January 16, 2013

Letters to Jacob: A Student Mother’s Struggle Page 5

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013

“About You, For You”

University of Arkansas Student-Run Newspaper Since 1906

Vol. 107, No. 66

Surviving Winter

Winter Forecast

to be Average for Northwest Arkansas Megan Smith Contributing Writer

‘Winterproofing’ With winter weather causing a slew of new problems for homes and cars, inside is a list of pro tips to help make them “winterproof.”

Full Story, Page 5

Women’s Basketball Looks to Turn Season Back Around The Razorbacks have gone 1-3 in SEC play.

They face Georgia at home Thursday.

Full Story, Page 7

Gym’Backs Prepare to Rise to Challenge with New Ranking

The no.8 Razorbacks travel to Kentucky Friday in a conference matchup against the Wildcats.

Full Story, Page 7

Emily Rhodes Photo Editor Students leave classes and walk through campus amid freezing temperatures and snow, Tuesday, Jan. 15.

Iesha Williams Contributing Writer Winter break has come to an end, and classes will begin soon. We all know that Fayetteville is no stranger to cold weather. A few small tips can go a long way in surviving winters at the UA. While the usual winter attire for female college students is leggings and Uggs, keep in mind that layering is important to protect yourself from the cold.

There are three essential layers to keeping warm: the wicking layer, the insulat-

Understanding the Problem: Acquaintance Rape Reports Increase Last Fall Semester Kayli Farris Asst. News Editor

Today’s Forecast

43 / 26°

Acquaintance rapes, situations in which the victim knows the attacker, frequently are not reported, authorities said. During last semester, however, four acquaintance rapes have been reported to police.

Only one was reported from July 2010 until September 2012, according to the UAPD Daily Crime Log. To combat these assaults,

Clay Simpson

Junior Political Science groups on and off campus focus on the prevention and awareness of acquaintance rape.

Employees at the Pat Walker Health Center manage the Office of Support, Training, Advocacy and Resources on Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence (STAR Central), which also consists of a group called R.E.S.P.E.C.T. — Rape Education Services by

and executive director of the Pat Walker Health Center, has advice to lower your risk

“My No. 1 piece of advice is to speed walk.”

Shu Liu

Junior Psychology Major

of getting sick.

“We really encourage respiratory hygiene,” Serafini said. “That is, washing

your hands, not sneezing or coughing on other people, and not being the recipient of coughs and sneezes, because that’s how you pass the flu.”

Serafini also mentioned that a big problem for college students is keeping their immune systems strong.

“Get an adequate amount of sleep every evening, eat balanced meals, address your stress and make sure you lead a balanced life,” she said.

If you do catch the flu, be sure to stay at home so you won’t infect those around

see SURVIVING page 3

see AVERAGE page 3

For Another Story about Winter see Winterproofing to Survive the Cold this Season, See Page 5

Autism Support Program Helps Students Achieve

Peers Encouraging Conscious Thought.

Peer educators provide information about rape awareness, prevention and risk-reduction education, according to the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. website. The group focuses on “a message of advocacy for victims and survivors to university classes, organizations, residence halls, Greek organizations and other campus groups.”

By implementing classroom presentations, awareness activities, and events and campuswide programs, the group

“The fact (acquaintance rape) happens so much on this campus is a travesty.”

Tomorrow Sunny 46 / 27°

ing layer and the protection layer, according to weather. com. The wicking layer is the one closest to your skin, usually consisting of some form of underwear. The insulating layer is the middle layer used to keep heat trapped close to your body. The protection layer is the outermost layer and usually includes coats and jackets. Feel free to accessorize with scarves, hats and earmuffs.

Along with the new semester comes flu season. We have all been warned to get vaccinated as a method of prevention for the flu. Mary Alice Serafini, assistant vice provost for Student Affairs

Winter weather may not have prevailed when dorms opened back up, but it will make a comeback.

The weather this winter has been chaotic at best. The winter season started off with some snow, but hit 59 degrees when students began arriving at their dorms this past Thursday. Temperatures are now expected to drop to 37 degrees as classes start back up and creep back up to the low 50s a week later.

Temperatures should begin regulating back to around an average high of 47 degrees and low of approximately 25 degrees in the coming week, according to weather.com.

Chances of precipitation remain at zero for the entire week.

The Farmer’s Almanac states that although the average temperature in January is 1 degree above the average 44, February will bring temperatures averaging 39. This is 8 degrees below Fayetteville’s average temperature in February.

Only 3 inches of precipitation have been predicted, but snow is possible every

is able to maximize its message while evolving attitudes toward rape, according to the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. website.

During the holiday season, health center officials displayed a “Holiday Tree of Hope and Support” — decorations and ornaments that encourage students to share their concerns about sexual assault. Students

see RAPE page 3

Kristen Coppola Sports Editor Freshman Bethany Lewis meets weekly with her peer mentor to ease her adjustment to college life. She was accepted into the inaugural class of the Autism Support Program.

Kristen Coppola Sports Editor She is soft-spoken and often closes her eyes while talking with her peer mentor. She gestures with her hands whenever she is not clasping them tightly. She communicates adequately but thinks over each answer before responding.

Freshman Bethany Lewis thought that attending the UA wasn’t a feasible option, until her teachers at Fayetteville

High School told her about the Autism Support Program, a new UA program that provides academic and peer support.

“Practically my whole life, I’ve known about this,” Lewis said about having autism. “You just don’t think about it too often, so it’s like it’s not there.”

Lewis meets weekly with senior Miranda Small, her peer mentor, and with tutors for her classes, which she said is the best part of being involved in the Autism Support Program.

“The best part about the program is the one-on-one

tutoring sessions,” Lewis said.

“Because you get to talk oneon-one to a teacher, and they can sit there and help me figure out what I need to do, what I need to do for future, how to do it and help me with any homework I’m having troubles on.”

Small’s role is to help students like Lewis grow socially through scheduled peer mentoring sessions.

“I meet with each of them for an hour a week and see how

see AUTISM page 3

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Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013

Page 3

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

‘Coffee With Daytime’ Helps Students Wake Up

This story is part of the Graduate Series Editor’s Note:which includes information for graduating students.

Students Search for Senioritis Cure, Later Jeannette Bridoux Contributing Writer

Contact

119 Kimpel Hall University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 Kris Johnson Staff Photographer Students get free coffee at the Arkansas Union Connections Lounge, Tuesday, Jan. 15. The Coffee with Daytime event was organized by the University Programs Daytime committee.

ASG Officials Outline Plans for This Semester

Miranda Campbell Staff Writer

Associated Student Government leaders hope to see a successful spring semester for student government, despite the difficulties of a one-year term, they said.

Tori Pohlner, ASG president, is looking forward to a fresh start this spring semester so that she and her cabinet can “plug along” with their executive platform, she said.

Among ASG’s big-ticket items for the semester are plans for a health week, more safety awareness days, the creation of an ASG alumni society and an expansion of Safe Ride, Pohlner said.

“We are also partnering with the Office of Sustainability for several events, and we are eager to help them develop a greater presence with the student body,” Pohlner said. “We are excited about sending Rollin’ with the Razorbacks to the SEC basketball tournament to cheer on our team, and there are also plans being formulated to take trips to Little Rock and Washington, D.C., to advocate for student needs with our state and national governments.”

Despite the positivity, Pohlner knows that the reality of a one-year term will mean that the entirety of her platform cannot be accomplished, she said.

“It breaks my heart, but there are some things on our platform we just are not going to be able to do,” Pohlner said.

“A one-year term is very, very short, and some of our goals will take more than one year to process and implement.”

ASG Senate Chairman Mike Norton said that this semester he hopes to avoid the “bottleneck of legislation that hit at the end of last semester.”

“The swarm of legislation came during a very busy point in the academic semester, so now is the time to bring it home and show that it can have a real impact,” Norton said. “A lot of senators have some great ideas for this semester that they have mentioned to me in passing, and I think they have all learned in these last few

meetings that they should start early to avoid the bottleneck.”

After examining the new rule requiring senators to write one piece of legislation per semester, Norton said a few changes will be made to allow two senators to work together on the same proposal.

“This past semester, every senator had to write one piece of legislation, which I think has done great, but they have not been working together as much as I would have liked,” Norton said. “Working in small groups brings more knowledge to the table for researching and meeting with administration, usually making for better legislation and policy.”

The spring is always a more energetic semester because senators have a handle on the situation by now, Norton said.

“Overall, senate has done some great things this semester,” Norton said. “I am never fully happy because we can always be doing better. I will keep pushing senators for follow-up to see their ideas come to fruition, but the fact that we have had 42 of 50 senators write legislation with 44 total pieces bodes well for this branch and for students in general.”

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Tickets $7 in Advance Online at www.nwabride.net Tickets $10 at the door For more information visit: www.nwabride.net

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managers directly by requesting to conduct informational interviews, she said.

When applying, be sure to include your resume and cover letter. Students should be conscious of what position they are applying for and highlight the qualities in their resume that are most valuable for that position, Estes said.

“Resume-building software is available on career. uark.edu,” she said. Also, application deadlines vary per position, so make sure you know when to turn in your materials, she said.

“Qualities that are important to employers vary,” Estes said. However, “experience is vital in getting a job,” she said.

Get experience through the semester via jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, student groups, class projects and research, Estes said.

Students who plan to take time off after graduation can also use that time to continue to develop professionally, she said. Every student wants their dream job, but realistically it may be necessary to get a job to pay the bills while you continue your job search, she said.

With guidance from the Career Development Center and advice from alumni, current and future seniors can make senioritis a curable disease.

SURVIVING continued from page 1 you, Serafini said.

For those students who will stay up late studying or partying, Serafini advises to find a way to make up for lost sleep and time.

Shu Liu, a junior psychology major, shared her secrets for winter survival.

“I always keep something warm to drink,” Liu said. “Not only does it warm me up by drinking it, it keeps my hands warm, too. Before coming to the U of A, I had never experienced a really cold winter, so my first year here I wore sandals. I definitely learned my lesson and bought plenty of boots and socks after that.

“My No. 1 piece of advice is to speed walk. I walk faster to my classes so that I won’t be in the cold for long.”

With these helpful tips, surviving a winter in Fayetteville should be a little less stressful for everyone.

Emily Rhodes Photo Editor

Courtesy Photo week until the final week of the month. However, the best chances of snow will come in mid-February and midMarch. January as a whole will be sunny and cool with occasional thunderstorms, but February is expected to be snowy and cold with little rain.

Altogether, the weather is expected to be significantly colder but have average- to above-average snowfall. Rainfall will be most prevalent in the final weeks of January and be scarce in all of February.

This pattern echoes one seen in January 2011, which ended with 3 inches of snow.

February 2011 saw no snow at all, but it appears that Fayetteville will see a cooling trend rather than warming one as it did in that particular season. Rainfall predictions bear more of a resemblance in February, though, with 0.17 inches of rain falling in the month.

Aaron Hodges, a sophomore music education major, thinks that the forecasts have it right.

“If it already snowed in

AUTISM continued from page 1

their day’s going,” Small said.

“Mostly we just talk about what they did this weekend or what are they going to do for break.”

Though social growth is not instantaneous, Small said she’s seen the students become more comfortable through their mentoring sessions.

“Sometimes we’ll run into my friends, and they don’t really want to say how they know me,” Small said. “Today one of them kind of embraced it and was like ‘I have Asperger’s Syndrome, but I have this thing that helps me.’

It’s cool to see them seeing that it’s OK to talk about it.”

In its inaugural semester, five students are enrolled in the program and only one female student, program director Aleza Greene said.

Autism disproportionally affects males — 1 in 54 boys has an Autism Spectrum Disorder, compared to 1 in 252 girls, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Greene, who worked at a post-secondary program for people with disabilities before coming to the UA, started the Autism Support Program.

December, then it has to snow again,” Hodges said. “I just can’t imagine having snow this early in the season and then have everything warm up to spring-like temperatures. I think winter will be here for longer than we expect.”

It’s incredibly unlikely that students will be bundling up for a walk to class in nearzero temperatures, but there should be a fair share of days in the 20s as well as days where students have to brave a walk across campus in the snow. It is winter, after all.

“I started teaching here, but there was no similar program here,” Greene said of starting the program. “I also have a son on the spectrum, so I have a personal interest in this.” Greene worked with Tom Smith, the College of Education and Health Professions dean who is also a special education professor, to bring the program into fruition.

“He was very supportive, so I just decided to try and go and start it,” Greene said. Students pay $5,000 to participate in the program and must meet the standard admission requirements of a 20 ACT and 3.0 GPA set by the university, according to the Catalog of Studies.

The number of children with Autism has risen 23 percent since 2009 to affect 1 in 88 children, according to the CDC. “The diagnosis rate has gone up tremendously,” Greene said.

“We are going to see more and more kids with autism who have graduated from high school who cognitively ought to be in college. They can do college-level work.”

Autism Spectrum Disorder affects each person differently, and many, such as the students

accepted into the Autism Support Program are highly functioning and capable of college level work.

“It’s a spectrum disorder, so you have people who are highly functional and really have figured a lot of things out and then of course you have people with Autism who are non-verbal, who are self-injurious, (who) really can’t learn to take care of themselves at all,” Greene said. “We’re talking about for this program a much higher form of Autism.” Small said the program’s benefits are apparent to her and are gaining the attention of those outside the UA. “Dr. Greene said she has parents of students who are in early high school and middle school even calling about the program as an opportunity for their children later in the future,” Small said. “It’s great because those kids in middle school can have that thing to look forward to.”

Throughout grade school, students like Lewis might have been told to not “worry about school; you’re not going to college,” she said, “when that’s so not true.”

report, Williams said.

Police and health officials who don’t convey a professional attitude can end up “turning someone who is frightened and confused away,” Williams said.

Certain factors contribute to the under reporting of party-related rapes, Williams said.

“On the party-related side, we believe reports are never made because victims aren’t sure if they were raped, they don’t want to get the guy in trouble, they don’t want to endure that level of scrutiny, they have no faith in their local police and/or prosecutor, or they don’t want to be in trouble for their own illicit behavior such as underage drinking or drug use,” Williams said.

Thinking ahead is a key factor in preventing acquaintance rape, Williams said.

“For the party-related rape, the buddy system, responsible alcohol use, jealous guarding of one’s drink in a crowd and not falling asleep in a party house are reasonable measures,” Williams said.

When the event is related to domestic violence, there are factors involving fear of an abusive partner or concern that officials won’t believe her, Williams said.

“There are often threats from the perpetrator that he’ll take custody of the children, have her deported if she’s un-

documented, make her homeless if she is jobless or that he’ll have her arrested for trumpedup reasons,” Williams said.

“Threats work, unfortunately, and for this reason I think we never hear about many assaults.”

In the case of domesticviolence-related rape, friends and family should advocate for the victim, Williams said. This could be encouraging her to leave safely when in an abusive relationship or emphasizing what resources are available to her.

Reporting a rape could have a greater impact than the victim can perceive, Williams said.

“There is also clear evidence that rapists are often repeat offenders,” Williams said. “Thus, one person having the courage to come forward and participate in the criminal justice process may well be the key to stopping a serial rapist.”

Students arrested on the charges of rape likely will encounter negative consequences, not only with the law, but academically as well, Williams said.

“Students charged with an offense, especially a felony, often go through the university’s judicial board,” Williams said.

“The investigating officer in the criminal matter is often asked to testify at J-Board hearings.”

RAPE continued from page 1

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Students are plagued with senioritis twice in their life, as high school seniors and as college seniors. Unfortunately, the second time usually hits students harder than the first.

The reality of the disease is questionable to some, but UA seniors who have felt the pressures associated with upcoming graduation see the disease as a serious matter.

Mark Woodson, senior computer science major, describes senioritis as the unwillingness to give 100 percent due to anxiety about the future, Woodson said.

Woodson’s angst is derived from the scarcity of job opportunities, he said.

“Most of my friends have to move back home because they can’t find jobs,” Woodson said.

The country’s 7.8 percent unemployment rate adds to Woodson’s apprehension of job security, he said. Woodson is avoiding the move back home by applying for five to 10 jobs weekly, which he began a year ago, he said.

Newly graduated Candace Blair, journalism and advertising major, said her definition of senioritis is a state of laziness that comes over students before graduating and

promotes a lot of procrastination.

“I absolutely had senioritis,” Blair said.

The stress it created for her resulted in lateness to classes and with assignments, she said.

“I really didn’t know what to expect through the graduation process,” Blair said. “I can honestly say that it was one of the most unpredictable, scary and exciting things I have ever experienced.”

Like Woodson, Blair shared the fear of lack of job opportunity, she said. Fortunately, after starting her job applications in late November, Blair found a job fit for her before graduation, she said.

Blair’s advice for soon-tobe graduates is to “use every connection you have to find that perfect job for you,” she said.

Erica Estes, Career Development Center counselor, helps students fight senioritis by giving critical advice that will assist them through their application processes and ease their anxiety.

“Don’t wait until after you’ve graduated to start your job search,” Estes said. Begin the fall semester researching companies of interest and begin networking with them through social media sites (LinkedIn), in-person at career fairs or contact hiring

AVERAGE continued from page 1

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can share awareness messages, risk reduction strategies and messages of hope “for a campus free of sexual violence and support for victims and survivors of sexual assault.”

In addition to campus groups, there is also one off campus. The Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault, with headquarters in Fayetteville, focuses on eliminating sexual violence and advocating for sexual assault victims’ rights and services, according to acasa.us.

These group members work continuously to assist assault victims and inform the public of prevention methods and awareness.

“I help teach a women’s selfdefense class; rape prevention lectures are good, too,” said Clay Simpson, a junior in political science. “The fact that most rapes happen with people who know each other shows how difficult of an issue (it) is; the fact it happens so much on this campus is a travesty.”

Despite efforts to increase awareness, students said more can be done.

“I do not feel properly informed about these occurrences, nor do I feel that UA officials are doing their best with this situation,” said Flannery Wasson, a junior in political science.

The R.E.S.P.E.C.T. student

group visited one of Wasson’s classes, and she said she was astonished by the reactions by her peers.

“I have had the student group R.E.S.P.E.C.T. in my class, and I appreciate their efforts, but my classroom was full of people who had no idea the startling statistics when it comes to rape,” Wasson said.

“One male in my class couldn’t believe rape was rape, even when the girl wasn’t fighting back and ‘just laying there taking it.’ The fact myself and one other person were the only ones visibly disturbed by this comment shows that there is a lot of work to do when it comes to rape education.”

There are methods UA officials can adopt to improve awareness, students said. Nine out of 10 college rape survivors know their attacker, according to STAR Central.

“Too many people think that rape is just strangers that take advantage of you late at night when you’re walking alone, but when 9 out of 10 rapes are committed by someone the victim knows, that misconception is very dangerous,” said Kristie Flournoy, senior social work student.

Wasson thinks it would be helpful if officials sent an email when acquaintance rapes occur on campus, she said. Additionally, information for

victims of rape could be more readily available, she said.

“I’d just like to see an email sent with information as to what you do if you or your friend was raped, what the consequences of being caught are, et cetera, to everyone, considering how many times this has happened in this past semester,” Wasson said. “It’s time to be proactive and reach out, rather than waiting for something bad to happen and starting then.”

Police said they agree that students are unaware of acquaintance rapes.

“Acquaintance rape is actually far more common than stranger rape,” said Detective David Williams, with the Fayetteville Police Department.

“Many of these occur in domestic violence situations.”

Acquaintance rapes are not limited to domestic violence, Williams said.

“The other form we see most often relates to friends at a party where significant use of alcohol and/or other intoxicants are used,” Williams said. “Rape occurs when one person, generally the female, is so inebriated that she is unable to resist, cry out or say no.

The classic example is that she’s passed out or nearly so, and her male acquaintance sexually assaults and/or rapes her.”

One in 4 college women are

victims of rape or attempted rape, according to STAR Central, and 90 percent of college rapes involve the use of alcohol.

Acquaintance rapes on campus could be associated with either domestic violence or they could be party-related, Williams said.

“You have to understand that rape is not so much about sex as about control,” Williams said. “Think in context of soldiers raping and pillaging after a battle won. Are they truly that turned on, or do they want to throw further insult at the enemy? Given that, you can either have the violent boyfriend who is angry that she’s not ‘respecting’ him, or you can have the predator at a party taking advantage of an unconscious victim. Both pertain directly to conquest.”

Statistics are difficult to determine, Williams said, because officers think that many domestic violence and partyrelated rapes are never reported. Frequently, a victim will begin the reporting process, but back out rather quickly.

Reasons for this are usually the victim realizes that reporting the rape is a very long and detailed process with an uncertain ending, or an investigating officer or other professional conveyed judgment or a negative reaction while taking the

Opinion Editor: Saba Naseem Page 4

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013

Sexual Violence: Be Aware, Be Safe

Saba Naseem Opinion Editor A few days ago, I came upon an AP Mobile update reading, “6 arrested in new rape of a bus passenger in India.”

According to the article, “the woman was the only passenger on a bus” as she was traveling home to her village.

The driver refused to stop at her village, and instead drove her to a desolate location.

“There, the driver and the conductor took her to a building where they were joined by five friends and took turns raping her throughout the night,” according to a source in the article.

Needless to say, I was appalled.

Only a month earlier, a gang rape of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus led to her death and set off demonstrations and debates across the country about tougher rape laws and for women’s rights.

India’s own statistics show that “two women are raped every hour in the country, and rapes have increased by 20 percent between 2007 and 2011,” according to a Washington Post article.

I think this incident should bring awareness to rape and sexual harassment around the world.

In America, someone in the US is sexually assaulted every two minutes, according to statistics by RAINN.org.

Every two minutes. That means, on average, in one hour, 30 people are sexually assaulted.

That’s just sick to think about.

On top of that, statistics show that 54 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.

In terms of rape, 44 percent are victims under the age of 18, 80 percent are under the age of 30 and 97 percent of rapists will “never spend a day in jail,” according to the website.

These statistics are just scary.

How do we decrease these statistics? How do we, as college students, keep ourselves from becoming victims of rape or harassment?

Most of us don’t give this topic too much thought.

What’s the chance it’ll happen to us? I know I’m guilty of

that. Sometimes, I just think I’m invincible.

I’m on campus, I tell myself, and this place is safe.

Every year, the UA releases the Clery Report, which discloses the campus security policy and includes a campus crime statistics report.

In 2011, five “sex offenses, forcible” were reported on campus property and three on “on-campus residential facilities.” Back in 2009, eight were reported on campus property and six on residential facilities, according to the 2011 Clery Report.

Sure, in a university of more than 20,000 students, eight does not seem like a lot.

But it’s eight more than there should have been.

The UA does offer many programs and activities to raise awareness.

According to the report, the Rape Education Services

by Peers Encouraging Conscious Thought (RESPECT), a peer education program, sponsors Alcohol Awareness Week, a balloon release to “provide support for survivors of sexual violence and to advocate for communities to rise up against sexual violence,” the Campus Clothesline Project for people to express their views on sexual violence on shirts, the Holiday Tree of Hope and Support, “an exhibit that empowers students to share their concerns about sexual assault through the decoration of ornaments,” a Mock Rape Trial, Take Back the Night March and the Banner Project, which is “an interactive project that empowers members of the campus community to pledge they will never harm another.”

Is this enough?

I used to have night labs in the Science Engineering building, which got out at 8 p.m. During the winter, it’s completely dark by that time.

The campus is lit, but only in certain areas. I would get on my phone as soon as I got out of class and was walking to the parking garage, so that if anything did happen, my phone would already be in my hand.

I think the UA should invest more money in providing a well-lit campus. The area outside the Arkansas Union is good, but there are other buildings where it’s practically dark once you leave.

I shouldn’t have to be constantly looking behind me to make sure nobody is following. None of us should. No matter the time of day, we should all feel safe on campus.

Saba Naseem is opinion editor. She is a senior journalism, Middle Eastern studies and French major.

Marcus Ferreira Senior Staff Cartoonist

Guns: Who Controls What?

Juan Holmes Staff Columnist The issue of gun control has become fodder for the media following the tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Conn., which resulted in more than 20 deaths, and the prior devastation in Aurora, Colo., which resulted in more than 10 deaths and 58 injuries.

There are a lot of accusations flying around. A few weeks ago, the National Rifle Association suggested armed guards in every school while not exactly outlining how that would be paid for. There was a spike in gun sales in the last few weeks in light of President Obama’s upcoming address on the issue due this week.

Since 2001, more than 5,000 people have been killed by gunfire in Chicago, according to Department of Defense and FBI data. That is 3,000 more than the US death count in Afghanistan in the same time period. No amount of gun control is go-

ing to bring back the lives lost from these killings.

These developments have caused schools and universities to review their own campus wide measures.

A Traveler article entitled “UA Students Feel Safe in Wake of Violence,” which was published Tuesday, highlights the UA’s own review of campus security. “‘We have annual training where officers go over various active shooter procedures and we have continual training throughout the year that allows us to maintain proficiency and response methods,’ Mills said,” according to the article.

Sales of bulletproof vests for children and an increased interest in home schooling have led the nation to believe that the heralded cornerstones of learning are too dangerous for their loved ones. Hundreds of university presidents are advocating against legislation allowing legal possession of firearms on campus.

Can we stop this bleeding? Can we not politicize and commodify the very violence that makes brother and sister oil and water?

Barring the two extremes, it is a waste of time to argue about the labels “pro-” or “anti-” gun in that no one wants a drug dealer to have a gun, but would appreciate the police being able to save them with one. At this point it is not the weapon,

but preference on who has it.

Because of America’s culture and the Second Amendment, the outright banning of guns, like in the United Kingdom or Mexico, would never work stateside.

The current system makes it difficult for lawabiding citizens to get the services they need, so they turn to illegal ones. In reference to the Virginia Tech and Aurora incidents, these mass shootings had many warning signs about the individual’s intentions to kill.

An outright ban on guns would just be a Band-Aid to the bleeding wound that is the inefficient and unaddressed mental health care system in the United States.

The people who commit to do these things will do so even if FBI agents are issued in every single household.

Even if they did so tomorrow, how would the federal government enforce this?

According to the latest data, 2012 shows that more than 16 million firearm background checks were initiated through the National Instant Background Check system. After the controversial “Fast and Furious” scandal, which led Attorney General Eric Holder to be held in contempt, coupled with the unclear intentions of the administration’s plan towards immigration and drug laws enforcement, many people feel concerned

about the administration’s efficacy.

Lawful gun owners are not without sense. They can support the idea of plausible gun laws in one hand while holding their rights in the other.

It’s not just an issue with the ownership of guns, it’s Americans’ pride of personal liberties and the evergrowing body of legislation that they feel is separating them from their liberties.

If we are to reform gun laws, it should be done universally and uniformly. As they are now, they vary from state to state. Proponents of stricter gun laws fight not for taking guns away from the responsible, but for minimizing gun deaths. The problem is that there they do not draw a conclusive line in the sand as to how.

This is yet another topic that should be looked at with empathy and consideration.

Why are proactive measures shunned in favor of belated reaction from both sides?

We can only hope that the president will unveil a comprehensive plan to quell this dissension and resolve these issues.

Prayers go out to all those affected by violence, gunrelated or not.

Juan Holmes is a staff columnist. He is a senior English and creative writing major.

From the Board:

Last semester, more often than not, someone would usually come into the office complaining about the traffic on the intersection of Dickson Street and McIlroy Avenue. As soon as class let out, that intersection was swarming with pedestrians, cars, bicyclists and scooters.

The intersection remains crowded, but we feel that it’s a lot better now that there is no car traffic. As the university continues to grow and expand, this decision to close the street was needed and expected. Most other campuses that are as big as ours don’t have a road open to traffic going straight through campus. It’s a danger to students and a nuisance for drivers. We hope this is just one step of many that the university takes in order to ensure our safety and to help better organize the tens of thousands of students who attend the UA.

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Opinion Editor

Chad Woodard Brittany Nims Saba Naseem

The Arkansas Traveler welcomes letters to the editor from all interested readers. Letters should be at most 300 words and should include your name, student classification and major or title with the university and a day-time telephone number for verification. Letters should be sent to traveler@uark.edu.

Traveler Quote of the Day You just don’t think about it too often, so it’s like it’s not there.

Bethany Lewis, Freshman

“Autism Support Program Helps Students Achieve,” Page 1

“Making Your Journey Worthwhile” Companion Editor: Nick Brothers Assistant Companion Editor: Shelby Gill Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Page 5

Georgia Carter Staff Writer With the end of the holiday break and the beginning of the spring semester comes winter. Although it took a while to set in, the bitter cold is here and will probably be sticking around.

Bundling up with winter coats, fuzzy boots, cozy scarves and thick gloves will help you beat the icy winds of Fayetteville.

Homes and cars, however, aren’t as easy to protect from the effects of winter. With a little work, though, it is fairly simple to “winterproof ” your home and car.

For many renters and homeowners, the winter months bring a spike in monthly electricity bills.

Saving a couple of dollars and keeping your house warm can easily be accomplished with a few tricks.

Sealing up windows can help prevent cold air from entering your home. Taping clear plastic inside of your windows blocks drafts from coming in through the cracks. Cutting pieces of cardboard to fit north-facing windows can help insulate the house and keep it warmer. Insulating window shades can be found at home improvement stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Opening up blinds and curtains during the daytime lets sunlight and warmth into your home.

Also, just having curtains at all can help keep your home warmer. Curtains block some of the cold drafts that get in through the minuscule cracks around windows.

Running a ceiling fan during the winter seems like it would just make your living space colder, but, when set on low, it can help circulate the warm air that collects near the ceiling.

In order to cut down on heating bills, make sure that the air filters in your home are changed monthly. This will help ensure that all the hot air being generated gets into your home.

If you have any bushes, shrubs or trees around your home, make sure they are trimmed during the winter. Keeping this greenery at least one foot away from exterior walls and windows can prevent frozen limbs from hitting your windows and causing damages.

Where you park your car is very important in the winter. If possible, park facing east so that when the sun rises, it will melt the ice on the windshield. This can help you save time and avoid having to scrape ice in the bitter cold. It will also fill your car with sunlight, making it a bit warmer.

Lynn Nix, UA student, de-ices his car Sunday, January 13 at Hill Place apartment complex.

Avoiding parking by trees, as frozen branches can damage your car by breaking through a window or scraping paint.

When a big ice storm is headed your way, make sure to lay an old bed sheet over your windshield and windshield wipers to prevent freezing and save time defrosting your car in the morning.

Before a big snowfall, lifting your windshield wipers up can also prevent them from freezing to the glass.

Car locks often freeze in the winter. If you don’t have any de-icer, try sucking on your key for a while before you put it in the lock. This should warm up the key, which will warm up the lock. It

may take several tries to accomplish this.

Although it may seem extreme to prepare for being stranded in your car during a winter storm, it’s actually pretty smart. According to the National Weather Service, 70 percent of all winterweather related deaths happen in a car. Small back roads can become extremely dangerous during the winter months, and in the off chance that you get stranded, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The most crucial thing needed for an emergency kit is a warm blanket or sleeping bag and an extra coat and pair of gloves. This is a great use for old winter clothes that have been pushed to the back of your closet.

Ashley Swindell Staff Photographer Another important item is bottled water. Packing in a few granola bars and other nutritious snacks, a flashlight, a radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, a tow rope, emergency flares, a pocket knife, and waterproof matches and candles will ensure that you have a top-notch emergency kit.

Also, look into your car insurance policy because many insurance companies provide roadside assistance.

Winter can wreak havoc on cars, homes and wallets, but being prepared for winter can help your car, home and yourself stay warm and protected. Arkansas winters may not be the harshest, but that’s no reason not to be prepared.

Letters to Jacob: A Student Mother’s Struggle Brian Stark Contributing Writer

n early July, 2011, Ashley Rogers* and her son Jacob rushed to the hospital.

Several days later she left the hospital without him. She was confident she had made the right decision. She thought about the first line of the letter she had written mostly the night of his birth on July 7: Editor’s Note: The name of the mother has been changed to protect their identity due to the sensitive nature of this topic. Name change is denoted with an *.

To my dear son Jacob, I want to write you this letter so that you know how much I care about and love you.

I want you to know, straight from me, why I chose adoption for you.

Nine months earlier, Rogers* was attending John Brown University, studying psychology. A straight-laced kid, she was raised in the belly of Arkansas, around Little Rock. But, by her late teens she noticed a difference in her behavior. What appeared to be a solid foundation of “staying on the straight and narrow,” began to crack and crumble.

“I remember thinking, ‘life’s a game and I can’t ‘lose’ kinda thing,’” she said. “I started to act out differently than when I was younger.”

The departure from her low-key behavior was extreme, prompting her to seek medical help.

“I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 19,” Rogers* said, sipping a latté in a coffee shop off the square. There was an expensive looking “counseling for successful marriage” book-set in the seat next to her.

Roger* is a grad student, completing her master’s in counseling at the UA. “I had never been that kind of person, I mean, sexually active,” Rogers* said. “The father contacted me soon after and told me ‘he didn’t want anything to do with it.’” But she

resolved that was fine with her. She said she didn’t expect him to, considering.

Rogers’* disease crescendo’d one night at a frat party, midway through the fall semester of 2010. That’s when she believes Jacob was conceived.

“I was in the wrong place, with the wrong people, in the wrong condition,” Rogers* said.

“A couple of weeks later, it was like a fog lifted,” she said. “What have I been doing?”

She wondered if she was pregnant, but in the moment that was overshadowed by the fear of someone in Walmart seeing her with a pregnancy test. So she employed a trusted friend go to the store with her and buy it.

“What do I do?” Rogers* thought. “What am I going to tell my family?” her mind groped, as the blue cross on the pregnancy test refused to blink. Her life was changed forever.

She was scared, but hopeful.

The Lord brought me out of darkness and redeemed everything. He demonstrated His ability to redeem any situation, and turn it into something beautiful. Jacob, you are a beautiful child that God used in my life. You are such a gift, and such a symbol of redemption to me.

Now Rogers’* family knew about her pregnancy. She was living in student residencies at JBU and it was only a matter of time before her peers and professors could see with their eyes.

Being a private, Christian institution, JBU asks it’s students to abstain from pre-marital sex.

And “In the event of a pregnancy, the student(s) will be disciplined in grace, truth and love,” ac-

cording to their student handbook.

But Andre Broquard, Dean of Students at JBU, insists “it’s not like we have policies where if A happens, then B must follow,” he said. “The more policies you create, the more difficult it becomes to meet these student’s needs.” In the case of a pregnant student, “we want to accomplish what is best for the student and child.”

So Rogers* decided in mid-November to reveal her pregnancy to the dean. Broquard, citing student privacy, refused to comment on their meeting. According to Rogers*, he instructed her that she could no longer be housed in student residencies in her condition.

“But he didn’t actually give me any contacts or anything,” Rogers* said. “He seemed so cold and separated.” Rogers* was stunned, considering there was about a month of a semester left and she had no place to stay.

For the remainder of the semester she commuted from Fayetteville, where her parents live. Seeking to alleviate this hardship, she accepted an offer of room and board from a JBU faculty member the following semester.

During her stay in the basement of the registrar’s house, she was referred to Bethany Christian Services.

“My job is built around compassion and the struggles people are going through, those struggles are important to me,” said Sarah Jones, director of Bethany in northwest Arkansas. “I’m constantly amazed by the strength of these women, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

It gets cold in northwest Arkansas during winter, which comes late. Rogers* was sitting on the bed in the basement of the registrar’s house finishing her homework. It was now the 2011, spring semester. But it didn’t feel like spring to her.

“It got so cold down there,” she said. “I remember sleeping with a sweatshirt on, and the hood up.”

find a family that could provide you with all the things that I was not able to provide. I love you so much, that I chose to give you the best, even though it means that I will experience much grief and loss through it.

As the temperature rose, so did Jacob’s weight and Rogers* had more and more peace.

“Abortion crossed my mind several times in the beginning,” Rogers* said. “But I knew that wouldn’t give me long-term peace. I wanted my baby boy to have a stable up-bringing so I placed him for adoption through Bethany.”

Beth James, 50, decided more than twenty years ago to volunteer at Bethany because of the painful, closed adoption of her son. An open adoption gives the birth mother more interaction with the child throughout the process.

“When I had my second son many years later, I had this longing to see what my first son looked like,” James said. “I contacted them and they freaked and refused, my heart broke.”

It was then Beth decided to take on the ministry of helping educate women on the adoption option.

“It’s the hardest decision a mom could make and we can help,” James said. “At Bethany, the birth mom receives council from the time she calls, till birth.”

The time came, and Jacob was born on July 7, 2011. Rogers* is finishing her Masters in Counseling at the University of Arkansas.

She believes what she has been through has equipped her with more empathy, to be a better counselor. She regularly receives updates about Jacob and he’s doing great.

“I pray that you will always find a refuge within God’s many promises including His promise to never leave you. I have always and will always love you son.”

Your birth mom,

I knew without a doubt, that the best decision that I could make as your mother was to

*

Page 6

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Comics Pearls Before Swine

Dilbert

Calvin and Hobbes

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013

Sudoku Stephan Pastis

Scott Adams

Bill Watterson

© 2011 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

Crossword

Doonesbury

Non Sequitur

Garry Trudeau

Wiley Miller

By Jean O’Conor

The Argyle Sweater

Scott Hilburn

ACROSS 1 “Now I understand” 6 Congressional proceedings airer 11 Much-studied flavor enhancer 14 Wilt 15 Foodie’s words for subtle flavoring 16 Pint filler 17 Deal with, as a stack of dull paperwork 19 Rocky prominence 20 One may be rolled up 21 Galsworthy’s “The Forsyte __” 22 One of a chair pair 24 Investor’s initial support 28 Very disagreeable 30 Singer Björk’s birthplace 31 Cosby’s “I Spy” co-star 32 Tour de France stage 33 Create an incriminating trail 39 Bring up 40 Simple beds 42 Montana neighbor 45 Defining quality 48 How long to shop, on a spree?

50 AM frequency meas.

51 Bidding site 52 Screwball behavior

54 Kitty’s love in “Exodus” 55 Autumn lunar phenomenon 60 Checker on a board, say 61 French clerics 62 Duck 63 Tallahassee-to-Tampa dir.

64 Bank job 65 Flighty DOWN 1 National econ. yardstick 2 Fla. NBA team 3 Like overly tight clothing 4 Cry of pain 5 H.S. exam for college credit 6 “Wayne’s World” costar 7 Did a smith’s work 8 More, musically 9 Filmmaker Lee 10 Math degree 11 “Hakuna __”: “The Lion King” song 12 Maxwell House’s “Good to the last drop,” e.g.

13 Spiro’s successor 18 Obedience school

command 21 “Shh!” 22 Preschool song opener 23 Enlist again 25 Bank lead-in 26 Military sch.

27 Animated Le Pew 29 In an economical manner 32 Celebration before the celebration?

34 Not (a one) 35 Jackson 5 brother 36 Rebekah’s eldest 37 Goes kaput 38 Make an engraving 41 “__ who?”

42 First-stringers 43 Some October babies 44 He replaced Ken as Barbie’s beau from 2004 to 2006 45 Actor Borgnine 46 They’re often stewed 47 Was nasty to 49 Barry and Brubeck 53 Mid 10th-century year 55 “A likely story!”

56 16th prez 57 Slugger’s stat 58 Gorges oneself (on) 59 Napoleonic marshal

Sports Editor: Kristen Coppola Assistant Sports Editor: Haley Markle Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Page 7

BASKETBALL

SWIMMING

Liz Beadle Staff Writer

and Gamecocks

Women’s Basketball Team Aims Razorbacks to to Get on Track After Losses Face Seminoles After being ranked No. 23 with a 12-1 record going into conference play, the Razorback women’s basketball team has gone 1-3 in the Southeastern Conference. The Hogs are looking to turn their season back around when they host the No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs Thursday.

Georgia is 26-4 all-time against Arkansas.

“We’re not concerned about that,” senior forward Quistelle Williams said. “We’re excited to play a ranked team; we’re hoping for the upset.”

“Them being ranked doesn’t mean anything to us. We’re just going to play our game,” sophomore point guard Calli Berna added.

The Razorbacks lost two road games to Vanderbilt and then-No. 24 Auburn in addition to one home loss to No. 20 Texas A&M. “We really didn’t do anything great against Vanderbilt,” head coach Tom Collen said.

“We have to do everything better if we’re going to beat Georgia.”

Coming off a 20-point loss at Vanderbilt Sunday, the Razorbacks have been hard at work in practice this week to prepare for Georgia. They took the day off from working on the court on Monday in order to restore some energy and have

Eric Harris Staff Writer

Emily Rhodes Photo Editor Head coach Tom Collen addresses the media Tuesday outlining the keys to success against the Georgia Bulldogs Thursday night at Bud Walton Arena. time to watch some film. Collen said they had a good practice Tuesday and will be working hard Wednesday as well.

The Georgia game Thursday is the only game for the Hogs this week. They will have the weekend off after that.

“I want to get a win against to set the tone for our bye weekend,” Collen said.

Collen also said he is counting on the crowd at Bud Walton Arena to provide some energy for his players Thursday night.

“Every game you play in the SEC is a challenge and every win you get is a big one,” Collen said.

A victory over No. 13 Georgia would be the biggest for the Hogs this season. Their biggest win of the season is against now-No. 23 Kansas.

“A win against Georgia would let people know that we are here to win,” Berna said.

Georgia is known for their big players, successful point guard and ability to get points

on the board.

“They have a lot of talent, they’re long, their point guard is one of the best in the league and they know how to score,” Berna said of the Bulldogs.

“We’re going to have to stop that.”

“We have to hassle them,” Williams said.

After Thursday’s game at 7 p.m. against Georgia, the Razorbacks travel to Columbia, Mo., for a matchup with the Tigers next Thursday.

Preparing for two away meets this weekend, the Hogs’ swimming and diving team plans to build off a strong performance at senior day against Missouri State and No. 12 Penn State.

The Hogs blew out Missouri State with a score of 250-50, and they pulled off the upset over the Nittany Lions, 151.5-146.5.

The Razorbacks won eight matches in the meet to improve to 5-1 on the season.

The Hogs started the meet with the lead when freshman Anna Mayfield won the 200 freestyle to take a 30-25 lead.

A win in the 100 backstroke gave the Nittany Lions a small lead over the Hogs, but then the Razorbacks had one of their strongest events of the meet.

The Razorbacks had a tremendous finish on the three meter diving board, finishing 1-2-3-4.

Junior Kesha Naylor led the Hogs and posted the second best score in school history with a score of 355.75.

The score earned her the

Southeastern Conference diver of the week award.

Hannah Bortnick, Shelby Bartlett and Meaghan Clark rounded out the top four, each posting personal best scores.

Penn State then took the lead winning the next three events, the 50 freestyle, the 100 freestyle and the 200 backstroke.

Needing to rally, sophomores Nikki Daniels and Julia Banach finished 1-2 in the 200 breaststroke to start the Razorback comeback.

Another 1-2-3-4 finish in diving, this time the one meter dive, pulled the Hogs to only a seven-point deficit. The Razorbacks then took the lead on the ensuing event, the 500 freestyle.

Penn State won the 400 IM to set up a winner take all finale, the 400 freestyle relay.

Nina Drolc, Mayfield and Maddie Monroe set up Susann White who anchored the relay and beat the Nittany Lions to the finish line by nearly three seconds with a time of 3:21.63.

“It came down to that last relay, and they stood up and got it done,” head coach Sean Schimmel said.

After the upset, the Ra-

see SWIM page 8

GYMNASTICS

New Ranking Challenges Gym‘Backs to Beat Cats Tamzen Tumlison Staff Writer The Arkansas Razorback gymnastics team jumped three spots to No. 9 despite its loss to Georgia and is preparing with confidence for their meet against No. 14 Kentucky Friday, Jan. 18 at 6 p.m.

Arkansas leads their series with Kentucky 18-1-1. However, Kentucky beat Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference Championship meet by nearly a full point last season.

“Kentucky’s improving,” co-head coach Rene Lyst said.

“Their coaching staff is very strong. They’ve recruited well.

They have a good system in place.”

“They will be a challenge for us for sure,” Lyst said. “They did beat us at SECs last year, so I’m

sure they’re going to be looking forward to us coming to their own gym and doing that to us again. So we’re just going to have to go there, hit our routines, not count any mistakes, do a good job and hopefully come out with a win.”

The Hogs’ ranking in this week’s Gyminfo Women’s Gymnastics National top 25 ranking moved up three slots from Arkansas’ preseason ranking of No. 12. The ranking is based on the team’s average score of 195.775.

Arkansas managed to reach a No. 8 event ranking on the beam with 48.950 points at their first event against Georgia. The team also ranks ninth on vault, 12th on floor and 22nd on bars.

“I thought our weakness was definitely going to be vault, but we ended up vaulting a whole lot better in that first week than anticipated,” Lyst said.

“We are a little thin on bars, as far as talent top to bottom,” Lsyt said. “We do have a few girls that are training and almost ready to compete, so we’re really pushing hard for that, but I would say at this point in time, that’s probably our weakest event.”

The most obvious strengths of the team are their performances in beam and floor, with a combined total score of 49.000 for the team’s floor routines.

“Anytime you can say that beam is a strong event for you, you’re doing pretty well,” Lyst said. “So we feel real confident on that event.”

The freshmen on the team made a strong impact on how well the Razorbacks are doing so far.

“The freshmen are helping

see RANKING page 8

COMMENTARY

Photo Courtesy of Athletic Media Relations Junior Katherine Grable won the all-around Friday night in the loss to the Georgia Bulldogs at Barnhill Arena. The Gym‘Backs are ranked no. 9 going into competition against no. 14 Kentucky Friday in Lexington, Ky.

The Good, Bad, Ugly and Hilarious of Bowl Season

Tamzen Tumlison Staff Writer This bowl season was one of those that you look back on and you just can’t really completely understand. There were many beat-downs, surprising losses and, of course, a smattering of what you really want to see, close games.

We’ll start with the good:

The Alabama smack-down on Notre Dame. I grew up hating Notre Dame without ever fully understanding why. My dad and brother taught me to do this, and since they did, I did too.

Like nearly every Arkansas fan, I also don’t particularly like Alabama. But when it comes to a game like this, I lean toward the side of the Southeastern Conference.

Boy, was I pleased to see that score come out 42-14 with the Crimson Tide rolling out touchdowns on each of their first three drives.

As much as I hate to say it, as much as I hate overhyped players, Johnny Manziel showed the people why he won the Heisman Trophy.

His tip-toe touchdown was

one of my favorite plays of the month.

Don’t forget, Arkansas State won the GoDaddy.com bowl, and this should make Arkansas – as a state – proud, even if they aren’t ASU fans.

Then there was the bad: Florida getting beat by Louisville. Not that Louisville is a bad team; they obviously aren’t if they beat Florida, and if they were ranked No. 22. But then-No. 4 Florida losing to a Big East team was a shock.

What was possibly even worse was the LSU-Clemson game. I’m less a fan of LSU than I am of the Tide, and I had mixed feelings about this game. I wanted Clemson to whoop LSU, but I also wanted LSU to boost the SEC bowl record.

With a last-minute field goal, Clemson beat LSU by one point. Only a point. I thought I’d be happy.

Finally, for the bad, Manti Te’o showed us why he didn’t get picked for the Heisman.

With missed tackle after missed tackle, Te’o faded into the background of the National Championship – especially after the commentators revealed AJ McCarron’s girlfriend to the masses.

The ugly became the absolute worst part of this bowl season. Here are some of the lowlights of it all: First and foremost, that moment in the South Carolina-Michigan game. You know which moment I’m talking about. The football was a few links short of a first down and yet the ref-

erees called it a first down.

That moment didn’t need further review because everyone, absolutely everyone except the referees, saw that there was no denying the ball was short. But it was all okay, because Jadeveon Clowney’s hit on Michigan’s poor running back and thus his fumble recovery righted all the wrongs.

After all was played and done, a few moments will last as slightly humorous, if only to me.

During the National Championship, McCarron and Alabama center Barrett Jones got into a little tussle when the teammates had a miscommunication. It was likely the most tense moment of the game, but watching them walk off after-

wards with pouty faces was the icing on the cake.

Finally – surely I’m not the only one who saw this – during the Cotton Bowl, one of the referees began to run backwards after he placed the ball and fell firmly on his bottom.

If you think I’m being sadistic, just think of the fall as a happy little moment that changes your mind when a team is losing so bad that you think you may stop watching.

This bowl season could have used more of those.

Tamzen Tumlison is a writer for the Arkansas Traveler. Her column appears every other Wednesday. Follow the sports section on Twitter @ UATravSports.

Page 8

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

COMMENTARY

Football Staff Working Now to Win Later Cameron McCauley Staff Writer

NEED TEXTBOOKS? we have got you covered

For some that believe football only takes place in the fall, new Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema and his staff are proving that there is no such thing as the offseason.

Now that ‘Coach B’ and his handpicked staff are all in place, they have wasted no time traveling around the country searching for the right players to make Arkansas better in the near and distant future. With such a geographically diverse coaching staff coming in, Arkansas has a leg up on recruiting competition. Some of the new coaches come over from Wisconsin with Bielema, others from Tennessee, TCU, Washington and Miami.

As expected, it was crucial to retain as many early commitments as possible, which generally might pose a challenge for incoming coaching staffs. Many of Arkansas’ earlier commits were visited by the new staff this past week to help further ease the transition of coaches from old to new.

Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney spent Sunday visiting Fayetteville High School quarterback Austin Allen, a three-star recruit and brother of Hog quarterback Brandon Allen. Chaney and Allen apparently hit it off according to HawgSports.com’s Danny West, as the Elite 11 quarterback remains firm in his commitment to the Hogs.

Other local recruits to receive in-home visits from the new staff were Greenwood High School wide receiver Drew Morgan and Fayetteville High School linebacker Brooks Ellis. The threestar recruits were visited by George McDonald, who is expected to leave Arkansas to take the offensive coordinator job at Syracuse, and Randy Shannon, respectively, and were delighted with what the new coaches had to offer.

Shannon, the former head coach at Miami and new linebackers coach, gives Arkansas a significant recruiting advantage because of his experience on the recruiting trail. McDonald has also been listed as one of the top 25 recruiters in the country in 2012 according to ESPN. Now that it appears that Bielema has been able to sustain most of his commitments from last year’s staff late in the recruiting period, some bigger targets around the country are in high demand for Bielema’s staff in 2013.

New running backs coach Joel Thomas visited the home of Plantation, Fla., running back Alex Collins, who is expected to take his official visit to Arkansas Jan. 25. The 5-foot-11-inch, 207-pound Collins, a four-star recruit and the 11th best running back prospect in the country according to rivals.com, was heavily recruited by Bielema’s staff at Wisconsin and thus remains high on the Hogs’ wish list.

Collins and North Little

SWIM continued from page 7

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zorbacks now turn their attention to a meet in Columbia, S.C., against SEC foe South Carolina and Florida State.

South Carolina comes into the meet with a 2-4 record, but they are fresh off a 184-115 win over the Duke Blue Devils.

The Gamecocks have improved as the season progressed. The win over the Blue Devils was their second straight win and followed a second-place finish at the Virginia Tech Invitational.

South Carolina is paced by junior Amanda Rutqvist and

senior Matea Peteh this season.

Rutqvist set a Taishoff Aquatic Pavillion record against Duke in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:15.30.

She was also a part of the 200 IM relay that won with a time of 1:44.20.

Peteh won the 100 backstroke against Duke with a time of 57.06. Her personal best in that race was set in last year’s SEC Championship with a time was 56.11.

Florida State is coming off an upset win of their own, beating the 11th-ranked and

Rock High School’s Altee Tenpenny are some of Arkansas’ top targets, two physical backs who would fit well into Bielema’s run-oriented attack that made Montee Ball famous at Wisconsin. Tenpenny is verbally committed to Alabama, but Bielema made it clear in his opening remarks as head coach that he wants the top recruits in the state to stay and play in Fayetteville.

To get a feel for the distances coaches travel to recruit, take Honolulu’s Reeve Koehler as an example.

Bielema and offensive line coach Sam Pittman flew out to Hawaii to pay the 6-foot-3inch, 280-pound Koehler an in-home visit.

A four-star offensive guard and Army All-American, Koehler has narrowed his choices to Arkansas and Kansas, and said he will make his decision once he returns to Hawaii from his official visit to Fayetteville Jan. 18.

National signing day isn’t until Feb. 6, so until then there will be much speculation about how the 2013 class will turn out. The way Bielema and his staff are working on the recruiting trail, expect Arkansas to finish up the recruiting season strong and get recruits that can make an immediate impact on the program.

Cameron McCauley is a writer for the Arkansas Traveler. This is a guest column.

Follow the sports section on Twitter @UATravSports.

rival Florida Gators 157-143.

This is only one of two meets this weekend for the Razorbacks. After the meet in South Carolina, the Hogs will drive up to Davidson, N.C., to face Davidson college less than 24 hours after Friday’s meet.

Schimmel feels that the quick turnaround will benefit the team in the future. “It’s about SEC preparation for championships,� Schimmel said, “we have a similar situation where we have to be really great on Friday, get on a bus, do some travelling and get ready to go against Davidson.�

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Andrew Hutchinson Staff Writer Head coach Sean Schimmel discussed the upcoming meet at South Carolina.

RANKING continued from page 7 us out,� Lyst said. “We definitely need their routines.�

One of the notable freshmen, Sydnie Dillard, tied for 12th nationally on the beam with her score of 9.875. “Sydnie was fantastic,� Lyst said. “That was such a joy to see her perform her beam routine.

We basically recruited her for balance beam, and then she’s come through on floor and has been so clean on floor.�

Junior Katherine Grable

won the all-around competition against Georgia with a total score of 39.450. Her score also earned a fifth-place all-around rank nationally.

Lyst said that the Razorbacks are entering the new gymnastics season with a “high level of difficulty, and a good level of consistency,� a good combination to continue improving as they perform throughout the year.

The coaches expect Arkan-

sas to be one of the top 12 teams that will advance to the NCAA Championship after a season that landed the Hogs at the Super Six for the second time in program history. Six of the last seven years, Arkansas found their way into the championship. “We just have to stay consistent, not count any mistakes and get a good road score,� Lyst said. “To get a good start on the road is really important for us.�