PHOTOS: MCT CAMPUS, RYAN MILLER, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KATE BEEBE
Dorrell’s Fiance Remains at UA by JACK SUNTRUP Staff Writer
The fiance of the woman involved in an “inappropriate relationship” with former Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino remains on the athletic staff, officials said. Despite reports to the contrary by the website SwimSwam.com that state his information has been removed from the athletic department website, Josh Morgan “remains a member of the athletic department,” said Kevin Trainor, associate athletic director. Though Morgan is still a member of the athletic department, officials would not comment on his status as director of swimming and diving. The Traveler found that Morgan’s biography and email address are still posted online.
Alumni Remain Positive by KRISTEN COPPOLA Staff Writer
Wednesday, the day after the announcement of Bobby Petrino’s termination, the Arkansas Alumni Association received only three calls or e-mails. “We’ve gotten three either e-mails or calls this morning, and all of them have been positive. That’s not a huge reaction for people,” said Mike Macechko, executive director of the Alumni Association. “Even leading up to the period of time from last Thursday until [Tuesday] we hadn’t received a lot of comments at all,” he said. Of the few comments alumni provided on Wednesday, all were positive toward Athletic Director Jeff Long.
Expansion Plans to Remain Unfazed by JANNEE SULLIVAN Staff Writer
Petrino’s absence will likely not affect ticket sales, donations or expansion plans, officials predicted. Although it is too early to tell if Petrino’s firing will affect ticket sales, the University has received overwhelming support within and outside the state, said John Diamond, the associate vice chancellor of University Relations. “We have a history of a very loyal and very broad donor base,”
Diamond said. Donors and friends understand that Long’s position reflects the integrity that the University and its athletic department are held to, Diamond said. The construction of a new football center is already underway, including 217 parking spaces and an expansion of the sports facilities, according to the University Relations website. A revised funding proposal estimated that the total cost of the program will be more than $40 million,
according to the University Relations website. The project is a part of the overall campus Master Growth Plan, according to the University Relations website. “There are no plans to change any of the expansion plans due to Jeff Long’s decision,” he said. The football complex is set for completion in Fall 2012, according to University Development. Joe Kieklak contributed reporting to this article.
Construction of Centennial Gate, Walkway Putters Along by MANDY MCCLENDON Staff Writer
The Pi Beta Phi Centennial Gate and walkway extension outside of Old Main are still in the early stages of construction. The gate, which is part of an extension to the campus walk, celebrates Pi Phi’s 100 years of active membership on UA campus. Both the gate and the extension were funded by Pi Beta Phi and the UA. The gate is a way to recognize Pi Phi’s long-time involvement and membership at UA, said Sarah Sabatino, president of Pi Beta Phi. “Pi Beta Phi celebrated its centennial in 2009, and this is our gift to the university,” Sabatino said. Jay Huneycutt, director of UA planning, said the total cost of
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012 VOL. 106, NO. 101 12 PAGES UATRAV.COM
see GATE on page 6
MARY MCKAY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Students have to walk around the Pi Phi centennial gate construction to get to Old Main. The gate has been under construction since the ground breaking on February 25, 2011.
Candidates Prep for Quorum Court Race by JACK SUNTRUP Staff Writer
If students are getting amped up for partisan mud-slinging this election year, they may be disappointed—at least in the District 8 Quorum Court race. The incumbent, Democrat Barbara Fitzpatrick, a UA administrative assistant, seemed more interested in talking issues than about the actual election. “I really don’t know that much about [challenger Brenda Taylor],” Fitzpatrick said. “I know she’s a tax lawyer and I believe that she’s in the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party, but that’s pretty much what I know about her.” Her opponent, Brenda Taylor, is in fact a tax attorney and does side with the Tea Party on some issues. Taylor said the only groups she belongs to, however, are her “faith and family.” Taylor does not anticipate fulfilling the Republican paradigm of late--at least nationally--in stonewalling county issues, she said. “I’ve worked in the area of compromise in nearly every single step of my law practice,” she said. “That’s what my business is about. A lawyer that doesn’t compromise doesn’t understand how to practice law.” During her tenure on the court, Fitzpatrick said the 13 justices have done a good job of working together. Getting a “good” deal as opposed to the “best” possible one is always an objective she said. “That kind of divisive partisan
see CANDIDATES on page 6
FEATURES THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER WEEKENDER
PAGE 2
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
FEATURES EDITOR: LAUREN LEATHERBY ASST. FEATURES EDITOR: KELSI FORD
First Thursday Comes Back to the Fayetteville Square by YANI KO Staff Writer
COURTESY PHOTO
Rotaract Provides Help to Those in Need by WHITNEY GREEN Staff Writer
They call it the Rotary Mafia— a member of Rotaract could be lost in the middle of Malaysia and call a Rotarian for help; an hour later they would have a ride, a place to stay and cash in their pocket. “It’s amazing,” said Simone Dunn, Rotaract vice president. “Not many people have heard of Rotaract,” she added. Rotaract is associated with the Rotary Club—the biggest humanitarian organization in the world. Rotaract is an international program for adults ages 18 to 30 who want to make a difference in the community and internationally. Rotaract President Jeny Ancer started a Fayetteville Rotaract Club after studying abroad in Canada for two years, where she was an active Rotaract member and organized events like a benefit concert for polio. She saw a lot of value in the club and wanted to bring the organization home to Fayetteville. The club started in November, and since then they’ve worked with the Fayetteville Northside Rotary Club to raise more than $500 for The Miracle League, a baseball league for disabled children. Rotaract’s first international project this year is to send dialysis machines to an orphanage in a rural Guatemalan village without clean water. What they do have is coffee, the safest drink in this village because it is made with boiled water. This means children transition immediately from drinking breast milk to coffee. Drinking coffee since age two has caused a variety of problems for these children, the most immediate being kidney failure, Ancer said. Washington Regional donated 13 new machines for this project, and Rotaract is trying to raise more than $1,000 to send the machines to Guatemala. Rotaract will host the “Drink for
Guatemala” event from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, April 13 at the Dickson Street Pub. No Name Kicker is the featured band and instead of a cover charge, donation jars will be at the door. Proceeds from ordering the drink “Hog Punch” will go directly to the Guatemala fund. Over the holidays, Rotaract hosted a food drive for Ramay Junior High School students. Half of the kids at Ramay are on federally subsidized meals, so many go without food during vacation times, Ancer said. They worked with the Ramay principal, who is also a Rotarian, to provide food for these students. In December, the club worked with Head Start, a preschool for lowincome families. “A lot of kids there have teenage moms who are still in high school
and their kids didn’t have things like coats, hats, socks and scarves for winter,” Ancer said. The club put together Christmas packages with winter apparel and toys and delivered them to Head Start. Watching the children open the gifts was very rewarding and they “hope to do that every year,” Ancer said. Scholarships, developing professional skills, leadership roles, travel opportunities and international collaboration are potential benefits for club members. Networking is another big perk. “Within the club there are personal connections you make that are invaluable,” Ancer said. “Rotary is huge. Everyone knows Rotary. Your resume usually gets bumped to the top if you’ve been
involved in Rotary/Rotaract,” Dunn said. The Fayetteville Rotaract club is a diverse group of students and young professionals with 10-12 members, but they are looking to expand their membership. Anyone 18 to 30 who is willing to come to 60 percent of the meetings, participate in Rotaract events and pay a $10 membership fee are invited to join. The club meets every other Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Odom Law Firm on Mountain Street. During meetings they work together to brainstorm creative ways to raise money for charitable events and delegate tasks. Their next meeting is April 12. Anyone interested in joining Rotaract can email Ancer at rcf.6110@hotmail.com or come to a meeting.
COURTESY PHOTO
Jeny Ancer, president of the Rotaract Club of Fayetteville, helps children unwrap Christmas packages filled with winter apparel and toys at a Christmas event at Head Start. Rotaract is a service club geared towards young adults that is a part of Rotary International.
by KIMBERLY McGUIRE Staff Writer
MARY MCKAY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Common Grounds is a popular restaurant on Dickson. The restaurant features a dessert case and is known for carrying gourmet desserts, including the famous Triple Threat Cheesecake.
So far, April weather has been treating Northwest Arkansas pretty well. Whether it is in a local park or trekking across campus, I’ve noticed a shift in the way people react to this climate. Although now that I think about it, it might not be the weather, but that students (and teachers) are seeing light at the end of the tunnel… it is April, after all. The perfect balance of sunshine and breeze keeps us outside long enough to enjoy the free Vitamin D, that is, until our allergies get the best of us and the need for Kleenex beats the need for existential tranquility. As allergic to the sunlight as I think I am, I’ve been catching myself enjoying the outdoors a lot lately. You can’t blame me; it’s perfect patio weather, even for
a virtual albino. As common as patios and porches are on Dickson Street, there is one that I’ve grown to love a little bit more than the others. Common Grounds is a special haven for those who enjoy good coffee, good food and good drinks with a much more mellow atmosphere than your typical Dickson establishment. The menu is so extensive, you’ll think you are ready to order and then end up needing five more minutes because you keep changing your mind. I mean really, the menu is actually a binder full of laminated pages of pure deliciousness. The descriptions are almost hypnotic as you turn page after page in a sort of trance. Now snap out of it, you’ve got some decisions to make. Starting off with coffee, there are
First Thursday returned for the year last week on April 5, providing the downtown Fayetteville square with art, music, food and drinks. The monthly event, which celebrates community and local arts, saw some changes from the previous years. It expanded to encompass the entire square, whereas in the past it was limited to Mountain and East Streets with galleries in East Square Plaza. Jessica Leonard, communications manager at the Fayetteville Visitor’s Bureau, said that this year’s premiere First Thursday was the biggest yet. “We were able to have artists on four sides of the square and our ‘Kids’ Zone’ was expanded,” she said. New vendors popped up amongst the artists on the “Art Walk,” selling everything from clothing to longboards. “Usually the actual booths that aren’t artists have some sort of tie-in to art,” Leonard said. “We are selective on who is out there and we don’t want it to turn into a completely corporate type of thing,” she said. Kevin Higgins of F-Town Longboards occupied a booth for the first time at First Thursday. He displayed his longboards, some of which were decorated with artwork by his affiliated company Nu Fangled Images. “We wanted to come out here and be a part of the community,” Higgins said. “We’re trying to take advantage of the local flavor here,” he said. Other vendors included Fayettechill Clothing Company, who have participated in the past, as well as artists selling prints or original canvases of their work. Stephen Ironside, local photographer, who has had a booth on the Art Walk previously, said he thinks the expansion has been good for First Thursday. “It allows more people to come,” Ironside said, “because when it’s just half of the square, everyone’s kind of crammed and [now] we’re more spread out.” Non-profit organizations also had the chance to promote events, like the Cow Paddy 5K Run, which will be held on April 20 with all proceeds directly donated to Fayetteville Public Schools. “As far as Fayetteville goes, this is the best event to really promote something,” said Robbie Fitzwater, marketing and promotions committee chair for the Cow Paddy Run. “You have so many people from so many different groups,” he said. “First Thursday is Fayetteville in a can.” One of the biggest changes to the community event was the loss of East Square Plaza as a gallery space for the community arts organization and the artists’ collective called the The Fayetteville Underground. The galleries were once the hub of First Thursday, but because of problems with a lease negotiation, Underground artists are now searching for a new home for their art. Several private galleries were open during Thursday’s event, including Matt Miller Studio and Kathy Thompson Studio. The UA Global Campus and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute hosted an exhibit in the Global Campus building on Center Street.
see THURSDAY on page 5
at least four pages in the menu dedicated to brews and specialties. I’m almost positive that no matter what you get, you’ll be satisfied if not ecstatic with what you ordered. Keep your eyes peeled for the little icons next to the beverages, many of them do contain alcohol, so double check to be sure you have your ID… even for breakfast. Speaking of alcohol, did I mention that Common Grounds has a full bar? Yes, and drink specials that run all week. As usual, I brought along a party of people to sample the menu… they came willingly, of course. One’s interest was piqued after reading about the “World-Famous Bloody Mary.” It is made with spicy vodka, and, instead of salt around the
see GROUNDS on page 5
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
FEATURES
by EMILY RHODES Opinion Editor
British people don’t understand the concept of fried chicken. The only reason I feel that I can appropriately say this is because I spent the first 12 years of my life in the United Kingdom. This means I grew up without the divine flavors of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and all other Southern delicacies. Now, I’m making up for the first part of my life when I was far from being introduced to these foods, and each time my husband asks where I want to eat, I reply with “AQ Chicken” or another Southern-style restaurant, anything where I can fill the need for white gravy and chickenfried-anything. I tried to make fried chicken at home, but my fryer didn’t agree with the idea. My kitchen ended up covered in a thin film of vegetable oil and the tray of potentially wonderful chicken ended up a burned, tough mess. Needless to say, I now leave it up to the professionals. Instead, I decided to go back to my British roots and create “Dorito chicken,” the English alternative that my mother used to make in an attempt to feed my need for real “American food.” Now, I’m not saying that the flavors in “Dorito chicken” taste like a real home-style feast, but it is a rather delicious meal that is healthier than the fried alternative and incred-
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PAGE 3
ibly simple to make. Cheesy, crisp and juicy, this chicken recipe is a must-have recipe for a quick meal that has great flavor. Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 chicken drumsticks 2 bags Nacho Cheese Doritos, individual size 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon dried parsley ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 egg ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the flour in a shallow dish and whisk the egg in a separate dish. Set aside. Take the Doritos, seasonings and cheese, and place in a large Ziploc bag or deep Tupperware. Smash the chips into small pieces using a rolling pin or your hands and mix with the other ingredients. When the three coatings are prepared, take one piece of chicken at a time and place in the flour, coating thoroughly. Then, transfer the flour-coated chicken into
PHOTOS BY: EMILY RHODES
the whisked egg and coat. From the egg mixture, place the chicken in the Dorito mixture and coat until the entire drumstick is covered in the mixture. Repeat until all of the chicken is covered in the seasoning. Place the chicken in a large baking dish, and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and cooked throughout. Serve with vegetables, potatoes or any other side dish for a tasty yet simple sit down dinner. Crisp, flavorful coating and juicy
chicken makes this great dish for a summer cookout or easy weeknight dinner. It’s versatile, simple to make and absolutely delicious. Although I may have been denied Southern food for the first part of my life, Dorito chicken is a great alternative that I am proud to serve to my family today as a recipe that I grew up enjoying. I served this dish with mashed potatoes, green vegetables and garlic bread, but it can be enjoyed with just about anything.
Get creative with this meal by adding different seasonings, chips and flavors. Barbecue, sour cream and onion, or lightly salted are all flavors that I have experimented with and that have worked just as well. A quick way to bring a great meal to the table, even in the middle of a busy end of the semester, is Dorito chicken, and I’m sure it will become one of yours.
OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
EDITOR: SABA NASEEM MANAGING EDITOR: MATTIE QUINN
PAGE 4 THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
FROM THE BOARD
Zimmerman Charged In Trayvon Martin Case George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, now faces charges for second-degree murder in the Trayvon Martin case. Martin, a 17-year-old, was unarmed at the time, and was shot and killed by Zimmerman in late February, though Zimmerman claimed self-defense in the incident. By now, we know the name Trayvon Martin through the plague of news reports and controversies over the shooting that took place earlier this year. A highly controversial situation, it was the topic of many of our Traveler columns and campus conversations, as well as the news we read. It was even a part of our campus with the student protest that took place earlier in the semester. As we finally watch Zimmerman faces charges for his crime, we can only hope that justice will prevail.
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.
MARCUS FERREIRA STAFF CARTOONIST
Thank You Long, Doing the Right Thing
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byMIKE NORTON
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Last fall during the Penn State and Sandusky ordeal, I happened to listen to a presentation from Chancellor Gearhart on behalf of the administration to the Associated Student Government Senate. Having spent several years at Penn State prior to returning to the university, Chancellor Gearhart said that the scandal highlighted how quickly a top-tier university can plummet amid a highly sensitive controversy. He cited a lack of leadership in tackling the
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moved on to a spectacular season, and had we, say, even won the National Championship, there would be an asterisk.
“In the end, Long chose to do what was right and just over doing what was easy. He could have ignored coach Petrino’s misdoings.” Even if it appeared in no written form, we would all see it and know its existence. That asterisk would undermine everything. We can survive without Bobby Petrino. The names are out there: I hear Garrick McGee and Gary Patterson the most. We have the players. We have the talent. Our team will be fine come September. In the end, we should thank Jeff Long. He made our future degrees from
this university worth more by showing that nobody is above the law. As he stated last night, our expectations of our head football coach cannot be less than we have of our student-athletes. We can accomplish great things with confidence knowing we did not compromise integrity in our victories. This is a lesson for us all. No matter where we go from here, we should remember this as two premier examples of leadership: leadership at its best and leadership at its worst. The University of Arkansas’ motto, Veritate Duce Progredi, means “To Advance with Truth as our Guide.” We now have the truth, and we have the guide. On behalf of all Razorbacks, thank you Jeff Long for doing what was right. Mike Norton is an agricultural economics and poultry science major, and a Traveler columnist.
One Step Forward, One Step Back for ASG
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problem and the cascading effects associated with that. Now, with the Petrino ordeal behind us, I am prouder than ever to say I am a Razorback. Athletic Director Jeff Long had a tough decision before him, but he made the right call we all know it. In the end, Long chose to do what was right and just over doing what was easy. He could have ignored coach Petrino’s misdoings. Maybe he could have pushed the assumed 158 potential hiring-related conflict of interest lawsuits off to the General Counsel. Maybe he could have just slapped coach Petrino on the wrist. But, he didn’t. Long chose ethics over wins. He chose to uphold the character of this institution, of this state and of all Razorbacks in recognizing wrongdoing and corruption and acting accordingly, facing it head on. Had Petrino stayed on as the head coach, and had we
by JORDAIN CARNEY Traveler Columnist
After Tuesday, Associated Student Government Senate will be no more for this school year. When Grant Hodges was elected chair last spring by a close 18-17 vote, his platform was based around a few things: accountability, openness and effectiveness. While Hodges did not accomplish some of the goals he set out with, under his leadership Senate elections were moved to the spring semester like ASG executive elections. This year and last, countless senators have said moving senate elections so they happen at the same time would increase applications and decrease vacancies. Some vacancy elections had seats opened up to the entire student body. Vacancy elections
are already a way to keep Senate close to full. But vacancy elections are usually held about two months into the school year. Some would argue that these senators have a disadvantage in learning parliamentary procedure and adjusting to Senate. I’m hesitant to put that much importance on if someone was elected in normal elections or vacancy elections. Senators still have little time, before the start of Senate, to learn parliamentary procedure or how to write legislation. I don’t know if moving Senate elections to the spring will actually help increase Senate participation or lead to an increase in legislation. Really the argument won’t be settled, or add solid evidence to either side, until December 2013, because Senate elections will not be held in the spring until a year from now. But I’m also in favor of ASG members trying different things to increase participation, and more students to generally seem to pay attention to ASG when executive elections are happening One area that Hodges didn’t meet his platform goals was in transparency, and as an advocate for open government I was disappointed in this.
In his platform Hodges advocated for legislation to be put up within 24 hours of first reading and for ASG Senate meetings to be recorded. The first took a while to happen, and with the exception of one meeting, the second didn’t happen at all. Getting legislation up for people to read in a timely manner is probably more important than getting videos up. I don’t know how many people, outside of and sometimes including those in ASG, would want to sit through and watch a recording of an ASG Senate meeting, but I have a feeling the number would be small. (You could be really cynical and argue how many people bother to get on the ASG website – better yet how many people know the ASG websiteto read the legislation.) But this year legislation was posted on a board in the Union to help gather comments. A way this could possibly be extended would be to post boards across campus, so students didn’t have to come to the Union. Many of the comments that we’ve received on the Traveler website this year have also dealt with ASG Senate legislation being too self-involved, or not doing enough. From time-to-
time I’ve even been a proponent of that argument. It’s true that ASG Senate almost always has to have some legislation that dealt directly with ASG. The budget is probably the annual example- though with the new funding system Senate doesn’t have as much power as it used to. This year there were also pieces of legislation aimed at overhauling some of the ways ASG worked. The spring election legislation is an example of this. I’m of the opinion that legislation dealing with ASG is fine, but it should be the minority of legislation passed by Senate. If most of the legislation being passed deals only with ASG it only furthers an opinion that ASG is self-serving and perhaps even self-involved. A majority of the legislation passed has been outside of ASG, and much of the ASG-related legislation was used as major overhauls. Though Hodges did not succeed on all of his goals he did move ASG forward in some important ways, and I look forward to seeing what next year’s chair Mike Norton will do. Jordain Carney is a Traveler columnist. Her column appears every other Thursday.
FEATURES
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
PAGE 5
Guys and Dolls
MIKE NORTON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomores Mike Colacecchi and Andrew Klatt rode around Fayetteville yesterday as Bobby Petrino impersonators, passengers and all.
Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen by MIKE MAHARDY Staff Writer
The acoustic band Big Smith is playing their final show April 14 in Fayetteville, one of the last stops on their farewell tour. The Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Tour will have four stops, allowing the band to properly say goodbye to their fans. The band’s event promoter Dwight Glenn believes a tour is the most appropriate way to end their career. “It would be impossible to adequately say goodbye to our fans with just one show,” he said. Hailing from Springfield, Mo., Big Smith has been playing authentic Ozark music since 1996. The five cousins have accumulated a dedicated following across the Midwest, even extending their reach to venues in Colorado, Austin, Nashville and Chicago. The band announced their retirement in November, stat-
ing that their final concerts will be held in their hometown. They have been a constant performer at George’s Majestic Lounge and will hold their Farewell to Fayetteville show there. “We came to the realization that some of the band members needed to stop,” said mandolin player Jody Bilyeu. “I don’t know how I’ll feel when it’s over, but I’m amazed at how the community embraced us and our music.” In a tragic turn of events during the band’s tour, bassist Bill Thomas suffered a stroke in January, losing feeling on the right side of his body for a few weeks after the incident. During a show at the Cherokee Casino in West Siloam Springs, the band noticed Bill’s lack of rhythm and jumbled words when he responded. “When he hit the stage and I heard him playing bass, I immediately knew something was wrong,” said singer/gui-
tarist Mark Bilyeu. Thomas recuperated at the Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, and is continuing on the tour with the band despite the stroke. “It was clear that his musical ability was still there,” Mark said. “Talk about a wave of relief.” The band hopes to convey their appreciation for all of the support that the community offered throughout their years in show business and throughout Thomas’ recuperation, citing George’s as one of their favorite places to perform. “The community has been extremely helpful and extremely supportive,” Mark said. “We’ve always considered [Fayetteville] our home away from home.” The final concerts for Big Smith will be held May 5 and 6 at Gillioz Theater in Springfield, Mo., promising to be an emotional show for both the band and its fans.
COURTESY PHOTO BY MICHELLE PARKS
GROUNDS from page 2
rim of the glass, pepper. It was garnished with a pickled green bean, or as they like to call it, a “dilly bean,” which is how I will be taking my green beans from now on. If you aren’t a fan of the tomato concoction, do not fret, there is plenty more where that came from. Martinis, house drinks and the classic lists of wine and beer are also available. As for the main event, the food at Common Grounds is unique and familiar at the same time. It’s simple yet elaborate,
sinfully un-sinful. Soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, pastas and pizzas, they’ve pretty much got any craving covered. All menu items have an original and unexpected element that keeps your taste buds wondering, “What if?” My personal favorite is their Birdseed Salad, the most amazing salad I’ve ever experienced. If I had to eat like a rabbit for the rest of my life, this would be my go-to happily ever after meal. Their pizzas aren’t half bad either, and I’ve heard many a good thing about their wraps. For as good as everything
tastes, there’s a level of freshness to every item that makes it seem like you aren’t shoveling calorie after calorie into your mouth even if you are. Although the fare at Common Grounds is exquisite, the price leaves something to be desired. It’s not the cheapest place on the block, but if you’re able to overlook that minor flaw, it is definitely a worthwhile trip. Like I said earlier, their patio is a nice escape from school or from work. There’s plenty of seating and plenty of shade for those who tend to avoid the sun’s rays for fear of freckles.
THURSDAY from page 2
Local artist Tim Tyler displayed French-style realist paintings including a nearly 8-foot-tall painting which was illuminated on stage in the otherwise dark auditorium of the Global Campus building. Visitors to First Thursday
also enjoyed a beer garden near the Town Center and the ECOTradeShow at East Square Plaza. Overall, those involved with the expansion of First Thursday aim to benefit the community culturally and economically. “It offers such a wide range of activities,” said Leonard of
The Visitor’s Bureau. “It gets people out downtown. We’re supporting local artists and businesses, as well as exposing people to this kind of cultural atmosphere.” First Thursday is held the First Thursday of every month from April to November at the Fayetteville downtown square.
NEWS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER WEEKENDER
PAGE 6
NEWS EDITOR: CHAD WOODARD
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
Unwavering Attention
ASST. NEWS EDITOR: BRITTANY NIMS
Farmers’ Market Returns to Square by SYDNEY GANUS Staff Writer
The reopening of the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market April 7 brought local vendors and customers to the downtown Square for fresh, locally grown produce and other products. Vendors from Fayetteville and surrounding regions meet Saturdays between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market runs annually between April and November. The market was established in 1974 and has since grown to include more than 60 vendors selling fresh produce, flowers, meats, baked goods and art. The variety of goods makes for a “feast for the eyes, ears and palate, with a riot of color, aromas and sounds,” according to the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market website. Saturdays, the farmers’ market hosts special performances by local musicians and street performers. During these times, the market is generally at its peak attendance. Since its opening, the Farmers’ Market has been a popular haunt of Fayetteville locals, tourists and UA students. “I always try to go to the farmers’ market every Saturday. It’s definitely worth wak-
GATE
from page 1
KRIS JOHNSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Customers in Grubs off of Dickson were silent as they watched Jeff Long deliver his speech Tuesday night about Bobby Petrino’s termination from the UA.
CANDIDATES from page 1
thing, I’ve seen at the federal and state level, but at this point, we have managed to avoid it at the county level,” she said, “for which I’m very grateful because it makes it almost impossible to get anything done.” Civility may be harder than the candidates make it sound. The court has been divided over a potential tax increase for Ozark Regional Transit. Some conservative members have voted against putting the issue on the ballot, while a majority supported letting voters decide on May 22. Fitzpatrick supports the proposed measure, which would increase a sales tax 25 cents. “What it is going to do is expand the hours of transit,” she said. People are missing out on job opportunities because current routes end at 6 p.m., Fitzpatrick said. “By passing that [increase] for ordinary folks like me, it will mean that people right now that don’t have jobs, that are on
the projects is “roughly $1 million a piece, and it should be finished this spring.” One of Pi Beta Phi’s Arkansas alumnae oversaw fundraising for much of the sorority’s contribution to the gate, Sabatino said. According to UA planning officials, the gate and walkway were not planned together — the timing of their renovations was a “happy coincidence.” “They were looking for a project for their centennial year and we were looking at the idea of strengthening campus identity and cleaning up the landscape,” officials said. To monitor progress of the
ing up early for,” said sophomore Keeley Treece. “I love knowing that the produce I am purchasing is not only fresh, but contributes to the success of farmers and vendors local to the area.” The American Farmland Trust deemed the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market as the nation’s 5th best farmers’ market August 31, 2011. The farmers’ market was also labeled as the best farmers’ market in Arkansas, according to the American Farmland Trust website. “Anyone who has been to the farmers’ market wouldn’t be surprised that it was nationally ranked,” said sophomore Kayla Hooker. “The atmosphere is the best part in my opinion, the flowers smell amazing, the people are friendly and the market is dog-friendly.” The Fayetteville Farmers’ Market has also opened up a second market at another venue. The Mills District of the Ozark Botanical Gardens hosts the second market located off of Crossover Road. This venue generally includes anywhere from 20 to 30 venders, according to the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market website. The venue operates from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays and runs from May through October.
gate and walkway, UA facilities management officials placed a webcam over the site that updates every 15 minutes. Other construction sites on campus may also be viewed by this webcam, and can be viewed on the UA’s planning department website, planning.uark.edu. Laura Cooper, a sophomore member of Pi Beta Phi, said she is excited to see her sorority contribute something to the UA campus. “It’s great to recognize our sorority’s activity on campus and have it commemorated through the gate. We are all looking forward to its completion, as well as for others to see Pi Phi’s name on it and know that it is something we contributed to the university,” Cooper said.
welfare right now or they’re purpose of government,” county is collecting more already watched spending about saving money. When on the streets, could have she said. “We know what than it needs to keep closely, Fitzpatrick said. the Sheriff rotates out jobs,” she said. those are, those will current services going,” “Fiscal responsibility is patrol cars, they go to other The potential tax continue to be maintained. Taylor said. to make sure that those tax departments. increase might be a defining “I see the mentality Though Fitzpatrick dollars are used to provide “The coroner’s office issue in this race with right now on the court as voted for the ordinance to the services for the citizens managed to limp along with Taylor emphatically against increasing spending, and use reserve revenues, she of the county,” she said. old patrol cars for awhile,” the increase. Taylor believes when I’m looking at the was hesitant to do so. It was “Now, if we were buying she said, “but they’re not non-essential services such average property owner an example of compromise $100 hammers, they’d have going to be able to do that as transportation and the trying to hold on to their for a good deal, she said. a point. But we’re not.” for much longer because county animal shelter jobs, trying to keep their With a decrease in Fitzpatrick said the you can’t carry a body in an should be left to the private house, even though the revenues, the county has county has been inventive old patrol car.” sector. “I mean, our country is based off people filling a need, getting paid to fill a need,” Taylor said. “If government doesn’t fill that hole, the nature of our country, other people will fill that hole. When they do that with their own business, it puts money back into the system and everybody wins.” The voters will have the final say on this issue, but Taylor’s fight to lower tax rates will undoubtedly extend into the future if she wins the seat. She said she would not have voted for last year’s budget or to take $9 million from the county’s reserves, as Fitzpatrick did. “I would propose that LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER not increasing taxes would “You can’t be buried, married or elected without county services.” said Professor Barbara Fitzpatrick. With justice of the peace elections coming up this fall, she hopes to preserve not avoid the primary the services provided to those in her area.
NEWS
UA Athletics Opens Digital Ticket System by MEGAN HUCKABY Multimedia Editor
A digital ticketing system similar to digital airline tickets is being implemented for UA sporting events, officials said. E-tickets, as the new system is called, allows fans to purchase and print tickets at home instead of having to wait for them in the mail or stand in line at will call, said Kevin Trainor, director of sports information. It also helps prevent counterfeit tickets, Trainor said. “What it means is that at Baum Stadium and certainly at Razorback Stadium in the fall, fans will have their tickets scanned,” he said. The system now is for tickets to be torn and a stub returned to the patron. There will still be a ticket stub, but
the ticket will be scanned electronically, too. While counterfeit tickets are not a rampant problem, there have been issues with it in the past, he said. “There have been some football games in the past where people have sold tickets that were not authentic,” Trainor said. The goal is to make sure that people who have actually made an investment for the ticket get a seat, he said. Another function of the new system is the ability to transfer tickets to another person, he said. If a season ticket holder cannot attend an event, the tickets can be given to someone else without actually having to meet with the person to give them a physical ticket. “Our season ticket hold-
ers have the option to transfer the ticket,” Trainor said. “They can actually go online to their account and send them digitally to someone who can print them.” The new system will only affect non-student tickets. There has been good participation and response to the current student system, Trainor said. There is no plan to change the way student tickets are done. However, students think that being able to transfer a ticket to another student might be beneficial. “If I’m out of town and a friend wants to go it would be good,” said Camille Gele, a junior advertising/public relations major. A change to the student system would be difficult because the seats are not reserved, Trainor said.
The Pain Runs Deep
KRIS JOHNSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Razorback fans experienced many emotions Tuesday night as they listened to Jeff Long’s press conference announcing former coach Bobby Petrino’s termination from the UA.
LAS To Receive Charter by MATILDE BONIFAZ Staff Writer
Latino Alumni Association members will be having a scholarship fundraising event, “La Pachanga”, Friday April 27 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. “La Pachanga” is one of the events that LAS will have in order to benefit the LAS Endowed Scholarship Fund, which aids UA students of Latino descent to advance and continue their education. “We will be having important guests such as Chancellor G. David Gearhart and the Arkansas Alumni Association’s Executive Director, which will be presenting the Latino Alumni Society with its official charter, making the University of Arkansas as one of only three SEC universities with both a Black and Latino Alumni Society,” said Airic Hughes, HEI program coordinator. The Latino graduates of May 2012 will be announced and the Excelencia Latina Award will be presented to one undergraduate and grad-
uated student. “This will be a very special event since we will be announcing that they gave us the charter. We will be making history at the university, therefore we would want every Latino student to bring their family to celebrate and enjoy their accomplishments,” said Cecilia Grossberger, LAS member. “La Pachanga” will help showcase to the university and the northwest Arkansas community how the Latino Alumni Society is committed to continuing its mission of bringing together Latino alumni and other friends of the UA to work for the benefit and advancement of the Latino students, alumni, faculty, staff and community. “The event is another way
of showing the northwest Arkansas community that we are a big community and that we are ready to work for the accomplishments of our Latino professionals and students,” Grossberger said. “Most of the Latino community will be there, celebrating together our success, with great music and delicious food. The event will be a celebration for current students and graduating students. “It is a community building event, a time to celebrate and enjoy good music, food and company. For the graduates it is one last opportunity to come together with their classmates,” said Luis Fernando Restrepo, LAS president and vice-provost for diversity.
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
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PAGE 7
DOWNTIME THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER WEEKENDER
PAGE 8
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
LAUGH IT UP
Comics, Games, & Much Much More!
SUDOKU
Q: Why do ducks have flat feet? A: To stamp out fires. Q: Why do elephants have flat feet? A: To stamp out flaming ducks. A tangled up piece of string saunters into a bar and asks for a drink, the barman asks, “Are you a piece of string? We don’t serve string here.” The string looks him in the eye and replies, “Nope, I’m a frayed knot.”
Difficulty:
TODAY’S SOLUTION
Q: Where did Napoleon hide his army? A: In his sleevey.
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 Great, in slang 4 Take as one’s own 9 Scenic view 14 Fifth in NYC, e.g. 15 Indian prince 16 Indian, e.g. 17 [Quoted verbatim] 18 Porterhouse relatives 20 Trading center 22 Without __: pro bono 23 Chop 24 Hannibal Smith underling 28 Dined 29 Polish place 30 MetLife, for one 32 Org. concerned with the word spelled by the starts of 18-, 24-, 36-, 54- and 59-Across 33 Muslim leader 35 Popular dolls 36 Any of five Wolverine films 40 Jeer 43 Geraint’s lady 44 Cookbook abbr. 47 Elite athlete 51 Urban skyline standout 53 Actress Peeples 54 Some online shoppers 56 Receive 57 Talker on a perch 58 Aid companion 59 Pot holder, perhaps 64 Reason for gaping 65 Immunity agent 66 Porter’s “__ the Top” 67 Dastard 68 Halos 69 Board game with an exclamation point in its name 70 Mil. spud duties
1 Long-grained Asian rice 2 One skilled in plane talk 3 Fiats 4 Legal hangings? 5 Little bit 6 Pancho’s peeper 7 Jet age 2011-’12 TV drama 8 Hoover led it for 37 yrs. 9 Political pollsters’ targets 10 Winter glaze 11 Mollusk named for its pair of long earlike appendages 12 Rest 13 Responds 19 Espied 21 Catch some rays 25 Injure severely 26 Marceau, notably 27 Verve 31 Don Ho’s instrument 34 Sra.’s French counterpart 36 Crosses (out) 37 A student’s GPA blemish 38 Caesar’s “I saw” 39 “__ it my way” 40 Kind of rap 41 Former Romanian president 42 Utter nonsense 44 Secure behind one’s head, as long hair 45 Make a mess of 46 Really bugs 48 Synagogue 49 “Rock-__ Baby” 50 Actor Quaid and pitcher Johnson 52 Pharm. watchdog 55 Internet giant with an exclamation point in its name 60 According to 61 “__ Song”: #1 country hit for Taylor Swift 62 Hockey great 63 Opener on a ring
Crossword provided by MCT Campus
SOLUTION
Tony Piro
SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER WEEKENDER
PAGE 9
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
SPORTS EDITOR: JIMMY CARTER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: ZACH TURNER FOOTBALL
What’s Next? GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long is searching for a replacement for fired football coach Bobby Petrino (above). The Razorbacks will continue spring practice and Long said he will try to have a handle on the coaching search by the April 21 spring football game.
Replacing Petrino by JIMMY CARTER Sports Editor
Bobby Petrino’s Arkansas career began and ended with a letter. In December 2007, Petrino left a letter in the lockers of Atlanta Falcons players to tell them he was leaving to take the Arkansas coaching job. Tuesday at 5:45 p.m., Petri-
no received a letter informing him he was fired from Razorbacks athletic director Jeff Long. Between letters, Petrino achieved some of the most successful seasons in school history before his April 1 motorcycle accident exposed his dishonesty to the university and led to his firing. Now, Long is tasked with
replacing a coach who won 34 games in four seasons, including a 21-5 record the last two years –– the program’s most wins in consecutive seasons in almost 50 years. Petrino led the Hogs to a Sugar Bowl berth and a Cotton Bowl victory, the latter resulting in a No. 5 finish –– the
see FOOTBALL on page 10
Petrino Phone Records Released by JIMMY CARTER Sports Editor
Mass amounts of phone calls and text messages were part of the inappropriate relationship that resulted in Bobby Petrino being fired as Arkansas football coach. Petrino and 25-year-old football employee Jessica Dorrell, the other party in the inappropriate relationship, ex-
Petrino and Dorrell also exchanged at least 65 picture or video messages. They had two phone conversations totaling 16 minutes just hours before their April 1 motorcycle accident. They also had a 22-minute phone conversation the day after the accident, a call initi-
changed 288 phone calls and 4,388 text messages between Sept. 12 and April 5, according to records for Petrino’s university phone obtained through a Freedom of Information Act on Wednesday. Petrino and Dorrell exchanged more than 100 text messages on multiple days. They averaged 1.4 calls and 21.2 texts per day during the almost seven months of phone records.
see PHONE RECORDS on page 10
Potential Coaching Candidates
Taver Johnson Paul Petrino Paul Haynes Art Briles Garrick McGee Skip Holtz
UA assistants Record at Arkansas: N/A Career Record: N/A Athletic director Jeff Long mentioned assistants Paul Petrino, dĂǀĞƌ :ŽŚŶƐŽŶ ĂŶĚ WĂƵů ,ĂLJŶĞƐ ĂƐ ƉŽƚĞŶƟ Ăů ŝŶƚĞƌŝŵ ĐŽĂĐŚĞƐ if he was unable to hire an assistant.
Baylor
UAB
South Florida
Record at Baylor: 25-25
Record at UAB: 0-0
Record at USF: 85-62
Career Record: 59-53
Career Record: 0-0
Career Record: 13-12
Briles is just .500 in four years at Baylor, but led the Bears to back-‐to-‐back bowl games and coached a Heis-‐ man winner.
McGee was A r-‐ kansas’ o ffensive coordinator for two years b efore taking t he UAB job i n December.
Holtz i s i n h is third h ead coach-‐ ing stop a nd h is father coached at A rkansas f rom 1977-‐83.
PAGE 10
SPORTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012
from FOOTBALL on page 9 program’s best since 1977. The finish came just three months before the sudden end of Petrino’s tenure. “Do I regret hiring him? That’s a difficult question,” Long said. “If he hadn’t been engaged in this inappropriate behavior, no I wouldn’t be disappointed in hiring him. His action resulted in me having to take this action.” Long felt he had to fire Petrino, but now he might have a difficult time finding a replacement, something he said he would start searching for Tuesday night. Last year, Ohio State had to settle for promoting defensive coordinator Luke Fickell to interim coach after coach Jim Tressel resigned May 30 under pressure surrounding major NCAA sanctions that occurred within his program. Months after most offseason head-coaching searches are over, Long and Arkansas are in a similar position to the Buckeyes. “It’s a difficult time of year to be searching for a head football coach, no question,” Long said. “I do think that our program is one that there will be people interested in. That’s part of my process. I’ll be seeing what coaches have self-identified to us as being interested in our program.” If Long did promote from
within, he said associate head coach/linebackers coach Taver Johnson, offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and defensive coordinator Paul Haynes could be interim coach candidates. Johnson will continue to handle administrative duties –– a role he has had since Thursday when Petrino was placed on paid administrative leave –– through the April 21 spring game. “At that time I will assess where we are in the search process,” Long said. Some Razorback players could be lobbying for promoting an assistant from within. “A lot of players on the team, including Knile Davis, their star running back, have already gone to Jeff Long and said, ‘Let’s keep this thing together. Let’s not break it up. Let’s not bring in any outsiders,’” ESPN’s Joe Schad said Tuesday night on SportsCenter. “Knile Davis is among the guys who would like to see the promotion, at least on an interim basis, of Taver Johnson or Paul Haynes.” One familiar candidate could be Alabama-Birmingham coach Garrick McGee, who left Arkansas as offensive coordinator in December after serving on Petrino’s staff all four years in Fayetteville. McGee, 39, has already been linked as a possible candidate for the job by numerous national media, though Long tweeted that he hadn’t spoken
to anyone about the position as of Wednesday night. “The smoothest transition that Arkansas could make in this situation is to go find Garrick McGee and convince him to come back to Fayetteville as the head coach at Arkansas,” ESPN analyst Andre Ware said on SportsCenter. “You say well, it’s crazy. He just took the job at UAB. “Look at the circumstances in which Bobby Petrino was hired. He was coaching one day in the Georgia Dome. The next he was yelling ‘Pig Sooie’ at a presser in Arkansas. So it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Garrick McGee to maybe come back to Arkansas.” McGee got a recommendation via Twitter from former Hogs quarterback Ryan Mallett on Tuesday night. Mallett, a current New England Patriots backup, tweeted, “GM the only coach Ark should look at if they wanna win now.” Other coaches linked as possible candidates include South Florida’s Skip Holtz, TCU’s Gary Patterson, Baylor’s Art Briles and former North Carolina coach and Arkansas player Butch Davis. “We can command a highlevel of football coach and we are not going to compromise that,” Long said. “If we have to go through the season with an interim, I am going to consider that, but again I need some time to lay out the search.”
RYAN MILLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Haynes is one of three coaches on the Razorback coaching staff that athletic director Jeff Long mentioned as a possible interim head coach Tuesday night when he announced the firing of Bobby Petrino.
BASKETBALL
COURTESY PHOTO Forward Alandise Harris is leaving Houston after two seasons to transfer to Arkansas. Harris will have to sit out next season unless granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA.
HarrisTransferring; Wagner Signs by JIMMY CARTER Sports Editor
The basketball spring signing period didn’t start until Wednesday, but Arkansas landed a big addition Tuesday. Houston forward and Little Rock native Alandise Harris announced he will transfer to Arkansas after completing the spring semester at Houston. He averaged 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds last season for the Cougars, second on the team in both categories. Harris was granted his release Saturday and also considered transferring to the other Arkansas schools, including other Arkansas schools. “Me and coach Mike Anderson had a long conversation today –– me, him and his assistant coaches,” Harris said. “I wanted to come to Arkansas beacause of the style of play. How they get into you defensively. Their fast, up-tempo offense. It was just the best fit for me and what I do in my career.” The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder will petition the NCAA to allow h i m
i m mediate eligibility. “I think I have a 50-50 chance,” Harris said. “I don’t know how they’ll take it. It’s all up in their hands.” His petition will be based on him transferring largely because of the death of his mother in November 2010. “Ever since my mom died last year, I was thinking about transferring,” Harris said. “It’s been on my mind ever since then. I was going to transfer at the end of the season anyway … I had to get back home to my family.” Harris scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots in the Cougars’87-78 win against the Hogs on Nov. 18. If he were granted immediate eligibility, he could help bolster an Arkansas front line that ranked last in the Southeastern Conference in rebounding last season. “We’ve got to get some size,” Anderson said Monday night at the team banquet. “We’ve got to get the best players that are available. We’ve got to get some size and toughness.” Anderson can’t comment on individual players until
they sign a national letter of intent or are enrolled at the UA. Wagner Signs LOI Alexandria, La., point guard DeQuavious “Dee” Wagner became Arkansas’ fourth signee in the 2012 recruiting class when he signed his letter of intent Wednesday, according to the UA. Wagner was named Mr. Basketball in Louisiana following his senior season. He averaged more than 19 points per game his junior and senior seasons. “I am excited to have DeQuavious become a part of our program,” Anderson said. “He brings a winning mentality and a warrior’s workmanship. He has quickness, toughness, vision and a high basketball IQ, all qualities that will add to our team. DeQuavious is also a very good student and above all is a character guy. “Coach Charles Smith (Wagner’s high school coach) is one of the winningest coaches in the state of Louisiana and says that DeQuavious is the best leader that he has ever had and knows how to win.”
from PHONE RECORDS on page 9 ated by Dorrell. They spoke on the phone 10 times on April 5, the day a police report revealed Dorrell’s involvement as a passenger in the crash. Petrino and Dorrell’s relationship was for “a significant amount of time,” athletic director Jeff Long said Tuesday. Petrino’s phone records back that up. The two exchanged 55 calls and almost 2,000 text messages in September as the Razorbacks started their 11-win season. They exchanged 70 text messages on Sept. 17, the same day the Hogs beat Troy 38-28. Dorrell sent him two text messages during the game and six from the beginning of the game until Petrino replied at 10:13 a.m. the next day. Petrino spoke on the phone with Dorrell early in the morning each of the four days before the Sept. 24 game at eventual national champion Alabama, talking with her before he spoke with anyone else.
Dorrell The two exchanged 100 text messages the day before the game against the Crimson Tide. Dorrell texted Petrino seven times the day of the game, including during the second half of Arkansas’ 38-14 loss. He didn’t respond to texts from her that day. They exchanged 55 texts on Thanksgiving, the day before the Razorbacks’ 41-17 loss at No. 1 LSU. Petrino and Dorrell exchanged two calls on March 28, the day she was announced as student-athlete development coordinator, a job she got over 158 other applicants.
FILE PHOTO Former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino and UA employee Jessica Dorrell exchanged 288 phone calls and 4,388 text messages from Sept. 12-April 5.
SPORTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012 GYMNASTICS
PAGE 11
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Razorbacks Suffer Shutout at Tulsa by MEDIA RELATIONS
TULSA, Okla. – The 43rd-ranked Razorback women’s tennis team traveled to the University of Tulsa Wednesday afternoon to face the 26thranked Golden Hurricane in its second-to-last regular season match of the spring, but was not able to leave on a high note as it was shut out, 7-0, to fall to 10-12 on the season. Arkansas had a tough day on the tennis courts at the Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla. from the start as the Razorbacks were swept in all three doubles matches and then were defeated in straight sets on all six singles courts. Throughout the after-
noon, Arkansas struggled to get any momentum against one of the top teams in the country as the Golden Hurricane won each of the three doubles matches by three games or more. The closest match came at the top court as sophomore Laurie Gingras and junior Claudine Paulson faced their 12th ranked opponent of the season in No. 89 Ewa Szatkowska and Anastasia Erofeeva, but fell by an 8-5 final score. Tulsa had the doubles point going into singles and left Arkansas with the tall task of needing to win four out of six singles matches. Unfortunately, it did not get much better for the Razorbacks as Tulsa went on to win
in straight sets on all six singles courts for the 7-0 win. Tulsa got quick wins at courts three and four to push the team score to 3-0 and then got the clinching point at the No. 1 position where the 70th-ranked Erofeeva defeated senior Stephanie Roy, 6-2, 6-0. The Golden Hurricane went on to win the remaining three courts in straight sets for the 7-0 final score. Arkansas concludes its regular season this Saturday when it takes on No. 37 LSU in Baton Rouge, La. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. A complete recap and complete results will be posted online following the day’s play.
LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas sophomore gymnast Katharine Grable competed in the all-around before her ankle injury, but participated in just three events in her return at the NCAA South Central Regional on April 7. The Razorbacks have a week off before heading to the NCAA Championships.
Gymnastics Off Before NCAA Meet by HARRISON STANFILL Staff Writer
Arkansas’ No. 8 gymnastics team has a week off before it heads to Duluth, Ga., for the April 20-22 NCAA Championship. The Razorbacks advanced to their sixth NCAA Championship after placing second to UCLA in the NCAA regional held in Fayetteville last weekend. This is the fifth straight year Arkansas has advanced to the NCAA Championship. This season the Razorbacks have had to overcome late-season struggles that were compounded by injuries to some of the key athletes on the team. All-arounder Jordan Salsberg was lost for the season with an ACL injury midway through the season and AllAmerican Katherine Grable missed four consecutive meets with an ankle injury. Grable returned last week at the regional and didn’t register a score below a 9.8 and finished the night on beam with a 9.90. “She exceeded expectations,” Arkansas co-coach Mark Cook said. “She is a very special athlete and she hadn’t done a dismount on her routine in four weeks and she went out there and stuck it, as a coach I stand back in awe.” The Razorbacks have started strong on floor this postseason in the SEC Tournament and the NCAA regional. Arkansas will again compete on the floor first at the NCAA Championship. “We are actually pretty pleased with it,” Mark Cook
said. “As far as floor goes, we have been drawing that for years and recently towards the end of the season we have been on that event a lot so that rotation is something that is familiar to us.” The NCAA Championship is comprised of 12 teams, which means two six-team sessions, the first session at 11 a.m. and the second session at 5 p.m. The Razorbacks drew the second session along with Florida, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama and Oregon State. “We are really excited to be in the second session, it makes the flow of the day a little more familiar for the team, which is nice,” cocoach Rene Cook said. “We are excited about the teams we are competing against, all of them are strong teams or they wouldn’t be there but I think after the regional meet we had the sixth highest score of the night I think that in itself proves that we can compete with anyone.” The Razorbacks rebounded from the injuries, six losses in seven meets to end the regular season and a sixthplace finish at the SEC Championship to advance to the NCAA regional. “We told the girls after the regional; when everything goes your way and you do well sometimes you don’t really appreciate what you have gone through,” Mark Cook said. “When you have all of the adversity and you prevail in spite of that, you know, that makes the event and the experience even more rewarding, and it does make you tougher in the process”
The Razorbacks will have an opportunity to send out All-American Jaime Pisani and Mariah Howdeshell with a Super 6 appearance in their final collegiate meets. “I think I said all along when we were having trouble that this is going to help us in the end because everybody was gaining competition experience,” Rene Cook said. “Now when we go into the championship everybody has competed in every event they could possibly do, and that makes us all feel that much more confident in our routines and in ourselves as a group.”
LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas coach Michael Hegarty and the Razorbacks have been shutout 7-0 in the team’s last three matches dating back to Friday.
SPORTS
THURSDAY, APRIL12, 2012
Women’s Track Strong in Stanford by ZACH LIGI Staff Writer
Arkansas’ women’s track team produced three Southeastern Conference-leading performances from the Stanford Invitational. In Palo Alto, Calif., senior Kristen Gillespie clocked a of 15:48.91 in the 5,000 meters and sophomore Grace Heymsfield ran a time of 10:16.76 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Gillespie’s time was short of a school record by only .02 seconds. The third SEC-leading result came from a freshman. Dominique Scott ran 33:54.95 in the 10,000 meters. She is currently ranked first not only in the SEC, but also first nationally for freshmen. “We’re really, really pleased,” Arkansas coach Lance Harter said. “It might be the cumulatively the best distance effort that we’ve ever had at a single competition. Dominique Scott took the lead in the SEC by almost three minutes in the 10,000 meters in her initial race. To run 33:54 in her opener is huge. We’re really really pleased with her mark. “She was very consistent throughout the race. Of the 25 (laps) there was only about a second and a half variation for the first 23. And her last two laps were her fastest of the whole race.” Scott’s effort in the Stanford Invitational earned her an SEC Freshman of the Week honor. Women Head to Texas Continuing on their road trip, women’s track will head to Texas next. Arkansas will compete in the UTEP Invitational over the weekend, facing six other teams, including No. 10 Kansas and No. 17 Kansas State.
The No. 6 Razorbacks will be the top team at the meet. Boise State, New Mexico, New Mexico State and Rice are all unranked. Held in El Paso, Texas, the Razorbacks will get a chance to test their sprinters and jump crew over the weekend. “So this week we flip, and they (distance runners) take off,” Harter said. “The Sprint and jump crew heads to University of Texas-El Paso for a competition up there that is pretty much sprintminded. We just wanna make sure that we keep the philosophy that we take our kids to whatever is the optimal place for them in their respective event.” The meet is the second in a three meet road trip, coming after the Stanford Invitational. Following the UTEP Invitational is the Mt. SAC Relays, then a trip back home for the John McDonnell Invitational. Men Ready for Trifecta of Talent Arkansas men’s track will be tested this weekend. The No. 5 Razorbacks will face two other top-10 teams in the Arizona State Tri-Meet. In a meet hosted by the Sun Devils, Arkansas will face off against No. 3 LSU and No. 7 Arizona State. The meet will be Arkansas’ second in a row on the road, following the trip to Palo Alto Calif. for the Stanford Invitational. At Stanford, Arkansas had a solid meet. Junior Drew Butler had personal-best times in the 800 and 1,500 meters. Junior David Flynn posted an SEC leading time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The Tri-Meet will be a one-day event, hosted on Saturday.
PAGE 12 BASEBALL
LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas first baseman Dominic Ficociello and the Razorbacks are looking to bounce back against No. 3 Kentucky this weekend after dropping their midweek game at Oklahoma 4-0. Coach Dave Van Horn said he expects to keep the same starting pitching rotation as the Hogs had for their 2-1 series win against Georgia last weekend.
Hogs Look to Bounce Back byMARTHA SWEARINGEN Staff Writer
No. 11 Arkansas will face the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats in Baum Stadium this weekend for their fifth straight weekend series of Southeastern conference play. The Razorbacks (24-8, 7-5 SEC) enter the series after a 2-1 series win against the previously ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Arkansas lost to Georgia 4-2 in the Friday game, but came back on Saturday for an 8-3 win and then an 8-0 shutout Sunday to close the series. The two wins against Georgia bumped the Hogs up two spots from No. 13 in this week’s Baseball America top 25 poll. The shutout was led by junior right-hander DJ Bax-
endale, who pitched a season-high eight innings while allowing just six hits while striking out seven. Baxendale was named SEBaseball.com’s Pitcher of the Week for his performance on Sunday. “We’ll probably keep it the same this weekend,” Van Horn said. ““I like him (DJ) on Sunday, myself, I can sleep a little better on Saturday knowing I’ve got a guy that’s going to go out there and throw up the zone. We’ll probably keep in the same this weekend.” If Van Horn keeps the rotation the same, sophomore Ryne Stanek would get the start on Friday with fellow sophomore right-hander Barrett Astin on the mound to start the second game. The Wildcats (30-3, 9-3
SEC) have not announced pitchers for the series with the Hogs, but used junior left-handers Taylor Rogers (4-1, 4.53 ERA) and Jerad Grundy (3-1, 4.32 ERA) on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Left-handed sophomore Corey Littrell (5-0, 2.02 ERA) started last Sunday’s game for Kentucky, a 2-1 win against Ole Miss. “We’re going to have to come out and have our A game at the very least,” first baseman Dominic Ficociello said. “They hit a lot of home runs, and so far they’ve pitched well enough to the point where they’re the number three team in the country, and they’ve earned it. Obviously they’re winning ball games and they’re a really good squad.”
The Wildcats ended their 21-game nonconference winning streak after dropping a midweek game at home with No. 19 Louisville in a 12-0 shutout Tuesday night. Arkansas lost its midweek game as well, a 4-0 shutout at Oklahoma Tuesday night. Ficociello led the Razorbacks with two hits while left-handed junior Randall Fant gave up a run on three hits in two innings. “It’s being able to learn from the past, but not dwell on it,” Ficociello said. “We’ve lost some games; hit a rough patch. But at the same time, it’s kind of just flushing it and moving on to the next thing and knowing we’re one of the best teams in the country. We’ve just got to start playing like it.”