Mar. 17, 2010 by Arkansas Traveler

VOL. 104, NO. 25 | Single Issue Free

University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark.

SPORTS

Baseball Hogs start SEC play at LSU

LIFESTYLES

page 10

Wet ‘n wild Spring Break page 7

Page 1|WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010

WWW.UATRAV.COM

About you. For you. For 104 years.

It was Benjamin Franklin who first

told us that beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

‘Cheers!’

Bailey Elise McBride News Editor

LARRY ASH Staff Photographer

Harvard researcher Eric Rimm said the social aspect of drinking might provide health effects for moderate drinkers, like a lower rate of diabetes and dementia.

In North Dakota, it is illegal to serve beer and pretzels at the same time in a bar or restaurant. In Ohio, it is illegal to get a fish drunk. In Alaska, moose are the ones to steer clear of when looking for an animal drinking companion. On a college campus in the United States, most of what students see and hear about alcohol is negative – the health risks of binge drinking, the punishment that comes with getting caught and the unfortunate repercussions that follow being too drunk at the wrong place at the wrong time. There is another side to the issue, however – multiple studies have shown health benefits from drinking in moderation, as well as social benefits for people who drink together. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “the lowest death rate from all causes occurs at the level of one to two drinks per day.” That is, people who are

moderate drinkers – defined as consuming one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men – have a lower risk of dying from numerous disease-related causes. Although the study found that alcohol consumption may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer, Lorraine Gunzerath, a physician on the NIAAA research team, emphasized that women should evaluate the small increase in breast cancer risk, 1 percent, against the significant 40 percent decrease in heart disease risk that results from moderate drinking. A 12-year study done by Kenneth Mukamal, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, found that men who consumed a moderate amount of alcohol between three and seven days a week had fewer heart attacks than men who drank only once a week. “We think that a lot of the benefits of alcohol are on the blood vessels and on blockages in the arteries to the heart and to the brain,” Mukamal said. “This might be related to alcohol’s effect on the good cholesterol, the HDL choles-

terol.” Harvard researcher Eric Rimm added that moderate drinking can increase “good cholesterol” levels by as much as 20 percent, if it’s accompanied by a healthy diet and regular physical activity. Mukamal noted that studies have shown lower rates of diabetes and dementia in moderate drinkers, as well. “Some of it may very well be because drinking tends to occur in social settings and just the process of getting out and socializing may be an important way to prevent dementia,” he said. Alcohol consumption does not only affect the health of individuals, but also their place in society. The Social Issues Research Centre, a nonprofit group based in the United Kingdom, completed an extensive study on the social and cultural aspects of drinking. The study found significant cross-cultural variation in the way people behave when they drink. While in some societies, like the United States, alcohol is associated with violent and See

BENEFITS on Page 5

City, UA police combat Got alcohol? See what counts as one drink underage drinking A guide to standard Morgan Miles

Contributing Writer It was his second day at the UA when he hopped into his friend’s white Toyota truck. The plan for the night? Go to Daddy Dave’s Liquor Store and use the fake ID his brother gave him. As the boys approached the store, thoughts of last night’s success reassured their nerves. “A fifth of R & R.” It sounded rehearsed. The man at the window said the price and asked for identification. Kemer Quirk, a sophomore communication major, gave the man his brother’s ID. The man studied it carefully and showed the boys his badge. “This isn’t you,” he said. “You

have two choices now: You can drive away, I take your plates down and you go to jail, or you can pull over and get a ticket.” The boys had witnessed firsthand the Cops-in-Shops program of the Fayetteville Police Department. This program takes police officers out of their uniforms and into everyday clothes to catch people who are drinking in bars and clubs or attempting to buy alcohol from liquor stores. To spread the news about this and other programs in the community and state, Cpl. Rick Crisman had an idea three years ago to host a conference similar to a national convention on enforcing drinking laws. This year, the See

UNDERAGE on Page 5

alcohol servings

The measurements below each drink represent what is considered to be one serving by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Mixed Drinks

1.5 oz. of 40 percent alcohol

Wine

5 oz. of 12 percent alcohol

Beer

12 oz. of 5 percent alcohol Graphic by Jaclyn Johnson

Campus alcohol offenses Officials promote safe alcohol consumption on the rise, reports say April Robertson

Senior Staff Writer

Nick DeMoss

Senior Staff Writer College students across the nation are affected by the consequences of excessive and underage drinking, and UA students are no exception. The most recently released reports indicate a dramatic rise in the number of alcoholrelated offenses on and around campus. In 2008, the UA Police Department reported 190 arrests on counts of driving while intoxicated or driving under the

influence, according to the Campus Crime Statistics report published in October of last year. That number represents a nearly 300 percent increase in impaired driving arrests from the previous year, during which only 50 arrests were made. Nearly 9,000 arrests were made across the state for DWI or DUI charges in 2007. Arkansans convicted of drunk driving are subject to a fine that ranges from $150 to $1,000 and jail time from one to 365 days for a See

CAMPUS on Page 5

The UA earned second place on a list of party schools in Playboy magazine – 20 years ago. Now, the UA doesn’t appear on the list at all, perhaps thanks to campus alcohol and substance abuse programs, coordinated by health educators in the Pat Walker Health Center. But alcohol is still a foremost issue on the UA campus, according to the CORE Benchmark Survey, which compares schools by the behaviors of students. “We go into large lecture classes, such as biology and philosophy, that have a wide representation and typically survey 500 students,” said

Ed Mink, director of health promotion at the PWHC. “The No. 1 problem on any campus is alcohol.” In communicating with students, Mink has discovered that many still perceive the UA to be a major “party school,” as Playboy publicized so long ago. “UA freshmen think that 90 percent of college students binge drink,” Mink said, “and the perception drives actions. (But) if we teach reality, they’ll gravitate to the norms.” The reality is that 40 percent of college students binge drink – defined as five drinks in one sitting for males and four drinks in one sitting for females – and 30 percent of college students drive after

drinking, according to a National Institute of Alcohol Abuse study. “The positive is that 60 percent of college students don’t binge drink,” Mink said. Still, UA health officials are constantly working to improve the effectiveness of punishment for alcohol consumption on campus, as well as increase the options of alcohol-free events. Among these endeavors were the inclusion of mocktails – fizzy, colorful, nonalcoholic drinks that resemble cocktails – in campus activities and the creation of new events, like the Kappa Sigma Relays and the Dead Day Sober 5K. “Students can have the experience without the alcohol while get-

ting information about alcohol at the same time,” Mink said. Instead of forcing fraternities and sororities to sit through alcohol education for hours, “I tell them, ‘I won’t waste your time, but I’ll work with you to challenge you and make you visible in the community,’” Mink said. When Mink founded the Kappa Sigma Relays, he intended for the event to not only fulfill the “punishment” for the fraternity’s alcohol charges but also to put Kappa Sigma in a positive light. The event features a popular Fayetteville DJ and unites all students, Greek members and facSee

HEALTH on Page 3

MORE NEWS. LESS PAPER. UATrav.com

Page 2 |WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010

BRIEFLY speaking Biophysicist Steven Block to address bioterrorism in Maurer Lecture Biophysicist Steven M. Block will speak on “Facing the Growing Threat of Bioterrorism” as the 2010 Robert D. Maurer Distinguished Lecturer at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 18, in Giffels Auditorium. A reception will follow. The lecture is free and open to the public. Block will also deliver a colloquium titled “The Biophysics of Gene Regulation, Studied One Molecule at a Time” at 4 p.m. Friday, March 19, in the Paul Sharrah Lecture Hall (Physics Building 133).

Take the NSSE Survey by March 26 for your chance to win prizes Students should check their e-mails for their invitation to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement, a questionnaire designed to gather feedback on students’ college experiences, both in and out of the classroom. Students who complete the survey by March 26 will have their name entered into a drawing for a $50 iTunes card. About 20 cards will be given away.

African Students Organization to host Sound of Africa 2010 Join the African Students Organization for Sound of Africa 2010 (Accessible Education for the African Child) 6 p.m. Saturday, April 3, in the Union Ballroom. The event will include food, dance, drama, music and poetry. For more information, contact african@uark.edu or 479-966-7776.

Mandatory teacher licensing meeting set for April 22 A mandatory meeting for UA students who plan to enter the Master of Arts in Teaching program is planned for 5 p.m. Thursday, April 22, in Room 166 of the Graduate Education Building. Attendance at the meeting is required of students entering the MAT in the summer of 2010 or doing a fall 2010 or spring 2011 student teaching experience. For more information, contact Kathy Malstrom at kkmalst@uark.edu.

Iraq lecture scheduled for next week Barbara Nimri Aziz will present “Can We Bomb Knowledge? The Case of Iraq” 3:30 p.m. Monday, March 29, in Giffels Auditorium in Old Main. Aziz is the author of “Swimming Up the Tigris: Real Life Encounters with Iraq.” Her visit is sponsored by the Middle East Studies Program and the Department of English.

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.

CONTACT INFORMATION 119 Kimpel Hall ! University of Arkansas ! Fayetteville, AR 72701 479.575.3406 [main line] ! 479.575.3306 [fax] traveler@uark.edu ! www.uatrav.com TINA KORBE

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CHERI FREELAND

Managing Editor travmgr@uark.edu

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JACLYN JOHNSON

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NEWS

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COM

Profiles from the Hill

Bar ownership comes with responsibility Sammie Stephenson, Evan McDonald and Joe Utsch own and operate the Smoke and Barrel Tavern on Dickson Street. After throwing out his back, Stephenson was unable to run his father’s blueberry and Christmas tree farm in Goshen. Four years later, Stephenson and his friends opened Smoke and Barrel. What was the biggest transition from bartender to bar owner? Certainly the level of responsibility. There’s a big trade-off. I’ve got more flexibility by being able to set my own rules and make my own schedule, but I’m also never off the clock. That’s just how it is. What are some of the stressful aspects of running a bar? I’ve got two business partners and a staff of seven or eight that I’m responsible to, just like they’re responsible to me to show up and do their job. But they’re all such good, intelligent, competent and awesome people that that’s never really an issue. It’s more of me holding up my end. There’s a certain amount of emotional intensity that comes with working in a social setting with alcohol five to seven days a week. What’s fun about it? The fun parts are numerous. The part that I thought would allow me to continue to do this long-term was the idea that we were going to be building some form of a community to actually enrich the town that I grew up in. I hope and feel

that we have done that in some small way, like helping to revitalize the local music scene. We’ve also managed about a half dozen benefits and raised thousands of dollars for everything from a local sports team, to a band member that had to have surgery on a brain tumor and didn’t have insurance to trying to stop child trafficking in Haiti. How did you come up with the name? For the bar, in particular, it had to do with our product, in the idea that we wanted a product that we could take pride in. We don’t have anything that we aren’t proud and happy to offer. We wanted a name that was catchy and that expressed what we had to offer. Smoke and Barrel has done well as “most chill bar” in The Traveler’s “Best of Fayetteville” survey. Is that the kind of atmosphere you were aiming for? Well, that’s flattering, and, yeah, in some respects. We wanted it to be a place that we would want to hang out at. That’s the part of it being non-smoking and low-key. We had this idea of making a place that you didn’t have to yell to talk to the person sitting next to you. Why do you include board games at the bar? It was the idea of it being somewhere that like-minded people would want to go to and want to hang out in. It’s a place where you could go to read a book or

J-Days Calendar Monday 5th

Tuesday 6th

8:30 a.m.- What can a graduate degree as a journalist do for you? Matt Splett, Amanda Manat Juris 10:30 a.m.- How to thrive and survive as a TV reporter & Anchor. Ashley Ketz, Tom Yazwinski, Liz Hogan, Meredith Mitchell, Lauren Payne 2:30 p.m.- Chris Barr

LARRY ASH Staff Photographer

After four years of planning with two friends, Sammie Stephenson was able to open Smoke and Barrel Tavern on Dickson Street.

have another activity to do besides drinking. I’ve had my uncle and my grandfather in here on a busy Thursday night, and they were able to enjoy it. I mean, I take a lot of pride in that.

surprised and excited and still very thankful for all the support and patronage that we continue to get.

What has been the overall reception in Fayetteville?

We wanted the only requirement for someone to be in our place, besides being 21 and to come and hang out and be a part of our community, to be that they were good people. Not necessarily good to the core of your being, but just able to behave.

It’s been wonderful. I can look around and see the input and hard work and giving of two dozen different people and friends. I was

April 5th-9th

Wednesday 7th

9:30 a.m.- AETNProducing Public TV Programs in Arkansas 11:00 a.m.- Life in Radio-Jon Williams 11-3:00 - Bake Sale corner of Mcllroy and Dickson. (across from Kimpel) 12:30-1:50 p.m.Career Panel Kimpel 102 12:30-1:50 p.m.Broadcasters Covering the Court Beat. Steve Voorhies

Why should students choose to go to Smoke and Barrel?

9:30 a.m.- Hayott Tuychiev and Robyn Yancey, JBHT 266 10:30 a.m.- Journalism Degree/Corporate JobJeff Daily, JD Shupp, Lizzie Faulkner, Frank Thomas, Angela Viator. 11-3:00- Bake salecorner of Mcllroy and Dickson 3-4:00 p.m.- Scholarship Ceremony at Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. 6:30-8:30 p.m.- Roy Reed lecture at Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House.

Thursday 8th

9:30 a.m.- Backpack 10:30 a.m.Journalism ESPN: Chris 11:00 a.m.- Sports Mortensen. Journalism: UATV Studio- Ryan Bradley Jason Carroll, Kevin Trainor, Matt Jones. 12:30-1:50p.m.- Multimedia Journalism: Katina Revels Kimpel 102 2-3:20p.m.- Multimedia Journalism: Katina Revels JBHT 327 4-6:00p.m.- Graduation Senior Reception at the Razorback Union 4th floor red lounge. By invitation only.

Greek Life Presents

Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol Brewing Responsibility. Serving Accountability.

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The Arkansas Traveler is a member of the Arkansas College Media Association, and the Associated Collegiate Press. 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 editorial that appears on the left side of the opinion page is the opinion of this newspaper. The editor makes all final content decisions.

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Friday 9th

Know your limits. If you choose to drink, Drink to remember... Not to forget. Greek Life wishes you a safe, fun, and relaxing spring break.

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER |UATRAV.COM

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010| Page 3

UA ALCOHOL VIOLATIONS UA groups work to educate, Least Restrictive Sanctioning Guidelines First minor violation with no associated charges: – take and pay for an alcohol/drug education class – do 15 hours of community service or campus involvement – may be placed on a University Censure (warning or reprimand) for a specified period not to exceed a student’s graduation – make an Educational Fund Payment from $50 to $100 Second minor violation with no associated charges or first minor violation with associated charges: – pay for and participate in the Student Assistance Program, which challenges students to critically examine their involvement with alcohol and other drugs – do 50 hours of community service – placed on probation for one year – make an Educational Fund Payment of $200, and pay restitution for damages if applicable – Parents are notified for students under 21 years of age. – Parking privileges are suspended for one year. A “minor in possession” charge can carry a fine of $100 to $500, and a minor violating any alcohol laws can now also have their driver’s license suspended, said Cpl. Rick Crisman of the Fayetteville Police Department. Students under 21 can get a DUI if their alcohol blood content is .02 percent, which is about one beer for an average person, Crisman said.

HEALTH

from Page 1 ulty, challenging them to give up a Thursday night of drinking. All proceeds go to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). Although any step to promote alcohol-free events on campus might be beneficial to students, Bart Hammig, UA professor of health sciences, also suggests an all-inclusive alcohol watch program. “If you don’t drink, don’t start – pace yourself and have a friend to stop you,” he said. When it comes to decreasing students’ alcohol use, college campuses are faced with a unique set of challenges. For instance, binge drinking rates peak at the age bracket of traditional college students. “Most binge-drinkers taper off (their drinking) as they get into their 30s and 40s,” Hammig said. Plus, “college students binge drink more than non-college people of the same age.”

University officials might also have a problem controlling student drinking because of the numerous off-campus drinking situations available. “We can’t be responsible for Dickson Street,” Hammig said. “College students are a mobile population. It’s difficult to get a handle on them.” He also pointed out that the college tradition of tailgating sends a mixed message to students on campus, perhaps that drinking on campus is OK in certain situations. Alcohol consumption does have its benefits: For example, wine consumption increases “a form of good cholesterol, (but) it takes a lot of time before you see improvement,” Hammig said, and beer consumption increases bone density mass. But, Hammig said, “the biggest problem in students drinking alcohol is the injuries that stem from it. Sixty percent of sexual assaults are related to alcohol consumption.” Alcohol use can also lead to obesity and injuries though fighting, suicide attempts, car accidents and a general loss of control.

prevent alcohol-related rape Kate King

Contributing Writer In today’s society, drinking has become more and more of a social norm. Yet what some people fail to recognize is that alcohol is the No. 1 date-rape drug. More than 96 percent of campus sexual assaults experienced by college students occur in situations involving alcohol by the victim, the assailant or both, according to a study by Clark University. “Several research studies have indicated that 85 to 90 percent of rapes among college students involve alcohol,” said Mary Wyandt-Hiebert, health educator at the Pat Walker Health Center. “It is a well-known fact that alcohol is the primary drug that is used to perpetrate drug-facilitated rape.” Last semester, there were six alleged rapes reported on the UA campus. The alleged rapes involved a UA Housing staff member, members of the UA basketball team at a party at the Garland House, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity house, the Northwest Quad D Building, and the Inn at Carnall Hall. In every single case, alcohol was involved. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is a report mandated by federal law that requires colleges and universities to disclose certain timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies, according to Security on Campus Inc. In the report, the number of rapes are recorded. According to the Clery Report prepared by the UA Police Department, four sexual offenses were reported at the UA in 2006, four in 2007 and seven in 2008. Some students are very aware of the effect of alcohol misuse for college students. RESPECT – Rape Education Services by Peers Encouraging Conscious Thought – is a group of college students

that offers a variety of different interactive programs, including presentations, campus exhibits and awareness events, to students to help them learn about sexual assault and ways to avoid it. RESPECT is operated through the PWHC and the STAR Central program. “When dealing with alcohol, the decisions that people make, I believe, are not always the smartest,” RESPECT member Marcus Romes said. “Alcohol tends to have a negative effect on people and sometimes, more often than not, people make stupid decisions. In some cases, rape is that stupid decision.” April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and RESPECT members will take advantage of this time to relay their message not only to the campus but to the community. Events will include a poetry slam, survivor stories and the Take Back the Night March, which will take place on Friday, April 23. “Alcohol misuse and abuse can lead to many negative outcomes, one being sexual assault,” Wyandt-Hiebert said. “Responsibility for rape prevention in relation to alcohol is multi-faceted. Everyone within a community is responsible for drug-facilitated rape prevention with consideration to the fact that it is a community that sets its cultural norms.” Wyandt-Hiebert said these cultural norms should focus on some specific issues. “First, it’s never OK to take advantage of someone under the influence,” she said. “Second, as part of a community, we should watch out for each other and help keep each other safe. Third, we should promote activities that are not entrenched within a drinking culture, but are infused with healthy alternatives. And, finally, we should discourage excessive alcohol use if one chooses to drink.”

UAtrav.com

OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

Page 4 |WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010

Check UATrav.com for daily updates

Editor: Tina Korbe | Managing Editor: Kimber Wenzelburger

Phone: 575.8455 | E-mail: traveler@uark.edu

Letter from the Editor

To the Echols and Faith families: Our deepest sympathy On Saturday night, two students – Laura Elizabeth Echols and Trenton Lee Faith – went to a small gathering of people on private land in Franklin County. It must have been a scenic place for a party: The property extended to the edge of an approximately 50-foot bluff and overlooked the Mulberry River. And, after a winter that included few bearably warm evenings, the 15 people who attended the party, including Echols and Faith, must have appreciated the opportunity to be outside. The party apparently flowed without significant interruption until just after 1 a.m. What happened then must have seemed excruciatingly surreal to those who were there. And to those who did not know the students involved, but who heard about it Sunday and Monday, it seemed unthinkably tragic. Echols fell from the bluff, and, when Faith tried to help her, he, too, fell. The two students died that morning – and another student, Cameron Cooper, was injured when he fell from a lower elevation, also trying to help. On Monday, we reported the story. Tuesday, we anxiously awaited more details. Then, we remembered that what happened to Echols and Faith is far more than a “story.” News like this is particularly difficult for us to cover. As journalists, we’re called upon to root out facts, to uncover causes, to reveal consequences. As editorialists, we’re called upon to comment on those causes and consequences, to find in a tragedy some kind of a takehome lesson. But, as fellow students, we ache. We can’t imagine how we would feel if we knew Echols and Faith, but we know their friends surely don’t think of their deaths as “a news story.” In the days to come, as we learn more information, we will continue to fulfill our roles as journalists and editorialists. But, today, as students and peers, we offer our deepest sympathy to the families and friends of Laura E. Echols and Trenton L. Faith. We’re so sorry. Tina Korbe Editor

PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY When it comes to crime seen on campuses across the nation, students probably think of rape or petty theft. That’s why women often carry pepper spray and avoid walking alone at night, and why students ensure their door is locked when they leave their residence hall every morning for class. The fastest-growing crime in America, though, can’t be prevented by using Mace or traveling in groups or simply locking your bedroom door. Identity theft, which affected almost 10 million Americans last year alone and is on the rise, is probably only on the periphery of students’ minds, if that. Understandably so. Identity theft is nearly invisible – that is, until some students decide to check their credit report for the first time and discover hundreds of open accounts and thousands of dollars worth of debt, none of which is theirs. The Federal Trade Commission describes identity theft as someone using “your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number or credit card number, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.” It sometimes takes victims of identity theft many months and hundreds of dollars to restore their credit record – and, in the process, victims might miss out on job opportunities or loans because of their tainted credit history. The good news is that students can take basic steps to reduce their chances of having their identity stolen. They should ensure their account information – numbers and passwords – are stored in a safe place, never give personal information over the phone, refrain from carrying their Social Security card with them and check their credit report at least once a year. According to a 2001 CBS News article, every 79 seconds, a thief steals someone’s identity, opens an account in the victim’s name and goes on a spending spree. But students can protect themselves: In the battle against identity theft, personal responsibility is key.

ASG endorsements an important Traveler function As we prepare to conduct interviews with all ASG executive candidates, we’d like to say a word about the endorsement process. Every year, we debate the efficacy of endorsements. We wonder: Do they compromise our journalistic objectivity or color our coverage of the ASG elections in the minds of our readers? We know many newspapers opt to endorse candidates only when they feel strongly opposed to another candidate, when they are convinced that one candidate’s election could spell disaster for the community, state or nation. To our knowledge, that’s never been the case at The Traveler, and it’s not the case this year. We’ve always endorsed candidates because we believe it’s important not so much to favor one candidate over another, but to call attention to ASG elections, in general – and, for some reason, candidate assessments seem to be more effective in that regard than an editorial that simply urges students to vote. But, if we need one of those, here it is: Vote!

EDITORIAL BOARD TINA KORBE | Editor KIMBER WENZELBURGER | Managing Editor BAILEY MCBRIDE | News Editor The Arkansas Traveler welcomes letters to the editor from all interested readers. Letters should be at most 300 words and should include your name, student classification and major or title with the university and a day-time telephone number for verification. Letters should be sent to traveler@uark.edu. Letters appear in the order they were submitted as space permits. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse letters on the basis of length, accuracy, fairness, liability and sensibility.

EVAN HALLMARK Staff Illustrator

Stop the nonsense: Start taking ASG issues seriously The pre-campaign season has already begun, and as usual, it’s a stupid one. It’d normally be a journalist’s dream to have his inbox cluttered with inside rumors, but the quantity I’m getting doesn’t make up for the lack of quality. Michael Dodd and Billy Fleming are going to run for ASG President, and that’s all that’s actually newsworthy. Does anyone really care which candidate went to which Greek House or who is spreading rumors about who or which guy’s gotten closest to breaking the ASG’s silly campaign rules? I know I don’t. The only things that will sway my vote are the positions that Dodd and Fleming take on the issues that are important to me. I’m much more interested in the smoking ban, the bike permits, the printing cap and clock synchronization than I am about counting friends at Phi Something Something. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to find out what Dodd and Fleming think about these crucial issues for two more weeks. Until campaigning officially begins on March 28th, all executive candidates and their campaign staffs are forbidden to do anything that might sway a vote. That includes releasing a platform to the media. The ASG election rules were created to allow more students to run for office. Not everyone has the time to stand outside the union, and hand out hot dogs and crossword puzzles for a month without failing classes. But the rules haven’t stopped campaigning. Instead,

Notes from Underground

ADAM CALL ROBERTS adamcr@uark.edu

all they’ve done is create a shadowy precampaign where the focus is on everything but the issues. Everyone is allowed to talk about the campaign – except for those who would actually know what they’re talking about. Since we don’t have any platforms to discuss or position papers to read over, all we student government politicos are left with is rumor, innuendo and Middle School drama. Check out the comments left on Bailey McBride’s opinion column from last week. Everyone was too afraid of campaign rules to use Dodd’s or Fleming’s name. Instead, we got silliness like “one of the candidates (and it NOT the one you turned in...)” and “this candidate that you are writing about...” – the sort of awkward pronoun use usually reserved for Lord Voldermort. This does not serve the voting public. I started taping interviews last week with the intention of creating a longform TV news story about Greek influence on ASG elections. I’ve already

Thanks, Mattie EDITORIAL

The Arkansas Traveler To tell the truth, at the beginning of this year, we were skeptical. Every year, during ASG elections, candidate after candidate promises us the moon and the stars, but, by the time the spring semester rolls around, we often find ourselves seriously underwhelmed. Why would this year be any different? As we pointed out in our endorsement of ASG president Mattie Bookhout last spring, a good ASG president can only be “the voice of the students” if she’s willing to be a diplomat, who more often than not serves as a behind-the-scenes negotiator rather than as an outspoken activist for a given cause. Mattie Bookhout has been a good ASG president. It was “the depth of her desire for this position and her tactful and respectful approach to her ASG colleagues and even administrators” that initially won her our endorsement last year, and she took these qualities to a new level as president.

But she did more than that. She resolved any reservations we had. We were concerned that she, as an involved and ambitious student, might not have enough time to devote herself fully to the duties that come with the presidency, but she proved us resoundingly wrong. She dedicated herself and her professional life to the ASG this year, tirelessly fighting for students’ rights in meeting after meeting after meeting and addressing issues she could have ignored. We were also concerned that she would “carry the popularity principle too far and seek to please at the expense of taking a stand.” But, throughout the year, when we have criticized her, she has thanked us with a smile on her face, promising she will take action. And she has, every time. We trusted that the ASG presidency would be her top priority if she was elected. And it was.

abandoned the project because there’s not much news there. There’s about a half-dozen people in each house who get really excited about the elections and imagine the house will somehow grow in prestige and power if a candidate it supports wins. (It doesn’t, of course.) The rest of the Greeks are like most students and don’t really care. By the time Dodd and Fleming are allowed to even talk about the issues, hundreds of voters will have already made up their minds. Dodd and Fleming will have undergone three weeks of smears and personal attacks without being allowed to defend themselves. Fleming’s position on mandatory bike permits and Dodd’s solution to the campus tobacco debate will be irrelevant by the time they’re unveiled. We’re electing a student government president, not a pope. There’s no need for secrecy and closed-door meetings. A long, honest campaign season would allow candidates to put the focus on important campus issues. Three weeks of rumors followed by a one-week blitz of hot dogs and candy leaves the vast majority of the student body in the dark about the candidates’ actual character and ideas. And to all my anonymous sources out there – quit with the Greek stuff and leak me somebody’s platform already. Adam Call Roberts is a columnist for The Arkansas Traveler. He also blogs regularly for UATrav.com.

COMMENTS FROM UATRAV.COM

On the column, “No need for liberty or death, just give me a fair election” From reader “jdw005”: I think some perspective is needed with this issue. First off, the ASG is an administrative body, with little real responsibility and even less respectability. Secondly, voter turnout for ASG elections is always low, normally below 25 percent ... No one cares. From reader “ConcernedStudent111”: ...just because someone is perceived as a “nice guy” also is not a sufficient qualification. ASG is very closely intertwined with the interworkings and policymaking of the university, whether you choose

to acknowledge it or not. To serve successfully as a strong and positive representative of the student body requires much more than simply being a pleasant person. It requires institutional knowledge. It requires a significant amount of experience. Again, whether you choose to ackowledge it or not, this is required for the students to be a legitimate voice for the student body. I would urge everyone to look at who would best serve the entire student body. Greek affiliation should play no part whatsoever in your decision. Base it on qualification. Base it on policy. Base it on which candidate is most prepared to hold the office for which they are running. We need a president. Not merely someone to sit behind a desk.

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER |UATRAV.COM

ALCOHOL BENEFITS

STEPHEN IRONSIDE Staff Photographer

A waitress at West Mountain Brewery on the Downtown Square in Fayetteville checks a patronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ID at the bar.

UNDERAGE from Page 1

third annual Arkansas Underage Drinking Prevention Conference will bring police agencies and other professional organizations to Fayetteville to discuss how to better combat underage drinking. The two-and-a-half-day convention offers workshops similar to that of the nationwide conference and will feature speakers from Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland and Missouri. Crisman said the purpose of the convention is to allow smaller agencies that canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t attend the national convention an opportunity to learn and gather ideas that they can bring back to their own areas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know that for a very long time there was no fake ID training,â&#x20AC;? Crisman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I enrolled in a program to learn how to tell the difference and what to look for, and I have educated several businesses in town and use has gone down. One of the guys in Little Rock took a workshop I gave and caught the bug. Now, this year, he will be speaking (at the convention) instead of me.â&#x20AC;? While Crisman and other officers have â&#x20AC;&#x153;cracked downâ&#x20AC;? on underage drinking and the use of fake IDs, Rachel Eikenberry, the assistant director of the Office of Community Standards and Student Ethics at the UA, said the real problem lies with the university. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be honest, the university does not do enough community outreach,â&#x20AC;? Eikenberry said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t very proactive. The majority of people I see are freshmen and I think they have to see me because

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they have not gotten the appropriate (alcohol) education through the community. Now they are making colossal mistakes. Binge drinking, hospital visits â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it costs a lot.â&#x20AC;? The CSSE office employs many proactive measures that aim to keep students from getting into trouble because of alcohol. Currently, office officials are hiring a graduate student to create an outreach group called PEERs: Peers Educating Ethical Razorbacks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are recognizing that there is a significant problem,â&#x20AC;? Eikenberry said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;PEERs is going to combat that problem by advocating for mature and responsible use of alcohol and assist students in decision making. We will present different options, and through education, we hope students choose the one that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t involve alcohol.â&#x20AC;? After experiencing the consequences of using a fake ID, Quirk said the punishments he received are fair. He paid a $200 fine, completed 15 hours of community service, had his license suspended for eight months, and took an eightweek class called Students Experiencing Ethical Choices, offered through the CSSE office, in which students examine their personal choices. Quirk said the reprimands did make him think twice about his actions while on probation, and he hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bought alcohol since. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I would have gotten in trouble while I was on probation, I would have had a hefty fine, and possibly gone to jail,â&#x20AC;? Quirk said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I also actually learned stuff during the online alcohol class. The questions, if you actually read them â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they are interesting. I learned how much alcohol is in each drink and how much it affects you.â&#x20AC;?

Even with the many tactics the school and community do use to prevent and respond to underage alcohol use, Eikenberry said that most students she sees wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop drinking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely a problem,â&#x20AC;? Eikenberry said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hear in our offices over 1,000 cases per year, and of those, at least half involve alcohol, if not more. And those are just the people who get caught and ticketed, not just let off with a warning. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that when I meet with students they understand their actions. They just say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be safer next time,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; which is great â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not fixing the problem.â&#x20AC;? Students know this, too, but drinking in college is considered a â&#x20AC;&#x153;norm,â&#x20AC;? Quirk said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more strict here, harder to get alcohol, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more punishment,â&#x20AC;? Quirk said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no way to prevent underage drinking â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to happen. Having to take a class, pay a fine, not be able to drive for a few months, it does stray you away â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep you from consuming alcohol.â&#x20AC;? But Crisman said he sees progress. A few years ago, he could go into a liquor store and catch 10 to 12 kids with fake IDs in around four hours, but now, he might only catch three or four. Crisman said he hopes the conference will spread the progress seen in Fayetteville throughout the state. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To do this conference was my idea,â&#x20AC;? Crisman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What I get out of it, for me, personally, is that I can get all these ideas from throughout the country and bring ideas in that can better our community and save lives.â&#x20AC;?

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CAMPUS

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anti-social behavior, in Mediterranean and some South American cultures drinking behavior is more often peaceful and harmonious, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;is clearly related to different cultural beliefs about alcohol ... rather than the chemical actions of ethanol.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Despite cross-cultural variations, the central fact remains that in all cultures where alcohol is used, drinking is an essential element of celebration,â&#x20AC;? according to the study. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Behavior which would normally be frowned upon or even explicitly forbidden may, for the duration of the festivities, be actively encouraged.â&#x20AC;? College students seem to trust in these benefits, some adding beliefs of their own. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some say that the Agricultural Revolution, you know, the thing that made us stop hunting and gathering, started so we could grow the stuff to make more beer,â&#x20AC;? said Bailey Boyd, a recent UA graduate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Also, people who drink moderately on a regular basis also are more likely to exercise daily and have a higher income.â&#x20AC;? And not only do students see the social and health benefits, but also the economic benefits. According to AlcoholEdu, college students drink almost 20 percent of all alcohol consumed, which results in $22 billion in revenue for alcoholic beverage producers each year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Production and sell of alcohol means lots of jobs,â&#x20AC;? junior Tyler Johnson said.

blood-alcohol content between .08 and .15. More than 1.4 million Americans were arrested in 2007 for driving under the influence. During this academic year, 526 alcohol violations have been reported as of March 1, and 345 of those violations occurred in the Maple Hill buildings, said Rachel Eikenberry, assistant director of the Office of Community Standards and Student Ethics at the UA. Eikenberry said she thought the disproportionate number of cases from Maple Hill was a result of a higher overall population there, combined with the fact that Maple Hill houses predominately freshmen, who are more likely to abuse alcohol. The UA judicial system was referred 471 cases for liquor law violations in 2008, more than double the number from the year before. The UAPD made 15 arrests for liquor law violations during that year. The Crime Statistics Report is part of the mandatory Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Report, Eikenberry said. As part of the Clery Report, schools must make timely warnings to the campus community about crimes that pose an ongoing threat to students and employees, according to the e2

Legal consequences of using a fake ID Class A misdemeanor: â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fine between $100 to $1,000 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; up to one year in jail A new law gives officers the right to seize a violatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license. If a violatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license is taken, the owner must apply for an administrative hearing within seven days, which usually results in a 90-day suspension.

campus security systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site. The Department of Education can fine schools that fail to comply. The Clery Report also indicates a rise in arrests for public intoxication at the UA. The UAPD made 140 arrests in 2008, an increase of about 7 percent from the previous year. The vast majority of arrests were made on campus, as opposed to on public property or in residence halls. The report also includes statistics from Little Rock football games, where Little Rock police typically arrested between zero and two fans for public intoxication. About 1,700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes, according to a study posted on the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site for college drinking prevention. About 30 percent of college students met criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse and 6 percent for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence in the past 12 months, according to questionnaire-based selfreports about those studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drinking, according to the site. More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape, according to the site. Seven cases of forcible sexual assault were reported to the UAPD in 2008, and this academic year has seen multiple cases of alcohol-related rape.

Be Smart, Be Safe Safe Driving Tips ! # ! # # # # # # $ ! # ! ! ! # " Pat Walker Health Center http://health.uark.edu

Relax! Have a great Spring Break See you March 31.

LIFESTYLES THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

Page 6 | WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010

Lifestyles Editor: Brian Washburn | Assistant Lifestyles Editor: Lindsey Pruitt

Spring Break publicity encourages promiscuity, study says Erin Robertson

Senior Staff Writer After weeks of grueling assignments, midterms and hefty research papers, students are more than ready for Spring Break. It’s a nationally recognized time in which to relax and have fun, to empty the mind of to-do lists and deadlines and just let loose. That “letting loose” means more than merely sleeping in and lounging in pajama pants for most students. Weeklong excursions to sunny beaches or the snowy slopes, planned in the icy midst of winter, have been anticipated for months, along with, all too often, increased alcohol consumption and promiscuity. A nationwide survey by the American Medical Association reported that nearly threequarters of the poll results from women, ages 17 to 35, said Spring Break trips “result in more sexual activity than typical college life.” More than 80 percent of the opinions re-

Alcohol violations sting

ported that Spring Break trips result in more drinking, and more than half agreed that “being sloppy and promiscuous” on Spring Break was socially acceptable. Junior/senior Tim Dennis agreed with the telling results of the study although he doesn’t personally believe in such choices. “It’s the common mindset – that’s what I feel is the commonly held belief about Spring Break. It’s about getting away and getting laid, or at least that’s what pop culture has led us to believe,” Dennis said. With television shows like “Girls Gone Wild,” wet T-shirt and hot body contests, more Spring Break activities are directed towards young women than towards young men, a trend that has led to the victimization of many females on vacation. According to the AMA survey, one in five college women “regretted” their Spring Break sexual activities, and 12 percent of women felt that they were “forced or pressured into sex.”

Richard Yoast, the director of the AMA study, said many women surveyed felt that advertising has a lot to do with the sexual culture of Spring Break. “A lot of the women polled thought that Spring Break promotions really portrayed women in an inaccurate light,” Yoast said. “They were highly supportive of changing how Spring Break is promoted on college campuses.” Most activities encourage promiscuity among college co-eds through alcohol and drug consumption, nudity and a general attitude of “freedom from responsibilities.” This is often interpreted to mean “freedom from consequences,” but this is not the case. “I feel like it’s the Mardi Gras effect, where everyone is going crazy and there is a sort of anonymity that’s allowed you, so you do things that you normally wouldn’t,” said sophomore Elise Shoemaker. “But even though you are on vacation, there can still be consequences that bleed into

your real life. I feel like people tend to separate the two . Although we deserve a break and it’s good to kick back, if you make unwise decisions there are consequences.” And dire consequences at that. Promiscuity with a blatant disregard for safety can yield, among many things, STDs, unwanted pregnancies, disturbing memories of a forced sexual encounter and vast regret. Fun can be had on Spring Break without engaging in promiscuity: Resting on the beach, skiing, movie marathons, mission trips, time spent with friends and family, concerts, and road trips are a few of the many things UA students will be doing this Spring Break. However, if promiscuity is on the agenda, protection and a heightened sense of awareness are necessary for safety. For tips on how to have the best and most memorable Spring Break, visit safespringbreak. org or a variety of the other online resources available for students.

Vacation brings pressure to drink

E-mail: travlife@uark.edu|Phone: 575.7540

Traveler Top 5 Top 5 Mixed Drinks

1.Margaritas Because every one loves a fiesta.

2. Crown and Coke The classic Southern drink. Any whiskey and any mixer will do.

3.Sex on the Beach Because sexual innuendos and great taste go together.

Life with Lindsey

4. Red bull and Vodka Because having a buzz with wings makes for an energized party goer.

LINDSEY PRUITT lpruitt@uark.edu The Fayetteville police and UAPD weren’t joking when they said they would be “cracking down” on drunk driving. Whether it is in response to the alarming numbers of alcohol-related incidents this year, or simply stricter policy we can never know. I do have to wonder whether these incidents have been happening for years and now that the police are cracking down, they are catching all those they hadn’t before, raising the numbers, or whether these alcohol offenses are actually on the rise. Last Friday, sitting in class ready to sprint out the door and greet my Friday, I received a text message from a good friend who ended up possibly saving me some real trouble. It read, “Hey I just heard that tonight the Fayetteville police are supposed to be doing a ‘DUI Sting’ and there are going to be like 35 cop cars out compared to the regular 16! So be careful! Don’t drink and drive.” It was an alarming message to get to say the least and sure enough the next morning I heard more than a few horror stories of getting “caught” in an alcohol-related no-no. Fortunately, I took the advice seriously and stayed home because we all know that a cop can stop you for any little thing and, even if you’ve only had a couple of drinks, you might be over the limit and that’s enough to bruise your record and your wallet. I feel sorry for the folks who didn’t receive my handy dandy text, but it got See

STING on Page 8

5.Cosmo COURTESY PHOTO

Mille Appleton

Senior Staff Writer Students are gathered around cheering on a freshman doing a keg stand. The beer pong table looks cool and inviting. Friends are quickly changing into regular partiers. With college comes freedom, as well as peer pressure. Peer pressure to drink is a combination of three distinct influences: overt offers of alcohol, modeling and social norms, according to a study done at Syracuse University in the Center for Health and Behavior. Overt offers of alcohol can range from polite gestures to intense provoking to commands to drink. Modeling is when a student’s behavior corresponds to another student’s coexisting drinking behavior. Perceived social norms can make excessive alcohol use appear common and acceptable to students. Peer pressure depends greatly on friend circles. The diversity of campus life makes it easy for students to surround themselves with like-minded individuals, which is what many students who don’t want to drink try to do from the beginning. “I never really experienced peer pressure to drink because not very many of my friends regularly drank. The times when I was at a party or somewhere where people were drinking, if I said no that was pretty much the end of it. No one really tried to get me to do it,” said junior Catherine Craig. However, students often find themselves surrounded by friends from high school who shared the same ideals as they did, but enjoyed the freshman freedom more than expected. On average, college freshmen reported they drink more than five drinks per week, according to a study done by The Century Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting underage drinking. Forty-five percent of college freshmen reported they engaged in binge drinking at least once during the two weeks prior to completing the

study. “Most of my friends did the wide-eyed freshman thing and just went to town binge drinking. I was definitely around it, but wasn’t tempted to drink,” said junior Latham Chambers. “Sometimes I was too busy dragging my buddies to the throne for some bow time.” Studies also have shown that college athletes are more likely than non-athletes to drink. They are the heaviest drinkers in the overall student population, and half are binge drinkers and experience a greater number of alcohol related harms than other students, according to The Century Council. “After rugby games there is always the after party. Usually I just leave, but on away games I’m automatically and gratefully volunteered by the team as a designated driver,” Chambers said. “I didn’t have to break a moral and it brought respect from the team. Somebody was there to make sure they were safe.” Most students find that if they just say no to drinking, there isn’t much overt peer pressure. There are other ways to still have a good time and be the leader in a situation. “Usually, I think the best thing to do is try and find other ways to have fun while you’re in the middle of it because you are perfectly capable of doing that,” said junior Elizabeth Bostwick. “If you step up and take the lead, then there are going to be other people who are going to follow, too.” The view and expectations of college students might be drinking every weekend, but those who have a different definition of fun think there are plenty of benefits to waiting. “You don’t have to worry about getting caught or regrets. I think that if you wait longer, too, you feel like you’re a stronger person because you know that if you don’t want to do it, then you can not do it,” Bostwick said. “People respect that, (and) it builds character.”

It’s fun, it’s flirty and it has Carrie Bradshaw’s approval. Must be a keeper.

Check Traveler Top 5 after Spring Break.

“I like to categorize the various levels of heartbreak ... A letdown is worth a few songs. A heartbreak is worth a few albums.” – Taylor Swift, breaking down how she uses her love life as musical inspiration, to Elle magazine

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COM

LIFESTYLES

WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010 |Page 7

Spring Break ruins some citiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reputations Mille Appleton Staff Writer

To a college student, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a week of fun in the sun with no regard for the consequences. To a beach town resident, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a week to shelter the young ones and deal with the consequences. Popular Spring Break destination Panama City, Fla., has grown weary of the reputation it conjures. In the past, it has been deemed the No. 1 Spring Break destination in the country, and has hosted MTVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spring Break festivities for several years. As the temperatures climb in March and April, the city is overwhelmed with millions of bikini-clad college students wishing to show off their tan, bodies and drinking skills. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a bunch of college kids being drunk

and obnoxious,â&#x20AC;? said senior Tyler Johnson. However, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tourism Development Council has announced they are finished working with MTV, after a raucous 2009 when two people were stabbed at MTVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lil Wayne concert. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Personally I thought (Panama City) was a little trashy. At one club we went to, people outside were talking about how someone got shot the night before and earlier that day there was (an almost) 100-person beach brawl,â&#x20AC;? said senior Alex Pohlmann. Tourism leaders are also trying to clean up the party city by changing the name of the Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport to appeal to tourists from all over the South and hopefully make Panama City more family-friendly.

Liquor bottles prohibited in dorm decorating

â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a balance we are trying to hit with Spring Break. There are folks in our community who wish Spring Break would go away, but there are others who depend on it for a major part of their business,â&#x20AC;? said Dan Rowe, president of Panama City Beachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Convention and Visitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bureau, according to MSNBC. Trying to change a Spring Break cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t new within the industry. South Padre Island was famously rowdy in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;80s and spent the next decade trying to keep Spring Breakers out. However, the tides turned when there was a major drop in tourism and now officials have reversed policies and are looking to host a major Beach Scene Music Festival. While many students take the drive down to Panama City for his or her week of freedom, other students go to different parts of Florida for

another type of fun. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been to Fort Walton and Destin during Spring Break, but I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really into the club, drinking scene. That really isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t my thing. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why I went to that part of Florida,â&#x20AC;? said junior Lauren Lucky. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My favorite part was really going out to dinner every night and then finding fun stuff to do like bungee jumping, go carts and hanging out with people we met at the beach.â&#x20AC;? On the flip side, though, some cities revel in the idea of their city being chosen as a Spring Break hotspot. Acapulco, Mex., has been chosen as the new MTV Spring Break location and is promoting an unruly atmosphere. The Spring Break Acapulco Web site describes the location as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a city that never sleeps and Acapulco does itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to live up to that reputation.â&#x20AC;?

SILAS HUNT LEGACY AWARD WINNER

STEPHEN IRONSIDE Staff Photographer

Jim and Gary Sloan, seniors who live off campus, have a small collection of liquor bottles adorning their kitchen cabinets. Students living in campus housing are not allowed to have such collections.

Erin Robertson Staff Writer

Dorm decorating can be a stimulating sport, a chess game of the mind, even. One must merely take into account the rules, space and budget constraints, and add in a dash of personality and flavor to create a homey atmosphere. UA Housing rules declare that students cannot permanently modify the room in any way, nor is any drug/alcohol

paraphernalia or pornography allowed. Housing Director of Student Affairs Jerrid Freeman explained that the rules are not meant to hinder students, but rather keep them safe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people think there are a lot of restrictions, but, really, we just want you to be creative, think of things beyond your time in the room and leave a nice room after the semester is over.â&#x20AC;? Freeman detailed some specific rules.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can put up anything you want â&#x20AC;&#x201C; posters, decorations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cover the lights or put holes in the walls. Decorations with whiskey bottles, beer cans [or any alcohol products] are not permitted because of the mixed message they send. Usually, underage students have them, so, really, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just trying to encourage wise behavior. As a university, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying

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Gerald Jordan, associate professor in the Department of Journalism, was recognized Monday, March 15, during a reception at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House on the UA campus in Fayetteville. In April, Jordan will receive the Silas Hunt Legacy Award, which recognizes African Americans for their significant contributions to the community, state and nation.

Page 8|WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010

LIFESTYLES

Goddesses make their own divinity 200 women attend Goddess Festival Brady Tackett Staff Writer

It’s dusk, and jazz piano floats over crowds that mill about the plaza building. Everywhere, aging women laugh, their voices stained with wine. The walls are alive with breasts, rendered in ceramics, oil paint and quilt squares. Roughly 200 attendees, mostly women, amble through the opening of the second annual Goddess Festival, a mishmash of holistic healing, feminist spirituality and arts events that runs through all of March at the Fayetteville Downtown Square. Here, self-proclaimed “gender rebels” embrace creativity as what one founder calls “the divine feminine.” They wander smiling through the art gallery, smiling and sipping wine, smiling amidst the circle of vendor stands. Their pride in art is immense – for these women, divinity is the power to create. “I made all these,” said Esyule Gamache, surveying her racks of tie-dyed shirts and baby bibs. She also makes cloth fairies and jewelry. All of it is for sale. She points to two paintings that she contributed to the festival art gallery. “I’m an artist, I’m an artisan, I’m a dancer, I’m a poet,” she said. Behind another table, Genn Waite arranges wands that she fashions from handpicked crystals and driftwood. Some buy them for decoration, others for mystical healing, she said. “They may just feel the energy of it and like the look. Other people may know how to do energy work and actually use it for healing, or whatever,” Waite said. All of them sell healing. The festival offers classes

like, “Intro to Crystal Healing,” “Laugh for the Health of it” and “The Journey of Belly Dance.” “It’s not rocket science. Herbal science is more like an art,” said Cindy Huelsmann, who is teaching a table of women to make salve. She wears green, tie-dyed sweatpants and hovers over a boiling pot of chickweed. “Here’s the one rule: if it smells good to you, it’s good for you,” she said. Another class targets “GenderQueers,” women who subvert conventional gender roles by dressing as men. A small crowd gathers round a projection screen to watch a film, which depicts a young woman binding her breasts with Ace bandages. “They feel like tumors,” she said. For the women here, these events are battles won in a war against orthodoxy. In the shadow of the Bible Belt, the Goddess Festival makes its own light, said festival cofounder Vick Kelley. “I think a lot of people felt there was something missing and that there was more to their spiritual journey,” said Kelley, whose production company, Soap & Vick Events, arranged the festival. “Every religious tradition has an aspect of the divine feminine. But we forget it, we negate it.” Kelley, 57, is frantically energetic. She zips around the art gallery, a blur of teal chasing granddaughters, sampling wine, greeting friends. She slips an arm around Diana Rivers, the festival’s other founder. “I was worried last year that we’d have rocks thrown through the window or something, but it seems like it’s been an idea that people have welcomed,” said Rivers, who says the festival was her idea. She has kind eyes, and her long, gray hair flows down

her long, purple scarf. Fayetteville is ready for a new paradigm, Rivers said. “In a matriarchal culture, an older woman is valued for her wisdom and knowledge,” she said. “I’m 78, and I feel like I’ve earned every year of it.” Rivers and Kelley’s friendship is more than 20 years old, and they say the festival is “a natural collaboration” for them. Both women worked in gender studies at the University of Arkansas, and both are experienced organizers of feminist events. But they say the Goddess Festival is different. “We call this our grown-up version, because we’ve finally got it in terms of inclusivity and what that means,” Kelley said. “It is a wholeness. Our women’s conferences and anything that was separatist or exclusive is no longer important to us.” As if on cue, a small girl appears and wraps herself around Kelley’s leg. “Well hello!” Kelley lights up, swooping the child into her arms. It is Tasha, one of Kelley’s six grandchildren, whom she nicknamed “Sweet Bean.” “For me, this is about restoring the balance,” Rivers said. Kelley smiles and nods in agreement. “We’re opening the door wide open,” Kelley said. “There is room for all of the attributes of your spiritual self to find balance.” Sweet Bean fidgets. “We see women every day that are subjugating themselves, who are negating their personal power, who are not in touch with their female divinity,” Kelley said. Sweet Bean wriggles away and skips into the gallery, where the stone statue of a naked woman confronts her. She sees it, but doesn’t understand.

STING

from Page 6 me thinking. The information she sent, the real gist of it, “Don’t drink and drive,” is information I already know. It’s been hammered into my head for as long as I can remember in formats from descriptive pamphlets to emotionally wrecking presentations. It is more than a common fact that drinking and driving is hazardous and that avoiding it is always the best idea even if you feel fine and able to drive. Still, there have been a few times, after a couple of drinks, that I have gotten into my car and driven home. Why? Maybe because I don’t want to be one of those girls who shacks. Maybe because I don’t want to spend money on the cab fee. Maybe because Safe Ride doesn’t always come when I expect or because I’ll get a ticket if I stay. For whatever reason, mostly because I just enjoy the comfort of my own

DORM

from Page 7 to send a good message, rather than an indication that someone has violated state law.” When asked to explain the housing rule that prohibits the display of any non-Razorback or Arkansas flags or paraphernalia out of windows, Freeman referred to the same philosophy. “Basically again, we try to be really careful as to what might be offensive to other folks. It’s a freedom of speech issue, but it’s also an issue of starting a riot. From a legal perspective, we can’t let one person do something and prohibit others from acting in a similar manner. For example, the rebel flag may be offensive to one but a reminder of history to another. We want to provide equal rights for students, and, from a legal stand-

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COM bed, I’ve gone ahead and driven home and, for now, it has worked out for me; I haven’t been stopped. That doesn’t mean I won’t end up like some of my friends, unlucky. The idea here is that one text message stopped me from partying at all because I was aware of the “Sting,” but that’s only because I knew it would only be for one night and then it would be over. My question here is if police are worried about drunk driving, why do they think one random “sting” will solve the trick? It’s been fairly hush hush and no one seems to know for sure, but officials have supposedly passed around the idea of making the UA a dry campus. In my opinion: terrible idea. Not just because I am tailgatings’ No. 1 fan and I party at fraternities, but for a better reason altogether. If students, especially crazy, out of the nest freshmen can’t stumble home linking arms with their besties after a night out or a football/ baseball game then they will

find other venues. Faraway bars, older students’ houses, etc. And how will the bulk of them get home? They will drive. And then police will be facing an even bigger problem. If we think the freshmen have gone crazy this year, just think of the mess we would be in if they were “fresh out of the nest partiers” on wheels! Drinking happens, and it will continue to happen regardless of whether it is restricted. The most important thing officials can do is make the conditions as safe as possible for students who do and will continue to drink. My advice: Keep our campus wet, beef up Safe Ride and send the extra fleet of 16 home. Or even better, create more Safe Ride buses and get them a catchy name like, “The Boozer Cruisers,” so students would want to ride the buses. Whatever the case, the most important thing is for students to stay safe, but if our ability to party on campus is taken away, trust me, no one will be safe.

point, the rules serve to clear up the confusion.” However, many students don’t fully agree with the Housing rules. “They say you can only hang Arkansas flags, but I’ve seen so many others. So I think [the rule is] silly because it’s not well enforced,” said sophomore Liz Caruth. In junior Kevin Smith’s experience, however, the rules were enforced. Smith recalled an instance his freshman year living in Humphreys when the police were called to investigate a potential drug violation on his floor. Smith and his friends were in his room when a knock on their door interrupted a midweek evening of harmless fun. “I was playing a video game and the [police and RAs] came into the room and after noticing the alcohol bottles on a shelf the police said, ‘You’re not supposed to have liquor bottles. It’s a violation of dorm policy,’”

Smith said. Smith was then reprimanded by the police, written up by his RA and required to throw away the 2 lager bottles and the single vodka bottle – all emptied and clean, Smith claimed – that decorated his window ledge. Smith never faced serious consequences, but is still annoyed at the actions taken against him. “It wasn’t like I was drinking it there, and the bottles weren’t hurting anyone,” he said. Although students may not understand the importance of the dorm decorating rules, the Housing department has orchestrated such guidelines for reasons integral to the safety and fair treatment of students. If it remains misunderstood within residence halls, students always have the option of moving off campus and into a world of independence, where decorations of all varieties are fair game.

‘Safe Spring Break’ 3-16: Sex on the Beach – HPER Gym2 3-18: Spades on the Hill Poker Tourney For more information contact Debbie Morgan drmorgan@uark.edu 575-2485

Help keep Arkansas clean and green! Drink from refillable water bottles to keep tons of disposable bottles out of landfills. Doing a little can do a lot. SHINE.

Brought to you by U of A Health Promotions

52% of UARK students do NOT binge drink when they party.

STUDENT MEDIA

CALL FOR EDITOR/STATION MANAGER APPLICATIONS The UA Student Media Board is accepting applications for the following editor and station manager positions for the 2010-2011 academic year:

The Arkansas Traveler editor Razorback yearbook editor KXUA radio station manager UATV station manager Applications should include a cover letter to the board and a platform outlining the applicant’s plans for the organization. Packets are due in The Traveler office, Kimpel Hall 119, not later than noon March 19, 2010. To be considered, candidates must meet the following criteria: Be a student in good standing at the UA Have completed at least one full semester of applicable experience on the Student Medium for which he or she is applying. Meet the requirements for student officers in the University Student handbook.

Visit KeepArkansasBeautiful.com or call 888-742-8701 for more information.

KAP 0310 004 Bottle_Rinse_5.16x10_gs.indd 1

3/8/10 10:48:59 AM

For more information, please contact Steve Wilkes, Director of Student Media. 575-3406 • Kimpel Hall 119 • swilkes@uark.edu

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COM

DOWNTIME

WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010| Page 9

WORD SEARCH

SUDOKU

LEVEL: EASY

Word list 1. alcohol

11. intoxicated 12. police 13. bottle 14. alcoholism 15. springbreak 16. jello 17. shots 18. tequila 19. vodka 20. margarita

2. beer 3. wine 4. liquor 5. consequences 6. underage 7. drinking 8. health 9. death 10. poison

HOROSCOPES l by Linda Black LIBRA (SEPT.23-OCT.22) Today is an 8 -- Be sure co-workers know that you under-

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) Today is a 7- Relax! Work can proceed as planned

if you allow your imagination to supply dreamy images. Soften the focus in order to improve production. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20)Today is a 6 -- Delegate as much as you possibly can today. Three people contribute information and practical efforts.Success is yours. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 21) Today is a 6 -- Relax into the rhythm of your new plan. Three associates contribute creative energy and move everything forward. CANCER (JUNE 22- JULY 22) Today is a 6 -- Focus your research on a single item. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not easy, as your mind wants to go in several directions at once. Jot down thoughts for later. LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22)Today is an 8 -- Intelligent activity can only proceed if you inject enthusiasm into the formula.Others may lack the necessary energy without it. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) Today is a 7 -- Use your imagination to fill in the blanks when others say what they want but have no clue how to get it.You see things theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re blind to.

GIRLS & SPORTS

LEVEL: MEDIUM LAST WEDNESDAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SOLUTION

stand their problems. After all, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on their side.Use chocolate to maintain optimism. SCORPIO (OCT.23-NOV.21) Today is a 6 -- If you get tired of providing motivation, sit back and wait. Others will take up the slack sooner than youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d thought.Conceal the stopwatch. SAGITTARIUS (NOV.22-DEC.21)Today is a 5 -- Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t slip up by depending on weak logic.You gain enthusiastic support when you sound like you know what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing. Restate the details. CAPRICORN (DEC.22-JAN.19)Today is a 7 -- The time for creative input is past. Get down to business and move your ideas forward.Lights, camera, action! AQUARIUS (JAN.20-FEB.18)Today is a 5 -- Do what you love and the money will follow. Even if your side job isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t paying much yet, it will grow. Be patient and stay the course. PISCES (FEB.19-MARCH 20) Today is an 8 -- Because you demanded personal recognition, you also gained it for your team. They may not realize the importance your worth

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MARS TRIFECTA Erik Northfell & Clay Parris

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Hogs head to Baton Rouge SEC season starts for Arkansas This weekend on UAtrav.com

SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

Page 10 | WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010

Sports Editor: Matt Watson | Assistant Sports Editor: Harold McIlvain II

GYMNASTICS

Reason to celebrate

Phone: 575.7051 | E-mail: travsprt@uark.edu

BASEBALL

CWS Rivalry Redieux

Arkansas preps for No. 2 OU Harold McIlvain II

Assistant Sports Editor It’s the favorite part of the season for Arkansas co-head coach Rene Cook and the gymnastics team. With the postseason nearing, the No. 6 Razorbacks are now focusing on the little things to get better after a season of repeating routines. Working on landings and fundamentals is routine for the team during the year – but the Razorbacks are now looking to improve on something a little more fun: celebrating. “We are working on so many tinny, little things right now,” Cook said. “We are working on landing and cheering when we land. That’s the big focus this week. We need to celebrate more because we are not celebrating enough.” With so much fist pumping going on during practice this week, the Razorbacks were joking about having sore arms from rooting on teammates. Despite the fun nature of celebrating with teammates, Cook said it is an important part of competition for Arkansas. “Those things make an impression and feed the energy from team member to team member,” Cook said. “The little

details are coming out right now. It’s more fun right now because all the hard work is done as far as repetition of routines.” The Razorbacks hope to be celebrating Friday night when they face No. 2 Oklahoma at Barnhill Arena at 7 p.m. during the last meet of the season. “We are certainly excited to have an Oklahoma team that is ranked high here at home,” Cook said. “With it being senior night, the whole team gets involved with senior week and different activities and it’s all about celebrating being a part of this experience.” After beating the Sooners on the road last year 196.900195.625, the Razorbacks are expecting to face a motivated squad during the meet. “They are definitely a little stronger this year and they are competing outstandingly,” Cook said. “I think our skill level is pretty equal. But it’s just going to be which team hits the best. We want to go in the gym with confidence.” The competition will feature the top two beam gymnastics in the nation in Sooner Hollie Vice and Razorback Casey Jo Magee, respectively, and will give the See

GYMNASTICS on Page 11

JONATHAN GIBSON Staff Photographer

Junior Brett Eibner (2-1) has a 1.23 ERA and 15 strike outs in 14 innings through four starts for Arkansas this season.

Harold McIlvain II

Assistant Sports Editor

FILE PHOTO

Arkansas senior Casey Jo Magee will compete in her last regular season meet when the Razorbacks face No. 2 Oklahoma at Barnhill Arena 7 p.m. this Friday.

BASKETBALL

Season in review: Jimmy Carter Staff Writer

From the preseason off-court drama that affected results early in the year to the conference resurgence and subsequent meltdown to finish the season, Arkansas fans experienced the full spectrum of emotions following Razorback basketball. The Razorbacks finished 14-18 overall and went 7-9 in the Southeastern Conference to finish third in the SEC Western division. Arkansas made a first-round exit in the SEC Tournament and missed the postseason – both for the second consecutive season. The Hogs lost a late-February SEC West lead and fell out of a first-day bye in the SEC Tournament. Actual attendance swooned below 8,000 nine times in 19,200-seat Bud Walton Arena, while topping 14,000 just four times in 20 home contests. The six-game losing streak to end the season was the worst finish in school history. The program has now recorded five losing seasons in the last nine years, the worst stretch since Arkansas struggled through seven losing seasons during 1967-74.

Here is the best - and worst - of the roller-coaster Razorback season. Team MVP – Marshawn Powell The freshman made an immediate impact at power forward and was Arkansas’ most consistent performer. A unanimous selection to the freshman All-SEC team, Powell averaged 14.9 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds per contest. He recorded three doubledoubles and scored more than 20 points seven times, including three times in a four-game February stretch. Newcomer of the Year – Marshawn Powell He provided Arkansas with an additional low-post threat to complement senior forward

A week after Arkansas was shutout in a 6-0 loss at California, Hog head coach Dave Van Horn watched his Razorbacks launch ball after ball in Sunday morning batting practice. The No. 13 Arkansas baseball team performed drill after drill flawlessly while preparing for its third straight Sunday sweep bid of the season. Neither of the first two sweep attempts came easy – the Hogs held off Troy for a narrow 7-6 win two weeks ago and didn’t score a run against Cal in the series finale. But Van Horn saw a different team going into game three against Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Baum Stadium. “We took one of the best pre-game batting practices in a long time,” Van Horn said. “All three groups had great execution of bunting, hitting and running and going the other way. It was as good as I’ve ever seen.” Unfortunately for Van Horn, the hits

did stop coming for the Razorbacks, who had only mustered two hits and recorded 15 straight outs heading into the ninth inning Sunday, trailing 2-0. “We didn’t bring it out,” Van Horn said. “That’s where the hitting stopped. All three groups with the execution of bunting and hitting and

With Arkansas (12-3) facing the defending national champion in No. 13 LSU (132) this weekend on the road, second baseman Bo Bigham said the rally was much needed heading into the first Southeastern Conference series of the season. “We had to win (that) game,” Bigham said. “You

ARKANSAS (12-3) AT LSU (13-2) FRIDAY March 19

SATURDAY March 20

SUNDAY March 21

at LSU

7 p.m.

3 p.m.

running and going the other way, it was as good as I’ve ever seen. But it just didn’t happen.” However, the offense came to life late by scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth before finishing the game with a walk-off home run in the 10th from freshman outfielder Matt Vinson.

1 p.m.

don’t want to go into the (next) weekend with a loss. We are going to build off this and we know what we have to do. We have to come ready or LSU will beat the tar off us. We have to be focused.” The come-from-behind win was a lesson for the Razorbacks before their big showdown the Tigers,

who with back-to-back wins knocked Arkansas out of the College World Series last season. “We don’t want to do that,” Vinson said of having to come back for wins. “We want to get on them and score as many runs as we can. But we are going to get down later in the season. This show us we can comeback later in the season.” Van Horn said it was nice to see the team bounce back for the sweep, but improvement will need to be made against LSU. “I made the comment to the players that good teams find ways to win,” Van Horn said. “I don’t know if we we’re going to win or if we are a good team. But I told our players we will need to step up to have success in our league.” The Razorbacks will get an opportunity to have practices a couple days in a row - something that hasn’t happened since the season started - after playing five games in six days last week. See

LSU on Page 11

best and worst of Arkansas basketball Mike Washington. His numbers even increased slightly in SEC action as he averaged 15.1 points and 6.9 boards while playing 31.8 minutes per contest. Best Win – 80-73 at No. 18 Ole Miss on Jan. 31 The Razorbacks improved to .500 in conference play and broke a 16game road losing streak against the ranked Rebels. This was the second game of a five-game winning streak that gave Arkansas the SEC West lead. The Hogs fought back from a halftime deficit as Washington and Powell combined for 41 points and 17 rebounds. Worst Loss – 65-54 at LSU on Feb. 24 The Tigers dominated Arkansas for its first conference win in 13 games. LSU took an 18-5 lead to start the contest and led by as many as 22 points. The Razorbacks played without an injured Washington and Tigers held the Arkansas to 34 percent shooting.

Best Comeback – 72-68 win at Georgia on Feb. 3 The Hogs rallied from halftime deficits four times during their five-game winning streak, and they faced a 15-point deficit against the Bulldogs. Worst Meltdown – 68-66 loss to Ole Miss on March 6 The Razorbacks blew an 11-point lead with five minutes remaining, losing a firstround bye in the SEC Tournament as Ole Miss clinched the No. 2 seed. The Rebels outscored Arkansas 15-2 in the final 5:22 as the Hogs lost their fifth straight. Best Single-Game Performance – Rotnei Clarke scores 51 in season-opener The sophomore broke the single-game Arkansas scoring record and also hit a school record 13 3-pointers in the Razorbacks’ season-opening 130-68 win over Alcorn State. Clarke had outscored the Braves 51-49 when he left the game with 5:16 remaining. Worst Week – Nov. 24-29 Arkansas went 0-3 against mid-majors

Morgan State, East Tennessee State and South Alabama, losing by a combined 25 points. The Razorbacks were dealing with suspensions and an injury that forced Washington sit out the USA game, but no one expected the team to struggle so mightily against marginal competition. Biggest Surprise – Julysses Nobles The freshman was thrust into the starting point guard role when sophomore guard Courtney Fortson was suspended for the first 14 games of the season. The twostar recruit performed admirably, averaging 4.3 assists and 25.4 minutes per game in Fortson’s absence. He was relegated to backup duty once Fortson returned, but finished the season with strong performances against Ole Miss and Georgia. Biggest Disappointment, Pt. 1 – Five players suspended after off-season issues Arkansas coach John Pelphrey suspended five players Nov. 11 for various offseason See

BEST & WORST on Page 11

SPORTS

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COM

BEST & WORST from Page 10

transgressions. Fortson, senior Stef Welsh, junior Marcus Britt, freshman Glenn Bryant and sophomore walk-on Nick Mason all missed at least two games. Britt was arrested for DWI in May and he, Bryant and Mason were accused of sexually assaulting a female student at a frat party, although the charges were later dropped. Fortson missed the first 14 games and the Razorbacks struggled on the court, finishing nonconference action with a sub.500 record. Biggest Disappointment, Pt. 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Six-game losing streak to end season Arkansas led the SEC West with five conference games remaining, but slipped to a third-place finish with five straight losses to end the regular season. The Razorbacks lost 77-64 to Georgia in the first round of the SEC Tournament to complete the worst finish in school history and miss the postseason for a second consecutive season. Best Quote, Pt. 1 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always something.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Freshman forward Glenn Bryant after Arkansas beat Alabama State 76-51 on Dec. 16 without leading scorer Rotnei Clarke. Clarke missed the game with tendonitis, another early-season misfortune for the Hogs. Best Quote, Pt. 2 â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe this is my team. Not taking anything from Mike (Washington) or Stef (Welsh) or (Stephen) Cox, I know those are the seniors. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m taking it and putting it on my back. The team

GYMNASTICS from Page 10

Razorbacks another opportunity to be in the same gym with another good program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is an emotional aspect to competing against a great team,â&#x20AC;? Cook said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We tell the girls all the time that

WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010 |Page 11

Worst opposing uniforms, Pt. 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Alcorn State Fans at Bud Walton Arena were no doubt perplexed by the hue of the Bravesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; jerseys. The purple oddly offset the rarely seen Easter yellow.

needs a leader and we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had that all year. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my turn to try it.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Powell two days before Arkansas lost 77-64 to Georgia in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. Best Crowd â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jan. 5 in the Razorbacks 9685 loss to No. 2 Texas The Longhorns were still viewed as one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elite and the crowd of 12,865 was vocal as Arkansas trailed by just two points with less than three minutes remaining. Razorback fans were also enthused to see Fortson make his first appearance of the season after being indefinitely suspended for the first 14 games.

Best opposing uniforms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kentucky The Wildcatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; white home jerseys, accentuated with royal blue numbering and lettering, are stylish, yet traditional. They look equally as cool on this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secondranked squad as they would on one of the seven previous national championship teams at the NCAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all-time winningest basketball program.

Biggest shoes to fill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Replacing Washington Washington didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the senior season most expected, but the McGehee, Ark., native still averaged 12.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Arkansasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; only returning true post players are Powell and senior Delvon Johnson, who averaged 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per contest this season. The Razorbacks are recruiting Central Florida Community College forward Ricardo Ratliffe. The 6-8, 240-pounder is the No. 1 junior college player in the country according to JucoJunction.com and recently visited Arkansas and Alabama.

Worst Crowd â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sub-6,000 attendance for South Alabama and UAB games Arkansas was struggling to put a cohesive unit on the court and Fortson was still suspended, but there was very little home-court advantage in these contests, two of the most sparsely attended in Walton Arena history. The Hogs dropped both games.

Worst opposing uniforms, Pt. 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; South Alabama The Jaguarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Harlem Globetrotter-inspired uniforms looked more fit for the circus than the basketball court. Attire aside, South Alabama beat the Razorbacks 74-61.

Biggest question heading into the offseason â&#x20AC;&#x201C; What, if any, defections will there be? There has already been one coaching change, as assistant Isaac Brown was re-assigned to an administrative role. Clarke announced in a statement released Monday night he will stay at Arkansas, contesting KNWA sports anchor Pat Doneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report that Clarke was â&#x20AC;&#x153;seriously consideringâ&#x20AC;? transferring. Four of the six players in Pelphreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2008 recruiting class left the program, with only Clarke and Fortson remaining. Stability is crucial because Arkansasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; APR score of 888 last year fell well short of the minimum 925. Consecutive seasons below the minimum score would put the program in risk of practice and scholarship losses.

it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t what happens, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how you handle it. The focus right now is getting ready for postseason.â&#x20AC;? But the final meet at Barnhill will also allow the coaching staff one last opportunity to evaluate the team while trying to stay in the top six for a No. 1 seed in during regionals.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are looking to see how we measure up,â&#x20AC;? Cook said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will show where we need to make the minor improvements and what we are doing really well. It will toughen our team up going into the SEC Championship.â&#x20AC;? After working the entire season to get to this point, Cook said the season only gets

more exciting from here with the Oklahoma meet and the postseason. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before we know it, we will be looking at our seeding and where we are going,â&#x20AC;? Cook said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a whole level of excitement as well. The girls are excited too with how much they have worked. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an opportunity they have created.â&#x20AC;?

LSU

from Page 10 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now we are going to have three practices after not having back-to-back practices in a while,â&#x20AC;? Van Horn said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have some guys who are banged up, sore and tired. It might be a good time to rest up and put in new things to get ready for SEC play.â&#x20AC;? After starting the season undefeated with 12 straight wins, the Tigers dropped two of three games against Kansas last weekend. And competition wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be getting any easier with the team heading into conference play, LSU head coach Paul Maninieri said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I told our team that nothing is going to come easy for us,â&#x20AC;? Mainieri said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We open SEC play this weekend (against Arkansas), and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to be tested every week. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll continue to work hard

each day and prepare for the challenges in front of us.â&#x20AC;? The Razorbacks, who opened conference play last year with a program-best 8-0 record, have been looking forward to this series and the opportunity to make a run at an SEC title. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like anything else,â&#x20AC;? Van Horn said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will be hyped up a little bit. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just three games. We will be ready to play in front of a lot of wild fans. It will be a great experience.â&#x20AC;? The $36 million Alex Box Stadium, which opened in 2009, is already known for its atmosphere â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the Razorbacks are expecting to hear a loud crowd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be a tough atmosphere down there,â&#x20AC;? Vinson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There will be crazy fans all over. But getting the momentum with the comeback heading into the series is going to help a lot.â&#x20AC;?

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Page 12 | WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010

SPORTS One-on-One with a Razorback

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | UATRAV.COM JONATHAN GIBSON Staff Photographer

Traveler assistant sports editor Harold McIlvain II snagged an interview with Arkansas second baseman Bo Bigham about injuries, introd music and the importance of the weekend series at No. 2 LSU. You were really excited to start the season and went down with an injury in the very first game. What did you learn from the process of being out so soon in the year? Motivation mostly. You have to be motivated to come back and canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel sorry for it. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Why did it happen to me?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; You just have to be motivated, work hard and get back out on the field.

bo bigham

Texarkana, Ark. 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;11â&#x20AC;? 170 lbs 2010: .381 avg, 6 runs and 9 RBI

How important is the intro music to college baseball players, and how much thought do guys put into selecting their particular songs? There is a lot of thinking that goes into it. All fall and all year people are thinking about it and trying to find the best one. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a lot of fun listening to what everyone picks.

With SEC play starting this weekend against No. 2 LSU, how much significance do these early conference games mean to Arkansas? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be important. We have to be focused this week and get down to business and be ready. LSU is a great team. We feel we can There was a possibility that you could have missed the whole go in there and beat them at their place, so we just have to work season with your injury. How scary was that for you? toward that and be the team we are capable of being. It was scary. Nobody wants to be out for a whole season, especially when you have been looking forward to it all fall and everything Starting the SEC season has to be exciting enough for the else. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just baseball and sports. It happens to people and you feel team. Does starting it against LSU, who knocked Arkansas sorry for them. But it happens in sports if you play the right way. out of the College World Series, has to bring even more exStuff is going to happen and you have to overcome it. citement? Everyone is excited to go to LSU. The games are going to be big What is your batting music that you are using right now because there is a huge rivalry, especially with the College World when you come to the plate? Series last year. There is just a history behind it even with the guys The song I have right now is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hicktownâ&#x20AC;? by Jason Aldean. I that are here right now. We want to go take the SEC title from them had originally had another one picked out, but my brother is play- because we are the two best teams in the conference in terms of ing at a junior college in Arizona so I decided I would pick it up so rankings. we would both have it.

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