Mar. 11, 2009

VOL. 103, NO. 67 | Single Issue Free

Lifestyles Local sculptor creates peace landmark page 10 Sports Hogs head to Tampa for SEC Tournament page 6

University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. WEATHER

6

Page 1 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009

Bailey McBride

Lana Hazel

Staff Writer

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STEFAN TRIM Staff Photographer

The mandala has been completed in the Reading Room of Mullins Library. It will be destroyed at the end of the month to signify impermanence.

Local banks offer college students advice for smarter banking decisions In today’s economic climate, “bank” is almost a bad word, and students are understandably wary about even basic financial practices.

But if students establish solid checking, credit and saving habits now, they will be in a better position to weather this recession when they graduate, local bank officials said.

“A lot of [students] are good about checking, but others have no idea what goes into having a bank account,” said Lauren Brown, assistant manager at the [Bank of America] University Banking Center.

Brown and Courtney Dowdle, manager of First Security Banking Center, agree that opening and maintaining a checking account is one of the simplest and most effective ways to learn to manage money diligently, they said.

“There are more benefits to

B

etter anking

balancing your checkbook than just knowing how much is left in your account,” Dowdle said.

When students regularly review their checking accounts, they are able to identify spending patterns and, if necessary, adjust those patterns before they spend more money than they have.

While First Security does not offer overdraft protection, officials at Dowdle’s branch take the time to show students how to balance their checkbooks precisely because they have seen too many students who were uninformed about overdraft and its consequences.

31

Arkansas Joins NORD to Raise Awareness of Rare Diseases

THE MAKING OF A MANDALA

Senior Staff Writer

Staff Writer

48

About you. For you. For 103 years.

WWW.THETRAVELERONLINE.COM

Mexico warnings alter students’ Spring Break plans

April Robertson

LOW

Cool and cloudy with a 10 % chance of precipitation.

SPRING BREAK

This year, however, the State Department is paying particular attention to those traveling to The phrase “Spring Break in Mexico. The Department issued a Mexico” might call to mind fro- warning Feb. 20 for American citizen drinks, beaches and college zens planning to visit the country students coming together from in the coming month.

Though the majority of the across the United States, but severe travel warnings from the State violence that occurs in Mexico is along the United States-Mexico Department border, contradict that travelers mental picture throughout and might affect ...the vast majority the country some students’ enjoys their vacation are advised to plans to travel without incident.” take heed of across America’s southern border — State Department Web site the increased danger as this year. drug cartels The onfight against going drug wars on the Mexican border are forcing police and military forces for constudents across the nation and trol of various drug trafficking campus to change or even cancel routes.

The State Department advises their Spring Break plans to travel those who still plan to travel south to Mexico this year.

Every year, “the vast major- this Spring Break to use “comity enjoys their vacation without mon-sense precautions such as incident, several may die, hun- visiting only legitimate business dreds will be arrested and still and tourist areas during daylight more will make mistakes that hours, and avoiding areas where could affect them for the rest of their lives,” according to the State See MEXICO on Page 5 Department.

HIGH

Students might be unpleasantly surprised if they fail to keep enough money in their accounts to cover the checks they write, Dowdle said.

“In many instances, students will go out to several places on the weekend and not keep in mind when a check will be cashed,” she said.

Jhonny Kwon, an industrial engineering student, said he agrees from experience.

“You never know when the check is going to come through and it screws things up,” Kwon said.

Similarly, students sometimes don’t realize that a check they deposit after 2 p.m. won’t post to their account until the following day, said Brown, who, like Dowdle, tries to explain to students what a checking account entails because she wants them to know “what they are getting into.”

Kwon quickly learned what See

BANKING on Page 5

STEFAN TRIM Staff Photographer

A UA student gets money out of her checking account at one of the various ATMs located in the Arkansas Union.

Last summer Roque Beiza brought his 6-year-old daughter Rocío all the way to Arkansas from Spain to see a doctor. Rocío has a rare blood disorder, and a center in Northwest Arkansas was the only place in the world that offered treatment for her condition.

After saving the girl’s life, the treatment center had to close because there were only a few cases of the disorder in the world.

“I cried for days when I heard it closed,” Beiza said. “I am so thankful we found treatment, and my heart breaks for everyone else who has the same disorder.”

There are 30 million Americans and thousands of Arkansans in similar positions, suffering from almost 7,000 conditions and diseases that are considered rare.

Each rare disease affects fewer than 200,000 people and often requires medicine or treatments that are too uncommon to be readily available.

As part of an international effort to increase awareness about rare diseases, the United States observed Rare Disease Day last month and Gov. Mike Beebe issued a proclamation officially making Feb. 28 Rare Disease Day in Arkansas.

The National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) declared the theme for the day to be a focus on rare diseases as a public health issue.

“Although each disease may affect a small number of people, when considered together these diseases affect almost 30 million Americans,” said NORD President Peter Saltonstall in a statement.

“People with rare diseases share certain challenges such as difficulty getting a diagnosis, lack of treatment options and problems related to reimbursement.”

Some rare diseases are somewhat familiar to the general public, but many remain unnoticed, leaving patients and families to bear the burden of raising awareness and funds for research, Beebe said.

Even a family experiencing the effects of the relatively well-known Lou Gherig’s Disease said they feel isolated. Cliff Parsons of Conway, whose mother was diagnosed with the incurable disease 3 years ago, said he thinks most people have See

DISEASE on Page 5

Army majors discuss military changes to UA ROTC Jack Willems

Senior Staff Writer Maj. Benjamin Luper of the U.S. Army visited the UA Reserve Officer Training Corps, a program he was in as a UA undergraduate, last week. Luper and Maj. Ryker Horn were there to tell the cadets what to expect when they graduate.

After Luper graduated from the UA in 1996, he was sent to Fort Bragg to train, he said.

However, today’s cadets will face a different situation out of college, Luper said.

“When I graduated, it was all about training,” Luper said.

“When these guys come out, they will take their basic training course, and then they will be put into a unit to be deployed in six months or sent to a unit

already deployed. We really have not seen anything like that since Vietnam.”

Luper, now in his 12th year in the U.S. Army, has seen the Army in peacetime and in war.

Luper served two tours of duty in Iraq and is now in the Command General Staff College, the institution that makes field officers into staff officers, he said. Horn is trying to make the same jump into the higher ranks.

“It’s a graduate school for soldiers,” Luper said.

Luper and Horn both came from military families. Luper’s father served in the National Guard for 20 years while Horn’s father served in the Army for 33 years. Horn attended The Citadel, and his sister went to school at West Point. Horn’s family moved around from one base to another

when he was a kid, and he said he learned that military service has a culture all its own.

“I envy the guy who lives in

“

...They will be put into a unit to be deployed in six months... We really have not seen anything like that since Vietnam.”

— Maj. Benjamin Luper

Fayetteville, Ark., his whole life and has lifelong friends,” Horn said. “There’s probably some envy when people watch Army commercials on television.”

While it didn’t exactly push them, growing up in a military family encouraged both Luper and Horn to go into military

careers.

“It’s the same thing when you see multiple doctors in the same family,” Luper said. “Your dad comes home wearing green, you hear him talk about what he did today and you think that’s pretty cool.”

Luper first joined for four years in 1997 with the intent of a 20-year career that would allow him to draw a pension, he said.

Since then, he has known both the fun and pain of Army life.

During the first seven years of Luper’s career in training, he never saw combat, he said.

“It’s like being in a band and never playing a show,” Luper said.

When Luper was sent to Iraq with the invasion force in 2003, and again in 2004 to provide security for the Iraqi elections,

the experience was “quite maturing,” he said.

“You realize, I’m not 18 anymore,” he said.

Horn also fought in the invasion of Iraq and has completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan.

Horn knew people who joined the Army to pay for their student loans, but when soldiers say the oath to defend the Constitution against threats, they have to mean it, he said.

“I might not agree with what my government is doing, but that is irrelevant,” Horn said.

At times, Luper did have his doubts that democracy was the best system for Iraq, but he has since been proved wrong, he said.

When the invasion first began, everyone thought they would be home in six months, but democracy works slowly, he said.

The Iraqis Luper met were very skeptical because the United States had encouraged the Shiites to rebel during the Gulf War and then allowed Saddam Hussein to crush the rebellion afterward, he said. The Iraqis needed a government to provide for their basic needs, Luper said, and people will jump on any side that allows them to survive.

“I spent most of my time saying to Iraqis that we were staying,” Luper said.

The American debate over whether to withdraw from Iraq did have an effect on his job in Iraq because it made it harder to convince the local population that the Army would stay, he said.

Former President George W. Bush See

ARMY on Page 5

BRIEFLY speaking Climatologist speaks at UA today Climatologist Robert McAfee will present “Repower Arkansas Roadshow” 6 to 8:30 p.m. today in Room 504 of the Arkansas Union. Other speakers include Maggie Bailey, UA alum and local outreach coordinator for Audubon, and Heather Kowaleski, regional United Nations Environment Program youth outreach coordinator. UA students and members of the community may attend. There will be food and beverages and time for discussion and questions. Campus Greens is helping to promote this event.

ASG executive applications due this week Students interested in running for an Associated Student Government executive office can pick up applications on the sixth floor of the Arkansas Union in either the ASG office or Room 665. The completed applications must be returned to Room 665 by noon Wednesday.

Those interested should attend an orientation either 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday, March 12, or 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Friday, March 13, in Room 312 of the Arkansas Union.

Contact ASG Secretary Emily Burrow at asgsec@uark. edu for more information.

NEWS

UA student lobbies Congress to free jailed dad Bailey McBride

Senior Staff Writer Margaret Downs, like many other UA freshmen, is preparing for her first Spring Break in college. But her trip will be a little different than most. Downs will travel to Washington D.C. next week to lobby government officials on behalf of her father, a UA alum, who is currently serving a life sentence for espionage in Qatar.

In 2005, John Downs sent an e-mail to the Iranian Embassy, offering to sell them obsolete files regarding Qatari oil wells that were 20 to 30 years old. He received an e-mail eight weeks later suggesting Iran wanted the information he had offered. He did not know specifically what they were interested in, and he e-mailed back to find out.

In late August 2005, John received an e-mail telling him to go to a deserted location to receive money for the information he would provide. When he arrived at the location, he was

Biological sciences seminar hosted next week Jack Conrad, of the American Museum of Natural History, will talk about “50 Foot Lizards, Ant-Eating Snakes and Squamate Evolution” 4 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in Room 604 of the Science Engineering Building. This will be the second BISC seminar to commemorate this yearlong celebration of Darwin. Check out the Web site http://coehp.uark.edu/pase/6837.htm for other events.

Coffee and cookies will be available at 3:30 p.m. in Room 502.

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

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The Arkansas Traveler is a member of the Arkansas College Media Association, and the Associated Collegiate Press.

The Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper at the University of Arkansas, is published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring academic sessions except during exam periods and university holidays.

Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Traveler. The editorial that appears on the left side of the opinion page is the opinion of this newspaper.

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arrested by the Qatari police, and he and his car and home were searched for the secret information he planned to sell to Iran. The Qatari State Security, an organization like the CIA in the United States, had sent the e-mail responses, setting up a sting operation.

Though John was treated relatively well in prison, he was brought before a judge and charged with gathering information for a foreign government – specifically, “possession of confidential economic information,” which is punishable by life in prison or death. John didn’t meet with his lawyer until a week before the trial, and he lost his case and first appeal, which both the attorney and the Downs family attribute to the intervention of the Qatari government, and specifically the Qatari oil minister, who testified against John at the trial.

Almost exactly one year ago, John lost his final appeal and was sentenced to life in prison.

Margaret and members

Off-Campus Property Specialist!

Student Independent Film Association invites students to meeting The Student Independent Film Association will host a meeting 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, in Room 105 of Kimpel Hall. This RSO is open to everyone, and at the meeting, everyone will vote to decide what independent film is shown next on campus. SIFA’s goal is to bring more independent films like “Pulp Fiction” and “Slumdog Millionaire” to the UA campus. For more information, e-mail sifa@uark.edu.

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of her family are traveling to Washington D.C. next week to meet with Arkansas Sens.

Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor; Timothy Ponce, former American ambassador to Qatar; Matthew Blong, regional desk officer; William Fritzlen, Overseas Citizens Services attorney; and Arkansas Congressman John Boozman. The family also is seeking to meet with the ambassador from Qatar.

The Downs family is encouraging these officials to pressure the Qatari government to reopen the case in light of recent resignations of judges because of the politically motivated decisions they were forced to make. Both Arkansas senators already have sent letters to the Amir of Qatar, requesting John’s freedom.

The Downs also are encouraging both governments to consider a prisoner exchange, as there is a Qatari prisoner being held in the United States who could possibly be traded to bring John back.

“It’s just a really slow, monotonous process,” Margaret said. “We’re trying to get as much attention to his case as possible, because since Qatar is so heavily influenced by the West, they seem to really react to bad press in the United States.”

John graduated with a master’s in geology from the UA in 1982 with what is still the university’s highest recorded score on the GeoSAT. Though Margaret and her two brothers were born in Houston, the Downs family moved to Qatar in 1997 when John took a job with Qatar Petroleum, the state oil company, working as a geologist and database administrator.

Though John had disputes with his superiors almost constantly, he stayed because he thought his family was happy in Qatar.

“It was awesome – it was my home,” Margaret said of Qatar, a state extending off Saudi Ara-

bia into the Persian Gulf. “The culture isn’t really anything you can describe – for the most part, people were very openminded and more liberal than most people would assume.”

Margaret described the country where she lived for about eight years as very Western, a place with a diverse range of people and things to do, where “camel-crossing” signs were not out of place and her evenings often were spent smoking hookah beside the water.

“It seems like life in prison is a farce to them,” Margaret said. “We heard a story about a man who was insulted by his sister and shot her in the head, and when he went to trial was only given a seven-year sentence and was allowed to appeal after three.”

By August, John will have served four years in prison for attempting to distribute information that is openly accessible to the public in the United States. Since her father’s arrest and imprisonment, Margaret has returned to Qatar to visit him twice, and she stayed in Qatar the last two summers to teach English, living with a friend and visiting her father when possible.

During his time in prison, John has written more than 100 short stories and is working on his second novel. Downs also wrote for The Arkansas Traveler during his time as an undergraduate at the UA. More than anything, the Downs family asked that students send letters of support to officials in Qatar and the United States. Pictures, blog posts, sample letters of support and more are available on the family’s Web site at Johnwdowns. com.

“Did I make mistakes? Absolutely,” John said on his Web site. “I deserve jail, too, for my foolish activity. The country is right to be angry at my behavior. But life in prison?”

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Page 2 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009 | Page 3

Professor preaches downfall of Darwin’s theories

LANA HAZEL Staff Photographer

Jerry Fodor, a philosophy professor at Rutgers University, speaks at a lecture titled “What Darwin Got Wrong� to a group of UA students Monday night.

Lana Hazel

Staff Writer While people throughout the nation constantly compare different beliefs and religions, such as Christians and atheists, a new breed of thought that dismisses both might find its way into that conversation, as a Rutgers philosophy professor explained Monday night.

Jerry Fodor, a philosophy professor and cognitive scientist at Rutgers University, told more than 50 UA students and faculty Monday night that he considers himself not just an atheist but an extreme atheist – he doesn’t believe in God or Darwin.

Fodor dismissed Darwin’s theory of natural selection

as unsuccessful at explaining evolution in his lecture “What Darwin Got Wrong.� He said that Darwin’s theory really isn’t a theory at all because it cannot be tested with a control experiment.

Natural selection is an explanation for how favorable traits are passed from generation to generation through the combination of randomization of genes and environmental factors.

Animals that have characteristics that give them an advantage in their environment will have higher survival rates, meaning those favorable characteristics will begin to occur more often in the population.

Those characteristics are

the ones that are naturally selected.

Fodor had a philosophical objection to the logic behind natural selection. He said the theory is trying to explain why certain traits are selected, but it fails to do that because it can’t offer an explanation for the selection of linked traits. Linked traits are ones that are genetically linked and therefore are inherited together.

For example, brown hair and brown eyes are genetically linked traits. If brown eyes were a trait that was selected because it gave someone an evolutionary advantage, brown hair would also be inherited. Fodor said Darwinists cannot scientifically prove which trait was actually naturally selected. “Darwin needs to be able to split coexistent traits for his theory to hold,� Fodor said, “but he just can’t get it. Natural selection simply does not affect the selection of correlating traits.�

Fodor’s other problem with natural selection is the lack of evidence to connect certain environmental factors with the selection of specific traits.

His example was a hypothetical mutation that turns an animal red. That animal would have an advantage in the presence of a red-green colorblind predator, causing selection of the mutation. However, he said it is impossible to prove that the two creatures ever came into contact with each other. If they didn’t, the theory of natural selection cannot explain why the mutation was selected.

Fodor said Darwin explained natural selection as selective breeding without a breeder.

Fodor disagreed with that explanation because Mother Nature doesn’t have a mind and therefore cannot actively select favorable traits. “Mother Nature can’t think

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about hypothetical contingencies or anything else for that matter,� he said. Fodor went on to say that Darwin was in a sense using the idea of intelligent design.

The general tone of the questions asked after the presentation was one of skepticism. The biologists who asked questions disagreed with his interpretation of the theory. Afterwards, a few others expressed disappointment that Fodor used an entirely philosophical approach to dismiss a scientific theory.

The lecture was hosted by the UA philosophy department as the 2009 Kraemer Lecture. It was part of the university’s yearlong observance of the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth.

STUDENT MEDIA

CALL FOR EDITOR/STATION MANAGER APPLICATIONS The UA Student Media Board is accepting applications for the following editor and station manager positions for the 2009-2010 academic year:

The Arkansas Traveler editor Razorback yearbook editor KXUA radio station manager UATV station manager Applications should include a cover letter to the board and a platform outlining the applicant’s plans for the organization. Packets are due in The Traveler office, Kimpel Hall 119, not later than noon March 27, 2009.

To be considered, candidates must meet the following criteria: Be a student in good standing at the UA Have completed at least one full semester of applicable experience on the Student Medium for which he or she is applying.

Meet the requirements for student officers in the University Student handbook.

For more information, please contact Steve Wilkes, Director of Student Media.

575-3406 • Kimpel Hall 119 • swilkes@uark.edu

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OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

Page 4 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009

Online Poll What do you think about the new UA logo?

Vote online at thetraveleronline.com Phone: 575.8455 | E-mail: traveler@uark.edu

Editor: Kimber Wenzelburger | Managing Editor: Tina Korbe

You’re not on a boat yet Stay strong ‘til Spring Break The last day of classes before Spring Break is tantalizingly close, and, knowing that, students might be inclined to wind down prematurely. Schoolwork might just strike students as slightly less appealing when the immanent prospect of a beach vacation or ski trip lures their thoughts from the task at hand.

Believe us, we understand. We had to force ourselves to write this editorial, too. Even Twitter – which just last week had us tweeting with excitement – has lost its luster.

And counting The Traveler’s Facebook fans now effectively serves the same function as counting sheep – whereas, two days ago, watching our fan base grow delighted us about as much as Jimmy John’s.

(And, for readers who don’t know him personally, our News Editor Brian Washburn has said, if Jimmy John’s would only open a restaurant in our newsroom, he would happily never leave. We wish they would.)

The weather wavers, our sleep habits are never habitual and the only thing that dependably captures our attention is “I’m on a Boat.”

Yep, we have spring fever – and the only prescription is more cowbell.

For some reason, though, despite the prevalent ennui we’ve experienced ourselves, as well as sensed around campus, professors still expect students to study for and perform well on midterms.

They even go so far as to unapologetically assign homework for the sacred break itself.

Our first instinct is to lament the assiduous professionalism of our professors, but our second – and better – impulse is to admire their sense of responsibility and strive to cultivate it in ourselves.

Spring Break is just three days away; surely, we can persevere through our few remaining classes, assignments and meetings before we can literally be on a boat.

We hope everybody else finishes the week strong, too.

10 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY THIS WEEK 1. Cut down on driving. Hitch a ride with your friends, dust off your bike or use the UA’s transit service. All are free and environmentally friendly.

2. But if you do decide to drive, slow down. Studies have shown that laying off the gas pedal improves fuel efficiency.

3. Clip coupons. You could go old-school and cut them out of advertisements in magazines and newspapers, or you might try something more high-tech, like Collegetokens.com.

4. Choose cheap housing next semester. Living in the Northwest Quad or Duncan Avenue Apartments has definite perks, but if you’re facing serious debt upon graduation, you might consider selecting cheaper residence halls or living off campus altogether.

5. Learn to cook. Get some use out of that stove and oven – cooking your own dinner is almost sure to be cheaper (and healthier) than dropping cash for a combo at Chick-fil-A. 6. But if you bought a meal plan on campus, use it. Why spend thousands of dollars for food each semester when you’re only using the Flex dollars?

7. Use cash more often than you rely on debit cards and checks. Unless you balance your checkbook faithfully, debit purchases make it tough to know precisely where (and how quickly) your money is going.

8. Be smart when you shop. Forego bottled water, don’t buy books when you can borrow them for free from the library, and check out consignment stores like Cheap Thrills for some clothing bargains.

9. Instead of forking over money at a theater or on Dickson this weekend, stay in. The university offers movies, Friday Night Live activities, concerts, speakers, you name it – all for free, all on campus. (And let’s face it – buying drinks on Dickson drains your wallet ... fast.)

10. Finally, whatever you do this Spring Break, remember your budget. Who knows – a cheap camping trip with your friends might even be more fun than heading to the border.

George H. W. Bush to visit the university in April Mark your calendars: the UA will welcome former President George H. W. Bush to campus Monday, April 6, as the Distinguished Lecture Committee’s spring speaker.

From what I could gather, this is Bush 41’s second official visit to the UA, the first being the 1969 “Big Shootout” between the University of Texas and the UA for the Southwest Conference Championship.

(Bush was in attendance with then-President Richard Nixon.)

Bush’s visit on April 6 will also be the first trip to Fayetteville on a past commander-in-chief’s calendar since former President Bill Clinton was on campus in 2002 for the dedication of the J. William Fulbright Sculpture.

Though both Bush and Clinton have been in the area several times since their last campus appearances, it will be nice to welcome a president back on “The Hill” for not simply a brief speech, but for a full evening of activities catered to students.

The sponsoring organization, the DLC, is a student- and faculty-run committee charged with managing a student fee that has the potential to serve students very well in their educational pursuits.

The DLC seeks to bring to campus highprofile, engaging individuals who have significantly impacted the world around them.

But like any student program or event, the venue can often be less-than-packed

Like It Is

CODY KEES

wkees2879@gmail.com and the crowd much older than the average student.

This means there is almost always plenty of room for more students to accompany the older community members who attend to enjoy the free show.

Though the DLC has found that affordability and scheduling are often the biggest struggles when choosing a speaker, the committee always first asks, “Who will students be most excited about seeing?” This question is obviously rather subjective and has many possible answers, but there is a universal question that tends to have a universal response: “Who is the most powerful individual in the world?”

The answer, of course, is the president of the United States.

Bush’s visit in April is sure to be an exciting occasion and will give many students, including myself, their first opportunity to

meet one of our nation’s former commanders-in-chief.

Members of the DLC will brainstorm for hours on how to get students to come to this free, once-in-a-lifetime event.

Truthfully, the speech will probably not be life-changing or any more inspiring than the many tear-jerking lines delivered by our current President Barack Obama, but this event does afford students the chance to see our oldest living president live and up close, and many students will even get to meet him.

So, my friends, the DLC is not catering to the students who prefer to attend a lecture by an athlete, pop star, author, journalist or philanthropist, but instead, the committee is simply bringing a member of our nation’s most elite club – one that has only five living members.

A short read over Bush’s biography will help any attendee see that the former president has a background that covers just about everything, and I hope students will find time to attend what will certainly be an unforgettable evening for our university and for themselves.

See you 8 p.m. Monday, April 6, in Barnhill Arena!

Cody Kees is a columnist for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every other Wednesday.

TOUGH TIMES FOR GRADUATES GUEST EDITORIAL

The Kansas City Star As the stock market continues to tumble and layoffs persist, college students are facing bleak prospects.

Hiring freezes and older workers clinging to jobs as their retirement savings shrink make finding jobs after graduation exceptionally hard.

The nation, which always looks to young people for inspiration, is watch-

ing to see how college students will handle the challenges.

Fortunately, many remain optimistic.

A recent study of 12,000 students reported that more than half are confident they’ll be employed within three months of graduation.

But the same study, released Wednesday by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, showed that employers expected to hire 22 percent fewer graduates this year than they

hired from the class of 2008.

Of the employers surveyed, 67 percent said they expected to alter their hiring plans for the class of 2009, and nearly a quarter don’t intend to hire any graduates.

Creating opportunities for the nation’s best and brightest should be high on the agenda as policy makers in Washington, state capitals and communities plan for the spending of stimulus funds and creation of jobs.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

EDITORIAL BOARD KIMBER WENZELBURGER| Editor TINA KORBE | Managing Editor BRIAN WASHBURN | News Editor JACLYN JOHNSON | Assistant News Editor The Arkansas Traveler welcomes letters to the editor from all interested readers. Letters should be at most 300 words and should include the author’s name, student classification and major or title with the university and a day-time telephone number for verification. Letters should be sent to traveler@uark.edu.

Letters appear in the order they were submitted as space permits.

The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse letters on the basis of length, accuracy, fairness, liability and sensibility.

Evolution, creation in government schools There has been talk in the Northwest Arkansas Times lately about evolution and creation and their place in government schools.

On one side, people say that science deals in fact and creation deals in belief.

Science has a place in government schools and “creation science” does not.

Science is based on evidence, creation is not.

One is concrete, the other faith.

On the other side, people say that creation should be taught alongside the science explanation or in place of it, in the more extreme opinions.

Science is based on evidence and creation is based on evidence.

Both origin stories being based on evidence but unprovable, science origin is based on faith and creation origin is based on faith.

There are a myriad of difficulties.

It comes down to who controls the taxpayer-funded information disseminated to

our children. Because it is a government school, in effect, everyone who pays taxes has a stake in what is taught.

Do we allow all views or some?

Do we only allow the majority-view people voting on what is taught?

In truth, the majority does rule. They may allow minority opinion to prevail, but it is their choice.

And there is never a time when everyone agrees that something should be included.

So everyone’s child is

taught what everyone else thinks they should be taught.

Everyone wants their way, and everyone is offended by everyone else’s way.

That is government school, crippling desire.

Am I saying we need to find a better way to govern government schools?

No, I’m saying there shouldn’t be government schools.

Jeremy Carrell Maintenance worker II Recycling

NEWS

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER | www.thetraveleronline.com

ARMY

SORORITY GIRLS STEP IT UP

from Page 1

LINDSEY PRUITT Staff Photographer

The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority performs a step show to the theme of the “Little Rascals� last Friday at the NPHC Step Show on campus.

BANKING from Page 1

he was getting into when he opened his first account at age 19. Overdraft was a problem for him initially, he admitted.

Now, he said, because he banks with Bank of America, he receives text messages to remind him when his account balance reaches a certain level – so he won’t overdraw.

In addition to those text message alerts, the Bank of America also offers online banking reminders, the “Stuff Happens� card and overdraft protection, Brown said.

The “Stuff Happens� card is offered to customers who have overdrawn one time and ensures that overdraft fees will be waived in the future.

Students who wish to open a checking account with either the Bank of America or First Security Bank can do so right here in Fayetteville.

First Security even has a branch in the Arkansas Union. To open an account with First Security, only two forms of identification are needed: a picture ID and a

government-issued ID, such as a passport or a driver’s license.

Bank tellers strongly suggest students deposit a minimum of $100 to begin an account. Once the account is opened, there is no minimum to continue use.

Editor’s Note: Tina Korbe contributed to the writing of this article.

MEXICO

from Page 1 prostitution and drug dealing might occur.�

Students are considering the current situation in Mexico, and altering their Spring Break plans accordingly. “My family and I were going to go to Mexico, but we don’t want to get captured by drug lords and used as drug mules to bring illegal substances into the country – and also Mexico doesn’t have golf courses, so we’re going to Hawaii instead,� said senior anthropology and sociology major Collin Peel.

However, the warnings did not affect some students’ opinions on the situation or their plans for the break.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009 | Page 5

“I didn’t really consider going to Mexico, but, if I did, I don’t think I would change my plans just because some drug lords can’t get their acts together,� said sophomore civil engineering major Summer Wilkie. “From what I’ve heard, the conflicts sound pretty silly, but I guess I wouldn’t think it was that silly if I was kidnapped or murdered.�

Even the UA Housing Department took heed of the travel warning and sent both a formal e-mail through the Housing listserv and an individual e-mail through each Resident Director directing students to the warnings on the State Department Web site.

According to travel.state.gov, the State Department’s official Web site for international travel for American citizens, more than 100,000 young adults travel to resort areas in Mexico during Spring Break every year. The majority of altercations between the Mexican police and American travelers include alcohol, so the State Department advises visitors to drink responsibly, as “excessive alcohol consumption and unruly behavior can lead to serious problems with Mexican authorities.�

did a good job making it clear that they would not leave until the job was done, but the Army also used information operations to separate the population from the enemy, Luper said. “I’d love for not one soldier to be in Iraq, but if the cost of that is Iraq unraveling, then we should not do that,� Luper said.

Separating the population from the enemy is at the heart of counterinsurgency tactics, Horn said. In Afghanistan, the coalition has two kinds of operations – lethal and non-lethal, he said.

Lethal means finding Taliban insurgents and killing them, and non-lethal means building schools, talking with tribal leaders and informing people of why they do certain military operations, Horn said.

There are 10 times more non-lethal operations than lethal ones, he said. “When a reporter gets imbedded in a unit, the first thing he says is, ‘I want to be where the action is,’� Horn said. “The real action is at the school we just built, but that’s boring.�

Working in Afghanistan is very different from working in Iraq, not only because Afghanistan is less Westernized, but also because the country is more fractured, Horn said. There are more ethnic groups, and most have been isolated from the central government for the majority of their history, he said. “In every valley it’s like an entirely different country,� Horn said.

The Karzai government has made tremendous progress paving roads and creating provincial governments, but the president has had to restructure his administration because of corruption, Horn said. Unfortunately, the culture in that country considers a certain amount of corruption to be acceptable, he said. Still, Horn estimated that 95 percent of people in both Iraq and Afghanistan support the new government.

Horn can understand the anger that results from civilian casualties, but the Taliban militants fight from villages, making them harder to avoid, he said. If soldiers receive fire coming from the direction of the village, they have the right to defend themselves, he said. Horn compared the situation to a gun battle between violent criminals and police in an urban area: if an innocent man is shot in process, the neighborhood will be angry, he said. “No one is happy about collateral damage,� Horn said. “We

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DISEASE

from Page 1 no clue what it is. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope Rare Disease Day raises awareness and donations so that research can discover at least a cause and hopefully a cure,â&#x20AC;? Parsons said.

The Boleman family from Wooster told a similar story. Kayla Boleman, 42, was diagnosed with Huntingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease last year and said it devastated the whole family.

Bolemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son, Corey, said he lives in fear of inheriting the disease. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It feels like no one else understands what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going through,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like there is nothing we can do about it. It just isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fair.â&#x20AC;?

The legislature passed an act in 2006 that set up a fund in Arkansas to help families suffering from rare illnesses that cannot afford treatment. Families submit requests for funds and a committee associated with Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital distributes the grants.

When the Baby Sharon Fund was established in 2006, it received a $25,000 deposit from the state and awarded an average of $60,000 a month to Arkansas patients. Now the fund is on the brink of closing.

Chairman Richard Emmel said he finds most people to be oblivious to the needs of others who

were struck by medical catastrophes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The donations are always slow,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and the few people making donations cannot keep the fund open much longer.â&#x20AC;?

Emmel said that a recent Baby Sharon grant was for an 18-month-old suffering from numerous illnesses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The child needs rare treatments that use unapproved devices, meaning there is no money available to pay for them,â&#x20AC;? he said.

According to a government study of charitable donations made in the United States, less than one-fifth of donations were made to health-related efforts in recent years. A large majority of that money was given to widely known efforts, such as Race for the Cure and the American Cancer Association.

Overall, just thousandths of a percent of donations in the United States go toward research of rare diseases or aid for their victims, even though nearly one in 10 Americans has a rare disease. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We exist to help kids that no one else is helping, but the taxpayers just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t support us,â&#x20AC;? Emmel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If half of the taxpayers in Arkansas donated $1, we could help every one of the critical cases.

If every state could see that kind of support, cures could be found.â&#x20AC;?

Supporters of Rare Disease Day are hoping for those kind of results in coming months. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People are talking about Rare Disease Day all over the world,â&#x20AC;? Saltonstall said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Awareness simply has to increase, and usually awareness translates directly into financial support.â&#x20AC;?

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SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

Championship Quest Track Hogs go for NCAA title Friday in Sports

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

Hogs have building blocks for future March Madness.

It’s only two words, but they’re some of the sweetest words in sports.

Year of the Ox

Sports Editor: Bart Pohlman | Assistant Sports Editor: Matt Watson

OXFORD on Page 7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009 | Page 6

Razorbacks kick off third season against Florida Matt Jones

Senior Staff Writer Arkansas’ nonconference success is long gone. The failures of the Southeastern Conference are in the past now, too.

The Razorbacks hope to find a happy medium, or perhaps a new high, when they face Florida Thursday night in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

“There is excitement in being part of a tournament,” Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. “There’s

nothing like winning a game and being able to stay around for another day.

“They know it’s a one-and-done situation. We’ve talked about it. We will have to win four games, and if we do, there will be a great reward.”

Though not likely for a team that went 2-14 against SEC competition in the regular season, Arkansas’ chances of winning this weekend’s tournament aren’t impossible.

Two years ago the Razorbacks won their first three games in the tournament before falling to eventual national champion Florida in the conference champion-

daoxford@uark.edu

See

In 2000, Arkansas won four games in four days to capture the SEC Tournament championship

BASKETBALL

DEREK OXFORD This Sunday, the brackets will be revealed for the 65-team tournament that will stretch over the next two weeks and turn every office worker into a basketball maniac.

And for the first time since 2005, the basketball Hogs likely won’t be a part of it, unless they do the unthinkable and win four games in four days in Tampa at the SEC Tournament.

Crazier things have happened.

I won’t sit here and tell you that I truly believe that at 8:45 p.m. tomorrow night Arkansas is going to go in and just handle Florida, but I will tell you that the Razorbacks have a chance if they play their game.

Arkansas has only won 14 games this year, but in the games it has won, it has been able to sustain its style of play for 40 minutes and forced the issue on the other team instead of the other way around.

It’s hard to remember that the Hogs did in fact beat thenNo. 4 Oklahoma and then-No. 7 Texas because those wins seem like eons ago.

What I’d like to remember about this season is that the Hogs never folded up the tent.

Yeah, it was hard gaining Marcus Monk and then subsequently losing him. It was difficult dropping the first four SEC games.

It was difficult going through injuries and suspensions, etc.

Nevertheless, Arkansas has persevered. The Hogs have set the tone for the incoming groups, that even if they’re not as successful as people want them to be, they’re not going to go down without a fight.

That kind of attitude will be rewarded when these players are seniors.

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey can hang his hat on the kind of effort and determination that a Courtney Fortson or a Rotnei Clarke puts forth.

He can also hang his hat on the kind of potential that Jason Henry possesses, and the positive attitude that hopefully Brandon Moore, Andre Clark and Michael Sanchez will show in getting stronger and bigger for next season.

Michael Washington may or may not go to NBA. It’s up in the air right now as to what he’ll choose to do. If he decides to take his game to the next level, fine, but the Hogs certainly would do much better with his senior leadership next season.

The same goes for Stefan Welsh. Even though Welsh maybe hasn’t played up to expectations this season, he’s still a solid player that Arkansas would undoubtedly use next year in the backcourt.

Heck, these guys may somehow mesh so well down in Tampa that they end up taking the SEC by storm and winning the crown, locking up that automatic bid.

If that happened, I could speak volumes about how much confidence that the team

Did you know?

ship game.

Last season Arkansas fell to Georgia in the title game as the Bulldogs reeled off four straight wins – including two on the day before the championship. The Bulldogs entered the tournament 4-12 in league play.

The Hogs even know a thing or two about winning four games in four days, as Nolan Richardson’s 2000 club did the unthinkable and secured an otherwise unlikely trip to the NCAA Tournament.

“We’ve seen it from both sides,” Pelphrey said. “I’m sure those guys will talk for the next few days about what can happen.”

While the thought of winning four games is nice, Pelphrey said winning the first game against Florida is obviously the most important.

The Gators (22-9) are coming off a win over Kentucky to clinch the third seed in the SEC East, but they had struggled beforehand, losing five of their seven games prior.

Arkansas (14-15) lost at Florida, 80-65, in January. Pelphrey, a former Gator assistant coach, said they have improved since then.

“Defensively, they are better now than when we first played,” Pelphrey said. “We missed a lot of opportunities in the first half (of the first meeting). We have to limit their second opportunities.

“They get a lot of long rebounds. We have to get to the elbows and get loose change. A lot of times they have three guards out there so those guys are able to move. They’ve done a good job this year capitalizing on second chances.”

Florida’s offensive rebounding hurt the Hogs the first time around as the Gators collected 16 offensive boards. The difficulty securing a defensive rebound has been a season-long trend for Arkansas, who gave up 14 in Sunday’s loss at Vanderbilt.

Foul trouble for junior forward Michael Washington has only magnified the problem. Washington picked up two fouls in the first four minutes at Vandy and fouled

JONATHAN GIBSON Staff Photographer

Arkansas guard Courtney Fortson was named to the SEC All-Freshman team this week.

BASEBALL

See

TOURNAMENT on Page 7

FOOTBALL

system readies No. 18 Diamond Hogs Petrino’s players for pro football face first road test Matt Jones

Senior Staff Writer

Matt Watson

Assistant Sports Editor The Arkansas-Centenary baseball series isn’t usually considered a heated rivalry, but the Diamond Hogs are carrying a grudge going to Centenary for their first road series of the season.

The two teams split a two-game set in 2008, with the Razorbacks winning easily 9-0 in the first game, but the Gentlemen shut down Arkansas at Baum Stadium in the second game 5-1 – ending a 25-game losing streak to the Razorbacks. The Gents’ pitching staff yielded just four hits and held the middle of the lineup to an 0-for-11 mark. Arkansas also made three errors in the field, losing its first non-conference home game after starting 10-0.

“They kicked our butts last year,” senior second baseman Ben Tschepikow said. “We need to be ready to play. We need to see what we are made of on the road.”

Sophomore Brett Eibner said everybody wants to make up for last year’s upset.

“We will look to what we did last weekend (taking two-of-three from California) and put it on them pretty good,” Eibner said.

Diamond Hog coach Dave Van Horn said Centenary (5-3) was saving its best pitchers for Arkansas again this year.

The Gents boast a 3.28 team ERA, led by Stephen Tromblee (no earned runs in 7.1 innings pitched) and Boone Whiting (0.84 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 10.2 innings).

“I know they have a couple guys just waiting on us,” Van Horn said. “They beat Texas A&M in the second game of the season when (Texas A&M was) ranked No. 1. (Centenary has) won two on the road already. They didn’t have any games last weekend. We are it for them for a while. We will get their best shot. And that will be fine. I just really want to get the guys on the road before we open conference play.”

The Razorbacks (9-2) open Southeastern Conference play Friday when Florida visits Fayetteville and play their first SEC road series the next weekend.

Arkansas struggled away from Baum Stadium last season, going 8-12 in true road games against a 24-9 record at home.

“We are excited to go on the road. We are not going to really change anything. We are going to play hard. We are going to have the same mindset to pitch well, play some good defense and hit the ball, as well. I think it could bring us together as a team,” senior outfielder Chase Leavitt said.

Leavitt, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, leads Arkansas with a .419 batting average. Sophomore Andy Wilkins has a team-high four home runs and 13 RBIs. Centenary is led offensively by Ricky Imperiali (.414 average, 2 home runs) and Michael Tompkins (.276 average, 2 home runs and 8 RBIs).

Arkansas will play the second game of the twogame series 2 p.m. today at Sheehee Stadium in Shreveport, La.

It was low key, but effective.

While not nearly the spectacle of a year ago, Tuesday’s Arkansas 2009 Pro Day gave several Razorback seniors, and a few alumni, a chance to impress scouts one more time before next month’s NFL Draft.

Five of the Razorbacks from the 2008 squad that worked out were of the offensive variety, and the recurring theme of the day was Bobby Petrino’s system and how well it helped players prepare for life at the next level.

“It helped me because I got to learn a new system – more of a pro-style system,” former center Jonathan Luigs said. “It gave me more knowledge of the game and different techniques to use.”

Luigs, who is projected as a mid-round selection, impressed scouts at last month’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis, but decided to work out in an effort to improve his numbers in the shuttle run, which he finished in 4.62 seconds.

Fellow offensive lineman Jose Valdez worked out with Luigs at the combine, but decided to come

back and participate in most of the workouts. Like Luigs, Valdez said he wanted to focus on agility drills and finished his shuttle run in 4.64 seconds.

“Working out today really helped me,” Valdez said. “A scout from the Rams told me I pushed my stock up a little more by being out here and going through the drills.

“It really helped (focusing on those drills). I knocked down my time by a couple of seconds.”

Valdez, who has been working out with former Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl guard Will Shields, said Petrino’s pro-style offense allowed him to show scouts his versatility.

“Coach Petrino has a strong and weak system,” he said. “Being able to show you can play right tackle and left tackle is a huge upside. The scouts see it and they all like it.”

Perhaps no one benefited more from the pro-style attack than quarterback Casey Dick, who shattered his career records for passing yards (2,586) and completions (205), while throwing for 13 touchdowns as a senior.

“He opened up the offense a See

PRO DAYon Page 7

SOFTBALL

Arkansas hosts South Carolina in SEC opener Derek Oxford

Senior Staff Writer Arkansas got its final swings in before Southeastern Conference play begins today in a doubleheader at Bogle Park against South Carolina.

Over the weekend, the Razorbacks participated in the Oklahoma State Mizuno Classic and went 2-2, defeating Drake and Cleveland State, but losing to Northern Colorado and host Oklahoma State.

The loss to the Cowgirls was the toughest to stomach, as Arkansas stormed back from an early six-run deficit to tie, before eventually falling 7-6.

“We fought hard and grew up a lot today after a bad loss yesterday (to Northern Colorado),” Arkansas coach Jamie Pinkerton said following the Oklahoma State loss.

“Now the question is whether we’ve grown enough

for the start of conference play, but ready or not, it’s here.”

Teams that rally from behind, like Arkansas did Sunday against Oklahoma State, are usually mature beyond their years.

“I’m really proud of the way we fought back after falling behind,” Pinkerton said. “I liked our approach at the plate today. We’ve put pressure on ourselves throughout the season by falling behind. It’s a lot easier to hit when the score is 0-0 or it’s tied 6-6, but we responded after digging a six-run hole against a good Oklahoma State team.”

Jessica Robison hit her third grand slam of the season in the game, which also saw solo shots from Whitney Cloer and Brittany Robison.

Oklahoma State’s Mariah Gearhart plated home the winning run with a single to improve the Cowgirls’ record to 17-4.

The Razorbacks were the first team to score on Oklahoma State at the tournament.

Now Arkansas (11-9) turns its attention to South Carolina, which is reeling from losing its first SEC series of the year.

Historically, the Gamecocks have done well in their first road series of the year. They have won 10 of their last 12, and they swept Arkansas in their road openers in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

Freshman centerfielder Kristen Stubblefield is on a tear at the plate right now for South Carolina.

Stubblefield batted .417 in the Gamecock Invitational and had an .833 slugging percentage in that tournament as well.

She has six RBIs and seven runs scored so far this season, both in the top three on the team.

See

SOFTBALL on Page 7

PRO DAY

from Page 6 little more,â&#x20AC;? said Dick, who ran a 4.7, 40-yard dash and benched pressed 20 reps. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It helped me with throwing the football, getting schemes down and reading defenses. It helped me progress a lot as a player.â&#x20AC;?

Dick, who was scouted by a pair of Canadian Football League teams Tuesday, said while making the NFL is a dream, any opportunity is a good one. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an opportunity to play,â&#x20AC;?

Dick said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That can also lead to the NFL. One of the coaches said he had a whole lot of guys that had gone on to play in the NFL.â&#x20AC;?

More than anything, all play-

OXFORD

from Page 6 would have and especially the fans would then have.

The Hogs have been to the NCAA tournament three consecutive years. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enough for fans to begin to expect that making the tournament is something that can be done every year.

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an unrealistic expectation. The fans put forth a ton of effort to support the team, and therefore, that team should compete and play hard, and put itself with a chance to win every time it steps on the hardwood.

Yet if Arkansasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; year does end tomorrow night with a

TOURNAMENT from Page 6

out for the second time this season. The teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading scorer finished with just six points in 19 minutes of action. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Teams are going to go at him. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of it,â&#x20AC;? Pelphrey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experienced. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll talk to him because we need him to go about 35 minutes.â&#x20AC;?

New destination The tournament, hosted most years in Atlanta, will be played in Tampa, Fla., this season for the first time in the history of the league.

While the Gators will no doubt have a home court feel, Pelphrey isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t concerned about the change of venues, but said he hopes the league remembers its basketball roots. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for us to have that presence in Atlanta,â&#x20AC;? Pelphrey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an important place for the Southeastern Conference.â&#x20AC;?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the first of three straight seasons the event will be held outside Atlanta. After Tampa, the tournament will be played in Nashvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gaylord Enter-

ers were happy the scouting process was nearing its end. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They treat you like a piece of meat sometimes,â&#x20AC;? said Luigs, who won the 2007 Outland Trophy as the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top interior lineman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They especially do at the combine with all the medical stuff. But teams are investing a lot of money in you, so they want to know everything about you â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what you do good and what you do bad.â&#x20AC;?

Valdez echoed the sentiment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a grind every day,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing two workouts a day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; full workouts.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just glad Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m here and finished it.â&#x20AC;?

Davie impresses Redshirt junior tight end Anloss to Florida, there will be much moaning and groaning, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure.

Seasons like this one may be easy to laugh off and forget, but I think the foundation has begun to be laid for the resurgence of Arkansas basketball.

Derek Oxford is a senior staff writer for The Arkansas Traveler.

SOFTBALL from Page 6

Cloer counters offensively for the Razorbacks.

Her .355 average, .394 on-base percentage and .613 slugging percentage all lead the team, while she has three home runs, seven doubles and tainment Center next year and in New Orleansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Superdome in 2011.

While most league coaches said the site of the tournament didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter on Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s league teleconference, some expressed doubt about a high attendance in Tampa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would be surprised if it is as well-attended as it is when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Atlanta,â&#x20AC;? Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Atlanta is probably an easier place for the majority of our conference fan base to get to.â&#x20AC;?

While he likes the neutrality of Atlanta, Pelphrey said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interested to see how a basketball tournament will be accepted in south Florida. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s football country,â&#x20AC;?

Pelphrey joked.

This year marks the first time the tournament has been hosted outside Atlanta since 2006 and just the third time in the last decade.

The four-day event is usually hosted in the Georgia Dome. Last season the final two days of the event were moved to the Georgia Tech campus after a tornado struck the side of the dome during overtime of a game between Mississippi State and Alabama during the quar-

Tuesday, Mar. 24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sunday, Mar. 29

SPORTS

drew Davie showed scouts his versatility by taking reps as a long snapper at Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workout. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t snapped since high school and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve worked on it a little bit,â&#x20AC;? Davie said afterward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One (of the scouts) showed me three different techniques to work on, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll try to fine tune it a bit.

I was a one-hand snapper in high school, and they want two hand snaps.â&#x20AC;?

Chris Mortensen, an NFL analyst for ESPN, said Davieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s willingness to play more than one position will go a long way with scouts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an interesting guy to some teams,â&#x20AC;? Mortensen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a chance to get drafted in the second day, late.

Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mature and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worked hard.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blocking tight ends are actually a little bit rare in the NFL and teams are looking for themâ&#x20AC;Ś Seeing him long snap was interesting. To get on an NFL roster, the more things you can do, the better.â&#x20AC;?

The 26-year-old Davie, who spent four years in the St. Louis Cardinalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; minor league system prior to his football career, said working out for scouts just comes natural. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was one of those things where I had experience,â&#x20AC;? Davie said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I worked out for scouts for eight years now, basically. You have to go into these type situations like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing football in your backyard. The more tight you get, the worse youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to perform.â&#x20AC;?

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009| Page 7 Monk, Cobbs Participate Four former Razorback football players participated in the Pro Day, including Marcus Monk, Cedric Cobbs, Fred Talley and Matt Hewitt.

Monk, who was drafted last season by the Chicago Bears and later signed briefly by the New York Giants, is 100 percent after a knee injury during his senior campaign in 2007. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t run a 40-yard dash Tuesday, but Mortensen said he knows of some teams interested in the wide receiver. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthy and playing basketball was big for him,â&#x20AC;? said Mortensen, after Monk played in 10 games for John Pelphrey earlier this season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get

another chance and will have some teams that bring him in (for individual workouts). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coach Petrino was watching him and said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I wish I had him.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Cobbs, who spent three injuryfilled seasons with the Patriots and Broncos, looked good as well, Mortensen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was a time when he was in Denver that he looked really good before hurting his ankle,â&#x20AC;?

Mortensen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Right now he is in about as good in shape as Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem is when you play running back in the NFL, they just recycle you in and out of there. But I know a team in the NFC North that is thinking about bringing him in.â&#x20AC;?

13 RBIs. Miranda Dixon has been the steadiest pitcher for a struggling Arkansas staff.

Dixon currently sports a 6-2 record and a 2.64 ERA while the team ERA is last in the SEC at 3.86.

South Carolina is 24-9 all-time against Arkansas, including a 10-3 record in Fayetteville, with all those wins coming at Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Back Yard.

In last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting, the Gamecocks defeated Arkansas 4-0, as South Carolina pitcher Melissa Hendon struck out 10 Razorbacks.

She got help at the plate from shortstop Lindsay Walker, who was 2-for-3 and extended her hitting streak to 17 games at the time. terfinal round.

ERIK CAMPOS The State/MCT

Former Razorback running back Fred Talley is seventh on the all-time rushing list at Arkansas with 2,661 yards. Talley went undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft.

Henry suspended Arkansas freshman guard Jason Henry was suspended indefinitely by Pelphrey for a violation of team rules on Tuesday and did not travel with the team later in the day to Florida. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Part of being a Razorback is meeting the high standards of the University of Arkansas and the basketball program,â&#x20AC;?

Pelphrey said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Henry) will remain a part of the team, but he will not travel to Tampa for the SEC Tournament.â&#x20AC;?

It marks the third time Henry has been suspended this season. He missed the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RedWhite exhibition in November and missed three games during nonconference play as part of an indefinite suspension.

The West Memphis native also missed three games recovering from a knee surgery on Dec. 29.

Henryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up-and-down season has continued in SEC play. He scored a career-high 27 points at South Carolina on Feb. 21, but logged just five minutes 10 days later in Arkansasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home finale loss to Ole Miss.

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BLISS | Harry Bliss

HOROSCOPES | Linda Black ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) TODAY IS A 5.

The job gets easier as you go along.

This is partially because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting better at it.Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also able to lighten your load, through the help of a very good friend.

CROSSWORD

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) TODAY IS A 7.

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GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 21) TODAY IS A 6.

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CANCER (JUNE 22-JULY 22) TODAY IS A 6.

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LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) TODAY IS A 6.

Put off a major purchase for just a little while.You might discover you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even need whatever it was. Maybe you can make a better one than you could buy. Review alternatives.

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Sleep on it.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) TODAY IS A 7.

Continue to review your alternatives. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make your decision yet.Ask for more suggestions and interview more candidates. Give extra points for ideas that have never been heard before.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) TODAY IS A 5.

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AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) TODAY IS A 5.

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PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) TODAY IS AN 8.

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Make sure you get what you need.

MONDAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SOLUTION

LIFESTYLES

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RECOGNIZE

OSTROWSKI

I went to Dillard’s to take advantage of the unreal 75 percentoff savings they were offering (an example of one of the many stores out there trying to keep its head above water) and heard a little boy asking his mom if he could try on a shirt from a nice table in the back of the store, away from the chaos of the front where the sale was. His mother replied in frustration that he was not allowed in “that section” and that he must find clothes on the racks with the red tag. Saddened, the little boy slumped his shoulders and put the shirt back. An expression I think I was the only one to catch, I saw his mother frown and pat her son on the back as she stared off for a moment in what I would call slight embarrassment and remorse. Counting her dollar bills and coupons, she walked to the counter and asked if she could get a discount for a small tear in one of her sale pick’s sleeves.

It may not be the Great Depression, and that woman may not be living off scrapes from dumpsters, but people are being affected.

The real truth is that now is the time for college students to delve deep into an economic education and make sure their jobs are secure post-graduation.

It’s easy to party through college living off of our parents’ support and scholarships, but when the real world kicks you in the back, there are no more scholarship applications to apply for, your foreign landlord is screaming at you and the bank won’t stop calling. Sound pretty bleak? Do something about it. Beat the crisis.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), say that if college students play their cards right they could be sitting at the top of the “just-hired” pack. The most recession-proof fields of study are business administration/management, computer science, education, finance and nursing, according to the NACE. This leaves all the poor art students sitting alone with a halfempty bottle of paint thinner and an empty pocket and the music students with a rusty instrument and no shoes. Sad. Disclaimer: I am not just picking on the art and music kids (go creative freedom), but unless you plan on being the next Picasso or Bach, you are looking at high hopes and little reality. However, I do realize that other majors are in trouble, too.

With this said, it’s important to look at those five professions and see how they might apply to the major you are currently in.

For instance, picking on the art and music kids again, try graphic design for publications or being the next jingle writer for ad campaigns. And there is always the fallback of teaching.

Personally, I think that most any interest can be applied to business (we aren’t socialists yet), so don’t worry – if you are creative and ambitious, you can succeed.

Comfort yourself with a little advice from Eleanor Roosevelt: “One thing life has taught me: if you are interested, you never have to look for new interests. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else.”

If college students become aware of the world around them now, they will be better at stepping out into it after graduation and mending the tears in the economy they may have chosen to ignore years before. Get involved and get passionate about your future.

You don’t want to become part of the post-graduate mass twiddling their thumbs and wishing they had prepared.

ary, it was worn by Elly Tapee in Topeka, and in February it traveled with Rognlie. This month, Pam Wheeler of Topeka is signed up to wear it, and the adventure of the necklace continues.

Even Sharon Ostrowski has done her part to raise money for her husband’s treatments by creating her own business – the Lucky You Personal Spa Collection – in December 2005.

Her collection features unique and handcrafted bath and body products.

Sharon Ostrowski said the business is “fun, creative and has afforded us the flexibility that the cancer treatments demanded.

“For the first time in months, we were actually excited about something wonderful to take the focus off the cancer,” she said.

Lucky You Products can be purchased online at Luckyyoupsc.com or can be found at the Fayetteville Visitor’s Bureau and the Interiors Galleria in Rogers.

from Page 10

from Page 10

KAMINSKY from Page 10

Kaminsky grew up. They were the central structures, known as the Theme Center, of the New York World Fair of 1939, he said. “(The fountain) came from 50 years of dreaming,” Kaminsky said.

With the aid of 20 people, the fountain took 16 months to complete. It features about 100 languages, each spreading the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth.”

The fountain is partially inspired by the Tibetan prayer wheel and acts as “a map of the whole globe,” Kaminsky said.

“The pieces at the UA are maps of a large sphere,” he

Lindsey Pruitt is the assistant Lifestyles editor for The Arkansas Traveler. Her column appears every other Wednesday.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009 | Page 9

A NIGHT AT THE CONCERT HALL

CODY BENNETT Staff Photographer

Kristin Harwell (left) accompanies Richard Rulli, a UA trumpet professor, during Monday evening’s performance in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall.

said. “Many things in the world are invisible, and (the pieces) are making things in space visible forever. “(It’s) all visual symbol,” Kaminsky said, referring to the political undertones of his sculptures. “The pieces are trying to search for a truth.”

Kaminsky began his career as an artist in New York City, where he is very familiar with the city and the art. But as he grew as an artist, his work began to change.

He recalled a time during which he made sculptures of dancers and sold many of the pieces. His works began to shift into more abstract themes, but they were not accepted at galleries.

Kaminsky wanted to be in a place where selling art wasn’t important and decided to move to a smaller town. He settled in

Fayetteville in 1985 and completed his degree at the UA. Since he moved, Kaminsky’s pieces have been become a part of the community. In addition to the World Peace Prayer Fountain, a sculpture of Sen. J. William Fulbright and a manhole with his signature words, “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” also are located on the square.

The artist is currently working on another manhole, which will be featured in front of the Fayetteville Public Library.

The artist has a studio, located on Government Avenue, which houses all of his tools, stencils, work and machines.

The studio also boasts a massive collection of dirt.

“I rarely clean up dirt,” Kaminsky said. “The life of a sculpture is to use dirt to create.”

However, Kaminsky said

that sculptures are not as in demand as they used to be.

“There is not a big business for making sculptures,” he said. “I will have to close my studio because I cannot afford to keep it.

“I think there has always been less sculptors than painters, and I might guess that it has to do with the kinds of information we receive through our senses,” Kaminsky said.

“We are used to looking at graphic patterns (such as words and pictures) for our information.”

Despite the lack of work, Kaminsky is still continuing to create what he loves.

He said he plans to move to a smaller studio and begin creating jewelry – which he first began to make during the beginning of his career – to sell at the farmer’s market.

Friday the 13th The lore of the unlucky day Friday in Lifestyles

LIFESTYLES THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

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

Lifestyles Editor: Anna Nguyen | Assistant Lifestyles Editor: Lindsey Pruitt

Page 10 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009

LOCAL ART

Local sculptor creates passion for peace

VERONICA PUCCI Staff Photographer

The World Peace Prayer Fountain (left) is the grandfather piece of artist Hank Kaminsky’s three sculptures on the UA Union Mall. The sculptures reveal the artist’s recurring motif for peace in the world.

Anna Nguyen

Lifestyles Editor Local sculptor Hank Kaminsky has left his mark on both the UA campus and in Fayetteville.

In addition to creating the first Fulbright College honors medals in 1987, Kaminsky, a

UA adjunct art professor, also has three of his recent sculptures displayed on the UA Union Mall.

The largest piece, “A New Spirit is Rising,” is a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and takes the words from a 1967 speech by King and shows them as if they were growing

out of the Earth. The piece on the left, “In a Mountain Valley,” has the words of a poem about compassion by university Professor Emeritus Miller Williams. The third piece, “Cloud Landscape,” depicts the World Peace Prayer, “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” as forms floating over the Earth.

The clouds depicted are from New York City during 9/11, Kaminsky said.

The three pieces are part of a larger group called “Pages from the Book of the Earth,” and they are dedicated to the concept that the Earth speaks.

Kaminsky described them as “imaginary landforms held in

space by simple steel columns, with structures on the surface which are also words,” according to a press release.

The artist has been working with words in his sculptures for more than 40 years. His best-known piece is the bronze World Peace Prayer Fountain in front of the Town Center

on the Fayetteville square. The fountain “is the grandfather of the pieces on the UA (campus),” Kaminsky said.

The space at the Town Center reminded the artist of the Trylon and the Perisphere, located in New York City, where See

KAMINSKY on Page 9

UA student with cancer You better recognize! !nds help through a necklace Life with Lindsey COMMENTARY

Brittany Arroyos Staff Writer

In times of distress, many often look to their closest friends and family for support.

So for Jeremy Ostrowski, cancer patient and UA student, help from strangers in a different state was unexpected.

Ostrowski, 32, was diagnosed with sarcoma, or cancer of connective tissues, in 2000, just five months after marrying his wife Sharon. After four cycles of chemotherapy, surgery and two more cycles of chemotherapy, Ostrowski was living cancer free.

However, in 2005, Ostrowski was diagnosed with a reoccurrence of stage four sarcoma.

During an MRI, doctors found that the original location of his tumor had grown, and a biopsy confirmed the return of the cancer.

Bone cancer is a sarcoma that arises in the bone. Around 2,500 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year, making primary bone cancer relatively rare, according to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.

To receive the best care and treatment, the Ostrowskis temporarily relocated to M.D. Anderson in Houston, leaving their friends, family, careers and home in Northwest Arkansas.

“We knew that God would

LINDSEY PRUITT lpruitt@uark.edu

COURTESY PHOTO Sharon and Jeremy Ostrowski are benefiting from 12 women in Kansas who are donating money to wear a necklace to help cover the costs of Jeremy Ostrowski’s cancer treatments.

reveal his will for our lives if we just prayed for it and were willing to accept it,” said Sharon Ostrowski on her Web site, Luckyyoupsc.com. “Once it was certain that my husband could maintain treatment back home, we eagerly returned.”

In the meantime, 12 women from Kansas joined in an effort to raise money for Ostrowski’s treatments.

After reading the book, “The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives,” Lori Rog-

nile of Topeka, Kan., discussed the book with Judy McCourt, who just happened to be Sharon Ostrowski’s mother-in-law.

And so McCourt brought the “Jeremy Necklace” to life.

McCourt began a system in which 12 women could sign on to wear the necklace for one month by donating $50 or more. Each woman who wears the necklace also keeps a journal when the necklace is worn, and then meets other supporters once a month to read the journal and pass the necklace

along.

Designed by Steve Moore of Fayetteville’s Swift’s Jewelry, the necklace features garnets in the shape of a “J.” Since its creation, the necklace has spent its time with the 12 women from Topeka who opened their hearts to the Ostrowskis’ cause.

The necklace began its journey with McCourt, who signed up to be the first woman to wear the “Jeremy Necklace.” In JanuSee

OSTROWSKI on Page 9

Contrary to the beliefs of those who follow the motto, “innocence is bliss,” I must inform all of you who love living under a rock that it’s official – the United States is definitely in a recession and has been since December 2007.

Good news! Economists say the worst is over, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the effects will be over any time soon.

Now I realize with much certainty that many of you will consider this old news, but I can say with even more certainty that many of you have learned something new this very moment.

When bringing up the subject with a few of my friends who attend the UA, I was a little surprised to find that, although they are intelligent, major-oriented students who are studious and aware, they knew little about the current condition of the economy they will be enduring as career men and women in two short years.

I think it is very important that college students realize that the recession we are experiencing right now is real and will definitely be affecting us when we graduate.

And, no, I’m not talking about the effects on Stadium Drive and Maple Street if Polo or North Face go under.

This is serious; economic experts predict that 2009 will be a rough year of recovery, and that during the years after, many businesses and corporations will still be licking their wounds.

This means that when we graduate from college, we will be scraping together our resources to get a job. And in a generation that many call lazy and ungrateful with no work ethic, let’s just say there is fear to be had.

I myself have had a fair amount of diversion from the economic crisis, lucky enough to have supportive parents and scholarships, but I was recently reminded of our scary situation.

See

RECOGNIZE on Page 9

Web site provides instant information for Fayetteville services Bailey McBride

Senior Staff Writer With the launch of the new Web site Local540.com, every business in Washington County is now literally at students’ fingertips and accessible online.

As the Web site quips, “Need a phone number for a good mechanic? Can’t decide where to eat tonight? Need a florist? A jeweler? An apartment? Looking for a new car?

A new bank?” All of these types of businesses and more are listed on Local540.com.

The Web site launched on Feb. 18 with the intention of listing all the businesses in Fayetteville by category so consumers could easily find them on the Internet.

The site is managed by Wonderstate Media, the same company that founded and

operates the Fayetteville Flyer. The site can even be accessed from any mobile phone with Internet services at M.local540.com.

Visitors of the Web site are shown numerous listings, like bars and clubs and places to buy appliances. Users just have to click their category of choice, and a list with maps of all the applicable businesses will pop up.

Visitors also can search for what they need and put in their own address to receive the listings that are closest to them.

“As local consumers ourselves, we’ve found that a lot of local businesses don’t have a Web site or their Web site was difficult to find,” said Dustin Bartholomew, creator of the site and co-owner of Wonderstate Media.

“Meanwhile, the Internet

is where consumers are already looking for information on local businesses. Local540 was designed to bridge the gap between local consumers and local businesses in a way that has never been done before.”

Bartholomew said he thinks that in the current state of the economy, it is important to support local business, and this idea inspired him to help create the site.

“We’ve created a tool in Local540 that will help encourage people to check out what our local businesses have to offer because now our area has its very own Web site that includes information on every local business that is organized and easy to use,” Bartholomew said.

The site currently lists more than 7,000 businesses by their name, location and

category.

Listing a business and searching for one on the site is free, and businesses can create and adjust their own listing as often as they choose.

In addition to listing restaurants and shops, venues such as the Walton Arts Center and George’s Majestic Lounge have already gotten involved with the site and added calendars of events to their pages, so visitors to the site can see not only where to go in Fayetteville and the surrounding areas, but also a little of what is going on in town.

Local540.com also provides numerous coupons that consumers can use at local businesses to cut their costs.

The Web site will be updated throughout the year with new listings and new coupons for visitors to use.

LARRY ASH Staff Photographer