Halloween Costumes; Creative to Creepy Page 8
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In This Issue:
News
Japanese/ English Exchange
UA students can now register for a new study abroad program.
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College of Engineering: Largest Increase in Freshmen Class by JANNEE SULLIVAN Staff Writer
Resident Hall Alarm Violations News
Vol. 106, NO. 26
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
Most Resident Hall evacuations are caused by styling irons and microwaves.
The UA college of engineering had the largest percent increase in freshmen enrollment of any college on campus this year with a more than 30 percent increase, the assistant dean for student recruitment at the College of Engineering said. “We’re growing faster than the
Features
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Google+ Shines Through Features, Lacks People
The lack of activity on Google+ causes it to continue to take a back seat to Facebook.
other colleges and overall we’ve been pushing for more engineers to go into the workforce,” said Bryan Hill, the assistant dean for student recruitment. In 2010, the college of engineering had 532 new freshmen. This year, that number increased to 693. This increase is largely because of the job opportunities available with an engineering degree, Hill said. Students are looking for a potential career and engineering can offer that to them, Hill said. “Finding a job with an engineering degree after college will be very easy, because it's such a needed profession,” said Devin Burns, a freshman mechanical engineering major. In addition to the increasing freshman enrollment rates, the
college of engineering also has a 70 percent second year retention rate according to the college of engineering Fall 2011 retention report. The engineering college also does extensive recruiting to generate interest in the field, Hill said. “We’ve created a pipeline program where we start working with sixth graders and on to get them interested,” Hill said. “The engineering fair last year [I think it was in the summer] was when I became interested in engineering,” said Aneeka Majid, a freshman biomedical engineering major.” “The college of engineering advertised their program so well by making it feel very manageable to get a degree within four years, but also making it seem fun and exciting,” Burns said.
see ENGINEERING on page 3
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Features
Cold Weather Brings Illness Certain common campus illnesses are back this season with a vengeance.
Sports
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Depth Chart Airs Wednesday Arkansas’ quarterbacks will be featured on ESPN’s Depth Chart Wednesday, the last in a four-part series.
Opinion
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Unnecessary Violence Common in Media Cable news should step away from its use of gratuitous violence.
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Freshmen engineering students studying how graph and charts are used in Dr. Heath Schluterman’s Intro to Engineering class.
Staff Writer
Members of the Latino Alumni Society and Hispanic Heritage Month Committee hosted a reception at the UA Alumni house to conclude the Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. “The reception was to thank and honor Hispanic Heritage Month volunteers, students that volunteered for the many events hosted for Hispanic Heritage Month such as Campus Day, Manos Unidas, and Plaza de las Americas,” said Luis Fernando Restrepo, Spanish professor, assistant vice provost for diversity and president of the Latino Alumni Society (LAS). Also recognized were Tyson Foods and Cox Communication for their support to the events held during Hispanic Heritage Month and individuals who left a legacy were also recognized, Restrepo said.
by BAILEY KESTNER Staff Writer
The Legacy Awards were presented to Robert E. Frans and Paul R. Noland for their partnerships with both Bolivia and Panama and their constant work with the Hispanic community. Frans was executive director of Partners of the Americas which worked with Bolivian students to attend the UA and also helped establish the Maria Teresa de Frans scholarship fund. Noland helped create contact with the UA and Panama in 1951. The Outstanding Supporter recognition award went to Partners of the Americas Program. The Partners of the Americas Program was a program started in the 1960s’ by President Kennedy as a people to people collaboration, Restrepo said. “This is the first reception
see RECEPTION on page 2
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011 VOL. 106, NO. 26 8 PAGES UATRAV.COM
Report Shows Employment Growth but Lack of Education in NWA by LANDON REEVES Staff Writer
The Center for Business and Economic Research in the UA Sam M. Walton College of Business released the first “State of the Northwest Arkansas Region Report,” which reported a growth in employment, a decrease in unemployment but a lack of education. “The ‘State of the Northwest Arkansas Region Report’ was our attempt to catalog just how well the region is doing and has done,” said Kathy Deck, director of the CBER. The center compared communities with large research universities and populations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida and Alabama that are similar to Northwest Arkansas to see where we need improvements, Deck said. Employment grew at a rate of nearly 24 percent from 2000 to 2010, and Northwest Arkansas had the smallest increase in unemployment in two years compared to peer regions, according to the report. “Northwest Arkansas blew away the competition over the past ten years when you look at job creation and new business formation,” Deck said. However, in education, Northwest Arkansas did not come out on top. Less than 25 percent of Northwest Arkansas adults have a bachelor's degree or further education, according to the report. “Our peers sometimes have as much as 35 percent of their population with bachelor's degrees,” Deck said. The CBER gathers and analyzes statistics about the state. For the report, they pulled data from the state Employment Security Division, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics and the U.S. Census Bureau, Deck said.
see REPORT on page 3
Resident Hall Officials Address Security Issues
Latino Alumni Society Members Sponsor First Reception by ZESSNA GARCIA
KRIS JOHNSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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SAMANTHA TUCKER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Malachi Lockwood, freshman, opens the door for Brandon Bear, freshman at Humphery’s Hall. Since all dorm entrances and exits are locked, students should always carry fobs when coming back and forth from the dorms.
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Residence hall officials are asking students to use their fobs when entering and exiting oncampus housing to increase security, the director of residential facilities said. “The housing department has a moral obligation to keep students safe here on campus,” said Reggie Houser, director of residential facilities. Though the students are adults, they often do not understand the importance of the housing fobs administered to them, he said. “Recently, there was an iPhone stolen in Maple Hill South. After reviewing video footage, it was found that a resident let three strangers in without fobs,” Houser said. Tailgating has become a bit of a problem, when non-residents follow residents into the halls. The fact of the matter is, he said, students should go down to get guests and be with the guests while in the dorm. The student should also escort the guest out of the building. It is what is best for both
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the guest and the other residents, he said. “We only have around 10 to 15 problems on campus throughout the year involving people tailgating into dorms,” Houser said. Most of the crimes committed are done at opportune times, He also said that though the video cameras are not constantly monitored, they are always available for review upon the report of a problem. “I am happy to say that at least 75 percent of crimes in dorms are solved that are reported.” “We in housing also understand the students’ perspective though,” Houser said. Most students mean no harm when letting in a person behind them, he said. “I don’t see a problem with me tailgating into my own dorm when I enter it daily,” said Molly Slavin, freshman English major. “I wouldn’t let an adult in, but for students, who says a tailgater not living there is more dangerous than an actual resident inside?”
see SECURITY on page 3
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
Nuisance Alarms are the Cause of Most Residence Hall Evacuations by CICELY SHANNON Staff Writer
Investigation of the circumstances behind fire alarms in residence halls can fall within the jurisdiction of the university police as well as housing. “When a alarm is pulled or a detector goes off there is a fire alarm panel that shows exactly where it is located and a computer generates a readout,” said Lt. Matt Mills of the UAPD. “In general areas the source can be harder to find, but the Fire Department can use thermal imaging to find the source.” Most evacuations on campus stem from nuisance alarms, which are when the smoke detectors pick up particles from aerosol sprays, curling irons or food burning in a microwave, said Reggie Houser, assistant director of facilities administration of residential facilities. Other items that may cause an alarm to go off include a full lint trap ionic dryer or smoking illegally on campus. “Ninety-seven to 98 percent of fire alarms result from incidents like unattended cooking,” Houser said. “In those cases, students have to attend an educational session because it disrupts the lives of other students. If there is criminal intent behind a fire alarm that is when the police get involved. This would be considered a false alarm. This semester there has only been one false alarm, in Pomfret B-wing. “I feel very frustrated and appalled that a college student
MARY MCKAY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Adam Burk, a junior Pomfret RA, prepares bacon for his floor party “Razorbacon”. The burning bacon set off the fire alarm in Pomfret on Sunday October 9th. would pull an alarm for no reason,” said Padma Mana, a freshman who lives in Pomfret Bwing. The person responsible for pulling the fire alarm has already been identified and is going through the judicial process.
The in-house investigation in residence halls are conducted by the hall’s coordinators for residence education and resident advisors, Houser said. “It makes me feel good that they have already found and taken action against the person who pulled the alarm,” Mana said.
RECEPTION from page 1
that we do for the Latino Alumni Society,” Restrepo said. The reception was held at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House on Oct.21 and about 50 people were in attendance. During the event classical music of Latin America was performed by Catalina Ortega, a flute instructor at the UA, and Andrew Thompson on the guitar. “I thought it was a very nice way to not only thank and recognize but also to inform about the Latino Alumni Society” said Brande Flack-Armstrong, assistant director of education and leadership. At the reception, current students and alumni were invited and learned more about the Latino Alumni Society. A majority of the students in attendance had volunteered for Hispanic Heritage Month events. The society needs 100 more members to officially be a part of the Arkansas Alumni Association. “Here soon I’m going to be an alumni and that will for sure be something that I’ll want to do,” said Jeanette Arnhart, doctoral student in Interdisciplinary Hispanic studies. “I’m really proud to know that there are people that really care so much,” Arnhart said. “It says a lot for the university and it says a lot for the Hispanic past and future.” “I thought it was a very lovely event and I was very glad they had that event,”FlackArmstrong said. The Latino Alumni Society was created to promote the Latino student population and encourage the students to succeed. In promoting the development of Latino students at the UA the LAS is working on scholarships for Latino students. This was the first reception sponsored by the Latino Alumni Society.
Japanese Government Exchange Program to Start at UA by MATILDE BONIFAZ Staff Writer
The JET Program is a Japanese government sponsored exchange program that aims to improve foreign language teaching in schools and to promote international understanding, and now the UA gives the opportunity for students to apply. The program offers highly qualified university graduates opportunities to work as either assistant language teachers (ALT) in elementary and secondary schools or coordinators for international relations (CIR) in selected local government offices in Japan, according
to an online article. The government of Japan sponsors the program. Contracts are for a minimum of one year with the opportunity to renew for an additional one to two years, according to the JET program. Candidates must hold a bachelors degree by July 1, 2012 and demonstrate a strong interest in the culture of Japan. Applicants will be able to teach mostly middle school and sometimes elementary school in Japan, said Tatsuya Fukushima, professor of Japanese and linguistics. “As of now I am aware that a student is very interested in the program, but throughout the
year we get around four to six students applying,” he said. Previous knowledge of Japanese is not required, but recommended, however students must have an excellent command of English. “Going to Japan, a culture so different from here, to teach English to students sounds like such a wonderful experience. It is like having a bit of both worlds, you’re teaching your culture and at the same time living another,” said Sergio Antognelli, senior majoring in marketing. Applications are reviewed by the embassy of Japan and later students are interviewed at the nearest embassy. Finally,
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preliminary training sessions are held for selected participants and pre-departure orientations are held at embassies and consulates, according to the JET Program participant recruitment and selection. “Its nice knowing that the UA gives unique opportunities like these” said Paulino Paz Estenssoro, sophomore majoring in international business and economics. Anyone who wants to know more about the program or attend an information session can go to Kimpel 301, application deadlines are in mid November.
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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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011 REPORT
from page 1 Some residents said they struggle with the employment situation in Northwest Arkansas. “I have applied for more than 60 different jobs, and a lot of the big companies around here are on hiring freeze,” said John Dagen, who graduated in may with a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Latin American studies and is unemployed. “I interviewed with Walmart while they were under a hiring freeze, some may even have job postings on their websites but are under order not to hire.” Dagen has searched for employment on www.craigslist.com, tried to network with Facebook and checked websites of major companies in the region. He has had seven interviews with no results. He advises fellow job seekers to be aware of scams and people trying to take advantage of you. Brad Miller, UA graduate with bachelor’s degrees in physics and philosophy, has experienced similar results. “I was employed on my last semester by the people I have worked for the last six years,” Miller said, “but I have taken a huge pay cut and since then been looking for something else, and that has been two years.” Miller searched for jobs in state and across country. He has tried unsuccessfully to find a job through websites, such as oddjobnation.com and americorps.gov.
ENGINEERING from page 1
Biomedical and mechanical engineering are some of the fastest growing professions nationally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the UA, most engineering students
Santa is Comin’ Round the Bend
LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Christmas hit the University of Arkansas early this year when fraternities had a freshman dress up as Santa Clause and ride around campus on a scooter. The fraternity who requested the act is unknown.
“I applied for 10 jobs through Americorps, and then I started realizing that most of the jobs don't pay a livable income,” Miller said.
“I would actually have to go into debt to take the job. You work 50 hours, and when it is done, they give you about $5 an hour for your time.”
are majoring in mechanical engineering, Hill said. Mechanical engineering is probably popular because it is such a broad field with many different career opportunities, she said. “The number of engineers needed is substantial,” Hill said.
“I think there’s so many people interested in engineering majors because of the huge range of things you can do with an engineering degree,” Burns said, “as well as the probability of finding a job after school.”
SECURITY from page 1
When suspicious of a tailgater, the best thing to do is just ask the person if you can help them, Houser said. If the person wants into a dorm they don’t live in, they can go to the front desk and sign in. “We have no problem with students having visitors. They should just know that they are responsible for the guests
while there,” he said. Resident assistants are very helpful in reinforcing this idea with the students, Houser said. “We have actually held a few programs in which RAs dress in disguise and try to tailgate,” he said. In one instance, a few students let in three male RAs, who then proceeded to follow them to their room, Houser said. “That definitely surprised
them but showed them what could actually happen,” he said. “The programs are done with care and caution. Housing only wants to educate students on safety while living in the dorms,” Houser said. Though he knows students often find the fobs unimportant, they should know, “everything we do is for the safety of them,” Houser said.
OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
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EDITOR: SABA NASEEM MANAGING EDITOR: MATTIE QUINN
PAGE 4 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
FROM THE BOARD New Approach Needed to Solve Underage Drinking Minors can now be arrested for possession of alcohol if they’ve been drinking, even if they don’t have it with them when arrested. Arkansas is one of 19 states that has no family or location exception to underage drinking, according to the Department of Health Human Services’ Alcohol Policy Information System. To understand the U.S. underage drinking problem, more than 10 million people between the age of 12-20 considered themselves “current drinkers” in the past month, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The change in the Arkansas law attempts to curb underage drinking in the state. Yet, without the change, if an underage student was arrested for public intoxication or driving under the influence, they’re already facing charges and a likely trip to J-Board. Sadly, students who want to drink, will likely keep drinking even if it means having to find new ways to do so. (Perhaps in the same way that not allowing drinking on campus doesn’t mean students never drink on-campus, or they go off campus to drink and come back to their residence halls afterwards.) We understand that state government officials feel compelled to curb underage drinking with tools readily at their disposal—legislation. But with most Arkansans having their first drink of alcohol at 14, according to the Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment Survey, perhaps the best thing state legislatures could be doing is working with schools and organizations to start alcohol awareness classes earlier. A more effective, preventative method throughout the state could also help curb underage drinking at the UA in the long run. And perhaps—along with preventative methods— we should focus less on an abstinence-only method and teach teens that if they’re going to drink — and more than likely if they want to, they will particularly once they get to college— to drink responsibly.
MCT CAMPUS
Unnecessary Violence Common in Media From The Managing Editor
by MATTIE QUINN
ASG Continues Scholarships Last spring the Associated Student Government Presidents’ Council gave out its first scholarships to UA students. The presidents’ council is made up of past ASG presidents. Even though the council was an idea of the Billy Fleming, last year’s ASG president, we’re glad to see that ASG President Michael Dodd is continuing on with what we hope will become a tradition that UA students can depend on, and compete for, in the future. The scholarships are available to all undergraduate students, and the deadline is November 2nd. Last year the council gave away a $1,500 scholarship. We and other students have often debated ASG’s relevancy and an increasingly competitive atmosphere for scholarships and a stagnant economy, the scholarships are an easy, direct way for students to understand how ASG can help them with things that we all deal with each semester—tuition, books, etc.
Traveler Quote of the Day “The housing department has a moral obligation to keep students safe here on campus,” -Reggie Houser, director of residential facilities, “Resident Hall Officials Address Safety Concerns,” page one
Managing Editor travmrg@uark.edu
When I woke up Thursday, I started my morning off like I always do— by shamelessly checking Twitter. So as my groggy mind began sorting through tweets, my eyes widened as I saw that at some point in the early morning hours, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi had been captured and possibly killed. As a student journalist, breaking news is something that I am obsessed with, and rightfully so. Because the revolution in Libya had been such a dominating headline in the past couple of months, I continued to follow the story as the morning went along. However, I started to become disconcerted when all of the major news networks were promoting a “graphic photo” on their websites of a man alleged to be Gaddafi with a gunshot wound to the head. I
The Fourth Estate
Opinion Editor travop@uark.edu
EDITOR Saba Naseem MANAGING EDITOR Mattie Quinn OPINION EDITOR Jordain Carney ENTERPRISE EDITOR Samantha Williams CONTACT US 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. Columns and cartoons do not necessarily express the views of The Arkansas Traveler.
whole, is dealing with some sort of post-traumatic stress from the tragedy of September 11, and its after effects, but the desensitization of such violence on cable is inexcusable. One could also argue that 24-hour news networks, combined with social media, expedited this process. This may sound like I am completely against violence on the news, which is not true. I, like any journalism student, believe in freedom of the press. But there is a difference between Anderson Cooper reporting from a war zone and putting such an act of gratuitous violence on loop during prime time hours just to fill space on 24-hour cable networks. An impressionable nine-year-old probably isn’t going to choose to watch CNN on their own accord, but they will when while sitting with their parents as they watch the evening news, or when flipping through channels trying to get the Disney Channel. I had nightmares that night of people being shot. I can imagine how a child would feel when confronted with such an image. The example of Gaddafi is just one in a sea of brutal images being shown in the media in a post-9/11 world. I re-
member as a middle schooler my mother frantically reaching for the remote as news networks showed Saddam Hussein walking to his execution stand. Less than a month after Osama bin Laden was killed by American forces, I read about video games and movies in the works, glorifying the mission. Do I believe that any of those three men did not get what they deserve? Absolutely not. Of course the world is better off without ruthless dictators and men who spread evil everywhere they go. But desensitizing ourselves to the violent acts that caused their demise isn’t making for a better America. It may be pointless to hope that in this age of instantaneous news coverage that such gratuitous violence will lose its sexiness. Until that day comes, I will continue to change the channel and look away in disgust when news networks decide to loop footage of bad men getting executed. Mattie Quinn is the 20112012 managing editor. She is a senior majoring in journalism. Her column appears bimonthly, every other Wednesday.
Fight or Flight Moment for Perry’s Campaign
by JORDAIN CARNEY
EDITORIAL BOARD
began to get even more upset when I clicked on a news article and was subjected to the graphic photo with no warning. This was all before 11 a.m., when Libyans were not confirming the death, only the capture. It didn’t seem quite right to be publishing and promoting something so graphic with no proof it was the disgraced dictator. As the days went by, my interest in the story went from high to plain disgust and disinterest. While running on the treadmill at the HPER later, I was shocked to see that CNN kept showing the video footage of him getting shot in the head again, and again. I began to lose count of how many times the video was shown. It appeared to be on a loop and so I just willed myself to look down for the rest of my workout so as not to throw up. Who or what is responsible for this violence in the American media? I could be wrong, but I never remember seeing such graphic things shown on cable news networks as a child. Did the images of people jumping out of windows to avoid getting burned alive in real time on the morning on Sept. 11, 2001 desensitize us to horrific footage on the news? I believe that America, as a
Remember more than a month ago when we were all talking about, and worrying over, how—and why— Texas Governor Rick Perry was leading Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, in the polls? We wondered how long Perry would be able to keep his new-toy status and compete with Romney—who has been sadly priming himself for the 2012 election, well, since he lost the Republican nomination in 2008. We might have our answer.
It started with the tacky hunting lodge name (or maybe for those who have been tracking Perry through his governorship might argue that it started long before that), then he was booed for his incident with Romney during the last debate and now he has a slew of embarrassing poll results under his belt. The Public Policy Polling Center released a poll in which Rick Perry only beat Katty Perry, the pop singer, and Tyler Perry with 41 percent and 38 percent of the vote, respectively. In the polls that actually matter, Perry has gone from good, to bad, to worse. Perry has 12 percent of the vote in Wisconsin. He has six percent in Nevada compared to almost 20 percent in July. He’s ahead of only Michelle Bachmann who is having some campaign crises, Rick Santoroum, John Huntsman and some guy named Gary Johnson. Perry is essentially beating those who are already —and in some cases sadly— irrelevant.
It would be easy to write off Perry now that he’s down; that he was nothing more than a flavor of the month. The poll results would certainly suggest that he’s been replaced in the voters’ hearts by Hermain Gain. (He has 28 percent in Nevada and is beating Romney with 30 percent in Wisconsin, according to the Public Policy Polling Center.) Furthermore in a poll against President Barack Obama, the guy who despite his attacks on Romney he eventually wants to beat, Perry loses with slightly more than 32 percent of the vote to Obama’s 50, according to a Real Clear Politics poll. (The closest Perry has gotten to Obama is within 2 percent.) This could be a fight-orflight, sink-or-swim moment for Perry and his presidential ambitions. He is about to launch a new round of attacks on Romney—because that worked so well for him during the last debate—, brought on what Politico is
calling “some of the most nationally seasoned and toughest names in the Republican media world” and has rolled out his flat tax plan. The next Republican debate isn’t until November 9. Unlike Gingrich that has been moving up the polls during the last four or five months, Perry obviously doesn’t have that long to become relevant again and make the voters like him again with primaries coming up in the next three months. Despite his poll numbers, if there’s one thing that is true about politics is that it is always changing. It would be foolish to count Perry out of race for the Republican nomination, yet. But his time to turn things around is limited. Jordain Carney is the 2011-2012 opinion editor. She is a senior majoring in journalism, political science and English. Her column appears weekly, every Wednesday.
SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
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PAGE 5 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
SPORTS EDITOR: JIMMY CARTER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: ZACH TURNER FOOTBALL
CROSS COUNTRY
Hogs’ ESPN Show Airs Wednesday Arkansas Ready For Depth Chart will feature Razorbacks’ quarterbacks
by ZACH LIGI
by RUMIL BAUTISTA
Staff Writer
Arkansas’ episode in the Depth Chart series will air Wednesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN. The series features quarterbacks away from the field, in preparation, practices and on game day. The Razorbacks are the last team featured in the four-part series including previous shows on Wisconsin, Auburn and Oklahoma State. Junior starting quarterback Tyler Wilson and sophomore backup Brandon Mitchell were mic’ed for the show. The Hogs episode was taped in the week leading up to the Oct.8 Auburn game and includes game action against the Tigers. “I’m just as anxious as you guys are,” Wilson said. “I may ask one of the guys for a copy, because I’ll be in practice when is airs.” Three teasers of the hourlong show were released by ESPN, including McGee and Mitchell talking about national title hopes and the SEC West race. One of the teasers featured Wilson and McGee interacting during practice. Another clip showed Wilson and other players passing out pizzas to fans camping in front of Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the game against Auburn. “We got to call the Hogs a few times, I think that was important.” said Wilson. Vanderbilt Presents Challenge Vanderbilt is tied for the national lead with 15 interceptions this season. Wilson has thrown just three interceptions in seven games
SEC Championship Staff Writer
Arkansas is coming off a second place finish at the Chile Pepper Festival and is preparing to compete in the 2011 Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championships next Monday. The No. 15 Razorbacks are the reigning conference champions and have high expectations for the SEC Champion-
GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson will be featured on ESPN’s Depth Chart series Wednesday which documents college football programs and their quarterback situation. The show will air at 6 p.m. this year. “I don’t anticipate him throwing many picks,” McGee said. “He’d better not throw many picks. Tyler, he’ll be fine. He knows how to throw to our own guys.” Vanderbilt will also pressure Wilson. Wilson has been sacked 12 times in seven games, but will face a Commodores’ rush ranked No. 4 in the SEC, averaging two sacks per game. “They are going to pressure a lot,” McGee said. “I think they pressured the University of Georgia 63 percent of the game. At Alabama it was right
at 42 percent … We have really gameplanned and studied what they did.” Offense wants quicker starts. Arkansas’ offense has struggled with slow starts this season, failing to score first in six of seven games. The Razorbacks have faced double-digit halftime deficits in three of their last four games, including a 17-7 deficit at Ole Miss last week. “We’ve got to play our game and execute or [Vanderbilt is] going to bite us, said Wilson “Don’t get too emotional and out of control.”
The game is set to kick off at 11:21 a.m., the third pre-noon kickoff of the season. The offense struggled early in the other two games, falling behind against Texas A&M and the Rebels, but senior receiver Jarius Wright said practices are more to blame than early starts. “I feel like everybody’s up and ready to go and wide awake,” Wright said. “I feel like it just has to do with the way we start off in practice. I feel like that’s the reason we start slow. We just have to start faster in practice.”
Eric Fernandez ships, which will be their fourth under coach Chris Bucknam. “The pressure is still there [to win]. A certain amount of it last year was getting over the hump, and now we feel like our program is on solid footing,” Bucknam said. “Now it’s a question of building on what we did last year.” Bucknam and the Razorbacks placed third in the SEC Championships in his first year of coaching. The Hogs have improved steadily each year since, placing second then first in the succeeding years. “Not the win, not what’s expected at Arkansas,” Bucknam said. “And then last year, obvi-
ously, we got that win. It was a lot of fun. It proved that we can win this; we can do this. Now, I don’t think we think much about last year. We’re focused on the race this year.” This time, the biggest problem Arkansas is facing is the inconsistency in the Hogs’ top five. ”I don’t know if I can name [the top five] when we get down to after the second runner,” he said. “We got a few guys that ran our top five that weren’t in our top five in Oklahoma State. I think it shows a little bit of the fact that we have some pretty good depth, but we want to make sure that all hands are on deck.” The top runner for Arkansas all season has been junior Eric Fernandez. Fernandez has been the first Razorback to finish at each meet Arkansas has competed in. Second is senior captain Duncan Phillips. However, the rest of the top five has been unclear, with some runners placing well at one meet to be overtaken by another teammate the next. “Now it’s a question of getting all ten of our athletes on the line and all doing the same thing at the same time. That’s really the big goal now—to have a great performance by all of our athletes, not just a few here or there,” Bucknam said. Arkansas will be the highest-ranked team at the event. The No. 15 Hogs are the only ranked SEC team at this point in the season, with Georgia barely missing the top-30 and Florida just dropping out of rankings.
VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball Playing for First Matchup with LSU for top spot in SEC West
by MONICA CHAPMAN Staff Writer
Arkansas’ volleyball team has an opportunity to capture first place in the SEC West Wednesday night in Barnhill Arena. The Razorbacks (14-8, 6-5) moved into second place in the division over the weekend, jumping ahead of Mississippi State with sweeps against Ole Miss and Alabama. Arkansas is now one game behind LSU (14-7, 7-4) for first place, a spot the Razorbacks will play for Wednesday against the Tigers. “Every match is a huge match in the SEC,” Arkansas coach Robert Pulliza said. “It’s a big match because it’s the match at hand. LSU is very good. They have great tradition. Something that is exciting for the fans to come out and watch and be part of it tomorrow.
“We’re playing them for first in the west and that makes it exciting itself, but it’s just like any other SEC match. A big match and you’ve got to win as many of those as you can. “LSU is the only team in the West Arkansas hasn’t faced. The Razorbacks come into the match with momentum, winning four of their last five matches, including the most consistent efforts of the season against the Rebels and Crimson Tide, “Pulliza said. “Well I thought even though we were behind I thought our energy was consistent through the match and I think that’s how we were able to get back in it and get the upper hand on the tail end of every set,” Pulliza said. “I actually think we’ve been very good playing from behind, I don’t think that has been a problem for us playing from behind. I think our problem has been playing from
in front which for some teams it’s easier, but for us it has been harder. “We’ve just gotten a little bit comfortable at times, but I think this weekend we did a good job of playing from in front also and closing things out.” Arkansas posted a .289 hitting percentage over the weekend, much higher than its season average .233. “I think we’re in that part of the year when everyone is just starting to get in a comfort zone with relationships on the court,” Pulliza said. “I think we’ve settled into a good groove as a unit that’s why I think it showed this past weekend.” Arkansas is making strides toward the NCAA tournament. The Razorbacks are No. 67 in the NCAA Volleyball RPI Rankings that came out Tuesday, an eightspot jump from last week.
LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas defensive specialist Christa Alvarez was named SEC defensive player of the week for the Razorbacks’ games against Ole Miss and Alabama over the weekend.
COMMENTARY
Strong Secondaries Besting Arkansas’ Offense Old Fashioned 3-Point Play
ZACH TURNER
zwturner@uark.edu Arkansas has the Southeastern Conference’s best offense, averaging 462.1 yards per game, mainly because of the aerial attack coach Bobby Petrino has developed during his four years with the Razorbacks. However, when brilliant passing offense meets old school,
tough defense, particularly in the secondary, who wins? Well, the 2011 Razorbacks are beginning to show that the secondary is the one prevailing. Arkansas is 2-1 in its three conference games thus far with wins coming against the SEC’s worst pass defense in Auburn and the worst overall defense in Ole Miss. Auburn has never really been known for its secondary even while winning the BCS National Championship last season. They just happen to benefit from the nation’s best offensive and defensive player being on the same team at the same time. Let’s look at the recent struggles of the Arkansas offense starting with Saturday’s nasty escape in Oxford, Miss. The Hogs failed to score a passing touchdown for the first time all
season against Ole Miss in the 2924 win, this because of the strongest position on the Rebel squad, their secondary. The Rebels’ starting cornerbacks Wesley Pendleton and Charles Sawyer were part of a secondary that held Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist Tyler Wilson to just 232 yards passing, while the junior completed less than half of his attempts. Pendleton and Sawyer have combined for four interceptions this season and eight pass breakups this season. Although the tandem wasn’t able to pick off any of Wilson’s passes they did get four pass breakups and limit the highlytouted Arkansas starting receiving core to just six catches on the day. If the Hogs think they escaped Ole Miss and now head Nashville to face a usual doormat of the SEC
in Vanderbilt, they might be rudely awakened this year. Vanderbilt has what could be the third-best secondary in the conference behind the secondaries of unbeaten of LSU and Alabama. The Commodores have an experienced group in the secondary and are bound to put up a good fight against the No. 10 Razorbacks on Saturday. With Arkansas focused on finding a consistent rushing attack after the big day junior Dennis Johnson had against the Rebels, don’t be shocked if Wilson’s stats look similar to last week at game’s end against Vandy. Casey Hayward is a top-three cornerback in the SEC and has the stats to back it up. The senior has an SEC-leading five interceptions with one return for a touchdown. Pair Hayward with fellow cornerback Trey Wilson and the
two have eight of the Vanderbilt NCAA-leading 15 interceptions. Arkansas’ receivers have already been slammed by Alabama’s talented secondary bunch and shut down by Ole Miss’ group. If they don’t find their mojo from the past two seasons on Saturday in Nashville, then the Razorbacks starting slow for a fifth consecutive game might be inevitable. Much of the blame for Arkansas’ slow starts has come on the defensive side of the ball where the Razorbacks have surrendered multiple big plays and been the victims of long opponent drives. However, the offense is as much to blame, since they have come out flat and aren’t able to sustain a drive long enough to keep the defense off the field. Is it because until late in the first half against Ole Miss, Arkan-
sas hadn’t seemed to find a consistent running game? That could be it. The problem, though, seems in direct correlation that Arkansas’ experienced receivers seemed to not be getting the job done against the better secondaries in the SEC. With Vanderbilt looming, the performances against Alabama and Ole Miss have to have the Razorback coaching staff worried seeing conference rival and No. 1 LSU still on the schedule. The Tigers’ secondary has swamped the college football highlights weekend after weekend. Will the Hogs be up to the challenge? Zach Turner is the assistant sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Wednesday. Follow him on Twitter @zwturner.
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THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
DOWNTIME
Comics, Games, & Much Much More!
PAGE 6 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
LAUGH IT UP
SUDOKU
Q: How do you make a slow horse fast? A: Don’t give him any food. Breaking news: A toilet seat has been stolen from the local police station. Police have nothing to go on.
Q: If two collars had a race, how would it end? A: In a tie.
Difficulty:
Q: What’s the difference between a moose and
TODAY’S SOLUTION
an ant?
A: A moose has antlers, but an ant doesn’t have
mooselers.
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 Rarely read e-mail 5 Edible pockets 10 Bottled model 14 Contemporary of Ella and Sarah 15 Make up (for) 16 Verne skipper 17 Hardwood trees 18 “Buzz off!” 19 Extremely dry 20 “Just what we need!” 23 “Love __ Madly”: Doors hit 24 Caustic substance 25 Stately 27 Chaotic situation 29 Fraidy-cat 33 Extra NHL periods 34 Approximate fig. 36 “Uh-uh” 37 Follow the advice of 38 “Thanks, but none for me” 42 Irksome swarm member 43 Place to apply gloss 44 Elephant’s floppy feature 45 Mil. base enforcers 46 Shrubby landscape 48 Like Dylan Thomas, by birth 52 Sweetie pie 54 NAFTA signatory 56 “Sands of __ Jima”: 1949 film 57 “Furthermore ...” 62 Stein fillers 63 Find the answer to, as an equation 64 High point 65 “The King and I” setting 66 Engaged in, as a trade 67 Dog of old mysteries 68 220-by-198-foot plot, e.g. 69 Classroom jottings 70 In need of a map
1 Slow-moving leaf eaters 2 Pheasant female 3 Turkish capital 4 One of a yawl’s pair 5 Pale 6 Rash reactions? 7 Verbally attacked, with “into” 8 Medical school subj. 9 Rig on the road 10 Boa or cobra 11 Words before an attempt 12 Copies 13 Pea’s place 21 Partly melted snow 22 Have a bawl 26 Source of a hippie’s high, perhaps 28 Sensed 30 All thumbs 31 Took a load off 32 Pump or clog 35 Tall story 37 Fabled runner-up 38 For all to see 39 During 2009 40 Itinerary word 41 Play with, kitten-style 42 Yukon automaker 46 Sly chuckle sound 47 Square-bodied military vehicle 49 In this way 50 Workout wear 51 Greet with a beep 53 “Who’s there?” response 55 Watermelon discards 58 Channel for jocks 59 New pilot’s milestone 60 Touched down 61 Play-of-color gem 62 Quick-wink link
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
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
As The Weather Turns Cold, So Do Students
CONTESSA SHEW STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER With cold weather approaching and flu season brewing, many students will be affected with illness before the semester ends. Students should take precautions by getting a flu shot, washing hands often and staying away from friends who feel ill.
by SHELBY GILL Staff Writer
A common phrase is going around campus – “Oh yeah, everyone’s sick.” These past couple of weeks have been plagued with coughs, sneezes, bellyaches and more. Before the winds of winter blow in, there’s already a fair amount of tissue in students’ dorm rooms and a long line at Pat Walker. “It’s around the eighth week of school, and we’re seeing a lot of upper respiratory sicknesses, because of allergies, colds, and even some strep/mono cases.””
said Mary Alice Serafini, executive director of the Pat Walker Health Center. “Due to allergies, colds, and even some strep/mono cases.” Allergies Pollen count levels have increased from moderate to relatively high over the past couple of weeks, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology pollen count. There has been a high increase in the amount of weed and mold spores in the air due to the recently high temperatures. Freshmen might be expe-
riencing more allergies than permanent Fayetteville residents. Coming to a new area away from home also affects allergies, Serafini said. But that doesn’t mean upper classmen are immune. “My allergies were so bad one morning, I couldn’t even go to class. I took some antihistamines and started to feel better, but that wasn’t a pleasant way to start my day,” said Devin Fell, a junior at the UA. Seasonal allergies are most common in the fall and in the spring due to the pollen and leaf mold increase. Seasonal al-
lergies can seem like the least of your worries during midterms, but normal everyday allergies can potentially progress to severe upper respiratory illnesses. Allergies are often hereditary, so if your parents are prone to seasonal allergies, it’s very likely that you will experience some of the same symptoms. The Common Cold Living in close contact gives cold germs a chance to multiply. It’s not a coincidence that the person next to you in lab also has the same drippy, nasty and downright annoying cold.
Cold symptoms occur within two to three days of contact with the virus - from touching or inhaling in the air of an infected person. “Address it earlier rather than later. You have to take the precautions that Mom might have reminded you of if you were at home,” Serafini said. Symptoms of colds range from coughing, a runny nose, an itchy throat, tiredness and even a slight fever. “It wouldn’t go away,” said Lori Schubach, a sophomore, of her recent bout with a cold. “I was in class physically, but mentally I just fell asleep.” The best way to treat a cold is to get enough sleep, Serafini said. Going to bed earlier can work wonders for your immune system. Hygiene also plays into treating a cold. By staying upto-date on your showers and making sure to wash your hands, you can easily bypass a cold. Mononucleosis Now we’ve stepped into the serious sicknesses – these sorts of illness can have hefty complications. If you think you might have one of these, do yourself a favor and head over to Pat Walker. “I thought I just had a cold, but I wasn’t getting better for weeks,” said Caitlyn Morely, a sophomore. “I was exhausted almost all of the time and it felt like the most intense, awful cold I’ve ever had. I finally decided to get tested and much to my dismay, I had Mono. I pretty much had to leave school for two weeks.” Mono has the awful reputation as the “kissing disease” because it is spread by saliva, but
it can also be contracted by just using the water fountain after someone who has it. The key to detecting Mono is that the lymph nodes in the front and back of the neck along with the tonsils will be incredibly swollen. Having a basic blood test gives conclusive results for Mono. Unfortunately, only the symptoms of Mono can be treated, and that is why people have the illness for weeks – you have to basically ride out the infection. Strep Throat Strep throat is caused by streptococcal bacteria and can be transmitted from personto-person contact and saliva. Symptoms include a fever and a red, sore throat with white patches, among other things, according to the A.D.A.M. medical encyclopedia. Your mom wasn’t wrong -- gargling with salt water can help ease the pain of a sore throat, and some hot lemon tea with a spoonful of honey can also be soothing. If tested positive for strep, your doctor will put you on antibiotics - either penicillin or amoxicillin. You should be feeling much better in about a week. As for prevention, stay home from school and buy a new toothbrush ASAP. Fall is prime time for upper respiratory sicknesses. Washing your hands, eating healthy and getting enough sleep can be easy prevention methods for any of these illnesses. Keeping up a healthy lifestyle while you’re away from home can allow you more time to concentrate on school and social life and can assure your attendance to all the Razorback games.
Google+ Shines Through Students can See Broadway for a Bargain at the WAC Features, Lacks People by HAILEY RAY Staff Writer
by EDDIE GREGG Staff Writer
Four months ago, Google jumped into the social networking arena, launching Google+ to compete with social media juggernaut Facebook. The two services have a lot in common: Similar basic interface, similar privacy and sharing options and video and text chat capabilities. But some in the social media community prefer Google+ to Facebook because they say it’s simpler and the way it lets users share content is more streamlined than on Facebook. But Google+’s major shortfall—its lack of users—is hurting it, they say. “I prefer it more than Facebook,” said Terry Irwin, a Fayetteville resident who has been using Google+ since shortly after the service became available. “I think the design and kind of the general idea of it [are great].” “It’s a lot simpler than Facebook. It’s a lot cleaner. You don’t have the mess that Facebook has sort of become,” said Adam Call Roberts, a UA graduate who now works as a producer at 40/29 News. One of the most popular features on Google+ is “Circles,” the platform’s system for letting users separate and categorize others on Google+. Users can separate the people they are connected with into smaller groups of colleagues, friends, family, acquaintances or other “Circles”— allowing users to easily share or access content only in a particular group of people. “The ‘Circles’ I think are a pretty awesome idea,” Irwin said. “The way you can cater what content you want to be shared with who. And you’ve got a lot more control over what you see.” “The best part about it is how easy it is to set your privacy settings,” Roberts said. “If I have something from the Onion that I want my friends to see, but I don’t want my grandma to see I
can put it up on Google+ anyway and I can just choose who sees it very easily.” However, Facebook has added similar friend grouping and sharing options to its platform since the launch of Google+. Google+ also lets users video chat with multiple other users with its “Hangout” feature, which is similar to Skype’s service (Facebook has also recently added a similar video chat service). “Sparks” is one Irwin’s favorite features on Google+ because it lets him organize his “Stream”— the equivalent to Facebook’s “Newsfeed”—to show news and information based on keyword searches, he said. “About 90 percent of the way I’ve found a lot of the stuff I find news-wise about Ron Paul is through my Google ‘Sparks,’” Irwin said. “Because I can go in there and go to his name and click on it and it’s got articles from anywhere from USA Today to CNN, any Youtube videos—a whole slew really of anything that hits his name.” Another feature that Irwin thinks makes Google+ better than Facebook is that Google+ is integrated with Google’s other services, including Gmail, Chrome, Google Documents and Google Calendar. “Once they flesh out Google+ a little bit more—they start integrating a lot of that stuff—I could see it being really, really, really cool,” he said. Google+ also works well with another Google product, the Android phone. “Since I actually have an Android phone, Google+ integrates pretty well with that,” Irwin said. “I have it set up where anytime I take a picture it automatically uploads [to Google+]. I don’t even have to do anything.” But for all Google+’s great features, Irwin and Roberts both said Facebook has it beat in one
GOOGLE on page 8
The Jets and Sharks are at it again, and this time the Broadway production is visiting the Walton Arts Center. “West Side Story” got its start on Broadway in 1957, but now the production has been revised and refreshed, said Amanda Smith, marketing coordinator for the Walton Arts Center. It now includes nearly 10 percent of dialogue in Spanish mixed throughout the production. However, it is not enough to prevent viewers from following the story, she said. The Walton Arts Center will have eight performances, with two performances on Sunday, Oct. 30, the last day of the play. West Side Story follows the tragic love story of Maria and Tony, two teenagers separated by the feud between gangs. Maria is loyal to her brother Bernardo, the leader of the Puerto Rican gang the Sharks. Tony is still close with his former gang
members in the Jets, a white working-class gang. As their friends realize what is going on between the two, tension between the two gangs rises as the story, adapted from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” nears its dramatic conclusion. It’s a classic American love story, Smith said: “Almost everyone has been exposed to it in some way.” Hannah Beavers, a senior drama major from Farmington, is excited to see the performance. Although she has seen approximately 20 Broadway productions at the WAC, she has never seen West Side Story before. Beavers said Broadway shows are different because of their extravagance. “They have a budget and can put more into it,” she said. Although tickets start at $49, by entering the code “STUDENTDEALS” students can get tickets for half price, for any seats except main floor prime during the Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening per-
formances. From Nov. 15 through Nov. 20, the Broadway production of “Rock of Ages” will also have eight performances at the WAC. Set in the ‘80s, “Rock of Ages” is the love story of small town girl and big city rocker, told through songs by Journey, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake and more. Beavers encouraged students to go see a Broadway show. “Really, it's the last place where you can see honesty,” she said. “They can't go back and redo things. It's new every night.” Students have a chance to win tickets this Thursday, Oct. 27, at the Rowdy Beaver Restaurant and Tavern on Dickson Street. Participants are encouraged to wear their best ‘80s costume when they enter the karaoke contest, Smith said. For another chance to win, students can drop their names in a bowl at Halloween Express off College Avenue. The 50 percent student discount is available for certain
seats and nights at all Broadway shows the WAC offers, Smith said. Blue Man Group will return to the WAC as well, from Jan. 10 until Jan. 15. Student tickets will start at $25. “We try to keep our prices relevant to our audience, and accessible,” Smith said. “If you were to go see Blue Man Group in Vegas, it would probably cost $100.” Tickets sold out quickly when Blue Man Group visited last year, so those interested should not wait to purchase their tickets, Smith said. Broadway’s “Bring It On: The Musical” will come to the Walton Arts Center from Feb. 7 until Feb. 12. The cast will include a Bentonville native, as well as Neil Haskell from “So You Think You Can Dance,” Smith said. Students can buy two discounted tickets per show with their student ID, so those interested can grab a friend and go enjoy a show.
COURTESY PHOTO The Walton Arts Center welcomes “West Side Story” with eight performances until October 30. The WAC offers entertainment ranging from plays, musicals and concerts throughout the year.
FEATURES
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011 PAGE 8
As Halloween approaches, functions and parties demand a costume that will stand out among the crowd. Here are some ideas for couples costumes, group costumes and single costumes that will set you apart among the hundreds dressed as pumpkins, witches and ghosts.
by CAITLIN MURAD Staff Writer
For a group of girls going to a costume party together, there are several options. A creative and very entertaining idea is the Evolution of Britney Spears. Each girl dresses up as Britney Spears at a different stage in her career. There are also the Kardashian sisters. The girls can dress up as Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kendall and Kylie Kardashian. To mimic the Halloween classic, a group of girls can dress up as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. And of course, there is always the throwback to the ‘90s option of the Spice Girls: Posh, Ginger, Scary, Sporty and Baby Spice always seem to make an appearance around Halloween. Co-ed group costumes allow more room for creativity and can include full casts of movies and television shows. The most popular this year is the full cast of Jersey Shore. This is an excuse to get a bad spray tan, wear cheetah print, and gel your hair. A more innocent cast would be the characters of Harry Potter. You and your friends can grab your wands and robes in honor of the last movie. A very creative option, requiring a little crafting is going as a rock, paper and scissors. The rock can be made out of a card board box spray-painted gray and the paper and scissor can be cut out of poster board. Another idea that you can make at home is to go as s’mores. One person is a Hershey bar, one is a marshmallow, and two people are graham crackers. The marshmallow can be made out of two white pillows and the rest can be created from poster board.
For functions and date parties, there is always pressure to come up with an original costume for you and your date. For an easy costume that you can find in your closet, there is the popular costume idea inspired by the iconic couple, Barbie and Ken. It very simple to put together with just a hot pink dress for Barbie and a polo and cargo shorts for Ken. Another fun costume that is easy to make is Dr. Seuss’s Thing 1 and Thing 2. This can be easily made by taping a “Thing 1” and “Thing 2” sign to red footie pajamas and finding inexpensive blue wigs. Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin can also be made at home. For Charlie Brown, all you need is a yellow shirt and some black duct tape, and the Pumpkin costume can bought or made with a giant orange shirt and a black sharpie. Another costume that you can make yourself is the man in the yellow hat and Curious George. All you need for this costume is a giant yellow hat and a yellow shirt, and a brown t-shirt, leggings, and monkey ears for Curious George. If making your own costume is not exactly your forte, there are several unique costumes that you can find at a costume store. Little Miss Muffet and a spider can make a great couple’s costume, using an Alice in Wonderland costume for Little Miss Muffit along with a pre-made spider costume. You can also find a flower costume and a bumble bee costume for you and your date. Another idea is Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, both of which can be found at costume stores.
Singles costumes for guys are sometimes hard to find, especially for guys who hate costumes. Mario, from Mario Brothers, is a costume perfect for guys who don’t like going all out for Halloween. All that is needed is a red shirt, overalls and a red baseball cap with the letter “M” taped on. An idea that’s a little more extravagant is a circus ringmaster. For this costume you will need a white dress shirt, black dress pants, a dress coat, bow-tie (preferably red), and a top hat. A robot costume requires a little more creativity. You will need several boxes of different sizes spray painted silver. The largest box goes around your middle and the smaller boxes go on your arms and legs (the box for your head is optional). Girls’ Halloween costumes are a little bit easier and seem to be more available in costume stores. There is always a wide variety of Disney princess costumes to choose from, complete with wigs. A costume you can make at home is a crayon, using a large T-shirt in whatever color you choose to be and a pointed birthday hat in that same color. A cave woman costume is also very simple to make: all you need is animal print fabric and a large dog bone to tie in your hair or carry around. Include a few brown makeup smudges on your face for the finishing touch. GOOGLE from page 7 critically important area—number of active users. Since its launch, Google+ has grown to more than 40 million users, according to a recent press release from Google. Facebook, however, has more than 800 million users worldwide. Roberts said that he is connected with 112 people on Google+. “And in the past 24 hours I’ve got exactly—2 posts on it,” he said, checking his Google+ account. “So that kind of tells you how active it is. With a social network, it all depends if your friends are using it or not.” “Right now I think there are still some advantages to using Facebook,” Irwin said. “But I think that has a lot more to do with the sheer number of people on Facebook.” He said if more of his friends used Google+, he would probably quit using Facebook. One thing that may inhibit people from joining or switching to Google+ is that most people who have a Google+ account also have a well-established Facebook account and possibly a Twitter account. Most of what Roberts’ friends post on Google+, they also post on Facebook or Twitter, he said, which renders the use of Google+ kind of pointless. And the features that he liked about Google+, like better privacy settings for individual posts and video chat, Facebook has added to its platform. But what a social network really boils down to, he said, is whether or not people are using it. “It doesn’t matter how cool a bar is—if nobody’s there, you don’t want to be there,” Roberts said.