September 27, 2012

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

University of Arkansas Student-Run Newspaper Since 1906

Evan Barber Staff Writer The Bikes, Blues and BBQ motorcycle rally rolled into Fayetteville Sept. 26, bringing with it a whole host of blues, rock and country musicians guaranteed to get your mojo on.

The rally brings together a handful of bands to play free live music in the beer gardens on Dickson Street, some locally formed, some traveling quite a while to be here and all promising to rock your socks off.

The first day of the festival is roots/americana day. The official website claims this day should “be more fun than you can stand” and that the lineup “may very well be the most fun night we’ve ever had.”

The night will feature the work of roadhouse country group The Boston Mountain Playboys, redneck rock band Ruckus (who are set also to play at the AMP 7 p.m. Saturday), experimental bluegrass band Mountain Sprout and country blues group The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band.

With lyrics like “The devil don’t live down in Hell / The devil’s right here, doin’ very well / And it’s hard to tell, when the devils look like angels / And angels look like Hell,” it seems unlikely that Peyton would be a real reverend.

But despite this, and despite the fact that the band isn’t actually all that damn big in numbers (though a couple of them are pretty hefty), there’s enough buzz about these guys to make them a promising headliner band for the first evening.

Whether you’re familiar with their music or not, bikesbluesandbbq.org promises that these guys will “put some jump in your rump.”

The next night’s lineup features Left of Center, NighTTrain, The Odds, Big ‘Uns and The Nace Brothers in the headliner slot.

Bikes, Blues and BBQ points out that The Nace Brothers, hailing from Kansas City and a longtime mainstay of the rally, are personally sponsored this year by Fayetteville’s Pace Industries.

Performing those classic tunes “Sittin’ On A Bar Stool,” “Quitcher Bitchin’” and “Sometimes It Rains,” The Nace Brothers anchor the first day of the second

part of the festival, when the musical focus moves out of americana and more into classic blues and good old fashioned rock and roll.

Friday’s lineup will feature local bands Earl and Them and Oreo Blue, with Oreo Blue actually taking the headliner slot for the night. But if one isn’t in the mood for blues music, Theory of a Deadman is playing Friday night with Black Stone Cherry in Fort Smith, and their concert promoters are running in cooperation with the Bikes, Blues and BBQ festival.

When buying tickets for the show, if the purchaser mentions that they heard about the concert through Bikes, Blues and BBQ, the promoters will donate $1 to the rally for their charity benefit program, which has benefited dozens of local charities on the past.

“So, enjoy a great show and help raise money for charity. It’s a win-win,” according to the website.

There’s a whole lot of blues, a whole lot of rock, a whole lot of country and a whole lot genre-benders in between this year.

Outside of Dickson Street at the AMP, Japton Social Club and Joe Giles & the Home Wreckers are playing Friday, and Ruckus and Another Fine Mess are playing Saturday. Another bevy of bands will be playing at the BBB Saloon at the Washington County Fairgrounds Campground Thursday onward as well as the Legacy Blues nightclub.

So, hop on your hog and head out to Dickson Street — chances are it will be too crowded for vehicles much larger than that, anyway.

Vol.107, No. 26

Bikes, Blues and BBQ Calender of Events Thursday, September 27

Left of Center Mainstage - 3:00 p.m.

NighTTrain Mainstage - 4:30 p.m.

The Odds Mainstage - 6:00 p.m.

Big ‘Uns Mainstage - 8:00 p.m.

E & the Boys Saloon - 8:00 p.m.

Trick Bag Saloon - 10:00 p.m.

The Nace Brothers Mainstage - 10:00 p.m.

Friday, September 28 Chase Missy Mainstage - 2:30 p.m.

Isayah’s All Stars Mainstage - 4:30 p.m.

Wild card karaoke preliminary Saloon - 5:00 p.m.

Bikes, Blues, & BBQ Car Cruise In 6:00 p.m.

Earl and Them Mainstage - 6:30 p.m.

Karaoke Finals Saloon - 7:00 p.m.

Japton Social Club The Latco Pavilion - 7:00 p.m.

Red Ambition Mainstage - 8:30 p.m.

Jeff Fox Saloon - 8:30 p.m.

Joe Giles & the Homewreckers The Latco Pavilion - 9:00 p.m.

Oreo Blue Mainstage - 10:30 p.m.

Southern Corruption Saloon - 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 29

Stokes Air Bike Show/Cycle Connection H-D Battle of the Bikes 8:00 a.m.

Bikes, Blues, & BBQ Car Show 9:00 a.m.

United Rental Parade of Power Pre Staging 3:30 p.m.

David Starr Mainstage - 4:00 p.m.

United Rentals Parade of Power 4:00 p.m.

Fashion Show Mainstage - 5:00 p.m.

Rich Fabec Mainstage - 6:30 p.m.

Ruckus The Lacto Pavilion - 7:00 p.m.

Full House Mainstage - 8:30 p.m.

Another Fine Mess The Lacto Pavilion - 9:00 p.m.

Chubby Carrier Mainstage - 10:30 p.m.

The Fabulous Hightops Saloon - 10:30 p.m.

Graphic Illustration by Sarah Colpitts, Photo from Traveler Archive

Razorback Softball Begins

Razorback softball will play their first two games of the season on their home field in Fayetteville this weekend.

Full Story, Page 7

Bikes, Blues and Beer Gardens

Bikes, Blues and BBQ hosts an annual beer garden, to which thousands flock each year to explore Fayetteville’s tastes and style.

Full Story, Page 5

Today’s Forecast

81/61° Tomorrow

Chance of Thunderstorms

77/58°

Page 2

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

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Bailey Deloney Staff Writer

This year’s Bikes, Blues and BBQ will feature The Ham Bone Express Pig Races presented by Downstream Casino Resorts.

Dubbed “a redneck heaven,” this added attraction will be “more fun than you can possibly stand,” said Joe Giles, executive director of Bikes, Blues and BBQ. The pig races will take place at the Washington County Fairgrounds Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Giles said. The pigs will race around an oval track for a distance of about 30 yards. Every show will consist of three to four races, and

within each race, there will be four pigs running.

Ham Bone Express is an entertainment company that performs at fairs and casinos nationwide. Their shows have been incredibly successful and well-received, Giles said.

“We have the swiftest swine off the line,” said Charlie Boger, ringmaster for the pigs.

Serving as both “swinemaster” and emcee, Boger has been racing pigs for the past 10 years. “This is a family show and the best part about my job is that we get to make people laugh,” Boger said.

With their 18 pigs, he and his wife travel all over the nation racing these porkers in search of “the next wiener,” Boger said.

Ham Bone Express builds their own track, provides an emcee and puts on an incredible show, Giles said.

Running the show, Boger’s job description covers a wide basis. Together, Boger and his wife raise their own pigs and train them to get ready for the race.

“Pigs are smart,” Boger said. Once the pigs understand where it is you want them to go, they can run that little track like nobody’s business,” Boger said.

“We race them, we chase them and we marinate them,” Boger said .

Once show time rolls around, Boger’s primary task is to get the fans’ blood flowing and pump energy through the

crowd.

“I get them revved up,” Boger said. “I make them sound like a Razorback football game.”

The crowd is divided into four different cheering sections, Boger said. The swinemaster also designates a special cheerleader for each cheering section. These pigs compete not only for the uproar from the crowd, but also for the long-coveted Oreo cookie. At the end of every race, the winning pig is awarded an Oreo.

Starting the year off in Florida, followed by California and then Missouri, this year will be the first time he and his wife have ever performed in Fayetteville, Boger said.

The Boys are Back in Town

Contact

119 Kimpel Hall University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701 Main 479 575 3406 Fax 479 575 3306 traveler@uark.edu

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Editorial Staff

Aneeka Majid Staff Photographer Bikers drive down Dickson Street Wednesday, Sept. 26. Wednesday was the first day of the 2012 Bikes, Blues and BBQ bike rally.

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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.

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

Page 3 The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Game Moved to A&M Campus Local Rally Will Not Jaime Dunaway Staff Writer

The football game between Arkansas and Texas A&M has been moved from Cowboy Stadium in Dallas to Texas A&M’s Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

“The game was moved to an on-campus site for 2012 and 2013 to accommodate some scheduling issues based on Texas A&M’s entrance into the Southeastern Conference,” said Kevin Trainor, associate director for athletics. “Obviously before their entry into the SEC, the game against Arkansas had been a non-conference game and now it is one of their four conference home games.”

A major factor for the game being moved to College Station was so Texas A&M could have another home game their first year in the SEC, Trainor said.

“Texas A&M felt it was very important to have the full complement of four home SEC

games in our first year in the league,” said Alan Cannon, associate athletic director of media relations for Texas A&M. “Playing at Kyle Field in front of the 12th Man, with 31,000 students standing throughout the game in support of the football team, is always an advantage. It does not guarantee a victory, but the support at home has been tremendous,” he said.

Both universities, the SEC and the Dallas Cowboys were involved in finding a solution to the change in circumstances.

The number of tickets available to students and Arkansas fans will be limited because of playing at another team’s home stadium, Trainor said. However, many students are still making the trip to College Station to watch the game.

“I grew up in Texas and my dad is the biggest Aggie fan to never go to A&M,” said Ethan Glaess, senior engineering major. “To this day whenever I go home, he wakes me up to

the Aggie war hymn instead of my normal alarm. So growing up I was the biggest Longhorn fan and it has been a dream of mine to go to a game at Kyle Field as an opposing student.

This is what I consider a golden opportunity, and there was no way I was missing this short of a family emergency.”

In the 2013 season, the game will be played at the UA before returning to Cowboy Stadium in 2014 where it will remain for 11 years through the 2024 football season, Trainor said.

“With 31,000 tickets set aside for an Aggie home game at Kyle Field, and many of those terrific yard-line seats, the 12th Man would love to play at Kyle Field all of the time,” Cannon said, “but, if we can’t play at Kyle Field, playing at Cowboy Stadium, one of the top venues in the entire country, is also very attractive to our team and our fans.”

Although Cowboy Stadium is a major attraction, students

at the UA might also prefer that the game alternate between campuses.

“While it is a nice stadium, I would like to keep it alternating between the campuses,” Glaess said. “It is the people that make the atmosphere great and whether in Arlington, College Station or Fayetteville. The atmosphere will always travel with the fans. College football was meant to be on college campuses, not NFL fields.”

Arkansas and Texas A&M renewed their football series in 2009 and have played their matchup at Cowboy Stadium as the Southwest Classic for the past three years.

“The desire by both institutions was to play a meaningful non-conference game in the new Cowboy’s Stadium to further provide exposure to both programs,” Trainor said. “In addition, the game provides exposure for the University of Arkansas in Texas a recruiting ground for both students and student-athletes.”

Students Choose Between Dickson and A&M Jannee Sullivan Senior Staff Writer

Fayetteville’s annual motorcycle rally Bikes, Blues and BBQ will take place the same weekend as the Razorback’s away game with Texas A&M. Students are split between which of the two events they want to attend. Some students would rather travel to support the Hogs at their away game.

“I’m planning on going to the A&M game, because I have a friend who goes to A&M,” said Grace Colly, a

sophomore apparel studies major.

Other students would rather stay close to home for the weekend.

“I’m going to Bikes, Blues and BBQ,” said Mary Jones, a freshman English major. “It’s just easier to stay here than to travel all the way to Texas. I mean, I hope the Hogs win, but I think it will be more fun to spend the weekend in Fayetteville.”

It will also be a more convenient activity for students, because they won’t have to travel all the way to Texas. All they have to do is walk down

Dickson Street, she said.

Still, other students are choosing not to participate in either of the two events.

“I probably won’t be at Bikes, Blues and BBQ,” said Kyle Hallam, a sophomore philosophy major. “I think it’s awesome for the city to hold something like that but it just sort of caters to the 21-and-up crowd. As for the game, no. I mean, I hope we win and all, I’m just not overly excited to be there.”

The two events collide every few years, according to their schedules. Last year, the game and the rally were also

on the same weekend, but in 2010, they were not.

In 2009, Bikes, Blues and BBQ fell on the same day as the Razorback’s game against Alabama, according to the two schedules.

Thousands of motorcycles converging downtown may seem like an excuse to leave for the weekend, but some students said it won’t phase them.

“Well, I live off campus, so it’s not too bad for me,” Hallam said. “But I can definitely imagine living closer to downtown; it would be annoying.”

Affect Construction Travis Pence Staff Writer The university will not be regulating traffic during Bikes, Blues and BBQ, UA officials said.

Although the university has not taken any measures to help direct or regulate biker traffic, UAPD will make an effort to protect students and pedestrians around campus, said Lt. Gary Crain, UAPD spokesman.

“The city of Fayetteville is responsible for Arkansas and Dickson Street. As far as I know they will both be open to the public during Bikes Blues and BBQ,” Crain said.

UAPD has increased enforcement in preparation for Bikes Blues and BBQ. There will be officers on foot that will patrol the Baum Stadium parking lot and other parking areas.

There will also be officers stationed at intersections and crosswalks to help direct some traffic and protect pedestrians, Crain said.

“Our biggest concern is to

keep a watchful eye on campus; the most we can do is make ourselves noticed to help prevent any accidents or criminal activity,” he said.

The biker traffic should not affect the construction on campus, Crain said.

“Most of the construction is occurring far enough from Dickson that it shouldn’t be an issue. Other than the noise, workers should not be affected and will continue construction as planned,” Crain said.

The parking and transit office will also be regulating parking areas during the week of Bikes Blues and BBQ, officials said. “At 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 24th, all vehicles must be vacated from the Baum Stadium parking lot,” Crain said.

“The athletics department will be renting it out to provide parking for faculty and staff.

The university will not provide any parking to bikers during the week. The students parking privileges will always come first,” said Andy Gilbride, transit and parking education instruction specialist.

UAPD Police Report

Saturday (9/15) Sunday (9/23) -A student reported -A student was arrested someone stole Taekwondo equipment from his vehicle while the vehicle was parked in Lot 46.

-A student was arrested in Lot 7 for public intoxication and obstructing governmental operations.

-A student was arrested at gate 17 for public intoxication.

in the Northwest Quad C building for possession of marijuana.

Tuesday (9/25) -Student was arrested on North Garland Avenue for bublic intoxication and minor in possesion of alcohol.

Opinion Editor: Joe Kieklak Page 4

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

Don’t Forget to Thank a Biker Today

Joe Kieklak Opinion Editor The air has filled with choppers, lofting scents of vendor food and, of course, the sounds of live music. If you have not noticed, Bikes, Blues and BBQ has begun.

It is the largest motorcycle rally in Arkansas and the largest non-profit rally in the nation, event director Joe Giles said. This year, the rally has expanded drastically past its original, Fayetteville borders.

“We’ve ran out of places to expand. And at the same time, we believe in the regional concept. This is not the last expansion we will make,” Giles said. This will include Spring, he said.

This year, Giles predicts hotels will be displaying “no vacancy” signs from Joplin, Miss. to Clarksville, Ark., he said.

When my family moved to Fayetteville in the fourth grade, I didn’t understand the tradition. Hundreds of thousands of bikers, beer gardens and blues seemed like a bad combination.

My dad took my family and me to the corner of College Avenue and Maple Street to watch a parade of bikes, the “Parade of Power,” that seemed to go on for hours.

All I could think about was getting home to the air conditioning and a quiet neighborhood.

Which, is how a lot of students and Fayetteville residents alike, still view the event.

This is perfectly reasonable; the rally brings in a lot of traffic, noise and the biker stereotype isn’t extremely friendly. I cannot bold “stereotype” by journalism style, but I would if I could.

If you are new to the event, what you may imagine is similar to the reality of the festival.

It is controlled chaos. Dickson Street will close to car traffic at the direction of local

law enforcement, there will be more motorcycles than can be counted (and even more bikers that ride them) and tourists, oh so many tourists. The event will bring in 400,000 extra people into Fayetteville, event organizers said.

Yet, we have to remember what this traffic is bringing: people. In this expedient economy, the more people we have in town, the better.

While vendors do take some profit away from the city, bikers will be eating and shopping in Fayetteville, boosting the local economy.

Moreover, the rally is once again promoted as a family friendly event, Giles and event director Coleson Burns said. This year, vendors have been prohibited from selling inappropriate items that may cause a child to point and ask his or her parents for clarification, Giles said.

Also, rally profit is donated to local charities, Burns said.

“Since the year 2000, Bikes, Blues & BBQ has donated over $600,000 to local charities,” according to the rally website.

I do not mean to use a column to promote the event, but I do appreciate what the event brings to our city.

Even though it is the job of Burns and Giles to oversee the implementation of Bikes, Blues and BBQ, they deserve thanks, too. Without their hard work, this event would not be possible.

Fayetteville and surrounding areas will see a strong economic bump this weekend.

Though parts of the rally may be unpleasant, considering how much money the “noise” is bringing into the city, I welcome every “chop” that will keep me up until Saturday evening.

While I’ll cede that I’m not a huge fan of the noise, we should see to it that we don’t shun the rally for the noise, but welcome it as just another part of the rally because of everything the noise represents.

Charity, a family-friendly atmosphere, a massive economic boon and the addition to our Fayetteville funk are certainly things to welcome this weekend.

Joe Kieklak is the opinion editor. He is a sophomore philosophy and political science/journalism- news/ editorial major.

Traveler Quote of the Day

We allow no nudity, no lewdness and no questionable activity in the beer garden to ensure it still has a family friendly atmosphere.

Joe Giles, Event Director, Bikes, Blues and BBQ Bikes, Blues and Beer Gardens, Page 5

Marcus Ferreira Staff Cartoonist

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Shawnya Wethington Staff Columnist If you happened to stumble into the multicultural center in the Arkansas Union last Thursday, you probably noticed a swarm of people holding papers and moving from one booth to the next.

No, it wasn’t a middle school science exhibition – it was the study abroad fair.

Studying abroad is something that you’re going to have to plan for way ahead of time. You can’t just drive to the airport and hop aboard the first plane heading overseas.

I’ve wanted to study abroad since before I even applied to the UA. That’s a part of the college experience that I know that I don’t want to miss. When I went to the fair, I picked up some papers from a couple of different programs, and as I was paging through the fliers, I noticed something.

Greece, Morocco, Germa-

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.

plan accordingly.

Almost 60 percent of scholarship deadlines are between February and April, according to the scholarships.com website. They suggest that people start the application process early, even as soon as September.

Scholarships, study abroad programs, graduate school applications and even professional applications often have extensive requirements.

They might request résumés and letters of recommendation along with your traditional essay.

These take time to get in place, and they all have to be organized and ready to go when you turn in your application.

University of California, Berkeley officials suggest requesting letters of recommendation from professors two months in advance. The longer you give them, the better chance they’ll have to make a good letter of recommendation and to individualize it.

Although you might not always have the luxury of knowing about scholarships or opportunities two months prior to when they’re due, try to give the people writing your letters of recommendation as much advance warning as possible.

If your application requires a résumé, don’t expect

to be able to craft the perfect résumé if you start working on it the day that you have to turn it in. Ideally, you should keep an updated résumé on file, but you may want to tailor it so that it’s better suited for specific applications.

If you need any help, the Career Development Center has programs available to provide assistance to students.

“There’s no way there could be any better place for students than the CDC,” Greg Renick, student ambassador at the CDC, rapped in a YouTube video about all the different ways that the CDC can help students. (Yes they rap!

The video can be found under the video and tips quick links on the CDC website.

I highly recommend that you check it out.) This is a free resource to UA students – use it!

If you want your applications to stand out, take the time to do them properly.

Don’t rush through them the night before and then race to hand them in two minutes before the 5 p.m. deadline on the day they’re due.

There normally isn’t a limit on how early you can submit things, but you will always have a deadline.

Shawnya Wethington is a staff columnist. She is a sophomore English/journalism- news/ editorial.

Good Reasons to Revive the Draft

Michael Smerconish Philadelphia Inquirer

Editorial Board

ny, Brazil, Tanzania – there were dozens upon dozens of options for students. Yet all of these different programs had one thing in common: a deadline.

Obviously, deadlines aren’t much of a profound revelation. They aren’t shockingly insightful. This isn’t one of those topics that people would never have thought of unless it was specifically pointed out to them.

But at the same time, people don’t pay attention to deadlines. They slip their mind.

Deadlines aren’t just something that you have to keep in mind if you’re planning on studying abroad.

You’ll be running into deadlines for many important things – scholarships, graduate school, interview applications, etc.

They’re important, and the necessity of meeting deadlines isn’t going to disappear anytime soon.

Still, dates get overlooked by students. Sometimes students get so excited about the big picture – what they will be doing, when they’re going, what they’ll be expected to learn – that they ignore the important steps they need to take to get there.

Once you miss a deadline, you’re out of luck. They can cripple your plans as effectively as polio.

Pay attention to them, and

Maybe Charlie Rangel is right in saying that America should bring back the draft, although we get to the same conclusion for different reasons.

Rangel believes that reinstatement of the draft is most equitable toward all. He thinks it’s unfair that privileged kids like mine don’t equally share the burden of military service.

Actually, I’m starting to think that making them serve is the best way to keep them safe. It sounds counterintuitive, but think about it.

It sounds counterintuitive, but think about it. Order in Afghanistan is crumbling. So far this year, 51 NATO soldiers

have been killed in what are referred to as “blue on green” attacks in which supposedly friendly forces attack our troops.

We live in very dangerous times, and some who would otherwise preach fiscal responsibility seem to relish the opportunity to pursue even more on military intervention, overlooking that we can’t afford it, both in dollars and in bloodshed.

Perhaps, then, the best way to restrain our leaders against another foreign entanglement is to ensure that any significant commitment of troops will involve all American families.

We need to make going to war more difficult. This won’t be an easy sell in Washington.

Despite a decade of war, there has been no serious discussion

of a draft since 9/11.

Rangel, a Korean War veteran, has been the exception.

Rangel has said fairness demands that the white middle and upper class share the burden of war.

He has formerly proposed what he calls the Universal National Service Act on four occasions, most recently in 2010.

In March 2011, Rangel tried again. Rangel proposed that “all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 25, if called upon by the President during a declaration of war, a national emergency, or a military contingency operation, to perform national service for a minimum of two years with few exceptions.”

That effort didn’t even get a vote. Had there been a draft on Sept. 12, 2001, Americans

would have rallied to the cause.

But a force recruited by mandatory conscription would not still be in Afghanistan after 11 years. Rangel has said that if a draft had been in place, the invasion of Iraq would never have happened.

He might be right. Funny thing. Rangel sees a need for the draft so that kids like mine aren’t off-limits. I see the need for a draft to ensure that a trigger-happy president and Congress don’t overextend us in a dangerous world to fulfill commitments that should never have been made. Either way, it’s an idea worthy of debate.

Michael Smerconish writes for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Above is an excerpt of his column that appeared Sept. 26.

“Making Your Journey Worthwhile” Companion Editor: Nick Brothers Assistant Companion Editor: Shelby Gill Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

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The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Comics Mason Sams Staff Writer

I

t’s that special time of year again where Fayetteville and American biking culture meet to enjoy a week of music, barbecue and the fall season. Since 2000, Fayetteville has been the proud sponsor of Bikes, Blues and BBQ, and there is no chance of this year letting up.

Aside from the food, music and partying, the festival also hosts an annual beer garden, to which thousands flock each year to explore the tastes and style of Fayetteville, Ark. A beer garden is a fenced-in area where event creators construct a point of sale filled with beverage and merchandise vendors. At Bikes, Blues and BBQ, there are various premium-brand canned beers such as Bud Light and Coors Light.

The garden is called the “Coors Light Beer Garden” due to Coors’ sponsorship.

In addition to beer, there are also a number of mixed cocktails available, such as Jack Daniels and Coke, and various spirits and wine products available by permit.

There will be beer gardens on Dickson Street, Baum Stadium and the Washington County Fairgrounds, said Coleson Burns, assistant event director. The main beer garden is located in the lot next to the Walton Arts Center.

“In this garden, we have our live music stage for entertainment of various sorts, including music; weddings; Miss Bikes, Blues and BBQ contests; et cetera,” Burns said.

The beer in the garden is $4, which is higher than the price of beer normally available at local bars. Burns said the reason for this is to prevent competition with local businesses. Event officials consider it their responsibility to make sure they don’t underprice their beer so that local establishments will profit from the event, too.

Furthermore, Bikes, Blues and BBQ is a nonprofit event, so alcohol sales are a primary revenue stream. Also, higher beer prices discourage patrons from having too many drinks and becoming a safety hazard.

Each year, the Coors Light Beer Garden presents plenty of attractions for everyone in the family. Anyone can enter the garden for free up

until 6 p.m.; after 6 p.m., security will be there to ensure only those 21 and older enter. During the day, the festival has a bike show, a stunt team and plenty of food to enjoy.

Like most years, the beer garden is located in the southern two-thirds of the Walton Arts Center parking lot at the corner of West Avenue and Dickson Street. To enter the beer garden, security is carding participants and handing out armbands. There will be plenty of entertainment within the area to keep guests near the beer garden.

As if beer were not enough, the festival has a variety of local bands, stunt bike shows with talent from Fayetteville and abroad, and plenty of people-watching to keep customers interested in staying in the beer garden.

The beer garden is maintained by vendors who are all invested in keeping a level of decency among its participants.

However, Joe Giles, executive director of Bikes, Blues and BBQ, said the event “does not have jurisdiction over the entire street, just specifically the beer garden parking lot, the ‘House’ (the lot just north of Dickson by Chipotle and the Rowdy Beaver) and what we call the Legacy lot (the lot adjacent to the Legacy building).”

The rest of Dickson Street is controlled by local bars and businesses and is not under the supervision of event supervisors.

Besides beer and other beverages, there will be a variety of vendors set up with Bikes, Blues and BBQ merchandise as well as other gifts and gadgets to check out.

“We allow no nudity, no lewdness and no questionable activity in the beer garden to ensure it still has a family atmosphere,” Giles said.

So it is important that participants maintain good behavior in order to continue the integrity of Bikes, Blues and BBQ and to ensure it happens again next year.

If you’re looking for a different Dickson experience, or perhaps you would like to take some time off from school, be sure to bring ear plugs and your ID and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Coors Light Beer Garden.

For more information on the festival’s beer gardens, check out the Bikes, Blues and BBQ website at www.bikesbluesandbbq.org or like their Facebook page.

Sudoku

Pearls Before Swine

Stephan Pastis

Dilbert

Calvin and Hobbes

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

Scott Adams

Bill Watterson

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

Crossword

Photo from Traveler Archive Beer gardens are a staple of Bikes, Blues and BBQ. They feature food, drinks and music.

Doonesbury

Garry Trudeau

Beat the Blues, Blend With the Bikers Nick Brothers Companion Editor

Seemingly without warning, students are stirred awake by motor kickbacks resounding off the walls of the residence halls well into the night. Men with strange — yet very impressive — facial hair unapologetically ride through campus, faint smells of fine barbecue and tobacco fill the air, and families clad in leather appear in students’ favorite local restaurants.

If students planned to get out of town, it’s too late. Dickson Street has completed its metamorphosis into a full-fledged motorcycle rally, full with barbecue, tons of live music, beer gardens and all types of vendors selling their wares.

Those who moonlight as bikers should get ready for an awesome weekend. Those who aren’t — and really, probably more than 95 percent of students aren’t — the festival is cool in theory, but there really isn’t much to do. Non-biker students will likely be walking around with a bunch of leather-clad, pirate-looking people trying to cope with the constant noise.

But fear not: Here is a list of ways to embrace the festival, even if it wasn’t your original plan.

1. People Watching

If there is one thing this article can do to educate readers with what to do at Bikes, Blues and BBQ, it’s to encourage them to people-watch.

Is this also known as creeping?

Of course it’s creeping, but no one is going to judge. In reality, that’s what everyone at this rally will be doing.

They will be observing and entertaining themselves with the sights and sounds of every bike enthusiast who comes to town.

It’s a lot of fun to take the time to appreciate the clothes, the variety of hairstyles, the sheer amount of leather that people are wearing, the uniqueness of facial hair and the outrageous tattoos. How many times in life do you get a microcosm of biker culture to observe?

For the Bold:

Photo from Traveler Archive Organizers estimate that more than 400,000 people will come to Fayetteville for the rally. there probably isn’t a better time than this to ask advice from the pros here on what to get.

3. Food, Food and More Food

Courtesy Photo

2. Motorcycle Spotting

The most interesting thing to observe about this festival, second to the people who attend, would without a doubt be its awesome motorcycles and choppers.

The easiest way to look at all of the bikes is to stroll up and down Dickson Street, checking out all the designer and rare-model bikes parked along the streets. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Among the truly impressive are the always-funny novelty bikes that make an appearance. A highlight of last year’s festival was a chopper with a full charcoal grill attached to its body.

For students ambitiously considering buying their own motorcycle,

Probably the next greatest thing about the festival is the copious amounts of food there is to consume — the most obvious being the amount of great barbecue brought to the rally.

The People’s Choice Barbecue Contest is Friday night at the Washington County Fairgrounds, located at 2356 N. McConnell Ave. On top of all of that, there are a lot of carnival foods, like funnel cake, foot-long corn dogs and countless other questionable fried foods. Don’t be afraid to eat like a ravenous crazy person — that’s encouraged here.

raspy and gravelly to soulful and deep.

Prepare yourself for talented intense solos and a variety of stellar musicianship from blues artists from near and far. You don’t have to be a biker to enjoy the blues. If you’re old enough for a beer garden, you won’t have to search very far for music. In fact, it will be hard to avoid.

Get a gang of people who own scooters and mopeds together.

Then, with all your pride and glory, take to Dickson Street with all your 50-mph-max vehicles, showing the rally you know what’s up. Applause is almost guaranteed; themed attire is optional.

Dress up. What do you think a stereotypical biker looks like?

Find your wardrobe at thrift stores, Walmart or deep within your closet.

Use sharpies for tattoos, wear bandannas or skullcaps, and the more leather, skulls and sleeveless items, the better. For the ladies, be sure to use red lipstick and smoky eye shadow/mascara. Or, if you’re up for personifying an antonym, dress to the nines in a clean-cut suit or dress.

Bicycle optional.

Get together with friends and hold records for how many different types of people you can count. For example, how many 300-plus-pound men with funnel cakes in hand, Willie Nelson look-alikes, confederateflag-themed clothes or women in lace.

Busk. For those with the ability, busking is whenever you do some sort of street performance, which is usually playing instruments for tips.

There will be thousands of people walking through Dickson Street. If you can find a nice corner before other people do, set up shop for some pay. Keep in mind your demographics, though — knowing Lynyrd Skynyrd is a must.

4. Music Everywhere

We’re talking about the blues, man, meaning one-to-two guitars on tube overdrive. A bass “walking” through every song, drums keeping your body moving, and vocals ranging from

Photo from Traveler Archive

Non Sequitur

Wiley Miller

By Adam Prince

The Argyle Sweater

Scott Hilburn

ACROSS 1 Map site 6 Senate figure 10 Brash 14 Winner of the 2005 Best Picture Oscar 15 Verdi title princess 16 Rapier cousin 17 America’s most popular dining-out occasion 19 Flavorful plant 20 Spot 21 Shows the way 22 Heaven-sent food 23 Academy freshman 24 Give way 25 Chess announcement 28 Place setting item 30 One way to sing 32 Smack on the head 33 Last chance in court 40 Semitic deity 41 Frigid 42 Where some plates are made 48 Vodka in a blue bottle 49 Rug often groomed 50 Honor, in a way 52 “... but I could be wrong” 53 Wear slowly 54 __-mo video

57 Old stage line?

58 Political propagandist 60 Department store founder Rowland Hussey __ 61 Asian staple 62 Standard 63 Arise 64 Gross 65 Swing era dance DOWN 1 Fictional corporation that sells earthquake pills and portable holes 2 Hector’s home 3 Behind schedule 4 Flooring wood 5 Yellow-and-red gas station symbol 6 Sushi condiment 7 Diamond gambit, or a hint to this puzzle’s circles 8 Lupino and others 9 Salary 10 Sake 11 Not against trying 12 Loewe’s partner 13 Get off at the pier 18 Clarinetist’s need 22 Retail price component

23 Writers 24 __ shui 25 Scot’s nickname, maybe 26 Tide rival 27 As well 29 “__ any drop to drink”: Coleridge 31 Kind of gravy 34 Tag information 35 Moo goo __ pan 36 Lion’s share 37 Caribou cousin 38 Disagreeing word 39 Give it a go 42 Leaves in a huff, with “out” 43 Attacked eagerly, as a wrapped gift 44 Kennedy who married Sargent Shriver 45 Euclid, vis-à-vis geometry 46 __ Tunes 47 Road safety gp.

51 Han River capital 53 Large in scope 54 Floor 55 Truck filler?

56 Airport south of Paris 58 __ Lanka 59 TV franchise since 2000

Sports Editor: Kristen Coppola Assistant Sports Editor: Haley Markle Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012

The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

FOOTBALL

Five Keys to A&M Andrew Hutchinson Staff Writer

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Establish a Run Game

Page 7

TENNIS

Hog Tennis Team Set to Play In Napa Challenge

Arkansas has gotten nothing out of the run game so far this season. They are only averaging 97.8 yards per game on the ground. After missing the entire 2011 season because of injury, junior Knile Davis hasn’t shown the ability he did during the 2010 season. Texas A&M is only giving up 94 rushing yards per game, so Arkansas’ offensive line will have to step up against the Aggies’ stiff defense, and Davis, as well as the Hogs’ other running backs, will need to hit holes whenever they open up. This will force the Aggies not to completely focus on the pass.

Shut Down Johnny Manziel

Freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel has accounted for 65.1 percent of Texas A&M’s total offense. He is their leading passer (213.7 yards per game) and leading rusher (87.3 yards per game). Last time Arkansas played a dual-threat quarterback was in week two against ULM’s Kolton Browning. The Hogs allowed Browning to run around and make plays. If they let Manziel do the same, they will suffer a similar result (Arkansas lost to ULM 34-31).

Other Wide Receivers Need toStep Up

Last week, senior wide receiver Cobi Hamilton hauled in 10 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns.

His 303 receiving yards broke the UA and Southeastern Conference single-game records. Wilson expects Texas A&M to “pay a little more attention to him” because of this performance. Other wide receivers, such as junior Brandon Mitchell and freshman Mekale McKay, are going to need to step up and make plays if Arkansas is going win.

Protect Tyler Wilson

This seems to be a key every week, but it is especially important this Saturday. Texas A&M is tied for third in the country in sacks with 16. Junior defensive lineman Damontre Moore leads them with six sacks, which is tied for third in the country among individual players. While Arkansas has only given up seven sacks, they must bring their best performance to slow down Texas A&M’s ability to attack and protect senior quarterback Tyler Wilson.

Stay Focused

This is Arkansas’ first road game.

For the first time this season, Arkansas will break out of their normal routine and play in a hostile environment. Texas A&M is famous for their student section, the “12th Man,” which never sits down during the game. They also play at Kyle Field, which was ranked as the 10th toughest place to play according to a Yahoo.com article at the beginning of the season. The young players and the rest of the team must remain focused the entire game in order to have a chance.

SOFTBALL

Razorback Softball to Begin Play This Week Tamzen Tumlison Staff Writer

The Lady Razorback softball team will play two games on their home field in Fayetteville this weekend, their first two of the fall season, against Evangel University 3 p.m. Friday and Marion Military Institute at noon Saturday.

The Evangel softball team, visiting from Springfield, Mo., is coached by Jerry Breaux, who has been with the team since 1994. Every year that he has coached, the team has been nationally ranked.

Last season, Evangel outscored opponents 245-99. Its overall record was 33-11, and 12-6 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Evangel returns infielder Danielle Billings, who earned a .453 batting average last season. Infielder Shelby Hoffman finished the season with a .368 batting average.

Evangel returns four seniors and many juniors, providing the team with a well-rounded level of skill for the 2012-2013 season.

The Marion Military Insti-

tute Lady Tigers hail from Alabama and boast a top-five finish in their region in the 2012 season. The Lady Tigers were named Region 22 Best Defensive Team of the Year.

The Lady Tigers are coached

by Joe Guthrie and are a young team, made up of 20 freshmen and sophomores.

Marion Military Institute opened its fall season in Alabama on Sept. 8. while Evangel

opened their season at home at Crusader Field Sept. 14.

The Razorbacks are coming off of a 29-28 overall record from their 2011-2012 season, with a 16-14 home record. The Razorbacks return four seniors this year.

Following this weekend’s games, the Razorbacks face Butler Community College in a double-header in Fayetteville 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3.

Logan Webster Staff Photographer The softball team will play their first two games this weekend.

Rebekah Harvey Staff Photographer UA men’s tennis coach, Robert Cox, talks about the team’s progress in the season thus far at the Olympic Press Conference Sept. 25.

Haley Markle Asst. Sports Editor The Razorback men’s tennis team is competing this weekend in the Napa Challenge in Napa, Calif., after collecting two titles in the Louisville Fall Invitational last weekend.

After three days of competition in Louisville, Ky., the team had collected 24 wins with a 12-6 record in singles and a 12-2 record in doubles play.

“A long weekend of tennis, but that’s what we want,” said head coach Robert Cox

of last weekend’s invitational.

Junior Pete Thomason was playing in only his second tournament after transferring to Arkansas from Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.

He went 3-0 in singles play and, along with his partner, freshman Santiago Munoz, went 4-0 in doubles play.

“He’s just a good, strong worker and a great guy and that’s going to propel him into some better play for the rest of the fall,” Cox said of Thomason.

Junior Mike Nott and Sophomore Victor Hoang did not perform as well as juniors and sophomores are

expected to, Cox said, but the opportunity will help them to be better prepared going forward.

Each Razorback won at least three singles and two doubles matches.

At the Napa Challenge this weekend, the team will get the opportunity to play a lot of tennis against quality opponents, Cox said.

The team will face one conference opponent in Auburn and multiple other teams they don’t normally get to compete against. The fall season is all about preparing the team for conference play in the spring, Cox said.

BASKETBALL

Women’s Basketball Adds Televised Games

Tamzen Tumlison Staff Writer

The Razorback women’s basketball team has added four televised games to their 2012-2013 schedule as part of the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball package.

Their first televised game will be Jan. 6 against Texas A&M, opening the home SEC schedule and airing on Fox Sports Southwest in the Northwest Arkansas area. The last time the two teams met, the game was a two-point loss for Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Razorbacks return to television on Fox Sports Southwest Feb. 3 as they play at Mississippi State. Ar-

kansas hopes to continue its winning streak against the Bulldogs to make it four in a row.

On Feb. 21, Arkansas travels to Georgia to take on the Bulldogs for the Razorback’s third game broadcast

by Fox Sports Southwest.

The final televised game for the Hogs will be Feb. 24 in Fayetteville when the Razorbacks play against Tennessee. This is the women’s basketball team’s only SEC Network broadcast. Last year, the sixth-ranked Lady Vols lost to the Razorbacks in an overtime upset.

The SEC women’s basketball television package includes 58 regular season games and all 13 SEC tournament games.

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will air 18 games nationally with at least one

SEC team in each.

Arkansas will announce an expected two additional games as part of a partnership with Razorback Sports Properties as well as any extra televised games in local or regional SEC markets as they become available.

The Razorbacks return two starters from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, senior Sarah Watkins and junior Dominique Robinson. Other returning players include senior Quistelle Williams, sophomore Calli Berna and junior Keira Peak.

This year’s season opens with Primetime at the Palace on 9 p.m. Oct. 12 in Bud Walton Arena. On Nov. 4, the Razorbacks will play an exhibition game against Rogers State at 2 p.m.

COMMENTARY

At Least the Refs Aren’t to Blame for Hogs’ Season Kristen Coppola Sports Editor

Monday I finished all of my work early, brought ingredients to make dinner over to my friends’ apartment and settled in for an evening of friends and football.

The Green Bay Packers, the team that drafted former Razorback tight end DJ Williams, were set to take on the

Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field.

The Packers have a struggling offensive line this season and the Seahawks play sticky defense, so many presumed it would be a close and lively game.

But it became evident as the game progressed that this game was not about Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the most efficient passer in the league, proving his worth against Seattle’s fourthranked defense. This game was about the ineffective replacement officials.

You see, the NFL locked out with the regular referees in June. The lockout has lasted into the season and replacement referees have been filling in until an agreement can be reached.

But then Monday happened. The replacements were calling the game very tight with a penalty called on every drive. As a viewer, it almost seemed as if a penalty was called on every down.

The bad calls went both ways, but they culminated on the final play of the game. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary to wide receiver Golden Tate that was caught and controlled by Green Bay cornerback M.D. Jennings.

That play should have resulted in an interception, but it was ruled a touchdown on the field, and after review, that call stood.

The NFL released a statement saying that Tate should have been penalized for offensive pass interference, but

that the Seahawks would keep the win on their record.

There are a few important things to note about the blown call. First, Green Bay shouldn’t expect to win in the NFL with only scoring 12 points. Second, the NFL referee lockout needs to end.

Third, Razorback fans should be happy that they can at least trust the officiating in the Southeastern Conference.

Reports surfaced after Monday that the side judge who’d made the final call had never coached above the Division III college level. It’s unreasonable to expect that an official without adequate experience can make the right call in a high pressure situation.

On the other hand, it’s also unreasonable to expect that

a team can win when the offensive line allows the quarterback to be sacked eight times in a game – nine times if you count the sack for no yards that the officials called.

That’s right. Rodgers, who led the Packers to a 15-1 regular season record in 2011, was sacked eight times.

But there is good news – or bad news, depending on how you look at it – for Razorback fans. The officials are not interfering with the Hogs’ ability to win.

For the most part, officiating is good in SEC football.

Some games come to mind, like the 2009 match against the Gators in Gainesville, Fla. But those wrongdoings are few and far between.

There’s another side to that coin. Though the SEC

referees haven’t costs the Razorbacks a win, they haven’t helped the Razorbacks avoid a loss, either.

Each of the three losses fall solely on the Razorbacks.

They can’t blame officiating like the Packers. They can only blame themselves.

This should be viewed as liberating, because the Razorbacks have the ability to win in their hands. They just have to execute. There are no untrained officials who will rip the Razorbacks of a win. They just have to do it themselves.

Kristen Coppola is the sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. Her column appears every Thursday. Follow the sports section on Twitter @ UATravSports.

Page 8

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 The Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

CROSS COUNTRY

FOOTBALL

Razorbacks vs. A&M Gameday Predictions Zack Wheeler Staff Writer

Passing Defense:

Passing Offense:

Arkansas had some bright spots last week in the passing game. Cobi Hamilton had a record setting performance with 303 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Tyler Wilson looks to only be sharper with having a full week of practice without controversy.

Texas A&M is led by freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel and top wide receiver Mike Evans. With all the talent and Wilson pulling the trigger, I still give a slight edge to Arkansas in the passing department.

Advantage: Arkansas

Rushing Offense:

Arkansas plans to use running back Dennis Johnson more this week over Knile Davis. Davis is struggling this year with only 3.3 yard per carry, whereas Johnson is averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Texas A&M is led by Ben Malena who is averaging 6.6 yards per carry with only 145 total yards on the year.

Texas A&M is more concentrated on the pass and the rushing ability of Manziel as well. Looking at the statistics both teams seem to be similar in rushing ability.

Advantage: Even

Arkansas looked completely out of position throughout the game last week. They allowed Rutgers to pass for 397 yards, once again without the best cover corner in Tevin Mitchel.

Texas A&M only allowed 189 passing yards during their 70-14 victory over South Carolina State. Arkansas seems to be lost in the secondary, making Texas A&M the clear favorite in this category.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Rushing Defense:

Arkansas had some success stopping the run last week, only allowing 118 yards to Jawan Jamison. Texas A&M has done a good job against the run behind very talented defensive linemen, who have high NFL draft hopes. Arkansas has done a good job of containing the run at times, but Texas A&M has been very consistent and only allowed 17 points to Florida during their first game.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Special Teams:

Arkansas just doesn’t seem to have the same magic on special teams as in year’s past.

Punter Dylan Breeding and Kicker Zach Hocker have been strong all year, but the return game has witnessed numerous muffed punts and not very many yards on return. Texas A&M�s Dustin Harris was recognized as Co-SEC Special Team Player of the week after last weeks performance. Texas

A&M is making more big plays, and seems to have a bigger playmaker than Arkansas has shown thus far.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Coaching:

Arkansas can not seem to figure out the issues on the sideline. John L. Smith has got to get everyone on the same page, and rally the team to start playing better football. Texas A&M is coached by first year head coach Kevin Sumlin, who seems to have things working right now. They have been solid on defense all year, and have put up some gaudy offensive numbers the past two weeks.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Texas A&M is overall the better team thus far. They have been more consistent on defense, and have produced more offensive production that Arkansas this year. Arkansas has beaten Texas A&M the last four years, but this year it could be a rough go in College Station. Arkansas is trying to correct what has been a disappointing year, and Texas A&M is looking ot climb higher in the SEC West race.

Advantage: Texas A&M

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The Razorback women’s cross country team will compete in the Greater Louisville Classic Saturday morning in Louisville, Ky. The field at this event features seven nationally-ranked teams, including three top 10 teams in No. 1 Washington, No. 8 Vanderbilt and the No. 10 Razorbacks. “We’re going to see the best of the best,� said head coach Lance Harter. “I think it will be a great test for us to get a chance to see where we deserve to be.�

Also participating this weekend are Southeastern Conference foes Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Missouri.

The event will take place at the E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park, the same course where the NCAA championships will be held. “It will be more important in the weeks to come prior to going to nationals, if everything goes in order, that they have a perspective of how to prep for it mentally and physically,� Harter said.

Fourteen athletes, both young runners and veterans, will get a chance to compete in

this event, Harter said.

The team has had ample time to prepare for this event.

The last competition the team participated in was Sept. 15, two weeks ago. That is the longest time between events the team has all season. “It was very fruitful as far as getting things done,� Harter said of the extra time.

It also helped the team to get over a virus that swept through the team, Harter said. The team should be ready to go this weekend.

In addition to being ranked No. 10 in the country, the Razorbacks are the No. 1 team in the South Central region.

Overall:

Breckenridge Keystone

Cross Country Team Well Rested for Meet

Rebekah Harvey Staff Photographer UA women’s cross country coach, Lance Harter, talks about the team’s progress in the season so far and looks forward to this weekend’s meet at the Olympic Press Conference Sept. 25.