The Future of Music Page 5
Vol. 106, NO. 1 UATRAV.COM
PAGE 1 MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011
In This Issue:
News
Course Evals Go to Emails Course evaluations will be given through emails in Fall of 2011.
Page 3
News
Briefly Speaking A list of interesting events for the week.
Page 2
Features
Pets in College? Pros and cons of having a pet during the college years.
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Features
A Climber’s Dream La Casa Pollo contains 14,000 square feet of indoor climbling surfaces.
Page 5
Sports
RazorbacksVolleyball Razorbacks finish the Arkansas Invitational with two wins.
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Opinion
RIC Changes Marks New Era for Organization Traveler Columnist Joe Kieklak discusses changes made to RIC during the summer, and their implications.
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UA Website Will Not Include Spanish Option by JANNEE SULLIVAN Contributing Writer
The Spanish option on the Financial Aid website will likely not be expanded to the entire UA website, said Suzanne McCray, vice provost of enrollment. With 82,465 Spanish speakers in Washington County, Spanish is a prominent language in the area and the second most spoken language in the world, according to Ethnologue Languages of the World. Approximately 861 Hispanic students were enrolled at the UA in fall semester according to the Office of Institutional Research. The option, which can be found on the top right-hand corner of the financial aid website, was created by the Office of Admissions upon the employment of two new Spanish-speaking recruiters, McCray said. Although the Office of Admissions staff doesn’t have every part of its website in Spanish, “we try to do as much as we can to make sure everyone has access to the resources,” McCray said. Accuracy is also a priority for the Spanish version of the website, McCray said. While there are no plans to expand the Spanish option to other parts of the website, the Office of Admissions will continue to provide Spanish-speaking students and parents with information in their native language on the financial aid page. Some campus organizations would encourage the school to incorporate the Spanish option into the long-term plan for the new website – and even throughout the campus.
see SPANISH on page 2
MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011 VOL. 106, NO. 3 8 PAGES UATRAV.COM
GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
MarTez Hammonds (left) and Ashley Del Ciello (right) lead a flash mob dance during Razorbash August 25. The dance was coordinated by Student Affairs and took place outside the Union.
Razorbash Flash
Razorbash Sucessful for RSOs
by HAILEY RAY Staff Writer
Students browsed more than 120 booths from a variety of local groups at Razorbash Thursday at the Union Mall. Razorbash, sponsored by the office of Student Affairs, welcomed students to campus and gave opportunities to win prizes, collect a variety of free samples and promotional items and gather information from local busi-
nesses, Registered Student Organizations and city groups. While Razorbash exposes freshmen to a variety of information, upperclassmen also enjoy and benefit from the event. “I love Razorbash,” said Tori Pohlner, junior. “It’s the best way to get free stuff and network people. You remember all of the clubs you forgot about.”
see RAZORBASH on page 3
Bikes, Blues & BBQ Expands by LEIGH JACKSON Staff Writer
The 12th annual Bikes, Blues and BBQ motorcycle rally, which will take place September 28 - October 1, is expanding to locations in Springdale, said B.B.B directors in a press conference Friday. “We’ll be expanding to Springdale this year in conjunction with the city of Springdale and the Springdale Chamber of Commerce,” said Joe Giles, executive director. “We’ve simply outgrown Fayetteville, and Bikes, Blues & BBQ is good for all of Northwest Arkansas.” “This is a very important event for Fayetteville and for Northwest Arkansas,” said Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse.“I’m excited for Springdale and just wanted to express my appreciation.” There will be a stunt
team of riders from Tulsa, Okla. at Bikes, Blues and BBQ. “They will be really entertaining,” Giles said. “Depending on how much you like sparks and flames.” There’s going to be a high-wire motorcycle trapeze show at the Washington County fairgrounds, and there will be some motocross events in Springdale, Giles said. “The kid who rides a dirt bike could care less about my Harley, but he’ll show up to watch the motocross races,” Giles said. The professional motocross races will start Friday, and the amateur races will start Saturday, Giles said. The amateur races include age groups starting at 5 years old, Giles said. Cowboy Kenny Bartram will be at B.B.B. this year, Giles said. Bartram is a famous freestyle motocross driver,
Giles said. “Bartram will be a major growth attraction,” Giles said. Another attraction will be the addition with more family-friendly events. This year, Bikes, Blues and BBQ has partnered with Cross Church and will provide free snow cones for kids. There will be a family friendly area and a kids bicycle parade. “We are trying to help parents and kids to get more involved,” said Coleson Burns, one of the coordinators of Bikes, Blues and BBQ. The festival will also have music. “It’s a rally full of free music,” Giles said.“Really good, totally free music.” Performances will start 5 p.m. Wednesday and will go until 11 p.m. every night of the rally, Giles said.
see BBB on page 2
ZACH JORDAN CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Thousands of bikers will flock to Northwest Arkansas this week for Arkansas’ biggest motorcycle rally. Students typically have mixed feelings about the rally – some enjoy participating while others find it little more than a noisy disturbance.
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Chancellor G. David Gearhart, spoke about the record number of students enrolled at the UA. Enrollment has increased by 8 percent from the 2010 school year.
UA Enrollment Breaks Record by ADAM TABOR Staff Writer
UA enrollment increased by 53 percent during the past two years, said a UA official at a press conference Friday at Davis Hall. “As of today we have 23,153 students enrolled,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “This represents a milestone at the UA.” Of the more than 23,000 students, 4,400 are incoming freshman, who represent the UA’s “largest and most accomplished class in our 100-year history,” Gearhart said . The university has also received an increase in transfer enrollment with 1,514 incoming transfers, said Vice Provost Suzanne McCray. “These numbers are extraordinary,” Gearhart said. This number is subject to change over the next two weeks, Gearhart said, but the UA will still have the largest student body in its history. “This is by far an all-time record,” Gearhart said. “We predicted this number last November,” Gear-
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hart said. ““Reaching our prediction is like jumping out of a plane on a windy day and hitting the one foot ‘X’ on the sidewalk.” This shows that the UA is the university of choice in Arkansas, Gearhart said. “Our school has students from every county in Arkansas, all 50 states and 125 countries,” Gearhart said. “This makes the student body the most diverse it has ever been.” “We have grown faster than we ever anticipated,” Gearhart said . “We have added 8,000 students over the past year.” “We have not sacrificed quality for quantity,” Gearhart said. “We have increased our number of National Merit Scholars to 41.” The incoming freshmen are still on par with the average UA freshmen GPA and ACT scores. “The mean GPA of [this year’s] entering freshmen remains at 3.6 and average ACT score of a 26,” McCray said. “The number of entering freshmen who had a high school GPA of 3.75 or higher grew by 22.9 percent over last year, and those with an ACT score of 30 or more grew by 10.1 percent,” McCray said. “We are recruiting not numbers, but alumni.”
see GEARHART on page 3
NEWS
MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011
BRIEFLY SPEAKING International Language Center
The Spring International Language Center staff is hosting a teaching-training program for English teachers from Turkey from Aug. 4 to Sept. 9. The SILC staff is looking for seniors or graduate students to be “teaching buddies” for the Turkish students. Time needed is 10 hours a week and volunteers will need to drive three students to different locations. A small stipend will be paid for gas. If interested, please contact Alannah Massy at alannah@uark.edu or 575-7600.
Full Circle Food Pantry
The Full Circle Food Pantry staff will be accepting donations until Sept. 15 from students, faculty and staff. The items must be non-perishable. Contact Mehak Gupta, mxg020@uark.edu or Kelsy Lichenberg, kelsy.lichenberg@gmail.com for more information.
Conversation Club
Conversation Club training will be from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m Tuesday in the ISIS Room of Holcombe Residence Hall.
Football 101
Football 101 will be from 5 p.m to 6 p.m on Aug. 31 in the Holcome Hall living room. Grant Bearfield and Emily Lhamon will teach the basic rules of football and some UA cheers. Snacks will be provided.
SNL Comedian at Union Ballroom
Saturday Night Live comedian, Jay Pharoh, will be in the Union Ballroom from 9 p.m to 10 p.m on Aug. 31. This event is hosted by the University Programs Comedy Committee. Pharoh is known for his many celebrity impressions, including Barack Obama, Will Smith and Jay-Z.
International Culture Team
The International Culture Team is partnering with Fayetteville First Thursday to create the “Fest of All” event. The “Fest of All” will feature song, dance, art and traditional music from cultures that are not frequently represented in Northwest Arkansas. The festival will be from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 1 at the Fayetteville Square. The International Culture Team will be meeting at 4 p.m. at Holcombe Hall.
Arkansas v. Missouri State
The Arkansas v. Missouri State football game will be Sept. 3 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Kick-off will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the UA ticket office with a valid student, faculty or staff ID card.
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SPANISH from page 1
“There is not a uniform policy for producing Spanish resourcing across campus. In our new Office of Latino Academic Advancement and Community Relations, a campus wide clearinghouse for Latino related initiatives, we will gladly advise the different units on which materials would be beneficial to translate,” said Luis Restrepo, the assistant vice provost for diversity. “I consider [it] important to acknowledge and value the students’ native language. In my work with Latino students, Spanish is an important component in our outreach programs, especially those reaching the parents,” Restrepo said. To many, representing language diversity on campus is an important goal. “I love my diversity, and I think it’s important for the University to provide resources, not just for Spanish-speakers but for all foreign students,” said Brenda Medina, a Bolivian native and a UA freshman. “It is great we are including Spanish, which is de facto the second language of this country. We should value this linguistic
diversity as an asset, not a problem,” Restrepo said. Though the UA may not make it a priority to expand resources for Spanish-speaking students any further than the information provided on the financial aid website, there are many groups on campus dedicated to promoting diversity of language and ethnicity. In addition to the Hispanic student body, the UA also plays host to more than 800 international students from more than 125 countries. Although the website doesn’t cater to the native languages of all international students, the UA provides intensive English language learning opportunities, such as those found through the Spring International Language Center. The SILC is a 9-week accelerated English course for international students to prepare for living in America. Despite the fact that the UA will not provide a parallel Spanish website for its Spanish-speaking students, the Office of Admissions is taking steps to make its website more accessible to UA students.
ABOUT THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER The Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper of the University of Arkansas, is published every day during the fall and spring academic sessions except during exam periods and university holidays. Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Traveler. The editor makes all final content decisions. One copy of The Arkansas Traveler is free to every member of the UA community. Additional copies can be purchased for 50 cents each. Mail subscriptions for delivery within the continental United States can be purchased for $125.00 per semester. Contact the Traveler Business Manager to arrange.
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MATTIE QUINN BBB from page 1 There will be a $200 V.I.P experience offered to Bikes, Blues and BBQ participants this year, Giles said. There will be two concerts at the Arkansas Music Pavilion: Candlebox and Jamie Johnson, Giles said. Bikes, Blues and BBQ has become a recognized event in the state. “Gov. [Mike] Beebe even said that we are the official Arkansas state BBQ cook-off,” said Ron Autry, one of the coordinators of Bikes, Blues and BBQ. “When Bikes, Bikes & BBQ started, there were only six teams in the cook-off. Last year, there were 52,” Autry said. There will be a “people’s
choice awards” BBQ cook-off event Friday night at the Washington County fairgrounds. The first 3500 ticket buyers will be allowed to vote, Autry said. The tickets will be $6 each: $5 for a tasting kit, and one for parking, Autry said.
Saturday
“Bikes, Blues & BBQ is not only a great event, but it gives some folks help when they think they don’t have a hope,” said Lioneld Jordan, mayor of Fayetteville. “That’s what it’s about, people helping people.”
The official cook-off : Noon-pork ribs 12:30-chicken 1:00-pork butt/shoulder 1:30-pork brisket Winner announced at 3 p.m. sharp
PAGE 2
News Editor 575-3226 travnews@uark.edu
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CORRECTIONS The Arkansas Traveler strives for accuracy in its reporting and will correct all matters of fact. If you believe the paper has printed an error, please notify the editor at 575.8455 or at traveler@uark.edu.
CAMPUS NUMBERS NEED EMERGENCY HELP? CALL UAPD 575-2222
The women and men of the University of Arkansas Police Department, in partnership with the community, are committed to protecting the future of Arkansas by promoting a safe and secure environment.
HAVE A TICKET? CALL 575-7275 TO RESOLVE IT
The Transit and Parking office handles parking permits and passes and transit for students, including bus routes and GoLoco Ride Sharing. Students with parking violations can contact the office to appeal their citation.
NEED A RIDE AT NIGHT? CALL 575 - 7233 Otherwise known as 575-SAFE, the mission of the Safe Ride program is to provide students with a safe means of transportation from any uncomfortable or inconvenient situation. Safe Ride brings you home safely.
NEED TICKETS? CALL 1-800-982-4647 Don’t forget to call early and reserve your student football tickets for the 2010-2011 season. The ticket office is located on Razorback Road next to Baum Stadium.
PAGE 3
NEWS
MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011
Course Evaluations Moving to Online Format
GEARHART from page 1 “[These numbers] put us more in line with other SEC schools and major research universities,” McCray said. “This also enhances our state’s attractiveness to new jobs,” Gearhart said, “and it helps to keep tuition costs down, which is very important.” “We are considering holding student enrollment at 25,000,” Gearhart said, “at least until we can catch up.” That number should take three to four years to realize, Gearhart said. UA officials also noticed a large increase in the diversity among its students, McCray said. The total number of freshmen increased by 17 percent since last fall, McCray said, and in that increase, the UA has received a 25 percent increase in African American students, 28 percent increase in Latino students, 23 percent increase in Asian students and a 24 percent increase in students who identify themselves as two or more racial or ethnic backgrounds. This marks one of the highest ratings of diversity in UA history, McCray said. McCray also addressed some possible contributing factors to the large increase in students. “No question the lottery has helped,“ said McCray, “especially those students who leave with debt.” Students are always looking for a way to fund school, McCray said, but the important thing is they are choosing the UA to use those funds. The student body is not the only rapidly growing body on campus. The UA added 32 tenuretrack faculty members in the past two years, Gearhart said. Growing comes with pain and the UA is experiencing those pains; however, everyone that they will subside and, in the end, be well worth it, Gearhart said. Gearhart addressed the campus construction to accommodate the rapidly growing population of students. Some of the new buildings will be opening soon, with oth-
by KAREN STIGAR Staff Writer
CONTESSA SHEW STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Phil Gore and Kaleb Belcher, freshmen living at Yocum Hall, are staying healthy and on time by riding their bikes on campus regularly. ers opening over a course of the next two years, Gearhart said. UA officials plan to add new buildings across campus to accommodate the growing student body as well as offer new and improved facilities, he said. The university administration has plans to buy any adjacent property, as it becomes available, Gearhart said . “We think we have room for growth for the next 25-30 years,” Gearhart said. “Currently, we need more intramural space and parking,” Gearhart said . Gearhart also addressed the housing situation and strategies the UA is employing to deal with the lack of room for students to live on campus. Several older, decommissioned residence halls are being renovated to house students, Gearhart said. “Though it is not ideal for the students who want to live on campus,” Gearhart said, “it is important and fortunate that there is plenty of outside housing available in Fayetteville.”
The university is growing in an effort to catch up and be able to accommodate all students who wish to live on campus within the next few years, Gearhart said. The largest problem, Gearhart said, is trying to build what the UA needs without overbuilding and creating wasted space. Despite the increase in students and the growing pains the UA is experiencing, the student outlook of the school does not seem to have diminished, said Kiera Brown, freshman. “The UA emphasizes the ‘YOU’ of A, Brown said. “I did not choose the UA; the UA chose me.” “This university feels like a close-knit, family-oriented place,” Brown said. Another student agreed with Brown. “[UA] is a place where I can feel at home and call my home,” said freshman Hubert Lee.
The UA administration began using online course evaluations this summer as a trial and will continue to use them throughout the year as an attempt to lower expenses, according to a policy passed by the UA faculty senate. Online evaluations are expected to serve three purposes: feedback on how students rate existing and potential ways to promote teaching and learning, easier use and quicker feedback so, after grades are submitted, the faculty can consider the feedback in a timely manner for the next semester said David Gay, chair of faculty senate. “Whether students will be more or less likely to respond depends upon the student,” Gay said. The paper evaluation response rate was also dependent on students who attended class, which was not an issue with evaluations online, Gay said. However, if a response has not been received by students, they will continue to receive a follow-up email, which is expected to increase the response rate, according to the
RAZORBASH from page 1 “It’s free stuff. It’s good for everybody,” said Marcus Romes, psychology major. “I was grateful for the opportunity to walk around and meet with different groups in person,” said Rachel Chase, freshman. “It’s a really great way to see what is available around campus,” she said. Chase had attempted to find out more information about different RSOs on the university’s website, “the website is a mess,” she said. A variety of RSOs spread information to students to attract new members and spread the word about upcoming events
new policy. “I hope that students treat the evaluations seriously. I treat their responses seriously,” Gay said. Through the trial period for online evaluations during the summer, administrators found that it took students an average of three days to respond to online evaluations as opposed to the average 15 minutes it took for in-class evaluations, which will hopefully lead to a more honest response, Gay said. Many colleges have already made the switch to online evaluations, such as Boston College and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. There are several reasons why colleges and universities are transferring to online course evaluations. The main reason is the efficiency of doing evaluations online. When course evaluations are online, administrators can more easily sort and organize the information, without cutting into class time, and to help faculty to adjust and to use what works well and adjust for what are hoped to be improvements, said Lynn Burley, director of academic assessments at UCA. “We made the transfer be-
cause of funding in particular — in terms of staff and time and also losing half of the classes time, whereas online no time is taken out of class,” Burley said. UCA administrators cut expenses by using online course evaluations, Burley said. The involvement from students, however, did decline the first year, but by the second year of using online course evaluations, student involvement increased, Burley said. Madison Watt, a student at Austin College in Sherman Texas, takes course evaluations seriously, she said. “Course evaluations give the universities and colleges an idea of what is working and how to correct things that are not,” Watt said, “so I always answer them fully and with my honest opinion of the course and teachers.” She wouldn’t take evaluations more seriously if they were online because they take out of her free time, and there is no pressure to get them done when outside of the classroom, Watt said. Austin College still administers course evaluations in class, using paper and pencil.
— from Young Democrats and Associated Student Government, to the Japanese Student Association. The social work action group, set up a booth to spread information about the social work program, as well as attract students interested in becoming involved or volunteering, said Whitney Ghassani, senior. “It’s a place where people come, and it’s easy to put the word out,” Ghassani said. “They can enter the raffle and get some information, and we can pass out more [to them.]” The group received quite a bit of interest,and gathered more than three pages of signups from interested students, said SWAG President Kaylee Lark. Many businesses, both new
and established, drew students in with promotional items and free samples. Area vendors also provided free pizza and drinks. Pack Rat Outdoor Center gave away about $1,000 in prizes during the event, said Seth Hollingsworth, sales floor manager. Students who could show that they “liked” Pack Rat on Facebook were also entered into a drawing for gift cards, he said. “There are a lot of new students who don’t know who we are,” he said. Pack Rat has been in Fayetteville for 38 years, and attended Razorbash for the last five years, he said.
OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
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EDITOR: Saba Naseem MANAGING EDITOR : Mattie Quinn
PAGE 4 MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011
FROM THE BOARD The Nature of the Beast? If you’ve watched the news during the last four days you might have heard a little something about Hurricane Irene that landed in North Carolina Saturday morning. It then barreled its way into New York City and the Northeast Sunday. Actually if you’ve watched the news since Wednesday night or Thursday Hurricane Irene was probably all you heard about, unless you’re observant enough to read the ticker at the bottom of the screen. (Then you’ve might have read about President Obama and his family leaving Martha’s Vineyard and other hurricane-related snippets.) During, and because of, the Hurricane Irene coverage valid points were brought up about how effective broadcast reporting of the storm was. Jeff Jarvis, a journalism professor at City College in New York City, called the coverage overhyped, and that projecting a worst-case-scenario or end-ofthe-world type in broadcast television makes viewers less inclined to believe reporting for future storms. (They become, in effect as others have pointed out, the reporters that cried wolf.) Anderson Cooper, a Traveler favorite, validated Jarvis’ statements by projecting what would happen if Hurricane Irene hit New York City as a category three hurricane, even though the National Weather Service had shown ,by Saturday evening, that wasn’t going to happen. Maybe you haven’t watched cable news since Wednesday though for the exact reasons we’re talking about. Maybe you haven’t watched cable news since last Monday or Tuesday. Back then Hurricane Irene was in the Caribbean and the lead story, and for most part the only story, was progress in Libya, particularly the rebel groups taking control of Tripoli, and the (still continuing) hunt for Qaddafi. We aren’t saying these stories aren’t important, they are. Though overblown by some cable news stations, a hurricane should always be taken seriously, and the news media is an easy outlet to make sure as many people as possible know about evacuation plans. But the influence of that powerful megaphone is lessened when people stop listening because reporters exaggerated the last time. Likewise, Libya is important too. (If anything we wish more people paid attention to news from Africa- or the Middle East, South America or really anywhere besides the U.S. and Western Europe- when riots, severe famine or revolutions weren’t involved.) But when the major news stations give a significant monopoly of their time to one story, it does a disservice to the approximately 58 percent of people that get their news from cable news shows, according to the Pew Center’s “State of New Media 2011”. If you had gone online or read a newspaper, you would also know that there was a bombing in Nigeria, Japan’s Prime Minister announced his resignation, and Andrew DeMillo, a reporter in AP’s Little Rock bureau, wrote a piece about potential fall out from the West Memphis Three decision. We know what “new media” is doing to our brain (and if you don’t you should Google Nicholas Carr and read some of his articles) but don’t do the injustice of thinking we can only handle one story at a time. And in an era where 63 percent of Americans think the news organizations get facts wrong and 60 percent think news organizations are biased, according to a Pew Center report from 2009, sensationalizing a serious event only underlines the cracks Americans are seeing in the media, and gives readers a viewers another reason to withhold the trust we ask of them when they watch our station, read our paper or go to our website.
Quote Of The Day “Our school has students from every county in Arkansas, all 50 states and 125 countries.”
-UA Chancellor G. David Gearhart, “UA Enrollment Breaks Record”
HEBRON CHESTOR STAFF CARTOONIST
RIC Changes Marks New Era for Organization by Joe Kieklak
Staff Columnist
Being a Lead Hog was one of those volunteer opportunities that I immediately jumped on with my best friend when we were given the opportunity. With four little siblings, I couldn’t wait to head out of the house. Not only could we move in early, but also it would be a great opportunity to meet people by helping them move in their belongings, which I then found out would be at 6:30 a.m. A total downer. In the end, however, the process was a blast, and all residents are moved in. It’s odd that the first campus involvement I’ve had as a freshman has concluded. Yet there are so many more for myself, and all others to try. Whether one is involved in recruitment and rush, intermurals, religious groups, No Women Left Behind or any other of the myriad of organizations and clubs we have on campus, unlike high school, it seems there is something for everyone on campus. For those interested in politics and government and are staying in campus residence halls, the UA has an platform for on-campus students —Residents’ Interhall Congress. Being elected through a residence hall senate or student interest and activities board in one’s residence hall,
EDITOR Saba Naseem MANAGING EDITOR Mattie Quinn OPINION EDITOR Jordain Carney ENTERPRISE EDITOR Samantha Williams CONTACT US The Arkansas Traveler welcomes letters to the editor from all interested readers. Letters should be at most 300 words and should include your name, student classification and major or title with the university and a day-time telephone number for verification. Letters should be sent to traveler@uark.edu.
tablished an application process similar to an “intentto-run” form that one would return to a county clerk, and even a hall-by-hall electronic ballot. All this in an effort to show administrators and “other campus governing organizations that RIC means business,” Mussar said, as well as wanting “to make sure that our voice is legitimately carrying its weight.” Mussar and RIC are on the right track. The changes made have helped shift responsibility and control inconsistencies that “didn’t feel right,” to any of the RIC senate and faculty members, said Breffle, a RIC cosponsor. In addition to RIC stepping in, RAs have more responsibilities with the new procedures. Many dorms have assigned individual RAs to help oversee election processes. Assigned RAs are in charge of getting the word of RIC elections out to students in dorms, as well hanging flyers for hall senate and SIAB elections. Often, it’s hard to give a 100 percent approval rating of any government body or organization, however it seems that a new administration of RIC headed by President Mussar is going in the right direction. Hall election processes were fractured, but with reformation and a division of responsibility, that doesn’t
place all responsibility on resources already spread thin, it’s clear that election processes will quickly have more legitimacy and will run more efficiently. Not only are there more hands running the election, the election handbook gives clear guidelines for those unfamiliar in running the elections, one attempt in giving more legitimacy and weight since election officials know what they’re doing. Giving more confidence to both officials and students interested in running. Finally, with more awareness for the elections, competition among halls has a chance to build, putting the best in office to lead both halls and the campus as RIC senators. RIC has already solidified its prowess this year as a powerhouse organization, bringing a huge success to the table in election reformation — the test now is will those elections run smoothly. Time can only tell, but one thing is certain, they have readily prepared and have taken steps this year to create a 2011-2012 Residents’ Interhall Congress that will not only run well within the organization, but lead the university with an explosive number of attendees to unparalleled success. Joe Kieklak is a freshman majoring in philosophy and journalism- advertising/ public relations.
Despite Differences, Students Can Help Each Other A Nontraditional Way by Emily Hilley
Staff Columnist
EDITORIAL BOARD
a student may then run for a spot on the RIC Senate, and ultimately the RIC executive team. This year, however, RICs election processes are reformed. Noting that previous fall elections for RIC were “pretty inconsistent across the board,” Mussar said he believed change was needed. This summer, Mussar, RIC Vice President Tyler Priest, and RIC President Pro Tempore Conrad Witte teamed up over an e-conference and made the decision to reform the process. As well as fixing inconsistencies, Mussar feared that the organization was losing legitimacy, a paramount issue when shepherding in the largest UA freshmen class in history. Finally, Mussar felt it was necessary to take the elections solely out of the hands of hall coordinators. RICs new system features more involvement from the congress, as RIC members are helping to run the elections, and requiring each hall to have a competitive election as opposed to individuals merely signing up for the congress. Moreover, the RIC executive board established a handbook for running elections, “with all the information they (election officials) could ever want on our and their hall’s election process,” Mussar said. Finally, the board has es-
The fever and frenzy of midterms last semester prompted a baby-faced, stressed-out student to lament, “I can’t wait to finish college. I’m so sick of this place.” I thought to myself, “Spend ten years in the work force and then let me hear you say that.” Nontraditional students are drawn to each other, and maybe this is one reason why—we know that college is a privilege, and we relish the opportunity to be here. We rarely miss class; and if we do, there is a good reason—our child or spouse is ill or the car blew up. We are bright-eyed and bushytailed, despite the age (wisdom) around our eyes. You will not often see a nontraditional student clandestinely surfing the Internet during class. The Internet and the Mac inspire awe in those who remember antique computers, the kind that occupied entire rooms. We remember the Dewey Decimal System, disco, the Berlin Wall and (gasp!) life before cell phones. Almost 45 percent of the American public (from teenagers
to seniors) uses social media, according to the Pew Research Center. Painting in broad strokes with a wide brush, generational differences seem apparent in the degree of obsession with social media. Shockingly, for many older students it is not traumatic to go hours without checking email or Facebook. It is commonplace to see students walking down steep stairs or crossing the street staring at “smart phones.” How smart is that? I can wait until I am on flat ground to check my Facebook account, and live another day. Off Campus Connections is part of the UA Division of Student Affairs. OCC administration and staff are committed to helping nontraditional students adjust to 21st century college life. Nontraditional status requires a student meet at least one of eight criteria, which often overlap. Single parents, students over age 25, married students, those with dependents, those working full time and those who are financially independent are all nontraditional. This is a broad demographic; clearly, one columnist does not speak for
all
nontraditional students. At the UA, students older than 25 represented 25 percent of the total student enrollment (including law and graduate students) in 2010, according to data from the UA Office of Institutional Research. Almost 13 percent of the undergraduate population in 2010 were older than 25. Arkansas Department of Higher Education data from the 44 higher education institutions in the state indicate that 35 percent of the 173,000 college students in 2010 were older than 25. An anthropologist (me) asks why it seems nontraditional students hang out together so often. The short answer is basic human tribalism. There is a natural tendency to seek companionship with people with whom we have a lot in common. There are many other reasons, however. For one thing, we actually look around and see each other because cell phones and iPads do not completely consume our attention. Another reason for friendships among nontraditional students is the sharing of priori-
ties; family and education reign supreme. Finding that elusive place to park on Dickson Street or shopping for the newest and coolest “app” are not priorities. Nontraditional student Beth Owen agreed that there is a unique cohesion among older students. “I think a lot of us bond because we understand each other in ways traditional students don’t,” she said. “Most of us work; we have families to take care of.” Owen pointed out the added stress students with children face. “My hat is off to them,” she said. “They raise children and manage a family and part-time job, all while keeping steady on their goal of getting that degree.” Even though older students have a tendency to hang out with each other, nontraditional students relish the opportunity to learn about new ideas and technology from younger students. College is about learning new perspectives. So, look up from your smart phones, take your headphones off and chat with an older or nontraditional student—who knows, we may both learn something.
Scan here to go to the Features section on uatrav.com:
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
FEATURES
FEATURES EDITOR: Lauren Leatherby ASST. FEATURES EDITOR: Kelsi Ford
PAGE 5 MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011
A Burden Access, Not Ownership, is orPets: a Companion? the Future of Music by EMILY RHODES Staff Writer
JACKI FROST STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Tuned in, freshman Chelsea Anderson listens to Pandora to soothe her nerves as she begins the first paper of her college career.
by EDDIE GREGG Staff Writer
Access to millions of songs— for free: That’s what music streaming services like Pandora, Grooveshark and Spotify offer. And it’s all perfectly legal (minus a few lawsuits here and there). While iTunes and similar programs continue to dominate online music sales, over the last few years these online music-streaming services and others like them have become increasingly popular. Why? Because access, not ownership, is the future of music, said Daniel Ek, founder of music streaming service Spotify, said in a recent CNN.com story. Spotify, which is based in Sweden, launched its music streaming service in the United States in July, offering free access to 15 million songs from any computer and most smart phones. There are a few catches, though: You have to be connected to the Internet, you have to suffer through the occasional ad and you are limited to 10 hours of listening time per month. For ad-free listening on Spotify, users can pay $4.99 a month. For unlimited listening time and offline access to Spotify’s music, users can upgrade to Spotify Premium for $9.99 a month. Compare that to iTunes
where songs range in price from $0.69 up to $1.29 each and albums usually cost $9.99. ITunes does have Spotify beat, though, when it comes to selection, with more than 18 million songs. For roughly $120 you could get 12 albums on iTunes, or you could use that same $120 to get one year of unlimited, ad-free access to Spotify’s 15 million songs. Grooveshark is similar to Spotify—a basic membership offers free access to Grooveshark’s 12 million-song catalog. For $6 a month users can enjoy ad-free listening and for $9 they can take advantage of unlimited access to Grooveshark’s music catalog from any computer and some smart phones. The Apple App store pulled Grooveshark’s iPhone because of legal issues, but those with a jail-broken iPhone can get around this problem. While Spotify and Grooveshark allow users to create playlists, Pandora works more like a radio station. Pandora creates “stations” of similar music for listeners based on their initial selection of an artist or song. Pandora does this by using its Music Genome Project, which considers hundreds of music “genes” when picking songs for users’ stations. “[I use] Pandora if I want to find new music that's similar
to stuff I like or if I don't want to have to worry about making my own playlist,” said Kristina Drenckpohl, who graduated from the UA in May. However Pandora doesn’t always hit the mark when making music selections: “Pandora’s awesome, except when it takes my Jenny Lewis station and assumes I also love Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw,” said Elizabeth Hall, a senior English major. And unfortunately Pandora’s free version has a few more drawbacks: All listeners are only allowed to skip six songs per hour and are only allowed to skip 12 songs per day, but if you upgrade to a premium account for $36 a year, the daily limit on skips is removed (but you will still only be able to skip up to six songs per hour). Also, the free version of Pandora limits the listener to 40 hours of music streaming per month. If a listener hits 40 hours, a small fee of $0.99 will provide unlimited listening for the rest of the calendar month. Similarly, a payment of $36 will upgrade a listener to a yearlong premium account for unlimited listening. While Spotify, Grooveshark and Pandora all offer free or relatively affordable access to huge amounts of music, in terms of users
they have a ways to go before they catch up to iTunes, which purportedly has more than 200 million account holders. Spotify, which was founded in 2006, was barred from offering its services in the United States until this July for legal reasons. But it already has more than a million users in the United States in addition to the more than 10 million users in Europe, and Ek aims to reach 50 million Spotify users on this side of the Atlantic within a year. Current estimates for the number of Grooveshark users range from 10 to 35 million. Pandora boasted 80 million account holders at the time of its initial public offering back in February. In July, the service announced that the number had jumped to 100 million. If these music streaming sites continue to grow in popularity like they have over the last few years, iTunes may face some serious competition in the future. While all this free (or at least relatively cheap) access to music is great for consumers, where does it leave artists big and small who make the music we can’t get enough of? If access, not ownership, is the future of music, than the future of musicians could be pretty bleak financially. But hey, musicians thrive on hard times, right?
Each year, thousands of students move off campus into houses and apartments and gain nearly unlimited freedom to make choices not possible in residence halls. For many, adopting a pet is high on the “to-do” list for the start of the year. Before heading down to the local animal shelter or pet store, be sure that the decision you make today is one that you won’t regret tomorrow. Choosing to adopt an animal is a huge responsibility, and the cost and time involved in taking care of another life is often more work than many think. Brittany Johnson, a hospitality major, adopted Aspen, a Chihuahua, at the start of her junior year, and now she understands the amount of work that goes into caring for an animal. “Aspen is a financial burden, a serious distraction and she always makes a mess,” Johnson said. The two main factors that pets require are time and money. As a student, can you provide your new animal with the endless hours of bonding and training time and always be prepared for buying supplies and paying for unexpected medical expenses? Senior Ellen Barber adopted two dogs with her roommates last year — a chocolate lab and a black lab mix. “I’d say we’ve probably spent about $500 or $600 on them so far, and it has only been a year,” Barber said. “We’ve replaced everything from textbooks to remotes to our couches, and we’ve had to scrub every square inch of our carpet.” With all of the expenses aside, pets bring constant companionship,protectionandendlesslaughs. Before deciding on adoption, make sure that any roommates also want a pet. While it may seem easy to take care of a pet by oneself, anyone else in the house will always end up joining responsibility in cleaning up messes, feeding treats and going on walks. If a roommate already has pets, make sure that the breed you want works well with the current pet. Another issue to tackle is making sure that the landlord is okay with a new pet and that the living situation allows for an animal. Many apartment complexes charge high pet deposits, and evading deposit payment can cost much more in the long run. Bringing home a new puppy to your studio apartment may seem like the best decision of the year, but the day he chews up the carpet and rips through your new door blinds it will become a fi-
nancial decision to be regretted. The cost of owning a pet goes much farther than buying the occasional bag of pet food. Though dressing your pet for Halloween may seem like the most pressing issue when signing the adoption papers, purchases like crates, grooming supplies and toys can break the bank when they become routine. The annual cost of owning a medium sized dog is $1,580, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Medical expenses account for 46 percent of annual costs, and what can begin as a $35 vet check-up can escalate into a $200 surgery when the unexpected happens. Setting aside even $10 a month can help when facing large-price-tag vet visits. “Definitely do your research before you adopt a pet because they cost a lot of money and are responsibility,” Barber said. While the cost of owning a cat is much lower than owning a dog, at $1,035 per year, budget-conscious students may consider taking a kitten home instead. Cats are naturally cleaner, less active than dogs and easier to train and handle. For those with limited living space and time, this may be something to take into account when picking a new furry friend. Though money can be the greatest obstacle, time is also an important factor in being a good owner. Choosing to bring home a tiny pup may make your heart melt, but always being busy can hurt more than help. If you live in the library all semester, party nonstop on the weekend or can’t provide love and bonding time each day, it may be better to go solo. Through walking your dogs around the neighborhood, interacting with your new cat over his favorite feather toy and training, new pets will be happier, less stressed and much less likely to act out. Even though sometimes owning a pet and being a student seems too much to handle, pets provide constant loyalty, love and fun, and quickly become members of the family. “Even though owning a dog is a lot of trouble, I know that at the end of the day when I come home she is going to love and accept me no matter what,” Johnson said. Being sure that the decision you make is one you intend to keep makes adoption is a fulfilling experience, just be sure you are ready to provide your new pet with all the supplies, love and attention they need.
La Casa Pollo: A Climber’s Dream by EDDIE GREGG Staff Writer
CHANDLER CRACRAFT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER UA students scale the walls of La Casa Pollo Friday evening after thier first week of classes.
“I named these walls—this is Slabmeister,” said 66-yearold Richard Ruhland as he moved frenetically through his free-climbing gym, La Casa Pollo—the chicken house. La Casa Pollo, is aptly named — 14,000 sq. feet of indoor and outdoor climbing surfaces and 11,000 holds in an old poultry house, said Ruhland. The gym, located at 17496 Lake Sequoyah Rd, looks like a teetering, ramshackle house from a Tim Burton film, but Ruhland built it with love and an incredible attention to detail. “I have roughly 2,000 natural hand holds that I made myself of all natural rock,” he pointed out as he moved through the gym. Ruhland, a small man with a scraggly, yellowing beard and intense blue eyes, continued to explain the work and detail he has put into La Casa Pollo as he demonstrated his climbing abilities. Within seconds, he was overhead hugging the ceiling of an area he called the cave, mov-
ing with the fluid athleticism of someone 40 years his junior. “I like to climb, he said. “So each wall has a specific climber-orientated design reason. About every eight to 10 feet is a unique angle that will challenge you. It’s not just to impress you. It’s very functional.” For Ruhland — a Vietnam veteran, published poet and former fighter — climbing was a way to keep living his high-octane lifestyle without putting himself in danger. “I was a maniac. I stepped across the line a lot,” he said of his younger days. “Once I climbed that first rock—it was about a 55, 60-foot triple overhang, and I pulled it off on my first try wearing tennis shoes.” “It just—boom—my whole world changed that instant,” Ruhland said of his first major climb back in 1988. “That was the epiphany. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and it’s responsible.” With his newfound passion for climbing in full bloom, Ruhland needed a place to climb. Necessity was the moth-
er of invention, he said. And so he built La Casa Pollo. He built the gym, the pinnacle of which is a tower nearly 75 feet tall, to meet the needs of climbers of every caliber, who are all welcome as long as they don’t come in with attitudes, he said. “We’ve known a few—huh, huh—knuckle draggers in our day,” Ruhland said, grunting and mimicking a gorilla. “Usually for the most part they’re not even welcome here. If you come out here to be J-cool, you’re kind of in the wrong place.” Katie Russell, a senior communications major, got her start climbing at La Casa Pollo. “When I first went there I knew nothing [about climbing], and it’s kind of intimidating to be around a lot of strong people at the beginning,” she said. “The people are very welcoming. They taught me how to climb. They taught me technique. They taught me what I can do to get stronger and how to climb on problems.” La Casa Pollo feels like home to the climbers that frequent the gym. “It’s not the cleanest place ever, but I think that just adds to the
homey feel,” Russell said. “He [Ruhland] cares about the people there and about their safety, but he also realizes that looks aren’t everything. Richard is the exact same way. He looks like a gruff old man, but he’s very kind.” Aside from the personal attention Ruhland gives to the climbers in his gym, he also decided to make things easier for climbing fans by making his gym affordable. “It’s $7 for a day pass and $3 to rent shoes—that’s really cheap compared to other gyms,” Russell said. “I guarantee you, if you walk into any other 14,000 squarefoot gym, it’s going to be anywhere from about $20 to $35. I price it for the people in Arkansas,” Ruhland said. “It may be uglier than a mud fence,” Ruhland said. “But it is genuinely a climber’s gym.” Monthly membership at La Casa Pollo is $35, or climbers can pay $350 for a one-year membership. La Casa Pollo is open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
DOWNTIME
Today in History:
PAGE 6 MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011
Comics, Games, & Much Much More!
The Beatles’ last official concert takes place in Candlestick Park, San Francisco.
August 29, 1966
LAUGH IT UP
SUDOKU
Q: What’s Beethoven’s favorite fruit? A: Banananaaa... Q: Why don’t lobsters share their food? A: Because they are shellfish. For the music majors:
A C, an E flat, and a G walk into a bar. The bartender says “Sorry, we don’t serve minors.”
Difficulty:
Cow 1: Have you heard about that Mad Cow disease?
Cow 2: No, but it doesn’t affect me; I’m a
TODAY’S SOLUTION
helicopter!
WELCOME TO FALLING ROCK
Josh Shalek
THAT MONKEY TUNE
Michael A. Kandalaft
BREWSTER ROCKIT
Tim Rickard
BLISS
Harry Bliss
CALAMITIES OF NATURE
CROSSWORD ACROSS
DOWN
1 Bike part 6 Boo-boo 10 Call heard at night 14 Upstage a co-star, perhaps 15 No trouble at all 16 Within: Pref. 17 Very angry, informally? 19 Don Juan’s love 20 European cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin 21 Alehouse 23 High regard 24 Two-time ‘80s-’90s Senate majority leader 25 Roman trio 26 Tackle box item for liberals? 30 Head of Québec 33 New driver, typically 35 Heart line 36 Crew member 37 1947 South Seas traveler 39 Wrongdoing 40 Hobbit on a quest 42 California’s __ Valley 43 Deep-six 44 Chuck steak, for example? 46 Carol opener 48 One of the guys 49 Cling cause 53 Twins in the sky 56 “The Legend of Zelda: __ of Time”: video game 57 Base runner? 58 What 17-, 26- and 44-Across are, figuratively and literally 61 Temerity 62 Words after step or sleep 63 IV part 64 Pay to play 65 A fish named Dory helped find him 66 Starts fishing
1 In and of itself 2 Throws off 3 Shirk responsibility 4 One playing the field, e.g. 5 Alphabet soup bit 6 Bouquet greenery 7 Thai language 8 Navy ship letters 9 Words on a “greatest hits” album 10 Bar drunk’s comeuppance 11 Generous words 12 Febreze target 13 Having a hard time deciding 18 Recover from a knockout 22 Central Asia’s __ Mountains 24 It’s in your jeans 26 “__ Bleed”: Stones album 27 Roughly 28 Soul great Redding 29 24-Across’s state: Abbr. 30 Flavor-absorbing food 31 Holliday friend 32 De __: excessive 34 Come next 37 Mullah’s text 38 Velvet Elvis, e.g. 41 “The King of Kings” (1927) director 43 Winter Palace woman 45 Like some earrings 47 Like biased writing? 50 Turns blue, perhaps 51 Like a noble gas 52 Hidalgo houses 53 Hung up on, with “over” 54 McGregor of “Emma” (1996) 55 Shed 56 Bi- cubed 59 Somme one 60 Matchstick-removing game
Crossword provided by MCT Campus
SOLUTION
Tony Piro
SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
PAGE 7 MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011
Scan here to go to the Sports section on uatrav.com:
SPORTS EDITOR: Jimmy Carter ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: Zach Turner
SOCCER
VOLLEYBALL
Young Razorbacks Still on Learning Curve by LIZ BEADLE Staff Writer
Arkansas came out ready and energized against No. 7 Oklahoma State team but fell short to the Cowgirls 4-0. OSU led 2-0 at halftime and pulled away in the second half. “We made some bad mistakes and we didn’t capitalize on some opportunities,” said coach Erin Aubry. “Ultimately, that’s the difference between going from good to great.” Arkansas falls to 1-2 on the season while the Cowgirls remain unbeaten at 4-0. The game was physical throughout the duration with Oklahoma State racking up six fouls and Arkansas with eight The match was an early season Senior Night for Arkansas in front of 1,073 fans, although a majority of the attendance were Oklahoma State fans. “With it being the beginning of the season, it’s not as bad,” Tidwell said. “But we’re already getting sad to leave; being a member of this team has meant so much to me.” Krista Lopez scored the Cowgirls first goal 32 minutes into the match. Then with just 10 seconds remaining in the first half, Taylor Matthews chipped in a goal to give Okla-
homa St. a 2-0 halftime lead. “That is a team that’s ranked in the country right now, and you guys played with them the majority of the time,” Aubry said. “We had plenty of goalscoring opportunities.” The Cowgirls scored their third goal of the game 34 minutes into the second half, running the score to 3-0. “They scored their third goal and it deflated us, just like it did at Kansas,” Aubry said. “We’ve got to learn to overcome that: you can win games 4-3. I think we’re giving up a little too easily right now and that’s a problem we’re going to have to solve pretty quickly.” Kendra Boydstun scored the final goal of the game for the Cowgirls with less than three minutes remaining in the game, making the score 4-0. Freshman goalkeeper Emily Lillard struggled for a second straight game, allowing eight goals in her last two games. “I think we were a little intimidated, hearing No. 7, No. 7 all week long,” Aubry said. “We’ve got some young players who still need to get out of that mentality.” The weather also played a
see SOCCER on page 8
GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomore striker Raymariely Santos and Arkansas’ volleyball team lost to No. 15 Colorado State in straight sets Friday, then bounced back with straight-set wins against McNeese State and Middle Tennessee Saturday in the season-opening Arkansas Invitational at Barnhill Arena.
Razorbacks Finish Arkansas Invitational with Two Wins by MARTHA SWEARINGEN & MONICA CHAPMAN Staff Writer
LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman forward Jeri Ann Okoro and Arkansas’ soccer team dropped a 4-0 decision to unbeaten and No. 7 Oklahoma State Sunday at Razorback Field.
COMMENTARY
On the Edge of Glory 5th Quarter
RUMIL BAUTISTA rumilb@uark.edu Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino is no stranger to winning. It’s no secret that he holds his team to high standards, a value which the players have adopted for themselves. When Petrino was hired, Razorback fans knew what they were getting. In his short history here, he has already produced a 10-win season and the school’s first
BCS bowl berth. Petrino has a 60.5 percent winning rate in three seasons at Arkansas, 72.7 percent as a college coach overall. However, along with Petrino’s play calling pedigree came talk of his inability to stay with a program for more than a few seasons, leaving many to doubt his commitment to the Razorback program. In hopes of salvaging a proud tradition after the resignation of then-coach Houston Nutt, many turned a deaf ear to the controversial circumstances that ended Petrino’s brief stint coaching NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. It was more important to Hog Nation to win. Petrino’s track record of leaving programs prematurely, though, seems to have
see COMMENTARY on page 8
Arkansas’ volleyball team defeated Middle Tennessee in straight sets (25-22, 25-20, 25-21) to finish the Arkansas Invitational with its second consecutive win at Barnhill Arena. The Razorbacks (2-1) used a strong offense against Middle Tennessee Saturday evening, as junior Jasmine Norton led the Razorbacks to victory with 10 kills and five digs. “I think we were a little more organized, a little more relaxed,” Arkansas coach Robert Pulliza said. “Our offense really flowed, so we felt good about our performance.” Arkansas and Middle Tennessee traded points early in the first set, but the Razorbacks won 25-22. In set two, Arkansas pulled ahead 12-6 early. Four Middle Tennessee attack errors helped the Razorbacks and Arkansas won the set 25-20. Back-to-back service aces from Alvarez gave the Razorbacks a 13-8 third-set lead and Arkansas held on to win
the set 25-21, clinching the match. “It was an exciting win,” Pulliza said. “We did some very, very good things. Middle Tennessee is a very good
five seniors in their match against Arkansas. “Well I think for a team with five starters back, plus our libero back, I didn’t think the experience thing would
Arkansas Invitational Results Arkansas 3, Middle Tennessee 0 Saturday
Arkansas 3, McNeese State 0 Saturday
ers from Arkansas — Acosta, Heckelman and Santos— were selected to the All-Tournament Team. “Individual awards are a testament of team effort,” Pulliza said. “The fact that we could get three, that tells as a group that we did some great things for those guys to be able to shine. But one person that did not get an award was Janeliss Torres. Let me tell you, she actually was six months out. She hasn’t practiced once, and she was our starting middle today and did some great things, so she might not be All-Tournament Team, but that’s a kid that I really think did some great things.” The Razorbacks host Oral Roberts Tuesday at 7 p.m. Arkansas 3 McNeese State 0
No. 15 Colorado State 3, Arkansas 0 Friday
program with some great tradition. It’s a good step for our program for us to keep going where we want to go.” Middle Tennessee started
be a factor, and it turns out it probably was, so we have a lot of work to do,” Middle Tennessee coach Matt Peck said. Three Arkansas play-
Getting swept by Colorado State in their first match on Friday was all the Razorbacks needed to bounce back and return the favor to McNeese State early Saturday.
see VOLLEYBALL on page 8
FOOTBALL
Fundamentals the Key for Smothers by ZACH TURNER
Asst. Sports Editor
Freshman offensive tackle Mitch Smothers takes pride in doing the little things right. The Springdale High School product continuously works on his technique as a tackle in hopes of making the team better. “My technique,” Smothers said. “I came in with a good technique and look for that to help the team. It is something I work hard at every day.” The coaching staff has liked the 6-foot-4, 295-pounder’s hard work in fall camp. Smothers has split time in fall practice with fellow newcomer – junior college transfer Jason Peacock – as one of the first-team weak tackles. “He really has accepted what [offensive line] coach [Chris Klenakis] is teaching,” offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said. “His technique is what he’s done to earn reps with the ones.” Fellow true freshman
Brey Cook graduated from high school early and went through spring practice at offensive tackle. Cook has moved to back-up guard in fall practice, while Smothers gotten increased work with the first-team offense. “Doing what I do, it’s kind
ly contribute or start as true freshmen, but Smothers is not new to the big stage. He was an Under Armour All-American after his senior year and appeared in the Under Armour All-American game held in Tampa, Fla., as well as
Mitch Smothers POSITION: OFFENSIVE TACKLE HEIGHT: 6-4
WEIGHT: 296
YEAR: FRESHMAN HOMETOWN: SPRINGDALE, ARK. of what I expected, but I am a little bit (shocked),” Smothers said. “The biggest adjustment has been the speed of the game and the quality of players.” Offensive linemen rare-
being a member of the Arkansas all-state high school football team. He picked the Razorbacks over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma State and
others. He has caught the eye of fellow teammates with his technique and skill in fall camp. “He takes it seriously and works hard,” senior offensive lineman Grant Freeman said. “He has a lot of natural ability and should do really good.” The transition has had bumps along the way. The Hogs’ offense isn’t the same as Springdale’s. “He’s made some assignment errors, gone the wrong way a couple times,” coach Bobby Petrino said.“They called plays a little differently than we do, but I like him a lot.” With the starting position still up in the air and Smothers still in the mix, it would be a long time coming for the highest-ranked recruit in Arkansas’ 2011 recruiting class, according to ESPN.com. “It has been a dream of mine my whole life, so if I do indeed earn the starting job it will be a dream come true,” Smothers said.
SPORTS
MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011 from SOCCER on page 7 factor in this game with highs reaching the upper-90s. Halfway through each half, there were “Officials’ Water Breaks� so that everyone could hydrate in the midst of the sun beating down on Razorback Field. Jeri Ann Okoro took three shots with two on goal. Tyler Allen, Kailey Anders, and Allie Chandler also took shots for the Razorbacks. Oklahoma State took 20 total shots, eight of them being shots on goal. Arkansas took 11 shots with only five being on goal. “Our leadership is so strong this year from that class that we
GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
from COMMENTARY on page 7
about. And it obviously shows that we have an exciting team and that were going in the right direction, but unfortunately it didn’t go our way today. Got to keep it in perspective, the first match of the season. “We wanted to play this match to see exactly where we are at because we knew they were going to be a good team. They exposed some weaknesses, now we’ve got an overnight time to fix some of those things and go out against McNeese State.� Colorado State (1-0) totaled 12.5 blocks and 36 kills to defeat Arkansas in the sweep. The Razorbacks had five total blocks and 30 kills. Arkansas kept the match close playing in front of the record crowd. “It was awesome, and it definitely fired us up more. I think we need to learn to use that energy to fuel us instead of kind of make us shocked, and that comes with just more preparation,� Stipanovich said.
been eliminated by the newly signed a seven-year extension with the UA. The only concern now is to improve Petrino’s Southeastern Conference win percentage, which stands at a mere 45.8 percent. The high expectations for the team harken back to the old days of the Southwest Conference, dating from 1958 to 1989. During that era, coaches Frank Broyles, Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield accumulated 70.8, 67 and 76 percent win rates, respectively. The three coaches won at least 70 percent of their conference match ups. Frank Broyles also produced the only national championship that Arkansas has won in 1964. Since joining the SEC, Arkansas has yet to win a conference championship. Petrino’s conference record suffers from having to rebuild a team that struggled to get a foothold in arguably the toughest division in college football. It is this problem that Petrino hopes to solve by building a team capable of
Coach Robert Pulliza and freshman Christa Alvarez opened the 2011 season 2-1, with back-to-back wins against McNeese State and Middle Tennessee, following a loss to No. 15 Colorado State.
see VOLLEYBALL on page 7 “Obviously we weren’t quite there yet but we were able to make some adjustments that they exposed and we’re a better team for it,� Pulliza said, referring to the loss against Colorado State. McNeese State got an early lead in all three sets, but Arkansas came back each time. In the first set, McNeese took a 2-0 lead in the opening minutes, but Arkansas was never down after that. The Razorbacks led by eight and went on to win the set, 25-19. McNeese took the same lead to start to the second set, but the Razorbacks got going again. The Cowgirls kept it close, but dropped the set 25-19. In the final set, McNeese kept the lead most of the game until Arkansas tied it at 16. Arkansas came back to win, 25-19 after two consecutive McNeese State errors. “We knew we needed to
get ourselves going especially from an offensive standpoint. We accomplished everything on the defensive side that we wanted to and just felt like our offense never got going yesterday,� Pulliza said. “So being able to come in the morning, right out the bat and bounce back and get the offense going. To hit .421 on the second match of the year is pretty good, so we’re excited about that.� No. 15 Colorado State: 3 Arkansas: 0 Arkansas fell to No. 15 Colorado State in three sets (25-22, 25-16, 25-21) Friday night in front of a programbest 1,407 fans at Barnhill Arena in Razorbacks’ season opener and the opening game of the Arkansas Invitational. “The first thing I saw was an unbelievable crowd out there,� Pulliza said. “I mean the Razorback Nation showed up to support us. They were unbelievable. I mean 1,400 people, that’s what it’s all
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wanted to go ahead and use the opportunity to highlight these seniors throughout their last
Erin Aubry year,� Aubry said. “It’s not just handling the stiff competition in the SEC. It is this drive from him, the coaches and the players that has led the program to turn the dream of winning in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta into a possibility. Many are concerned that having such high expectations for the team can only lead to disappointment. Last year’s loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl was a prime example of yet another Arkansas team coming close to making a national statement only to fall short at the very end. While winning a BCS championship every year is not possible for even perennial heavyweights (like Alabama, Texas and Ohio State), to raise standards and expect the performance of a highcaliber team from players is a good thing. There is no prestige in being an overachieving team. Being the underdog year in and year out in big games only means that the football program is unable to reach the level of competence that relieves fans of the frustration of rooting for team that is expected to lose.
PAGE 8
about the last home game, it’s about their last season and we need to play for that all season long.� From here, Coach Aubry says she is thankful for the tough competition they have had so that the Razorbacks can keep moving forward in their schedule. “We’re just going to continue to build,� Aubry said. “We don’t focus on our opponents, we focus on ourselves. Nobody ever wants to lose in athletics but we can look back and know that we are a better team right now than we were last week and we’ll be a better team next week than we are right now.� The next match for Arkansas is a game Friday at Nebraska. On the other hand, the confidence of being a marquee program that is recognized by the whole country is only possible when the players practice and play like a national championship team. It prepares them mentally and physically for the grueling demands of high-pressure situations under the national spotlight. Being unafraid of high expectations has turned the team’s eyes onto college football’s biggest prize—the BCS National Championship game. Petrino’s record at Arkansas is on track to be among the best in program history. The steady upward trend means that the state is getting what it paid for; it is what everyone expected him to accomplish after his hiring. So it is unreasonable for anyone to shy away from what he brings to the table: the knowledge and leadership required to mold Arkansas into a national championship team. Rumil Bautista is a staff writer for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Monday.