Feb. 8, 2012

SPECIAL STUDY ABROAD ISSUE PAGE 1

Vol. 106, NO. 68 UATRAV.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Cultural Opportunities Within Campus Borders

by KRISTEN COPPOLA Staff Writer

For students unable to study abroad, there are opportunities to experience other cultures at the UA, officials said.

Holcombe Hall is the international dorm on campus, and though many of the activities are for residents “they also have a lot of activities that are open for the general population,” said Mandy Prorok, study abroad coordinator.

One such activity that is open to all are presentations by international students about their home countries, as a part of the Holcombe Geography Series.

“Every kid who lives in Holcombe will do a presentation.

It will be one person from that country, and they’ll make some authentic food for everyone,” said Grant Bearfield, graduate student and former resident assistant of Holcombe Hall.

“We’ve had them from Haiti, Kosovo and Uganda.”

On Feb. 8, a student from China will make a presentation, Prorok said.

Another opportunity, which allows students to get to know international students over a period of time, is the conversation partners program through the Spring International Language Center. “[Students] just contact us and fill out a conversation partner form, and then we match them with [international] students and meet once or twice a week,” said Alannah Massey, Special Programs coordinator with SILC. Hannah Gaston, sophomore, was a conversation partner and said she gained a lot through the program.

“You get to learn about culture; you get to learn about food,” Gaston said. “It’s a great

LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The International Student Organization met last Friday at Bud Walton South Hall for a kickoff event of the Spring semester. The ISO will be traveling to Crystal Bridges American Art museum Friday and iceskating after the tour. way to serve your campus community and help fellow students.”

She also noted ways in which the experience changed and challenged her.

“You have to grow your understanding and compassion when you talk with someone struggling with the language,” Gaston said. “It encouraged me in my language learning. The same way they’re learning Eng-

lish, I’m trying to learn their language.”

Students who are interested in more time-intensive programs could apply to be ambassadors for international orientation or to be a part of a friendship family.

“They use American students for tasks from helping pick up students from the airport when they arrive, taking them shopping at Walmart, to

actually being present at the orientation session,” Prorok said.

Applications can be found on the Office of International Students and Scholars website.

“Friendship families are more for students whose families are in Fayetteville and are interested in adopting an international student to invite them to their house for dinner once a month,” Prorok said. “The

The Road Abroad is the One Less Traveled

friendship family program is specifically geared to letting international students see what [American] family life is like.”

Students who have been involved with international students through programs at the UA are grateful for the opportunities and have formed lasting friendships.

“If you take steps, you can easily get involved,” said Kelly Petersen, junior. “I have so

Winter Migration: How Students Escape With Study Abroad

by JACK SUNTRUP Staff Writer

COURTESY PHOTO

Katie Goll, left, and Rachel Story, right, traveled to Malaga, Spain. Goll, a UA senior business major, studied abroad in Bonn, Germany for a year.

In This Issue:

News

News

World Wide Web: Study Study Abroad vs.

Abroad Blogging Internships The Honors College uses a requirement for students studying abroad as an opportunity to share experiences with others.

Page 2

Students often have to make a choice between these two opportunities, and the decision can prove difficult.

Page 3

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012 VOL. 106, NO. 68 8 PAGES UATRAV.COM

WEATHER FORECAST

Features

On cold days, while certain students stare out their windows wishing for nicer weather, few actually bite the bullet and leave to study abroad because of it, the study abroad office representative said.

“It’s not anywhere near the top five reasons a student would choose a location,” said Mandy Prorok, study abroad office representative.

Even though students leave Fayetteville for the spring semester to study abroad, few choose tropical climates, according to study abroad statistics.

Prorok said one of the main reasons students select a country is their field of study.

Features

Students Choose Their Key to Applying for Own Adventure Study Abroad

Sports

Hogs Invade Athens

Opportunities exist for students who can’t afford to study abroad.

Hogs Abroad 101 Sessions can help in the application process.

Arkansas basketball is still looking for its first win away from home as they take on Georgia Wednesday night.

Page 5

Page 5

Page 8

TODAY 36°

THURSDAY 47°

FRIDAY 45°

SATURDAY 38°

many friends that we have a place to stay almost anywhere in the world. If you give them your time, they will give you so much in return.”

“I have lifelong lasting relationships from guys I’ve lived with last year, and I try to Skype with them once a month.

They’re genuine friendships,” Bearfield said.

SUNDAY 43°

“They take the classes required for their major at the UA, but getting a different perspective,” she said.

Senior Thomas Richardson, a history major, studied in Scotland last semester.

“For me, I have family connections over there,” he said.

“One reason I went over was to explore the McClann family history.”

“My grandmother on my mom’s side was telling me about our connections,” he said. “She kept persuading me to go to Scotland.”

Richardson also saw value in being able to add his experience to his resume.

“Learning history from any international university seemed

see WINTER on page 2

Opinion

Changing the World Think Before you Give A Traveler columnist looks into which organizations students are giving to and how their funds are being used.

Page 4 MONDAY 52°

Follow us on Twitter at @uatrav

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

WINTER

from page 1 good on any resume,” he said.

Being so far above the equator, Richardson knew the weather would be different.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of sunlight during the day,” he said. “It was cold and damp most of the time.”

“The sun sets around 5:30 or 6 here,” he said. “Over there, in the winter months, the sun set around 3:30 p.m.”

The lack of sunlight did not stymie the 11 students that traveled to either England or Scotland last semester.

Trevor Smith participated in a program comparing the American healthcare system to that of Sweden. The group visited the Washington County Medical Center before traveling to Sweden for three weeks.

There were misconceptions about Sweden’s weather, Smith said.

“People here said it would be rainy but it did not rain hardly at all,” he said.

The weather in Sweden was comparable to Fayetteville’s, Smith said.

“The cool thing about it in mid-May was the weather in Sweden,” he said. “Their weather at the start of the summer is just like spring here.”

Whether students plan on studying in Costa Rica or Norway, age-old advice rings true.

“Pack accordingly,” Richardson said.

Beginning the Journey Abroad ABOUT THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER The Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper of the University of Arkansas, is published every day during the fall and spring academic sessions except during exam periods and university holidays.

Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Traveler. The editor makes all final content decisions.

One copy of The Arkansas Traveler is free to every member of the UA community. Additional copies can be purchased for 50 cents each. Mail subscriptions for delivery within the continental United States can be purchased for $125.00 per semester. Contact the Traveler Business Manager to arrange.

CONTACT 119 Kimpel Hall University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701

Staff Writer

The Honors College uses a requirement for students studying abroad as an opportunity to share experiences with others.

The Honors College officials give between half a million and one million dollars each year in study abroad grants. Students who receive a grant to study abroad are required to submit a paper during their time away.

In previous years, this documentation was written report, but now students write blogs, said Kendall Curlee, director of communications in the Honors College.

The blogs are beneficial for the students writing them, and also for students who are thinking about studying abroad.

Writing a blog post helps the student traveler take a step back and look back at what they learned from their journeys. Students that are thinking about studying abroad can

Main: 479.575.3406 Fax: 479.575.3306 traveler@uark.edu

Scan to call us!

facebook.com/uatrav twitter.com/uatrav

STAFF MIKE NORTON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Mandy Prorok meets with sophomore Hannah Kate Gilbert about her interest in studying abroad in San Sebastián, Spain this summer.

World Wide Web: Study Abroad Blogging

by SARAH DEROUEN

PAGE 2

search the blogs by country to read other student’s experiences, Curlee said.

The blogs are not just sugar-coated experiences; students include hardship of their time away, Curlee said.

Lauren Davenport is an honors international business marketing major that was studying in Buenos Aires. In her blog, she discussed the difficulties of communicating in another country.

“Let me just say that learning a language in another country makes a world of difference.

Being able to leave the class room and actually start applying what you are learning right then and there is the best way to learn a language,” Davenport wrote on a blog on December 14. “I am living with an older woman who doesn’t know a lick of English. I am proud to say that after only two months we communicate wonderfully! We spend many nights around the dinner table talking for hours.”

Along with their blog post, students are all required to submit photographs from their travels, Curlee said. These photos are linked to the student’s blogs. These photographs include pictures of the scenery and the cities students are visiting, along with photographs of the bloggers themselves.

Some students choose to write blogs on their own to document their travels even if they are not required.

Philip Murry, a sophomore international business major minoring in Spanish writes a blog at murrystravels.blogspot. com on his free time.

“While I’m here, I’m blogging about my experience mainly so that my friends and family at home can see what I’ve been up to,” Murry said in an email. “This is an incredible opportunity, one that a lot of people don’t have. I wanted to share my experiences so that others could, in a way, come along with me.”

International travel is not a new thing for Murry. He visited Europe during spring break a few years ago, but that vacation was nothing compared to spending five months studying in another country, he said in an email.

“I would really like to be fluent in a language other than English, and there’s no better option than full immersion. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities I’ve been given here at UA and have some sort of international experience while it was possible, and the program here in Madrid fit with my major perfectly,” Murry said.

The Honors College blog website does not just include blogs about studying abroad.

Other blogs include writings about research and advice to survive college. These blogs are written by honors students, professors and administrators in the Honors College.

A World Beyond America

EDITORIAL SABA NASEEM

ZACH TURNER

Editor -in-Chief 575-8455 traveler@uark.edu

Asst. Sports Editor

CHAD WOODARD

News Editor 575-3226 travnews@uark.edu

MATTIE QUINN

Managing Editor travmgr@uark.edu

BRITTANY NIMS

LAUREN LEATHERBY

Asst. News Editor

Features Editor 575-7540 travlife@uark.edu

EMILY RHODES

KELSI FORD

BEN FLOWERS

Opinion Editor

Asst. Features Editor

Photo Editor

JIMMY CARTER

SHELBY GILL

Sports Editor 575-7051 travsprt@uark.edu

Special Projects Editor

MEGAN HUCKABY Multimedia Editor

ADVERTISING & DESIGN CANNON MCNAIR

MICY LIU

Advertising Director 575-3839 travad1@uark.edu

Campus Account Executive 575-7594 travad4@uark.edu

JAIME HOLLAND

AARON TAN

Account Executive 575-3899 travad2@uark.edu

Campus Account Executive 575-7594 travad4@uark.edu

ZACHARY FRY

ANDY KOUCKY

Account Executive 575-8714 travad3@uark.edu

Account Executive 575-8714 travad3@uark.edu

ERIK NORTHFELL

Lead Designer/ Web Developer

SARAH COLPITTS Features Designer

KATE BEEBE

CELI BIRKE

Graphic Designer

News Designer

DYLAN CRAIG

SEAN MORRISON Sports Designer

Graphic Designer

CORRECTIONS The Arkansas Traveler strives for accuracy in its reporting and will correct all matters of fact. If you believe the paper has printed an error, please notify the editor at 575.8455 or at traveler@uark.edu.

CAMPUS NUMBERS NEED EMERGENCY HELP? CALL UAPD 575-2222

The women and men of the University of Arkansas Police Department, in partnership with the community, are committed to protecting the future of Arkansas by promoting a safe and secure environment.

HAVE A TICKET? CALL 575-7275 TO RESOLVE IT

The Transit and Parking office handles parking permits and passes and transit for students, including bus routes and GoLoco Ride Sharing. Students with parking violations can contact the office to appeal their citation.

NEED A RIDE AT NIGHT? CALL 575 - 7233

Otherwise known as 575-SAFE, the mission of the Safe Ride program is to provide students with a safe means of transportation from any uncomfortable or inconvenient situation. Safe Ride brings you home safely.

NEED TICKETS? CALL 1-800-982-4647 COURTSEY PHOTO

Tibetans in Exile Today is a program where students have the opportunity to interview Tibetans living in India. They also get to tour cities such as Agra and New Delhi.

Don’t forget to call early and reserve your student football tickets for the 2010-2011 season. The ticket office is located on Razorback Road next to Baum Stadium.

PAGE 3

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

GRAPHIC BY ERIK NORTHFELL

Study Abroad vs. Internships: What’s the Best Choice?

by EMILY ROSE DELONG Staff Writer

The four years students spend in college pass all too quickly, and fitting in everything students plan on doing in this small amount of time can be difficult. Each enriching in its own way, internships and study abroad trips alike offer students educational opportunities beyond the classroom.

However, students often have to make a choice between these two opportunities, and the decision can prove difficult.

“An internship, especially if it’s related to your major, can be valuable work experience,” said Marshall Carter, career counselor at the University Career Development Center.

One major drawback of internships, however, is that they are often difficult to translate into credit hours, Carter said.

“If you’re wanting credits, study abroad is the way to go. With internships you would have to work out how to get credit or not [with your specific department],” Carter said.

The UA-specific study abroad programs in particular allow for a way to get credits while seeing the world.

Though any study abroad trip allows a student to learn about themselves and a different culture.

“Study abroad is more of an educational and cultural

experience,” Carter said.

While deciding between an internship or study abroad is tough, students may not have to make a choice. Many organizations offer internships abroad, which vary in length from a few weeks in the summer to a year.

“With internships abroad you can get more immersed in the culture, since you’re working in the culture,” Carter said. Studying abroad often limits a students scope to within a university, where they have the opportunity to remain only partially immersed in a country’s culture. Because of this, students often befriend other Americans who are studying abroad rather than locals.

A big problem with interning abroad is cost. Many programs require you to pay for airfare as well as room and board, which can easily add up to more than most students can afford. On top of that, scholarships for interns are scarce.

“International internships can be very expensive, and they may cost three or four thousand dollars,” Carter said. “There are some inexpensive opportunities for internships, though.”

For those interested in internships abroad, Carter suggests less expensive programs such as BUNAC and International Cooperative Education, which allow students to work in paid positions all over the world.

These may require some

fees, but generally provide hourly pay or a stipend to help defray costs.

The Career Development Center also subscribes to an international job and internship website call Going Global. This website is filled with information about working in different countries and has international job listings.

“Another inexpensive way to go is volunteering abroad, such as Volunteers for Peace [www.vfp.org], where you can go and volunteer for two to four weeks, and the fees are pretty low,” Carter said.

Many study abroad-internship hybrid programs also exist.

“Some study abroad programs do have internships built into them,” Carter said.

Additionally, some domestic internship programs offer a combination of internship experience and classwork. The Washington Center, for example, located in Washington D.C., provides a variety of internships and combines them with classes which offer academic credit.

The options for working or studying, domestically or internationally, are almost endless. Advice on picking a program is always available at both the Study Abroad Office at 575-7582 as well as the Career Development Center at 575-2805.

OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

PAGE 4

Scan here to go to the Opinion section on uatrav.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

EDITOR: SABA NASEEM MANAGING EDITOR: MATTIE QUINN

FROM THE BOARD

Will Safe Ride Expansion Leave Students Sorry?

Safe Ride. It’s our weekend ride home from a night on Dickson with friends, a safe way to leave a house party, and a ticket to leaving a sticky situation when all other options fail. With a projected expansion over the remainder of this year, many students are looking forward to the development and changes that Safe Ride will bring. Yet, a lot of the potential ideas could put students in risky situations and make our campus transport into nothing more than a local taxi service.

Sure, we all could use a dose of IHOP breakfast after a night out on the town, but would expanding the program to allow students to travel wherever they want, instead of to their ISIS address, be a good idea? As many of us know, but few of us are willing to admit, the majority of students would use this transportation service to simply party-hop around town. While this indeed would be a fun way to keep our weekends busy, using Safe Ride as a taxi service would clog the system for others and take away from students actually needing a “safe” ride home. If we gave students the ability to choose where to go, Safe Ride would only be assisting the house party scene in Fayetteville, and while it’s no secret that our weekend get-togethers happen, we can’t have the university involved in only helping the problem.

Not only would giving students the ability to navigate be an issue, but also letting all residents ride campus transportation would make Safe Ride into a regular taxi service. What’s the difference if our campus ride isn’t exclusively for students? The whole premise behind the program is to give students a way to get home without having to call a taxi and ride in a car with complete strangers. What would stop a regular joe-schmo from getting off the bus at our stop if we allowed anyone and everyone to travel with us? As a campus sponsored program, we need to keep it exclusively for students and carry on creating a safe environment for students to travel home in.

At some point in our college careers, most of us will be patrons of the Safe Ride service, but we need to make sure that in these expansions we voice our concerns and ideas for how to make Safe Ride the best it can be, without losing any of our needs as students. If we can create a better program that still gives us the safety we need with the convenience we desire, that will be the ultimate expansion. Bottom line, Safe Ride is for students, and it needs to stay a program that we can utilize.

Left Field Leisure Coming Soon In the midst of our first semester tests, beginnings of projects and preparations for midterms right around the corner, the upcoming baseball season gives us something to look forward to. While all of us shed a tear when football season finally ended, and we aren’t looking forward to the last day of basketball season coming up soon, baseball provides the perfect transition into yet another Arkansas sport.

But for this upcoming season, it’s not all about the game. For many of us, the time spent with friends at Baum’s Stadium is the main event.

For those of you who will be celebrating Arkansas baseball for the first time, make time in your schedule to enjoy the festivities of grilling out on left field, watching the ball game and spending time with friends on some hopefully warm spring evenings. For those of us who have spent the last few years taking part in the fun, we only have more to look forward to this year.

With a stellar team ranked No. 4 to start the season, the only things we need to do are grab a pack of hot dogs, get to the stadium early, find a grill and grab a seat. Unlike our football and basketball games, students and guests are allowed to bring drinks, food and chairs into the stadium, essentially giving us the opportunity to celebrate with friends when the weather permits. And, from the looks of it, we might be enjoying a few of the first games in our warm weather gear.

For whatever reason you decide to head to Baum’s this year, make sure to take advantage of another great season of sports, social time away from our classes, homework and crazy school schedules, and time spent well with friends. Make this baseball season a semester to remember.

Traveler Quote of the Day “Let me just say that learning a language in another country makes a world of difference.

Being able to leave the class room and actually start applying what you are learning right then and there is the best way to learn a language,” - Lauren Davenport, honors international business and marketing major, “World Wide Web: Study Abroad Blogging,” page 2.

HEBRON CHESTER Staff Cartoonist

Changing The World - Think Before You Give Good To Know

by CHRIS SONNTAG

Traveler Columnist

It’s been a cliche for decades that the average college kid wants to “change the world.” So many students affiliate themselves with organizations all over campus that claim to help others or donate money to certain charities, buy products from companies that promise to forward goods to those in need, or participate in various activities for the cure.

Yet, what happens when the money that is at the root of all these activities goes misspent or wasted? Or when there’s a fundamental miscommunication or wrong belief about the very cause people think they’re helping?

Two specific organizations that are guilty of this immediately come to mind - Susan G. Komen and TOMS Shoes. Although I believe the problems that the public generally believes that makes these organizations target-worthy causes, I find fault with many of these organizations and their actions.

A breakdown of the Komen’s revenue shows it received $400

Black at the UA

Traveler Columnist

EDITOR Saba Naseem MANAGING EDITOR Mattie Quinn OPINION EDITOR Emily Rhodes 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.

dollar directly to research labs.

TOMS Shoes, on the other hand, isn’t technically a nonprofit or charity, although I’ve spoken with students who believed otherwise when they participated in the “One Day Without Shoes.” TOMS Shoes is in fact a very profitable business. TOMS’ schtick is to promise to give a child in an undeveloped nation a pair of shoes for every pair it sells.

“You can’t artificially pull people out of poverty by giving them things that won’t last you need to help them find a long-lasting source of income.”

However, in a CNBC interview with Blake Mycoskie, the founder and “Chief Shoegiver” (otherwise known as the CEO) of TOMS, with the extra pair of shoes and associated production and distribution, the total package costs only about $18. With the TOMS website listing the average pair of shoes at $54, with a range from $44 to $68, this is a very significant profit, although Mycoskie still claimed that “it’s very tough on us financially, and it’s a sacrifice that we make with a smile, though.” Hard to believe when, even at the least, they’re making a 144 percent profit.

On top of that, the idea of giving out shoes to those in need is more like a bandaid than an actual cure, and one that can do more harm to an underdeveloped country than good in many cases. Studies show that

the donation of used clothing caused 40 percent of the decline in production and 50 percent of the decline in employment over the period of 1981-2000 in Africa. Because of what honest, good-intentioned people did to help those in need, hundreds of thousands of jobs—543,000 textile workers in Nigeria alone between 1992 and 2006—were lost, as companies shut down due to being undercut by outside aid, according to researcher Garth Frazer.

If you really want to make a change, you can’t artificially pull people out of poverty by giving them things that won’t last—you need to help them find a longlasting source of income. It’s for that reason that I like the Heifer Project, which for the price of a pair of TOMS Shoes provides a family with animals that will be bred and passed on to others and provide a constant source of income, and Kiva Microfunds, which helps finance microloans to small businesses (who knows, maybe a shoe company) and students in developing countries.

In the end, students on campus and people all over America really need to check out the organizations they are giving their money to. If you really want to make a difference, you have to make sure that your efforts and your money won’t be wasted. So think before you give.

Chris Sonntag is a Biochemistry major, and a Traveler columnist.

His column appears every other Wednesday.

Education Devalued: A Perpetual Crisis

by ROSALYN TAYLOR

EDITORIAL

million in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, up roughly $70 million from the previous year. What a coincidence—that’s roughly the amount Komen spent on any cancer research at all that year.

In 2010, it only spent 18.85 percent of that revenue on research, and out of that a little more than half went to specifically funding research “for the cure.” This means that out of ever dollar donated to Komen, only about a dime actually went to help solve the problem of breast cancer.

This seems a little odd, considering it recently renamed itself “Susan G. Komen for the Cure.”

Breast cancer is a serious disease. That’s why I wonder why Komen would spend money on advertising or partnering with products that increase the risk of breast cancer. Notable problems include its past partnership with KFC - diet and lifestyle choices make up the largest cause of cancer, a fact that could use more awareness and education - as well as a notorious line of carcinogenic perfumes.

In addition to this, it spends large amounts on advertising itself and setting up sales events with corporate sponsors in what critics have taken to calling “pinkwashing.” Probably the craziest is Yoplait’s “Save Lives to Save Lives,” which promises 10 cents to Komen for every lid mailed in, at a time when a postage stamp costs 45 cents.

Komen has essentially turned a disease into a brand that they fiercely fight to protect.. If you really want to make a difference, donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which gives 90 cents out of each

It was a week ago when I walked into the Union Theatre, where students sat still and quiet, listening and watching the film that was playing on the large pull down screen.

The film, “State of the Black College Student,” was highlighting the perspectives of various black college students and their experiences attending higher education institutions. From student loan debt to black flight, it seemed that this film touched on many key factors that negatively affect the black student and in turn the black community.

Dr. Darryl Scriven, the mastermind behind the film,

was featured sharing his opinion of how the educational system in America, especially in context to minorities, was flawed. The film blasted devastating statistics such as 14 percent of blacks graduating from high school and college, 35 percent of blacks attending a higher education program and 81 percent of blacks having vast student loans after graduation.

Student loans are ruining the lives of college graduates one dollar at a time, and while any graduate deals with the struggles of finding a job after leaving college, it seems even more difficult for a minority who is swamped in student debt while constantly fighting the prejudice that is a result of institutionalized racism.

Some of the damage comes from the lack of knowledge that is needed when borrowing, while the rest comes from the huge interest rates that dig into the pockets of new graduates. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if more jobs were available, but this economy is still in recovery from a recession, and hope for hire can seem like a distant reality.

With this, we ask the question, “what counts as a profitable education?”

Dr. Scriven says we should “measure it in the power the graduates wield. If there is no power, [then] the value [of the education] is suspect.”

And I agree. Education isn’t a diploma. It’s the power we gained while earning a diploma. It’s the endless hours we’ve spend immersing and enlightening our minds in an array subjects. Some of which we can say changed our lives, and others we wished would be scratched from the curriculum.

Despite this, the only way that any student will ever become successful in his or her own right is by having both knowledge and tangible skills.

Otherwise, it won’t happen.

This simple, yet powerful fact is one that many within the black community have yet to learn. There is cycle of lack of motivation as well as apathy that exists, and it is tearing down that which many have spent years building up.

Many will receive a degree and will not ever return to the communities where they grew

up. They keep moving forward and never look back. They simply forget about their roots and who supported them.

It’s a bad habit that has a tendency to tarnish the success of African-Americans everywhere, but this habit has formed out of the idea that “the community of their education doesn’t value the communities of their origin.”

As I grow and prepare to graduate, this idea rings more and more true every day. I mean, that’s why I am here, right? To get a degree, make money and not settle for a mediocre job in small-town Arkansas?

Well, I may not go back, but I’ll give back, for I don’t want to be a statistic, and I know of others who have the same ambition. As young students, we must educate and motive each other. It’s the only way we can pay our debts.

Rosalyn Taylor is a journalism and African American studies major, and a Traveler columnist.

Her column appears monthly.

Scan here to go to the Features section on uatrav.com:

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

FEATURES PAGE 5

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

FEATURES EDITOR: LAUREN LEATHERBY ASST. FEATURES EDITOR: KELSI FORD

by HAILEY RAY Staff Writer

Even if study abroad is not an option because of financial issues or time commitments, students still have opportunities for adventure.

Whether through the UA Outdoor Connection Center or on their own, trips can be formed to meet any student’s needs.

1. Moab Mountain Biking and Hiking, $399, March 17-25 Travel with fellow students to Moab, Utah, for days of mountain biking and hiking through Slickrock, Arches National Park and Canyonland’s National Park. The program fee covers most meals, and a limited number of mountain bikes can be provided by the Outdoor Connection Center. Some mountain biking experience is also recommended.

2. Spring Break Paddle: Suwannee River, $399, March 17-24 Enjoy five days of canoeing, snorkeling and nature as you paddle the Suwannee River in Florida. The group will travel approximately 10 miles per day, and camp in enclosed shelters along the Suwanee River Wilderness Trail each night.

3. Atlantic Coast Cycling Tour, $389, May 13-20 What better way to get over finals week cabin fever than to spend four days cycling along the Atlantic Coast? The group journeys from Savanna, Ga., to St. Augustine, Fla., traveling 30 to 60 miles per day. Periodic stops are made to enjoy area attractions and cuisine from surfing and sailing to camping and seafood.

4. Boundary Waters Canoe Adventure, $399, June 2-8 Set in the Superior National Forest of north-

eastern Minnesota, this trip lets students explore waterfalls, historic lighthouses, canoe and camp while surrounded by nearly 1.3 million acres of forest. After four days and three nights of adventuring, the group spends its last night in Minnesota shopping and staying in a hotel in Duluth, Minn.

5. Red River Gorge Climbing, $389, May 14-19 Students will get the chance to participate in one of the OCC’s bigger climbing trips at a world-renowned climbing destination, the Red River Gorge canyon system in Kentucky,

said Kenny Williams, a graduate assistant at the OCC. Students will spend each day climbing the heights of a different section of Red River Gorge and camping each night in between.

Some climbing experience is recommended, and students can gain that before the trip by visiting the OCC, Williams said. All necessary gear is provided to students as part of the program fee.

All transportation costs for OCC trips are covered in the program fee, and more detailed descriptions can be found through the OCC’s website, urec.uark.edu.

If none of those options fit within summer time or budget constraints, students can always

take the “Choose your own adventure” route.

First, round up a group of friends who won’t spontaneously combust after prolonged exposure in a confined space. Then figure out where the group will go, and how many nights you plan to on the whole adventure.

Once you have these factors decided, you can begin to calculate the cost. Using Google Maps or a similar service, figure out how many miles are between you and your destination, like South Padre Island, for example. At 892 miles, a way, you can count on this trip costing about $90 in gas money, depending on gas mileage and the number of people in the vehicle.

(892 miles ÷ 20 mpg= 44.6 gallons each way; then multiply by the estimated price of gas in the summer, maybe $4, equalling $178.4; then divide that number by the number of people in the car, we’ll say 4, = $44.60 per person each way). It’s wise to overestimate the cost of gas rather than underestimate it, that way the worst case scenario still leaves leftover money for students to buy drinks.

Hotels.com and Priceline.com are two of the many online services dedicated to helping travelers book hotels. Savings can range from $10 per night to 60 percent off. If you don’t trust the quality of the rooms, then stow a mattress pad or two in the trunk to help smooth things over.

If you have enough people in your group – and will wake up in time to take advantage of it – paying a few dollars more may be worth it to find a hotel that offers a decent breakfast.

Those feeling particularly daring and weather resistant could investigate campgrounds at local state and national parks.

The rest of your costs will be determined by the activities you try and types of places you enjoy eating, so they can vary greatly even between members of the same group. Websites like Budgettravel.com, Lonelyplanet.com and local tourism websites are just a few ways students can get a better idea of the escapades available in the area, and their cost.

COURTESY PHOTO

by EDDIE GREGG Staff Writer

by STEPHANIE EHRLER Staff Writer

While hotdogs, reality TV and football may truly be the standards of American culture, countries overseas may have misconceptions of popular traditions in the same way that Americans find greetings with kisses on the cheek, eating snails and fourhour dinners to be just as unconventional. Life overseas can be divergent from the norm, but it is also an opportunity to unearth the roots behind exotic ways.

According to USA Today, studying abroad among college students has risen almost 150 percent over the last decade. Goucher College, located near Baltimore, even requires all of its students to study abroad sometime in their college career.

The main challenge of studying abroad is the thousands of miles of separation from a student’s homeland, but adjusting to the teaching style of foreign professors can also prove to be a difficult adjustment.

“The teachers expect their students to do a lot of self-teaching,” said Robyn Wright, UA senior French major. “They would breeze over subjects that were crucial in my understanding and I would be lost the rest of the day. They also liked a lot of student discussion and group work.”

Classes taken overseas are not factored into a student’s UA GPA allowing them to just focus on passing instead of stressing out over getting a 4.0.

“Studying abroad is less rigorous than studying at the University of Arkansas. Most study abroad programs recognize that part of your education is spending time immersed in the local culture and so they organize coursework so that students will have plenty of time to learn by exploring,” said Laura Weiderhaft, an international relations, European studies, and economics major. “The professors who are participating in University of Arkansas study abroad programs genuinely want the study abroad experience to extend beyond the classroom and curriculum.”

According to the UA study abroad website, there are more than 30 programs to choose from, each from six different parts of the world: Latin America, Western Europe, Africa,

COURTESY PHOTO

Students Robyn Wright, left, and Sophia Anderson pose on a bridge in Besançon, France. Besançon is home to the University of Arkansas’ French study abroad program.

Middle East, Asia, Austria and New Zealand.

The main point of going to school is to get an education, but the social aspect of college is also a major part of the experience. Many students are already frightened enough about making friends in college, and going across major oceans could only increase that apprehension.

“In my case, it wasn’t hard to ‘fit in’ because most of the students were foreigners themselves. I was in summer school so I didn’t have much interaction with actual French college students, unfortunately,” Wright said. “I became friends quickly with the other Americans and even made friends with some students from Saudi Arabia and Australia.”

The language barrier in foreign countries can prove to be a blessing or a curse. Being immersed in a culture that does not speak English can be mortifying at first, but it can become easier to learn a language when is it the only method of survival.

“An essential part of my study abroad experience was learning a language,” Weiderhaft said. “When I lived in Rome, I did not take an Italian class but I was able to pick up a basic conversational vocabulary in Italian within a month.”

Even if students already know the language spoken in the country they

are studying in, only experience can reveal the modern dialect.

“My vocabulary become a lot stronger because I was able to connect the words to things in real life situations,” Wright said. “At the dinner table with my friend’s host family I would almost shock myself with the proficiency of my conversation and think, ‘Did I really just speak that fluently?’ “ Many overseas students live with hosts families that house them while they are learning abroad. It can be a drastic change from living on an American college campus to living with an unfamiliar family, but it can be the best way to genuinely grasp another culture.

Culture shock is an unavoidable symptom of studying abroad, but writing in a journal and keeping an open mind can help a student cope, according to the UA study abroad website. The best way to lose homesick blues is to just enjoy the moments.

“With my free time I would go for a run, read or do homework, take Eva, my nine-year-old host sister, to the park and on almost every weekend my friends and I bought train tickets to travel around France,” Wright said.

“One weekend I went to the region Alsace and visited wine country. That was the best weekend I’ve ever had.”

Studying abroad—it’s the chance to experience unique cultures, new places, interesting people and adventure. But first: the application process.

“It’s kind of a—not convoluted—but multi-step process,” said Mandy Prorok, an advisor with the UA’s Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange.

But the payoff makes the application process more than worth the trouble, said Ellen Barber, an intern with the UA study abroad office and a global ambassador for International Studies Abroad.

“I’ve studied abroad three times, and I would do it again in a heartbeat,” she said.

The number of opportunities for studying abroad are about as vast as the number of countries, cultures and languages that exist in the world—and each program varies tremendously in cost, duration and concentration.

The length of the application process depends entirely on where you want to go and what program you decide on, but Barber recommends beginning the process at least six months in advance for most programs.

However, Prorok said, “It’s never too early to start thinking about study abroad.”

The cost of studying abroad varies tremendously based on where you want to go and how long you want to stay there, but dozens of scholarships are available both through the UA and outside organizations.

The study abroad office’s Hogs Abroad 101 Sessions are a great place to start exploring the idea of studying abroad, Prorok said.

The sessions are held every week on either Tuesday or Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the J. B. Hunt Foreign Language Lab room 207.

In the sessions, students meet with advisers from the study abroad office and are shown a slide show with reasons for studying abroad, various study abroad programs, scholarships and other information about study abroad opportunities.

To check exact dates for the weekly sessions, scholarship opportunities and other information, visit studyabroad. uark.edu.

Shunterrence Trammell, a peer advisor with the study abroad office, also recommends using studyabroad101. com and studyabroad.com to research study abroad opportunities.

After doing some research on your own and visiting a Hogs Abroad 101 Session, the next step in the application process is to meet with a study abroad advisor, Prorok said.

To set up an appointment, you can e-mail the study abroad office at studyabroad@uark.edu or call the office at 479-575-7582.

Keeping your academic advisor informed about your plans for studying abroad is also crucial, Prorok says, because making sure you are able to take the classes that work with your major in the country you want to visit can take months of planning—or even years in some cases.

Keeping up with deadlines is one of the most important concerns for those planning on studying abroad, according to Prorok, Barber and Trammell.

Organization is key, as each program or scholarship has its own deadline.

The best way to keep up with deadlines is to regularly check the deadline information posted at studyabroad. uark.edu, talk to advisers, keep a deadline calendar and follow the study abroad office on Facebook and Twitter, according to Prorok, Barber and Trammell.

If you plan on traveling abroad at any point in the near future, Prorok recommends going ahead and getting a passport. Passports can take up to three or fours months to get, but they last 10 years.

“Even if you’re just remotely thinking that study abroad might maybe be a possibility while you’re at the university, still apply for your passport now,” Prorok says. “You’re more than likely going to use it at some point anyway, even if it’s just to go to Mexico with friends on spring break.”

Unless you are renewing your passport, you must apply for it in person.

The closest place to the UA to apply for one is the post office located at 12 W. Dickson. The office phone number is 479-442-8286, and more information about passports is available online at travel.state.gov.

Visas are also important to discuss with advisers early on in the application process. Visas are not required to study abroad in all countries, but they can take as long as six months to get, Barber says, so finding out if you need one early on is important.

For more information about the study abroad application process, visit studyabroad.uark.edu.

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

DOWNTIME Comics, Games, & Much Much More!

PAGE 6 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

LAUGH IT UP

SUDOKU

Q: What is the definition of a gentleman?

A: Someone who knows how to play the saxophone, but doesn’t.

Helium walks into a bar.

The bartender says, “I’m sorry, but we don’t serve noble gases here.”

Helium doesn’t react.

Difficulty:

Q: What do you call a blonde dyed as a brunette?

A: Artifical Intelligence

TODAY’S SOLUTION

Q: How do you make Lady gaga angry?

A: Pokerface.

WELCOME TO FALLING ROCK

Josh Shalek

THAT MONKEY TUNE

Michael A. Kandalaft

BREWSTER ROCKIT

Tim Rickard

BLISS

Harry Bliss

CALAMITIES OF NATURE

CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

1 Pert 6 Top grade, in slang 9 Trees along tropical beaches 14 Aptly named cooler brand 15 Small island 16 Perpendicular to the keel 17 Not-so-humorous humerus spot 19 Tri- plus bi20 Drink from leaves 21 Hockey legend Bobby et al.

22 Sea north of Poland 23 Exam taker’s dread 25 Grubs and maggots 29 Manhattan sch.

30 “Garfield” pooch 31 Fan mag 34 Annual parade celeb 39 Daydreams 42 Joe Cocker’s “You __ Beautiful” 43 Formal coiffure 44 Alan of “The Aviator” 45 Slangy “No reason” 47 “Amen to that!”

49 Devoid of niceties, as some politics 55 Disinclined 56 Works a tough row?

57 “The Amazing Race” airer 60 Prove apt for 61 Racer’s edge, or the ends of 17-, 23-, 39- and 49-Across, unflatteringly 63 Mountain ridge 64 www address 65 Otherworldly 66 IHOP condiment 67 1/30 of abril 68 Seed anew

1 Sort through, as for clues 2 Fit of fever 3 It’s near the 17-Across 4 Put one over on 5 Cellist with 16 Grammys 6 Item in a fall stash 7 Art able to 8 Tropical cyclone center 9 41st president, affectionately 10 Clear as __ 11 Slowly, in music 12 “It slices! It dices!” gadget VegO-__ 13 Wallop 18 Zephyr 22 Journalist Nellie 24 What all good things come to 25 Crazy, in a Ricky Martin song 26 Month after Shevat 27 Increase 28 November honorees 32 Liar Joe in old TV car ads 33 Hip flask quickie 35 Greenish blue 36 Sidekicks 37 Verdi opera 38 Projector’s slide holder 40 Rigidly inflexible process 41 Worked arduously 46 Arles article 48 Like the preferable evil 49 Rum-soaked cakes 50 Lincoln Center’s __ Fisher Hall 51 Allude (to) 52 Verdi aria that means “It was you” 53 Strasbourg sweetheart 54 Eucalyptus muncher 57 Jaguar and Impala 58 Verve 59 Hearty entrée 61 1963 Paul Newman film 62 Casual top

Crossword provided by MCT Campus

SOLUTION

Tony Piro

SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

PAGE 7

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Scan here to go to the Sports section on uatrav.com:

SPORTS EDITOR: JIMMY CARTER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: ZACH TURNER BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas senior forward Ashley Daniels has scored in double figures in each game of Arkansas’ six game winning streak and is averaging a team -high 11.3 points per game in SEC play.

Double Threat

Daniels providing offense, defense

by MONICA CHAPMAN Staff Writer

RYAN MILLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas freshman forward Hunter Mickelson has started the Razorbacks last four games and is leading the team in blocks with 57. The Razorbacks will look to pick up their first road win of the season against a Georgia team whose 1-7 conference mark has the Bulldogs tied for last place in the Southeastern Conference. A win by the Hogs would snap a nine-game losing streak away from Bud Walton Arena.

Razorbacks Take On Struggling Bulldogs

by ZACH TURNER

Asst. Sports Editor

Arkansas has yet to win a road game this season, but will face a Georgia team Wednesday night that has lost four consecutive games.

The Razorbacks are 16-0 at Bud Walton Arena, but are in the midst of their only back-to-back road games during Southeastern Conference play, still looking for their first win outside their home arena.

“That is when teams are most dangerous whenever they have lost a few,” freshman forward Hunter Mickelson said about facing Georgia on a losing streak. “We are going to have to come out and work hard because it can happen at any time and we can either win or we can lose.

We are going to tray and limit

ARKANSAS AT GEORGIA Wedneday, 7 p.m.

Stegeman Coliseum Athens, Ga. SEC Network our mistakes and be smarter with the ball.”

Arkansas committed a conference-high 19 turnovers in its 71-65 loss at LSU on Saturday. Junior guard Julysses Nobles had six turnovers, something that coach Mike Anderson said can’t happen to be successful on the road.

“You have to have a short memory in this business here and get ready for the next game,” Anderson said. “Six turnovers by Julysses, to me that is not acceptable for a lead guard to have six turn-

overs in a game of that magnitude.”

Nobles is not the only Razorback coming off a bad game. Freshman BJ Young, the team’s leading scorer averaging 13.8 points per game, was held to just three points before fouling out. The 6-foot-4 guard shot just 1 of 5 and committed four turnovers against the Tigers.

“I think teams are starting to notice that I had been scoring the ball a lot more,” Young said. “They have been doubling down and I am just trying to make plays for my teammates and then score when the opportunity presents himself. I think that was just one game and I am ready to move onto the next one.”

The three points scored

by Young were his secondlowest output of his career.

Young had just two points in

his collegiate debut against USC-Upstate.

“He hasn’t shot the ball well,” Anderson said. “He is great in the open court, but in the last game he got in foul trouble. Teams have been playing him a little different which shouldn’t be a problem because then that means somebody else needs to step up.”

Georgia is led in scoring by a freshman as well in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The 6-foot-5 swingman is averaging 14.0 and 5.2 rebounds in his first season as a Bulldog.

“He is one of those versatile guys,” Anderson said. “He is a big guard that is playing with a lot of confidence. He has that swagger that BJ has.

He probably hasn’t shot it as

see BASKETBALL on page 8

Arkansas was missing a consistent scorer when it began Southeastern Conference play.

The Razorbacks (17-5, 6-4 SEC) have found it in senior forward Ashley Daniels.

Daniels has scored in double figures in each game of Arkansas’ six-game winning streak.

“Honestly, I wasn’t aware that it was six straight,” Daniels said. “I haven’t been known for my scoring. I’ve been known more for my defense and my rebounding. To come in and help the team like that and also get the win with the double digit scoring

each game is big.

“For me, I feel like it’s an accomplishment. It shows how far I’ve come along in my four years here.”

Daniels’ 11.3 points per game in conference play leads the team and is a big jump from her 4.8 conference average her first four years.

Known more for her defense than scoring, Daniels has quickly become a dual threat with her shooting on top of her rebounding.

“I love it,” Daniels said.

“It’s kind of taken me out of my slump I was in my previous three years. Like I said, I would usually just hit the

see WOMEN’S BASKETBALL on page 8

WOMEN’S TRACK

Big Meet Looms for Women’s Track

Arkansas hosts Tyson Invitational After a successful meet at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, Arkansas will return home for its biggest meet of the season.

Arkansas went to the meet in New York and came away with two new school records and another NCAA automatic qualifier, this time coming from the distance-medley relay. Not only was the distancemedley relay team’s time of 11:01.01 a qualifier, it was also a school record.

The distance-medley consisted of seniors Kristen Gillespie and Samantha Learch as well as juniors Gwendolyn Flowers and Stephanie Brown.

The distance-medley relay wasn’t the only record setting performance the Razorbacks had. Junior sprinter Regina George also had a huge meet,

breaking the school and meet record in the 500 meters with a time of 1:09.81. George’s time was the sixth fastest in NCAA history.

Regina George “She ran the 500 meters which is not a race that’s ran all that often,” coach Lance

see WOMEN’S TRACK on page 8

COMMENTARY

The Old Cliché: Defense Wins Championships Old Fashioned 3-Point Play

ZACH TURNER

zwturner@uark.edu The saying “defense wins championships” was proven not once but twice in the 2011 football season.

After Alabama shutout LSU 21-0 to become champions of the college football world, the New York Giants locked down the NFL’s second-ranked offense in New England to cap-

ture the Super Bowl 21-17.

Of course, the Crimson Tide was all about defense.

What doesn’t scream best defense for a team that didn’t allow the opposition a single point?

The Giants, on the other hand, turned up the defense a few notches during the playoffs and knocked off three of the top-10 offenses in the league to march to the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history.

To make that point even stronger, the Giants allowed a stiff 14.0 points per game during their playoff run.

Defense is the key to winning a championship in the sport of football and just about any sport for that matter. I mean, how else did the Dallas Mavericks eliminate Lebron,

D-Wade and Chris Bosh to win the NBA Championship just a season ago?

Which is why all the hype surrounding Arkansas missing out on Dorial Green-Beckham and Courtney Gardner as part of their 2012 recruiting class is a bit excessive. If Alabama, Auburn and Florida can win championships without receivers who are NFL quality then Arkansas should take note.

Alabama had zero receivers on its roster this season that will even make an impact in the NFL, but yet they still got the job done. Now if Dorial Green-Beckham were a 6-foot-6, 220 pound safety with sub-4.4 speed, then it would be a huge blow.

Although Trent Richardson was the face of the Crimson

Tide this season, it was Courtney Upshaw and his bootlegsounding post-game interview after the BCS Title game that will be remembered along with the whole defense.

Just as Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu was the face of LSU this season for good reason –– being the only defensive player at the Heisman ceremony.

Some may think I always mention Alabama and LSU a bit too much when pointing out flaws in other programs success, but then again, they are the measuring stick right now for college football.

Arkansas needs to not worry about the five-star, can’tmiss prospect that can haul in 20 touchdowns in a season and more about the premier linebackers and secondary

prospects out there. To Arkansas’ credit, it has been quickly gaining on the defensive line aspect of recruiting to compete with its SEC West rivals.

Arkansas did have a few impact players on the defensive side of the ball this season, though. Three of which have NFL Draft abilities.

For the second week in a row I will breakdown each of the three on the defensive side of the ball: DE –– Jake Bequette Bequette entertained the idea of leaving after his redshirt junior season, but came back for his senior campaign. Although the 6-foot5, 270-pound defense end missed three games due to injury, he led the Razorbacks in sacks and forced fumbles with 10 and five, respectively.

The Little Rock, Ark., native has all the fundamentals teams will look for. Bequette may be a bit slow for NFL defensive end standards, but at the Senior Bowl he was getting time both there and at linebacker.

I have seen Bequette compared as a “poor man’s Ryan Kerrigan”, the 16th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, who finished his rookie season with 63 tackles including 7.5 sacks. If Bequette puts up expected numbers at the combine, he could prove of great worth in the middle rounds.

Projection: 3rd-5th round ILB –– Jerry Franklin Franklin accomplished a

see COMMENTARY on page 8

SPORTS from BASKETBALL on page 7 good percentage wise, but he is still leading that team in scoring.”

The Bulldogs, who made the NCAA Tournament last season, have struggled without NBA Draft picks Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie this year. Georgia is tied with South Carolina for last in the SEC East with a 1-7 mark, and boasts just a 10-12 overall record.

“I think Georgia is a team that is capable of playing well,” Anderson said.

“They have been in games and they have played some close games. They are fighting, playing hard and playing together. They got senior guards, when you got senior guards you got a chance.”

Senior starters Gerald Robinson and Dustin Ware combine for 21.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs, with Robinson leading the team in assists averaging 3.7.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

PAGE 8

ARKANSAS (16-­7, 4-­4 SEC) PLAYER

Hunter Mickelson Michael Sanchez Rickey Scott

Mardracus Wade Julysses Nobles

BJ Young

Ky Madden

Devonta Abron

Starters POS F F G G G

HT 6-­10 6-­8 6-­3 6-­2 6-­1

Key Reserves G 6-­3 G 6-­5 F 6-­8

PPG 4.8 4.3 10.4 11.0 9.2

RPG 3.7 3.6 3.9 2.1 3.4*

13.8 7.6 5.7

3.2 3.6 4.7

GEORGIA (10-­12, 1-­7 SEC) Starters PLAYER

POS HT Donte Williams F 6-­9 Ken. Caldwell-­Pope G 6-­5 Gerald Robinson G 6-­1 Dustin Ware G 5-­11 Marcus Thorton F 6-­7 Key Reserves Nemanja Djurisic F 6-­8 Vincent Williams G 6-­0 John Florveus C 6-­11 *Assists

With a 4-4 record in SEC and all four wins coming at home, Arkansas’ game against Georgia will be the

PPG 7.5 14.0 13.5 8.4 2.3

RPG 5.4 5.2 3.7* 2.0 4.7

6.6 3.8 1.8

3.8 1.2 1.9

beginning of the back-half of conference play.

“It has gone fast, it really has,” Anderson said.

UA MEDIA RELATIONS Arkansas senior Kristen Gilespie is part of the Razorbacks’ distance medley which set a new school record at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational with a time of 11:01.01.

from WOMEN’S TRACK on page 7

MCT CAMPUS Georgia senior point guard Gerald Robinson averages 13.5 points and 3.7 assists for a struggling Bulldogs team that has lost four consecutive games.

Harter said. “But Regina ran away from the competition.

She ended up missing the collegiate record by a tenth of a second. Great performance by her.”

George is also a part of the 4X400 team, holding the school records for indoor and outdoor in that event also for the Hogs.

But what may make George such an asset to the team is more than just her talent and records, she is also a leader of the team.

“Regina is one of the young ladies on our team that when the pros come, in years to come, she’s going to be part of that group,” Harter said. “She has that gift. She has that mentality. Great competitor, any-

from WOMEN’S BASKETBALL on page 7 floor and think I need to rebound. I need to defend. I need to stop my player, but also having my teammates be like, ‘We need you need score to win this game’ is a big thing for me.

“It shows how important that not only my defensive presence or rebounding is, but offensively I’m needed as well.”

Daniels also averages a team-leading 6.2 rebounds per game, ranked No. 12 in the SEC. She won the game for Arkansas in double overtime against Florida, making the final layup of the game to seal the win.

“Ashley’s been crucial for us,” coach Tom Collen said.

“I think we expected that Ashley that we’ve seen in the last six games is the Ashley we thought we would see all

from COMMENTARY on page 7 one-of-a-kind feat during his collegiate career, leading the Razorbacks in each of his four seasons of play. The 6-foot1, 245-pound redshirt senior broke the 100-tackle mark during his senior season for the second time in his career.

Franklin also showed an ability to make big plays recovering two fumbles, including a 91-yard fumble return for touchdown to spark a win on the road against Vanderbilt.

Although a bit undersized

where from 200 meters all the way up to 800 meters. She has great range. I think that she’s a major hitter for us and boy are we glad she wears our uniform.”

George is an eight-time all American, four-time SEC champion and was named AllSEC in 2010 and 2011. Arkansas will be looking for big performances from George and her teammates this weekend, with many top athletes coming to Fayetteville for the Tyson Invitational.

“Friday and Saturday, the Tyson Invitational is loaded,” Harter said. “The level of competition is absolutely incredible. We’re talking about national and world-class athletes at the collegiate level.”

The meet will be the last for the Hogs before the SEC Championships. The field is set

to include eight teams ranked in the most recent poll.

The highlight of the night will be the USA track and field classic, hosted in Arkansas this year. The meet will have a 10-event professional lineup.

The athletes competing will have a combined 21 Olympic medals and 60 world championships.

“The highlight of the evening is going to start at five o’ clock,” Harter said. “It’s called the US classic, courtesy of Nike. It is basically a professional meet, the best in the world. If you want to see London and you can’t get tickets then just come to Fayetteville, they’ll be here.

The USATF Classic will feature many of the world’s best professionals, including former Razorback Veronica Campbell-Brown.

season long from day one.”

Daniels only scored in double figures in three games earlier this season prior to this six-game streak that she is on.

Her presence on the court and as a scorer is becoming more significant for the Razorbacks, especially down the stretch.

“She didn’t get off to a great start, as Sarah Watkins didn’t either, but they’ve both settled down, they’ve scored consistently now, they’re putting the ball in the basket,” Collen said. “Ashley’s always rebounded and always defended and been an impactful player for us throughout the season, but right now she’s putting the ball in the basket a little more for us.

“That’s important.”

With only six games remaining in the regular season, Daniels hopes to continue the historical run the

Razorbacks are on in their school-record conference winning streak. Arkansas has six conference games remaining.

“I would love to win all six,” Daniels said. “That would be nice. I feel like what we’ve accomplished so far and me being a part of it is big. For the next six games I just want to win. I do want to play well personally. I would love to continue to score and rebound the way I have been doing but also get the win.”

The stretch with South Carolina at home on Thursday.

If the Razorbacks can continue to win, Daniels could play in her first NCAA Tournament in her final collegiate season.

“It would be something memorable for me being a senior and being a part of that so I would really love it,” Daniels said.

physically, the ability to make tackles and bring guys down can never be taken for granted, especially in the NFL. Expect Franklin to produce for a team in his first season in terms of tackles for a contender lacking some depth.

Projection: 4th-7th S –– Tramain Thomas Thomas was very inconsistent in his final season as a Razorback, even being benched in the Alabama game. After the Razorbacks’ first loss of the season, Thomas playing time shrunk a bit as backup Elton Ford saw increased reps.

Even with the struggles, Thomas produced great stats, finishing second on the team with 91 tackles. The 6-foot, 215-pound safety led the Hogs with five interceptions, including a multi-interception game at home against Auburn.

Thomas has average size and good hands for a safety, but doesn’t stand out in terms of coverage.

Projection: 5th-7th Zach Turner is the assistant sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Wednesday. Follow him on Twitter @zwturner.