September 24, 2012

Arkansas Rutgers Game Analysis Page 8 Monday, Sept. 24, 2012

“About You, For You”

University of Arkansas Student-Run Newspaper Since 1906

Vol. 107, No. 23

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Farmers’ Market Wins an Award

Frankly, I think the end product and I think you will all agree, is nothing less than spectacular,” Pontious said.

Sarah Sabatino, this year’s Pi Beta Phi President, also spoke at the event.

“This beautiful gift is a

see GATE page 3

see FANS page 2

Full Story, Page 2

Learn some motorcycle terminology for the upcoming festival.

Full Story, Page 5

Emily Rhodes Photo Editor Crowds gather to hear Chancellor G. David Gearhart speak at the Pi Beta Phi Centennial Gate opening ceremony Friday. The gate project began in 2007 and cost approximately $1 million.

Sarah Derouen News Editor Members of Pi Beta Phi and UA officials gathered to dedicate the Pi Beta Phi Centennial Gate during a ceremony Friday afternoon.

“Wow, now that’s a gate,”

Soccer Team Earns Draw in Sunday Game

The Razorback soccer team faced ups and downs this weekend, resulting in a 3-2 win against Kentucky Friday and a 1-1 draw to South Carolina Sunday at Razorback Field.

Full Story, Page 7

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Today’s Forecast

85/63° Tomorrow Partly Cloudy 88/63°

said Chancellor G. David Gearhart.

Gearhart spoke of how important this gate will be for the UA campus.

“Many of the world’s best colleges and universities: Cambridge, Yale, Duke, Harvard, Princeton are known for the gorgeous processional gates

gracing their campuses,” Gearhart said. “The University of Arkansas now has its own signature gate.”

The gate project has been in the works since 2007 and fundraising started in 2009, said Bruce Pontious, associate vice chancellor for University Development.

Jaime Dunaway Staff Writer Student and community enthusiasm for the Razorback football program has dwindled after three consecutive losses.

“There’s been a lot of people jumping off the bandwagon, and it’s my responsibility as a leader to keep everybody in this organization, in this team, in that locker room, together,” Tyler Wilson said to reporters after the shutout loss to Alabama.

The outlook has not gotten any brighter since. The Razorbacks lost to Rutgers on Saturday 35-26.

“I think we’re going to win two games and lose the rest of them,” said Enoch Ofori, junior industrial engineering major.

“I’ve looked at the rest of our games and it’s not going to get better.”

Many students have simply lost interest in supporting the Hogs.

“I probably won’t go to the LSU game where I might be disappointed,” said Virginia O’Conner, junior mechanical engineering major.

Students were excited for the first SEC game of the year, despite losing to the University of Louisiana Monroe the week before. However, the drilling combined with the rain led to empty stands in the second half.

“Look at what happened at

The Fayetteville Farmers’ Market was voted the best large farmers market in America by the American Farmland Trust.

Get Bike-Savvy for Bikes, Blues and BBQ

Razorback Fans Lose Enthusiasm After Losses

Police Departments UA Recycling Expands Despite Plan for Fuel Efficiency Fayetteville Program Problems Kayli Farris Senior Staff Writer Increasing fuel costs and growing concerns about environmental harm from fuel emissions has led Fayetteville city officials to seek more efficient vehicle choices.

“A sluggish economy, stagnant budget and rising fuel costs have forced us to think of innovative ways to save money,” said Mike Reynolds, deputy chief of the Fayetteville Police Department. “One such initiative we decided to try was to test and evaluate some hybrid-type vehicles to replace some older gas-powered sedans.”

City departments collaborate with the equipment committee to discuss vehicle purchases, Reynolds said. Several months ago, a member of the equipment committee asked the police department to explore alternative modes of transportation. This suggestion influenced the decision to evaluate two hybrid vehicles.

The city bought two hybrid cars as unmarked vehicles for the Fayetteville Police fleet, said Sgt. Craig Stout, of the Fayetteville Police Department. Additionally, flex fuel Chevrolet Tahoes have been used as patrol vehicles, replacing older Ford Crown Victorias.

“It is a two-wheel drive Chevy Tahoe,” Stout said. “It is what we call pursuit rated, which means it can operate

safely at higher vehicle speeds, avoids tip-over. The fuel cost was actually very comparable to a Crown Vic; it was actually a little bit better gas mileage than what we get on our current vehicles.”

City officials do not have a specific number for fuel economy because of the variety of vehicles used by the department.

The new patrol vehicles are not hybrid, because there are not any hybrid vehicles currently available that meet the performance needs of a patrol car, Stout said.

The hybrid vehicles purchased for the fleet will be used for travel, training and criminal investigations — events that will not require traveling at high speeds, Stout added.

The officers said they hope these vehicles will prove to be cost-effective while also helping the environment by reducing carbon monoxide emissions.

“The Fayetteville Police Department is committed to environmental concerns where we can do our part, and we will continue to research alternative modes of transportation where possible,” Reynolds said.

At the beginning of the year, the Fayetteville police drafted a fuel budget based on an average fuel price of $3.57 per gallon, Stout said.

This year, FPD budgeted $25,202 for fuel, and by early September, the department al-

see FUEL page 3

Bailey Delony Staff Writer Students living off-campus are finding it harder to recycle than those that live on campus, students said.

As part of the Fayetteville recycling plan, the city provides recycling bins and a free pick-up service for many local apartment complexes, said Paige Liles, Hill Place leasing manager. Each participating complex receives

one giant dumpster with individual compartments for residents to recycle bottles, aluminum, paper and plastic, Liles said.

The Links apartment complex, as well as The Cliffs townhomes also participate in this plan, an official said.

Although the opportunity to recycle is made available to some off-campus students, the convenience and easy access to these recycling bins is not quite the same.

“It was easier to recycle in

the dorms because they had designated bins,” said Hannah Fitch, a sophomore resident at The Grove.

Many dorms provide recycling bins on every floor and have a custodial staff to regularly empty them.

“It was much easier to recycle on campus because there were several different receptacles and they always kept them empty so they weren’t overflowing,” said

see RECYCLE page 3

Studying Around the World

Aneeka Majid Staff Photographer Students attend the Study Abroad Fair in the Union Connections Lounge, Thursday, Sept. 20.

Various other opportunities to learn about studying abroad are available through the UA study abroad webpage.

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Monday, Sept. 24, 2012

Monday, Sept. 24, 2012

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The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Students Explore New Cultures Students Excited For Hispanic Heritage Month About Recent iPhone 5 Release

Mariachi Band Performs at Greek Theater

Hunter Hawk Staff Writer

Contact

119 Kimpel Hall University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 Aneeka Majid Staff Photographer An authentic Mariachi Band performs at the Greek Theater, Friday, Sept. 21. The event took place in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Briefly Speaking BOA Moot Court Informational

Courtroom 12 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.

Food Science Seminar

Food Science Building Room D-2 3:30 p.m.

Delta Epsilon Mu Organization Informational Session Union 507 - 508 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

FANS continued from page 1 the Alabama game. At the beginning of the game everyone was pumped up and cheering, and then when we got down 24-0, everyone left,” said Lindsey Rasmussen, sophomore chemistry and Spanish major.

Other fans have remained loyal. In fact, on Thursday a group of students organized around the tunnel where players entered practice to encourage the team.

“Of course I’ll still go to the games. We all go here, so I’ll support my team,” said Arlyn Brazell, freshman political science major. “If there have been people jumping off the bandwagon, I haven’t seen it.”

Other students have taken up tailgating instead of waiting in line for hours to get a good seat.

“If I’ve got an opportunity to tailgate, I’ll go,” Rasmussen said. “If the games aren’t as good you’re not obsessed with getting into the games as early.”

Some students predict that away game attendance will also decrease.

“It’s hard to go to the away games when your team doesn’t have very good prospects,” Rasmussen said.

Students, the community and the media are also looking for someone to blame for the down season, further dividing the fan base.

“I’m a little disappointed with the way the team has played,” Brazell said. “There has been some coaching staff issues, but it ultimately comes down to the players themselves. I’m disappointed I bought an access pass to watch them blow it a little bit.”

With the conflicting feelings, some have said the only solution is to look toward the future.

“I’ll still be supporting the team,” Rasmussen said.

“Those guys are out there still trying to win. It’s a great football program. They’re going to bounce back. It might just be a matter of time.”

Award Winning Farmers’ Market

Jaime Dunaway Staff Writer

The Fayetteville Farmers’ Market was voted the best large farmers market in America by the American Farmland Trust.

The purpose of the contest was to raise national awareness about local farmers markets and how they support local economies and communities, according to the American Farmland Trust.

Fayetteville was ranked fifth on the list in last year’s competition.

Voting opened June 22 and was closed Sept. 3, according to the Trust. The Fayetteville Farmers’ Market received 1,439 votes, winning by a margin of 583.

“I think the award is really just validation for a really great market that we all knew was great. It’s the cherry on top,” said Judy Cavan, a local vendor at the farmers market.

The setting is what makes

the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market stand out from the others, said Joe Canfield, business manager of the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market.

“It takes vendors, customers and the social atmosphere,” Canfield said. “It’s all of these things working together.”

The Fayetteville Farmers’ Market is located on the Fayetteville Square, and it is open three days per week. It is open from 7 a.m-2 p.m. Saturday and from 7 a.m-1 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday.

Tuesday and Thursday markets will remain open until October, and Saturday markets will continue until Thanksgiving.

“I like going because it’s a fun Saturday outing. You get to experience the unique side of Fayetteville,” said Nicole Lusk, sophomore dietetics major. “I love seeing all the different types of produce and baked goods.”

The market has visitors from all over the county, as well as visitors from other

countries, Canfield said.

“It’s a social attraction,” he said. “Not very many cities gather together for a social event.”

Attendance has been higher this year despite the rainy weekends, Canfield said. Although, he said it was too early to tell if high attendance was because of the award.

The market has only been closed once this year because of rain.

“We have very loyal customers. A lot of customers come rain or shine,” Canfield said.

Once school starts, attendance usually drops off, Canfield said. However, Canfield is still hoping the popularity carries over into the fall.

“People should appreciate it and take advantage of it,” Lusk said. “Being so close to the best farmers market is something we should be thankful for. It’s carefree, friendly, but most of all funky.”

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Mary McKay Staff Photographer Fresh flowers are sold at the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market Saturday morning. The farmers market is in operation Saturdays through Nov. 17.

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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 479 575 8455 or at traveler@uark.edu.

Rebekah Harvey Staff Photographer Students visit booths showcasing Latin American countries by attending the Plaza de las Americas: Festival de Los Manos Unidos. The convention took place in the Union in honor of National Hispanic Heriatge month Sept. 20.

Nuri Heo Staff Writer UA students are celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, which started on Sept.

15 and ends Oct.15. The month honors Hispanic and Latino histories, cultures and offers an opportunities for people to be aware of them.

“The celebration started on Friday Sept 14 with the 1st Annual “Bailemos por sus Sueños” and “Let’s Dance for their Dreams” a scholarship fundraising event hosted by

the Latino Alumni Society and Univision Arkansas. Attendees enjoyed music by Calle Soul, Papa Rap and DJ armando, said Cecilia Grossberger, marketing and public relations specialist.

On Thursday Sept. 20, Plaza de las Americas and the Festival de las Manos Unidas took place.

The main purpose of the event was to teach students about people from Latin American and Spanish speaking cultures through country booths, music, performances and Latin American food.

Also, at this event students, staff, and faculty had the opportunity to practice or learn a little Spanish at the conversation club Cafe Tertulia.

“I really enjoyed the event because it was fascinating to see the diversity on our campus,” said Mengjiao Liao, who works for the international students and scholars department. “I liked the arrangement of the cultural tables, the music and the decorations in the connections lounge. As an ISO member, I look forward to seeing more opportunities like Plaza de Las Americas for

the international students to present their culture and build friendships with the domestic students.”

Honorong diversity and cultures that comprise the UA was a main point of the program. The committee has more events in the works to educate, entertain and inform our students, staff and faculty, said Grossberger.

“This is a great opportunity for our university community to come together and celebrate with us the rich and varied customs that are derived from our hispanic traditions,” she said.

Hispanic Heritage Month Events September 27

Campus Day for High School Students

Union 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

September 28

September 29

Barnhill Arena 7 p.m.

LULAC 754 of NWA: Annual Education Fund Gala & Silent Auction

Hispanic Heritage Day at Razorback Volleyball

October 5

Short Film: “Esposados”

Praise Songs: An Evening with Pat Mora

J.B. Hunt 216 6 p.m.

Union 7 p.m.

Embassy Suites, Rogers 6 p.m. - midnight

RECYCLE continued from page 1 junior Erin Westphal. “The bins that the city of Fayetteville provides are way too small.”

On campus, recycling is much easier because there are recycling bins next to almost every trashcan, said Valeria Quiroga Trigo, a sophomore resident at Hill Place. The recycling bins at the apartments are more difficult to find because there is only one for the whole complex, and it is usually far away.

Although off-campus students face inconveniences when it comes to recycling at home, the university continues introduce new recycling systems and gogreen initiatives in buildings across campus.

Widely used by students both on and off-campus, the Union has come up with several new ideas to encourage recycling.

If plans go as hoped, the Union will soon have two PepsiCo Dream Machines installed, said Sue Smith, Union associate director.

With the arrival of these Dream Machines, when students recycle bottles and

October 2

aluminum cans they can redeem points and win prizes, Smith said. PepsiCo sends the proceeds from this project to the Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities.

In addition, during for Union Day last week, PepsiCo made a statement on campus by installing brand new blue recycling bins in the Union Mall, Smith said.

These bins are now being put into use and have been placed in scattered locations throughout the Union.

Besides student-focused projects, union employees on the sixth floor recently implemented a trial system called desk-side recycling, Smith said. Each desk is provided with a recycling bin, rather than a trash can.

A small trash bag is attached to every bin, although the smallness of this bag is meant to remind staff to recycle more than they throw away, Smith said.

A new recycling system with compartmental bins was placed in Peabody Hall after the renovations and reopening of the building in 2011, an official said.

GATE continued from page 1 symbol of our close relationship with the university, our fraternity values and Pi Phi’s long lasting legacy here on campus,” Sabatino said. “It’s the accomplishment of every past, present and future member of Arkansas Alpha.”

Fellow Pi Beta Phi member and alumnus, Marilynn Porter spoke during the ceremony about why being in a sorority is important to her.

Living in the house taught

us to live and work with many different people.

“If we were single, alone, we wouldn’t be standing here today,” Porter said.

At the end of the ceremony, the gate was opened by the especially designed razorback key and Pi Beta Phi officers walked through the gate for the first time.

The gate cost more than $1 million and was designed by Todd Furgason.

14 Photo Illustration Marcus Ferreira

Apple, one of the most successful technology corporations in the world, released the iPhone 5 in stores on Friday, giving the company an edge on Samsung Electronics right before the end-of-year holiday shopping season.

Some UA iPhone users are already preparing to trade in their iPhone 4S. “I’m excited to see what Apple can accomplish with the iPhone 5,” said Blakely Sanders, senior kinesiology major. “It’s hard to imagine improvements on a phone that does everything. With all of the advancements in technology within the last few years, it will be truly astonishing to see all of the new features.”

What is the difference between an iPhone 4S and the new iPhone 5?

The newer version has a larger screen, faster

wireless Internet speeds and a more powerful chip, as the company seeks to continue to prove that they are one of the technology industry’s predominant franchises. It is 18 percent thinner than the iPhone 4S as well as 20 percent lighter. It will have five rows of icons as opposed to four on earlier models, according to the company.

Also, its chip, the A6, will be twice as fast and apps will load about twice the speed, even apps with images and music, according to Apple.

The price increases by $100 for each GB package available. It is $199 for the 16 GB, $299 for the 32 GB and $399 for the 64 GB.

Photo Courtesy of Droid-Life.com

FUEL continued from page 1 ready had used $18,083, putting them slightly over budget, Stout said.

“It’s always hard at the beginning of the year when you’re trying to do this budgetary process of how much money do you allocate,” Stout said. “In certain years, we’ve shot high, thinking that gas could get up to this point, and we always want to shoot above.”

This year, gas prices rose higher than what the department expected, Stout said.

“If we go a little over budget over here, we always have savings in other areas that we can adjust for, but usually we do a very good job about coming in pretty close,” Stout said.

The police officers’ patrol and fleet cars are fueled at pumps designated for city vehicles, Stout said. At this pump, the fuel price is locked at a rate of $3.57 for the year. Traveling officers use a Fuelman fleet card, which is also set at $3.57, to purchase discounted gasoline at standard gas stations outside of the city.

To conserve gasoline, police officials have implemented a policy limiting idling vehicles, Stout said.

“Obviously, this is a time when fuel consumption is a big issue, so anything that we can do to try to curve that down is going to be a big benefit for us,” Stout said.

Of 65 vehicles used by Fayetteville police, 43 are motor pool vehicles, leased to FPD by the city, Stout said.

Another 22 departmentowned, non-motor pool vehicles, are used for criminal investigations, training or travel.

Ford Crown Victorias, Dodge Chargers, Chevrolet Tahoes and motorcycles are used as marked patrol vehicles, Reynolds said. Additionally, they use bicycles, a Segway, an ATV and a golf cart for patrolling trails and special events.

The UAPD has a smaller fleet of eight vehicles, but they are still affected by ris-

ing fuel prices, said Lt. Gary Crain, UAPD spokesman.

They have a Dodge Intrepid, a Ford Fusion, a Chevrolet Impala, three Dodge Chargers, a Ford Explorer and a Chevrolet Tahoe, said Lt. Vance Rice, police services commander.

The UAPD also fuels the Razorback Patrol golf carts.

“We haven’t really talked about hybrid vehicles yet, but the vehicles we’re getting already had better gas mileage than the ones that we had,” Crain said. “We’re emphasizing foot patrol, bicycle patrol — so there are a lot of things under consideration — even motorcycles, which would be better on gas consumption than a car.”

They might not be using hybrid vehicles, but UAPD officials are considering them for the future, Crain said.

The UAPD officers incorporate fleet purchase cards at local gas stations to use their $32,000 fuel budget, Rice said.

“I anticipate our fleet size to grow over the next few years,” Rice said. “As our population grows, so does our demand for services.

The additional vehicles are needed in emergency management, administration, K9, patrol and training.”

Police departments nationwide also have been affected by fuel costs.

Four years ago, officers in the Suwanee, Ga., police department were asked to walk for at least one hour during their shift, according to a 2008 New York Times article. At that same time, police departments in Houston and San Diego exceeded their gasoline budgets by millions, The Times reported.

Since then, police departments across the nation have switched to lower octane gasoline, installed navigation systems in patrol cars, increased penalties for false alarms and implemented stationary patrolling to conserve fuel, according to The Times.

Opinion Editor: Joe Kieklak Page 4

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Monday, Sept. 24, 2012

Behind the Scenes Thoughts on John L. Blake Mertens Staff Columnist A recent interview with John L. Smith started with him insisting that all the reporters smile, or else he wasn’t talking.

There is no hiding the fact that this season has been one of the most disappointing (probably the most in my lifetime).

Wins had been increasing year by year since Petrino got here. In two years, our football program’s wealth increased by 59 percent, according to Forbes, easily the largest out of any program in the nation.

That was a jump from 17th to eighth in the richest programs list.

Bobby Petrino is gone. How did the Rutgers loss happen?

The nightmare is a reality, and it’s easy to try to find someone to blame.

We could blame Bobby Petrino for getting himself fired. We could blame Jeff Long for firing him. Mostly what I hear, though, is people blaming John L. Smith, the guy giving all the quirky interviews at the press conferences.

I have seen plenty of people wanting John L. fired after the loss to Louisiana-Monroe (who almost beat Baylor this weekend and Auburn last weekend, by the way). Some people go as far to say that we need to bring back Bobby Petrino.

Some of the critics are a tad harsh on John L. because we are losing these games or because of how he interviews.

(They say it is embarrassing.)

But is he the scapegoat of the year?

Let us consider a few things going on John L. Smith’s life.

For one, he is bankrupt.

Smith declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Sept. 6, according to multiple sources. This is no surprise, as the AP reported he planned on declaring bankruptcy in July. He is $25.6 million in debt and 63 years old. A Huffington Post article claims that he has $1.2 million in retirement funds that he is claiming as protected along with some household furnishings.

He is claiming these assets should not be liquidated.

The bankruptcy filing shows that he has $300 cash on hand

(“pocket money”) and $500 in his checking account. He lists his average monthly income as about $9,000 and his average monthly expenses as about $27,000.

Smith is almost to retirement age (aka when your health starts declining). I cannot imagine my older family members retiring with $25 million in debt.

There’s more, though.

Smith’s younger brother died Monday, according to ESPN. Smith caught a plane a day before the Rutgers game on Saturday to attend the funeral in Idaho. His youngest brother, Bart, claimed following his brother’s football teams as one of his favorite pastimes, according to Idaho Falls’ Post Register. His plane left and returned Friday. That’s pretty rough.

Now, I’m not asking you to excuse the head coach for the team’s losses.

Smith has taken full responsibility for each of them (although Tyler Wilson says the team quit against Alabama).

When Jeff Long hired Smith, he had in mind a longterm goal. This coaching search was a mad dash brought on by unforeseeable circumstances.

The players wanted Smith, and he knew (and knows) that he would probably only be here for a year.

No matter how ugly it gets this year, one season does not define a program. With the wealth and status that this program has accrued in the last two years, the big names will come knocking, and at the right time.

Until then, though, John L. Smith is the coach. Asking for his head is not going to solve our problems. Some people are already turning John L. into the scapegoat of the year, which is not fair. Things will get better, but maybe not this season.

However, if our coach can smile while such havoc is being wreaked on his personal life and while being scrutinized by the rest of us, we can certainly smile about a game.

Blake Mertens is a staff columnist. He is a senior biochemistry major.

Traveler Quote of the Day Of course I’ll still go to the games.

We all go here, so I’ll support my team.

Arlyn Brazell, Freshman, Political Science

Razorback Fans Lose Enthusiasm After Losses, Page 1

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Opinion Editor

Chad Woodard Brittany Nims Joe Kieklak

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.

Correction:

In the Thursday Sept. 20 issue of The Arkansas Traveler, the story, “Record-Breaking UA Enrollment,” incorrectly reported the number of students enrolled. There are 24,537 students enrolled in the Fall 2012 semester.

MCT Campus

Courses That Count: No More French for the English Major

Ashley Flippin Staff Columnist

It was brought to my attention this week that although I will graduate in May, I still have to take one last French class this summer to complete my language requirement.

Upon hearing this news, I went through the emotions of panic that I wouldn’t graduate on time, anger at myself and then confusion about the policy.

Why should I, an Englishcreative writing major, be required to take French? And not just a little French, but three semesters?

Last fall, I studied abroad at St. Andrew’s University in Scotland. During this time, my knowledge about college curricula was expanded, and the world of European education was pressed upon me.

In most European universities, students primarily take courses that are relevant to their area of study. So, if you were a chemistry student, you would not be taking many English, philosophy or art classes, but instead would be focused solely on your science classes.

What a novel idea: actually studying courses that pertain to my major.

I understand the logic behind the UA’s core curriculum.

We want well-rounded, welleducated students.

However, in Fulbright, students are required to take eight hours of natural science and nine hours of social science, and, as an English major, I am required to complete up to Intermediate II in a foreign language.

Those three subjects alone add up to 26-29 hours of coursework, depending on how many language classes you must complete to fulfill the Intermediate II requirement.

That is nearly a year of classes that have nothing to do with English or creative writing.

I would much rather spend those college hours ingesting all of the English-related knowledge possible. Instead, I will have spent that year learning math I will rarely use or physics I passed through memorization.

Not only is that a lot of time spent in classes that will not increase my marketability as an English major, but it is also a lot of money. As we all know, dollars spent on tuition and books add up.

I feel that those courses, tuition dollars and hours spent learning would have been more effectively used had they been courses in my major.

The same goes for any other major. Chemists do not need hours of essay writing, mathematicians do not need to slave over their history books and apparel studies majors do not need to memorize the periodic table in order to get a job in their field after graduation.

I feel our college courses should be more tailored to our needs during all four of our years here, rather than just the final two.

Imagine the possibilities if, instead of cramming for chemistry as an political science major or writing English papers as an economics major during our freshman and sophomore years, we spent those hours in our area of interest.

As graduates, we would be entering the workplace as experts in our field instead of average in a multitude of subjects. Sure, I understand the need to know how to read, write and understand basic math and science. But that is what K-12 education is for.

We need to allow those 12 years of education to do their job and then use the four years of our undergraduate career to become truly invested in the areas we are passionate about and will spend the rest of our lives working in.

Our time as students should be used to figure out what we like and dislike. By taking out the core requirements and allowing students the freedom to take courses that interest us, in addition to our major requirements, American universities would produce more excited, active and engaged students.

There are still classes I would love to have the opportunity to take as a UA student, but because I spent the first two years filling requirements for subjects I already knew I did not care for, I will finish my degree with just what I needed to graduate. No more, no less.

I cannot imagine how much more knowledge I would be equipped with if I had those nearly 30 hours of credit in courses I could use toward my future profession as a writer, professor, editor or any number of English-related professions that await me in the real world.

Instead, I will be heading out into the world with subpar knowledge of science and forgotten math equations that I will probably not see again until my own children enter school.

Ashley Flippin is a staff columnist. She is a senior English- creative writing major.

It’s Time to Move From Obama vs. ‘Nobama’ Conor Woody Contributing Columnist

President Obama is not a popular figure in Arkansas.

This is probably not news to you: The most recently conducted statewide Talk Business-Hendrix College poll had the incumbent losing by a 24-point margin.

There might be a better chance of Mitt Romney (or Not Obama, as Arkansans may know him by) being replaced by a resuscitated Ronald Reagan on the Republican ticket than of Obama getting away with our six electoral votes.

Because of that obvious gap, it can be easy for an Arkansan to tune out this election. Regardless of what happens nationally, Romney has Arkansas in the bag.

Last Monday there finally came a moment of clarity — maybe the first in this election cycle from either candidate. It was not only a rare showing of honesty; it was something that should make Arkansans especially snap themselves out of their apathetic, of-courseObama-will-lose stupor.

A secretly captured video released by liberal magazine Mother Jones shows Romney at a private fundraiser in May, speaking off the cuff to a table of donors. If you read one thing

Romney says this election, this should be it.

Romney’s quotation is already infamous: “There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. “(They think) government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what,” he said.

So why is this important for Arkansans especially? The closer you look at that initial number of 47 percent, the scarier the argument becomes.

Romney is accurate in that 47 percent of Americans did not pay income tax in 2011, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. It is important to look at is who makes up the group whom Romney calls “dependent on the government.”

Of that 47 percent, nearly half — 28.3 percent of all Americans — actually do get taxed on their wages, but in the form of a payroll tax instead of an income tax. This group is made up of poor workers who hold a job but make a small enough annual income that, after standard deductions and exemptions, their effective income tax rate becomes 0 percent.

So that leaves about 18 percent who pay no payroll or income tax. Are these the “victims” Romney was talking about?

Of that 18 percent, 10.3 percent are many of the nation’s elderly, who get most, if not all, of their income from monthly tax-free Social Security checks.

The next 6.9 percent are the poor, or those who make an annual income of under $20,000 per year. And it is not that the nation’s poorest pay no taxes. Note that regressive taxes like the sales tax hit the poorest harder, because they spend their money faster out of necessity.

That leaves less than 1 percent of the population who make more than $20,000 a year and still pay no payroll or income tax, which includes members of the military who qualify for tax exemptions. Not quite as dramatic of a figure as nearly half of the country.

In order to make up tax cuts for those making over $200,000 a year and a $1 trillion tax cut for corporations, the only way to keep the plan from adding to the deficit — which Romney promised to do — is for middle-class families to end up paying an average of about $2,000 more annually, according to a report by the Tax Policy Center.

The biggest story for voting Arkansans, though, comes in Romney’s last leaked sentence: “My job is not to worry about those people — I’ll never convince them that they should

take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

By Romney’s rationale, all of those who pay no income tax are government moochers not able to be convinced to take personal responsibility.

Unfortunately for its residents, Arkansas is ranked third in the country in tax-filers who have no liability. Fortyone percent of Arkansans did not pay income tax in 2008, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.

Romney says he plans to make it his job, as president, “not to worry about” 41 percent of residents in this state. Regardless of who you are voting for in November, Romney will always see 41 percent of our population — mostly the working poor and the elderly — as entitled victims.

This election is not Obama vs. Not Obama. However disenfranchised voters are at Obama’s first term, they should be still aware of who the alternative is. In this case, it is someone who has written off 4 of 10 residents in our state.

Are Arkansans comfortable with having that person in charge?

Conor Woody is a contributing columnist. He is a sophomore.

“Making Your Journey Worthwhile” Companion Editor: Nick Brothers Assistant Companion Editor: Shelby Gill Monday, Sept. 24, 2012

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Page 5

Get Bike-Savvy For Bikes, Blues and BBQ

motorcycle with a more declined fork system, fatter tires and bigger tires in the back,” Nelson said.

A crotch rocket is a low bike with a more aggressive riding posture, according to motorcyclegiftshop.com. The handlebars are up higher than a normal bike, and they’re built for speed.

Sometimes, the fancy polished ones are referred to as bar-hoppers, meaning they aren’t actually ridden except from bar to bar.

Alex March Staff Writer

The low rumbling you heard outside your window a few weeks ago has grown into a not-so-dull roar. Bikes, Blues and BBQ has come to town, bringing thousands and thousands of bikes. Even if you don’t have a leather jacket or skull tattooed on your forehead, you can still enjoy the weekend’s festivities.

For those of us who prefer four wheels to two, the lingo can be daunting. So put your lid on, rev up the big twin and head out on a run through bike jargon.

Poker Runs

Bike Manufacturers Harley-Davidson is the most well-known motorcycle manufacturer, but several other brands will be cruising into Fayetteville.

According to motorcyclegiftshop.com, most bikes are made by the big four: HarleyDavidson, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha. BMW makes bikes, too, which are known as “beemers.” The foreignmade bikes are sometimes referred to as metric bikes.

Junior Brian Nelson drives a 1986 Honda Shadow. He uses his motorcycle to get to campus as well as to work in Prairie Grove.

“It’s a cruiser, not something you’d necessarily take out to Bikes, Blues and BBQ, but it gets me to work,” Nelson said.

“Most of the bikes there are Harleys or custom cruisers.”

Traveler Photo Archive Bikes, Blues and BBQ brings a variety of bikes to Fayetteville. Whether its road bikes, choppers or sports bikes they come in different engine sizes, manufacturers and colors.

Types of Bikes Motorcycles can be broken down into three large categories, with several additional subsets in each category. According to motorcyclegiftshop.com, the groups are touring bikes, sport bikes and cruiser bikes.

Sport bikes are the fast motorcycles that zip by you on I-540. They’re built for speed, but bikes like this aren’t common at Bikes, Blues and BBQ. Models like the Kawasaki Ninja are often painted bright colors.

Touring bikes are the big, stable bikes. They’re built almost like cars and feature storage for long trips. There are some touring bikes at Bikes, Blues and BBQ, as they are popular with older bikers.

The majority of motorcycles rolling in to town are cruisers, which include most Harley-Davidson models.

Cruisers are big bikes with big engines, Nelson said.

“It’s all about feeling free,” Nelson said. “It’s hard to explain the feeling unless you’ve experienced it. It’s like you feel one with the road.”

PROFILE

Farm Manager by Day, Country Star by Night Alex Goldon Staff Writer

If students want to show appreciation for UA faculty members, they can say “thank you” after class, be polite when they run into them — or cheer for them as they perform onstage at a bike rally.

Approximately 30 bands and musicians will be playing at the Bikes, Blues and BBQ rally Sept.

26 to 29, including the Boston Mountain Playboys, 4 p.m. Sept.

26 at the Main Stage.

UA faculty manager Howard Lester is the Boston Mountain Playboys’ lead guitarist and vocalist. The band wants to see bikes, blues, barbecue and dancing at this year’s BBBQ rally.

“We play what we call ‘roadhouse country,’” Lester said.

He said the band plays a mix of country, Southern rock and swing covers. Although Lester has written original songs in the past, the band only performs covers now. Lester said the band plays with the sound of the covers, making them their own.

“You play it like you feel it, not necessarily like it came off the record,” he said. “We do what we like. We play what keeps them jumping.”

The band’s ultimate goal is to get people dancing and having fun at their shows, he said.

“We want to see people have a good time,” Lester said.

The Boston Mountain Playboys was originally Lester’s father’s band, when it was called Panhandle Playboys. Over the years, band members have come and gone. There are currently six members, including Chris Lynch, whom Lester has been playing music with for over 30 years.

Because his father and several other family members were musicians, Lester grew up around music and has been dabbling in it since the age of 5, when he had his first performance at the Avalon Ballroom in Texas.

“I thought I was on top of

Courtesy Photo Howard Lester, UA farm manager, (front right) plays lead guitar with his band Boston Mountain Playboys. He will be playing at BBBBQ this weekend. the world,” he said, laughing. “Of course, they won’t boo a 5-yearold kid.”

From that point on, Lester has been a performer. He has opened for several other bands and musicians, including Merle Haggard.

“We perform about 60 to 70 dates a year,” he said. “We’re pretty loose on stage.

“I can go four or five weeks without playing music, and then I have to play. You need that fix.” “(Performing) isn’t really about being on stage. It’s just when you have a group of people,” he said, motioning his hands to show a group, “and it makes them happy and you happy, too.

And I love the music.”

Lester is originally from a small town in Texas. Getting together to listen to music and dance was what the majority of people did on the weekends in the early 70s, he said.

“Dancing was a big deal … that’s what everyone did,” he said.

Lester said that lifestyle is fading away because people have more entertainment options, and he would like to see it come back. He’d like to bring roadhouse country to Dickson Street, he said. Lester said Jose’s in Fayetteville and Springdale are his favorite local venues.

“We push the tables back (at Jose’s) because I guarantee people will be dancing by the time we’re done,” he said. “If you’re a true musician, you’d rather play

for 100 people who are dancing for nothing than a 1,000 people who are just standing there hollering and watching you.”

Lester toured on the road in Texas for 17 months after a semester of college. He then decided he would prefer a more stable lifestyle and went back to Oklahoma State University, where he was pre-vet, he said. He said he continued to play locally as a solo artist and with various bands, which helped him pay his way through college.

Everyone in the Boston Mountain Playboys has an outside career and plays to have a good time and put on a show, Lester said.

Lester has been employed by the UA for more than 35 years.

As a farm manager, Lester oversees all of the research projects in the poultry science department.

He said they do pharmaceutical company research and that one of the best parts of his job is working with graduate and undergraduate students.

Students often take home Boston Mountain Playboys CDs and come to shows, Lester said.

“I get to shape these kids a little bit,” he said. “It’s probably why I’ve stayed in my career for as long as I have.”

Lester said he has known Bikes, Blues and BBQ executive director Joe Giles for a long time and played at the rally last year.

“We had a great time,” he said.

“It’s a great event.”

Engine Terms UA students are familiar with scooters, so the engine lingo isn’t much of a stretch.

A “cc,” or cubic centimeter, measures engine size.

Nelson said most scooters are 50cc. Motorcycle engines run bigger. Nelson’s motorcycle is 700cc.

“There’s more horsepower, and more control,” Nelson said. “You can travel further and on busier roads. There isn’t a restriction on your speed like a scooter, and you don’t get laughed at like on

a moped.”

Nelson’s Honda is referred to as a v-twin bike, meaning it has two cylinders. Most bikes have two cylinders. According to autoevolution.com, bikes with four or more are not uncommon.

Custom Bikes Shows like Orange County Choppers introduced us to ridiculously tricked-out custom bikes. There will be more than a few of these incredible machines rolling up and down Dickson Street this weekend. “(A chopper) is a custom

Poker runs are a popular event at bike rallies like BBBQ. These events require preregistration and a fee, and bikers ride to different stops.

At each stop, they pick up a card, and then they use the cards to form a poker hand.

The winning hand gets the pot of money, with the rest going to a good cause.

“Most people just do it for fun, and most of them are for charity,” Nelson said. “It’s about having a good time and donating some money for a good cause.”

If you brave the crowds at Bikes, Blues and BBQ, suit up with these terms to impress those hard-core biker dudes and biker babes.

With a basic knowledge of motorcycles, you could end up an honorary member of Hell’s Angels by the end of the weekend. So put on your leather skins, and go full throttle on all the event has to offer.

RSO OF THE WEEK

Amateur Radio Club Transmits Skills and Education to Public

Stephanie Ehrler Staff Writer

It’s 5 o’clock traffic in Fayetteville, and the only thing keeping drivers sane is their car radio. Students at the UA, however, are tuning into something that goes beyond radio music entertainment: the Amateur Radio Club.

According to the RSO’s website, the United States government began licensing radio stations in 1912, but the group was not formed into an organization until about 50 years later by four men interested in radio.

“The Amateur Radio Club of the University of Arkansas (ARCUA) was founded in 1958, through experimental radio was on campus as early as 1900,” said Matthew Barlow, president of the Amateur Radio Club and electrical engineering major.

The Amateur Radio Club’s

educating its members on the technology behind radio.

“The main goal of the Amateur Radio Club is community service through emergency communications, education of operating and electronics techniques, and to recruit new people to the hobby,” Barlow said.

Students, faculty and staff at the UA can join the RSO by emailing W5YM@uark.edu or attending meetings at 6:00 p.m. in the Science and Engineering building every first Monday of the month. The dues are $5.00 per year, according to club’s website, and the officers also meet for lunch on Thursdays, where anyone can join.

“The number of members ebbs and flows over the years as the club was formed to promote the hobby of amateur radio,” Barlow said.

The organization is involved in University WeatherNet, which reports severe weather from the Washington

“The main goal of the Amateur Radio Club is community service through emergency communications, education of operating and electronics techniques.”

Matthew Barlow

President of the Amateur Radio Club/ electrical engineering major station is currently in room 736 in the Science and Engineering building. The RSO has satellites, VHF equipment and HF equipment to allow students to earn their FCC Amateur Radio Licenses.

The licensing of a station requires the participant to pass an exam given by a team of volunteer examiners to determine the operation class, according to the Federal Communications Commission’s website.

The six classes available prepare novices with the skills needed to operate a station.

While many people are familiar with the morning talk shows that play on local radio, the ARCUA is mainly about

County area. The club also promotes severe weather awareness in both the amateur radio community and the general public, according to the W5YM webpage.

University WeatherNet offers training to those that want to spot weather and gather reports.

Barlow said he would encourage people to join the RSO if they want to learn new hightech skills, but even if people have no radio experience, club members will be more than happy to teach anyone interested in learning about radio.

Similarly to many special interest groups on campus that have a popular pursuit, the

Amateur Radio Club is centered on the shared enjoyment of radio.

Barlow said his favorite thing about being a member is the fellowship of like-minded individuals.

In June of last year, the association competed in a contest utilizing their radio skills with an emergency power system.

The RSO also participates in disaster drills and fox hunting, which involves hunting for a hidden radio transmitter, according the RSO’s website.

Emmanuel Decrossas, UA alumnus and former treasurer of the Amateur Radio club, said his favorite club activity is the American Radio Relay League’s Field Day. He said it is a contest where the goal is to contact as many people as possible in a limited period of time.

The RSO is keen in helping those intrigued learn more about the background of radio technology.

“We also try to organize a soldering workshop where students come to learn how to solder electronic components on a circuit board,” Decrossas said.

“This is completely free, and people can keep the electronic kit they have just soldered at the end.

“We’ll try to organize this event every semester as long as we have enough people to participate and RSO support us.”

With over thousands of radio stations worldwide, the club brings together technology skills and communication locally.

“The Amateur Radio Club is fun,” Decrossas said. “During our meetings, we discuss how we could build electronic components such as antennas by just recycling objects without spending a penny.

“Talking to alumni is really interesting because if you encounter a problem, they have probably already solved it. The radio amateur is a large community, and we have contact with people all around the world.”

Page 6

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Comics Pearls Before Swine

Dilbert

Calvin and Hobbes

Monday, Sept. 24, 2012

Sudoku Stephan Pastis

Scott Adams

Bill Watterson

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

Crossword

Doonesbury

Non Sequitur

Garry Trudeau

Wiley Miller

By Adam Prince

The Argyle Sweater

Scott Hilburn

ACROSS 1 Sitcom’s test episode 6 Sitcom interrupters 9 Holy Roman emperor crowned in CMLXII 14 In on, with “to” 15 Keg attachment 16 “Yep” 17 Corfu or Crete 19 Hopping mad 20 Close again, as a Ziploc bag 21 Volkswagen sedan 22 Scary Nile snakes 25 Salute heard at the Forum 27 Friend of Monica and Rachel on “Friends” 29 Dumbbell abbr.

30 Selfish sort 31 Snow-block home 34 Ab __: from day one 37 Classic Frances Hodgson Burnett children’s novel 40 CIA precursor 41 Arkin and Alda 42 Queen, in France 43 End of a professor’s email address 44 Makes sense 45 Once-common childhood ailment

51 Flower stalk 52 Boca __ 53 Young bird of prey 55 Primitive calculators 56 Entrée go-with, or the aptly placed part of 17-, 25-, 37- or 45-Across 60 Spiced rice dish 61 Cinque meno due 62 Prefix with -dactyl 63 Keep in the warehouse 64 IRS W-4 info 65 Saudi Arabia neighbor DOWN 1 NBA scoring stat 2 Like some reduced mdse.

3 Commit perjury 4 Supervises 5 Trike rider 6 On the ocean 7 __ Lama 8 Wizard’s incantation 9 Séance accessory 10 Good scores on parfours 11 “__ a wrap!”

12 “__ sight!”

13 “Word on the street is ...”

18 “__ Dead?”: Mark Twain play 22 Probably will, after “is” 23 Persian sovereigns 24 Jabs in the ribs 26 Thick-soled shoe 28 Serrated kitchen tool 31 Pension supplement, for short 32 First Bible bk.

33 USN officers 34 Keats, notably 35 Change of __: trial request 36 Early aft. hour 38 Game with rooms and weapons 39 Republican region, on a political map 43 Toyota Prius, e.g.

44 Wheel-supporting shaft 45 High roller’s game 46 Nun’s wear 47 __-Turkish War 48 Homes in trees 49 Sock purchases 50 Humorous poet Nash 54 Catch sight of 57 NASA moon craft 58 “We __ the World” 59 Mafia boss

Sports Editor: Kristen Coppola Assistant Sports Editor: Haley Markle Monday, Sept. 24, 2012

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Page 7

SOCCER

Soccer Team Earns Draw in Sunday Game Tamzen Tumlison Staff Writer

The Razorback soccer team faced ups and downs this weekend, resulting in a 3-2 win against Kentucky Friday and a 1-1 draw to South Carolina Sunday at Razorback Field.

The Razorbacks scored the first goal of the game in the first five minutes of the second half. Freshman forward Phyllis George crossed the ball from

the left of the field straight to sophomore forward Jeriann Okoro, who hammered the ball in right past the goalie to lead 1-0.

South Carolina tied it up 1-1 at 20:13 off of a throw-in when midfielder Danielle Au snuck over Arkansas defenders to deliver a shot past sophomore Razorback goalkeeper Kelly Roliard.

After 90 minutes of play, the score was still tied 1-1, sending the teams into a sudden death

overtime. At the end of both overtime periods neither team had scored, resulting in a draw.

The first half brought near misses for each team on shots.

The Razorbacks had two shots on goal with one corner kick while the Gamecocks managed three shots on goal with four corners.

The Gamecocks could have had two goals in the first half.

With 30 minutes left, South

see TIE page 8

Rockin’ With the Razorbacks

Kris Johnson Staff Photographer The Razorback soccer team tied with South Carolina after two overtimes Sunday afternoon.

TENNIS

Women’s Tennis Gets Started in Little Rock

Logan Webster Staff Photographer Razorback fans met mascots, women’s basketball head coach Tom Collen and student athletes at the Northwest Arkansas Mall in the fourth annual Rockin’ with the Razorbacks Friday.

Student Activities Fee? You pay the fee, take advantage of it!

Come to one of University Programs

Upcoming Events Hogs Blues and BBQ

The Exorcist

Union Lawn September 27 12-4pm

UP Video Theater (Union) October 4 7pm

We Are Marshall

Concerts: Andy Grammar

UP Video Theater (Union) September 27 7pm

Featuring Space Capone October 8 at the AMP 8pm

Comedian: Hannibal Buress

Woo Pig Spooky

Union Ballroom September 27 8pm

Union Lawn October 10 11:30am-3:30pm

Individual World Poetry Slam

Poetry Slam: Sonya Renee

Union Theater October 3 7pm Linda Sheets Exhibit

Let Me In UP Video Theater (Union) October 11 7pm

For more information visit up.uark.edu

Arkansas’ women’s tennis team began their fall season this past weekend at the Country Club of Little Rock Invitational.

Over the three day tournament, the Razorbacks brought home 10 singles wins and a doubles win.

The team had three wins in singles on day one and one win in doubles.

Freshman Yang Pang led the way with an impressive victory over 60th ranked Whitney Ritchie of Oklahoma (6-2, 6-2).

“Overall it was an excellent

first day for the whole squad,” said head coach Michael Hegarty. “Every player benefited greatly from stiff competition.”

Claudine Paulson and Sarah McLean also recorded singles victories for the Hogs. Paulson defeated Mia Lancaster and McLean defeated Hermon Brhane, both of Oklahoma.

Paulson and McLean also won a doubles match together on day one, defeating Caroline Starck and Elizabeth Ullathorne of Texas Tech.

On day two, the Hogs once again tallied up three singles victories, each at the hands of Texas Tech, a team that ended last season ranked No. 21 in the

country.

McLean defeated Texas Tech’s Sandra Dynka in her singles match.

Kimberley-Ann Surin and Ana Lorena Belmar both earned their first victories as Razorbacks against Starck and Ullathorne respectively.

“This young team is learning fast, which is very exciting to see,” Hegarty said.

On the final day of competition, the Razorbacks won four of six singles matches, but the doubles matches were rained out.

One of those wins came from freshman Kristen Mee. She beat Allie Robbins of Ole Miss (6-3, 6-3) for her first career win.

COMMENTARY

Defense Has to Play if They Want to Win Haley Markle Asst. Sports Editor

RZ’s October 10 7pm

Anne Kittrell Art Gallery October 4-31 Reception Oct. 11 at 6pm

All events are free to the public.

Contact upvp@uark.edu

Liz Beadle Staff Writer

The Razorbacks lost again Saturday night. It’s becoming a habit. But Tyler Wilson played. Wasn’t that supposed to mean Arkansas was going to hand out a 52-0 beatdown of their own?

The offense definitely had it’s chances. A touchdown pass to Mekale McKay was slightly underthrown and slipped through his hands to fall incomplete. Another pass was thrown into the end zone and intercepted.

In saying this, I am long past feeling like a broken record, but the real problem was the defense. The offense can only make plays if the defense can get the opponents offense off the field, and that hasn’t been happening.

Rutgers time of posses-

sion Saturday night was 39:02, and as is often true, the team that controls the clock, controls the score.

In addition, the Scarlet Knights were 5 of 15 on third down conversions and 1 of 1 on fourth down conversions, which actually isn’t as bad as it seemed when I was sitting in the stands trying to will the defense to get a stop.

The real killer is that all but one of these conversions led to a touchdown. That lone exception came when the game clock finally ticked down to zero and the drive was ended by the final sound of the referees whistle.

One Rutgers drive was extended three times by three third down conversions.

The week before, an Alabama drive was extended by third down conversions four times. At one point, Alabama was in a third down and 14 situation, and rushed for 15 yards.

The stated focus for the defense this year has been to stop the run. In the Southeastern Conference, being able to stop the run is definitely important, but a team can’t just completely abandon passing defense.

Before the game, I heard the playing style of Rutgers

being compared to that of Alabama, meaning that if the Scarlet Knights were going to beat the Razorbacks, they were supposed to do it on the ground, or at the least, with a balanced attack.

Sixteen of Rutgers’ 26 first downs were completed through the air. The Scarlet Knights had 397 passing yards, three times as many as they managed on the ground.

It does not matter if Tyler Wilson throws a touchdown pass to Cobi Hamilton on every Arkansas drive if the defense can’t keep the other team from scoring. The only way the Razorback defense has found to get off the field is to give up points, and that will not win football games.

During the SEC’s run of six consecutive BCS national titles, the winning team has been ranked outside of the top seven in total defense only twice. If Arkansas ever wants to have a chance at a national title, a conference title or even a winning season the defense must improve.

Haley Markle is the assistant sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. Her column appears every Monday.

Follow the sports section on Twitter @UATravSports.

Page 8

Monday, Sept. 24, 2012 The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Record Breaking Performance Marred by Loss

VOLLEYBALL

Hogs Roll Over Georgia

Jessie McMullen Staff Writer

Ryan Miller Staff Photographer Senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton broke the Southeastern Conference single-game receiving yards record with 303 against Rutgers. The Razorbacks fell to Rutgers 35-26 Saturday.

The UA volleyball team swept the Georgia Bulldogs (25-16, 25-23, 25-18) Sunday afternoon in Athens, Ga. The Razorbacks improved to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in the SEC. “It was a good win for us today,” head coach Robert Pulliza said. “Our players were focused all match and knew what needed to be done. It was a great match for them, and I’m very proud of the way they played today against Georgia. We had great balance throughout the match.”

Roslandy Acosta led the Razorbacks with 12 kills. The Razorbacks held the Bulldogs to a .067 hitting percentage.

The Hogs trailed by a point

TENNIS

Thomason Collects Two Wins

Liz Beadle Staff Writer

The Razorbacks’ men’s tennis team competed in the Louisville Fall Invitational over the weekend, taking home two overall wins.

The weekend started very promisingly with the Hogs going 8-1 on the first day of play.

“We had a great day at the Louisville Invitational and I couldn’t be more pleased,” head coach Robert Cox said.

All four Razorbacks in action won their first matches of the day Friday. Freshman Santiago Munoz who was playing in

only his second college tournament defeated Kentucky’s Michael Binder and Youngstown State’s Rodrigo Campos before the day was over.

Sophomore Victor Hoang also accounted for two victories for Arkansas at the expense of Victor Theorin of Youngstown State and Eze Gils of Tennessee Tech.

Junior Pete Thomason had a bye in the first round of play and defeated Murray State’s Dylan Gerlach later in the day.

Junior Mike Nott defeated Eastern Kentucky’s Joao Maio before accounting for the only loss on the day for the Hogs at the hands of Kentucky’s Maks

Gold.

Both doubles teams also won on day one with Nott and Hoang defeating a pair from Morehead State and Munoz and Thomason defeating West Alabama.

“One thing that I feel helped us win those matches was our conditioning,” coach Cox said.

“To be able to play two singles and a doubles match in one day really shows how much our conditioning has paid off.”

Saturday was also a successful day for the Razorbacks.

Thomason defeated Morehead State’s Hugo Almonte to advance to the finals of Flight C. In the finals, Thomason beat

Honorio Fernandez of West Alabama to win overall.

Nott also collected another win for the Hogs with a victory over Youngstown State’s Silviu Mistreanu.

In doubles, Munoz and Thomason defeated a pair from Youngstown State to advance to the semifinals of flight B. They went on to beat a pair from Morehead State to win the finals.

“We had a solid day today,” assistant coach Eduardo Rincon said of the second day of play. “We started very well, but didn’t finish as strong as we would have hoped. But overall we played some quality tennis.”

Photo courtesy of Athletic Media Relations Junior Pete Thomason advanced to the finals after beating Hugo Almonte of Morehead State University. Thomason beat Honorio Fernandez of West Alabama to win overall.

early in the first set but came back and scored seven straight points to take a 9-3 lead. Acosta and Jasmine Norton led the run with three kills and an ace.

The Razorbacks kept the momentum and took the lead 18-8. Acosta’s seventh kill of the game brought the team set point. Liz Fortado and Janeliss Torres-Lopez closed out the set with a block.

The second set was close early and the score was tied seven times until Arkansas took off. Amanda Anderson’s kill to make the score 13-12 got the momentum going.

Ashley Vazquez’s ace and Acostsa’s kill extended the lead to 18-13. Norton and TorresLopez teed up for a block to give Arkansas set point. The Bulldogs won the next six points until Norton’s kill put the Hogs up 2-0.

Georgia took an early 6-4

lead in the third set, but Arkansas took back the lead, 8-7 after a block from Fortado and Torres-Lopez. The Razorbacks maintained the lead the rest of the set.

Emily Helm had an ace to give the Hogs a 21-16 lead. Norton scored three of the next four points on kills, including the match winner. Norton picked up seven of her nine kills in the third set.

“If you want to win championships, you have to be able to win on the road,” Pulliza said.

“That’s a reality for any team.

We want to win a championship. That is something we’ve talked about. It’s one of our goals and we’re working to get there.”

The Hogs will return to Fayetteville next weekend for Southeastern Conference matchups with Auburn and LSU at Barnhill Arena.

TIE continued from page 7 Carolina’s Courtney AngottiSmith took a shot after Roliard had already dived for the ball.

The shot went in the net, but the referees called Angotti-Smith offsides, so there was no score.

South Carolina’s second near-score came with one minute left of first-half play. Roliard went down on the play due to a foul by the Gamecocks, and the referees discounted the goal that was made.

Roliard had three saves in the first half alone and four saves altogether.

Arkansas had a scramble of chances around the 20 minute mark. When one shot went near Gamecock goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo, it slid off her fingers and went out, giving Arkansas their lone first half corner kick.

The kick was denied by Gamecock defenders.

Soon after, Okoro made a breakaway run and sent the ball over to junior midfielder Taylor Green, who took a shot that landed on the left post of the goal and bounced out at six minutes remaining.

“Our first half was not good,” head coach Colby Hale said. “We didn’t compete, we didn’t fight, we didn’t battle. We got completely outworked. We didn’t communicate. It was not good enough.”

At 41:15 in the second half, freshman forward Ashleigh Ellenwood sent the ball over to George, who crossed the ball to Okoro. Okoro shot the ball to the right side of the net and South Carolina’s D’Angelo pushed the ball out to the right, giving the Razorbacks a corner kick.

In the final 10 minutes of second-half play, George crossed multiple times from the left field to the inside, but to no avail. At 4:58 George broke away from defenders to take the ball up the line. Her shot was just over and to the right of the goal.

“The positives are they re-

sponded well in the second half and overtimes,” said Hale. “We were good and we had plenty good chances to win. But this was an SEC Sunday afternoon.

South Carolina is traditionally one of the best, hard-working, grinding teams in the country, and in the last 65 minutes we were every bit as good if not better.”

“We played two really good teams that we got results from,” sophomore defender Kaylyn Cooper said. “I think the team’s very happy with this weekend, but we need to learn some stuff from today and come out fighting in the first half as well as the second half.”

The Razorbacks’ next game is 6 p.m. Sept. 28 against Tennessee in Knoxville.

FOOTBALL COMMENTARY

The Blame Game: Where Does it Fall?

Kristen Coppola Sports Editor

Razorback fans are less than content after the football team that was self-promoted as a national championship contender has fallen to 1-3, two of those losses coming from unranked teams in nonconference matchups.

“I know they’re disappointed, and they deserve better,” said John L. Smith, the interim head coach, after the game.

Since beating the Razorbacks 35-26, Rutgers was

ranked No. 23 and No. 25 in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Poll, respectively. Arkansas, on the other hand, dropped from the AP Top 25 after losing to ULM and from the USA Today Poll after being shutout by Alabama.

There are many places where the blame may fall, but there are just as many that are blameless.

One such blameless individual is senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, who broke the school record and the Southeastern Conference record with 303 receiving yards Saturday. Those 303 yards came on 10 catches with three touchdowns.

Another is senior quarterback Tyler Wilson, who handles pressure in the pocket much better than redshirt freshman Brandon Allen.

That is not to say that Allen is to blame; however, it does say that Wilson’s experience

helps him to make plays when the offensive line is unable to protect him fully.

Less to blame -- but not entirely blameless -- are the wide receivers. Junior Brandon Mitchell couldn’t shake defenders and freshman Mekale McKay dropped a pass in the end zone when the Razorbacks were second and goal and third and goal, respectively. Because of these two incompletions, the Razorbacks settled for a field goal by junior kicker Zach Hocker.

A little more blame falls on the defense. Rutgers controlled the ball for two-thirds of the ball game. No matter how well Wilson and Hamilton were connecting, they cannot do anything from the sidelines.

“There’s a number of things that you can point to, but they fought,” Smith said and added that he was “a little bit” surprised that Rutgers

won.

The players don’t deserve most of the blame. They can’t control which plays are called, such as the choice to go for a two-point conversion after the third touchdown instead of the extra point by Zach Hocker.

But placing the blame on the coaches is confusing.

Most fans automatically set their sights on Smith, because of his title.

Smith may not be the best place for blame, though. In April, he said that he has “always let my coordinators coordinate,” according to an article on ArkansasSports360. com.

If Smith is allowing the coordinators to call most of the shots – these are the same coordinators that were on the sidelines when the Razorbacks beat the Kansas State Wildcats in the Cotton Bowl – and taking a more passive

role as head coach, then the reasonable question is if the coordinators could have lost the Cotton Bowl if left to their own means.

This is an unpopular statement, but maybe Smith should be more involved with the play calling. After all, Michigan State won games with him as head coach. They didn’t win many nearing the end of his time in East Lansing, Mich., but the Spartans never started the season 1-3 either.

A head coach is in place for a reason, and Smith should be given more control of the reins. Until then, he will serve as a figurehead, trying to encourage fans and the team as the Razorbacks continue sink into mediocrity.

“I’m asking that the fans don’t give up on them,” Smith said.

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