializes in earthquake impact on engineered buildings.

Q: Why did you choose to come to the UA? A: They contacted me when I was in graduate school about coming up here and applying for a position. I knew that there was an earthquake seismic zone in the state that was under-researched, so I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to come up here and work on some earthquake research.

Emily Potts STAFF WRITER

Red Hill Gallery and Homewares features original paintings and art work from local artists, antiques, repurposed housewares and stylish gifts.

by EMILY POTTS Staff Writer

With local artwork, oneof-a-kind home décor and vintage clothing and jewelry to creativity-loving customers, Red Hill Gallery and Homewares is making its mark among art-inspired locals.

Decorative pillows, intricate jewelry and swirls of paint on large canvases decorate the walls of Red Hill Gallery. Located in a small strip mall on North College Avenue between Lafayette and Maple Street, Red Hill has been celebrated by shoppers since its grand opening Nov. 18.

Owners Cari Humphry and Shannon Peters, both UA graduates, first opened the store to share their love of art with the public.

“Cari and I opened Red Hill mainly to have a place to showcase local original artwork, but also to sell things that we both love and think are things other people would love, but can’t find anywhere else,” Peters said.

“We sell original and reproduction artwork from several local artists. Cari and I would much rather have an original piece or print from someone we know instead of going to a store and getting something that people

already have,” she said.

The Red Hill owners not only enjoy featuring local artists, but also try to make art affordable.

“A lot of people think that art is too expensive, and we try to make it affordable for people. Everything in our store is well priced,” Peters said.

With a steady stream of customers, Red Hill caters to everyone and greets up to 30 customers on a Saturday, a good number for a new gallery, she said.

As well as supporting local artists, Red Hill sells handcrafted pottery, jewelry, soaps and textiles. Embroi-

dered tea towels, vintage candles and other unique treasures entice guests to investigate each piece for sale.

“We have fun vintage finds and some inventory that is just because we like it,” she said.

Items like quilts, remodeled furniture and metal letters give the shop a uniquely vintage feel, setting it aside from other local home décor businesses.

“I love all the hand painted farm animals they have for sale. They are the perfect store for a farmhouse style.

see RED HILL on page 8

Q: The buildings in Japan were built to withstand earthquakes, so why is it such a disaster?

A: Many buildings in Japan were designed by the Japanese code. The codes in Japan and the codes in the United States are some of the best building codes in the world. That doesn’t mean, though, that everything will be just fine and dandy when an earthquake happens, because sometimes things happen that surprise us. What’s going on with the nuclear power plant, for example, is a surprise, because nuclear power plants in particular are very scrutinized when they are designed and constructed, especially in seismic areas. They go through the most rigorous seismic design that you could imagine.

When one of those is damaged and something happens to a nuclear power plant, then obviously something happened that wasn’t considered in the seismic design of that structure.

Q: What exactly happened with the nuclear power plants in Japan?

A: What started the disaster in terms of what happened with the

nuclear power plants was not anything structural as far as anything collapsed when the ground shook.

It was a direct result of the tsunami that came in and knocked out the power to the power plant.

They couldn’t get power and their backup system failed for some reason. I’ve heard various reports of what happened, and I don’t know what’s true and what’s not true. The primary system failed; the secondary system failed. After that, then it led to this cascading type of failure. We call those secondary effects. In earthquakes you have primary effects, which are strong ground shaking, which causes things to fall down, and then there are secondary effects, like tsunamis and landslides and other things, which are caused by the earthquake, and they do more damage.

Q: Did you research the earthquake a few weeks ago that was in Arkansas?

A: A little bit. I usually don’t get involved until the earthquakes start to get pretty big, maybe over 6.0 or something like that. That’s usually because with earthquakes smaller than that, often times you don’t see a lot of damage to engineered structures. Engineers usually focus on earthquakes that cause damage. That earthquake did cause a little bit of damage, but it was what we call non-structural damage to some buildings that were right over the epicenter of the earthquake.

Q: What’s something you find interesting concerning Arkansas and it’s proximity to the New Madrid Fault?

A: There are areas of the state that [have high seismic activity.]

We have bulls eye over the corner of the state and our design ground motions are every bit as high as the coast of California. We have a real seismic hazard in part of our state. There are counties that have passed laws that say we don’t have to follow the building code, and I think that’s a very dangerous thing to do.

PAGE 8

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Fayetteville Well-Equipped for Target Shooting and Paintball

by ALEKSANDR HALL

Contributing Writer

With warm weather on the way and summer approaching, students will look to a variety of outdoor activities for entertainment and relaxation. Paintball and target shooting are two hobbies that have become more popular in the last few years due to an increase in gun enthusiasm.

UA student Adam Bergan described paintball as an adrenaline rush.

“I think that the equipment involved and the way that you engage and mark other players really sets it apart from other sports,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed paintball as a team sport, and preferred to play tournaments on speedball and air ball fields. That style of play for me specifically, and paintball as a whole, offers a non-stop tactical challenge.”

Paintball has been around since the early 1980s, and since then its popularity has grown steadily. Although it is classified as an “extreme” sport, it can still be a fun way to get out and enjoy the day with friends. The tools of the trade include a paintball

marker, safety mask, a tank of carbon dioxide or compressed air and, of course, paintballs. The objective is to expel a paintball at an average velocity of 280 feet per second towards the opponent.

It’s basically like a game of tag.

Once you are hit with a paintball, you’re out of the game. The manner in which a round takes place is dependent upon the field or course of play.

Some are dense with cover, while others have a lot of open areas.

For those interested in paintball, Wild World Paintball in Springdale is known as the only regulation x-ball field within 50 miles in any direction, according to Wild World’s website.

“It’s the only place to play paintball within an hour and a half drive north, south,

Courtesy Photo

The Perk, a coffee shop known for fresh ingredients and an indie vibe, hosts a variety of local musical flavor every Monday night at 6:30 p.m.

east or west,” said Ashton Cave, an employee from Wild World.

They offer seven different fields to play on, and are open Monday through Friday by appointment, Saturday from 10 a.m. until the last person leaves,

and Sunday from 1 p.m. until the last person leaves. They also rent safety equipment, markers and paintballs.

Wondering how bad a paintball hurts?

“It’s about the equivalent of a wet towel snap,” Cave said.

But don’t let that be a deterrent. “Try something dif-

ferent, give it a shot. Tenyear-old kids play it and we get people that are always nervous their first time, but after the first round they come back and are like, ‘Oh well that was actually really fun,’” Cave said.

Several locations around Fayetteville supply paintball equip-

ner of Wedington Street and Rupple Road. Other locations that offer paintball equipment are Walmart and Academy Sports.

For those that prefer shooting a real gun, there are several shooting ranges that teach how to safely use a firearm.

“I think the ability to safely and effectively use firearms is important for all individuals,” said UA student and gun enthusiast Nathan Del Rio. “Shooting is like many other skills, continual practice is necessary for maintaining and improving.”

The safe use of firearms is always stressed, but students can also enjoy it as a sport.

“It is a great way to get out and relax,” Del Rio said.

O z a r k Gun Shop in Springdale offers more than 1000 new and used firearms Photo Illustration by: Leah Young in stock for sale or ment. B&E Paintball Suptrade. They also carry plies is a local shop dedicated ammunition, supplies, gear to paintball gear, equipment and accessories. A few other and supplies. They’ve re- suggested gun shops include cently relocated to the cor- Ozark Sportsman’s Supply in

from MUSICAL PERKS on page 6

from RED HILL on page 7

every Monday at 6:30 p.m. to play. All newcomers are welcome and encouraged.

As the spring-like twilight sank deeper into purple hues, the band tuned up, tossed around ideas for a first song and toyed with adjustments to their instruments.

“What kind of a sustained organ sound do you have on your keyboard?” one band member asked another.

After an hour of listening to the jam group, one patron in the restaurant struck up conversation with Hall, and soon found himself being recruited to join the band. The fact that he did not have his instrument with him did nothing to dissuade the beckoning band members.

“So go get that guitar of yours!” Hall said heartily. “We’re going to be here until nine; I don’t know what you’re waiting for. I mean, do you want one of us to play really badly so you feel like you can join in?”

Lots of gorgeous vintage finds like wire baskets and adorable artwork. The owners are as sweet as can be too,” said Erika Dotson, a local photographer.

The gallery offers up a little bit of everything, from items that are known to sell to finds that the owners like and want to feature.

“Red Hill has the perfect mix of local handmade and

found vintage items. There is always something new when I visit, and the owners Cari and Shannon are great,” said customer Laurie Marshall.

Created by locals for locals, Peters and Humphry feel that their store is “a little bit eclectic, homey and a fresh take on a lot of vintage stuff.”

Pursuing a love of art and design while changing the often-overlooked fun of visiting the art showroom,

Springdale and Strum’s Indoor Gun Range.

Whether you are marking your friends with a paintball, or penetrating targets at the firing range, there is no shortage of recreation locally.

“The right to bare arms is a right Americans should not take for granted,” Del Rio said.

A few shooting ranges to consider are...

Bella Vista Property Owners Association Highlands Gun Range Features a 100 yard rifle range, and a 50 yard pistol range About 40 miles from campus Hobbs State Park Conservation Area Shooting Range Features 25, 50, 75, 100 yard target stand with covered shooting benches About 34 miles from campus Sturm’s Indoor Gun Range Features a 25 yard pistol range $10 lane rental $5 firearms rentals About 12 miles from campus

both owners strive to make gallery shopping less formal and more interesting.

For many, art galleries can be unapproachable because of high costs and an upperclass customer base.

“Galleries in general can be intimidating, but our shop is not like that. The artwork is really fun stuff, and the store is affordable and accessible.

The other inventory is just not what you’ll find in most stores. It’s a fun place,” Peters said.

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

You can check out the Traveler online at uatrav.com or by scanning here:

PAGE 9 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Comics, Games, & Much Much More!

WORD SEARCH

SUDOKU

THEME: DAYS OF THE WEEK S A C D Y

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THIS WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

LAUGH IT UP Q: What’s yellow and can’t swim?

A: A bulldozer.

Q: What’s brown and sounds like a bell?

A: Dung.

THAT MONKEY TUNE Michael A. Kandalaft

WONDERMARK David Malki!

BREWSTER ROCKIT Tim Rickard

CALAMITIES OF NATURE Tony Piro

CROSSWORD ACROSS

1 Poker Flat chronicler Harte 5 Syrup brand 9 Scatter 14 Plane opening?

15 Farsi-speaking republic 16 Sports venue 17 Where sea meets sand 19 Like most attics 20 Mob enforcer 21 Gp. concerned with fluoride safety 23 Links elevator?

24 Old Great Lakes natives 25 Behind-the-scenes worker 28 Christmas mo.

29 Water temperature gauge?

31 Pro vote 32 USPS carrier’s assignment 33 Words of sympathy 35 Potato cutter 37 Light controller—either of its first two words can precede either part of 17-, 25-, 51- and 61-Across 40 Flora eaters, perhaps 42 Brief and forceful 43 Pilot’s no.

44 Toothed tool 47 Unused 48 Rock guitarist’s aid 51 Distract 54 Spring time 56 Place for a pint 57 Place for a cup 58 Anatomical ring 59 Steppes native 61 Sentry’s job 63 Carrying a lot of weight 64 Cold capital?

65 Largest continent 66 Used hip boots 67 Feat 68 Winemaking waste

DOWN

1 Lambasted 2 Put to work again 3 Titillating 4 Singer with the Mel-Tones 5 Brick baker 6 George W.’s first press secretary 7 Attacked with clubs and such 8 In the future 9 Glum 10 Liar’s undoing 11 Fact-finding process 12 Understanding between nations 13 Method 18 It stretches from Maine to Florida 22 Make better, as cheddar 25 Lord’s laborer 26 Falling object’s direction 27 __ Spiegel: German magazine 30 Stumblebum 33 Roadside rest stop 34 Clairvoyance, briefly 36 Like many a slick road 37 Passé 38 Lash flash?

39 Suffix with cord 40 Scale fourths 41 Fictional Arabic woodcutter 45 Wall St. hedger 46 Ares or Mars 48 Stimulate 49 Uncle __: Berle nickname 50 Western dry lakes 52 How to turn something into nothing?

53 Effect’s partner 55 Go by bike 58 Youngest to reach 500 HRs 59 Auto club offering 60 What mad people see?

62 Pint contents

SOLUTION

Crossword by MCT Campus

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

You can check out the Traveler online at uatrav.com or by scanning here:

SPORTS EDITOR: Jimmy Carter ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: Zach Turner

PAGE 10 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Hire Provides Hope for Fans Extra Points

Long Journey Leads Anderson Home

BASKETBALL

JIMMY CARTER jicarter@uark.edu

The odds of Mike Anderson returning to coach at Arkansas seemed slimmer nine years ago than a 2011 VCU Final Four run.

Anyone who put money on either thing occurring is having an awesome week.

Anderson is back at a place he calls home, a place he spent 17 years at while winning a national title and going to three Final Fours as Nolan Richardson’s head assistant.

He was clearly happy to be back. He called it coming home and talked about it being a dream.

Home was one of the buzz words at his introductory press conference Saturday. The other was winning.

“I’m used to seeing every seat (in Bud Walton Arena) filled,” Anderson said. “I’m used to seeing officials have to cover their ears because it’s so loud in here. I’m used to winning. How about that?”

Anderson plans on winning with his up-tempo brand of basketball dubbed the “Fastest 40 Minutes In Basketball.” He called it a fun, exciting, style of play that picks opponents up “when they get off the damn bus.”

“More importantly, we’re going to play winning basketball,” Anderson said.

He won at Missouri and UAB with that style.

Anderson then started talking about the style of players he wanted. He mentioned the importance of character, something Hog fans should value after the off-court issues in the John Pelphrey era.

The next thing on his recruiting checklist wasn’t surprising.

“In recruiting, we want to get the best guys that fit our system,” Anderson said. “I like winners.

see HOPE on page 11

JONATHAN GIBSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Mike Anderson returns to Arkansas after leading Missouri to a 111-56 record in five seasons, including a 31-7 record and Elite Eight appearance in 2009.

by JIMMY CARTER Sports Editor

New Arkansas head basketball coach Mike Anderson took an unexpected route to getting his dream job.

Most coaches wouldn’t want to return to a school where their mentor and boss was fired. Most coaches wouldn’t have the opportunity.

“I think it says in the good book that sometimes one window closes and another opens up,” Anderson said.

Anderson was former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson’s head assistant for 17 seasons, helping lead the Razorbacks during the most successful stretch in school history. The Hogs went to three Final Fours, won the 1994 national championship and were the winningest program in college

BASEBALL

Hogs Struggle in Conference Play

by PATRICK GRINNAN Staff Writer

No. 13 Arkansas has dominated nonconference opponents this season, going 14-2 and winning by a margin of 67 runs.

Early Southeastern Conference play has been a different story.

The Diamond Hogs have won the first game in both SEC series, but that’s it. The Razorbacks(19-5, 2-4 SEC) lost three-game series to Auburn and Vanderbilt.

After the series-opening win against Vanderbilt, Arkansas’ bats went cold.

The Razorbacks were able to bat in only four runs in three games.

The Hogs stranded runners in scoring positiong multiple times throughout both SEC series. In the two losses to Vandy, the Hogs converted only two runs on nine hits.

“We had runners in scoring position and we didn’t do a very good job,” Van Horn said. “If you get one pitch with bases loaded, one out, you’re down 2-0, you better hit it, don’t foul it off. And you can’t chase, I thought we chased.

“Instead of umpiring, I’d rather have them swing.

I felt like our guys tried to umpire.”

The Razorbacks are lacking in production in the middle of the batting order, Van Horn said.

“The middle of the order has been nonexistent,”

Van Horn said. “That’s four games in a row that we have no middle of the batting order. The end of the order chips away and gets on a little bit and the top of the order is getting on base, but the middle

basketball from 1990-95.

Arkansas was one of the most feared programs in the nation, pressuring opponents with its trademark “40 Minutes of Hell” system.

The success tapered off in the late 90s and early last decade, until Richardson famously said the university could pay him his money and he would leave after a 71-58 loss at Kentucky. Less than one

week later, Richardson was fired.

Anderson went 1-1 as the interim coach to finish the season.

He interviewed for the job, but wasn’t seriously considered, leading him to take the Alabama-Birmingham head coaching job in his hometown.

“Sometimes journeys take on a mind of their own,” Anderson said Saturday in his introductory press conference. “I don’t think

it’s me, I think it’s just the good Lord working in me. In 2002, you all know the date and what took place. The University (of Arkansas) did what it had to do and Mike Anderson did what he had to do.”

The relationship between the coaching staff and university seemed irreparably severed, though. Richardson filed a lawsuit against Arkansas, which was dis-

by JIMMY CARTER

for 17 years.

He had to get to work on retaining the highly-touted recruiting class former coach John Pelphrey inked in November.

The class, ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation by Scout.com, is comprised of five signees. An-

derson contacted each of the recruits in person or on the phone and said he was confident they would remain committed to the Razorbacks.

“Oh, absolutely,” Anderson said when asked if he thought he would retain all five signees.

Sports Editor

New Arkansas head basketball coach Mike Anderson didn’t have the luxury of soaking in the moment of his return to the school where he was an assistant

see SIGNEES on page 12

Five Things to Watch in Spring Practice Old-Fashioned 3-point Play

Sewell-Thomas Field, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

ZACH TURNER

Sewell-Thomas Field, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

zwturner@uark.edu

Sunday — AT Alabama, 1 p.m.

Sewell-Thomas Field, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Arkansas is in its second week of spring practice and there are position battles ongoing on the offensive line, in the secondary and at quarterback.

In addition to the position battles, questions surrounding the leadership on the team haven’t been answered. Injuries have affected several 2010 starters and backups are getting more reps.

Here are five things to watch in the final three weeks of spring practice.

see BASEBALL on page 13

“Without a doubt. They’re excited about what’s taking place. I got here and hit the ground running. I had to go out and see the guys we’re recruiting. I’ve had a chance to visit with those re-

FOOTBALL

Friday — AT Alabama, 6:35 p.m.

has been where the problem is.”

The Commodores were hitting better than .315 entering the series, but the Hogs’ pitching staff allowed only seven runs.

Randall Fant suffered the loss Sunday, but allowed only one run. The Razorbacks problems were on the offensive end.

“I’m proud of Randall Fant,” Van Horn said. “He made a mistake with one pitch, it left the yard. So what? That’s OK, but the offense, that was pretty rough this weekend. Right now, we have to get it going on the offensive side.”

The Razorbacks have a youthful roster, but inexperience isn’t to blame.

“It’s the older guys,” Van Horn said. “What are

see ANDERSON on page 11

Anderson: Signees on Board with Hire

UPCOMING GAMES

Saturday — AT Alabama, 2:05 p.m.

missed.

The Razorbacks struggled through the Stan Heath and John Pelphrey coaching tenures, making just three NCAA Tournament appearances and winning no SEC West titles in nine years.

Meanwhile, Anderson turned around a struggling UAB pro-

Battle for Playing Time on the Offensive Line The Razorbacks lost three starters on the offensive front from last season. With several offensive lineman in this year’s recruiting class already on campus and several key reserves returning, rebuilding the O-Line is a major focal point of spring practice.

True freshman and early enrollee Brey Cook is one of the top candidates to take over one of the offensive tack-

le positions left by seniors Ray Dominguez and DeMarcus Love. Cook, a 6-foot-7, 320-pound Springdale native has worked with the first team during the early portion of spring practice.

“Very talented,” Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said of Cook. “He was well coached out of high school and I think that helps a lot. To come in a do the things he has done physically in the weight room and in all our testing, he is physically ready to go.”

REMAINING SPRING PRACTICE DATES

Wednesday, March 30 Friday, April 1 Saturday, April 2 Tuesday, April 5 Wednesday, April 6 Friday, April 8 Saturday, April 9 Tuesday, April 12 Wednesday, April 13 Friday, April 15 Saturday, April 16 — Spring Game, 2 p.m., ESPN

* ALL PRACTICES OPEN TO PUBLIC Competing with Cook at strong tackle is Jason Peacock, a junior college transfer from Citrus Community College in California.

On the opposite side of the line at the other tackle spot, Grant Freeman and Anthony Oden have both been receiving time in the spring. Free-

GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

!"#$%&'"(()&*+,-./"&.0+/,.1&+0&-+$+.2+-&3"+&40#56&#6&"/+&"7&,%+&8"96:&;+#0< ers this spring.

man played sparingly last year, while Oden missed the fall semester with mononucleosis after starting one game as a true freshman.

Secondary Shuffle Last season ended with Isaac Madison and Darius Winston as the starting cornerbacks on defense.

Winston saw his playing

time increase after an ankle injury caused senior Ramon Broadway to miss the remainder of the season.

Madison and Winston are competing against one another for what Petrino calls the “shutdown corner,” position this spring. Winston and Madi-

see FOOTBALL on page 13

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 PAGE 11 from HOPE on page 10 first.”

He’s not satisfied with being home. He wants to match the success he had his first stint at Arkansas.

Razorback fans were more than ready for the homecoming. Around 7,000 fans showed up to Anderson’s introductory press conference, more than many games this season in John Pelphrey’s final year and definitely louder than most games.

They’re getting their identity as a program back.

Under Richardson and Anderson, the Hogs were feared in the early 90s, winning more games from 1990-95 than any other program in the nation with their “40

from ANDERSON on page 10 gram, leading the Blazers to three NCAA Tournaments in four seasons, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2004.

The UAB job was about more than wins and losses for Anderson, though.

“Think about this, I had to go to UAB and coach in Birmingham, where my mother had the chance to see me be a head coach,” Anderson said. “The second year, we go to the Sweet Sixteen and at the height of my coaching career, she passed away in October, but she had a chance to watch her son be a head coach.”

Missouri hired Anderson in 2006 and he was tasked with turning around another struggling program, one riddled with NCAA sanctions from Quin Synder’s tenure.

Anderson went 111-56 in five seasons as the Tigers head coach, leading Missouri to three NCAA Tournaments, including a 31-7 record and Elite Eight appearance in 2008.

His team was set to return all five starters next season. He was in the running to sign two top-50 recruits.

Following a 78-63 loss to Cincinnati in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Anderson told media he planned to retire at Missouri, a sincere statement at the time.

“I was at Missouri for five years

Minutes of Hell” wreaking havoc on opponents.

Arkansas won’t be back in the Final Four overnight, but Anderson showed he can turn a struggling program around quickly at UAB and Missouri.

There is always a Hog Call at introductory press conferences after new coaches are hired.

Most coaches seem confused and taken back by it – understandable because it’s an unnatural cheer. Bobby Petrino grinned through it with arms half-raised, but was clearly out of his element.

Dana Altman didn’t look too cozy either. He was probably already thinking about leaving.

Anderson walked onto the podium and led the cheer, arms fully raised. You could hear him yelling ‘Wooo’ on the microphone and he

started another Hog Call once he finished talking.

He recalled that his favorite part of the games was when the band played the William Tell Overture with the lights off before the team took the floor.

He understands the culture.

He helped build it.

His rebuilding process will be expedited by a recruiting class ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation, a group of five signees that all appear to be onboard with the coaching change.

Add the class to a solid core returning group led by Marshawn Powell and the Hogs are suddenly transformed into one of the frontrunners in the SEC West.

The 2012 recruiting class could be huge for Arkansas, too.

The expectations will be sky-

high by October, but Anderson didn’t shy away from them.

“My quest is to win a national championship,” Anderson said.

“I won a national championship here as an associate head coach.

Now I want to do it as a head coach.”

Comments like that by coaches at introductory press conferences can sometimes be dismissed as rah-rah statements.

You can’t discount that statement, though.

He can win championships at Arkansas.

He’s got banners hanging from the rafters at his home to prove it.

Jimmy Carter is the sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler.

His column appears every other Wednesday. Follow him on Twitter @jicartersports.

we had tremendous success, then here recently it seemed like the call of the Hogs kept calling,” Anderson said. “I never thought I’d be back here.”

Fayetteville had a special place in Anderson’s heart.

“This is home to Mike Anderson,” Anderson said. “My kids were raised here. My daughter, Yvonne, was born here. I’ve got roots here.”

Anderson’s former players at Arkansas reached out to him, encouraging him to return.

“As former players we got together and we would talk about how special it would be if coach Anderson could one day come back and be the coach here and lead us back to being the program that we once were,” said Pat Bradley, Arkansas’ all-time 3-point leader, a letterman from 1996-99.

“You kind of never really thought it was going to happen.

“Now, all of a sudden, it’s happening and it’s just like a dream. A really, really great dream that you don’t ever want to wake up from.

It’s almost too good to be true.”

The players also aided Arkansas Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long in his decision-making process. He met with a group of eight former Razorbacks, including Lee Mayberry, Ron Brewer and Scotty Thurman, to discuss the Hogs’ past and future.

“I really have to give Jeff Long a lot of credit and respect for seeking out the input of the former

players and really listening to what we had to say,” said Charles Balentine, an Arkansas letterman from 1982-85 and part of Long’s meeting with former players. “He wasn’t just doing it for show. He really listened to what we had to say and wanted to get a feel for the tradition and what helped the program have success back then.

“We now have the right coach at the right time and I think the program will just take back off.”

Anderson accepted the Arkansas job March 23, agreeing to a lofty seven-year contract worth $2.2 million per year.

He’ll bring his version of Richardson’s system, “The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball” to Bud Walton Arena.

“Certainly, Mike has had his own success,” Long said. “Sometimes we pay tribute to the past, but Mike Anderson’s hire is about the future of Razorback basketball. There is no doubt to those that know him that Mike Anderson is his own man and is going to bring his own style of basketball to Bud Walton Arena.”

Anderson’s return has already sparked a fan base starved for success. An estimated 7-8,000 fans showed up to his introductory press conference Saturday, nearly matching the average attendance this season in the 19,200-seat arena built in 1993 during the peak of Richardson and Anderson’s tenure.

Arkansas averaged 18,259 fans at Bud Walton during Anderson

and Richardson’s tenure. Attendance slipped throughout the last decade, bottoming out with an estimated actual attendance of just 8,568 fans per contest this season.

“The fans will come back and be excited again,” said Lee Mayberry, an All-American letterman from 1989-92. “He’ll get it back to how it used to be.”

The fans filled the upper and lower deck on the south side of Bud Walton Saturday, cheering enthusiastically throughout the press conference and calling the Hogs with Anderson.

“We’ve got this side filled,” Anderson said, gesturing to the fans.

“Now we’re fixing to fill this whole thing up in here. As I was talking to some of the former players, that’s how we do it here at Arkansas. You better get your tickets now because once it’s all said and done, there won’t be many left.”

Expectations will be high. Anderson acknowledged Saturday a lot of work needed to be done.

He was mainly just happy to be back home, though.

“They always that you can’t come home twice, but just think about it,” Anderson said. “I went back to Birmingham twice and I’m here at the University of Arkansas twice. I’m at home. As long as they want me, I’m at home.

“Trust me, we will get it done.

I can promise and guarantee you this here, no one will outwork Mike Anderson and his staff. We will get this program back to the top.”

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PAGE 12

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

What They’re Saying About...

Mike Anderson “I’m very excited with the announcement and hiring of coach Anderson. It’s a start to a new era that will be exciting and up tempo, that will warrant the support of the fans and bring back Arkansas basketball to the prominence where it belongs.”

“Coach Anderson is the perfect fit for Arkansas. This hire symbolizes what the U of A tradition means to him, our administration, fans, current and former players.

— Ronnie Brewer, Arkansas letterman 2004-06, first-round NBA Draft pick, current Chicago Bulls player

— Scotty Thurman, Arkansas letterman 1993-95, current Director of Student Athlete Development

“I am very excited about coach Anderson returning to the University of Arkansas. He will bring great kids and exciting basketball.

He will be great for the program on and off the court.”

— Lee Mayberry, Arkansas letterman 1989-92, first-round NBA Draft pick, current NBA scout for the Golden State Warriors

“I have watched Coach Anderson’s progression as a head coach with much admiration. He has been a mentor to me as my coach and now as a colleague. The University of Arkansas is blessed to have this man , who holds Razorback Basketball close his heart, as its new head coach. In his pursuit of excellence, Coach Anderson will reshape and redefi ne the culture of Arkansas Basketball. Wow, this is great day. Welcome home Coach A.”

— Corliss Williamson, Arkansas letterman 1993-95, first-round NBA Draft pick, current head coach at the University of Central Arkansas

JONATHAN GIBSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER from SIGNEES on page 10 to visit with those recruits. It was very positive.”

Anderson didn’t heavily recruit the highest-rated player in the class, St. Louis point guard B.J. Young, while he was the head coach at Missouri, leading some to speculate keeping Young in the fold might be an issue.

“I don’t like stockpiling guys,” Anderson said. “I want to bring people in that have an opportunity to play, especially in-state guys.

Now, with what has taken place now, I think it’s ideal. He doesn’t have to have that pressure of being at home.

“He’s going to be a dynamite player. I’m excited for him. He’s really excited.”

Young didn’t fault Anderson for not recruiting him.

Player

Arkansas-bound.”

Three of the signees are instate recruits. Lepanto guard Rashad Madden, Jonesboro forward Hunter Mickelson and Little Rock forward Aaron Ross are consensus top-100 players.

The final member of the class is Dallas forward Devonta Abron.

“I had a chance to sit down and visit with (the recruits) and it was very positive,” Anderson said.

“I think when I left, they were very excited about what is going to take place.”

The class is ranked No. 5 by Rivals.com and No. 7 by ESPN. “You’re talking about a fiveman recruiting class,” Anderson said. “You’ve got different guys for different positions.”

Anderson was recruiting two top-50 prospects – St. Louis guard Ben McLemore and Virginia forward Otto Porter – at Missouri.

If the current roster stays in place

Most of the roster was on spring break when Anderson was hired last week, but he did get to meet with forward Marshawn Powell.

“I’ve talked to a couple of guys and it’s been very positive,” Anderson said Saturday. “I had a chance to talk to Marshawn quite a bit yesterday and it was positive. We had a good meeting.”

Powell tweeted “Well I’m back… Who don’t wanna play for Mike Anderson!!” shortly after the hire was announced.

Guard Rotnei Clarke requested a release so he could transfer after Pelphrey was fired, according to the Tulsa World . The story said Clarke was told to wait until a new coach was hired by Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long.

Anderson talked to Clarke and his parents after Clarke returned from spring break, he said while on the “Shawn and Wally” radio show Monday afternoon. The meeting

2011 Arkansas Basketball Signees Pos. Ht.

Wt.

Hometown

B.J. Young G 6-3 170 St. Louis — Five-star, No. 18 player in the nation (Rivals.com) Rashad Madden G 6-5 195 Lepanto — Four-star, No. 27 player in the nation (Rivals.com) Aaron Ross F 6-8 230 Little Rock — Four-star, No. 97 player in the nation (ESPN) Hunter Mickelson F 6-10 220 Jonesboro — Four-star, No. 48 player in the nation (Scout.com) Devonta Abron F 6-8 233 Dallas — Three-star, No. 106 player in the nation (Rivals.com), third-team Parade AA “I could see where coach Anderson was coming from with not recruiting me as hard as he could,” Young said. “Maybe he didn’t know if I would be eligible. They started to recruit me, then they cancelled my open gym at my school, but he was always good to me every time I’ve got a chance to talk to him.”

Young is a consensus five-star prospect, rated as high as the No. 18 player in the nation by Rivals.com.

The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder recently led his McCluer North squad to the Missouri 5A state title.

“I like coach Anderson,” Young said. “They like to get up and down, play fast. I think that’s what I do best. They use full-court pressure defense, get turnovers and get the other team in a frenzy. I know coach Anderson likes to play like that. I do, too.

“Everything is good. We’re

and all five signees qualify as expected, the Razorbacks have 14 players for 13 scholarships.

Some speculated several Missouri players might follow Anderson to Arkansas. Anderson was coaching his college roommate Paul Pressey’s two kids, Phil and Matt, at Missouri.

“I won’t even comment on that,” Anderson said. “That’s speculation.

Those guys are at the University of Missouri at this point in time.

I’m sure right now they’re looking forward to seeing who their new coach is.”

Current Roster Receptive to Change One of Anderson’s other most pressing areas of business was meeting with the current Arkansas players.

went well, Anderson said.

Anderson Bringing Staff from Missouri Anderson will bring all three members of his coaching staff at Missouri with him, he said.

Melvin Watkins, Matt Zimmerman and T.J. Cleveland comprised Anderson’s staff at Missouri. Cleveland played is Anderson’s nephew and played for him at Arkansas.

“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” Anderson said.

Due to contract, the assistants have to remain at Missouri until April 1.

Former Razorback Scotty Thurman served as Director of Student-Athlete Development last season and Anderson said he will remain with the program.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 PAGE 13 from BASEBALL on page 10

from FOOTBALL on page 10 son are competing against one another for what Petrino calls the shutdown corner position this spring.

“We want to find out who the best field corner is going to be among those two youngsters,” defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said. “If everything plays out the way it should, there is no reason why we shouldn’t have those guys at both sides.”

Arkansas boasted the No. 6 passing defense in the Southeastern Conferences last season.

Quarterback Competition The face of last year’s team was undoubtedly quarterback Ryan Mallett. As no shock to most, the 6-foot-6 Texarkana, Tex. native declared for the 2011 NFL Draft, leaving a void at the most important position on the field.

Junior Tyler Wilson showed flashes of brilliance last season in relief of Mallett against Auburn and Ole Miss. He got first-team reps last spring while Mallett was sidelined with a broken foot and would be the starter if the season started today.

Tyler Wilson However, versatile quarterback Brandon Mitchell has seen his fair share of reps with the first team as Arkansas is experimenting with packages that fit his dual-threat ability.

“The good thing about our quarterbacks is that they get a lot of reps,” Petrino said. “We have a lot of reps in practice between our 7-on-7, how fast we can and the reps in scrimmages.”

Looking for Leaders Arkansas has a lot of return-

Joe Adams ing talent on offense, but the Razorbacks have to replace leaders Ryan Mallett and D.J. Williams.

Petrino said he and his staff have picked up on potential leaders, but there are still questions.

“Offensively, our receiving core led by Jarius Wright and Joe Adams have really done a nice job,” Petrino said. “I don’t feel like anyone has taken over the O-line yet and maybe that is because there are so many questions, but I would like to see more from Travis Swanson and Alvin Bailey, guys that have played a lot of football around here.”

Key Hogs Recovering from Injuries Last season the spring practice injury list was led by Ryan Mallett and his broken foot.

Another big-name Hog is missing spring practice this year, with senior receiver Greg Childs recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the Vanderbilt game.

“We do have some injury issues in the spring, most notable Greg Childs,” Petrino said.

“He will not be in spring ball for the most part. He is doing real well, running full-speed straight ahead and changing directions.”

Starting defensive tackle Bryan Jones is recovering from ankle surgery he had after the Sugar Bowl.

With Childs and Jones out of spring practice, sophomore receivers Julian Horton and Maudrecus Humphrey will get more reps, while junior college transfer Robert Thomas and Jared Green will have an opportunity to earn playing time at defensive tackle.

Zach Turner is the assistant sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every other Wednesday.

the older guys doing? Not much. They’re depending on the younger guys. Until the older guys get it going, they’re the ones that have to win games for us. I’m talking the juniors and seniors, who have been in the

program and even sophomores who played last year as freshmen.

“What’s the issue? You don’t forget how to play.

It’s about going out and getting it done, and staying focused. I think that’s what I’m seeing, some older guys worried about maybe staying in the lineup and

they’re not getting it done.”

With the SEC schedule in full swing, the Razorbacks will need to find a way to drive in runs againt tough competition. Four of the nation’s top 10 teams are from the SEC – No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Vanderbilt, No. 6 South Carolina and No. 10 LSU.

Dave Van Horn

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011