Yoga Gains ‘Widespread’ Appeal Page 5
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
“About You, For You”
University of Arkansas Student-Run Newspaper Since 1906
Vol. 107, No. 112
Class Required for High School Students BILL REQUIRES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE A DIGITAL CLASS
Taken Aback by Social Networking
With the end of the semester in view, one student notices social media is more of a distraction. Full Story, Page 5
Club Baseball Team Making Big Strides The baseball club is one of the newest club teams, but it is already a competitive group. Full Story, Page 7
Kathleen Pait Staff Photographer Students use laptops to take notes and participate in class activities. The Arkansas House recently passed a bill that requires high school students to take a digital learning class.
Jaime Dunaway Senior Staff Writer As technology becomes an increasingly more vital part of our daily lives, the need for students to develop technological skills increases. The Arkansas Legislature passed House Bill 1785, also known as the “Digital Learning Bill,” on April 5, with the intention of providing digi-
Hogs on the Road for the Weekend
The women’s track and field team competes at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., this weekend. Full Story, Page 7
Today’s Forecast
80 / 60° Tomorrow Thunder Storms 65 / 36°
tal learning opportunities to students in public schools. The bill requires that all public high schools in Arkansas have a mandatory digital learning course in their curriculum starting next year. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Dan M. Douglas, of Bentonville, believed it would serve as an opportunity to provide even those not planning on going to college with the ability to apply their computer skills in the real world.
ASG Supports Blue Emergency App Bailey Deloney Senior Staff Writer ASG voted to pass a bill Tuesday night to raise funds for the development of an emergency “Blue Light” app and an app to make Safe Ride more efficient and accessible. The “Blue Light” app “will allow students’ phones to act as a one touch emergency alert system,” according to the bill. Sens. Mark Cameron and Holden Warren authored this bill and are working with Chris Nixon and the UA’s department of digital design and development as well as student web designers. ASG wants to model this app after an app used at the University of Florida, said Sen. Mark Cameron. “UAPD has approved this app and is 100 percent behind it,” Cameron said. During the meeting, however, one senator raised the issue that using an unlicensed web designer may be against UA policy. However, Sen. Cameron said he has been in contact with ITS and with the department of digital design and development, and this issue has not been raised in any of their discussions. If it does happen that the
student designers need to acquire a license, this is a simple process that can be taken care of, Cameron said. “We are hoping to have this app ready by the end of this summer,” Cameron said. The other aspect of this bill concerns the development of an app to improve the Safe Ride program. This app “will allow students to electronically transfer their student information, location and desired destination directly to Safe Ride drivers,” according to the bill. Additionally, ASG voted on a resolution to minimize traffic delays at the Harmon Avenue Parking Facility and improve pedestrian safety. After hearing that the parking and transit committee voted to unanimously in favor of the bill, the Senate voted to pass this bill. The bill addresses safety concerns for pedestrians because of traffic and delays directly following the end of class periods. One possible solution that may be presented to administration is the resolution to build a new pedestrian bridge, said Sen. James Wesolowski, author of the bill. “This would have effect
see APP page 3
Mike Duncan, an instructional IT specialist for the UA, thinks that the bill is necessary for proper student growth. “I do think there is a need for this bill,” Duncan said, “and we are still seeing students without the necessary technical skills they need to be successful in college.” Opponents of the bill in the Arkansas Legislature, such as Rep. John Payton, argued that schools with-
out sufficient Internet access would not be able to efficiently implement the program. Issues of how to pay for the new digital infrastructure also arose. Digital learning courses are meant to encompass skills in interacting with Microsoft programs and desktops as well as overall computer competency. Such courses already exist at the UA, taking
see DIGITAL page 2
Educating Children in Business Megan Smith Staff Writer An educational business event will take place for third- to sixth-graders Saturday. Willy Walton’s Chocolate Factory, sponsored by Enactus, hopes to teach students about global chocolate production and basic business principles. The event covers a broad range of business topics, including budgeting, advertising, currency and ethics. Participants will work with college students to create a chocolate-factory prototype and a PowerPoint to show their business plans. The event lasts from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a lunch break that is paid for in the fee that ranges from $20-35, depending on how many children from the same family are attending. The event will be in the Business Building, Room 202. Registration before the event is encouraged because of limited space, although there will be registration from 8:30-9 a.m. the day of the event. Enactus, formerly known as Students In Free Enterprise, is centered around giving college students opportunities to learn, practice and teach free-enterprise principles. Enactus stands for
see BUSINESS page 3
For a story about Enactus at another school, See page 3
Chair of Senate Starts with Senate Policies Bailey Deloney Senior Staff Writer
Newly elected Chair of Senate Amy West discussed changes that will take place in the upcoming year, including both structural and policy changes within the ASG Senate. “My main project for next year has been working at restructuring the Senate,” West said.
Right now in Senate there is a rule that every two senators must write at least one bill. Originally, this rule was established in an effort to encourage senators to be active and get things accomplished, West said. “However, I do not foresee that being the policy next year,” West said. A policy like this can end up forcing senators to write bills just to write bills, West said. Instead of writing bills to
genuinely change the UA, senators end up rushing to write bills at the end of the year just to meet this policy, West said. Committees often run out of time and don’t even get the chance to meet and discuss a bill, West said. “Next year, one of the goals will be to make committees more active,” West said. Instead of giving a bill requirement to individual senators, it might
see SENATE page 3
Amy West Staff Photographer Amy May West stands outside Old Main, Thursday, April 11. She was chosen as the Chair of Senate for the 2013-2014 ASG year.