HOGS READY FOR TENNESSEE TECH
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PAGE 1 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010
VOL. 105, NO. 3
UATRAV.COM
Freshman Classes Feel Enrollment Squeeze Enrollment Fall 2004 17,269
by SABA NASEEM Staff Writer
With more than 21,000 students enrolled at the UA, faculty and advisors have had to make changes in the classrooms to accommodate the record number of students. There were about 3,820 incoming freshmen this year, up 500 from last year, according to enrollment officials. The increase in students was expected, said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions. In fact, “we knew last November that the enrollment would be up to 21,000. We adjusted to go over two months ago, but overall, knew this was coming within a couple hundred students,” she said. To ensure every student has a seat in the classrooms, “there will be a better and more efficient use of facilities and space,” said Ashley Tull, associate dean of students. Instead of having a huge classroom for a 30 student class, they are given a room based on the size. This way, every student has a seat, although they may not have the schedule they want, Tull said. One of the major reasons for this influx of students is the Arkansas Lottery Scholarship. There are more than 3,600 kids receiving this scholarship, and non-traditional students are still in progress of finding out. “Other reasons may be the poor economy which causes enrollment to grow,” Tull said. “Also, more students decide to stay in state because it is affordable.” There were also increased efforts in recruiting students
Fall 2005 17,821 Fall 2006 17,926 Fall 2007 18,648 Fall 2008 19,194 Fall 2009 19,849 Larry Ash PHOTO EDITOR Molly Rapert teaches one of her two fully enrolled marketing classes at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Many professors report that for the first time all their clases are fully enrolled, after the large influx of admissions this fall semester. for the 2010-2011 school year. “We worked very hard to make this the first choice institution,” McCray said. “I’ve heard nothing but excitement and it’s great to be at a place where people want to go.” Many professors said the increase has affected their classes, although for some professors, it has not made a difference. “My classroom definitely feels constrained because I am teaching 400 students,” said Gay Stewart, a physics professor. Stewart teaches University Physics 1, a required class for many majors. The class is broken into two sessions
of 200 students each, with 14 lab groups. The labs are planned with the idea of 24 students, but this semester, she has to seat 30 in each lab. “We managed to get all the equipment to support 30 students, but if we had one more lab room, I would be able to accommodate 100 extra students,” she said. There are no plans to extend the university, although there have been discussions on the subject. However, certain buildings on campus are being renovated and could potentially provide more space for classes. The uni-
versity does have the capacity to accommodate 25,000 students with its facilities. Professors are also changing the way they teach, so that every student has an equal opportunity to do well. Students are still getting what they need in class, although the learning experience may not be as fun, Stewart said. She had to change her syllabus so that instead of giving four exams for the semester, she is giving small exams each week. “This way, I will have a better idea of how kids are doing and I will get this information early on, so that if someone needs
help, they can be taken care of before it is too late,” she said. Even smaller classes have felt the effect of more students. The honors music lecture class usually has a size limit of 25, but it has increased to 30. “It is definitely harder to teach a larger class,” said Theresa Delaplain, a music professor. “In smaller classes, students are active in the learning experience, but with larg-
ent were the Advertising Club, whose goal is to raise awareness of advertising opportunities. It welcomes all majors into the organization. Also present was the Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the organization that recently passed the safer drug initiative. They decided to participate in Razorbash to recruit new members and inform people about sensible drug policy. But not all organizations on hand were geared toward traditional students. Several RSO’s representing organizations for international students such as Permias: Indonesian Student Association, giving gifts and raising awareness. Decorated in bold colors and Indonesian themed objects, the Permias table displayed maps of Indonesia and DVD’s titled “Welcome to Indonesia.” The National Association for the Advancement of Colored people (NAACP), The National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists (NABGG), Sisters Advocating Stronger Sisterhood (SASS) and the Black Student Association (BSA) were all there with sign-in sheets to recruit new members. Co-Sign or College Student Interest Group in Neurology, a student organization focused on examining the brain and understanding it in as many perspectives as possible, was present. Many campus ministry organizations were present as well, including YoungLife, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries and Wesley. All were there for the com-
mon purpose of letting the new students know how to get involved spiritually on campus. The service sorority Gamma Sigma Sigma, which is open to all classifications, genders and majors, was there promoting its upcoming event: Alex’s Lemonade Stand for the Foundation for Childhood Cancer which will be held Sept. 1 in the Union Mall from 11 – 2 p.m. Coldstone was giving away ice cream in two flavors and Eureka Pizza was handing out slices, making them popular stops for students. The on-campus services for students like the Pat Walker Health Center located on north Garland, next to the Northwest Quads, helped students find their way across campus. Other student service organizations like the Student Alumni Association, and Off Campus Connections were also in attendance. Off Campus Connections is an organization that provides resources and referrals for current and prospective undergraduate students. Not only commercial vendors were recruiting at Razorbash - Class Gift representatives were present. The Class Gift, a tradition decades old, that gives graduates the opportunity to vote on a special gift for the campus to honor their time here and better the university. This tradition encourages class
see ENROLLMENT on page 5A
Razorbash Helps Students Get Involved on Campus
Larry Ash PHOTO EDITOR Eureka Pizza owner Rolf Wilkin serves free pizza at Razorbash Thursday in front of the Arkansas Union. Razorfest is an annual event held to introduce members of the UA community to area businesses, student organizations and special interest groups. by JACARA ROBINSON Staff Writer
A menagerie of tables decorated in their mission statements and contact information filled the Union Mall Thursday for the annual event, Razorbash. A part of the FYE program,
Razorbash is held predominately with freshmen in mind. Razorbash is designed to inform them of some of the registered student organizations (RSOs) on campus, because there are so many that it can be hard for students to get involved. Finding that one piece of driftwood
with the right size and weight to sustain you in that potentially overwhelming sea known as college can be a challenge. Not only did RSO’s come out in droves, but local restaurants, businesses and university service programs were in attendance. Among the RSO’s pres-
see RAZORBASH on page 3A
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Freshman hogs get pumped
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PAGE 6A
A Converation with Cynthia Nance
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 VOL. 105, NO. 3 UATRAV.COM
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UA Student Arrested with Weapons on Campus by NICK DEMOSS News Editor
A UA student was arrested at approximately 2 a.m. Saturday near the Northwest Quads when police found a loaded revolver, a stun gun and several knives in his vehicle. Tyler Richmond, 18, of White Hall was also charged for driving while intoxicated, after an officer noticed Richmond’s bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and scent of intoxicants. Richmond also had approximately 15 pine tree air fresheners hanging in his car, according to a police report. Richmond was not the original cause of the traffic stop. He was approaching a road blocked by police, so an officer was informing Richmond he could not pass when it became apparent that Richmond was intoxicated. Richmond failed standardized field sobriety tests. The officer also noticed a Crown Royal bag hanging from the shifter and what was described as “quite a bit of loose ammo in the center console,” according to the report. Richmond was released on $2,390 bond Saturday evening after being charged for DWI and being a minor in possession of a loaded, concealed handgun on school grounds. Unlawful handgun possession on a public or private university campus is a class D felony, punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Incidents like Richmond’s are rare, said UAPD Lt. Matt Mills. The UA campus saw seven crimes related to weapons possession in 2008, though that number has been steadily on the rise since 2006, according to the Jeanne Cleary Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics report. By contrast, the UA saw 140 arrests for public intoxication in the same year, and nearly 200 for driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence, according to the report. Mills could not directly link the recent increase in crime to increased enrollment this year because crime statistics are not fully up-todate, though he noted the connection seemed logical. “Statistically, the higher the number of students, the higher the number of potential offenses,” he said.