March 6, 2012

Shopping Night Out Page 5

PAGE 1

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

In This Issue:

News

UA Band Poised to Break Audition Records

Band officials will offer more scholarships to meet the demand.

ASG Voter UA Food Pantry Finishes Second in Turnout Rate National Contest, Sends Rep to Washington Decreases

by JANNEE SULLIVAN Staff Writer

Page 2

Relationships Can be Major Source of Stress News

Vol. 106, NO. 83 UATRAV.COM

Relationship issues are the third-most common complaint behind anxiety and depression.

The UA Full Circle Food Pantry will send a representative to the White House later this month after placing second in the national College Campus Champions of Change competition.

The UA will send Julia Lyon, senior biology major and Full Circle Food Pantry chair, to the White House to present the program at a special event. Lyon will also be featured by mtvU and MTVAct and given the opportunity to host an episode of mtvU’s signature program, “The Dean’s

List,” according to the competition’s website.

“I am thrilled about this opportunity,” Lyon said. “I am really excited to be going to Washington D.C.” Full Circle Food Pantry, a

see PANTRY on page 2

Page 3

Features

Features

Midway Through Lent

For many students, the 40-day and 40-night Lenten season is a time of sacrifice.

Page 5

New Fun. Album is Grandiose, Bombastic Some Nights by Fun. is exactly what the band’s name suggests: a really good time.

Sports

Page 5

Razorbacks Not Looking Forward Arkansas takes on LSU to begin the

Southeastern Conference Tournament Thursday, but a win would mean a rematch with No. 1 Kentucky.

Page 7

Opinion

It’s Time: Razorbacks to Rock the Vote

A Traveler columnist looks at what students should be mindful of during ASG voting week.

Page 4 MIKE NORTON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Julia Lyon, chair of the Full Circle Food Pantry, will be heading to the White House later this month to represent the university and Full Circle.

by SARAH DEROUEN Staff Writer

Student voting totals are less than half of the number of students that voted last year at the end of the first day of voting, the ASG advisor said.

“We’ve had about 1,400 students vote in the ASG executive elections thus far. This time last year at the end of the first day of voting, we had about 2,900 students vote,” said Rudy Trejo, ASG advisor.

Students could begin voting for ASG executive candidates Monday at vote.uark.edu.

The voting will end at 4 p.m., Thursday. The results will be announced at 5 p.m., Friday afternoon on Old Main Lawn, according to the ASG website.

Two tickets, both including a president, vice president, treasurer and secretary are campaigning for executive positions within student government.

One president and vice president ticket include Tori Pohlner and Bobby Pennington.

This ticket started their traditional campaigning with a kickoff party at Kappa Sigma, Pohlner said. They stood outside of Brough Commons to hand out stickers and to talk to students, she said. They also grilled at a baseball game and spoke with students.

Pohlner and Pennington started their website and social media including Facebook and Twitter, Pohlner said. Students can watch their video on Youtube to hear about different aspects of their platform, she said.

With the slogan “Experience to Lead, Passion to Achieve” their platform focuses on five major areas: outreach, communication, campus life, university and governance.

“I am most excited about one program that I and LauRon [Smith, ASG Secretary candidate] will work on together and

see VOTING on page 2

Phi Mu and Alpha Chi Tucker, Pohlner Appeal to Voters’ Interests Omega Join UA Sororities

by MANDY MCCLENDON Staff Writer

UA officials concluded the sorority extension process with the selection of Phi Mu and Alpha Chi Omega, which will both join Greek Life in fall 2012, officials said.

The UA Panhellenic Council, which voted unanimously to bring the two chapters to campus, chose from five sororities that campaigned to Greek Life officials.

“Phi Mu was a part of our Greek system in 1995 and Alpha Chi Omega was last here in 1977. It’s nice to have both of these chapters returning to our campus,” said Scott Flanagin, director of communications for Student Affairs.

Both chapters left because of low membership numbers, Flanagin said.

The sororities won’t acquire housing until 2013, said Parice Bowser, director of Greek Life.

“Beginning fall 2013, both groups will be provided housing within Walton Hall. In addition, each national organization will begin discussions with university administrators in the very near future about long term housing plans,” Bowser said.

Sorority houses on-campus accommodate around 90 to 100 women each.

But Flanagin said the new sororities might have to wait even longer.

“Housing will always happen for sororities and fraternities in order to make them viable. They all need a location that can host a core group of members and can be accessed on campus. However, it will take time to find space, make plans for and build the houses, so it will definitely be down the road for our two new chapters,” Flanagin said.

The selection process for new sororities at UA began in November 2011 following rapid growth in each of the current eight sororities. During the 2011 Panhellenic recruitment process, each sorority gained pledge classes of more than 130.

Such large numbers of pledges have caused issues in sorority housing and sustainability, as well as programming problems.

So far, Phi Mu and Alpha Chi Omega have received a warm welcome, said Leah Nichols, Panhellenic president.

“There is excitement and a true sense of rejuvenation within the Panhellenic community right now,” Nichols said.

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012 VOL. 106, NO. 83 8 PAGES UATRAV.COM

KRIS JOHNSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Students could begin voting for ASG executive candidates Monday at vote.uark.edu. The voting will end at 4 p.m., Thursday. The results will be announced at 5 p.m., Friday afternoon on Old Main Lawn, according to the ASG website.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

PAGE 2

TODAY ON THE HILL A

C ABOUT THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

B

The Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper of the University of Arkansas, is published every day during the fall and spring academic sessions except during exam periods and university holidays.

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

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

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A

Alcohol Awareness Event

Visit the Connections Lounge in the Arkansas Union on Tuesday, March 6 from 11 a.m.

– 4 p.m. to learn about the dangers of driving drunk.

11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Connections Lounge Arkansas Union

CONTACT

B

UA Concert Band and Wind Symphony Concert

Admission is $10 for the general public, $5 for senior citizens and $1 for students.

7:30 p.m.

Baum-Walker Concert Hall Walton Arts Center

C

Jeff Lieberman Exhibit

D

Jeff Lieberman, who appears on Discovery Channel’s “Time Warps”, will have his photos on display in the Anne Kittrell Art Gallery from March 5 to March 28.

Looking for new members for the Water Ski Club so we are holding an informational meeting about the club for anyone who would like to join.

Everyone is welcome.

March 5 - March 28 Anne Kittrell Art Gallery Arkansas Union

4:00 p.m.

HPER

by KAREN STIGAR Staff Writer

UA Band officials will allocate more scholarships to meet the rising number of auditioning students, officials said.

The number of students auditioning for the UA band has increased since previous years.

Officials have conducted 60 auditions and and scheduled 57 more, said Connie Vick, band administrative support supervisor.

“We are currently on the right track of amount of auditions for this year. However, we are getting calls every day from prospective students,” Vick said.

The 350-plus member Razorback Marching Band is the largest UA student organization and is the cornerstone of the four UA Athletic Bands, according to the Razorback Marching Band website.

The band will soon break a UA audition record if students continue to show interest, she said.

“The UA has a great music department with a lot of prospective music majors that want to continue their career in music through the university,” Vick said.

Prospective members have come from throughout the nation, including surrounding states like Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri, Vick said.

“I think an appeal of the UA band to prospective students is the publicity the marching band has gotten in the past few years through their affiliation with UA athletics,” Vick said.

Scholarships are awarded based on musical ability and are renewable for up to four years.

Being awarded a music scholarship does not prevent a student from also accepting financial aid, according to the UA band scholarship website.

High school seniors, college transfer students and current UA students who plan to pursue full-time studies in the Department of Music are eligible to apply for a scholarship.

Students not majoring in music may still be eligible for a scholarship for ensemble participation, according to the website.

Scholarships are awarded in various amounts by the department on the basis of talent, musicianship, academic record and recommendations from previous teachers, according to the website.

Students interested in joining the UA band schedule an audition by contacting the band office. All prospective music students must audition on campus, according to the website.

Students pursuing a music degree must be admitted to both the UA and to the Music Department. Admission to the Music Department is by application and audition. Prospective students should complete an application and mail it to the Music Department, according to the website.

Auditions for various instruments can be found on the UA band admissions website.

CHAD ARNOLD STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The number of students auditioning for the UA marching band has increased since previous years. Officials have conducted 60 auditions and and scheduled 57 more, said Connie Vick, band administrative support supervisor.

VOTING

from page 1 that is the ‘Be a Part of It’ campaign,” Pohlner said.

“The Be a Part of It” campaign will connect every freshman student with one organization during orientation, she said.

This campaign is important for students, “to feel like they

are a part of something,” Pohlner said.

The other president and vice president ticket include Tim Tucker and Courtney Kleine.

“I think we make a really positive impression on many students,” said Matthew Seubert, who works with the Tucker and Kleine ticket.

They stood outside of the Union, tailgated and spoke

with students at the baseball game, he said.

Their ticket, as well, unveiled their social media, Seubert said.

Their platform, “Standing Together, Shaping Tomorrow” can be divided into two parts growth and advocating for students, Tucker said. The growth aspect of their platform includes involving students to

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IMAGERY AND MAP DATA © 2012 GOOGLE, DESIGN BY ERIK NORTHFELL

UA Band Poised to Break Audition Record

119 Kimpel Hall University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701

Water Ski Club Informational Meeting

PANTRY

from page 1 program created by the Volunteer Action Committee more than a year ago as a resource for students, faculty and staff, earned 57,124 votes from the community. The UA pantry trailed the first-place University of Massachusetts Amherst program by 2,723 votes, according to the Campus Champions of Change voting website.

Lyon attributes the pantry’s strong finish to a video released by UA Productions that encouraged students to vote for the Full Circle Food Pantry, in addition to an address by Chancellor G. David Gearhart.

Lyon also credited Sylvia Tran, the intern responsible for the social media and publicity aspects of the campaign, and the VAC, which was instrumental in creating Full Circle Food Pantry.

The White House has not contacted Lyon with an itinerary or any details concerning her presentation yet, but Lyon said she wants to highlight the VAC program.

“I think I want to push the idea of students helping students,” Lyon said. “The pantry is run by a lot of really good student volunteers.”

Full Circle Food Pantry has seen an increase in donations and students interested in volunteering because of the publicity related to the competition.

“We on campus know the great work that the students at Full Circle have been doing,” Chancellor Gearhart said, “but this competition brings national attention to the issue of hunger in America.

“We couldn’t be prouder of the UA community for supporting the food pantry, both with their gifts of food and their votes this past week. It is so encouraging to see the support that our community members have for each other,” Gearhart said.

deal with the transitional parts of growth to get student’s opinion about things like construction and housing, Seubert said.

The second part of their platform, student advocacy, will include creating a new executive cabinet position who will a liaison between ASG and ROTC to get ASG more involved with veterans, Tucker said.

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

DYLAN CRAIG

News Designer

Graphic Designer

SEAN MORRISON Sports 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 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

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

Special Traveler Beat

HEALTH & SAFETY HPER Extension Opens After Much Delay

The UREC satellite gym opened in the Union Monday. Few students had taken advantage of the satellite gym because “not many realized that it’s open,” said J.D. Anderson, junior, fitness center attendant.

CHAD WOODARD NEWS EDITOR

Relationships Can be Major Source of Stress

by VICTOR MONTALVO Staff Writer

Finding time for relationships greatly contributes to student stress levels, UA health officials said.

Relationship issues are the third-most common complaint behind anxiety and depression, said Jonathan Perry, director of Counseling and Psychological Services in the Pat Walker Health Center.

That’s not to say relationships are all bad -- studies show that having healthy relationships is good for mental health. But what constitutes a healthy relationship?

“The main sign of a healthy relationship, whether intimate or not, is the ability to address problems constructively and proactively,” Perry said. “Inversely, the biggest give away of a nonhealthy relationship would be the total lack of this ability.”

Other tell-tale signs of a bad relationship, including lack of respect and verbal or physical abuse, are rooted in that inability to interact constructively, Perry said.

“Basically, I think that a healthy relationship is one that makes you happy,”

said Nick Boris, freshman.

“I guess an unhealthy one would be all those that cause you worry or sadness.”

Relationships aren’t new to most UA students. Whether it was in the first grade, holding hands when the teacher wasn’t looking, or going on group dates in middle school, many have previous dating experience.

But college poses a challenge in both creating and maintaining lasting and healthy relationships. For many, a collegiate relationship is the first time real work has to be put in to maintaining good communication with ones partner.

“When we were in high school, no matter what our schedules were, we were bound to see each other every day,” said freshman Dillon Thompson. “Now if I want to see her, we have to make plans to meet somewhere, or else I wouldn’t get to see her at all.”

The CAPS clinic offers 24-hour assistance for mental health problems. CAPS counselors offer group and one-on-one sessions.

JACKI FROST STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Senior Garrett Beeler and junior Jessica Hyslop have been together since November. Hyslop believes that friendship is the key ingredient to a healthy relationship.

UA Maintains Tobacco-Free Policy

by BAILEY KESTNER Staff Writer

Adherence to the Clean Air on Campus Act has been consistent since enacted at the UA in 2010.

The act prohibits smoking on all higher education university campuses in the state of Arkansas. Each violation results in a $100 to $500 penalty.

“Though the UA enacted a tobacco-free policy on campus in 2008, the state law that went into effect in 2010 made the change that UA police officers can write tickets to anyone caught smoking on campus ground,” said Mary Alice Serafini, Pat Walker Health Center director.

The law applies to all people on campus, includ-

ing students, staff, faculty and visitors.

All 33 public college and university campuses in the state of Arkansas are smokefree with no exceptions, according to the American Nonsmoker’s Rights Foundation.

Approximately 20 percent of adults ages 18 to 24 smoke in the United States, according to the Centers for

Disease Control and Convention. One out of every five Americans dies from smoking related illness each year.

“Since the law was enacted, the Pat Walker Health Center has seen a steady pace in the number of people who walk in with smoking problems or those wanting to quit smoking,” Serafini said.

There are a variety of methods in which the health center assists students and faculty who want help with their smoking habits, Serafini said.

“Students and faculty can schedule one-on-one meetings with workers from Health Promotion and Education. Also, medical staff assists in prescribing medication to help stop smok-

ing,” Serafini said. “Brochures with helpful information are always available as well.”

“We have a health educator hot line available to all on campus. Smoking cessation support is also available. With the employees’ health care plan, this service is essentially free,” Serafini said.

OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

PAGE 4

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

EDITOR: SABA NASEEM MANAGING EDITOR: MATTIE QUINN

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

FROM THE BOARD

Expanded RazAlert System: A Help to Students With rumors of a potential RazAlert expansion, we look forward to what our campus notification system could bring. A communication expansion could bring more to the table for students than a once-a-semester call about the latest tornado watch in town, from instructor notifications to event reminders.

Though weather and campus-wide announcements are useful for the student body, we are especially interested in the instructor-to-student communication line and health center reminders that a future RazAlert system coould bring.

For the majority of us, our busy class and work schedules during the week don’t give us much time to book needed appointments, such as health care during the allergy and cold-weather seasons. And when we do book them, there is always the time that we forget to check our planner until 15 minutes after the appointment time.

Having RazAlert send a notification would be an effective way to keep students informed and reminded, as well as assisting the health center in booking and keeping appointment times. In reality, we need all the help we can get when it comes to our mid-semester schedules. In a season of midterms, preparation for finals and projects, RazAlert could greatly help a lot of students.

Another aspect that could greatly help students would be an increase in instructor-student communication. Who wouldn’t want a quick way to check whether class is in session for the day?

While many of us keep our email up-to-date on our phones, sometimes we just don’t have internet access to check our email or blackboard accounts to check on a cancelled class. Though the majority of our professors don’t cancel class on a regular basis, it would be much easier for students to check a text message than to trek onto campus only to find out that class is cancelled.

RazAlert is already a helpful system for students to have, and one of the many luxuries on our campus. Though we often find it annoying during bad weather, it’s one UA service that many of us without television or internet access depend on. If RazAlert could implement these additional programs, it would only help the student and faculty bodies on campus, and make our lives even easier. And in the midst of the semester, who doesn’t want that?

UREC Facilities Give Students More Options Having a free gym on our campus is something that many students across the nation don’t have access to. Not only do we have the HPER, which boasts a great facility complete with a gym, pool and group fitness classes, but now we have the Union Fitness Center. Having two facilities on our campus will now not only ease the long wait for a HPER treadmill, but will also give students greater access to fitness classes on campus.

In the new facility, which will later this year have a student technology center in addition to the fitness center, students can work out on an individual or group basis. Classes offered span from Power Yoga to Turbokick, offering the same instruction as the HPER but with greater flexibility - who doesn’t love that?

With the opening of the Union Fitness Center, the 6 p.m. rush of students to grab a work out machine will definitely be eased, which means no more excuses for getting into shape before spring break in just a few weeks.

It’s time to get back to the gym – in the mid-semester rush of academic overload, working out is not only a stress-buster but also a great way to catch up with friends.

As one of the first construction projects we will see finished on our campus, we should take advantage of the opportunity to use the new facility and take advantage of everything it offers.

So, grab a treadmill, a magazine or a friend and head to the Union for a brand new workout.

Traveler Quote of the Day “We couldn’t be prouder of the UA community for supporting the food pantry, both with their gifts of food and their votes this past week. It is so encouraging to see the support that our community members have for each other.”

- David Gearhart, UA Chancellor, “UA Food Pantry Finishes Second in National Content, Sends Rep to Washington,” page 1.

EDITORIAL 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.

MARCUS FERREIRA Staff Cartoonist

It’s Time: Razorbacks to Rock the Vote Rocket Science

byJOE KIEKLAK

Traveler Columnist

We’ve all seen the campaigns, whether it be “rock the vote,” “vote or die,” or the plethora of tables set up outside the Union to register people to cast their ballots in November. America wants its youth to vote.

While voting in the general election is extremely important this year, we have another vote upon us that requires our attention. ASG voting started yesterday, and we have two strong campaigns asking for student support. Just like all elections, every vote counts, and students can log on to vote.uark.edu to cast their ballots until 4 p.m. Thursday.

Before we vote, however, we need to remember why we’re voting and the implications of our vote.

This isn’t a beauty contest.

While both candidates’ campaigns have used strong strate-

gies such as handing out stickers, putting up yard signs, hosting cookouts and creating a positive student environment, we can’t let that cloud our vision.

Those tactics aren’t bad, but all they show is strong commitment to getting elected, not strong leadership.

We’ve seen Mitt Romney accused of similar things in the GOP primary races, with critics painting him as a chameleon who will do anything to get votes.

Let me draw the line though, these candidates aren’t chameleons, they are just trying hard.

We ought to reward them for doing so, but before we jump in and do that, we have to make sure they deserve to get elected.

Before we cast our vote this week, we have to read the issues.

Both campaigns have pledged to do different things, but we must ask ourselves what these ideas mean. We have to look past the bravado and find the true substance in the election rhetoric.

In a time when the uniformed voter is surging in America, we need to break the mold.

Especially with how easy it is to find information about the candidates, whether it is looking on UA or campaign websites, reading about the candidates in the newspaper, or simply asking the candidates themselves, it’s easy.

Next, take the letters off.

Block voting has long been a successful tactic in national, local,

and even our campus election.

Once again, let me draw a line. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with block voting, but there is a problem with voting simply because your friends or fellow fraternity or sorority members are doing it.

There is a difference. Two friends may share similar interests and end up voting for the same campaign, but I challenge someone to find an organization on campus where all members hold every similar belief.

Look past the banner. Just because your organization on campus endorsed someone, you are free to vote for whomever you wish.

While it’s in the best interest of a campaign for us to vote for all members in the group, it’s in the best interest of UA students to vote for the best candidate. So, while we may prefer one campaign to the other, forget about the ticket and cast ballots for each candidate separately. This will ensure we have the best ASG executives this fall.

When we vote this week, remember why we’re doing so - not to vote for the campaign with the coolest sticker, or our organization’s endorsement. We’re voting for the issues.

This is important because there are implications to our vote. Razorbacks rallied behind candidates last year and elected a strong fleet of ASG executives,

and our votes must carry on that tradition if we wish to stay a top tier university. It sounds dramatic, but ASG wields power on campus.

We’re not just voting for candidates, we’re voting for people who will spend over hundreds of thousands of dollars. This shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Now, much of this duty falls on the senators, but ASG is ultimately represented by its executives, so we must ask ourselves if we trust who is spending our money.

Remember that our ASG president will represent UA for a year, not just to the students, but alumni as well. Michael Dodd recently recorded a video for UA’s “Thank a Donor Day,” thanking alumni and friends for committed donations spent that not only support the existing campus, but also campus expansion.

We must elect a strong leader who will strongly represent the UA. “Who will represent us the best?” should be the question we’re asking ourselves.

Once again, we’ll be welcoming in the largest UA class in history this fall, and it is our duty to elect strong representatives. The only way we can do that is by being an informed student voter.

Joe Kieklak is a Traveler columnist.

His column appears every Monday.

Santorum: A Danger to American Education

by MIKE NORTON

Traveler Columnist

Rick Santorum is insane.

He’s educated though, I’ll give him that. A man of three degrees, Santorum is no stranger to higher education. Yet, the policies he has been outlining in his bid for the presidency do nothing but endanger the system that endowed him with the knowledge to be where he is today.

The pivotal point of a President Santorum administration would be creating certifying organizations to accredit conservative professors, not unlike organizations that accredit universities. Under his plan, universities would have to “provide an equal number of conservative professors as liberal professors” to be eligible for federal funds.

There is no reason to ignore it. Yes, professors often tend to lean left on the political spectrum, but legitimizing politics in education, bringing government ever deeper into the realm of our lives and shoving something as sacred as education into our tumultuous and troublesome political world is undoubtedly a limit to the

scope and breadth of American education.

Under this system, professors would be hired for their political ideologies to provide a necessary balance. Academia would no longer have complete freedom in teaching, out of fear of shifting their liberal or conservative rating.

And then there is the concern as to what defines “liberal” and “conservative.” Would an environmental engineer’s views on global warming control his ability to get hired?

Would an anthropology professor be marked liberal for his or her teaching of evolution?

Would they be inclined to distort their research findings to protect their job?

These scenarios are quite possible with a Santorum administration, and completely against the educational mission to always expand and grow humanity’s grasp of the world around us.

Santorum’s proposal poses even more questions considering the free market principles of the Republican Party.

Higher education in the United States is a marketplace. For the most part, students have a choice to attend any university

they wish.

In Arkansas, for instance, we have Harding University and Hendrix College, which respectively lean conservative and liberal. If a student wants to attend a university that has a particular political leaning, they can. If there is an increase in demand for that type of education, one would expect the university to grow and expand without the need of government intervention. They will hire the professors that best serve the needs of their students.

Even at the university level, students have a choice in selecting classes. If Dr. Libertarian lambasts President Obama as a communist set on destroying America, you can steer clear of that class on ISIS. If Dr. Socialism makes a bowl of liberal Kool-Aid for the class three times a week, you can push the cup away when making your schedule.

In the instance of required classes, it seems childish to assume professors would specifically tamper with a student’s grade based off of their political affiliation. And if they do, I would hope the administration would catch that form of

prejudice just like any other one that may exist on a college campus.

Regardless, if we begin choosing courses off of the political ideologies of our professors, we are propagating the battle mentality of modern politics—us versus them, red versus blue. Education should be about expanding our horizons and seeing issues from multiple points of view, both of which are conducive to compromise and could do our federal government some good.

This system creates an entirely new precedence in higher education. Santorum’s ideas contradict the conservative principles of small government. They limit the exploratory values that underscore higher education. They take the division and bickering of the D.C. politics and make it a mainstay in the classroom.

Do we really want to poison the well of education with what exudes from our capitol?

I think not. Let’s keep that mess out of our education.

Mike Norton is an agricultural economics major, and a Traveler columnist.

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THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

FEATURES PAGE 5

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

by MATTIE QUINN Managing Editor

During a stagnant economy in 2009, many thought of fashion as a frivolous industry that was largely unnecessary during such trying times for most of the world. In an attempt to revive New York Fashion Week, Fashion Night Out was born. Starting in New York City, Fashion's Night Out is a "global initiative" that sought out to "celebrate fashion, restore consumer confidence and boost the industry's economy," according to Fashion's Night Out website. Fashion's Night Out was so successful that it has since been introduced to multiple cities, such as London, Paris, Sydney and now, Fayetteville, Ark. To kick off the inaugural NWA Fashion Week, "Shopping Night Out" was born, which was modeled after the event in New York City. Shopping Night Out aims to be a "big party" with "one night only specials" all over Northwest Arkansas at all of the local boutiques, according to the NWA Fashion Week website.

Belle Boutique, the UA's own campus boutique had snacks, 20 percent off the whole store as well as two $100 gift card giveaways for the event, said Brittany Roberts, owner of Belle Boutique.

"It just really encourages shopping local. There are no major retailers involved in NWA fashion week. Nothing against major retailers, but it is important to support your local businesses," Roberts said.

by MIKE MAHARDY Staff Writer

The Christian tradition of Lent is a spiritual experience to some, and a groan-inducing family tradition for others. Every year, on the Wednesday exactly 40 days before Easter Sunday, Christians vow to abstain from one or more of their habits, hobbies, or tendencies that they usually rely on.

Beginning in the Apostolic Era (the 110-year period after the death of Jesus), Lent has always been a method for Christians to spiritually prepare for Easter.

The tradition stems from the belief that Jesus Christ walked in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights without food or water.

Brooks Rosson, a UA freshman, tries to sacrifice something important to him every year. “This year I gave up soda,” he said. “It’s nothing huge, but I tend to drink it a lot the rest of the year. This way, I know I’m really helping myself out by avoiding it during Lent.”

Rosson also believes that abstaining from drinking soda builds character. “It’s good to sacrifice things to show you’re grateful, but I also like it because it lets me get stronger in a purely personal way,” he said.

For Roman Catholics, Friday is a day to avoid eating meat. This tradition arose from

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

The sense of community was a major factor in Shopping Night Out, as well as for the entire week.

"Previously the local boutiques were always fighting for sponsors since there were so many fashion shows at many different times of the year, so my boss (Jade Terminella, co-founder of NWA Fashion week,) thought we should just do one huge event," said Angela Strauss, manager of Lola Boutique. "It's nice to have all of this publicity, but our main goal is to give back to charity."

Lola Boutique also hosted 20 percent off the entire store, as well as free champagne, $1,000 gift

card giveaway and tickets to Friday night's fashion show.

"I think it's so great that something like this is happening in Northwest Arkansas," said Payton Bridewell, fashion blogger. "I am a girl who loves fashion and I love to blog about items that I find in the local boutiques, so I think having a Shopping Night Out here is so fun."

Other stores that took part in Shopping Night Out include Savior-Faire, Riffraff, Masons, Maude and Chic Boutique.

For more information about NWA Fashion Week, visit nwafw. com.

LAUREN HUSBAND STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

LAUREN HUSBAND STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Maude off of College provided cupcakes, wine and sales for customers during this year’s Shopping Night Out.

Riffraff gave away free cookies, champagne and manicures for Shopping Night out. The boutique even provided a DJ for customer entertainment.

the belief that Jesus sacrificed his body for humanity, which in turn leads to Catholics abstaining from eating the “body” of any animals.

In the case of UA sophomore Alex Mardian, this tradition tends to sneak up on him.

“One I get a little more used to Lent every year, it starts to be easier to remember not to eat meat on Fridays,” he said. “The first couple weeks though, I usually forget.”

Many students still practice the tradition when they move

guish her less-beneficial habits.

“I’m really working on cutting back on swearing this year,” she said. “I’ve been cursing way too much, and I like to use Lent as an opportunity to work on my resistance, but mainly to improve personally.”

Ruane never looks forward to Lent, although her family is a very traditional Catholic clan.

“It doesn’t exactly make sense to me, especially since most people use it to get rid of bad habits,” Ruane said. “It’s like new years, except you’re forced

“It’s good to sacrifice things to show you’re grateful.”

- Brooks Rosson, UA Freshman away to college. Sophomore Joe Leonardo keeps the practice going because of his family’s beliefs.

“I don’t really see it as a religious experience every year, although that’s how I look at it in the big picture,” Leonardo said. “I almost do it out of habit, which is funny considering you’re supposed to break habits. The ones that you think are hindering you spiritually.”

Although many Christians see Lent as important in terms of gratitude and recognition, many students see it as a kind of late new years resolution.

Meghan Ruane uses Lent as an opportunity to extin-

to follow through with it for at least 40 days. I know a lot of people give up the things that mean the most to them, but if I truly did that then I wouldn’t be seeing my family or friends for weeks.”

At the end of 40 days of abstinence, Christians are allowed to feast on any foods they lay hands on, or partake in the activity they gave up during Lent.

While some may resist the temptation to delve back into their old habits, others are less hesitant.

As Ruane states, for the latter group, “Easter can’t come soon enough.”

LAUREN HUSBAND STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomore Whitney Masters gave up unhealthy sweets for Lent, so she chooses to snack on apples and peanut butter rather than donuts in order to satisfy her sweet tooth. The 40-day hiatus forces Masters to think more carefully about her everyday choices.

Some Nights by Fun. is Grandiose, Bombastic

by NICK BROTHERS Staff Writer

Overall Score: 7

With a band name like Fun., the music had better be a hyped-up blast and a half to listen to or should end up being an ironic joke. Regarding the album Some Nights by Fun., released Feb. 21 by Fueled by Ramen Records, the band definitely personifies the former.

Fun. consists of the trio Nate Ruess (vocals), Jack Antonoff (guitars, trumpet), and Andrew Dost (keyboards, drums, percussion). An indiepop group out of New York, the group is distinct with their grandiose sound with an uncanny similarity to Queen at times. The sound of Ruess belting notes with his powerful vocal chords is reminiscent of the late Freddie Mercury.

Their music revolves around living in the it-crowd, with themes of youth, wild parties, struggles, regrets, and inspirational songs about getting through rough times.

Overall, they have an eclectic sound that brings a fire to the indie-pop genre, and they’re comparable to One Republic and Maroon 5.

The music is bombastic, and that’s putting it lightly -- It’s a lot of fun to listen to. Oddly enough, the album sounds like the soundtrack to a musical in how the songs seem to follow a sung dialogue. The lyrics don’t always follow a structure, and at times there’s a lyric break where Ruess speaks or uses an unexpected curse word. It catches you off guard, but it’s kind of interesting.

Each track has its own unique sound, but overall fit an alternative-pop genre. The music can be so overwhelming it’s cheesy, but two tracks in particular, “It Gets Better” and “One Foot” break the barrier of what’s tolerable versus that which induces groans of annoyance. That’s really only on the two songs; otherwise, it’s a decently cool album.

Some Nights starts out great like a new kid in town with a lot of unknown energy, but the album loses that tone

COURTESY PHOTO

and kind of dwindles with some of the cheesier run-ofthe-mill pop tracks. The middle of the album is the next best part, and “Stars” isn’t that bad of an album closer.

The music here is all catchy stuff, but it’s all on the surface.

There isn’t much substance to the songs other than some catchy and upbeat hooks and melodies. It doesn’t pry at any true emotions or issues. However, the album has true character and energy though, and it’s worth a listen.

Standout Tracks:

“Why Am I The One” is definitely one of the best tracks -- with its build to one of the catchiest choruses on the album and the bouncing cello bowing in the bridge make it a memorable song. “Some Nights (Intro)” and its full version are right up the alley of something sounding like Queen, and they’re the most driven and unique songs on the album. The intro is mysterious, classy, and when it gets going, it ends with a punch, leading into the anthem-like “Some Nights.” “All Alright” is sort of the ideal pop song with its catchy drum beats, slight autotune uses, chiming piano keys, and a fun hook in the chorus.

Musicianship: 7.5

The production value here is bombastic, but it isn’t dis-

appointing. There’s a lot of over-the-top elements, like the pumped-up bass, catchy drum beats, choirs, full orchestras, and awkward autotune, all for an above-average pop album.

Layered together, it’s fun to listen to, and as cheesy as it can be, it’s likeable. Singer Nate Ruess brings the vocal fury in every track.

Originality: 7

They mainly sound like a One Republic-runoff pop group, but they’re the cool kind of pop. They rock the upbeat tracks with unbounded energy. “Some Nights (Intro)” is the most unique track of the album, with its arpeggio-ing choirs and swelling orchestral soundtracks. Also with the occasional lyric break when Ruess has an aside, it sounds like a high-production Broadway musical.

Lyrics: 7

The lyrics are good, and the occasional unexpected swear word and spoken verse make things interesting. At times, some of the lackluster lyrics stand out by themselves like, “tea parties and Twitter, I’ve never been so bitter,” or “Have you listened to me lately? Lately? I’ve been f***ing crazy.”

Out of the whole production, the quality of the lyrics seem overlooked and direct, but the way Ruess expresses them makes them fun all the same.

THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

DOWNTIME PAGE 6

Comics, Games, & Much Much More!

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

LAUGH IT UP

SUDOKU

Q: What insect is good at math?

A: An account-ant.

Q: What’s purple and goes slam slam slam slam?

A: A four-door grape.

Q: If two collars had a race, how would it end?

A: In a tie.

Difficulty:

Q: Why did the scientist install a knocker on his door?

TODAY’S SOLUTION

A: He wanted to win the no bell prize!

Q: What does a cat sleep on?

A: A catterpillow.

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 President known as “Big Bill” 5 Beat it 10 Shady growth 14 Jamaican tangelo 15 Stag 16 Wheelset piece 17 Fine print in Yogi’s contract?

19 “Swell!”

20 Body in a belt 21 Abby and Martha, to Mortimer, in “Arsenic and Old Lace” 22 Exempt attachment?

23 Tab, for one 25 Court allegations requiring consideration?

32 Clip 33 A lot of nothing 34 Many a ‘50s-’60s pop act 35 Fine cotton 36 Moving aid 38 Douglas and Fraser 39 Medium power?

40 Show enthusiasm 41 Hershey’s raw material 42 Product liability problems for Willy Wonka?

46 Biblical middle child 47 Jamaican spirits 48 Thin 51 Get the most out of 56 America’s first martyred spy 57 Vague religious law?

59 Elects 60 Sat rocking, say 61 Ivory Coast neighbor 62 New Mexico resort 63 Spanish filmmaker Almodóvar 64 Hardly at all

1 Big band wind 2 Gets along in years 3 Place to take 27-Down 4 Turnpike roller 5 Oater joint 6 Lament 7 More than just eye-catching, clotheswise 8 Good tennis returns 9 Where to start playing a round 10 Guide 11 Team with a lot of pull?

12 Blind section 13 Directors’ milieus 18 Exclaimed 21 Range in seven countries 23 DNA shape 24 Singular 25 Silly 26 A conductor sets it 27 See 3-Down 28 Firth or fjord 29 Proclamation 30 Subtle qualities 31 Not too hot 32 What houses may be built on 36 Valley 37 Like the lenses on some granny glasses 38 Considerably 40 Courtroom cover-up 41 Book with drawings 43 Tender touch 44 Test-taking tip?

45 Prom dress 48 Tavern measure 49 Senior Smurf 50 Chorus line 51 Bread concern 52 49-Down’s partner 53 __ the finish 54 “J’accuse” author 55 City west of Tulsa 57 Sass 58 Writing on an urn

Crossword provided by MCT Campus

SOLUTION

Tony Piro

SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER

PAGE 7

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012

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

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

TENNIS

LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas senior Matt Walters leads the Razorbacks with 13 singles wins but started Southeastern Conference play 0-2 over the weekend with losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

Not Missing a Beat Wal t e r s , Fe s s hav i ng s uc c e s s

by MONICA CHAPMAN Staff Writer

RYAN MILLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas freshman BJ Young had his worst conference game against LSU the last time the two teams met. Young had just three points and three rebounds before fouling out after 24 minutes. Since the 71-65 loss to the Tigers, Young has averaged 19.5 points over the Hogs last eight games.

Razorbacks Not Looking Ahead Arkansas not looking ahead to potential rematch with Kentucky

by ZACH TURNER

Asst. Sports Editor

Arkansas could have the chance to do something only one other team in college basketball has done this season, but first the Razorbacks must get past LSU. The Southeastern Conference Tournament is up next for Arkansas, which is the No. 9 seed, as the Hogs will take on LSU on Thursday in New Orleans. The two teams split their conference games, with each winning at home.

Although the Razorbacks (18-13, 6-10 SEC) have lost in the first round the last three seasons, a win would provide Arkansas with a rematch against No. 1 Kentucky (30-1, 16-0).

“No, not at all,” freshman guard BJ Young said about looking ahead. “I am actually just looking forward to the LSU game since last game against

them I didn’t perform well.

That was one of those games that I just want to come out now and make up for last time.”

In Arkansas’ 71-65 loss to the Tigers on Feb. 4, Young fouled out of the game after scoring just three points and pulling down three rebounds to go along with four turnovers.

Young was more productive after the loss and leads the team with 15.3 points per game. He averaged 19.5 over the Hogs last eight games, including a career-high 31-point outburst in the loss to Florida.

“Ever since that game I have said I wanted to perform a lot better and take my season to a whole other level,” Young said.

“I think I did that after that game.”

Young has started just seven games during his freshman season, but has still managed to lead the team in scoring coming off the bench, something that coach Mike Anderson said

has impressed him.

“For a young guy coming in and being your leading scorer off the bench, he has been an efficient player,” Anderson said.

“He comes in as a guy that can score and he has shown that.

There are some areas he has to get better at, but I just thought that from the start to where he is at now, he is much improved.

“When you can score at the clip he is scoring and shoot over 50 percent that is pretty remarkable.”

After the last matchup between Arkansas and LSU, the two teams went in opposite directions as the Razorbacks lost six of their last eight, including the only three home losses of the season, while LSU split their last eight games going 4-4.

“Now it is the rubber match,” Anderson said. “In this tournament format it is survive and advance. The first game is always the most important game and obviously you want

your kids to come out and play with the right mindset, with a sense of urgency. That is how I want to see our guys play.”

Arkansas could feature a different starting lineup against LSU with starting point guard Julysses Nobles being hobbled with a sprained right ankle.

Nobles is second on the team in minutes played, averaging 28.5 and has started 27 games including both games against the Tigers.

“It is coming along,” Nobles said. “I will be ready to play by Thursday for sure.”

Nobles played just 12 minutes and missed the second half in the Hogs’ regular season finale loss to Mississippi State 79-59. If Nobles’ time on the court is limited, sophomore guard Mardracus Wade said others will have to step up.

“To me that doesn’t mean anything except others have to come in and pick it up,” Wade

see BASKEBALL on page 8

Doubles tennis partners Matt Walters and Hall Fess have already had plenty of success this season.

The only two members of the team from Arkansas –– Walters is from Jonesboro and Fess is from Little Rock –– the duo was friends before they began playing tennis for the Razorbacks. On the court, the two are quickly making a strong presence in doubles matches.

“Since we’re both from Arkansas, we’ve been good friends for a long time,” Walters said. “I know what he’s go-

ing to do on the court and he knows what I’m going to do so it’s good to mesh that chemistry. We balance each other off really well with him serving and my return.

“I think it’s a great relationship with each other. Hopefully we can keep the wins going.”

Walters and Hess each had different doubles partners last year, but that doesn’t seem to be affecting them at all this season –– the duo is 16-3.

“We’ve done well,” Fess said.

“We’ve been friends for awhile so the chemistry is there. It just works out.”

The two have won nine of

seeTENNIS on page 8

BASEBALL

Wise Beyond His Years

by MARTHA SWEARINGEN Staff Writer

Sophomore catcher Jake Wise claimed the starting job behind the plate just days before the season began and hasn’t looked back.

In Arkansas’ first 13 games, Wise is hitting .343 with seven RBIs and one home run. He’s also impacted defensively.

“The throw he made Sunday, you had to be there to see,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “Texas In the first inning had a hit and run. It was a breaking ball in the dirt. Batter swings and misses, Jake fields the ball, picks it out of the dirt and throws from his knees, right on the bag, and he’s out.

“Once the lights came on

and he realized he can do it and he’s the guy, you don’t notice him. That’s a good thing.”

Freshman John Reeves has also worked behind the plate this season. He played in all three games in the season opening series against Villanova, including starting the second game he against the Wildcats.

“He has come in a couple of games and he’s done a great job,” Van Horn said.

“He’s right there and that’s a good thing. (Catching) was a major concern for us and it’s looking good so far.”

Starting pitching a plus Sophomore right-hander Ryne Stanek (3-0) had a

see BASEBALL on page 8

COMMENTARY

Hogs Have Spots Up for Grabs in Spring Extra Points

JIMMY CARTER

jicarter@uark.edu For a team that finished the 2011 season ranked No. 5 and will likely be a top-10 team in the preseason, Arkansas has to fill some big holes on both sides of the ball.

The Razorbacks graduated five defensive starters, two starting offensive linemen and three receivers who all had career yardage ranked in the top seven in school history.

For the Hogs to still be

projected as a contender in the SEC West shows the respect analysts around the nation have for Bobby Petrino.

Still, Arkansas has some question marks that need to be answered. The Razorbacks host Alabama on Sept.

15 and there’s a pretty good chance Nick Saban will have his personnel issues figured out.

The Hogs start spring practice March 14. The 15 practices will be key to identify which players will step up and contribute in September.

Not all position battles will be settled in the spring –– several freshmen could compete to contribute at the starting strongside linebacker spot. The pecking order at several positions, including the five positions listed below, will begin to take shape this spring, though.

Middle Linebacker

Replacing Jerry Franklin, who finished second on the UA career list with 382 tackles, won’t be easy.

Petrino doesn’t want to move senior weakside backer Alonzo Highsmith to the middle, a move that he made with Franklin in 2008. Highsmith was Arkansas’ best tackler and played fast at the will spot, something the Razorbacks want to keep the same.

In order for Highsmith to stay on the outside, someone will have to emerge inside. Senior Terrell Williams, redshirt freshman Brock Haman and junior Robert Atiga all have size and athleticism, but one of them will have to show they grasp the system.

My bet: Williams Though the defense will have to learn new coordinator Paul Haynes’ system, Williams easily has the most game experience of the trio.

The 6-foot-3, 232-pounder has size and has played well in big games before, including wins against Mississippi State and LSU in 2010.

Strongside Tackle Brey Cook and Chris Stringer are the two leading candidates to replace graduate Grant Freeman.

Both players have size and length, but will need to bring physicality to the table for an offensive line that struggled against Alabama and LSU last season.

My bet: Cook One of two five star players (senior cornerback Darius Winston) on the roster, Cook has the skill set and size to be a solid player.

He was moved to guard after struggling to adjust to the speed of the game at tackle last spring, but should be a different player after spending time in the weight room during the

season and offseason.

Safety Eric Bennett can play either safety position and will likely line up at free safety this spring, the spot Tramain Thomas played last season.

Ross Rasner will work at safety in the spring after coming on strong late in 2011 and stealing some playing time from Jerico Nelson at the hybrid safety-linebacker position, a spot that might be phased out under Haynes.

Redshirt freshman Rohan Gaines, junior Jerry Mitchell and sophomore Daunte Carr will all compete for time, too. Mitchell is sliding over from cornerback, while Carr has the best size of the trio.

My bet: Rasner He covered receivers in the slot last year working as a nickel defender, so he isn’t incapable of playing the pass.

If he can adjust to the posi-

tion, he would give Arkansas a solid tackler and seasoned veteran at the back of the defense.

4. No. 2 Receiver Cobi Hamilton should have a big senior season with the graduation of Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and Greg Childs. One of the keys for Arkansas could be who steps up to take the pressure off Hamilton and tight end Chris Gragg.

The Razorbacks have a host of receivers that have been solid and promising.

Now it’s their time to turn into consistent contributors and playmakers, something everyone has seemingly assumed they will do since they’ve shown potential and will play in Petrino’s offense.

Marquel Wade could make a convincing Adams

see COMMENTARY on page 8

SPORTS from BASKETBALL on page 7 said. “Rickey Scott, myself, BJ Young, Ky Madden and everybody have to pick it up. It is tournament time and everybody has to play a little bit above the radar right now.”

After beating LSU 69-60 on Jan. 14 in the first matchup at Bud Walton Arena, Arkansas allowed Tiger starting forwards Justin Hamilton and Johnny

O’Bryant to combine for 21 points and 22 rebounds in the LSU’s home win.

“Their strength is they have size,” Anderson said. “They have the 7-footer in Hamilton and Johnny O’Bryant who they have gotten back. We have to somehow neutralize those two big guys and make them become a perimeter shooting team where we are contesting shots.”

Arkansas ended the regu-

TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2012 lar season as the SEC’s worst rebounding team and was outrebounded in 21 of its 31 games so far this season.

“We have to play a better brand of defense,” Anderson said. “We have to be able to rebound the basketball. We have to be able to do that and hopefully create some tempo.”

Arkansas is 2-1 against LSU in the SEC Tournament with the last meeting being a 85-56 win over the Tigers in 2003.

LOGAN WEBSTER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas senior Matt Walters (left) and Hal Fess are the Razorbacks most successful doubles partners this season with a record of 16-3. As Arkansas’ No. 1 doubles pair, Walters and Fess have won nine of 11. from TENNIS on page 7 their last 11 matches while playing No. 1 doubles for a Razorbacks team that has started the season 9-3.

“Matt and Hall Fess have are just exceeded our expectations,” Arkansas coach Robert Cox said. “They’ve just done so well at number one doubles. We couldn’t have imagined that these guys would be as competitive as they are. In saying that, they’ve really improved and they deserve all the wins that they have.”

Arkansas started out Southeastern Conference play with a win last week against No. 48 Vanderbilt.

Although Walters and Fess came up short Sunday against No. 9 Kentucky, they duo

from COMMENTARY on page 7 clone if he traded his No. 1 for Adams’ 3. Julian Horton and Javontee Herndon have both shown promise and will have an opportunity to have big junior seasons.

Keante Minor was highly-touted as a high school recruit and has the size, strength and speed to contribute as a sophomore.

Quinta Funderburk was too skinny and dropped too many passes last spring, but has the frame to be a matchup problem if he was diligent in the weight room.

My bet: Wade He will provide an underneath target that Tyler Wilson can dump the ball to and watch him make big plays after the catch.

It really doesn’t mat-

gained valuable experience against one of the top doubles teams in the nation.

“SEC No. 1 double teams are very good,” Walters said.

“Most of them are ranked.

Most of them are in the top 30 in the country. Today we lost 8-6, but we had our shots. It was a learning experience for today.

“We’re going to bounce back at Auburn next week and I think we’ll have some good results for the rest of the year.”

Walters and Fess have both had success in singles play, too.

Walters was named captain at the beginning of this season, which has helped him elevate his game.

“It’s an honor, it really is,” Walters said. “I think it shows that coach respects me a lot. I think my teammates respect ter who the No. 2 receiver is, though, because Petrino utilizes five or six. It will be interesting to watch who breaks into the rotation and shows signs of becoming a consistent playmaker in the spring.

5. Weakside Guard Mitch Smothers moved inside after starting the first four games at weakside tackle last season. He will compete with sophomore Luke Charpentier to replace Wade Grayson, the player Charpentier backed up last season.

Adding physicality to this position and the rest of the offensive line will be key and a point likely stressed by Petrino and line coach Chris Klenakis.

My bet: Smothers I feel least sure about this pick. I could see either

PAGE 8

SOFTBALL

No Adjustment Necessary Wallace leading Razorbacks at the plate as a freshman

by CATIE WALKER

Contributing Writer

Arkansas softball is off to a 16-2 with a freshman leading the way at the plate.

Left fielder Devon Wallace has a team-best .409 batting average and has two home runs and 14 RBIs while hitting leadoff for coach Mike Larabee.

“The thing that really amazes me about her is her plate discipline,” Larabee said. “Her on base percentage is crazy.”

Wallace has a .586 on-base percentage, which ranks fourth in the Southeastern Conference.

“We do a lot of individual hitting which really helps me focus,” Wallace said. “I like watching films from previous games to see how I can improve my swing.”

Wallace and the Razorbacks’ other eight true freshman have integrated into the roster with the holdovers quickly.

“As a team I think our team chemistry is amazing,” Wallace said. “Everyone gets along really well and knows how to pick each other up. We have a lot of

DEVON WALLACE heart and we have come from behind and pulled victories from it and that shows that we never give up.

“We like to keep things positive and fun … The coaching staff has done an amazing job of keeping everything positive and helping improve our team chemistry. Everyone gets along and does a really good job of encouraging each other.”

Wallace quickly earned the trust of her older teammates.

“Her relationship with the team is outstanding,” Larabee said. “The chemistry amongst the coaching staff and the players is great. I’ve recruited her for a couple of years so

we’ve built a really good relationship.”

Wallace hit .535 and earned all-area honors from the Dallas Morning News while starring at Marcus High in Double Oak, Texas. She had to go through an initial phase of adjustment to college softball, but, evidenced by her numbers, grew acclimated quickly.

“It’s a lot more competitive and a lot more work goes into it,” Wallace said. “I can honestly say that I have never worked this hard at softball before.”

She quickly established herself as an option to bat early in the order and worked as the leadoff while alternating between left field and stints as the designated hitter.

“Her strengths that she brings to this team is her ability to drive the ball and get on base,” Larabee said.

“She’s a good leader and a very hard worker that has improved tremendously.

Very few kids can get out of their beds in pajamas and grab a bat and hit the ball out of the ball park and she’s one of them.

“She is really special.”

me. I like the role of a captain.”

In singles matches, he has gone 13-5, leading the team in wins.

“I like being a leader because I’m a very vocal person on the court and off of it,” Walters said. “I think makes me want to step even more.”

Fess has had a pretty even singles season with an 8-9 record so far. The two together, though, form a dynamic duo on the court.

With the SEC play just beginning, the duo will need to continue to lead the Razorbacks.

“I think that if they keep on playing well obviously they’re going to get a few wins in number one doubles,” Cox said.

“Hopefully their ranking will start to show up in the second half of the season.” player winning the job, but I went with Smothers because he has some starting experience, even if it led to a position change.

Whoever wins the starting job at guard or any of the other positions listed will be new starters trying to learn the role and fit with their teammates. That’s different than the last year, when the majority of the roles were defined.

The development of whoever wins these position battles could be the difference between a 10-win season or an SEC championship.

Makes spring practice seem a little more critical this year, huh?

Jimmy Carter is the sports editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Tuesday. Follow him on Twitter @jicartersports.

SARAH CHAMPAGNE CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas sophomore catcher Jake Wise is hitting .343 and has seven RBIs and has started 10 of the Razorbacks 13 games to start the season. from BASEBALL on page 7 career-high performance against Texas Tech on Friday at the Houston College Classic and was selected to the all-tournament team.

He had a career-high seven strikeouts and allowed just one run in seven innings of a 3-1 win against the Red Raiders.

“He threw his best game of the year on Friday,” Van Horn said. “He was lights out. He just threw strike after strike.”

Preseason All-American junior DJ Baxendale picked up his fourth win of the season after starting in the 7-3 win against Texas. His sixgame winning streak dates back to the 2011 season.

“He’s got an ERA of right around 2 and he’s just done a tremendous job for us,” Van Horn said. “I think our starting pitching has been out-

standing. When you’ve got that kind of stuff that those two guys have, you’re going to be in the game.”

The Razorbacks have also gotten solid efforts from middle relievers early in the season, including sophomore right-handers Brandon Moore and Colby Suggs, freshman right-handers Chris Oliver and Greg Milhorn and junior left-hander Cade Lynch.

“I think they’ve all done a great job for us, just holding down what we’ve already established in the game,” Van Horn said. “It’s a luxury for us. We don’t have to leave a guy in too long. That’s a good situation.”

Hogs get a break After completing a stretch of 13 games in 17 days to start the season, Arkansas gets a break with no midweek games this week.

“This week we don’t have any games and honest-

ly, that’s a good thing,” Van Horn said. “We get a little time off as far as just organize some full team practices where the guys can catch up on academics, kind of get it going in the weight room a little bit and build up a little bit of strength. Then we’ll practice again as a team on Wednesday.”

The Hogs will resume play on Friday at 3:05 p.m. in Baum Stadium with a weekend series against Binghamton.

“It’ll be back to back at it again here in a couple of days, but this a good little break for us.”

Including Binghamton, the Razorbacks’ upcoming 10-game home stretch will consist of Gonzaga, Alabama and Nevada in Fayetteville before traveling to Starkville, Miss., for conference play against Mississippi State on Friday, March 23.

SARAH CHAMPAGNE CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas starting pitcher Ryne Stanek is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts so far this season. Stanek struck out seven batters while giving up six hits in his last outing against Texas Tech, a 3-1 Arkansas win.