Oct. 12, 2011

Cross Country Runners Prepare for Chile Pepper Festival Page 7 PAGE 1

Vol. 106, NO. 22 UATRAV.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

In This Issue:

News

Architecture Documentary A new documentary examines midcentury architecture.

Page 2

Features

News

UA Hires Irrigation Expert

Irrigation Expert will work in the Rice Research and Extention Center.

Page 3

World-Renowned Artist to Show Exhibit On Campus Mark Dion brings Process and Inquiry exhibit to UA.

Page 5

Features

Day in the Life of an RA The resident assistant job is more rewarding and sometimes more difficult than what meets the eye.

Page 5

Protesters Occupy Fayetteville

by CHAD WOODARD Asst. News Editor

Sports

Hogs Happy for Bye Week

No. 10 Arkansas is using its bye week to heal from injuries and prepare for the second half of the season.

Page 8

Opinion

College Has Become A Survival Of The Busiest

Students must now have an arm full of internships an d extracurriculars to be prepared for the job market postcollege.

Page 4

UA students and residents of Fayetteville took part in the “Occupy” movement, 3 p.m. Tuesday on the steps that lead to Old Main lawn from Arkansas Avenue.

The “Occupy” movement began in New York and is unified by a cause, as opposed to a leader, said Aaron Thomason, junior biological engineering major. “[The group] agrees that we are

Staff Writer

by CHAD WOODARD Asst. News Editor

A Professions in Sports Panel will be open to UA students, noon Thursday in the E.J. Ball Courtroom, provided by the sports and entertainment law society, a law school official said.

The event is comprised of professionals who have experience in the sports industry and they will give advice to students who are interested in the industry at any level, said Tiffany Fields, vice president of sports in the society.

“If you are interested in working in sports it is a difficult industry to break into, so this is a great networking opportunity,” she said. “These people can give the best advice where to start.”

Topics will range from “how to get into operations jobs in athletics to international sports,” she said.

see LAW on page 3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011 VOL. 106, NO. 22 8 PAGES UATRAV.COM

opposed to excessive rights to corporations,” he said.

The group has had the ability to attract people from many different political parties.

“We are here to do something: Libertarians, Socialists, Tea Partiers, everyone is welcome here,” said Drew Dodson, graduate student. “This is an American movement.”

“The message is we aren’t going to take it anymore,” he said.

“99 percent” was written on a

few of the signs.

“The 99 percent means that the population is not one percent of the richest [and the one percent] influence politics,” said Mark Prime, one of the protestors.

This was not the first or last “Occupy” protest in Fayetteville.

“This is a precursor to the Arkansas Demonstration off of the Wall Street movement,” Thomason said.

The group has another demonstration planned for 10 a.m. at the

Fayetteville Square.

“We are going to march down College Avenue and down Dickson Street and end [on the corner of Dickson Street and Arkansas Avenue],” Dodson said.

“I believe in America, this is a compassion thing,” he said.

As one car drove by the protestors, the passenger yelled, “Go home!”

One of the protestors standing by the road yelled back, “We are home!”

Classroom Comfort, Or Lack Thereof, Increase in UA From Begins to Wear on Students and Faculty Students North, South,

by MATILDE BONIFAZ

Sports Panel at the Law School

MEGAN HUCKABY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Forrest and Mary Goddard silently protest at the corner of Dickson street and Arkansas avenue.

With the large number of students currently enrolled at the UA and construction taking place throughout campus, the university has had to make several adjustments — but students are beginning to feel the strain.

With midterms around the corner and final ex-

ams in the not-so-distant future, the question of whether or not UA officials are offering students an effective classroom environment is one that both students and teachers are asking.

Unusual classroom locations have left some students disappointed, while others see it as a “temporary setup, an adventure that’s short-term,” said Su-

zanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment management and dean of admissions.

“I never thought the day would come when I would take classes in an arena,” said senior Ramiro Pena, a business finance major. “It’s so hard not to get angry. Sitting on benches instead of a normal desk wasn’t part of my plans.”

“The university knew about the changes they would make during the semester, construction wise and the high rate of incoming freshmen.

Perhaps they could have planed out a better strategy for us students and teachers,” he said.

see CLASSROOMS on page 3

Emergency Drills to Expand Beyond Dorms

by CICELY SHANNON Staff Writer

UAPD officers will implement emergency plans on campus to better respond to threats on student safety, officials said.

Residence Halls have drills once a semester, but UAPD is working with the fire marshal to develop fire drills elsewhere on campus, said Lt. Matt Mills of UAPD emergency management.

Some students who

WEATHER FORECAST

live on campus said they don’t find drills to be a nuisance.

“It’s only a small inconvenience, unless [the drill is] during the night,” said Andrew Dugan, freshman.

Some students said they would not welcome the implementation of such drills on campus during class hours.

“I lived in Holcombe Hall for two years, and it seemed like we had a few fire drills a semester,” Ka-

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TUESDAY 77°

tie McGehee, junior said.

“We do so many drills on campus that it’s kind of like the boy who cried wolf.”

Though UAPD officials are making plans to implement fire drills in more areas on campus, there will be no actual campus-wide evacuation drills.

“We haven’t had anything that would warrant a campus-wide evacuation, but for special circumstances, such as those

WEDNESDAY 82°

THURSDAY 82°

that involve Hazmat, we have had to evacuate specific buildings,” Mills said.

In case of emergency, the UA would contact students through media sources such as RazALERT and give instructions electronically. At present, UAPD is looking to revise the current plan for campus emergencies.

“We are looking at incorporating different things, like the campus fire drill, into a new plan or policy,” Mills said.

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East and West

by SHELBY GILL Staff Writer

This semester UA students have likely seen a dramatic change in pace at the university. Classes have been relocated to unusual places like Barnhill Arena, common rooms were transformed into dorms, and students find themselves walking alongside construction workers on their way to class.

The UA has seen a dramatic increase in applicants and students attending the university, said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment management and dean of admissions.

Some attribute the increase to the introduction of the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship, which is largely funded by the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

The number of freshman from 2009 to 2010 increased from 3,046 to 3,873, according to the UA Office of Institutional Research. This sharp increase rivaled past years by more than 500 students.

see OVERCROWDING on page 2

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

PAGE 2

Documentary Examines Arkansas Architecture

by JANNEE SULLIVAN Staff Writer

A new documentary about mid-century modern architecture in Arkansas, set to premiere next month on the Arkansas Educational Television Network, will feature Fayetteville buildings and UA alumni and faculty.

The documentary will air Nov. 14 at 9 p.m., in addition to an early screening in Fayetteville on Oct. 9., which will take place at the global campus at 2 p.m. The screening its free, said Mark Wilcken, producer of the AETN documentary.

The documentary, called “Clean Lines, Open Spaces: A View of Mid-Century Modern Architecture,” focuses on the construction boom in the United States after WWII, according to the AETN website.

“Clean Lines, Open Spaces” features several UA alumni and faculty, including Greg Herman, associate professor of architecture and Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, the associate

OVERCROWDING from page 1

“We’ve had about a 30 percent increase in students attending the university from 2009,” McCray said. “The increase in students in 2010 is definitely attributed to the lottery scholarship.”

The number of students seeking to further their education initially depleted the lottery scholarship’s funds, McCray said.

“The reason the lottery scholarship has decreased from $5,000 to $4,500 is because they didn’t anticipate how many people would choose a fouryear institution,” McCray said.

The scholarship’s advisory board plans to keep up with the growth by recruiting and increasing daily ticket sales, said Julie Baldridge, interim director at the Arkansas Lottery Commission.

“The mission of the ASL is to fund scholarships for Arkansans attending two and fouryear colleges and universities in the state,” Baldridge said in a press release about the recent peak in ticket sales. “The success of the Raffle will contribute to ASL accomplishing its mission.”

The UA’s total enrollment is higher than any other fouryear university in Arkansas by 600 students and has more than 17,000 students seeking undergraduate degrees compared to other Arkansas schools, which do not exceed 10,000 for the 2010-2011 school year, according to the Arkansas Depart-

The post-war period was the time when mid-century architecture was born, GoodsteinMurphree said.

I was involved in almost every aspect of the production, Goodstein-Murphree said.

“Not to sound immodest, but I inspired the documentary,” she said.

Wilcken attended a conference put on by the special collections section of the UA library on mid-century modern architecture, where GoodsteinMurphree was speaking on modern Fayetteville-born architect named Edward Durell Stone.

“Mark [Wilcken] just got totally wrapped up and got in touch with me saying that he wanted to make this documentary, so we applied for some grants,” Goodstein Murphree said.

Local architecture was incredibly helpful to advisers during the production of the film, said Wilcken, who had no formal architecture training other than the year-and-a-half of re-

dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture.

The documentary also features some Fayetteville architecture, such as the Fine Arts Center and the Fulbright Building.

“Obviously, one of the buildings we knew was going to be featured was the Fine Arts Center. It was a very important building and it was published internationally at the time it was built,” Goodstein-Murphree said.

During production of the documentary, Wilcken traveled the city with various advisers looking for examples of the mid-century modern style. One of the most interesting areas was the Mount Sequoya neighborhood, Goodstein-Murphree said.

“You wouldn’t normally think of that area as an architectural example — it only became a place for housing after the postwar period,” she said. “But many Southern states, ours included, were really coming of age in that period.”

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Because of the large increase in enrollment, classes became so large it was a requirement to move them to places such as the auditorium in the Union. connected community. There is something here for everybody.”

Kerby Keller, a sophomore at the UA agrees.

“Honestly, you feel less like a number at the UA,” Keller said.

The UA’s new recruiting strategy was not just noticed

by Texans, but by Arkansans all over the state.

“We recruited really aggres-

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THE TEACHINGS OF LIGHT AND SOUND

The conventional approach to spirituality instructs us to search for God and truth outside ourselves (exoteric), whereas the Light and Sound approach instructs us to search for God and truth within ourselves (esoteric). There is a vast difference between the two, of which greater numbers are growing increasingly aware.

–– Sri Gary Olsen

Sri Gary Olsen Spiritual Leader of MasterPath

CONVENTIONAL APPROACH

ABOUT THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

EDITORIAL

ment of Higher Education.

The UA’s recruitment strategy has also been updated.

Throughout the bordering states, aggressive recruiting has become more prevalent, McCray said.

“The Arkansas Lottery has certainly been a positive factor in our growth, though more last year, in the first year of students receiving scholarships from this funding source, than this year,” said Donald Pederson, vice chancellor of finance and administration.

“A major contribution to our growth has been the improved effectiveness of our admissions office under the direction of Suzanne McCray, who is doing a fantastic job in getting our message out to students and their families,” Pederson said.

Although most students still come from the state of Arkansas, more than 10 percent of the total student population in 2010 is from Texas, according to the UA Office of Institutional Research enrollment data.

“We actually have a recruiter in Texas; she lives in Dallas,” McCray said. “The UA is exotic compared to Texas schools, which makes it appealing for Texas students.”

The UA even offers a discounted tuition rate for bordering states, and that rate is lower for Texas students than attending the University of Texas at Austin or Texas Tech University.

“It’s a great university with an even greater price,” said Laura Bonds, a freshman at the UA. “I love how in spite of how large it is, it has the feel of a small,

MASTERPATH

search he conducted prior to production.

The documentary screened in Jonesboro and Little Rock earlier this week, and the turnout was impressive, Wilcken said.

“A lot of people have an interest in architecture that they just don’t know about yet,” Wilcken said. “I hope this documentary develops an appreciation for architecture in general, and mid-century modern architecture, a style that’s overlooked or dismissed too easily.”

“Unfortunately, like so many other things, people take architecture for granted,” Goodstein Murphree said, “You live your whole life in architecture. Not everyone will stay up late reading architecture journals and sketching, but everyone will live in a house or an apartment building and that’s one of the things the film does.

“It reminds people we’re not just looking at buildings, but our culture and ideals.”

UNIVERSAL APPROACH

Search for God in temples or scriptures . . . . . . . . . . . . . God, Soul, and Spirit exist inside the body Born in imperfection, forgiving of sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Born in perfection, resolving of karma Only one incarnation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Multiple incarnations External worship of Saints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attaining your own Self and God Realization Mind is the disciple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Soul is the disciple Morality, forced abstinence and denial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moderation and balance in all things Hope of heavenly reward in afterlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heavenly state attained while living Ascended Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Living Master All sincere seekers are cordially invited to a free introductory talk on the mysteries of the Divine Spirit, given by a longtime student of MasterPath (includes video presentation).

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sively in the Arkansas Delta, so all of the Arkansans would see us as a first class institution,” McCray said. “We wanted to offer more diversity to Arkansas students, so they can network without leaving the campus.”

The UA also hopes to start recruiting more heavily in Kansas, Illinois, and even as far as California, McCray said.

“We believe we have become the institution of choice in Arkansas as well as the region, including surrounding states,” Pederson said.

Throughout the campus, updates have been made to increase appeal amongst future students.

The campus tours were completely redesigned, operating around the student’s academic interests rather than a basic tour of the school.

“We revamped everything,” McCray said. “Especially for students who visit. The downstairs of the admissions building looked like a dentist office, so we redesigned all of downstairs and the tour rooms. We made the offices more attractive, so we could really show that this is a great school with tons of opportunities.”

Pederson said that the improvement in the UA’s goal is to improve student retention rates, which will affect the number of students who “persist and remain enrolled.”

“All these positive factors in growth are made possible by the high quality of our faculty and programs, and the support they are given in renovating older facilities and building new facilities,” Pederson said.

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

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

NEED TICKETS? CALL 1-800-982-4647 Don’t forget to call early and reserve your student football tickets for the 2010-2011 season. The ticket office is located on Razorback Road next to Baum Stadium.

PAGE 3

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

UA Hires Irrigation Expert

by JANNEE SULLIVAN Staff Writer

University of Arkansas officials recently hired a new engineer who will work at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, developing cost-effective water manage-

ment practices, said the head of the UA department of biological and agricultural engineering.

Chris Henry, who has previous experience in the field of water engineering from the University of NebraskaLincoln, will start work at the

RREC in late November, said Lalit Verma, head of the department of biological and agricultural engineering.

The RREC focuses on conducting local research to cater to Arkansas rice farmers, according to the center’s website.

The RREC has been lacking

Damn Arkansan at Smoke & Barrel

since the previous irrigation specialist retired a few years ago, Verma said.

Henry worked as a specialist in livestock waste systems and environmental issues, and has conducted several research programs on developing runoff control systems for livestock at the University of NebraskaLincoln Research Extension Center. Henry has published his research in several publications, according to the University of Nebraska website.

Henry is expected to contribute valuable research that will help drive down the costs of irrigating rice in southern and eastern Arkansas and increase efficiency, Verma said.

“We need to have research on water conducted,” Verma said. “Water is a precious commodity that affects cost production.”

Rice grown in Arkansas makes up over 46 percent of total rice production in the U.S. and also constitutes an important part of the Arkansas economy. Rice farming contributes more than $1 billion to the state economy and thousands of jobs, according to arkansasricefarmers.org.

GRACE GUDE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Damn Arkansan was Smoke and Barrel’s Saturday night headliner during Bikes, Blues and Barbecue. Senior Will Eubanks (right) is the band’s bass player.

LAW

from page 1 The panelists all have somewhat different backgrounds in the sports industry, she said.

“One of the panelists worked for the Olympics, we have an athletic attorney who handles contracts for coaches, he did the contract for Bobby Petrino and Mike Anderson, and the director of football operations [will be on the panel],” she said.

Steve Dittmore, who was a

former Olympic Committee member, plans to give advice to students that will help them in the sports industry, the Olympic games and place them above their competition. “[I plan to] ensure students are maximizing their opportunities, taking advantage in the office settings so they can distinguish themselves from other [potential employees] or interns,” he said.

Activities outside of the classroom are one thing that

can help students stand out, he said.

The panel will also include Jon Fagg, senior associate athletic director for compliance and student-athlete services, Mark Robinson, director of football operations, Scott Varady, athletic attorney and general counsel at the UA and Dann Kabala, director of oncampus recruiting at the UA, said Andy Albertson, director of communications for the law school.

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CLASSROOMS from page 1

Freshman Daniel J. Paz Soldan, a mechanical engineering major, has the same problem as Pena but said that initially he was not bothered by the situation. Paz Soldan is taking a philosophy class inside of the Union where both teacher and students are overwhelmed by their new classroom setting.

“Perhaps because I am a freshmen I didn’t get as upset as I should have,” he said. “I never before took a class at this university, therefore I didn’t know what to expect. I thought of it as a normal situation.”

However, after reevaluating the situation, Paz Soldan admitted that the classroom was missing necessary infrastructure.

“I soon realized, after seeing how affected my teacher was by her new location, that it is a concern,” he said.

A well-run classroom begins with the room’s physical layout. The arrangement of desks and working space, the attractiveness and appeal of bulletin boards and the storage of materials and supplies is essential in providing students an effective place to learn, according to a Scholastic Inc. study titled, “Classroom Organization: The Physical Environment,” The temperature, lighting and noise level were all factors in creating a positive classroom environment, according to the study.

“These factors affect students in different ways and are directly related to individual learning styles. Studies suggest that when teachers adjust the environment to the students preference they perform better academically and are better behaved,” according to the online article.

“I am taking a class in a large room at the Union and as the teacher is presenting new material...the students are trying our best to catch up and

listen with all the noise coming from outside,” said freshman Maria Cristina Janer, a nutrition and dietetics major.

“All the buzzing and loud noises from the construction just make it harder to concentrate.”

Students are not alone in their frustration. Faculty are also learning to adjust to high noise levels and added distractions.

“Even if I turn my microphone all the way up so the kids can hear me over the drilling or hammering or whatever is going on that day, it is still distracting,” said Gay Stewart, an associate professor in the physics department. “The assistant director of the (student) union has tried to be helpful but apparently there are a lot of individual groups working on the remodeling, so routinely someone will forget that they are not supposed to make huge noises during my 8:30 a.m. section, which has several students who require a reduceddistraction environment.”

The noise level is not the only concern, Stewart said.

“I really am uncomfortable being up on a stage looking down at my students in the Union Theater, but I have it a lot better than some of my colleagues and the students comfort is more important than mine,” Stewart said. “At least they have tablet arms on their

seats, so there is a writing surface and the chairs are comfy.”

Teaching his psychology class in Barnhill Arena, although a challenge, is not so bad, said Professor David Schroeder.

“Teaching in Barnhill is admittedly a different venue,” he said. “I remember basketball games in the arena and the volleyball nets are not what one originally sees in a lecture hall.

[But] as far as being uncomfortable, not at all. My focus is on the students, not the surroundings.”

Faculty members are “creatures of habit” and are most comfortable sticking to a familiar routine. While he said moving to a new location is certainly a change, it is “not really a big deal,” Schroeder said.

Union classes are well equipped, Stewart said.

Schroeder added that the UA Information Technology Services staff have been very accommodating in getting equipment for instructors in a timely fashion.

UA officials are working diligently to ensure a smooth experience for both students and faculty.

“The construction was going to be a crunch no matter when it happened,” McCray said. “It’s not a matter of overcrowding, but rather coping with construction.”

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OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

Scan here to go to the Opinion section on uatrav.com

EDITOR: SABA NASEEM MANAGING EDITOR: MATTIE QUINN

PAGE 4 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

FROM THE BOARD “Occupy” Hits Campus A group of people were around the corner of Dickson Street and Arkansas Avenue with signs that read “The Police Are One Layoff Away From Joining Us”, “Stand Now Or There Will Be Nothing To Stand For” and “We Are The 99 Percent.”

The “Occupy” protests officially came to campus Tuesday.

We’ve held off on commenting about the protests because they hadn’t been in Fayetteville—though we’ve seen the planning and advertisement of future events on social media websites like Facebook— but now that they’re here: Like a lot of people we like the idea behind the “Occupy” protests. The idea that they’re going to protest because they want to take back the country from top 1 percent. Countless people have pointed out students protesting because they are being drug down by their debt— in 2009 the student default rate was almost 9 percent— isn’t surprising.

But, so far, all of these good ideas are only resulting in protests that have, so far, no way of moving beyond groups of people across the country being angry and protesting.

The “Occupy” protest needs a central leader; it needs its version of a Martin Luther King, Jr. The energy behind the “Occupy” protests is great, but it lacks what, sadly, the Tea Party has. Oddly developed clout, a leader, a central agenda and a plan on how to get actual results from these protests.

There also seems to be a lack of organization with different groups working together. The group at the corner was OccupyNWA which should be working with OccupyArkansas which should be working with a larger “Occupy” organization or central command center. (Though maybe this is too much to ask for with a group that lacks a central leader.)

Tuesday’s protest that around 3 p.m. probably totaled about ten people, was a means to raise awareness and build for Saturday’s event, protestors said, which is a protest that starts at the Arvest bank on North East Street (across from Hugos) before marching down Dickson Street.

(We’re trying to ignore the fact that one of the ways to be “a solution” according to the group’s flyer is to support local business, and yet they’re protesting on Dickson Street which is a haven of local businesses. It just seems like something that would make more sense near one of Fayetteville’s Walmarts.)

Long story short, the “Occupy” protest sound good in theory and as it solidifies could stand for something this country desperately needs—which is reform that puts the needs of the working class above those that can afford to spend thousands or millions a year lobbying members of Congress, but for now it lacks the specifics that would help many people understand what its members are trying to accomplish, and probably in the process losing potential supporters because of how vague it is.

Also, touche Kappa Sigma members.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Thank you for the coverage about the proposed crosswalk for Garland Avenue. The safety of our students is very important! Another crosswalk proposal has been requested for Arkansas Avenue. Due to the renovations and construction at Ozark and Vol Walker Halls on campus, hundreds of our students, faculty and staff cross Arkansas Avenue daily to attend classes and meetings in Stone House (temporary housing for the Department of Geosciences and the Graduate School). This crossing is hampered by long rows of parked cars on both sides of the road.

We hope by being proactive we can raise awareness of this very hazardous crossing, add a needed crosswalk, and hopefully prevent a serious accident.

-Lisa Milligan Secretary, geosciences department

Traveler Quote of the Day “I lived in Holcombe Hall for two years, and it seemed like we had a few fire drills a semester. We do so many drills on campus that it’s kind of like the boy who cried wolf.”

HEBRON CHESTER STAFF CARTOONIST

College Has Become a Survival of the Busiest From The Managing Editor

by MATTIE QUINN

Managing Editor trvmgr@uark.edu

In case you were living under a rock during your college years, I am sure you have been told by the outside world that the job market is bad. It is something that as college students we try to blissfully ignore, simply because it just isn’t our problem quite yet. I cannot count how many times friends of mine have told me about their plans to go to graduate school, not because they want to further their education, but to evade the fact that job hunting is beyond tough.

So if that wasn’t enough pressure on our young souls, college has become less and less like an academic institu-

The Fourth Estate

by JORDAIN CARNEY Opinion Editor travop@uark.edu

EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR OPINION EDITOR ENTERPRISE EDITOR

Saba Naseem Mattie Quinn Jordain Carney Samantha Williams

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.

summer has begun to fade away. While searching for a journalism internship for this summer, I found a ton I would be honored to have, only to find the tagline “previous internship required.”

So now numerous internships are required if we want to make an impression on our potential employers.

My freshman year when I declared journalism to be my major, I was encouraged by my advisor to tack a minor on, to add to my educational resume. Being the ambitious person I am, I added on two, which meant summer school was necessary if I wanted to graduate in four years.

I don’t think many would argue with me when I say that high school activities and clubs exist for the sole purpose for adding to high school students resumes for when they apply to college. I, like many high school students, had a nice list of clubs that I was involved in that didn’t really meet but made me feel good when applying to college. I thought this shameless resume building ended

once college started, but not in this day in age. College organizations tend to be much more involved with more of an actual objective, but that doesn’t stop peers of mine from joining organizations just to help boost their resumes.

While I never have any free time and my parents always tell me I spread myself too thin, I never, never feel like I’m doing enough.

There is always more to accomplish, more that I could be doing to help make my post-graduation life easier.

I was recently speaking to a member of an older generation, who, when asking about what I have been doing during college remarked “wow, you are doing quite a bit.” My response, which was simply my knee-jerk reaction to that thought, was “I am just doing what I have to do to get by.” I am sure that many college students would have said the same thing.

Mattie Quinn is the 2011-2012 Traveler managing editor. Her column runs bimonthly, every other Wednesday.

Despite Polls, Positivity Can Be Found in Media

- Katie McGehee, junior, “Emergency Drills to Expand Beyond Dorms,” page one

EDITORIAL BOARD

tion and more like a pre-job interview. While one could argue that college is technically pre-job interview, since typically what follows college graduation is finding a job, the pressure to stand out among classmates is nothing short of brutal.

It is no longer enough during the undergraduate years to just pick a major and make good grades. In order to even compete in the job market, you are expected to have an internship, show that you are involved on campus, take on a minor (or three) and, if you are a true overachiever, have study abroad experience.

Maybe I have it harder than many other undergraduates because journalism is already a competitive field no matter what the job market looks like, but I have yet to see a major that is immune to the “survival of the fittest” race that college has become. Summers are dedicated to having the perfect internship, which is often unpaid, and with application deadlines often in the middle of the first semester, just as the heat from the previous

As a journalism major it isn’t uncommon to hear how print media is dying; newspapers are going the way of the dinosaurs.

(Ironically, as I’m writing this, there are some people sitting in the Traveler office talking about how the decline in print is “dramatic.” Thanks guys.)

Almost 45 percent of Americans said that they get their national and international news from the internet, compared to 31 percent that said they get it from newspapers. When focused solely on college age students (18-29 year olds) the percent for the internet jumps to 65 percent, and 24 percent for newspapers.

Local news fares slightly better, with only 17 percent using the internet to get their news, but the overall increase is only by 6 percent.

(Congratulations UATV kids, television still reigns supreme with viewers for local, national and international news.)

Overall the public’s distrust in the media is growing too.

More than 65 percent think stories are often inaccurate, 77 percent think news organizations favor one side and 80 percent think powerful people and organizations, according to the Pew Research Center, influence news organizations.

Like most things though, these numbers depend on if you regularly use the news organization.

About 25 percent of people think news organizations in general get facts straight, while 62 percent think news organizations they often visit get the facts straight.

With the doom-andgloom atmosphere I was pleasantly surprised when I went to the Society of Professional Journalist to take part in its Working Press internship.

SPJ is organization dedicated to is dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty, according to its website.

At the national convention in New Orleans I met people who had been in the industry for decades and still believed in the power of the media to be a trusted resource for news and information.

The convention was a three-day reminder of how journalist from various mediums—print, broadcast, web, etc, are focused on improving our profession and moving forward their work and teach others how to do the same.

Convention members learned about various things including how they can use Google and other social media tools to help their work translate online to how we can upload SPJ’s core areas—diversity, ethics and independence— as increasingly print media and the internet with its alphabet soup of blogs and social media websites overlap.

As part of the Working Press I worked with and learned from people—both journalism professionals and other college journalist—

whose attention to detail and perseverance in reporting a story flies in the face of all of the negativity surrounding the industry.

All of that positivity and ambition doesn’t mean that we can keep on keeping on exactly as we do now. Print journalist have to adjust. If you’re a journalism major and you’ve been able to ignore all of your professors telling you this, start following Jeff Jarvis on Twitter.

His tweets constantly mention how he believes much of print media is failing to adjust.

Despite all of the bad news though journalism can still be a rewarding career for those who are willing to work hard and continuously advance their work as technology changes.

As Robert Krulwich said in his commencement speech at Berkeley’s journalism school, no matter how scary it seems, we are lucky, perhaps luckier than we realize, to be going into journalism right now.

Jordain Carney is the 2011-2012 opinion editor. Her columns runs every Wednesday.

Scan here to go to the Features section on uatrav.com:

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

FEATURES PAGE 5

FEATURES EDITOR: LAUREN LEATHERBY ASST. FEATURES EDITOR: KELSI FORD

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

World-Renowned Artist to Show Exhibit on Campus

KRIS JOHNSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Renowed artist Mark Dion gives a lecture about his exhibit Process and Inquiry . The exhibit runs until November 18. Dion will be installing a permanent sculpture on the UA campus.

by CAITLIN MURAD Staff Writer

The UA art scene will get a little richer this semester. On Oct. 8, Mark Dion, a worldrenowned artist, began the display of his artwork in a public exhibit at the Fine Arts Center Gallery on campus. The exhib-

it, “Mark Dion: Process and Inquiry,” will be a part of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Fine Arts Center.

Dion is best known for using representations of nature to examine evolution, and for exploring both the past and the present through his work.

His art has been shown in nu-

NRFSA Gives Selling Point to UA Students

merous exhibitions across the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Gallery in London. Dion was also featured on the PBS series “Art 21” in 2007.

“I like to surround myself with things that are inspirational,” Dion said in the PBS series. “I really identify

with the mission of the museum where you go to gain knowledge through things.

I think that is very close to what sculpture and installation are about, and what for me contemporary art is about.”

Dion uses things from nature, such as trees, animals and insects to build his art, and

uses humor and irony to make a statement to his viewers. He created a work titled “Tar and Feathers” where he hung dead animals that were tarred and feathered from a large tree trunk to make a statement about animals that are typically viewed by society as “pests.”

“I’m not one of those artists who are imagining a better ecological future,” Dion said. “I am one of those artists who is holding up a mirror to the present.”

The materials that he uses in his art each have a purpose, Dion said. He used tar to cover dead rats in his piece of art titled “Rats and Tar” that was shown in “Art 21.” He explained that tar was used for punishment in the Middle Ages and that it was a material that has a “history of intolerance.”

In 2009, Chancellor Gearhart created the Public Art Oversight Advisory Committee in order to increase the amount of public art available in Fayetteville. Dion was the first artist chosen to visit the UA and since has been commissioned to create a work of art on campus.

“The committee carefully selected Mark Dion to create a site-specific proposal for numerous reasons, the most important of which include his

sensitivity to place, his meticulous inquiry into a society’s culture and history, his collaborative process, and his profound investigation into the natural sciences,” said Bethany Springer, assistant professor of art.

The exhibit features several pieces of Dion’s work, including a library section to help the public become more acquainted with his artistic style. It also features drawings of the preparations for the on-site exhibition that Dion plans to create for the campus.

His on campus project is sitespecific, so it will be created to reflect the students on campus as well as the community. As the art work is constructed, the campus will be able to witness its transformation and be able to contribute to its creation.

“We want all students to have positive experiences with public art, and the more the community can claim ownership of art on our campus and feel involved in the process, the more impact it will have,” Springer said. “We want everyone on and off campus to play a role.”

The exhibit will be held from Oct. 8 through Nov. 18 in the Fine Arts Center.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday 2 to 5 p.m.

Day in the Life of an RA

by STEPHANIE EHRLER Staff Writer

On a Saturday afternoon at a local clothing store, shoppers crowd around racks of dresses, try on piles of jeans and wait in a snaking line to the cash register while employees rush to ensure everything runs smoothly. The crowded, chaotic atmosphere makes it easy for the shopper to be grateful that they are not the person working with the clients trying to make sure they are satisfied.

Making this people-oriented and often fast-paced career a more prominent choice on campus is one of the reasons students came together to initiate the National Retail Federation Student Association in August at the UA. The Walton College of Business covers a broad spectrum of specializations in the enterprise industry, and NRFSA allows students to socialize and benefit with others interested in their field.

According to the group’s website, NRFSA, founded in 1981, is the largest retail association across the globe striving to advance those interested in retail through advocacy, communications, and education. It provides a support system to help guide students with their career goals.

“The purpose of NRFSA is to foster and recruit talented students into the retail industry, enhancing their opportunities to interact with other students and retailers and gain a better understanding of how retail works,” said Patricia Edwards, advisor of NRFSA. “[It provides] leadership opportunities, competitions and prestige that can build students’ resumes.”

While the organization is only about two months old, it pro-

ment of future leaders. This organizations helps fuel our mission”, said Edwards. “It is our goal to help students develop the skills, knowledge and leadership they will need to succeed in this exciting, fast-paced profession and [NRSFSA] also helps them make valuable connections with leaders in the industry along the way.”

The organization was created to provide a group for students that benefits their future career and to help students learn more about the industry.

“Retail is a dynamic field that more people should get involved with. It is fast-paced and forever changing,” said Nicholas Locke, NRSFA president. “I want to remove the negative connotations the word ‘retail’ portrays.

Retail, in some shape or fashion, encompasses all majors.”

NRSFA allows students to plan ahead for life after graduating from college by focusing on benefiting members with the chance to meet people who could be their future bosses.

“It is a professional organization with a social focus,” Ealey said. “One of the organization's goals is networking with colleagues and future employers, so we place an importance on the social aspect of the NRFSA.” Members plan for the society to grow and provide members the chance to attend educational programs and networking sessions.

Retail, like any career, is a tough job to begin, but NRSFA allows the transition from college to the work force to be less intimidating.

“While the organization is just being started, I feel the best

“It is a professional organization with a social focus” - Corey Ealey, Sophomore

vides students interested in retail networking resources and information on how to become successful in the retail business.

“Retail is a very diverse field and the NRFSA showcases the diverse opportunities,” said Corey Ealy, sophomore international business major.

The Center for Retailing Excellence strives to help students interested in retail by providing them with mentors, a student advisory board and scholarships opportunities.

“The mission of the Center for Retailing Excellence is to provide a bridge between academics and industry for the develop-

part of the organization is meeting with all the members and the executive that have and will come,” Locke said, “Not only that, but gaining more insight into the world of retail.”

Any student that is interested in retail can join NRFSA by filling out an application in WJWH Room 540.

“I wanted to join because the National Retail Federation is a very prestigious and successful organization,” Ealey said. “The act of them reaching out to various institutions across the country gives the students a way to take command of their future earlier.”

BRITTANY WULF STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Alex Laufer, J.T. Welshofer and Phil Jones hang out at the Union Mall. Phil Jones is an RA for Maple Hill who supervises students living in the residence hall.

by NICK BROTHERS Staff Writer

Phil Jones wakes up every morning just like any other UA student. He gets ready for his day, and he heads out to class. He studies, he participates in class, and makes good grades. Like many students, Jones is involved in extracurricular activities on campus and is vice president and in charge of community service for his honors business fraternity. On top of all that, Jones, a senior accounting major, is also a secondyear Resident Assistant at Maple Hill East, and he’s on duty tonight.

“You have to half expect that you aren’t going to sleep from all the calls and situations that may arise when you’re on duty,” Jones said.

When on duty, Jones’ on-call duties during weekdays last 15 hours - from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. The occasional lengthy weekend duty is from 5 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m.

Sunday. On-call RAs hold the duty phone and do patrols, called “rounds” on every floor at different times throughout the night.

“Being on call means to make sure everything runs smoothly.

That could be a lock-out, which is the most common, or a fire alarm that you have to handle,” Jones said. “Your biggest priority while on rounds is to make sure everybody is safe and to make sure nothing bad is going to happen. That’s the biggest thing about being on duty.”

While on duty, an RA’s night could be anywhere from mundane to hectic; Jones has experienced both.

“I was on duty, I was sitting in my room, and I got a call from a

student saying they were having a roommate problem. Luckily I got there when I did, because it would have turned violent,” Jones said.

“There were so many underlying factors that affected what was going on that nobody knew. It was about a two-hour process working through a lot of those troubles.

Extensive training helps to prepare RAs mentally and gives them a good foundation for nights like this, but sometimes out-of-theordinary situations cause RAs to have to learn as they go, Jones said.

“You never know what you’re going to get. It creates new experiences every time,” Jones said.

While being on duty can be tough work, the overall job of an RA is to facilitate a community on their floor and establish personal relationships with their residents. RAs plan for many scheduled events for their floor every semester, but perhaps the most bonding comes with informal gatherings, Jones said.

“We usually just sit in the hall, and we just talk to somebody. Eventually, it snowballs and attracts more people, since big crowds draw people in, and we have a huge group going,” Jones said. “We have a purpose behind it. It works.”

On top of keeping residents safe and promoting community, the RA position is vital for helping guide residents through college.

“To me, the RA job is about transitioning incoming freshmen and being the bridge between high school and college to help them transition into a better individual and a more prepared individual to succeed,” Jones said.

“As an RA, we play an impor-

tant role in making that happen.”

For Jones, helping his residents through their year has been his favorite part of the position.

“The absolute most wonderful thing about this job is watching your residents’ progress through their education,” Jones said. “You can see when they move in as starry-eyed freshmen, and as the year progresses you can see them mature mentally, emotionally and in every aspect of the word. Watching them grow is one of the most rewarding things about this job.”

The RA job can be a rich and rewarding experience, but it comes with a toll.

“There are nights you’re on duty and get a call at three in the morning because a fire alarm is going off, or something like that, and then you have to go take care of it. Then you have to write your report about it.” Jones said. “By the time you finish your report, your alarm is going off for when you have to get up for the morning. Sometimes you have tests or other commitments the next day that makes it very difficult to get that done without sleep.”

The biggest toll is the balancing act an RA must handle. Time management and setting priorities become essential on the job.

Training helps teach RAs essential skills for this careful balance, but there are still tough weeks in which balancing tests and papers on top of RA duties is difficult.

“Last year, I put all my time and effort into the RA position and school, and it burned me out pretty fast,” Jones said. “This year the responsibilities are more evenly distributed, and I’m able to take a step back, apply the time and en-

ergy that’s needed for the position to create a community and put on programs, and still have personal time for myself. As a result from last year, I’ve learned how to better manage my time and keep me from getting burned out.”

When RAs feel that the going is getting tough, they can consult their Coordinator for Residence Education. The Coordinators for Residence Education, who supervise and provide support, are fulltime master’s-level professionals that understand the demands and hectic schedules a student may face, said Takama StattonBeing an RA also gives real-life working experience. The RA position has broadened Jones’ leadership skills, interpersonal skills and ability to mediate conflicts, he said.

“As an accountant I’ll be doing external audits and going to clients. To do that, I have to be honest, I have to have integrity, and I have to have people skills.

The RA job needs the same qualities,” Jones said. “You’ll be in situations you have to take care of whether you know what’s right or wrong. Sometimes you have to put what’s right before what you want. That will play out in what I want to do, by auditing I will be making sure the companies stay in accordance with the law.”

There’s much more to the RA position than free room and board. Not only do RAs have a job to do, they are all students who must find a balance between academics, RA duties, social lives and, well, sleep. They’re welltrained and devoted to be the ones who will stay up all night if necessary to provide for a safe living environment for their residents.

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

DOWNTIME Comics, Games, & Much Much More!

PAGE 6 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

LAUGH IT UP

SUDOKU

Q:

What do you call a chef that makes cakes and cookies while intoxicated?

A: Drunken Hines Q: What do you call it when a book spies on people?

A: A “Peeping Tome” Difficulty:

Q:

Why did Bobby Fischer marry a woman from Prague?

A: He was looking for a Czech mate.

TODAY’S SOLUTION

Q: Why are crocodiles brown and flat?

A: Because if they were yellow and round, they’d

be lemons.

WELCOME TO FALLING ROCK

Josh Shalek

THAT MONKEY TUNE

Michael A. Kandalaft

BREWSTER ROCKIT

Tim Rickard

BLISS

Harry Bliss

CALAMITIES OF NATURE

CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

1 In secret 8 Picks up slowly 14 Staunch 15 Tank top?

16 Divine dinner 17 Bergman of film 18 Pricey order from a butcher 19 Caldecott Medal winner __ Jack Keats 21 Tropical cousin of the raccoon 22 Capital of Lithuania?

23 1971 Matthau film directed

by Jack Lemmon 25 “__War”: Shatner series 26 One involved in litigation 28 Hard times 30 Parenthetical passage 32 Sommelier, often 33 Pitchman’s pitches 35 Became less ardent 36 Aesop character, usually 37 Skunk cabbage and jack-inthe-pulpit, e.g.

38 Much-devalued holding, in modern lingo 40 Yorkshire river 44 Rule, in Rouen 45 Overpromoted 46 Common URL finish 47 Cub Scouts pack leader 49 Stem-to-branch angle 51 Radiohead frontman Yorke 52 Eat one’s words 54 Pervasiveness 56 ‘90s Seattle-born music style 57 Lively musical passages 58 Regard 59 Plays for a fool

1 Ornamental gilded bronze 2 Developed, in a way 3 Fork-tailed bird 4 Original network of “Fraggle Rock” 5 Unnamed alternative 6 Radio game show with a panel of gifted children 7 Apricot-like shade 8 Hatchback with a TSI engine 9 Home of counterculture?

10 Logical term 11 Sculptor’s framework 12 Put in order 13 Person in a picket line 14 Raconteur’s repertoire 20 Justice Dept. bureau 24 Lame excuse 27 “Spider-Man” director Sam 28 Female poet known to friends as “Vincent” 29 Oral Roberts University site 31 Dramatic transformation 33 Plays for a fool 34 Halle Berry’s hairstyle 35 Like a good witness 36 Not in custody 37 Like some spore reproduction 39 Place for a rest cure 41 Suzuki of the Mariners 42 Act the cheerleader 43 Winged statuettes 48 Swim meet division 50 Reader’s Digest co-founder Wallace 51 Harbor vessels 53 President pro __ 55 Logical letters

Crossword provided by MCT Campus

SOLUTION

Tony Piro

SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

Scan here to go to the Sports section on uatrav.com:

PAGE 7 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

SPORTS EDITOR: JIMMY CARTER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: ZACH TURNER

COMMENTARY

CROSS COUNTRY

Arkansas Defense a Tale of Two Teams Old Fashioned 3-Point Play

ZACH TURNER

zwturner@uark.edu I, just like most, probably don’t have an answer for why Arkansas’ defense has gotten off to slow starts in the first half before being completely dominate at times in the second half.

Luckily for Razorbacks fans, it is the first half that the big plays are allowed and not the second half, specifically the fourth quarter where games seem to be won. The Hogs’ rush defense has allowed many holes get exposed early in games, but by the games end, the defense is solid and has been the biggest reason the Hogs have won their last two games after falling behind early.

Flashback to two weeks ago when then-No. 14 Texas A&M shredded the Razorback defense for 225 yards rushing in the first half, while averaging 8.6 yards per carry. After a halftime adjust that the coaches described as “going back to the old defensive formation,” Arkansas forced Texas A&M’s average yard per carry down to 7.0 and allowed 156 yards total in the second half.

Although 156 yards on the ground is one half is high, it was good enough for the Razorbacks to outscore the Aggies 25-3 in the second half en route to a 42-38

see COMMENTARY on page 8

GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas senior Chuol Dey (right) and Cameron Efurd will lead the Razorbacks against top competition Saturday in the Chile Pepper Fesitval, the biggest home meet of the season for the cross country team.

Men’s CC Reloading For SEC Title Hogs gearing up for biggest home meet of cross country season

by RUMIL BAUTISTA Staff Writer

Arkansas’ men’s cross country team finished first last year in the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA Regional before a tenth-place finish in the NCAA’s.

Despite losing three of their top five runners, No. 15 Arkansas looks to continue its success at the SEC Champion-

ship in two weeks.

“Every day, we’re thinking about the SEC. We plan on coming back with a trophy,” junior Eric Fernandez said.

Fernandez, an All-SEC performer in track and cross country, has been the team’s first place finisher in both of the team’s events this season.

“Thus far, I’ve been our frontrunner, which I enjoy,” Fernandez said. “Coach ex-

pects me to maintain that position in the field and be with the leaders. And then I myself personally have high goals for the season as a whole. So within those goals I expect to be one of the top finishers in every race.”

Fernandez and senior captain Duncan Phillips are the team’s top returners after Dorian Ulrey and Lane Boyer graduated last year and junior

Solomon Haile redshirted this season due to a torn meniscus.

“The general expectation for all of us is just to do our best and put our best foot forward for the team as a whole,” Fernandez said. “I’m always joking with Solomon that I miss having him on my shoulder in workouts and races. I don’t have him to take the lead and I’m just counting on different guys now.”

VOLLEYBALL

This season, Fernandez and Phillips have led the team to a first-place finish at the Arkansas Invitational and fifth place at the Cowboy Jamboree.

“As coaches, we always want our athletes in our team to want to fill the gap and I think that’s what this team has

see CHILE PEPPER on page 8

FOOTBALL

Volleyball Takes Break From Travel

by MONICA CHAPMAN Staff Writer

Arkansas’ volleyball team is back in Fayetteville and will try to make a push in the Southeastern Conference Western division play as the Razorbacks begin a five-game home stand this weekend.

Friday, Arkansas hosts Auburn at 7 a.m. in Barnhill Arena, while facing Georgia Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

“Auburn, they just fight,” Arkansas coach Robert Pulliza said.

“They’re great competitors and they’re going to be ready to go.

We just from our end have to be very organized and be consistent.”

see VOLLEYBALL on page 8

GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas junior quarterback Tyler Wilson said the bye week midway through the season will give Razorbacks an opportunity to

Hogs taking advantage of bye LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas freshman setter KC Dobbins and the Razorbacks are one game out of first place in the SEC West one-third of the way through the conference schedule.

SOCCER

Razorbacks Look to Turn Things Back Around in Alabama Road Games

by LIZ BEADLE Staff Writer

After starting SEC play 2-0, Arkansas’ soccer team has lost its last four games in a row.

This weekend, Arkansas will travel to Auburn and

Alabama in an attempt to reassert their chances of making it to the SEC tournament for the first time in program history.

The Razorbacks lost close games to Georgia, at No. 10 Kentucky (in overtime), and

at Vanderbilt and were defeated 4-0 by Tennessee in their last four games.

Arkansas coach Erin Aubry said she saw both

see SOCCER on page 8

by MARTHA SWEARINGEN Staff Writer

After consecutive comefrom-behind wins against top-15 foes Texas A&M and Auburn, No. 10 Arkansas has a bye week and is using the time off heal midway through the system and get back to basics.

The Razorbacks (5-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) are off to the best start in coach Bobby Petrino’s four seasons, thanks in large part to going 2-1 against Alabama, the Aggies and the Tigers.

“We need to get our fundamentals and our technique better,” Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “The off week, when it comes to the middle of the season, it’s a good time because you don’t have to concentrate. It’s not under the intensity of a game this week, and you can concentrate on executing your fundamentals.”

With more individual time at practice Tuesday, McGee said he and the quarterbacks worked on technique.

“With the quarterbacks, we worked a lot about just

taking your drops and sitting- with the ball in the right place, your shoulders in the right place,” McGee said.

The newcomers practiced 30 minutes longer than the rest of the team, allowing coaches to get one-onone time not allowed with younger players. McGee was able to spend extra time with true freshman quarterback Brandon Allen.

“He looks good,” McGee said. “He’s developing. He’s

see FOOTBALL on page 8

SPORTS from CHILE PEPPER on page 7 done,� coach Chris Bucknam said. “We’ve noticed the dropoff a little bit, there’s no question. But we also expect a year of improvement from our kids that are returning, so hopefully we can fill that gap.�

The team has taken this and turned it into a positive response by putting forth extra effort to fill the gaps, Fernandez said. So far, the progression of the runners has translated to success in competition. “You could say positives about everyone right now,�

Fernandez said. “You look at anybody from our freshmen to our upperclassmen, and everyone’s just really excelling beyond what we’ve done before, which is really cool to see.�

Phillips, who was a nonfactor in cross country in previous years, was the second Arkansas runner to finish at OSU. Freshman Patrick Rono earned SEC Freshman of the Week also with his performance at OSU.

from VOLLEYBALL on page 7 The Razorbacks (11-7, 3-4 SEC) are coming off a straight-set loss Friday at Florida and a straight-set sweep Sunday at South Carolina.

Despite splitting the weekend, Pulliza said he was pleased with how the team played. “We did some good things,� Pulliza said. “We got better throughout the match; I think the best step forward as a team. It showed on Sunday as we kept going through the match.�

Arkansas went through a tough two-week stretch, go-

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

“They’re doing a great job.

They look as fit as I’ve ever seen them,� Bucknam said. �You expect those kind of kids to step up and start to make an impact on your program, and they’re doing that.�

Fernandez credits the team’s progress to tough training cycles and the opportunity to train more after the MSSU Stampede was cancelled. “The results of our workouts now compared to earlier in the season are actually probably better than we expected. So at this point, we’re looking good coming into the championship part after this,�

Fernandez said.

While winning the SEC Championship is a key goal for the team, Bucknam is not overlooking the Chile Pepper Festival this weekend. “We need to have a good race this weekend. This is where our focus is right now,�

Bucknam said. “We can’t take a step back; we have to keep moving forward. That’s what’s really key for our SEC Championship—to take this penultimate meet and have a good one, and focus on that.� ing 1-3 the top four teams in the SEC East. The Razorbacks are still third in the SEC West, just one game behind division leader LSU. “We’ve had a lot of different, good individual performances throughout different matches,� Pulliza said. “I think that’s why we are at where we’re at, in such a good place is because different people stepping up.�

Senior Kelli Stipanovich was named SEC Defensive Player of the week for her play last weekend. She averaged 4.33 digs and 1.17 blocks against the Gators and Gamecocks. “I think it’s pretty evident Kelli Stipanovich is having a great year,� Pulliza said. “She’s always been a great leader; she’s always done it the right way. We’re just really excited to see that it’s really paying for her, her senior year.�

Stipanovich was named SEC Defensive Player of the week for her play at Florida and South Carolina. She averaged 4.33 digs and 1.17 blocks over the weekend.

Arkansas is in its best position at this point in conference play in recent memory and is playing to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance in Pulliza’s four years.

from COMMENTARY on page 7

Arkansas Gearing up for Chile Pepper

by RUMIL BAUTISTA

victory.

The latest first-half struggles came in the 38-14 win against Auburn when the Razorbacks gave up 141 yards in the first quarter, while also allowing two rushing touchdowns in the opening period.

Arkansas natives Michael Dyer and Kiehl Frazier busted off a 55-yard touchdown run and a 7-yard touchdown run, respectively, Auburn’s only scores of the game.

Arkansas pulled it together again after halftime and gave up 124 second half rushing yards, but, like the Texas A&M game, didn’t allow a second-half touchdown.

The most impressive stat? Limiting Dyer to just eight yards on nine carries in the third quarter.

After the Hogs were smashed by Alabama and dominated in the first half of the Southwest Classic against Texas A&M, some fans were calling for the fir-

Arkansas is set to host the 23rd annual Chile Pepper Festival Saturday.

The festival was created in 1992 to bring together three Northwest Arkansas crosscountry races under a single event.

The event hosts about 10,000 people each year and is attended by over 80 college teams and 120 high school teams, according to www.chilepepperfestival.org.

This year, the festival expects to host approximately 4,800 runners and over 5,000 spectators, according to the event’s website. “I think we have a lot of positive momentum,� women’s cross country coach Lance Harter said going into the weekend.

The Razorbacks earned a spot in national rankings at No. 11 after a second-place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational two weeks ago.

Other ranked teams competing are No. 23 Iowa and No. 29 Oklahoma State, while Texas Tech just missed top 30.

“Our energy overall this season has been good,� Pulliza said. “It’s been pretty steady. We played that stretch of tough opponents against Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida. Obviously we got better throughout those two weeks because we were able to play well on the road and close out that one at South Carolina. I expect that energy to stay the same and I certainly expect them to be excited to play at home.�

The Razorbacks’ first four opponents in the homestand have a combined conference record of 10-22, while Arkansas finishes the stretch against LSU. “I expect us to be energized,� Pulliza said. “When you’re back for five matches, that’s just exciting.�

The length of the home stand is unprecedented, Pulliza said. “I don’t remember five in a row,� Pulliza said. “I know we’ve had back to back weekends, but never five. It was tough on the front end but right now it really pays off that we survived that front end and survived the games on the road. If we bring the energy we need to bring it can really pay off for us in this little stretch.�

from SOCCER on page 7 positives and negatives in her team’s performance at Kentucky and at Vanderbilt over the weekend. “We had two first half very strong performances against Kentucky and Vanderbilt,�

Aubry said. “In the first halves we dominated the run of the play. The problem with both games was after halftime we came out as an entirely different team on the worse side of the spectrum.�

Aubry said her team did a good job of connecting passes and maintaining possession which was something they had been trying to improve over the last few weeks and that what they really need to improve upon now is mostly the mental aspects of the game. “We’ve obviously got to overcome our halftime dilemma and overcome the dilemma of getting scored on and not responding to it— that’s something that really plagues us right now mentally,� Aubry said. “We’re not really willing to fight back from that and that’s tough to overcome.�

Three of Arkansas’ five remaining opponents are currently ranked in the top 25 nationally, including No. 2 Florida and No. 15 Auburn

ing of defensive coordinator Willy Robinson. Robinson is in his fourth year as Arkansas’ defensive coordinator and his defenses have been middle of the pack to bottom in the Southeastern Conference.

The players will tell you it is all about tackling.

The coaches say they have changed some schemes.

Whatever it may be, though, Arkansas seems to slowly be putting together something that could give them the chance on defense to run the table until the Nov. 25 meeting with No. 1 LSU. Junior linebacker Alonzo Highsmith is only getting better with each game and is Arkansas best player on defense, while the defensive line is picking up steam again with Jake Bequette returning from injury. Senior safety Tramain Thomas had two straight irrelevant games against Alabama and Texas A&M, but seemed to find his footing with a ninetackle, two-interception game against Auburn.

Senior linebacker Jerry Franklin was the leader and best tackler on the team against Auburn, like Arkansas fans have come to expect the last three seasons, with his 15 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

After playing the toughest three-game stretch of maybe any team in the nation in No. 3 Alabama, No. 14 Texas A&N and No. 15 Auburn, to emerge 2-1 in those games while continually getting better is a huge advantage heading into the second half of the season.

Whether it was tackling technique or if the Arkansas coaches have finally found a winning formula on defense, if the unit continues its effort from the second half of Auburn, regardless of the one loss, the Razorbacks could be headed to their second consecutive BCS bowl game.

Zach Turner is the assistant sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Wednesday. Follow him on Twitter @zwturner.

whom the Razorbacks will play in Auburn this coming Sunday. “Well obviously the SEC is the SEC so both games are going to be tough,� Aubry said of the team’s schedule for

in the SEC has to do it—we’re not special.�

That intensive schedule is especially rough on the 18 freshman on this team who are still adjusting to the collegiate level of play. “Younger players think four years is a long time and they have plenty of time to have good seasons and so they don’t play with the urgency and desperation that say a senior would play with,� Aubry said. “Trying to get them to understand how short a career is and how much every game means and every day means is a tough thing especially when half of your team has that mentality.�

Looking down the stretch, the Razorbacks are currently tied for last in the SEC tournament picking order and have a lot of hard work ahead of them if they are to make it to the SEC tournament for the first time in program history. “Making it to the SEC tournament is something that this senior class really wanted to accomplish, to change, to make a mark, and to leave their legacy,� Aubry said. “But it’s not going to be easy from here on out. Our last three games are going to be our hardest games of the season so we need to make sure we get down to business pretty quickly.�

Head Coach Erin Aubry this weekend. “Alabama and Auburn are a tremendous opportunity but we really need to take care of the mental aspect of our mistakes.�

This week, the Razorbacks are in the middle of a stretch of four SEC road games in a row. “It wears on them for sure and we’ve got to be very conscientious of not burning them out and making sure we take care of them this week emotionally and physically,�

Aubry said. “We’ve got to find ways get through what we need to get done but also take it a little easy on them.

It’s very tough but every team

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growing. He’s understanding what we’re doing. We’re really fortunate to have Brandon Allen in our program. He can throw every pass we need him to throw. He’s a fast and willing learner. I think he’s doing a really good job for us.�

Arkansas’ offensive line began the season ranked in the bottom half of the SEC in sacks allowed and ranked No. 92 in the country with rushing, but has made progress the last few weeks, helping the offense run for 176 yards against Auburn after combining for just 88 against Alabama and Texas A&M. “It’s about to be a stretch run here,� McGee said, “For us to accomplish our goals and win these games one game at a time, we’re going to have to run the ball better, so we’re doing a lot of practice under the hurdles; doing a lot of finish drills. The line taking their proper steps, proper technique so that we can run the ball better later in the season.�

Junior running back Ronnie Wingo didn’t play against Auburn because of a toe injury suffered against Texas A&M. The additional week off serves as a time to heal from various injuries. “It’s huge,� Wilson said. “There are a lot of guys that battled some minor stuff and we are able to get them recouped. Really it’s two weeks we get to get back to 100 percent.�