Razorback Quidditch: An Up-and-Coming Sport Page 7 PAGE 1
Vol. 106, NO. 25
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011
UA Encourages Freshmen to Take Skills Assessment Test
In This Issue:
News
Student Loans Increase at UA
The number of student loans increased in 2011.
Page 2
News
UA Officals Will Not Add a Dance Major
by CICELY SHANNON Staff Writer
A dance major will not be revived for UA students.
Features
Page 3
Make a Difference Day
Hundreds of UA students expected to volunteer for the event.
Features
Page 7
LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Faster Communication Can Mean Bad Grammar Rise of texting and social media can encourage poor grammar.
Page 7
Sports
Starting Faster
Arkansas is working to curb slow starts that have resulted in double-digit halftime deficits in three of the last four games.
Opinion
Page 8
Student Veterans: From Boots to Books
Despite veteran services at the UA, more needs to be done to help student-veterans adapt.
Page 4
University of Arkansas Police Department, in accordance with Arkansas state law, will now charge any minor with alcohol in their system the same as a minor with alcoholic products in their possession.
Change in State Law Means Bigger Fines for Underage Drinking by AMANDA POGUE Staff Writer
In July 2011, Arkansas law changed, and now anyone under 21 who has been drinking may face the charge of minor in possession of alcohol, a UAPD official said. “If you have alcohol in your system and you are a minor, that now constitutes, in Arkansas, the same as being physically in possession of alcohol,” said UAPD Sgt. Greg Foster. With the number of freshmen on campus, UAPD
Dinosaur Tracks Found By UA Faculty and Students by JANNEE SULLIVAN Staff Writer
A team of researchers, including UA faculty, staff and students, spent two weeks this summer studying the discovery of a large tract of fossilized dinosaur footprints. The tract, which is as large as two football fields, contains the preserved footprints of several different species, said Stephen Boss, professor of geosciences and leader of the research project. The team included several faculty and staff of the geosciences department, as well
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as a geosciences graduate student and two undergraduate students, in addition to various other researchers. The tracks were discovered in June after a heavy rain washed off a layer of clay covering the tracks and revealed them. “They were quite well preserved,” Boss said, “and there were quite a number of them.” Because the site is on private property, officials could not reveal the exact location of the tracks, which are somewhere in southwest Arkansas.
see TRACKS on page 2
COURTESY PHOTO
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011 VOL. 106, NO. 23 8 PAGES UATRAV.COM
officials hope this law will further curtail the underage drinking problem, said UAPD Lt. Gary Crain. Some students who don’t drink have worries about this law change. “I think it’s a little irrational since there are ways to raise your blood alcohol level without drinking alcohol,” said Victor Montalvo, UA freshman from Dallas. The worry from Montalvo is that they will be targeting minors for random blood alcohol level tests, he said. “Essentially, it’s going to
be an additional charge. If they are intoxicated, and we are going to charge them with public intoxication, then we can also charge them with minor in possession,” Foster said. “This charge could result in a fine of up to $250,” said Casey Jones, Fayetteville city prosecutor. “We will uphold the law as stated and continue to do our jobs.” On this campus, the law hasn’t really shown a change in behavior. That is because no one really knows about the change, Crain said. “We should make sure
that everyone under 21 understands that the law did change this year. It’s another tool that we have to help resolve that issue.” Most students don’t have negative thoughts on the law change. “It doesn’t matter how I get caught. It just matters that I get caught,” said Chris Stoddart, UA freshman from Rockwall, Texas. If someone is breaking the law and gets caught, it doesn’t really matter what they are charged with, they are in trouble either way, Stoddart said.
The UA administration is pushing an initiative among freshmen to take the StrengthsQuest poll, which allows students to see their top five talents. It is a tool for the understanding and identifying of your natural talents and strengths, said Adrain Smith, director of Strengths-Based Initiatives. The UA administration’s goal is to have a strengths-based division of the student affairs department. “StrengthsQuest is taking what you are naturally talented in instead of just fixing weaknesses,” Smith said. “Weakness building prevents failure, but strength building leads to success.” Through StrengthsQuest, students are able to confirm what they already know about themselves as well as possibly discover hidden talents. “Deliberative was my highest strength, and I feel that it was on point,” said Nelly Muyia, a freshman who took StrenghtQuest. “It gives you a starting point, and it’s nice to know what you are good at.” For students who would like to evaluate their strengths further, strengths coaching sessions are available. “You have these strengths, but you don’t know what to do with them,” Muyia said. “It’s good to have someone help point you in the right direction.” Strengths coaching sessions are to help students better understand what their strengths mean and how to use them.
see TEST on page 3
UA Named Grand Champion of Recycling in SEC by LANDON REEVES Staff Writer
The UA recycling program is the grand champion of Recycle Mania 2011 in the Southeastern Conference, according to UA officials and recyclemania.org. Recycle Mania is an eightweek competition among college and university recycling programs in North America and Canada. Schools compete in different categories to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of waste per capita and acheive the highest recycling rate, according to the recyclemania.org. The UA recycled 10.89 pounds of material per person and only produced 34.53 pounds of trash per person during the competition, according the website. The UA tried to collect a total of 200 tons of recyclables for the competition but fell short at 130, said Gary Enzor, manager of Razorback Recycling. “Last year, we were fortunate and won the grand champion category in the SEC,” Enzor said. “I think that was the second time in four years that we have won the grand champion category.”
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Freshman, Marc Zack, sets a good example on campus by recycling his used Dr. Pepper bottle on Monday afternoon. The UA defeated other colleges of the SEC in the Per Capita Classic and waste
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minimization categories, which contributed to winning the grand champion category,
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Enzor said. The Stephen K. Gaski Per Capita Classic category is a competition in which schools compete to collect the largest combined amount of paper, cardboard, bottles and cans per person and is the original contest of Recycle Mania, according to the website. The waste management category measures the schools’ production of municipal solid waste per person and rewards schools that generate the least amount of combined waste and recyclables. “Our office does public awareness on recycling, and we manage the annual Recycle Mania competition on campus,” said Nick Brown, director of the office for campus sustainability. “We collect and manage data on what other SEC schools are doing and this year we out-performed all the others.” The competition is paid for by the general operating fund for Razorback Recycling. The next competition will begin on Feb. 5, 2012 to March 31, according to the website. Students can get involved just by taking the time to look for the correct recycling bin, Enzor said. “The thing to keep in mind is, just don't throw it away — recycle it instead.”
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NEWS CRIME REPORT: Friday, October 7
Arrest On Warrant (Contempt Of Court, Failure To Appear on original charges of Possession Of A Controlled Substance and Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia out of Rogers Police Department) A non-affiliated person was arrested in the Harmon Avenue Parking Garage.
Possession Of A Controlled Substance; Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia Three students were arrested at the Sigma Nu Fraternity House.
Public Intoxication; Disorderly Conduct; Obstructing Governmental Operations A student was arrested in the east parking lot at Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity House.
Domestic Battery Third Degree occurred between 2:00 p.m. and 2:18 p.m. A student reported a physical altercation with an acquaintance at Duncan Avenue Apartments.
Theft Of Property occurred between 9/29/11 and Friday 10/07/11 A student reported someone stole the radiator cover from his vehicle while the vehicle was parked in the Harmon Avenue Parking Garage.
Saturday, October 8 Public Intoxication
A student was arrested at Gate 17 at the football stadium.
Public Intoxication A non-affiliated person was arrested at Gate 16 at the football stadium.
Public Intoxication A non-affiliated person was arrested at Gate 14 at the football stadium.
Public Intoxication; Disorderly Conduct A non-affiliated person was arrested in the football stadium.
Sunday, October 9 Public Intoxication
A non-affiliated person was arrested in the east parking lot at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity House.
Public Intoxication A non-affiliated person was arrested in the Harmon Avenue Parking Garage.
Breaking Or Entering; Theft Of Property occurred. A non-affiliated person reported someone stole three purses and a bottle of liquor from his vehicle while the vehicle was parked in Lot 74.
Theft Of Property occurred. A staff member reported someone stole her bicycle from the bicycle rack on the south side of Reid Hall.
Monday, October 10
Theft Of Property occurred A student reported someone stole his bicycle from the bicycle rack on the north side of the Arkansas Union.
Criminal Mischief occurred A student reported someone scratched the side and rear of his vehicle while the vehicle was parked in the Harmon Avenue Parking Garage.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011
Student Loans Increase at UA and Nationally by CHAD WOODARD Asst. News Editor
UA students borrowed nearly $75 million in the last school year; nationally, college students borrowed more than $100 billion, according to school records and finaid.org. In June 2010 national student loan debt surpassed $800 billion, and so far the rate of loans increases nearly $3,000 a second, according to finaid. org. The number of student loans disbursed to UA students has increased each year since 2008. From 2008 to 2009, 7,491 UA students borrowed more than $67 million from 2009 to 2010 students borrowed more than $71 million and from 2010 to 2011 students borrowed nearly $75 million, or an increase of nearly 11 percent since 2008. Of the students who borrowed college money, the average debt after graduation will be a little more than $20,000, according to collegeboard.org. This is lower than the national average, which is slightly more than $23,000, with a little more than 65 percent of students using student loans, according to finaid.org. UA tuition was $7,174 for in-state students and $17,606 for out-of-state students. When room and board are added to the cost of tuition, one year at the UA would cost more than $15,000 for in-state students and nearly $26,000 for out-of-state students, according to Collegeboard.org. Student loans has increased along with the number of students attending the UA. Enrollment was 19,194 in 2008, 19,849 in fall 2009, 21,405 in fall 2010 and 23,199 in 2011, or an increase of nearly 21 percent since fall 2008. Arkansas Challenge Scholarship recipients has increased as well. The number of Arkansas Challenge recipients from fall 2010 to fall 2011 increased from 4,001 to 5,449, or a little more than 36 percent.
This scholarship has helped one UA student avoid using student loans. “I have the Arkansas Challenge, so that pays for most of my tuition,” said Karis Heinze, a sophomore psychology major. Arkansas Challenge recipients awarded the scholarship in the 2011-2012 year receive $4,500 at a four-year school and $2,225 at a two-year school, according to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Heinze lived at home for her freshman year and had a scholarship that disbursed $1,500 for one year since that time her father has agreed to help pay the remaining cost of her tuition if she attempts to find other scholarships, she said. Heinze thought about going to college out of state, but that would have been much more expensive than the UA, she said. “If I had looked to go out of state then I would have had to take out student loans, which means I would have had to have been more financially responsible,” she said. “That would have added a lot of stress to my life and could have caused me to struggle academically.” Annual tuition at the University of Missouri was $21,784, the University of Oklahoma was $19,278 and the University of Texas was $32,506, according to Collegeboard.org. Depending on the institution, Heinze saved more than $25,000 a year by attending the UA. Even though the UA has scholarships for current students, Heinze said it was difficult to attain those scholarships. “As a current student I feel it is hard to be in the know about scholarships, you really have to actively pursue it to know about them,” she said. Heinze will graduate without student loan debt, but she still has to work during weekends to pay for living expenses, groceries and gas, she said.
ABOUT THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER The Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper of the University of Arkansas, is published every day during the fall and spring academic sessions except during exam periods and university holidays. Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Traveler. The editor makes all final content decisions. One copy of The Arkansas Traveler is free to every member of the UA community. Additional copies can be purchased for 50 cents each. Mail subscriptions for delivery within the continental United States can be purchased for $125.00 per semester. Contact the Traveler Business Manager to arrange.
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TRACKS
from page 1 The tracks will hopefully lead to scientists acquiring more information about what this area was like in the Cretaceous Period, Boss said. “We really needed to preserve the site in a way that will be useful to other scientists,” Boss said. “Since the owners probably aren’t going to grant access to the site, we did a three-dimensional scan of the site, which will allow others to reconstruct the site on a computer, and all that information will be useful to other scientists, probably more accurately than if they actually had access to the site.” “We know that 120 million years ago, dinosaurs walked right through here,” said Brian Platt of the University of Kansas, who worked on the project along with Boss. Among the questions researchers and some UA students are asking is, why were these dinosaurs in Arkansas? “Dinosaurs rule, I would never have thought they once lived where I live,” said freshman Jackson Been. “We’re not sure what the animals were doing here,” Boss said, “but clearly they were here in some abundance.”
PAGE 2
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CORRECTIONS The Arkansas Traveler strives for accuracy in its reporting and will correct all matters of fact. If you believe the paper has printed an error, please notify the editor at 575.8455 or at traveler@uark.edu.
CAMPUS NUMBERS NEED EMERGENCY HELP? CALL UAPD 575-2222
The women and men of the University of Arkansas Police Department, in partnership with the community, are committed to protecting the future of Arkansas by promoting a safe and secure environment.
HAVE A TICKET? CALL 575-7275 TO RESOLVE IT
The Transit and Parking office handles parking permits and passes and transit for students, including bus routes and GoLoco Ride Sharing. Students with parking violations can contact the office to appeal their citation.
NEED A RIDE AT NIGHT? CALL 575 - 7233
Otherwise known as 575-SAFE, the mission of the Safe Ride program is to provide students with a safe means of transportation from any uncomfortable or inconvenient situation. Safe Ride brings you home safely.
NEED TICKETS? CALL 1-800-982-4647 Don’t forget to call early and reserve your student football tickets for the 2010-2011 season. The ticket office is located on Razorback Road next to Baum Stadium.
PAGE 3
NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011
Driving Under the Influence
No Plans to Revive Dance Major by CARISSA KELLY Contributing Writer
LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Todd Jenkins, assistant director of Greek Life participates in the Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol’s drunk driving awareness program. The organization provides continuous alcohol education and encourages responsible, mature use.
Thirty years ago, the UA dance program was alive and well: it boasted two shows a year, toured throughout the U.S. and booked choreographers to set pieces for the dancers. “It was a series of events that began with not enough interest to support the program, lack of funding and not enough faculty members to teach the required classes,” said Susan Mayes, a health science instructor and former dance instructor. Students like sophomore Kaylie Pearson wish the program would be revived, she said. “I’m sure a lot of people would be interested in a minor or major in dance,” Pearson said. “A lot of people danced in high school and would love to continue it if
Arkansas Challenge Scholarships Increase in 2011 by CHAD WOODARD Asst. News Editor
The number of Arkansas Challenge Scholarship recipients increased from fall 2010 to 2011, according to enrollment records. Over the last year, traditional students, who are incoming freshmen, category increased from 1,820 to 3,295, an increase of 81 percent. Non-traditional students also increased from 300 to 509 students, or nearly 70 percent. Not every category showed increases from the previous year. Continuing recipients, students who already have received the scholarship, decreased from 583 to 468 students, almost 20 percent. Current achievers, students who enrolled in college within 12 months after graduating from high school, decreased from 1,298 to 1,177, a little more than 9 percent. The number of recipients
increased from fall 2010 to fall 2011 by more than 36 percent. The increase in Arkansas Challenge Scholarship recipients has been one factor in higher UA enrollment. The number of incoming freshmen increased in fall 2010 to fall 2011 from 3,810 to 4,447, more than 19 percent. The total undergraduate enrollment rose from 17,247 to 19,027 in the same years, an increase of more than 10 percent. That higher number of Arkansas Challenge recipients has been one reason freshman enrollment has increased, said Suzanne McCray, vice chancellor for enrollment. The increase in student population has been a concern for the administration, and a 25,000 cap on enrollment has been proposed, McCray said. “We want to serve students in the state, so the cap would not have an impact on Arkansas students,” she said. “Students may not have been able to leave their com-
munity [before the scholarship] and now, because of the scholarship, they can,” she said. The scholarship provides $5,000 to recipients awarded in the 2010-2011 school year for students at four-year schools and $2,500 to those at two-year schools, according to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education website. That amount decreased, however, for the 2011-2012 school year and is $4,500 for four-year schools and $2,250 at two-year schools. “Forty-five hundred covers a good portion, but not all,” McCray said. Regardless of the decrease, one UA student would not be able to attend the UA without the scholarship. “The Arkansas Challenge Scholarship is kind of like a big thing for me, since it changed over to the lottery I actually get more than when I started my freshman and sophomore years,” said Ariel Anglin, senior interior design major. “So it has been a great help and
CHAD WOODARD ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Ariel Anglin helps one student with his schedule for the spring semester. Anglin is one of 5,449 students who receive the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship at the UA. Without this scholarship she would not be able to attend the UA, she said.
Gas Report Average retail gasoline prices in Arkansas have risen 9.5 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.33/g yesterday. This compares with the national average that has increased 6.3 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.49/g, according to gasoline price website ArkansasGasPrices.com. Including the change in gas prices in Arkansas during the past week, prices yesterday were 67.0 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 9.6 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 12.0 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 66.3 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.
helps me not have to take out even more loans that I already have. “If I didn’t have the scholarship I would probably have to go to, like, UALR where it is a lot cheaper, but I wouldn’t be doing what I want to do,” she said. “[The scholarship] has allowed me to do something that is outside of the box, that’s always been something that I want to do, something very different,” she said. Anglin is a mentor in the Leadership by Design program, which is a class for fresh-
men and transfer students entering the Fay Jones School of Architecture, she said. “We teach them about stress management, how to play to their strengths and then at the end we teach them how to plan their schedules,” she said. However, the UA would not have Anglin as a mentor without the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship, she said. “I mean, they would have another mentor, but not nearly as good as me,” she said jokingly.
it were offered, even as just a minor.” Although lack of participation was an issue in the late 1980s, Courtney Van Dorple, member of the UA Pom Squad, said a lot of women on the squad would be interested if the school offered a dance minor or major. “It’d be great to take classes as a squad, that way we could work on our technique as a whole,” Van Dorple said. Funding seems the biggest obstacle to reviving the dance major or minor. “It’s very expensive to fund the arts and all that it requires,”Mayes said. Although the UA dance program is no longer around, students interested in dance shouldn’t put up those dance shoes just yet. Professors like Mayes still offer courses in dance, like dance education activity and dance education. Free dance classes are also offered in the HPER.
TEST
from page 1 “Coaching sessions are for discussion and reflection,” Smith said. “They are to help students better use their strengths and set goals for themselves.” Students who would like to have a 30 minute to one hour coaching session can send an email to strengths@uark.edu. The cost of taking StrengthsQuest is covered in the First Year Experience fee. Students who are unable to locate their access code to take the poll can also send an email to strengths@uark.edu.
OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
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EDITOR: SABA NASEEM MANAGING EDITOR: MATTIE QUINN
PAGE 4 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011
FROM THE BOARD ASG Vacancy Elections It’s that time again. Students can start voting for the Associated Student Government Senate vacancy elections Tuesday. Voting takes place October 25 and 26. There are 11 Senate seats available, and unlike regular ASG elections the seats are not designated to a particular college. Campaigning during vacancy elections is essentially the same as a normal election—Facebook groups and sidewalk chalking. How effectively that reaches people outside of the ASG sphere, or students that don’t already know about ASG, we’ll let you decide. We have our doubts. Senate should be at capacity after the vacancy elections with 39 people running for the 11 seats. Hopefully a full Senate will mean more legislation for senators to consider and debate. ASG members also approve budgets and requests for funding from cabinet members and outside organizations. Students that don’t get elected to Senate can still serve as a proxy when members miss meetings. (For those that wonder how effective that is to actually becoming a member of ASG, the ASG secretary was a Senate proxy last year.)
HPER Lot Closing Increases Parking Squeeze By now students are well aware of the space crunch caused by the record enrollment— our residence halls are full, our classes crowded and trying to drive across campus during the day is a headache-inducing experience. In about two-and-a-half weeks Lot 67, next to the HPER building, will be closed permanently, so construction of the new athletic facility can be built. While we have nothing against the new facility, closing more lots around campus—Lot Two, 36, the lot the Nanotechnology building was built upon, now Lot 67 and with paid parking on Dickson Street, students can no longer park for free at a spot that was a common go-to— puts more pressure on students with already hard-to-find spots.
Economic Report: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly The Center for Business and Economic Research at the Sam M. Walton College of Business released a 2011 “State of Northwest Arkansas” which deals with various things that influence the economy in Northwest Arkansas including employment growth, bachelor degree attainment and the medium income across the region. We have the lowest unemployment of our target group which included Lexington, Ky., Gainesville, Fla., Huntsville, Ala. and Austin, Texas. Despite having a lower level of unemployment, we have a higher level of poverty than most of the other regions in our group—excluding Gainesville, Fla. The report, which is approximately 30 pages long, gives an in-depth look at the highs and lows of the Northwest Arkansas economy during the past decade, and is a good place to start for students wanting to better understand how Fayettevile ranks compared to the rest of the country.
Traveler Quote of the Day “If you have alcohol in your system and you are a minor, that now constitutes, in Arkansas, the same as being physically in possession of alcohol.” - UAPD Sgt. Greg Foster, “Change in State Law Means Bigger Fines for Underage Drinking,” page one
MCT CAMPUS
Student Loan Debt Threatens Our Future Uncommon Perspective
by CHRIS SONNTAG
Traveler Columnist
The next economic crisis will center on student debt, which approximately two-thirds of those with college degrees have. College students are borrowing twice as much to pay for school, as they did a decade ago, according to a report from the College Board. Already —and especially because of the current job market— the amount of people not being able to pay back their student loans has increased to 8.8 percent of graduates after two years, according to the Department of Education. This is the sad story of a broken loan. According to an infographic from the “Consumerist,” several of the biggest “private” loaning groups, such as Sallie Mae buy loans that banks give to hundreds of thousands of students. This amount is often backed and guaranteed by the government—if the borrower can’t pay back the loan because, say, they don’t have a job, which is plaguing many college graduates, the government pays Sallie Mae the balance. Sallie Mae is essentially guaranteed a risk-free profit from the “investment,” because it will get that loan back plus interest no matter what. Of course, the government is going to try to get its money back. The student loan debt is sent to a collections agency, such as Gen-
Untraditional Way
Traveler Columnist
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.
ers have it guaranteed that one way or another, they’ll make money off the whole process. This debt can be chopped up just like any other debt, bundled up into packages called Student Loan Asset-Backed Securities and sold off to other banks, according to The Rolling Stone. Sound familiar? That’s because this is pretty much a mirror image of what happened with mortgages just a few years ago. Frankly, student loans have become a bubble, and every bubble bursts. And just like the last major bubble to burst, the buildup will have been there for years, almost no one will be sounding the alarm beforehand and you’ll hear TV personalities frantically asking the camera, “How did this happen?” It’s hard at the moment to even truly calculate how much debt there is for student loans. Recent headlines state that the number is more than $1 trillion, supposedly citing the New York branch of the Federal Reserve. While the actual numbers put out didn’t match this claim, Fed officials revisited its statistics, and it’s been found that the numbers had been severely under reported. The way it gets this information is by digging through sample reports from Experian, a credit report company. Apparently, in what is a bit of an embarrassment to the Fed, several loans were miscategorized as “Miscellaneous” and weren’t counted. This means that the numbers will jump much higher the next time it is reported. What is known, however, is that the total amount of education debt has increased past credit card debt. And frankly, that is scary. Last year, Arkansas’ default rate was at 11.74, according to the “Huffington Post,” meaning a little over one in 10 college graduates in Arkansas stopped paying off their
loans before two years are up. UA graduates have an average debt that is slightly higher than the Arkansas state average, at $20,171, although only 43 percent of us actually graduated with debt in 2009, which is roughly 15 percent lower than the state average, according to Peterson’s Undergraduate Financial Aid and Undergraduate Databases, using numbers reported by colleges across America. So how do we deal with this? If you can, try to go without getting many loans—there are still scholarships available to students already in college, many of which go unclaimed. Or try to find a way to work part time and save up some money—paying off some of your debt early helps avoid getting too much in interest. Or, like some of those in the Occupy Wall Street movement, talk to your representatives and try to get them to pass protections for those who have been saddled with student debt. Additionally, there are services the UA administration provides through the Treasurer’s offices. Some loans have specific ways you can get loan forgiveness, such as if you perform military service or volunteer work with AmeriCorps or the Peace Corp, teach or practice medicine or serve in public interest or non-profit positions if you’ve studied law. You’ll likely see stories about student debt on the news soon enough, and hopefully it’ll be addressed as part of the next set of issues for the 2012 election. Until then, the only thing that remains to be done is make the most of the education on this campus, hope for the best and hold on, because it’s going to be a bit of a bumpy ride. Chris Sonntag is a Traveler columnist. His column appears bimonthly, every other Tuesday.
Student Veterans: From Boots to Books
by Emily Hilley-Sierzchula
EDITORIAL BOARD
eral Revenue Corporation, the biggest in America, which just so happens to be owned by Sallie Mae. GRC adds collection fees and gets to keep a large portion of the money it takes from the borrower before handing it back to the government. It can take this money by getting the IRS to take your tax returns, take as much as 10 percent of your wages —15 until some “reforms” signed by President Barack Obama— or filing lawsuits. There’s no time limit to this, either, and a lawsuit could be filed at any point in the future. One way or another, the money does get taken. Make it to retirement with any student loans still unpaid, and part of your social security checks could be taken. Even parents aren’t safe; sometimes the cosigners end up having to pay. And it’s very rare to get rid of the debt by filing for bankruptcy. That was ensured back in the seventies, when a couple stories of doctors and lawyers bankrupting their way out of student debt was made public. In fact, it’s one of the only things you can’t get rid of if you go bankrupt. So it looks like the government and Sallie Mae, among many other lending groups, is better off when someone can’t pay back their loans. This backwards logic means that there’s no reason for there to be regulation in college tuition rates, which has nearly tripled when adjusted for inflation since 1990, partly fueled by the incredible rate at which universities hired administrators (an 85 percent growth) and staff (a 240 percent growth) and not nearly as many professors, according to the Washington Monthly. So there are a lot of loans being given to people who simply will not be in a position to repay them. And this debt is often not able to be “forgiven,” and the debt own-
For most students, stress arises from events such as final exams, bad break-ups, unforgiving professors or a flat tire on the interstate. We’re so dramatic. For other students, stress means courage under fire, living for your buddies rather than yourself and making life and death decisions on a routine basis. These students are veterans. The UA Veterans Resource and Information Center allies with the Veterans Upward Bound program to support student veterans and help ease the
transition from military life to student life. “They are used to being in uniform, and having a certain structure,” said Erika Gamboa, director of VRIC and Army Reserve veteran. “Whereas they come here, and they have to create their own outline that changes each semester. They have these different life experiences that make them not like your typical freshman.” Student veterans are leaders: mature, goal-oriented, humble and motivated. The exact number of student veterans at UA is unknown, but at least 500 students receive military educational benefits such as the variety of GI Bills and scholarships available. Some of these students are not veterans themselves because a law enacted after 9/11 allows some educational benefits to be transferred to veterans’ dependents. Although the university does have programs to help student veterans, including the boots to books elective class, administrators should do more. One thing Gamboa consis-
tently hears is a need for a place to gather where veterans’ resources are all in one place. The VRIC consists of Gamboa’s office and limited space shared with Off Campus Connections. “We need the VRIC, Veterans Upward Bound and the VA certifying official from the registrar’s office all in one place, but they tell us there is no space,” Gamboa said. Yet there is space and money for the plan to build and expand sports-related installations. Priorities are incredibly out of order. Other comparable institutions, such as Mississippi State University and Texas A&M, have veterans services that are far superior to those offered at UA. If you don’t know a veteran on our campus, you should attend any of the myriad of special events during the weeklong Veteran’s Day celebration. The November 7 through 12 events are open to all students and aimed at recognizing veterans for their service as well as presenting an opportunity for
students to become acquainted with this particular group of nontraditional students and to understand the sacrifices they have made. Student veterans continue to face numerous challenges including homelessness. They also have an increased likelihood of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression and PTSD, according to a 2011 survey by a University of Utah psychologist. With the U.S. military presence in the world being reduced by sweeping troop withdrawals in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is all the more important to remember veterans. The Remembrance Day National Roll Call will be held on November 11, in which the names of fallen service members who participated in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom will be read. Emily Hilley-Sierzchula is a Traveler columnist, majoring in journalism. Her column appears bimonthly.
SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
PAGE 5 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011
Scan here to go to the Sports section on uatrav.com:
SPORTS EDITOR: JIMMY CARTER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: ZACH TURNER
Hogs Trying to Fix Slow Starts by ZACH TURNER
Asst. Sports Editor
Arkansas started slowly for the fourth consecutive time in the 2924 win over Ole Miss Saturday. The Razorbacks surrendered 17 unanswered points to open the game trailed 17-7 at halftime. The Hogs haven’t been the first team to score in a game since its 38-28 win against Troy on Sept. 17. “We’d all prefer to get a big lead, and keep a big lead, but football is a game of adjustments and a game of momentum,” Arkansas senior defensive end Jake Bequette said. “We’ve been able to overcome some early deficits, but we’ve got to figure out why we’re starting slow, and we’ve got to correct it.” The Razorbacks have faced a double-digit halftime deficit three times in four game, but Bequette said he’s not sure what the answer is. “That’s a great question,” Bequette said about how to start games faster. “That really falls on the leaders of this team, including myself, to try to get the team ready to play faster from the opening whistle.” The Razorbacks scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to extend their lead to 29-17, with points coming off of two touchdowns, two field goals and the first safety of the season. “I know we were ready to play on Saturday, but for some reason, for the last three or four games, we haven’t started very fast and really kind of dug ourselves into a hole, which is not good.” Bequette said. After the Hogs got off to a bad start in Arlington, Texas, against
Texas A&M, trailing 35-17 at halftime, the coaches said they moved the defense back to an old defensive alignment. Arkansas outscored the Aggies 25-3 in the second half, rallying for a 42-38 win. In the two games since, other halftime adjustments have been made and the results have been evident by the Hogs outscoring Texas A&M, Auburn and Ole Miss 64-10 during the second half. “I think we’ve made some really good second-half adjustments in the last three or four games,” Bequette said. “That’s really a credit to our coaching staff and our players, who have seen some little things that maybe give us a little bit of an advantage. But it’s going to be on us to start fast, because we always have a good game plan going into the week. We’ve just got to execute it.” Although the games haven’t always been pretty the last four games, coach Bobby Petrino said the second-half comebacks have been encouraging. “There are a lot of people that want to talk about the things that are wrong, all the negatives - which I understand,” Petrino said. “That’s part of the business, but I like to look at the things that are positive. Our toughness, our character and our heart. The thing that showed up so much at halftime and in the second half was our competitive spirit and the fact that our leaders stayed positive.” Petrino Disputes Ware’s Analysis Arkansas’ game against Ole Miss was broadcast by the SEC Network and included color commentary from former Houston quarterback and 1989 Heisman
FOOTBALL
Johnson Earns SEC Honor by JIMMY CARTER Sports Editor
RYAN MILLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas has struggled in the first half of the last four games, facing double-digit halftime deficits against Alabama, Texas A&M and Ole Miss. winner Andre Ware. During the first half of the game, as the Razorbacks struggled on offense and fell behind 17-0, Ware said the Hogs’ running backs were “tipping” the direction of their runs by how they aligned their feet pre-snap. “I don’t believe it,” Petrino said. “Good for (Ware), but I don’t believe it.” Arkansas’ trip to Nashville, Tenn., to face Vanderbilt Saturday is being broadcast by the same crew on SEC Network. Wilson Named Award Semifinalist Arkansas junior quarterback Tyler Wilson was named one of 16
semifinalists for the annual Davey O’Brien award, presented to the nation’s top quarterback. Wilson has thrown for 2,011 yards and 12 touchdowns in seven games, leading the Razorbacks to a 6-1 start and a No. 10 BCS ranking. The Greenwood, Ark., native was the only quarterback from the Southeastern Conference to be named a semifinalist. The award selection committee will narrow the list down to three finalists and those will be announced Nov. 21. His inclusion on the list came one week after being added to the Manning Award watch list, also presented to the top quarterback in the nation.
proaches every practice and being aggressive, smart and setting what she’s got,” Arkansas coach Robert
ferent areas on the court. “Sometimes Robby and I talk,” Santos said. “He’s like, ‘Obviously your title is not as big as a quarterback, but he’s the head of the game. Now, you are the head of our game. If the girls see you down, they’re going to be down, and if you’re up, they’re going to be up, so make sure you stay steady and have fun.’” The Razorbacks (14-8, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) moved to second place in the SEC West this weekend, one game behind LSU. “I know we are a really, really good team,” Santos said. “To win the NCAA tournament is all we want and it’s all I want.” Arkansas host the Tigers (14-7, 7-4 SEC) Wednesday in Barnhill Arena at 7 p.m. in a match that will be nationally televised by ESPNU.
Arkansas junior running back Dennis Johnson was named Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Razorbacks 29-24 win at Ole Miss. Johnson ran for a career-high 160 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries, helping the Hogs come back from a 17-0 second-quarter deficit for the win. “Dennis did a great job for us,” Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. “He ran the ball really well and showed his speed and quickness. I thought it was the most decisive he’s been all year on his cuts.” Johnson has run for at least 100 yards all three times he’s gotten 13 or more carries in a game during
his career. “He certainly was the hot hand the other day and we fed him as much as we could,” Petrino said. He helped spark a running attack that has struggled at times this season and entered the game ranked No. 9 in the SEC, averaging 129.3 yards per game. His 52-yard touchdown run put the Hogs on the board with 5:11 left in the first half and started a run of 29 unanswered points. “DJ is low, so a lot of defenders pretty much confuse short and little,” junior fullback Kiero Small said. “DJ is not a little guy. He’s compact. A defender better bring his A-game or he’s going to be surprised when he gets to DJ. Then he’s fast. You saw the burst on that long run. Once he gets into the open field, you can pretty much count it a touchdown.”
GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas junior running back Dennis Johnson was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week for his 15-carry, 160 yard performance against Ole Miss
BASKETBALL
Hogs Picked Santos Leading Razorbacks Sixth in SEC by MARTHA SWEARINGEN Staff Writer
Sophomore Raymariely Santos began her Razorback volleyball career as the back-up setter last season, but as the primary setter on Arkansas’ roster this year, Santos has recorded seven double-doubles and started every match for the Razorbacks. Santos recorded a career-high performance of 54 assists and 16 digs two weeks ago against the Georgia Bulldogs to earn her sixth double-double of the season. The Puerto Rico native also led the Razorback offense to a .421 attack percentage against McNeese State earlier in the season, the eighth-highest attack percentage in program history.
“I just find some inspiration before games,” Santos said. “That really helps a lot. I just love the game, and I really have fun with what I’m doing. I really have fun seeing my girls going at it and being successful, so that really makes me happy.” One of the main motivating factors for Santos, a native of Puerto Rico, is the distance from her family. “This has been my dream since a long time ago,” Santos said. “Just not being able to have my family with me, I think that’s a big inspiration. They’re back in Puerto Rico, so I am the only one here and they can only see me over the internet.” As a setter, Santos faces a different kind of pressure and mental responsibility than her teammates. “We’ve been talking a lot about her routine, about how she ap-
Raymariely Santos Pulliza said. Some of those responsibilities include knowing what combinations to run on serve receive, free balls, attacks and trouble situations, plus how to adjust them from dif-
VOLLEYBALL
by JIMMY CARTER Sports Editor
Arkansas was picked to finish sixth overall in the Southeastern Conference Monday by the media. The Razorbacks return two starters from a team that went 1813 and missed the postseason last year, resulting in coach John Pelphrey’s firing. New coach Mike Anderson will add a consensus top-10 recruiting class to the returning roster. Kentucky was picked to win the league. Vanderbilt was second, Florida third, while Alabama and Mississippi State were tabbed fourth and fifth, respectively. Red-White game set for
Sunday Arkansas will play its RedWhite game Sunday at 3 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena, the UA announced Monday. Admission is free for the public, but fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for collection and distribution to area food banks. “Using a Razorback basketball preseason event to collect items for area food banks is something that we did for years,” Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said in a press release. “It is my hope that everyone will be able to donate to a great cause. There is no reason that the citizens of Northwest Arkansas should go hungry.”
COMMENTARY
Hogs Have Hardwood Question Marks Extra Points
JIMMY CARTER
jicarter@uark.edu Arkansas fans should be thrilled Mike Anderson is coaching the Razorbacks. They shouldn’t expect a miracle in his first season, though. He has a tough task in front of him. The Hogs’ returnees, with the exception of Marshall Powell, are role players. The incoming recruiting class is highly-touted, but relying heavily on freshmen isn’t the recipe for success unless you’re Michigan in the early 90s or Kentucky now. Arkansas should be more competitive and exciting than in recent memory, but there are a lot of question marks for the Razorbacks. Here are some predictions for the upcoming season. This is based
off previous seasons, recruit highlight tapes, a few pickup games and the Primetime at the Palace scrimmage, so take it as seriously as the people that believe LeBron will be better than Jordan in time.
his system on the team and when you watch him sky for rebounds then lead the break on a consistent basis, you’ll agree. He’s a big, athletic guard that will earn a lot of playing time.
5 Predictions for 2011-12
3. Arkansas will have at least two players on SEC All-Freshman team. Young, forward Hunter Mickelson, guard Ky Madden and forward Devonta Abron will all play major minutes as freshmen, both out of necessity and because they’re talented. Young was the headliner of the 2011 recruiting class and is the easiest pick to end up on the All-Freshman team. Madden, Abron and Mickelson will all have major roles.
1. B.J. Young will lead the team in scoring. Junior forward Marshawn Powell might prove me wrong, but Young is easily Arkansas’ best playmaker. The true freshman is an adept ballhandler, has great quickness and can finish around the rim. Young shot better than 70 percent from the field as a high school senior. Don’t expect that this season, but he should have a big offensive impact for the Razorbacks and will be a top-tier guard in the Southeastern Conference by the end of the season. 2. Rickey Scott will average at least 20 minutes per game. Scott struggled with injuries and didn’t play much – 12.4 minutes – when he was healthy as a freshman. Expect a different player this season. Anderson said he’s the best fit for
4. A true freshman will lead the team in rebounding. This would be Mickelson or Abron. Of the returning players, Powell is an undersized 6-foot-7 power forward. Seniors Michael Sanchez and Marvell Waithe could contend for the rebounding title, but the freshmen get the nod now. Mickelson is an active 6-foot-11,
236-pounder that led the team in rebounding during early scrimmages and should also lead Arkansas in blocked shots. Abron is a 6-foot-8, 255-pounder banger that will get major minutes because he’s skilled and the Razorbacks’ best physical player inside. 5.There won’t be off -court drama. Almost as much as his lack of winning, former coach John Pelphrey’s inability to run the program off the court drew the ire of Arkansas fans. Anderson ran a tight ship at UAB and Missouri. When he had trouble in Columbia his second season, he handled it firmly and didn’t have issues the rest of his tenure. He’s the boss. He’s made it clear he won’t tolerate off-court issues. 5 Predictions Sure to Be Wrong 1. Arkansas will make the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas can make the postseason. The Razorbacks probably will. The NIT is the better bet, though. The SEC still isn’t highly regarded as a basketball league this season,
but look at the schedule and pick out 10 conference wins. It’s tough to find eight. Don’t set expectations too high. It’s a young team and a new system. 2. The Razorbacks will be a good rebounding team. Mike Anderson’s teams at Missouri and UAB weren’t recognized as good rebounding teams. Arkansas isn’t a physically imposing team this season. The Razorbacks don’t have much depth inside and none of the interior players are standout rebounders. An athletic and decentsized backcourt will have to help on the boards. 3. The Hogs won’t miss Rotnei Clarke. Anderson said identifying a knockdown shooter is one of his main priorities. Bad news, coach. He left town in June. Arkansas has several decent shooters, but don’t expect anyone to hit 40 percent from 3-point range. Walk-on Kikko Haydar might be the best shooter on the team.
4. Michael Sanchez won’t miss any games. A more interesting prediction would be an over/under on how many games Sanchez will miss. Four seams fair. The fifth-year senior has struggled to overcome injuries his entire career and missed the start of practice after undergoing a surgical procedure on his back. Arkansas needs his toughness and experience, but it’s almost become more a question of when he’ll get hurt than if it’ll happen. 5. Bud Walton Arena will start selling out. Fans love the hire and are excited for Anderson’s return, but the enthusiasm isn’t all the way back yet. There will be better attendance than in recent memory, but it will take time to reengage a fan base that has sat through a decade of bad basketball. All bets are off if Arkansas gets off to a hot start in nonconference play and wins some games early in the SEC, though. Jimmy Carter is the sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Tuesday. Follow him on Twitter @jicartersports.
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
DOWNTIME Comics, Games, & Much Much More!
PAGE 6 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011
LAUGH IT UP
SUDOKU
Q: What’s green and walks through walls? A: Casper the Friendly Pickle There was a man who entered a local paper’s pun contest. He sent in ten different puns, hoping that at least one of the puns would win. Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.
Difficulty:
Q: Who is Scooby-Doo’s evil twin? A: Scooby Don’t Q: Did you hear about the robbery at the flower
TODAY’S SOLUTION
shop?
A: It was a violet crime.
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 Gaucho’s weapon 5 What two lanterns in the Old North Church signified 10 Shenanigan 14 “Paradise Lost” setting 15 Assessed 16 Holder of small tools 17 Symbolic gifts 19 José’s hand 20 Like some ink cartridges 21 Vitruvian Man is on some Italian ones 22 Exasperate 25 Pago Pago resident 28 Sosa’s 1,667, briefly 29 Conspiracy theorist’s worry 30 Zeno, notably 32 Styled after 35 Soother for men 39 Stadium sound 40 Shake 41 Victory goddess 42 __ Deion: NFL nickname 43 Bk. after Proverbs 45 Indigenous language 50 Selectric selection 51 Became one lane, say 55 Hammer feature 56 President’s option, and a hint to the puzzle theme in 17-, 22-, 35- and 45-Across 58 Soprano Te Kanawa 59 Gets zero mpg 60 First name in bike stunts 61 Fall runner’s goal, perhaps 62 Requirements 63 Take it easy
1 Whack 2 Glade target 3 “Hello, Dolly!” surname 4 Part of a best man’s toast, maybe 5 Josh of “True Grit” (2010) 6 Comedian Smirnoff 7 Cordwood measure 8 Bard’s nightfall 9 Many pop-ups 10 Madagascar mammals 11 Asteroids maker 12 Syntax problem 13 Newsstand booth 18 When said three times, a WWII film 21 Order from on high 23 Valuable stash 24 Tony’s cousin 25 Bandy words 26 It’s five before Foxtrot 27 Light-headed insect? 30 Railroad switch 31 Smidgen 32 Indigo dye source 33 Styled after 34 Whizzes 36 “The Canterbury Tales” estate manager 37 Gin flavoring 38 Quick look 42 Dipstick 43 Door to the street 44 Brusque 45 Kisses and then some 46 Kate’s TV roommate 47 Regal topper 48 Frère de la mère 49 Blunt, as truth 52 “Houston, __ had a problem” 53 Nice warm times 54 Dimbulb 56 Verb associated with blame 57 Neruda’s “__ to Conger Chowder”
Crossword provided by MCT Campus
SOLUTION
Tony Piro
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THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
FEATURES PAGE 7
FEATURES EDITOR: LAUREN LEATHERBY ASST. FEATURES EDITOR: KELSI FORD
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011
Make a Difference Day Sends Volunteers Throughout Area
Faster Communication Often Leads to Worse Grammar
by HAILEY RAY Staff Writer
This Saturday, hundreds of UA students, and millions of people across the nation, will join together to volunteer for the annual Make a Difference Day. Each year on the fourth Saturday of October, USA Weekend, HandsOn Network and many other organizations sponsor the national volunteering day to motivate Americans to reach out to their communities and lend a hand. “Being surrounded by a crowd of hundreds of students, all coming out to help, is an inspiring sight,” said senior Keely Dye, the UA Make a Difference Day chairman. “Students are much more motivated to help when they can work with fellow students and friends and truly observe the impact of their work.” Dye became involved with MADD her freshman year. She and her roommate wanted to gain volunteer hours through a fun MADD project, she said. After participating in MADD again her sophomore year, Dye decided to join the Volunteer Action Center, the campus group responsible for organizing MADD. Dye started volunteering for other on-campus events through the VAC, but MADD remained her favorite. When it was time for MADD last year, Dye became even more involved. She began helping with publicity, distributing flyers and working tables in front of the Arkansas Union and at service fairs. “My responsibility [as chairman is] to organize the morning to make it as efficient as possible,” she said. “I make sure that
LEAH YOUNG FEATURES DESIGNER
by NICK BROTHERS Staff Writer
Since the rise of texting and social networks in today’s media, “their” seems to be “alot” of poor grammar as people care about “they’re text message's
content more than there grammatical correctness.” See what I mean? In the previous sentence, it’s easy to see the glaringly incorrect use of “their,” “there” and “they’re” and its various forms, plus “a lot.” This is an example
of how grammar is used on such forms of media. If that is annoying to read, you’re in the same boat as many students and professors at the UA who read texts, Internet pages and Youtube comments and find many instances of incorrect
grammar usage. Carol Rachal, a UA journalism professor, teaches an Introduction to Journalism class in which she instructs AP style and correct grammar to budding journalists. As a college professor, she’s realistic, but grades tough when necessary. “We all make mistakes so I try not to be too picky,” Rachal said. “It depends on the assignment. If it’s the first homework assignment, which is a biographical assignment, then I will circle the mistakes and not deduct points; however, if I tell them they are being graded on their grammar, spelling and punctuation, yes, I will deduct points.” The Internet more than likely holds the record for most instances of poor grammar usage. Jennifer Davenport, a junior English major, believes it comes from hastiness more than flagrant misuse. “Bad grammar is more forgivable if it’s something on the Internet, because when you submit it so quickly, there’s often a lapse in thinking and writing,” Davenport said. “I think it’s not so much that they’re lazy, so much as they’re hasty. They move too quickly through the sentence, and they don’t realize that their error occurred.” Rachal also has a similar view on the matter. “I get the impression that people think it’s okay to make mistakes in terms of not paying
attention to how they are writing when it comes to some social networking sites,” Rachal said. “Also, there are those who don’t know how to use correct grammar; and then you have the people who just don’t care – it’s not important to them. I think people should make an effort to use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Unfortunately, bad habits are easy to learn and hard to break.” Is this really that big of an issue, though? Most students would agree it’s annoying to see the occasional incorrect use of grammar, but it’s not a pressing concern. Mason Sams, a junior history major, believes the big picture matters more than the tiny details. “If it’s constant and really obvious, like if something is intentionally spelled wrong, that gets a little irritating,” Sams said. “From a history major perspective, however, it’s not as important. In an essay, it’s more about the content than what you’re saying. It’s not that grammar isn’t important, it’s just that it takes a backseat to what you’re saying.” At the same time, being a “grammar Nazi” online can seem a little overbearing at times. “With the whole ‘grammar Nazis’ thing, I think having skills in grammar is an example
GRAMMAR on page 8
to sign up for it,” the sophomore education major said. Kaity Dye joined a group using GPS units to show children around the campus. Technical problems ensued, and instead the group just roamed campus, rewarding the first child to spot a location with candy. This year Kaity Dye will serve
“Being surrounded by a crowd of hundreds of students, all coming out to help, is an inspiring sight.” - Keely Dye, UA MADD Chairman volunteers are able to find their assigned projects, get their Tshirts and have an awesome experience.” As Dye urged everyone she knew to volunteer for MADD her junior year, she had a particular influence over one freshman – her younger sister, Kaity Dye. “My sister was on the committee and they needed more volunteers, and she was asking everyone in the whole universe
as one of three project leaders for the Ozark Folkways project. Up to 50 volunteers will spend the day doing yard work, painting and clean up at the Winslow nonprofit organization. The organization is dedicated to the preservation, instruction and development of regional arts and crafts, according to its website. MADD starts at 9 a.m.
MADD on page 8
RYAN MILLER FILE PHOTO Razorback Quidditch players enjoy an early evening game of Quidditch. Last spring the team won second place in a regional tournament.
Mutemath’s “Odd Soul” Rocks Hard
COURTESY PHOTO
bY NICK BROTHERS Staff Writer
Odd Soul – Mutemath 8.5 out of 10
Throughout rock n’ roll history there have been bands of all kinds that have sought after a new, more controversial style compared to their current popular sound. The successes
of these bold moves seem to swing both ways— either resulting in a flop, or getting the perfect amount of different in their sound. Mutemath's album “Odd Soul,” released Sept. 27, has undoubtedly allowed Mutemath to achieve that perfect amount of different as they bring a new and daring boldrock sound to their discography. Mutemath consists of Paul Meany (vocals, keyboards), Darren King (drums), Todd Gummerman (guitar) and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas (bass). Gummerman is a newcomer to the band, replacing veteran Greg Hill, and Gummerman establishes himself consistently as a talented guitarist throughout the album. Mutemath has released two albums prior to “Odd Soul,” both of which fell more into the electronic-poprock genre. With “Odd Soul,” the sounds are much heavier and aggressive. The band does a nice job
bridging the gap between experimental, rock, blues and funk. All the elements of rock are there, but it’s unique from the conventions of the genre. Their style is similar to the newer sound of Switchfoot, maybe to some of the heavier sounds of The Black Keys and maybe even a technologically advanced White Stripes; meaning they’re similar in rock melodies, but with a much more complex and full sound. It’s a fun musical style to listen to, that’s for sure. The drumming/percussion on this album is exceptional. Darren King goes hard on every track. King carries every song and his skills are just showy enough. The entirety of “Cavalries,” the fills of “Prytania” and “Tell Your Heart Heads Up” are great examples of what this guy does. The awesome drumming is easily
MUTEMATH on page 8
by STEPHANIE EHRLER Staff Writer
Gryffindor is down 150 points, and the snitch has yet to be caught. The seeker flashes by on his Firebolt and catches the snitch, securing his team the victory. The idea of using brooms to play a sport may seem ludicrous, but since the spring of 2010, Razorback Quidditch players have been doing just that, by using their imagination and athleticism to play this recreational sport. The idea came from the group’s first president, Amando O'Conner, who got the idea from seeing it online and then looking up the up-and-coming Quidditch game, said Ethan McCormick, president of Ra-
zorback Quidditch. “About 15-25 people come consistently throughout a given semester,” McCormick said. As found on the International Quidditch Association website, Quidditch is a magical nonprofit sport that aims to inspire young people to live active and social lives. The first Quidditch game was played on October 9, 2005 at Middlebury College when students discovered how to play this enchanting game without any magic. “Joining Razorback Quidditch is as simple as showing up for practices in the University Gardens at 3 p.m. on Sundays,” said Jim Curry, Minister of Muggle/Wizard Relations.
QUIDDITCH on page 8
FEATURES MUTEMATH from page 7 one of the most standout things from the first couple of listens. The guitar and bass also really bring it on multiple occasions throughout the album, especially on “Odd Soul,” “Allies,” and the break down in “One More.” The bass and guitar merge into each other and both have especially beefy, encasing riffs in the songs on the album. Often, there’s this overcoming desire to want to get out your air guitar and rock out along with the music. Paul Meany also isn’t afraid to stretch his voice and shout when he needs to. The vocals are never overbearing. They are harsh when they need to be, and softer and melodic when the song calls for it. The only thing is the distortion mic that he uses often clouds his voice, unlike the strength it gives other vocalists. Nothing screams “instant classic” or steals your heart right away here, but the album is a great compilation of music, and it grows on you. It’s arguable that the tracks on here although fun - begin to sound similar after a while with not a lot of variety. Even then, it’s hard to be nitpicky about the album; it really is a satisfying piece of music.
Mutemath, as far as Odd Soul goes, is a true air-guitar/airdrum band. It just makes you want to rock along with them, and it’s easy to get into. To review this album in two sentences: Odd Soul rocks. It rocks hard. Standout Tracks: “Odd Soul,” the first track, sets the mood for the entire album. The song is bold, and rigorous, and it flat out rocks with its hard hitting flow. “Tell Your Heart Heads Up” starts off with a staggering drum fill, and then gets going into a excellent, complete rock song. It’s one of the most fun songs to listen to on the album. “Equals” has a nice Strokes-esque tone to the guitar that is reminiscent of the band’s older albums. Lyrically, the song is pretty inspiring, too. Musicianship: 9 The aggressive, varied and impressive drumming and the bold, funky and tenacious riffs from the guitar and the bass really solidify this album. Meany also has a commanding tenor voice and isn’t afraid to go places with it. The music hooks the listener in and keeps them there. Originality: 9 Not your average rock band here. Mutemath does an awesome job of combining a blend of unique rock elements to their music. At first, it sounds like alternative rock, and then it gets experimental and funky and even slightly electronic. The tones of the instruments all sound great as well. They sound thick and hit hard, something rock bands sometimes hold back. It’s a cool album to listen through. Lyricism: 8 Nothing is exactly a revelation here lyrically, but it’s written well enough and is indeed likable. The most important thing is that the lyrics are solid, and there aren’t any songs that seem to falter.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011 PAGE 8
This Week in History Oct. 25, 1917
Oct. 24, 1939
Bolshevik communists led by Vladimir Lenin stormed the palace in St. Petersburg and deposed the provincial government. A civil war ensued, which would end in a communist victory in 1920.
Women’s nylon hosiery went on sale for the first time in Wilmington, Del.
Oct. 24, 1945
Oct. 24, 1648
The United Nations was formally established by the United Nations Charter between the five members of the Security Council.
The Treaty of Westphalia was signed, ending the Thirty Years War, greatly shifting the balance of power in Europe, and serving as the basis for modern nation-states.
VIA HISTORY.COM, COURTESY PHOTOS
QUIDDITCH from page 7 “Our Facebook page [Razorback Quidditch] is open for anyone to join and see all of our upcoming events and connect you with our listserv.” Quidditch, made famous by the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, was created for witches and wizards, but the muggle (non-magical) students of UA have quickly mastered the game.
While Harry Potter is known for skillfully zooming around on his Firebolt, Razorback Quidditch players use Scarlet Falcon brooms, which may not fly, but they allow the player to use their imaginations by mounting their brooms and playing the sport as accurately as they can. “Players just need to bring water and wear weather-appropriate workout clothes,” Curry said. “It’s a very physical sport and we want our players to stay healthy. We supply the brooms, balls and hoops.” The positions of Quidditch include the chaser, keeper, beater, seeker and snitch. Chasers act as the main scorer by running a volleyball, which serves as the quaffle, to the goals. The keeper acts as a goalie defending the goals against the opposing team, and the beater tries to knock out other players. The most important ball, the snitch, is not actually a golden ball with wings, but rather a player who runs with a tennis ball while the seeker chases after trying to catch the snitch runner and, thus, ending the game. Players must also watch out for dodgeballs, which act as bludgers, that force the player return to their goalpost before resuming play. “While some schools hold
tryouts for each position, we throw new players into matches trying out any and all positions until they find one that suits them best,” Curry said. “We are proud to be a 100 percent acceptance team.” There are more than 100 Quidditch collegiate teams worldwide and about 12 high school teams nationwide. “We’ve played many great teams from around the south including Texas A&M, TCU, LSU, Kansas, Oklahoma City and Hendrix,” Curry said. “Tournaments are the best chances to play other schools.” The Fourth Quidditch World Cup is taking place in New York City in November, where teams from across the world will come to compete and socialize with other Quidditch players, according to the International Quidditch Association World Cup website. More than 2,000 students camp out for this extravaganza that includes all-day live music, wizardly gear sales and championship Quidditch matches. The Arkansas team will not be attending this year, but they expect to represent the Razorbacks in the 2012 World Cup. Students who do not want to participate in playing Quidditch
GRAMMAR from page 7
tably made the mistake before when texting. “When you’re texting and you’re in a hurry, you don’t have time to really correct yourself,” Hoover said. “I try really hard not to make those grammatical mistakes, but I know I definitely have. Whenever I do, I’m
MADD from page 7
good citizen.” Artistic students can volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, and help paint a mural inside the Restore depicting the strength of family. Early risers can help set up the Down & Dirty 5K and Clean and Green 1-Miler put on by the Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Graduate Student Club. Those who are busy on Saturday can help with the Seven Hills Homeless Center Zombie Walk on Friday night, an event that raises awareness about poverty and homelessness. A number of activities cater to those who prefer to get their hands dirty or enjoy the outdoors. Potter’s House Thrift is
can still be a part of the team. Annual Quidditch t-shirts are made, and students can aways help set up for practice or just come to support and watch the game. This muggle sport has become a platform for Harry Potter fanatics to bond with others who share their appreciation for the epic series. “Personally, Razorback Quidditch has given me some of my closest college friends on and off the pitch,” Curry said. “This semester alone we’ve been known to gather for A Very Potter Musical watch parties, and we get together on Wednesday evenings for conditioning workouts.” Sports bring people together through teamwork and competition, but the Quidditch players also have created lasting friendships off the field too. “Some of my best friends are people that I have met through Quidditch,” said John Banks, captain of Razorback Quidditch. “I find that we spend a lot of time just talking as a group about a wide range of topics but with a heavy emphasis on Harry Potter since that is the mutual interest that brought us together.”
Nazi” might, the battle for correct grammar and against apathy is constant. of your intellect, and it shows “We fix it by making an effort how you’re grown up,” Sams to speak and write correctly. said. “Sometimes though, like We fix it by having professors on Facebook, you often see note incorrect grammar, spellsomeone having an argument ing and punctuation on written on there, but except they assignments,” Rachal said. “It spelled ‘your’ needs to be more wrong, and then than just about “Unfortunately, bad habits are easy the next comment content. It’s the to learn and hard to break.” is just a star and overall paper. Evthen a ‘you’re.’ erything counts. - Carol Rachal, UA Journalism professor It’s kind of petty. That’s how you That’s when being get the message a ‘grammar Nazi’ across. If no one is irritating.” a little upset with myself. Espe- ever corrects mistakes, then Even though it’s easy to spot cially if I was caught getting it people will think it’s okay to incorrect uses of grammar, it’s wrong. You know, it’s like, ‘aw, make mistakes. It won’t matter. something everybody does really?’” I just know that it’s important from time to time. Kristen So the problem is real. Sure, to speak and write correctly, Hoover, a sophomore advertis- it’s a simple and honest mis- and I do not understand why ing and public relations major, take, but it’s a constant thing. some people are so averse to admitted that she has regret- Try as the typical “grammar doing so.”
on Saturday, Oct. 29. First participants meet on the Union Mall for a rally where they receive their free T-shirts and a free breakfast provided by Starbucks, Sonic, Einstein Bros. Bagels and other restaurants, Keely Dye said. More than 800 volunteer opportunities are available to students through more than 30 different projects. “It’s a great way to give back,” said Marie Morris, a senior majoring in biology and Spanish on the T-shirt committee. “I think it’s really important to make sure you’re doing your part to be a
looking for volunteers to bundle firewood, and Butterfield Trail Village Retirement Community needs volunteers to assist the elderly in wheelchairs as they tour the botanical gardens. Most of the projects will be completed by mid afternoon Saturday. “If you haven't volunteered before, this is a great way to start,” Keely Dye said. “You can volunteer with friends, get a cool Tshirt, and make an impact.” “It’s kind of crazy how many things wouldn’t get done if people didn’t volunteer for it,” Kaity Dye said. “There are so many organizations that completely rely on volunteers.”